Photos showing the auditorium littered with trash immediately after the Academy (Oscars) ceremony, the most prestigious awards in the U.S. film industry, have been released and the controversy is spreading.
On the 16th (local time), film critic Matt Neglia posted on his social media, "Everyone, please tidy up the aisles," along with on-site photos. The photos are reported to have been taken at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (LA), where the 98th Academy Awards were held.
The released photos showed snack boxes, empty bottles and food wrappers scattered everywhere in the seats after the audience left. Organizers reportedly provided attendees with snack sets containing chocolate, cookies and bottles of water that day.
The post rapidly spread and recorded millions of views, and criticism poured in online. Netizens reacted with comments such as "This is basic manners not being followed," "The problem is thinking someone else will clean up," and "This is the real face of Hollywood."
Criticism grew especially strong because this was an event attended by many Hollywood stars who often emphasize environmental protection, such as Leonardo DiCaprio. Some netizens accused them of hypocrisy, saying, "You talk about protecting the planet, but you act like this?"
However, some suggested there may have been operational issues with the event. There are claims that attendees may have left their trash by their seats following instructions, and criticisms that there were not enough trash bins provided on site.
The controversies surrounding the Oscars are not limited to this. At this ceremony, Netflix's animated film "K-pop Demon Hunters" won both best animated feature and best original song, taking two awards, but during the acceptance remarks the music started playing and the speech was cut off.
When the composing team's remarks were interrupted by signal music while they were speaking, some raised criticisms that it might have been racial discrimination against Asian winners.
As the controversy grew, Rob Mills, vice president of Walt Disney Television, which oversaw the ceremony broadcast, told local media in an interview that they would "conduct a post-analysis of how to handle acceptance remarks," adding, "When several people come on stage it is not easy to allocate time. We are considering various solutions."
He added, "Cutting off someone's remarks is especially difficult considering it is a once-in-a-lifetime moment," and expressed a willingness to improve.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)/ X capture
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