Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman co-hosted the Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday night, and they had a blunt message for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The comedian couple told Putin to “f- off” during the ceremony and sent their “best wishes” to the people of Ukraine. They also advised viewers on some of the best ways to support the Ukrainian people during this conflict.
“I think we speak for everyone here when we say that we are hoping for a quick, peaceful resolution,” Mullally said when the subject of the Ukrainian invasion came up. “Specifically, f- off and go home, Putin!” Offerman added: “We hope Putin f-s off and goes home and to that end let’s all join together with a Spirit Award salute to Putin.” He and Mullally then gave the finger to the camera.
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“Great organizations are raising money [for Ukraine]. Please give what you can to give to the victims of this senseless act of aggression,” Mullally added. The couple got laughs and applause from attendees at the award show, which was hosted at the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, March 6. The award show was full of other unique moments that seemed to be designed for breakout clips on social media later on.
The entertainment industry has pulled out all the stops to condemn Putin’s attack on Ukraine. Shortly before the Spirit Awards began, Netflix announced that it was suspending service in Russia in protest of the invasion, according to a report by Variety. The company had previously announced that it was pausing all future projects in Russia and acquisitions of Russian content, along with other studios like Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony taking similar steps.
Meanwhile, TikTok also announced on Sunday that it was blocking all Russian users from posting new videos. This is because Russia implemented a new law that threatens to severely punish anyone who shares “false information” about the country’s military online. Violators could face time in prison including forced labor.
In spite of all these actions, the violence in Ukraine continues at the time of this writing. The latest updates say that 1.5 million refugees have fled the country to escape the violence, while many civilians are trapped in Ukrainian cities and facing extreme danger. Putin continues to deny any attempts at a peaceful resolution.
