On Sunday night, actress Natalie Portman wore a high-end gown and cape to the Oscars that included the names of female directors who were apparently “snubbed” from receiving nominations at the award show.
According to The Hill, the Dior cape complimenting Portman’s dress included “Hustlers” writer and director Lorene Scafaria, Melina Matsoukas, the director of “Queen & Slim,” “Honey Boy” director Alma Har’el, and Greta Gerwig, who directed “Little Women.”
No female directors were nominated for the Oscars’ Best Director category in 2020.
“I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year, in my subtle way,” Portman explained on the red carpet, Sunday night.
Video of Portman’s feminist dress below:
Natalie Portman embroidered her Dior cape with all of the female directors who weren't nominated for #Oscars. Check out her explanation here. pic.twitter.com/kyyo2wVMZf
— Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) February 10, 2020
In 2018, Portman made a similar statement while presenting the 2018 Golden Globes award for best director. “And here are the all-male nominees,” the “Black Swan” actress pointedly announced.
While the dress was praised by Hollywood liberals, some online mocked Portman for her pricey, out-of-touch political statement.
“The most effective way to tackle inequality is through the medium of haute couture,” posted comedian Andrew Doyle’s satirical “woke” character Titania McGrath.
https://twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath/status/1226816055886204929
Senior editor at Red State Brandon Morse mockingly posted:
“Grandpa, when did the oppression of women finally stop?”
“Well grandxer, it all started when Natalie Portman showed up at a party with a bunch of millionaires and press, and wove the names of women into her Dior cape that you and I couldn’t afford if we saved for years.”
"Grandpa, when did the oppression of women finally stop?"
"Well grandxer, it all started when Natalie Portman showed up at a party with a bunch of millionaires and press, and wove the names of women into her Dior cape that you and I couldn't afford if we saved for years." https://t.co/MJXeU83TTv
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) February 10, 2020
The Daily Wire’s Emily Zanotti highlighted, “Being a woke elitist is so weird. Her outfit is Dior, which was using sweatshop labor — mostly female migrants — as recently as 2018.”
Being a woke elitist is so weird. Her outfit is Dior, which was using sweatshop labor — mostly female migrants — as recently as 2018. https://t.co/fgeO2GGVsu
— Emily Zanotti 🦝 (@emzanotti) February 10, 2020
“These female directors made movies that weren’t that great and didn’t deserve nominations,” commented Daily Wire columnist and podcast host Matt Walsh. “Should they be nominated anyway because of their genitals or should we be judging women on their merits? Which would be the more empowering and respectful course?”
These female directors made movies that weren't that great and didn't deserve nominations. Should they be nominated anyway because of their genitals or should we be judging women on their merits? Which would be the more empowering and respectful course? https://t.co/Dnrk8EJUZO
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) February 10, 2020
In the past, Portman has not had much love for the Oscars — at least not for the physical awards themselves. When asked in 2015 where her own Oscar award was displayed, the actress said she thought it was in a “safe or something,” noting that she did not want to worship a “false idol.”
“I don’t know where it is. I think it’s in the safe or something. I don’t know. I haven’t seen it in a while. I mean, Darren [Aronofsky, director of ‘Black Swan’] actually said to me something when we were in that whole thing that resonated so deeply,” Portman said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I was reading the story of Abraham to my child and talking about, like, not worshipping false idols. And this is literally like gold men. This is literally worshipping gold idols — if you worship it. That’s why it’s not displayed on the wall. It’s a false idol,” she added.
It was announced in July that Portman will be taking on the character of Thor in “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
“Last year, fans were surprised to learn that Natalie Portman was is to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Thor: Love and Thunder. Even more shocking was the fact that she would be wielding Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, in the upcoming film,” Heroic Hollywood posted last week. “Natalie Portman had departed the franchise after Thor: The Dark World for reasons that have never been entirely disclosed. However, it seems the allure of becoming the God of Thunder on the big screen was too much for Natalie Portman to resist.”
