Conan O’Brien Hilariously Pokes Fun at ‘Emilia Pérez’ Controversy in Oscars Monologue

97th Academy Awards host Conan O’Brien didn’t avoid addressing the controversy surrounding Netflix’s Emilia Pérez. During his introductory monologue, O’Brien made special note of Karla Sofía Gascón’s attendance; Gascón is the film’s star who has been slammed following resurfaced racist and xenophobic tweets. Gascón opted to skip the Oscars red carpet, but attended the event, where she is nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award. O’Brien hilariously joked at the f-bombs Gascón’s publicist likely uttered during the awards season, and as the camera focused on Gascón, O’Brien joked:

“If you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”

Gascón made history as the first openly trans performer to earn a Best Actress nomination. She portrays Mexican drug cartel leader Juan “Manitas” Del Monte and the titular character, the identity that Juan takes after undergoing gender-affirming surgery. Unfortunately, this historic run has been overshadowed by those previous tweets made by Gascón (some of which date back to 2020), where she shared hateful rhetoric about the late George Floyd, Muslims, and critiqued the Oscars for becoming overly focused on independent and protest films, specifically calling out the Black Lives Matter movement.

There was some speculation that Gascón would not attend the Oscars, but Netflix eventually budged and paid for Gascón’s way to the ceremony (as is customary). Speaking about attending the event, Gascón previously shared:

“I’m not sure how I feel, but I’m grateful to be back. I’m grateful to all those who’ve believed in me — to Netflix, the production company and my colleagues. We can close this beautiful and difficult path that began three years ago.”

Karla Sofia Gascón’s Comments Contradict ‘Emilia Pérez’s Message Close

The backlash surrounding Gascón’s comments was quite a hit for the musical drama, which carries tones of acceptance and inclusivity. Following news of the resurfaced tweets, co-star Zoe Saldaña condemned “any negative rhetoric of racism and bigotry towards any group of people.” In her end, Gascón apologized for her posts, noting that, as someone “in a marginalized community,” she knows “this suffering all too well,” and deleted her X account.

Emilia Pérez has been slammed for much more than Gascón’s comments, too. Some LGBTQ+ groups feel that the film doesn’t do a thorough and authentic job of portraying a trans character. It has also drawn backlash for its representation of Mexican culture and there’s also the matter of a French director helming the Spanish-language film. But none of that has stopped Emilia Pérez from making waves this awards season. The genre-bending Netflix feature earned 13 Oscar nods, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.

This marks the first time hosting for O’Brien, his opening skit, which followed a tribute to Los Angeles and musical performances by Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. This year’s Best Actress race includes top contenders Demi Moore (The Substance) and Mikey Madison (Anora), alongside Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), Gascón, and Erivo (Wicked).

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Emilia Perez R Crime Drama Comedy Music 3.5 /5 4/10 Release Date November 13, 2024 Runtime 130 Minutes Director Jacques Audiard Writers Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius Cast See All Karla Sofía Gascón Emilia / Manitas Zoe Saldana Rita

Powered by Expand Collapse