The Oscars hasn’t had a host since 2018. This year Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall grasped the nettle. After an opening performance from Beyoncé on a tennis court in Compton, Los Angeles, performing Be Alive from the nominated film King Richard, Sykes concluded the opening monologue by vowing: “For you people in Florida, we’re gonna have a gay night! Gay, gay, gay!” Florida has passed a bill which will prevent LGBTQ+ issues from being discussed in classrooms.
The trio also tackled Hollywood sexism, joking that three women had been hired to host “because it’s cheaper than hiring one man”. They then moved on to race, as Hall announced that she was “excited to be representing black women who are standing proud” – to which Schumer replied: “and I am celebrating unbearable white women who call the cops when you get a little too loud.”
