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The Film Independent Spirit Awards took a surprising turn when the host and comedian, Hasan Minhaj, decided to take a walk amongst the guests. This created a strange and uncomfortable situation for some of the famous actors in attendance.
Minhaj's Opening Monologue
Minhaj opened the awards by complaining about the Independent Film Channel's decision not to broadcast the awards ceremony in 2023. He expressed disappointment that the audience would only be able to watch the broadcast on YouTube.
In an attempt to increase the ratings for the live stream, Minhaj walked into the audience to talk to some of the A-list attendees.
Blanchett, Field, Tomei, and Hall's Hiding Game
However, when Minhaj approached the table of famous actress Cate Blanchett, she decided to hide under the table to avoid his questions.
Director Todd Field, who was also at the table, joined Blanchett under the table. As Minhaj approached new tables, nearby stars Marisa Tomei and Regina Hall also joined in the hiding game under one table. Minhaj eventually gave up trying to find someone to talk to and continued with the official program.
This moment from the #SpiritAwards left me in utter shock. I’m still not over it! pic.twitter.com/Md9DXQPHAb — Sam Meltzer (@SamTheParasite) March 4, 2023
Minhaj's Jokes about the Spirit Awards' Broadcast
Minhaj expressed surprise that the independent awards show was being streamed live on YouTube and Twitter.
He joked about the Independent Film Channel not renewing their contract to broadcast the awards show and instead showing the poorly reviewed comedy "Semi-Pro." "Let me reiterate how bad this is – the Independent Film Channel did not want the Independent Film Awards," he said.
"They showed the worst thing that's ever happened in Flint Michigan, 'Semi-Pro,' instead of the star-filled gala."
Gender-Neutral Awards
"For the first time ever, all acting awards will be gender-neutral," said Minhaj, looking at the Hollywood stars in the audience. "We don't care about your gender identity, as long as you're hot.
That's right Fox News. We know you're watching Tucker Carlson. Just know, we're not mired in a culture war. We don't care about pointless binaries, like male or female. We only care about important binaries like lead and support.
I'm glad we're getting rid of gender categories. Because for the first time in history, all the men know what all the women have to deal with when they find out they are competing against Cate Blanchett." The Film Independent Spirit Awards took a comical turn when some of the famous attendees decided to hide under a table to avoid the host's questions. Minhaj's jokes about the broadcast of the awards ceremony added to the lighthearted atmosphere of the night.