HOLLYWOOD - Now that the glitzy red carpet arrivals at the 75th Annual Academy Awards have been eliminated over concerns about inappropriately extravagant displays when the country is on the brink of war, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has begun looking at its options should it have to delay the show altogether, the Los Angeles Times reports, including possibly finding another venue. The Kodak Theater has booked another show, which opens April 2.Frank Pierson, president of AMPAS, and the show's producer Gil Cates said at a news conference Tuesday they had no plans to postpone the broadcast, scheduled to air Sunday on ABC at 5:30 p.m. PST.
Pierson explained to the L.A. Times that it was "useless speculation" to discuss a delay of the show since "we don't even know if the war will have begun by Sunday night." He did add, however, that if America was at war, going on with the ceremony would be "self-serving and frivolous."
"We are continuing our efforts to bring the show together on Sunday, but we do understand that ABC may adjust to war coverage if it is required, and that ABC News will cover news as it happens," Cates said at the news conference.
Other aspects of the star-studded evening have also been affected. The Academy announced that it will not erect temporary bleachers along Hollywood Boulevard, where more than 300 fans were set to watch the stars walk down the red carpet.
According to the L.A. Times, fans who won a lottery to obtain bleacher seats were told on the Academy's Web site: "In recognition of the seriousness of the world situation and the possibility of military conflict in the very near future, the academy has decided to significantly scale down the entire red carpet/arrival component of the event. As a result, there will be no fan bleachers at the Academy Awards this year. If you received notice that you had been accepted into the bleachers this year and you have not been contacted directly, please e-mail the academy."
And as for the glittery after-Oscar parties, the hottest ticket in town--the Vanity Fair gala--is also going to limit photographers and camera crews. Vanity Fair spokeswoman Beth Ksneiak told L.A. Times, "We are following the lead of the Academy, which means we will have no camera crews and no paparazzi."
This news, of course, has thrown the nearly 500 journalists scheduled to cover the Oscars for a loop, including E! Entertainment's resident fashion experts Joan Rivers and daughter, Melissa.
"Who thought the day would come that the entertainment industry wouldn't want to talk about themselves?" Melissa Rivers quipped to the L.A. Times.