Street Artist Sabo Gives Reasons for Erecting 3 Billboards to Call Out Hollywood Ahead of Oscars (Exclusive)
The billboards greatly resemble those in the Oscar-nominated film 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.'
Sabo is making his objections known much like Frances McDormand's character, Mildred, does in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
The street artist put up three signs on Wednesday just a few miles from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, where the 90th Academy Awards are taking place on Sunday.
The three consecutive billboards -- which The Hollywood Reporter notes were legitimate advertisements before Sabo took them over -- have bold black lettering over a red backdrop that seem to mimic those featured in Martin McDonagh's movie, Three Billboards, which is up for seven Oscars.
"And the Oscar for biggest pedophile goes to …" reads one sign.
"We all knew and still no arrests," another billboard touts.
"Name names on stage or shut the hell up!" the third sign declares.
In an interview with ET, Sabo explained why he decided to display these messages on a 48-feet-across by 14-feet-high canvas just days prior to the awards ceremony.
"These billboards represent putting Hollywood’s feet to the fire," he explained. "Name names on stage or shut the hell up!"
He added, "I felt compelled to do this for all those unnamed victims of sexual abuse in this town. Let’s clean house so we can move on."
Sabo clearly seems to have gotten the idea from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which is about a mother (McDormand) who personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder by putting up three billboards.
One billboard in the movie reads, "Still no arrests?"
McDormand and her co-stars, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, are all up for Oscars for their roles in the film, and the movie has also earned a Best Picture nomination.
Reporting by Jillian Higley.
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