บท 444: The slap, loud and clear
What?
What exactly did Andy Rogers' official statement say? It was verbose in praising the academy, verbose in thanking for the nomination, verbose in expressing regret, verbose in explaining disappointment, but what was the focus? The focus was that Renly would be absent from the Oscars awards ceremony?
... What?
Even after calming down repeatedly, the shock hadn't diminished in the slightest. Question marks filled the mind, one after another, yet answers were nowhere to be found. Renly was going to be absent from the Oscars? This was like something out of a fairy tale, utterly impossible! It couldn't possibly be true!
However, after reading Andy's official statement, which was over a thousand words long, over and over again, the result remained the same. They hadn't misread it, nor misunderstood it.
Renly Hall, just twenty-one years old, had received an Oscar nomination for his debut on the big screen. However, due to becoming overly immersed and invested in his role during the filming of his new movie, his mental state had suffered, and his physical condition had exceeded its limits. As a result, he had ultimately decided to absent himself from the awards ceremony. And this was just forty-eight hours before the start of the gala!
Last-minute absence from the Oscars was a surprising piece of news at any time. Even if it wasn't a grave issue, even if he had to kneel on both knees and crawl, he would make his way to the Kodak Theatre, especially for a newcomer. But that was merely a surprise, not enough to ignite the focus of discussion. However, this time was different.
In the past few days, news about Renly had been flying around, full of ups and downs, twists and turns like a roller coaster. Suddenly revealing such news only added fuel to the fire. It caused the accumulated attention to explode all at once, like the eruption of a dormant volcano, shaking the entire world.
Boom! Boom boom!
This time, all of North America was in turmoil.
After the official statements from the "50/50" crew and Andy Rogers were released, within just an hour, the top ten trending keywords in Google's real-time search rankings were related to this news. "Renly, absence," "Renly, mental illness," "Renly, Oscars"... they flooded the rankings.
Furthermore, the reposting of the two official statements exceeded three hundred in rapid succession. The media's attention quickly shifted, and online click rates surged explosively. In less than forty minutes, the number had already crossed one million, and it was growing rapidly at a visible speed.
Everyone's initial reaction was: Is this fake news? Is this a publicity stunt? Is Renly intentionally creating this news for attention? Is this news fabricated by hackers? Is this an April Fools' joke? Is this a Halloween prank?
Almost no one was willing to believe that Renly, who had been in the limelight for the past six months, would actually be absent from the Oscars.
Didn't the media say that Renly had been self-promoting all along? Wasn't he doing it not only to promote "50/50" but also to leverage the Oscars and set the stage for "Fast 5"?
The internet community had said that Renly's background was strong enough, that he would take off like a rocket on the Oscar stage, and even winning the little golden man in one go wasn't impossible, right?
But now, Renly had simply and decisively chosen to absent himself from the awards ceremony, and it was because he got too deep into his performance? This... this was truly beyond comprehension. Each slap hit hard, sounding particularly loud, almost causing his cheeks to swell.
Of course, the media could argue that Renly was just self-promoting, that all the news during this period was part of the scheme, and in the end, Renly was the one benefiting; internet users could argue that Renly had substantial backing, which was why he could dare to absent himself from the Oscars like this, without fearing the academy's backlash.
As long as they were willing, any matter could be twisted into countless variations, and it would never cease as long as they held their biases and stubbornness when looking at the issue. It would never come to a halt.
Rumors cease at the wise.
For a moment, people's thoughts were somewhat confused. Even though this was official news, they were still uncertain whether this was reality or a dream.
Immediately after, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released an official statement expressing deep regret, "Renly Hall is undoubtedly among the outstanding young actors of our time, and his absence is a huge loss for the awards ceremony." The academy lavished enough praise on Renly but then expressed understanding and wished him a speedy recovery.
At the end, the academy wrote, "Looking forward to Renly presenting with a completely new work on the Oscars stage next year."
In other words, the academy officially confirmed that Renly would be absent from the ceremony. However, from the academy's attitude, they didn't express discontent due to this sudden turn of events. Instead, they gave commendation and even expressed their expectations for the following year. What did this mean?
With less than forty-eight hours remaining until the awards ceremony, this shocking news exploded unexpectedly. Now, all of North America was boiling like a pot of simmering soup. The lid rattled and clanged, and it was on the verge of blowing off.
Amidst the fervor of the news, Us Weekly published an exclusive article by Gavin Hunter, explaining the whole story behind the incident.
Because of the filming of "50/50", Renly did indeed endure immense pressure. He even encountered issues with his mental state due to becoming too deeply immersed in his role. This chain reaction resulted in his body protesting as well—symptoms like night sweats, insomnia, stomachaches, and a series of minor ailments. Insomnia, especially, was affecting Renly's rest, causing significant distress and worsening his mental condition.
This unexpected situation was discovered by paparazzi, sparking the absurd and laughable "terminal illness" theory in the National Enquirer. To give Renly ample space for rest and to avoid the trouble brought by excessive media attention, both the production crew and Andy's side hadn't revealed Renly's true condition. They had only managed to quell the escalating rumors.
But the media wasn't willing to let this event go easily. Far from calming down, the situation was escalating further and further, to the point that it led to a series of subsequent reactions, even forcing Renly to interrupt his filming work, as well as his rest and adjustments, and come out to face the reporters.
Now, what Renly needed the most was rest and relaxation; otherwise, his mental state would face even graver challenges. After comprehensive consideration, Renly had no choice but to decide, with less than forty-eight hours remaining until the Oscars, to confirm his absence from the awards ceremony. Behind the regret, there was more helplessness.
Throughout the article, Gavin made an effort to maintain his neutral stance, but between the lines, one could still feel his bias and even his insinuations: If it weren't for the malicious sensationalism and incessant entanglement of the reporters, then Renly's health wouldn't have deteriorated further, and the incident of him missing the Oscars wouldn't have happened.
Although Gavin didn't explicitly state it, the guiding and suggestive tone in the context was indeed so. This skill was a required course for every journalist.
This special feature by Us Weekly was absolutely exclusive news. The interviewees were Renly's agent, Andy Rogers, the producer and lead actor of "50/50", Seth Rogen, and the director, Jonathan Levine. The authenticity was guaranteed, and it brought about a tremendous shock.
At the article's end, Seth sincerely said, "Renly needs rest, proper rest." The implication was clear: Reporters, don't come to disturb the set of "50/50" anymore.
Now, people finally understood why the academy not only wasn't angry but also offered lavish praises. They understood why Renly consistently refused to come out and respond, even during press conferences. They understood why Seth, Andy, and the others were always indignant, burning with anger, showing no restraint when facing reporters. They understood why the National Enquirer published a picture of Renly receiving an IV drip. It was from this origin that the whole incident stemmed...
In an instant, the sound of slaps echoed, journalists turned a deaf ear, internet users looked away—every bit of noise, every dispute, every discussion—all of it disappeared as if hit by a resounding rebuke. The entire public opinion, for once, presented an unusual state of tranquility. It was as if the dramatic roller coaster ride that had been unfolding earlier was nothing but a dream, something that had never happened.
This exclusive article from Us Weekly, a masterpiece in every word, piercingly accurate, while it didn't directly point fingers at the media like The New York Times and Vanity Fair did, it merely presented the whole story's ins and outs. But that was sufficient; it presented the truth in all its vividness before every reader, leaving all the dissenters with no room to speak, and bystanders couldn't help but sigh.
As an actor, Renly had been diligently doing his job, enduring slanderous smears and accusations. Despite this, he persistently dedicated himself to his work, ignoring all the distractions. But media reporters, crowned as the uncrowned kings, were unyielding. They tossed buckets of dirty water at Renly, and they even stirred up disputes relentlessly, trying to create more sensationalism.
It was hard to imagine that all of this originated from Renly's endeavor to conscientiously fulfill his work.
So, what about now? Now, the victim was deeply trapped, while the perpetrator was going scot-free.
This wasn't just a news event; it was a modern version of a witch trial on the internet. Once again, it reminded people of Michael Jackson, who couldn't even find peace after death. The uncrowned kings utilized their most skilled methods, time and time again, pushing the spirit of entertainment to its death, treating those who lived under the spotlight as playthings, yet they showed no remorse. They hoisted the banner of "profits above all" and did as they pleased.
It was truly chilling!
After this article written by Gavin was published on the internet, the click count surpassed 1.5 million within an hour. In twenty-four hours, it crossed 10 million and had even extended beyond North America, spreading worldwide. This was undoubtedly a case of a witch trial, without a doubt!
As the Oscars ceremony approached, the entire Los Angeles was in a state of tense anticipation. It was a mixture of unease and anxiety, yet there was no resolution in sight.
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