Oscars 2023: Academy Prepares for the Unexpected After Last Year's "Spectacle"



by FARUK IMAMOVIC

Oscars 2023: Academy Prepares for the Unexpected After Last Year's "Spectacle"
Oscars 2023: Academy Prepares for the Unexpected After Last Year's "Spectacle"

The Academy Awards, one of the most prestigious events in the entertainment industry, is set to take place. However, this year's Oscars is unlike any other, as the organizers are taking measures to prevent any unexpected incidents, following last year's show-stealing moment involving Will Smith.

Preventative Measures in Place

"It is our hope that we will be prepared for anything," says Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer in an interview with Time magazine. The Academy has taken proactive steps to ensure the smooth running of the event, including setting up a crisis team and having contingency plans in place.

Kramer explains, "Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars." He adds, "We have a whole crisis team, something we've never had before, and a lot of plans in place.

So we hope to be ready for anything that we might not expect right now, but we're planning just in case."

Host with a Sense of Humor

Jimmy Kimmel, the host of this year's Oscars, is seen as a key figure in the success of the ceremony.

Kramer highlights Kimmel's ability to handle "live TV" and says, "things don't always go to plan." In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kimmel jokingly threatened to "beat up" anyone who tried to slap him on stage, saying, "If somebody comes up on the stage and slaps me? Well, I size them up, and, if I’m bigger than they are, I beat the s*** out of them on television.

And if it’s the Rock, I run."

Ban on Will Smith

Will Smith was at the center of controversy at last year's Oscars, when he attacked Chris Rock on stage for a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

The Academy was heavily criticized for allowing Smith to remain in the audience to accept the best actor award. As a result, Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years. The organization has not disclosed details of the crisis team's membership or how it might respond to anything out of the ordinary.