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'F--k your politics': Internet furious as Oscars slam GOP, but only offer silence for Ukraine

The opening monologue featured plenty of takedowns of the Republican Party, while in contrast a 1-minute silence was all Ukraine got at the show

In the days leading up to the 94th Academy Awards, co-host Regina Hall said the showrunners had a "beautiful" plan to honor Ukraine. In the end, it turned out to be nothing more than a minute-long silence. In contrast, Hall and her co-hosts spent considerable time bashing the Republican Party, leading the internet to furiously call out their hypocrisy. The debate is just one of the many to emerge from the controversial ceremony in 2022.

Of course, taking the award for the biggest moment is without a doubt Will Smith's altercation with Chris Rock. Viewers also had plenty of other things to talk about, such as the absence of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was rumored to make an appearance. Megan Three Stallion also made headlines, after editing the 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' song to mention the Oscars. As always, there were also questionable fashion choices to talk about, but it's really the politics that people are debating.

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The Academy Awards, like many other shows, has attempted to steer clear of political discourse but has been largely unsuccessful. Not mentioning Ukraine would of course be a major issue, so showrunners decided to do so in as low-key a way as possible. Clearly, that decision didn't go down too well with social media, especially after the hosts spent some time bashing Republicans.

GOP gets mentions, silence for Ukraine

"We're going to have a great night, and for you folks in Florida, we're going to have a gay night! Gay, gay, gay!" said Wanda Sykes, one of the co-hosts during the opening monologue. In another joke, Sykes said, "This year we saw frightening display oh how toxic masculinity turns into cruelty towards women and children," before adding, "Damn that Mitch McConnell." Amy Schumer also joined in, saying, "'I represent unbearable white women who call the cops when you get a little too loud."

The trio certainly had plenty of time to talk politics, but apparently not for Ukraine. The country was never mentioned verbally even once during the entire broadcast, even though Mila Kunis took the stage for specifically that reason. Kunis said the world was shocked "by recent global events", and then went on to introduce Reba McEntire for a performance. Following that, there was a moment's silence for Ukraine, again without any mention of the country. 

A title card then flashed on-screen during a moment's silence, with the words "We'd like to have a moment of silence to show our support for the people of Ukraine currently facing invasion, conflict, and prejudice within their own borders." The segment ended with a call to "support Ukraine in any way you are able." The hypocrisy wasn't lost on social media, and furious users were quick to slam the Oscars for their tone-deaf approach. 

'This is why I don’t watch that s--t'

"Made it 7 minutes into the #Oscars and I’ve heard white people are bad, men are toxic and Republicans are bad. This is about movies and entertainment, go f--k your politics. Im out," one angry user said. Another tweeted, "Woke Hollywood celebrities always use Oscar night to talk shit about Republicans. This is why I don’t watch that s--t." Piers Morgan slammed, "Rather than make virtuous tearful speeches tonight about how much they care about Ukraine, it might be nice if all the Oscars presenters & nominees auction their revoltingly ostentatious $140,000 gift bags to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees."

"A moment of silence for Ukraine going into a commercial for crypto is really the bottom floor," one user panned. Another mocked, "A crypto Ukraine commercial playing during the Oscar’s is just what we needed to end the war." A third tweeted, "Was that it?? Mila Kunis didn’t even say “Ukraine” in her tribute to Ukraine. No Ukrainian flags or colors. And why not call out Russia for waging a barbaric & unprovoked war? What a disappointment, Hollywood. I guess we can look forward to some smelting from @SeanPenn."