Yahoo Lifestyle Rosanna Arquette Says the Oscars Shouldn’t Be Canceled Amid L.A. Fires: ‘It’s About Using Art to Rebuild’
The Los Angeles-area fires have left a path of destruction, with lives uprooted and dreams reduced to ash. In the heart of it all, Hollywood is grappling with how to help. With the 2025 Oscars on the horizon, “Desperately Seeking Susan” star Rosanna Arquette has proposed a bold and heartfelt idea: This year’s ceremony should be transformed into a platform for hope and healing.
As fires raged across Los Angeles last week, Arquette posted a proposition on BlueSky that was widely screenshotted and shared far beyond the fledgling app. “I’d love to see the Sag awards and Oscar and Grammys this year turn the shows into telethons to raise money for the community, the city of Los Angeles, for families who’ve lost their homes and pets and life’s memories and for our beloved fire fighters that have saved lives,” she wrote.
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Variety asked Arquette to expand on her idea. “This year, it’s not just about celebrating art,” she said. “It’s about using art to rebuild, inspire and help those who need it most.”
Traditionally, the Oscars are synonymous with elegance and celebration, but Arquette believes the event can do much more. She envisions a telethon woven into the awards ceremony, bringing together Hollywood’s brightest stars to raise funds for wildfire relief.
“I woke up the other night thinking, ‘What if we did a Jerry Lewis-style telethon but integrated it with the Oscars?’” Arquette explained. “Imagine Billy Crystal opening the show. He lost his home, but he’s the perfect person to unite the room, to remind us of what we can achieve together.”
Her vision includes nominees and presenters dressed down in jeans and T-shirts, raising money in real time. “Picture the best actor winner holding their Oscar in one hand and a cell phone in the other, taking donations from around the world,” she said. “This could raise billions.”
Though celebrities are getting considerable media attention, the disaster has affected people of every income level, including hundreds of Hollywood production workers who have already been hit hard by strikes and COVID.
Arquette’s passion extends to honoring those who risk everything to keep others safe. “Let’s have firefighters, teachers and community heroes on stage with the nominees,” she suggested. “They’re the backbone of this city, and they deserve to be seen.”
For Arquette, this moment is an opportunity to redefine Los Angeles as “the true City of Angels.” She emphasized that funds raised must go directly to those in need, not through bureaucratic channels that might dilute the impact.
“This isn’t about actors rebuilding their mansions,” she stressed. “It’s about helping the people who can’t rebuild — those who’ve lost everything and don’t have the means to start over.”
She also highlighted the systemic issues, including climate change and outdated infrastructure. “This is the result of fossil fuels, whether people want to admit it or not,” Arquette said. “We need to address these root causes while helping those who are suffering right now.”
The Oscars have always celebrated storytelling, but Arquette believes this year, the story should be one of unity and action. “This could be the most important Oscars ever,” she declared. “Not because of who wins, but because of what we do with this platform.”
She hopes Hollywood’s biggest night can become a global call to action. “Art has always given people hope,” she said. “Now, we can use it to rebuild lives and show what we’re capable of when we come together.”
The Academy has hinted at a reimagined ceremony long before the wildfires ravaged Los Angeles. Arquette’s idea could help redefine the purpose of awards shows. “If we don’t do something now, we’re failing our community,” she says. “This is the time to prove we’re not just about movies; we’re about making a difference.”
As the 2025 Oscars approach, the world will be watching. Will Hollywood rise to the occasion? With voices like Arquette raising important questoins, there’s hope that the answer will be a resounding yes.
Numerous nonprofit organizations and Hollywood guilds offer disaster relief for members of the entertainment and music industries affected by the Los Angeles fires.
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