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Teleprompter Fails and #MeToo: Here's What You Missed At The 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards

By Tori Preston | Film | March 5, 2018 |

By Tori Preston | Film | March 5, 2018 |


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The Oscars may suck up all the glory, but Saturday’s pregame event — also known as the Film Independent Spirit Awards — seems like a lot more fun. Maybe it’s because it happens in a tent by the beach, or maybe it’s because it airs on a network that’s A-OK with swearing (thanks, IFC!), but the Film Independent Spirit Awards always sort of feels like the troublemaking kid sibling of the awards season. Nothing seems to go as planned, sometimes the jokes get deeply uncomfortable, but one thing is for sure: This is the only award show where a shirtless, FaceTimed Armie Hammer will pop up!

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Let’s start with the opening monologue from returning hosts Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, who kicked things off by contemplating committing suicide by pissing off Frances McDormand. Then they moved on to sharing their own weird, sad stories about Harvey Weinstein and a ball-scratching Brett Ratner, reflecting on how viewers are grappling with the recent revelations against artists like Woody Allen and Kevin Spacey, and discussing a whole new art form: the Male Apology. FUN TIMES!



Then there was this riff on an “In Memorium” segment, only instead of dead celebrities, it’s Andy Samberg pretending to be Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club and singing “Don’t You Forget About Me” to the nominees most likely to get wooed by big-budget studio opportunities. Does it end with a freeze frame? Uh… kind of.



You know what’s funny? Old people who talk too slowly while reminiscing about the good ol’ days! Kristin Wiig — or rather, the 110-year-old “Fay Fontaine” — does a spot-on impression of just that sort of irritating/inspirational award show presenter who can’t read the teleprompter:



And then, of course, there were the very real, not-written-for-laughs teleprompter problems faced by presenters Kumail Nanjiani and Lil Rel Howery. This is what professionalism looks like, folks.


If you’re interested in the winners, you can check out the full list here.