‘Horror Story’: Piers Morgan Dumps on Joyless Pandemic Oscars in Railway Station

Recently-sacked ITV Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan said the highlight of this year’s Academy Awards was comedian Ricky Gervais re-tweeting his appearance as host of last year’s Golden Globes awards, mercilessly mocking the great and the good of Hollywood.

Outspoken broadcaster Piers Morgan has ripped into this year’s Oscars ceremony — dubbing it “grim, woke-ravaged and fun-devoid”.

The former Daily Mirror editor — who was sacked by ITV for his criticism of US actress-turned-princess Meghan Markle — said the odd choice of Los Angeles Union Station as the venue for the 93rd Academy Awards was ironically apt for the “grim, soulless three-hour ordeal”.

Only a handful of guests were present for Sunday night’s ‘socially-distanced’ event, with winners of many of the awards appearing by video link, with no clips of the nominated films being played.

Renowned British actor Sir Anthony Hopkins was not even present to collect the Best Actor award he won for his role in The Father, with his agent revealing the 83-year-old was asleep at his home in Wales during the ceremony. Hopkins later posted an acceptance speech on Instagram.

In a change of running-order, the Best Actor award was presented last — a spot traditionally held by Best Picture. Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in 2020, had been widely-expected to take the prize in the most-diverse Oscars yet for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — which as a semi-musical period drama dealing with the social issue of racism was prime ‘Oscar bait’. The film only garnered the Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design Oscars.

Morgan also criticised the “woefully lame” decision not to book a host for the event, “made even more irksome by Ricky Gervais re-tweeting his brilliantly acerbic 2020 Golden Globes monologue.”

The British comedian’s jibe last year that “no-one cares about movies any more” and “this show should just be me coming out, going ‘well done Netflix, you win, everything’ but no, we’ve got to drag it out for three hours” proved prescient. Seven Oscars went to films produced by the streaming service, while much of 2020’s crop of films did not even see theatrical release thanks to the coronavirus lockdown.

Sourse: sputniknews.com