
The Oscars: Three times when real events challenged whether the show must go on
CNN
Like any awards show, the Oscars are built on the inherently self-absorbed notion that what happens in the room and who takes home the trophies matters, in what should be a welcome distraction from the outside world.
Occasionally, though, world events have cast such a large shadow that they can't be ignored. And while the Hollywood maxim is that the show must go on, in a few instances real-world concerns have intruded upon the ceremony in a way that forced organizers to alter its schedule, including last year's delay due to a global pandemic.
The war in Ukraine has dominated news cycles and prompted statements of solidarity from members of the film and TV industry in the run-up to the Oscars. Through the years, politics and the Oscars have gone hand in hand, and war has frequently been part of the backdrop, from World War II -- when the actual statuettes were made of plaster due to metal shortages -- to Vietnam, a tumultuous period that on various occasions spilled into the broadcast.

The White House is making clear it views President Donald Trump’s Friday Oval Office showdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as an overwhelming win underscoring Trump’s “America First” leadership, dispatching top officials and allies on the airwaves to amplify Trump’s handling of the situation even as European leaders are putting on a key show of force of unity for Ukraine and its leader.