Life goals: Say something that makes Meryl Streep and J.Lo react like this #oscars pic.twitter.com/YnPbSMfI4U
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) February 23, 2015
Stole this from the Guardian‘s liveblog:
… Weirdest shade of the night goes to Chloe Moretz, who just used her presentation speech to deliver a bizarre eff-you to William Goldman. I hope this grudge is settled in the most dignified way possible – with a live cagefight this time next year…
Hooray! Rita Ora’s here, hot on the heels of her substantial one-nanosecond-long 50 Shades of Grey role, to sing Grateful from Beyond the Lights. It’s a shame that the Oscars weren’t quicker to utilise the other coaching staff from The Voice UK, because I’d be quite interested to see how that Glen Campbell song would have sounded as a duet between Will.i.am and that bloke from Kaiser Chiefs…. Stuart Heritage
(Nah, I don’t believe that’s his real name either, but it’s perfect for a Guardian corespondent.)
Southern Beale
I’m so upset that Dick Poop didn’t win an Oscar this year.
Groucho48
The jokes and skits seem especially lame this year. They give the impression they threw the whole thing together a half hour before curtain-up. Even NPH couldn’t make most of them work.
ruemara
These songs kinda suck.
gogol's wife
@Groucho48:
I watched the opening, and it was very much like the scenes from high-school musicals that are posted on YouTube.
JPL
@gogol’s wife: That’s actually an improvement over previous Oscars.
gogol's wife
@JPL:
The unforgettable Sean MacFarlane?
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: Adjust your onion. :P
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: So you say.
Villago Delenda Est
In other news, Bill O’Lielly’s colleagues when he was in Buenos Aires in ’82 say he’s a big fat lying sack of shit.
mainmata
Or the person that replaced Stuart, Tudor Rules. I don’t like to watch award shows but I love Meryl Streep; she’s just the best!
Villago Delenda Est
@gogol’s wife: Seth McFarlane. And yes, unforgettable in the sense that any traumatic incident is unforgettable.
Southern Beale
Glenn Greenwald just won an Oscar.
So, that happened.
wmd
@Southern Beale:
Are any heads exploding?
Thoroughly Pizzled
@Southern Beale: Not quite. Oscar goes to the producers.
MomSense
@Southern Beale:
Did you hear what NPH said?
GregB
My brother and I were talking politics around the time that Patricia Arquette gave her shout out to women.
We were thinking the response may be a harbinger of the enthusiasm for Secretary Clinton on the part of many women.
The GOP is going to end up doing the same stupid shit they did to President Obama in the campaign and they are going to galvanize a large chunk of the population into walking over hot goals to get Secretary Clinton elected.
They have their bile-guns set on high for Obama and they are going to reload and shoot their feet off when they start pouring on the unmitigated hate.
FlipYrWhig
@wmd: my head done exploded.
Also, he looked like Adam Sandler as Canteen Boy.
Gordon, the Big Express Engine
@MomSense: nph just punked them
TaMara (BHF)
@MomSense: I missed all of that…fill me in.
Gordon, the Big Express Engine
@TaMara (BHF): he said the subject of the documentary, Edward snowden, couldn’t be here tonight for some treason
TaMara (BHF)
@Gordon, the Big Express Engine: Burn!
In other news, I heart John Legend.
Major Major Major Major
“The subject of the film, edward snowden, couldn’t be here tonight for some treason.” Brilliant
Major Major Major Major
I also liked the earlier “four actresses and, in accordance with state law, Meryl Streep” joke about Best Supporting
MomSense
@TaMara (BHF):
Same here. God his voice is gorgeous. I liked Common’s mention of Ferguson, too.
James E Powell
I don’t get the Moretz v. Goldman thing
Rex Tremendae
@James E Powell: Me neither. In fact, i don’t get the entire post.
Peale
I thought Anna Kendrick’s dress was nice. I was shouted down. What was wrong with that dress?
Hungry Joe
Back in the mid-’90s I had to cover the Oscars for my newspaper — three times, I think. The press was confined to a room backstage, but we had to wear tuxes (or evening gowns) nonetheless. Winners would give their speeches, then go to the press room to answer questions; we’d be firing questions at them while trying to watch the show onscreen at the same time. Two indelible memories: Roger Ebert destroying, I mean, DESTROYING the buffet table; and, one time, hours before the proceedings, I rounded a corner outside the building — I was in my tux — and a crowd gasped: “WHO IS THAT?” When I got a little closer there was a collective “Oh … nobody,” and they all turned away.
Culture of Truth
She’s in a public fight with the guy who wrote The Princess Bride?
Glenn looking pretty fly for a guy constantly oppressed by a Dear Leader
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Thoroughly Pizzled: I followed the link and seeing the photo, wondered who in the hell the dude holding the Oscar was that looked so very much like Glenn Greenwald. Then I read the caption. I’m not watching the show – clearly.
Suzanne
@Major Major Major Major: Mr. Suzanne and I LOVED the treason joke.
Omnes Omnibus
@Peale: I looked it up. I saw a pretty woman in a pink dress.
Groucho48
A Sound of Music retrospective? Really?
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Hungry Joe: I hope at least once you wore a fabulous evening gown.
Suzanne
@Peale: I thought Anna Kendrick looked great. Not as good as Lupita N’yongo, but no one does.
Gwyneth Paltrow looked ludicrous, in my opinion.
TaMara (BHF)
@Peale: The red carpet/presenting dress? Your entourage is incorrect. That dress was stunning.
Peale
@Groucho48: Someone was talking in my ear so I couldn’t pay attention to Scarlett Johanssen, but what is this retrospective about? Is Julie Andrews dead or something? This seems like a waste of time?
Major Major Major Major
I always enjoyed her hits in clubs but I didn’t know Lady Gaga could actually sing. Or had a bicep tattoo.
JordanRules
Mercy NPH killed with that for some treason line!!
Common and Legend are glorious! Such wonderful Chitown representers. That incarceration stat leaves me in tears.
Gaga doing her damned thing!
Violet
@Suzanne: Gwyneth looked ridiculous. That big frou frou thing on her shoulder. Looked like her dress had an unfortunate growth.
MomSense
@Suzanne:
Seriously Lupita is stunning. I loved Emma Stone’s dress, too.
Peale
Maybe Sound of Music needed to be rescused from obscurity?
Major Major Major Major
@Peale: 50th anniversary of the movie.
Violet
@MomSense: Rosamund Pike was absolutely stunning on the red carpet. My favorite.
Betty Cracker
Lady Gaga slayed it!
Suzanne
@Violet: Gwynwth’s flower on her shoulder looked dumb, the color was all wrong, her makeup looked bad. And she’s apparently a horrible snob, in addition to a clueless Goop.
Suzanne
@Violet: I’m not big on Pike’s hair, but her dress is good.
Omnes Omnibus
@Violet: Ms. Pike would be stunning in a burlap sack. And since my divorce, I am generally off blonds.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Suzanne: I looked it up, and I think that’s a lovely coral dress Anna Kendrick is wearing. I think Gwyneth Paltrow generally looks ludicrous.
MomSense
@Violet:
Rosamund is gorgeous.
Groucho48
@Peale:
Andrews is doing the original score announcements. Guess that’s the tie-in. Still seemed kind of just shoved in to the proceedings.
Hungry Joe
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): I just KNEW somebody was going to pick up on that. Nah, no evening gown for me, but one year I lost the vest that came with the rented tux and the paper made me pay for it. Found it years later. I think I eventually gave it to DAV.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: Goop?
TaMara (BHF)
Eddie Murphy is coming up on the Oscars? Will he do more than stand up there for 90 seconds and thank the academy?
BillinGlendaleCA
@Peale: I think it’s 50 years since the Sound of Music was released or won awards or something. I didn’t see it until the early 80’s AFTER visiting Salzburg.
BillinGlendaleCA
@TaMara (BHF): If it was good enough for SNL…
Wag
@Betty Cracker:
Yes she did.
Mary G
@Major Major Major Major: When she ism my age, I bet Gaga will be sorry she had that trumpet tattooed on the part of your arm that keeps waving long after you’ve stopped.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
I was looking at the red carpet photos on the Oscar site and I now know that NPH dresses left.
MomSense
@Mary G:
The “bye byes”
Bonnie
Lady Gaga singing songs Julie Andrews sang is the biggest insult so far. She wasn’t on key and lowered that final note at least an octave so she could hit it. Her tatoos on are arms make for a quite ridiculous look. The joke about Benedict Cumberbatch’s name was pretty funny. I had never heard of Whiplash until tonight.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Mary G: The intersection of tats and aging are often overlooked by the young. Both the aging of the wearer and the tats themselves.
James E Powell
@Omnes Omnibus:
Gwyneth’s lifestyle website
GregB
@JordanRules:
My first exposure to John Legend was on the Colbert Christmas special singing about nutmeg.
He’s a wonderful talent.
JordanRules
@Betty Cracker: Slayed!!!!!
Violet
@Omnes Omnibus: Do you not know of Gwyneth’s vanity website goop.com, where she advocates things like buying cheap t-shirts for those lazy weekends when you might get messy in the garden. The ones she recommends start at $150 of course.
Violet
@Betty Cracker: Gaga was good but NO ONE touches Julie Andrews’ voice in her prime. I love Julie Andrews so much. It’s always a thrill to see her.
Major Major Major Major
I’m totally losing this Oscar pool.
wasabi gasp
Is there some sense to be made of Stuart Heritage’s Will.i.am/bloke from Kaiser Chiefs crack?
beth
I don’t mind Gaga’s voice. It’s the Price Is Right spokesmodel arm movements that annoy and distract me. You think she’d be comfortable on stage by now.
Omnes Omnibus
@James E Powell: @Violet: I was happily unaware.
TaMara (BHF)
I’ve been waiting for someone to explain this so I wouldn’t have to ask, but so far…..so I’m asking. What. Does. This. Mean?
wmd
This is OT for the Oscars, but this reporting needs to be on the front page in the next few days.
A couple of quotes:
Major Major Major Major
I had “Brit pretending to be gay”, and it went to “Brit pretending to be handicapped.”
Damn.
Omnes Omnibus
@wmd: You are fun at parties, aren’t you?
wmd
@Omnes Omnibus:
You do know what to call a chicken coop with 3 doors. don’t you?
A Hatchback!
Eljai
Birdman just won best picture. I liked it well enough but I wasn’t bowled over. The acceptance speech was fantastic, though. And I’m glad “American Sniper” didn’t win.
lamh36
Didn’t watch the Oscars. Tried my best not to tweet the hashtag. I ‘ll be interesting in seeing what the audience numbers were like tonight. Seemed, alot of people had no plans to watch the show at all anyway.
Besides, with twitter you never have to watch the show anyway and there are always gonna be clips.
BTW, the continued throwback to Octavia Spencer is bullshit, and the bit with David Oyelowo and panning “Black” Annie was cringe worthy, particularly with the issues around diversity.
Oh, and anyone else notice their were more people of color as presenters than actual nominees.
The Academy ain’t fooling any damn body
Peale
@Major Major Major Major: Timothy Spall was so robbed…months ago…But Brit walking with with enlarged prostate isn’t trendy enough for the oh, so. cool. Academy.
Mike in NC
@Eljai: Was the sniper flick shut out? Because I’ve learned to hate Clint Eastwood as a senile wingnut asshole (see 2012 RNC Convention). Last decent thing he did was Mystic River.
Peale
@Mike in NC: It won sound editing or sound mixing.
hilts
Fuck the Academy voters, Birdman is a worthless piece of shit that had no goddamn business even being nominated.
wmd
@Mike in NC:
Gran Torino was decent.
TaMara (BHF)
Everyone point and laugh.
Peale
@Eljai: Of the nominees this year, the one that will have the most staying power is Big Hero 6, because of Big Heron 6 part 2.
But honestly, Birdman, Grand Budapest and Boyhood will all live on in film studies courses for a number of years. The rest of the nominees will be forgotten. I’m very glad the so called bio-pics didn’t win the big prize. And for all the crap that Sniper gets, the most right wing film of the bunch was Whiplash.
lamh36
Finals thoughts on the Oscars which I didn’t watch, based soley on my twitter feed.
Performances better than host…sorry NPH, you can’t win all of them. Give the show back to Ellen or Hugh Jackman… C
Patricia Arquette shout out for equal pay… A+
The repeated joke with Octavia Spencer and the use of all the people of color as fodder… F.
John Legend and Common Glory Peformance, best of the nominated performances of the night…and Acceptance speech… A+++
Lady Gaga’s singing tribute to Sound of Music… I loved it and if Julie Andrews did too, then hell yeah it gets an A from me… A
Sean Penn’s stupid “who gave this guy a green card” lame joke…. F
Overall impression: I’ll say it again…THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR AS PRESENTERS THAN NOMINATED !!! Grade: C
Honorable Mention: the screenwriter who said something about being weird and being yourself. I didn’t watch that one. Oh and the Mexican director’s movie beating American Sniper
ETA: Also mention Crying David Oyelowo and Chris Pine after the Selma performance!
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q):
His tuxedo pants were a little … snug. I couldn’t really say it because I was watching with my spouse.
RobertDSC (Quad Intel Mac)
Happy for my girl Julianne Moore. Love her work so much and it’s good to see her with this hardware.
Betty Cracker
I saw “Birdman” this weekend and thought it was interesting with some stand-out performances. But best movie? Not even of the nominees I’ve seen, which is about half of them. The pick isn’t all that surprising, though. Hollywood loves a story about show biz.
Villago Delenda Est
@hilts: You have to keep in mind that the “Academy” once made the unspeakable mediocrity that is “The Greatest Show on Earth” best picture back in the 50’s…and turned their collective nose up at “Citizen Kane”…one of the most influential and groundbreaking motion pictures, ever.
Suzanne
I saw Birdman today, and I enjoyed it, but I didn’t think it was Best Picture-worthy. I thought the performances were great, though, and that Michael Keaton deserved a win.
Peale
@hilts: Wow. Did you write that and hold onto it all night? Were you planning to just substitute in whatever film won? Still pissed that Skeleton Twins didn’t make the cut?
Villago Delenda Est
@TaMara (BHF): Fuck that chickenhawk with Clint Eastwood’s withered old dick.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@lamh36:
Re: the presenters thing — the Academy doesn’t actually control what gets nominated. They send out a giant list of what’s eligible and the Academy voters pick from there.
So IMO, it was supposed to me more of a, “Sorry our voters are jerks” message.
Also, I thought NPH was great. Definitely better than Ellen, who seemed stiff to me.
hilts
@Villago Delenda Est:
Good points. They also picked Rocky over Network and All the President’s Men.
I’m sick to death of hearing how great Birdman was. Selma, Theory of Everything, Imitation Game, and Boyhood were head and shoulders above this idiotic tripe.
lamh36
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): Umm… i know that. That was my point?/
lamh36
Also ICYMI, cause like me you ain’t watching: Common and John Legend perform Glory
Watch Common and John Legend’s moving performance of “Glory” at the Oscars http://ti.me/1AlgAgV
ICYMI: Common & John Legend Acceptance speech for Best Original Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNWkMMS3vOY
Major Major Major Major
@hilts: I always get mad when people mention Network.
Because it should be required viewing for high school students.
And college students.
And adults.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@lamh36:
So the Academy shouldn’t have addressed it at all during the show and pretended the controversy didn’t exist? I think that would have been worse.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Major Major Major Major:
Coming on TCM at 3:15 a.m. EST this morning!
gwangung
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): Not sure they did themselves any good with this approach. Tokenism and all that, and the equivalent of “I DO have black friends.”
hilts
@lamh36:
Sean Penn’s joke was very dickish and the long pause before he announced the winner was stupid.
lamh36
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): It was sooooo blatantly obvious. Tokenism in reaction to racial inequality isn’t the way.
And the continued joking and on it and the continued used of the lame as Octavia Spencer joking or the David Oyelowo segments was stupid.
It was obvious and therefore felt fake. You obviously disagree, but I can tell you “we” all noticed and commented on it. that alone should tell you that the effort was over the top stupid
Yatsuno
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini):
And the qualifying process is ridiculous. I’m an acquaintance with a documentary film producer in Vancouver, and he intentionally did not have his movie up for a nomination because the hoops he had to jump through turned out to be unimaginably complicated. He had to open in a theatre in both New York and LA, get a big time releaser to back him. He reached quite a few of the standards but it was turning into more work than the promotion of his documentary itself. So he let it go. It’s a tragedy because the documentary is FANTASTIC and he will eventually get his work recognised on that stage someday. But just getting the qualification (and the necessity of the qualification process) is stupid.
ruemara
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): This really was “we have black friends”. The problem is, the creative AA community believes we create things with as much merit as anyone else. It hurts to be excluded when we create in our voice, with our perspective. Parading a few members around makes it twice as obvious that our voice and our interpretations of creativity are unwelcome, but we are welcome if we toe the line.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@gwangung:
@lamh36:
I guess I’m not sure what a better approach would have been, especially this year. It was a huge and embarrassing controversy, so they couldn’t ignore it.
I think they assumed that “American Sniper” was going to win Best Picture (hence getting Sean Penn to be the presenter) because the nominations made it seem like Old White Guy Year, but the voters surprised them.
The Octavia Spencer thing didn’t bother me, because I’m pretty sure it was all scripted ahead of time with her agreement. If it turns out they actually did surprise her with it, then I will be annoyed.
But my company swept the animation categories, so I’m pretty happy right now. I get to drink champagne at work tomorrow.
Violet
@lamh36: Common and John Legend were the best part of the Oscars, I thought. Well, except for the “Sound of Music” clips and seeing Julie Andrews. I don’t care if the film is cheesy. I love it and seeing Julie Andrews is always a thrill. But for things relted to this year’s Oscars, Common and John Legend were by far the best and gave the best acceptance speech.
ruemara
@Yatsuno: The whole industry is like that. I wanted to attend a diversity fair in LA the upcoming weekend, but despite 7 years creating programming, running a government channel and manning 3 live broadcasts a night; I’m ineligible because I’ve done it for government, not a reality show or a documentary type show. It’s very frustrating to be allowed in.
Violet
@lamh36: I didn’t get the Octavia Spencer thing at all. And getting David Oyelowo to do the punchline of a joke that was a slam on the recent “Annie” film with a black star was just uncomfortable. Not remotely funny. Didn’t understand why they did that.
lamh36
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): no they couldn’t ignore it. I guess it worked for their audience of predom white people. Which is the demo audience of the Oscars anyway, especially this year with the controversy.
So they played to the white audience of critics, voters, and other white folk who were outraged of the snub and who have a platform to talk about and critic it.
But it was so blatant and obvious an attempt, that I people across the board were commenting on it.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@ruemara:
Believe me, I get that, but I think the Academy would have been criticized no matter what they did tonight, because no amount of attempted correction at the show itself was going to overcome the lack of nominations. They looked like clueless idiots for taking the “we do so have black friends!” approach, but they would have looked like flat-out assholes if they had done anything less. There really wasn’t a good solution, because the Academy looked like assholes as soon as the nominations were announced.
If the ratings are way down this year (and I think they will be), that’s what is going to send a message to the voting members of the Academy, because the most conservative members are the ones on the money side (especially producers). They may be butthurt at the backlash, but kicking them in the profit center is what will get their attention.
Keith G
@lamh36:
What the hell?
This is just silly. And the Oscars are silly – but if you can’t be bothered to watch (and I don’t blame you) don’t freekin have final thoughts on a program you. did. not. watch.
lamh36
@Keith G:
Whatever…
LOL, you mad bro
JordanRules
@lamh36: But you didn’t watch though. I get that black twitter was on it, I saw the same things you did on twitter and I watched the actual show. I think it’s important that you keep qualifying your statements with that. The whole is different than twitter bits and I always want to remember that in this day and age.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini):
Is the show itself (and whatever related hoopla) that big a moneymaker? Maybe from TV ads?
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@lamh36:
I don’t think they actually thought doing it that way would make them look better. I think they knew their only option was to try not to make it worse by trying to pretend there was no controversy. I honestly don’t think they had any other options once the voters painted them into that corner.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@Keith G:
FWIW, she didn’t not watch, she boycotted. Two different things, IMO. You can have an opinion on something you deliberately boycotted.
lamh36
@JordanRules: Oh, so we at BJ now have to preference all our comments with disclaimers?
That would be alot of work for alot of commenters. I said in my original comment that I did not watch the telecast, LIVE. So what you are saying is that I should have preferenced every response to someone who read my orignal comment with the same disclaimer?
Its that just a special case for little ole me?
ruemara
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): This is one of those, thanks but this isn’t the sop we’re looking for things. They should nut up and take the criticism.
lamh36
Oh and guess what…
https://twitter.com/ScottFeinberg/status/569741094507847682
ruemara
@lamh36: Seriously? Whatevs.
gwangung
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): I’ll just say that it really pissed off all of my fellow Asian American artists as well as the African American artists I know. Balm for the non-minority audience, I guess.
Well done, Academy.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@Steeplejack (tablet):
An Academy Award increases box office by several million, which is one of the reasons the struggle to get a nomination gets so ugly. But if people think the awards are a joke and that the winners didn’t deserve it, they stay home and that several million dollars never materializes. Ratings are usually seen as a barometer for how interested people are in that year’s films, so a low-rated show means less money at the box office.
I’m sure it doesn’t make anyone feel any better, but those publicists at Paramount who screwed up the campaign for “Selma” are probably in deep shit. Screwing up an Oscar campaign for an acclaimed film is the kind of thing that gets you fired. See the above mention of Oscar nominations increasing box office to understand why.
gwangung
@lamh36: Yes. Seriously, if this was an apology to the African American community (I know they could not care less about Asian Americans), it did not do its job.
Yatsuno
OT: heard tell rikyrah is in hospital. Does anyone else have any other word about this?
@gwangung: Dare I ask your opinion of casting Scarlett Johanson as the casting of the Major in the live action Ghost in the Shell? It is making wifey want to grab numerous rusty farm implements and insert them. Sideways.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@ruemara:
But then we’re back to my original question — what should they have done differently with the show that would not have pissed people off? I think that people were (rightly) going to be pissed off no matter what.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@gwangung:
Not sure if it’s really balm for the white audience, either. More like, “Yeah, time to grovel, idiots.”
JordanRules
@lamh36: Naw, but reading some of your follow up comments made it sound like you did so I was just trying to help you keep putting up the ‘by proxy’ wall you established in that first comment.
But you’re right it is a blog with commenting and it’s not that serious regarding commenting formality. I do get it.
Peale
egad. Rocky hate, on this here thread. Yes, network was a more important film, but that doesn’t mean the academy was wrong to award it to Rocky either. I mean, it’s not like Rocky has become some forgotten film. If you erase the sequels, it holds up quite well.
Peale
@Yatsuno: oh god. Why, why, why do these things happen without punishment?
Steeplejack
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini):
I get the connection between Oscar nominations/awards and increased box office. I don’t get the idea that “Hollywood” is sweating it if the Oscar show itself bombs*. Seems like a minor bump in the road.
* For whatever reason: bad nomination bloc, poor show execution, host fail, etc.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
BTW, the actors continue to be the most powerful contingent in the Academy — not only did the nominees mirror the Screen Actors Guild Awards, so did the winners:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-sag-awards-2015-nominees-winners-list-story.html#page=1
Lily white in all of the film-related categories.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@Steeplejack:
In general, it wouldn’t matter. In this particular case, since the show was the subject of a huge controversy, it would put the lie to the old “all publicity is good publicity” cliche if the ratings plummet after last year’s 10-year high.
As I just posted above, the problem seems to be stemming from the actors’ union. Not sure what the deal is there.
gwangung
@Yatsuno:
Ack, no! Hope she’s doing OK….
gwangung
@Yatsuno:
No.
And I’m more pissed at reactions of “fans.”
gwangung
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): Let’s just say that they aren’t very good at groveling. Groveling should not make folks even angrier.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
Last thing before I go to bed — Sean Penn probably was brought out because they thought “Birdman” was going to win. I forgot that Innaritu directed Penn in “21 Grams,” and they apparently are still friends. So the “green card” joke ended up sounding worse than Penn probably intended it, but it was a stupid thing for him to say.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@gwangung:
I really don’t know what they should have done instead, though. I don’t think there was a proper level of including minorities but not overdoing it that would have made people happy. They went for the old Hollywood excess and overdid it.
Go ahead and mock them for it, but I just don’t think there was something else they could have done that would have worked better.
lamh36
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): yep…Penn forgot there is a time and place for everything…he chose the worst time for that ad-lib
JordanRules
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): I didn’t know that history and knew it was snark and then when they embraced you could tell they had a relationship…whether that is enough to enable that comment within their relationship circle, I don’t know. I felt like it was an eff you to the knuckle-dragging bigots on the wrong side of history and immigration but I can certainly see how folks saw it otherwise. Maybe he shoulda had a snark tag on his suit?
ETA I know Sean’s politics so there is that too.
Tree With Water
There’s a review about this Oscar telecast at Salon.com that shreds tonights show, and I’m inclined to think its probably on the mark (I didn’t watch). I never watched Doogie Howser, either, or caught a broadway show with Harris in it, and know him only by a really annoying beer commercial that got mucho air play during last month’s NFL playoffs. So between that review, and my genuine dislike with his commercial, it beats the hell out of me why anyone thought he could carry the show in the first place. Still, epic show biz flops are always entertaining (at least in hindsight). For those who watched the whole show tonight, I hope it was that bad, and that you were properly entertained for it being so.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
@Yatsuno:
Yikes! I’ll have to check back in the morning, but I hope it turns out okay.
ruemara
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): Not this. At this point, live with it, but don’t try to do this. Stop. We can tell. They should have done nothing different. Forging ahead would be less harmful than obvious pander.
piratedan
@gwangung: I’d like to give her a chance rather than write it off altogether, it’s not as if she’s Keanu Reeves….
GITS would be very tough pull on the big screen, but big action blockbusters sell tickets and it’s a proven franchise that has some serious street cred in the anime crowd.
It’s not as if they’re saying that we have to deal with Drew Barrymore as Faye Valentine…..
Mnemosyne
@ruemara:
I don’t want to come too far down on the Academy’s side, because I turned to G after that very first musical number and said, “Uh, they’re trying a little too hard.” And it stayed at about the same level of manic enthusiasm through the whole show.
What I will say is that I think they did have good intentions, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with.
Origuy
@Tree With Water: Harris has hosted the Tony Awards four times and was favorably reviewed. The Broadway community is a lot smaller and closer knit, though.
WaterGirl
@ruemara: Stephen Covey says something like “you can’t talk your way out of something you behaved yourself into”.
Sounds like they were doing the equivalent of saying “no really, trust us when we tell you, that might have sounded racist, but we’re not racist”.
I’m thinking of the story about Krispy Kreme coming out with their KKK program, and people asking, don’t they have any black people on their staff? The trouble is probably that those aren’t the people they listen to.
Edit: hadn’t seen your comment at 146, but i completely agree.
@Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): You know what? Actions have consequences. If they were gonna catch flack no matter what they did, then maybe they deserve that. It seems to me, though, that it’s best not to re-offend the people you offended in the first place.
Actions have consequences, and hopefully they will pay attention if their audience was way down. Sad that money is what talks, but it is what it is.
Denali
I truly don’t understand why you are mocking Citizen Four and not applauding this award.