CrosswordNewsletters
DAILY BEAST
ALL
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Obsessed
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Fever Dreams
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Right Richter
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDB's Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      CULTURE
      • Power Trip
      • Fashion
      • Books
      • Royalist
      TECH
      • Disinformation
      SCOUTED
      • Clothing
      • Technology
      • Beauty
      • Home
      • Pets
      • Kitchen
      • Fitness
      • I'm Looking For
      BEST PICKS
      • Best VPNs
      • Best Gaming PCs
      • Best Air Fryers
      COUPONS
      • Vistaprint Coupons
      • Ulta Coupons
      • Office Depot Coupons
      • Adidas Promo Codes
      • Walmart Promo Codes
      • H&M Coupons
      • Spanx Promo Codes
      • StubHub Promo Codes
      Products
      NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
      FOLLOW US
      GOT A TIP?

      SEARCH

      HOMEPAGE
      Movies

      Aubrey Plaza Roasts Host-Less Oscars at Female-Dominated Independent Spirit Awards

      NAILED IT

      This was definitive proof that award shows are better when they have hilarious hosts.

      Matt Wilstein

      Senior Writer

      Updated Feb. 24, 2019 11:49AM ET / Published Feb. 23, 2019 8:34PM ET 

      SANTA MONICA, California—If Harvey Weinstein was the easy punching bag at last year’s Independent Spirit Awards, there was a target even closer to home this time around.

      Just one day before The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would finally hand out their trophies at the end of an especially beleaguered award season, Spirit Awards host Aubrey Plaza took aim at the Oscars in her opening monologue.

      “The network’s first choice to host was no one,” she began after an elaborate cold open sketch that featured a canal of indie film actresses sacrificing “virgin” Finn Wolfhard. “But they’re already booked for tomorrow so you got me!”

      Another highlight of the afternoon came in the form of a Fyre Fest-inspired sketch starring Plaza’s Parks and Recreation co-star Jim O’Heir, who explained on video how he had to “suck dick” to make sure the ceremony had enough Fiji water for everyone.

      Besides the presence of a real-live host, the most significant difference between the Spirit Awards and the Oscars is that the former nominated three women for Best Director unlike the typically all-male field that will compete for that prize Sunday night.

      “I’m very proud to say that 60 percent of our director nominees are women,” Plaza said. “Don’t get too excited. In this case, 60 percent just means three women. But calling it 60 percent makes it sound way scarier to your uncles and that's fun for me!”

      Presenting the award, Laura Dern made sure to highlight that the nominees consisted of “three women and two men” before announcing as the winner Barry Jenkins for If Beale Street Could Talk.

      “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t want to win this award,” Jenkins admitted in his acceptance speech, making the case for why more women should be given the opportunity to helm both independent and major motion pictures. In particular, he shouted out You Were Never Really Here director Lynne Ramsay for serving as a mentor to him early in his career.

      Debra Granik, widely considered the most likely to break into this year’s Oscar field, took home the Bonnie Award, given to a mid-career female director, for her film Leave No Trace. And accepting the award for Best Screenplay for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Nicole Holofcener brought director Marielle Heller—another woman snubbed by the Academy—on stage to join in the celebration.

      For the first time in over a decade there was zero overlap between the eight films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and the five competing for Best Feature at the Spirits. So we can’t divine any Oscar wisdom from the choice of If Beale Street Could Talk as the big winner of the night.

      But if this year’s Independent Spirit Awards taught us anything, it’s that there is real value in having a host at these events. As always, this freewheeling party on the beach was more fun than the Oscars. But this time it was also funnier, thanks to the hilarious Aubrey Plaza.

      READ THIS LIST

      DAILY BEAST
      • Cheat Sheet
      • Politics
      • Entertainment
      • Media
      • World
      • Innovation
      • U.S. News
      • Scouted
      • Travel
      • Subscription
      • Crossword
      • Newsletters
      • Podcasts
      • About
      • Contact
      • Tips
      • Jobs
      • Advertise
      • Help
      • Privacy
      • Code of Ethics & Standards
      • Diversity
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Copyright & Trademark
      • Sitemap
      • Best Picks
      • Coupons
      • Coupons:
      • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
      • HP Coupon Codes
      • Chewy Promo Codes
      • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
      • NordVPN Coupons
      • JCPenny Coupons
      • Nordstrom Coupons
      • Samsung Promo Coupons
      • Home Depot Coupons
      • Hotwire Promo Codes
      • eBay Coupons
      • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
      © 2023 The Daily Beast Company LLC