"vera-drake"

We all make mistakes. From leisure suits in the ‘70s, to “hypercolor” clothing in the ‘80s, to rat tail haircuts anytime, we Americans are notorious for making choices that seemed like good ideas at the time. Despite our less-than-stellar judgment, we tend to demand more of our finest institutions. In particular, we expect our most prestigious award-givers to choose the right winners. Is that too much to ask? Take the Academy Awards (please!). Today, we thought it might be fun to go back through history and point out the most obvious mistakes in the history of the Oscars. Focusing on past recipients of the three major awards (Best Picture, Actor and Actress), we’ll identify the times when Oscar really fell down on the job. And, sad to say, it’s happened more than once.

With the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, we have the first instance in our history of an established right actually being taken away from Americans. For the majority of us, the decision feels like a step backward, not just in progress but in time. As we absorb the consequences, we recall our own dark past on this issue before Roe became law, and also the rigid policies of more repressive societies around the world.