The Second "Slap" - Oscars 2022
It’s been a couple days now since the Oscars.
I don’t know about you, but I was stunned while watching the events unfold. (**The only reason I tuned in this year was to cheer on CODA to win. If you haven’t seen it – what a powerful and amazing movie. I was a mess watching it – but then again I’ve been known to lose it over a Tim Hortons or a Coke commercial.) This will likely be one of those times that I’ll never forget where I was as the "joke" and the "slap" happened. 48hrs after the event – here’s what "hit me" today:
- Did you see Troy Kotsur win an Oscar? (He’s the first deaf Male actor to win Best Supporting Actor.)
- Did you “hear” his acceptance speech with a heartbreaking dedication to his father who lost his ability to sign after being paralyzed in an accident?
- Did you see CODA win? (Again – watch the movie … especially if you’re a parent!)
- Did you “hear” the thunderous applause as the entire theatre waved their hands in celebration?
- Did you see Lady Gaga and Liza Minelli present the best picture to CODA?
- Did you hear the unscripted dialogue between the two when Minelli started to fumble and Gaga leaned in and said “I got you” to which Minelli replied “I know”?
I guess today I have 2 main thoughts:
- Our focus so often ends up on all things negative. It’s easy to focus on the negative. We gravitate to the negative.
- Negative: OMG mortgage rates are going up; the housing market is cooling; I’ll never be able to afford …. ; I didn’t get the job; I only lost 5 pounds instead of 15; the cold weather is still here.
- Positive: Rates can go up – I’ve qualified at a higher rate anyway so I know the numbers say I’m good; it may be cooling – but at least you have a house (consider the millions in Ukraine right now!); You’re saving and increasing your wealth – you have a plan!; you didn’t get the job but you put yourself out there and interviewed; you LOST 5 POUNDS!; ya … I got nothing about the cold weather.
- The "OTHER" Slap: “I got you”/”I know”. To me, that was the biggest slap to all of us in western society
It was a pure moment of unselfishness, protection, love and kindness. This … is what we need more of. We need to know that when we are stumbling - someone has our back; when all we can see is the negative of “how am I going to get through/omg- I’m messing up” – that SOMEONE tells us “I got you”. Call it a wake up call - call it a reminder - call it a slap of awareness. We witnessed love in action. It would be easy to look at the struggle of Liza, and the struggles of age. However, it was more powerful to see the authentic kindness of a friend. This wasn't a performance for applause. Gaga wasn’t out for personal gain. She simply wanted to help and aid a friend. It was authentic …. it was pure ... and it was genuine. It is EXACTLY what we all need ... and should strive to be. So my final thoughts concerning everything Oscars related: Ya the 1st slap gives us something to talk about … but the 2nd slap gives us something to live about.
In a world of Chris and Will … we should all try to be more like Lady Gaga.
So what did you see? What did you hear?
Thank you to Tim Stevens for giving us permission to repost.