“I think we speak for everyone here when we say we hope for a quick and peaceful settlement,” said host Megan Mullally.
You can add the Independent Spirit award to the list of Vladimir Putin’s enemies.
The awards show wasted little time before discussing the war in Ukraine, with hosts Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally addressing the conflict when the show returned from its first commercial break.
“Before we continue, we would like to take a moment to convey our best wishes to those affected by the war in Ukraine and all the unjust conflicts around the world,” Offerman said, before passing the floor to Mullally.
“I think we are speaking on behalf of everyone here when we say that we hope for a quick and peaceful solution,” she said. “To be specific, back off and go home, Putin.”
“Yes, we are talking about a quick and peaceful settlement,” Offerman said. “This Vladimir Putin fucked off and went home. And for this, let’s all together send him a salute to the Spirit Awards: Putin!
Connected
Connected
The said “Spirit Awards salute” was a massive middle finger to the Russian dictator, and both Offerman and Mullally shrugged it off. They called on the entire crowd to join them, which resulted in the entire tent being full of outstretched middle fingers (including Kristen Stewart, as shown on the TV show). They then offered a more sincere gesture of support for Ukraine, calling on participants and spectators to donate everything they can to organizations helping the Ukrainian people.
Like much of the world, Hollywood has been firmly on Ukraine’s side ever since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of the country. Awards condemning Putin and supporting Ukraine have been a recurring theme this Oscar season, with many stars donning yellow and blue outfits on the red carpet and expressing their thoughts to the Ukrainian people in their acceptance speeches. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Brian Cox memorably denounced Putin, but also offered support to artists living in Russia, saying, “I think we should all come together. And also for those people in Russia who don’t like what’s going on, especially the artists, I think we should really join in their celebration and hope they can really make a difference, and I believe they can.” .
Register: Stay up to date with the latest film and television news! Subscribe to our email newsletter here.