Lights, Camera, Controversy: The Wildest Scandals At The Oscars
Sometimes, watching the Academy Awards on TV can be a trying experience—and by that, I mean trying to stay awake. So what is it that keeps audiences watching? The potential to watch a train wreck unfold.
Let’s face it, the Oscars are a group of egotistical, unpredictable, and privileged people who are used to having everything they say written for them in a script.
On their biggest night of the year, these people are unscripted, nervous, and usually in need of a drink: the perfect recipe for controversy.
Let's dive into the biggest scandals in Oscar history and decide once and for all who gets the award for the Academy’s most controversial moment.
1. Red Carpet Madness
Sometimes controversy erupts before we even get into the auditorium. Sacha Baron Cohen isn’t one to shy away from a little shameless—and usually embarrassing—self-promotion. On the 2012 red carpet, Cohen appeared in character as dictator General Aladeen from his movie The Dictator. What he was carrying horrified his fellow guests. Cohen was holding an urn he said was filled with the ashes of Kim Jong-il, the former dictator of North Korea.
OK, just a bit of fun, right? Well, it's what he did with the ashes that went down in Oscar history.
2. Dust To Dust, Ashes To Seacrest
The Academy had actually given the green light to Cohen appearing in character, but not to what happened next. Ryan Seacrest was doing his thing on the red carpet, asking everyone who they were wearing...then he got to Cohen.
The comedian dumped the ashes—which turned out to be pancake mix—all over an absolutely confused Seacrest. Cohen’s parting line? “Now when people ask who you're wearing, you will say Kim Jong-il!”
Even better, Cohen wasn't the only one acting crazy on the red carpet that year...
3. Angelina Got A Leg Up
Also in 2012, Angelina Jolie wore a black dress that featured a-now iconic, leg-revealing slit. But it wasn’t the dress that was controversial—it was Jolie’s pose. It started on the red carpet, where Jolie seemed to feel obliged to stick her leg through the slit every chance she got. As time progressed, Jolie’s desire to show her leg became almost pathological. She did later give a reason—but it was completely baffling.
4. There Was A Last Minute Wardrobe Change
After the awards show, reporters asked Jolie why she was letting her leg see the light of day so regularly. Her excuse was a little hard to follow. It seems she was originally going to wear a different dress.
At the last minute, she opted for a more comfortable gown, and this made her want to embrace life—which apparently means showing a whole lot of leg.
A little while later, however, a more sane and likely reason surfaced.
