Graham Moore, the Oscar-winning screenwriter for The Imitation Game, made a powerful and clearly heartfelt statement in his acceptance speech after winning Sunday night’s Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay with The Imitation Game. After he thanked the award presenter, Oprah Winfrey, Moore turned his acceptance speech to a much more serious note when he revealed he had tried to commit suicide as a teenager:
“When I was 16-years-old I tried to kill myself. Because I felt weird and I felt different and I felt like I did not belong. And now I’m standing here and so I would like for this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes you do. I promise you do. You do. Stay weird, stay different. And then when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage please pass the message…”
In recent weeks here on the Vanguard the topics of both suicide and the right to die have been actively discussed. Graham Moore’s message to a worldwide audience received a standing ovation from the live audience at the Nokia Theater. I believe we should all take a moment and give Graham Moore our own personal standing ovation.
“When I was 16-years-old I tried to kill myself. Because I felt weird and I felt different and I felt like I did not belong. And now I’m standing here and so I would like for this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes you do. I promise you do. You do. Stay weird, stay different. And then when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage please pass the message…”
that’s the tragedy and the irony of a lot of these artists. they end up being kids that were out of place in school, bullied and depressed. sometimes they can overcome it, sometimes it haunts them for their entire lifetimes.
Matt,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about Graham Moore’s speech.
When I heard Graham Moore give his acceptance speech I was cheering him on for his his talent and for his courage to speak up about a tormenting time in his life.
When I heard him tell others to “Stay weird, stay different. And then when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage please pass the message…” it brought tears to my eyes hoping that his message was heard loud and clear by those who need to hear this important message and wishing it had been heard by others who needed to hear it, but are no longer with us.
I found it interesting that numerous actors and actresses were acting like we were awash in sexism and holding women down, and I didn’t hear a peep about what is being done to women – and 8-year-old girls – in the Middle East. Nothing on the Christian women being slaughtered or sold into slavery. If I recall correctly, in the 70s and 80s such international travesties were commented upon.
Meanwhile, the actors bemoaning the plight of the poor all went home with reportedly $125,000 gift bags.
TBD, it was interesting; however, given the very limited time constraints of the acceptance speeches, it may have been more about time management on the part of the actresses who chose to speak on the topic. Their time management may have been guided by the spirit of the Serenity Prayer.
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
TBD
While I do not deny that women in many other parts of the world have it much worse than women do in this country today, I think it is of value to do a little introspection from time to time to see what it is that we can do better in our own lives. While you and I have little chance of affecting the fate of a women abroad undergoing oppression, we certainly have the capability of standing up for the women here who are making between 70-80 % of what her male colleague is making for the same work. A clear “think globally, act locally” situation in my mind.
Also we did hear from the host, an obvious swipe in the form of humor, at the irony of the “plight” of actors getting gift bags worth thousands of dollars ! But it was a long ceremony and perhaps you missed his comment.
“Stay weird, stay different. And then when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage please pass the message…”
I also was very moved by Grahm Moore’s speech. I find it ironic that in a society where we claim to value individualism so much, we still are suspicious of, penalize, bully, and discriminate against those who we perceive as deviating from our norm.
Tia, I am sorry to say I believe “suspicious of, penalize, bully, and discriminate against those who we perceive as deviating from our norm” is part of human nature and more often the norm rather than the exception. I think it comes from the ‘bully’ not feeling confident about himself and creating a hierarchy by picking on others who appear different to appear more whole himself/herself. Obvious I know … but worth noting.
SODA
My feeling about this is that there are many things, such as murderous rage, or envy, or xenophobia that are found in human nature. We do not have to allow those to conquer our better selves. Our actions are ours to choose. We make the world that we live in through our individual actions, one at a time. I feel that too often the phrase “human nature” is used as an excuse to not take on a problem that we perceive as hopeless. I don’t believe in hopeless. I do not believe that there are problems too big for us to take on, only those that we choose not to address.
Tia
Heartily agree.
Thoughts on what I said about reasons for bullying etc going back to how the ‘perpetrator’ feels about him/herself?
Thank you, Matt. Well written.