At today’s Oscars in Los Angeles, the blue ribbon represented a new campaign launched by the American Civil Liberties Union, (ACLU), which has been protecting individual rights and liberties for almost 100 years.
ACLU has reached out to nominated stars, asking them to wear the small adornment as a show of solidarity with the nonpartisan, non-profit organisation.
Actor Ruth Negga led the charge, arriving early to the red carpet and wearing a fire-engine red Valentino gown that contrasted with the blue ribbon.
Her film Loving, depicts just one example of the ACLU at work. It focused on the true story of an interracial couple arrested and thrown out of Virginia in 1958. The ACLU took the case all the way to Supreme Court and instigated the end of America’s miscegenation laws.
Other stars to sport the ribbon included Victoria’s Secret model Karli Kloss, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, and Sting.
Support for the organisation has doubled since Donald Trump was elected President. As a result of his immigration act, the organisation raised $24 million in one weekend.
They established a Constitution Defence Fund with a plan related to his administration’s agenda. They aim to address issues such as government transparency, protecting immigrant and reproductive rights, defending LGBTQ rights and more.
This year’s Oscars host, Jimmy Kimmel, also jumped on the political bandwagon, thanking President Trump for making the awards appear “less racist” and drawing attention to Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech that criticised Donald Trump.
“One actress has stood the test of time for her many uninspiring and overrated performances,” he said, in a hilarious parody of the president’s recent Twitter rant.
“[She’s] phoned it in for more than 50 films. This is Meryl’s 20th Oscar nomination … she wasn’t even in a movie this year, we just wrote her name in out of habit.”
Jimmy closed his opening monologue with, “Some of you will [win tonight] and give a speech that the President of the United States will tweet about in all caps.”
Without a doubt the blue ribbon is on trend, and so is a political attitude.
