Cate Blanchett thinks Hollywood’s most glamorous nights would be better without cameras.
During an appearance on Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang‘s Las Culturistas podcast, the trio discussed the invasive nature of social media and phones. Blanchett said of the issue, “There’s so few spaces that you can go now, where you are private. That’s what I loved about the late ’80s, going to all of the dance parties in Sydney for Mardi Gras. People were just there. They were so present, you know, they were just together, collectively, having a great time. It was non-aggressive. No one was being recorded. No one cared what anyone did.”
The conversation shifted to the litany of celebrity annoyances at award shows, like photographers and “lip readers.”
“Lip readers?” Blanchett asked. The hosts went on to explain that there is a segment of social media dedicated to reading stars’ lips while they are having private conversations on red carpets. Yang deemed the practice “treacherous,” and Blanchett agreed.
“That’s really, what? I mean, do something. Learn Ikebana or something, like a skill that’s actually beautiful,” Blanchett said. “I mean, I say, I know it’s blasphemy, go back to the day when it wasn’t televised. Bring that back and just have a great party where people can just let go.”
She continued, “I mean, the fashion is great, and all of that stuff. We’ll find out in the end who won or who didn’t win. But it would be so nice that that happened behind closed doors. Absolutely a very different evening.”