This week the internet has been overflowing with headlines about the Oscars. After all, a lot went down. Old friends were reunited, firsts were had and records were broken. But while the 95th Academy Awards had every man and his dog tuning in, there was one little detail we missed – Harry Styles seemingly copping a savage diss by Everything Everywhere All At Once editor Paul Rogers.
Rogers won the Oscar for Best Film Editing for his work, beating out some serious big dogs in the category. His win was one of ~seven~ that Everything Everywhere All At Once claimed, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor.
When it was announced that Rogers had won the Oscar, he decided to use his acceptance speech to highlight a very important issue: The lack of diversity within the entertainment industry and the Oscars alike.“This kind of thing unfortunately does happen to guys like me a lot. Too much most of the time,” Rogers said during his press room speech.
It’s a sentiment may point to the speech made by Harry Styles at the Grammy’s following his Album Of The Year win for Harry’s House, over Beyonce’s critically acclaimed Renaissance.
But people were very quick to point out that, actually, this shit does happen to white men a lot.
Thankfully, Rogers decided to use the international platform of the Oscar’s stage to highlight this issue.
And while I don’t think he intended it to be a diss to Mr Styles, and potentially could be referencing Ke Hey Quan‘s acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor, I hope Roger’s speech captures Styles’ attention. Or at the very least, continues the conversation surrounding diversity in film.
EEAAO editor Paul Rogers makes me believe in straight white men again. That was amazing, Paul, thanks! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/MoinkwOWgv
— scott dagostino (@scottdagostino) March 13, 2023
“I think what [directors] Dan [Kwan] and Daniel [Scheinert] are really conscious of is paying attention to is who are we mentoring, who are we hiring, what kind of stories are we lending our time and our energy to tell,” he said.
“I don’t know if there’s one thing that is the magic to this film but that’s part of it. I think it’s a combination of good people making good films with other good people and telling good stories.”
The lack of diversity at the Academy Awards is a common critique and this year was no exception.
While we took teeny tiny steps forward with Michelle Yeoh becoming the first Asian woman to take home an Oscar for Best Actress, not a single female director was nominated for a directing award.
Plus, there was a significant lack of racial diversity with no Black actors nominated in the lead actor or director categories.
In particular, many punters felt that Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler were snubbed for nominations in the Best Actress category.
Although Rogers wasn’t exactly a household name before his big win, it’s amazing to see him use his speech to encourage positive change.
And, as luck would have it, he’s unintentionally become the object of Twitter’s unquenchable thirst.
i’m just going to say it: the editor of Everything Everywhere All at Once is too hot.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) March 13, 2023
I’d give that editor everything everywhere all at once 🤤🥵
— Brooke Marks (@TheBrookeMarks) March 13, 2023
Paul Rogers I didn’t know who you were before 10 seconds ago but I kinda need you
— azhar (@mcstardently) March 13, 2023
So while the hot new editor is definitely 100% married and attended the awards show with his beautiful wife, I hope he got a lil’ ego boost from scrolling through Twitter.
Also, fun fact, it’s not the first time Rogers collaborated directors Kwan and Scheinert.
They worked together on the video for Dj Snake and Lil Jon‘s viral hit ‘Turn Down For What‘ in 2013. Upon rewatching, it’s hard to miss the stylistic parallels between their Oscar winning film and this surreal-ass clip.
But if that’s not a sign to stick with a dream, I don’t know what is.
