# Was Spike Lee muted at the Oscars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2019, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164 "2019-02-25T04:55:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/1 "2019-02-25T04:55:51Z")
We’re having dangerously high winds where I am, and my cable was disrupted several times during the Oscars. When Mike Myers and Dana Carvey were onstage, for instance, it went black just long enough that I didn’t get to hear a thing they said until they were introducing the nominees. Anyway, when Spike Lee got onstage to accept his Oscar, the sound cut out when he first started to speak. Was that my cable again, or was it the censors? (One of the early winners clearly said “Oh shit,” and was muted.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/2 "2019-02-25T05:00:30Z")
I heard him clearly say “motherfucker” (to my great surprise) so if they let that through they sure weren’t muting anything else. This was on TNT on my cable in Panama, so maybe he was censored on ABC. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/3 "2019-02-25T05:11:47Z")
Watching on ABC, I noticed the sound drop out, so I vote censored. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/4 "2019-02-25T05:29:16Z")
You just know that show is on a few-seconds delay because of the possibility of things like this. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/5 "2019-02-25T05:46:33Z")
According to overseas viewers, he told them not to turn “that motherfucking clock on.” (He reportedly also said “Everytime somebody’s driving somebody, I lose” in the press room after the ceremony.) ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/6 "2019-02-25T06:15:22Z")
Good grief. Thank you. Well, I’m sorry Lee didn’t get Best Director or Picture, but overall, I’d call this the Reparations Oscars. Also, I like the idea of a no-host Oscars. Keep it moving; don’t have someone make smart remarks or sing a song at every interval. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/7 "2019-02-25T06:30:16Z")
He apparently was so furious about **Green Book** winning for Best Picture, he tried to walk out of the auditorium, but somebody convinced to go sit down again. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/8 "2019-02-25T16:43:53Z")
Spike was one of the three writers, and neither of the two got to get one word in. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/9 "2019-02-25T17:05:25Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > He apparently was so furious about **Green Book** winning for Best Picture, he tried to walk out of the auditorium, but somebody convinced to go sit down again. He got his first Oscar last night, but gracious in victory, he was not: [Oscars 2019: Spike Lee reacts with fury to ‘Green Book’ win | Daily Mail Online](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6741587/Spike-Lee-reacts-fury-Green-Book-Takes-Best-Picture-Oscar.html) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/10 "2019-02-25T17:09:31Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > According to overseas viewers, he told them not to turn “that motherfucking clock on.” (He reportedly also said “Everytime somebody’s driving somebody, I lose” in the press room after the ceremony.) So he didn’t do the right thing? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/11 "2019-02-25T17:48:27Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > According to overseas viewers, he told them not to turn “that motherfucking clock on.” Yes, that’s what I heard. Also see [here.](https://screenrant.com/spike-lee-oscars-speech-bleeped/) He was referring to the clock that gives a time limit for acceptance speeches. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/12 "2019-02-25T18:58:14Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > He got his first Oscar last night, but gracious in victory, he was not: [Oscars 2019: Spike Lee reacts with fury to ‘Green Book’ win | Daily Mail Online](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6741587/Spike-Lee-reacts-fury-Green-Book-Takes-Best-Picture-Oscar.html) Jeez, what a dick move. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/13 "2019-02-25T19:07:11Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > So he didn’t do the right thing? That dumbass still thinks white people hate his film cause he threw a rock threw the window. No Spike, people don’t understand why Saul gave you your tips. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/14 "2019-02-25T19:11:28Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > He got his first Oscar last night, but gracious in victory, he was not: [Oscars 2019: Spike Lee reacts with fury to ‘Green Book’ win | Daily Mail Online](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6741587/Spike-Lee-reacts-fury-Green-Book-Takes-Best-Picture-Oscar.html) Weird that was what set him off, and not “Being told he cant leave and only during commercial breaks” Its a pet peeve of mine. My ‘freedom of movement’ being inhibited by rent-a-cops or managers would raise my annoyance level by a factor of 10. Like being in a mall during a tornado alert and someone trying to herd me to the back of a store or telling me I cant leave. Screw you. Its my life and youre overreacting and we arnt going to be hit by a fucking tornado FFS. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/15 "2019-02-25T19:19:25Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Weird that was what set him off, and not “Being told he cant leave and only during commercial breaks” > > Its a pet peeve of mine. My ‘freedom of movement’ being inhibited by rent-a-cops or managers would raise my annoyance level by a factor of 10. Like being in a mall during a tornado alert and someone trying to herd me to the back of a store or telling me I cant leave. Screw you. Its my life and youre overreacting and we arnt going to be hit by a fucking tornado FFS. Mr. Lee agreed to those conditions when he entered the venue; everyone does. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/16 "2019-02-25T19:39:10Z")
Why was he so surprised? BlackKKKlansman wasn’t even in the Top 5 of films predicted to win the oscar. Black Panther was above him in betting odds. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/17 "2019-02-25T19:40:06Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Mr. Lee agreed to those conditions when he entered the venue; everyone does. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/18 "2019-02-25T19:46:48Z")
Maybe he really had to pee. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/19 "2019-02-25T19:58:38Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Why was he so surprised? BlackKKKlansman wasn’t even in the Top 5 of films predicted to win the oscar. Black Panther was above him in betting odds. It’s not that _BlacKKKlansman_ didn’t win; it’s because _Green Book_ did. Lee made his distaste for the film very clear beforehand and there was much discussion about why. I’m not sure he was surprised,particularly. Just angry. If another film had won, he wouldn’t have reacted this way. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164/20 "2019-02-25T22:00:56Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > If another film had won, he wouldn’t have reacted this way. We assume. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-spike-lee-muted-at-the-oscars/830164.md?page=2)