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The Academy Awards telecast is an awkward beast to produce under the best of circumstances. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour (plus) stage show on TV honoring movies. ABC, which broadcasts the ceremony, wants more celebrity razzmatazz to boost ratings; academy hard-liners would get rid of the red carpet to give the sound mixing winners more time to talk.

But the 90th Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, will also have to factor in the push and pull between self celebration and social consciousness, and the past and the future.

Show organizers have said they want to keep the focus on the movies, and not veer too far into discussion about sexual misconduct and gender inequality. The worry is that many viewers are tiring of stars using such platforms to agitate for social and political change. As a spokesman for the Republican National Committee told Variety on Wednesday, “Americans aren’t interested in Hollywood liberals blabbing about politics.”

And yet this is the first Oscars of the #MeToo, Time’s Up and #NeverAgain era. The ceremony’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, is known for his outspokenness. Stars who did not use their moment at the microphone at the Golden Globes to offer support for the Time’s Up initiative drew criticism. And it will be awfully tricky for E! to keep its red carpet coverage frothy: Ryan Seacrest, who anchors that network’s Oscar show, was engulfed this week in allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies.