It’s vital to stress there’s no scientific backing for this trend. There’s no reason why the Oscar winner would influence voters to go in a certain direction, but it is an intriguing trend, even if there have been outliers. Obviously, “Oppenheimer” could win best picture at the Academy Awards with Joe Biden still getting a second term. But if the trend persists and an “Oppenheimer” win heralds Trump becoming president again, the result could be devastatingly foreboding.
“Oppenheimer” ends with the titular character, played by Cillian Murphy, realizing he’s invented the power to destroy the world, which is now in the hands of some of the most dangerous and volatile people imaginable — politicians. This is exemplified in the movie’s final moments when J. Robert Oppenheimer declares, “When I came to you with those calculations, we thought we might start a chain reaction that would destroy the entire world. … I believe we did.” Over the years, Donald Trump has brought up using nuclear bombs in various capacities. Some have been ridiculous, like when he reportedly floated the idea of nuking hurricanes to prevent them from reaching the United States. In a far more unsettling case, Trump stated that he wouldn’t flat-out reject the idea of using nuclear weapons in Europe.
There’s little doubt Trump is exactly the kind of person Oppenheimer feared would get ahold of this technology, especially because there’s a non-zero chance he could actually use them during a second term. An “Oppenheimer” win on Oscar night could predict the beginning of the end, or perhaps it will be one of the few exceptions to the rule. In either case, it may be best to play it safe and hope for a “Barbie” upset come Oscar night.
