Amy Schumer has been forced to take a different approach, as she prepares to co-host next week’s Oscars ceremony, after the producers decided to turn down her idea to have Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appear virtually at the show.
The comedian revealed her idea during her latest interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, detailing why she thought it was important for her to include the president in the segment, amid the conflict between the two countries caused by Russia’s invasion.
“I actually pitched, I wanted to find a way to have Zelensky satellite in or make a tape or something just because there are so many eyes on the Oscars,” Schumer said while promoting the 94th Academy Awards.
She continued, “I think it’s a great opportunity to at least comment on a couple of things. I have some jokes that kind of highlight the sort of current condition. I mean, there are so many awful things happening that it seems hard to focus on which one.”
Online users shared their thoughts on Schumer’s idea, questioning the producers’ decisions to have the comedian as part of the show, with one person writing “I don’t think we need to waste his time,” while someone else described the idea as “embarrassing” and “tone deaf.”
“I think there is definitely pressure in one way to be like, ‘This is a vacation, let people forget, we just want to have this night,’” Schumer said, “but it is, like, well, we have so many eyes and ears on this show.”