Spike Lee said not to time his acceptance speech, and the Academy actually listened


It was his first Oscar win, and Spike Lee was going to savor the moment.
The BlacKkKlansman director won Best Original Screenplay, and not wanting to be rushed off the stage, said something that got bleeped out. Luckily, The New York Times' Kyle Buchanan was there to fill us in, tweeting that Lee "began his speech by saying 'Do not turn that motherf—ing clock on!'" And guess what — they didn't!
Lee was able to thank his family, talk about black history, and encourage people to vote in the 2020 presidential election, all without worrying about being played off. He also leapt into the arms of presenter Samuel L. Jackson and showed off his sweet gold sneakers. Catherine Garcia
The Week
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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