The audience at the 73rd Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Golden Reel Awards received criticism from Patton Oswalt regarding Timothée Chalamet’s controversial statements about ballet and opera.
Hosting the MPSE Gala on Sunday in Los Angeles for the fourth year in a row, Oswalt kicked off the festivities that celebrated sound design. The comedian’s monologue began with a joke that drew attention to the controversy surrounding Chalamet after he told Matthew McConaughey last month during an interview diverse and CNN He told the city council that he did not want to be involved in an art form that “no one cares about” and is struggling to survive, citing ballet and opera as examples.
“Thank God we are here to celebrate achievement in sound editing and not to watch ballet or opera,” Oswalt said. He added, laughing: “Thank God we are actually watching something that deserves to be alive.”
The jokes sparked a lot of laughter from the audience, in addition to some groans. The host then pointed out, “He said that after they finished voting. He’s fine. He’s safe.”
Although Chalamet made his incendiary statements Interstellar Co-star McConaughey at the University of Texas at Austin on February 24. Clips of this particular clip were not posted on social media until Thursday, the day Oscar voting closed. Chalamet is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role in a film Marty Supreme Heading to the Oscars on Sunday.
“I don’t want to work in ballet or opera or things like: ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about that anymore,’” the actor said at the time. “All due respect to those in ballet and opera. You just lost 14 cents in viewership. “I took pictures for no reason.”
The Royal Ballet and Opera responded to the comments, with its team saying Hollywood Reporter in a statement that “millions of people around the world continue to enjoy and engage” with both art forms.
Among the projects honored at the MPSE event were: Sirat, Sinners, Frankenstein and Zootopia 2. Oswalt’s monologue included other topical remarks, including a reference to adding President Donald Trump’s name to the façade of the Kennedy Center.
“It’s great to be here at the Wilshire Ebelle Theater — or any theater that Trump doesn’t have his name plastered on.” A goat The Voice star said of the Los Angeles concert venue.
Oswalt also referenced the Los Angeles-based restaurant chain Zanko Chicken — known for serving Armenian and Lebanese cuisine — when mentioning the recent attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran: “Rumor has it that if Iran wins, this place will be renamed the Zanko Chicken Recording Arts Center.” “Maybe it was too soon,” the host continued.
