The 2023 Oscars had many memorable moments. from Michelle Yeoh’s historic win with her formidable performance on Everything Everywhere All At Once, to Tems’ controversial dress stealing the show, the 95th Academy Awards really packed a punch.
People also had a lot to say about Angela Bassett, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. What did she do exactly, you may wonder? Did she get on stage and slap someone after they insulted her? No. Did she throw shade at anybody? No. Did she wear a massive dress that obstructed people’s views? No. When it was announced that Jamie Lee Curtis won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Mrs. Bassett had the audacity, the guts, and the audaciousness to … momentarily look sad.
A double standard
That’s right, a woman showed emotion when she lost, and that made people really mad for some reason. Some publications even went as far as calling Bassett a “sore loser” for her very real and very human reaction. And, of course, annoyingly outspoken TV personality Piers Morgan also criticized the actress for her reaction. “When you lose, you’ve got to try and pretend you’re happy for the people who win, and this is something Angela Bassett did not get the memo on,” Morgan commented on his chat show Piers Morgan Uncensored. “I mean, it’s like she was literally sucking or inhaling a large bottle of particularly toxic vinegar.”
Thankfully, many were quick to defend the actress. They pointed out the unfairness and double standards in people’s reactions. “You would swear Angela Bassett got up and said FUCK THE OSCARS the way these people carrying on. At least everyone gets to see the magnitude in which Black women are expected to perform and how our every emotion is policed. Decades in, and she’s not even allowed to fight back tears,” said political commentator Olayemi Olurin.
People’s reactions to Bassett’s visible disappointment showcase how women’s emotions are micromanaged and judged to a level that men’s never are. It’s like these people walk around with a checklist, assessing whether or not women are performing facial expressions and body movements that are up to their standards. When they’re not? You bet that we must hear about it. It’s ridiculous how not just women in Hollywood, but regular women as well, are pressured into smiling when they don’t want to or expected to always act “with grace” in the face of disrespect. (And yes, Bassett has been snubbed so many times it’s become disrespectful at this point.)
So to conclude, Bassett had every right to look defeated at the Oscars. People need to leave women alone. The end.
(Featured image: Marvel)
