In an excerpt from ‘The Naughty Nineties,’ the author revisits the comedian’s first Oscar-night broadcast—30 years ago.
On the night of the 66th Academy Awards—March 21, 1994—Vanity Fair hosted its first-ever Oscar Party. That date, however, is notable for another milestone: it was the evening, three decades ago, when comedian Joan Rivers became America’s connoisseur of celebrity style—or lack thereof. Previously, film fans had tuned into the Oscars telecast out of a fascination with actors, filmmakers, and their craft; to get swept up in the spectacle; and to thrill to the thunder of a great horse race.
“In the beginning the stars were still dressing themselves. And they looked like trailer trash—and it was fabulous. For every chic woman that walked in, you had Demi Moore who made her own bicycle pants one year, and you go, ‘It’s the Academy Awards, you ass.’ That’s what made it. People began to watch—to see this. And then the designers said, ‘Wait a second. If they’re going to announce my name on television, let me see if I can dress these people.’ ” Not quite.
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