It must be someone else’s fault! What did you do?!

Unless you were totally isolated for days and without access to any type of electronic device, you heard about what happened at the Oscars.  On one of the biggest stages out there, announcing the best picture proved to be quite interesting…and challenging apparently.  In her article, Rhonda Scharf describes how we were witness to what should be acknowledged and praised as prime examples of grace and class by both Jordan Horowitz and Warren Beatty.

Producer Jordan Horowitz was well into his acceptance speech when the error was recognized, and without waiting for someone else to handle the situation, he came forward to make the correction and announce that it was “Moonlight” that had actually won the award.  Afterward, instead of placing the blame on Faye Dunaway (or anyone else), Warren Beatty simply explained what happened.  Without question, I agree that these two individuals demonstrated how one should act in such a situation: with grace and class.

Then, shortly thereafter, Jimmy Kimmel came into the picture.  He proceeded to question Warren Beatty and say, “What have you done?”  Now, some would say that Jimmy Kimmel was just trying to add some levity to the circumstance, but I wholeheartedly disagree!  He actually demonstrated what the majority of people in our society would have done in this situation: point the finger at someone else in an attempt to take the spotlight off of one’s self!  I would add that Kimmel was the best example of what NOT to do after witnessing the positive behaviour of Horowitz and Beatty.

The following point is most important: The appropriate thing to do on such a stage is to applaud the good such that it can overshadow the not-so-good.  Actually, no!  That’s too boring!  Someone has to ruin things!  Wait, no!  I just contradicted myself!  Oh well…I’ll take the easy way out and blame it on fast foods!

- B. J. T. Pepin