A tweet from the Oscars that I am not watching.
Cohen is promoting his movie "The Dictator" and appearing in character as Adm. Gen. Shabazz Aladeen, which the Oscar folk tried to keep him from doing.
ADDED: Video.
२६ फेब्रुवारी, २०१२
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Remember when the Oscars had class?
LoL, that Sacha Boring Cohen -what a card!
Its even funnier in Hebrew!
All the videos at your "ADDED: Video" link say:
This video contains content from Comcast Entertainment Group, who has blocked it on copyright grounds.
Sorry about that.
This is irony three levels deep!
"Attention: Keith Richards, clean up on red carpet. Keith Richards."
One of the saddest thing is that we invented the Internet. Other countries use it effectively, say Finland.
Now, there are NO sunday morning political shows that are live.
This Oscar event is also not live.
Why is this happening? Is there no one in these networks who has a BRAIN? Why such stupidity?
At any rate, it looks like Comcast keeps blocking the video. Maybe they're offended, too?
Jeez... everybody's offended today! Is there something in the air?!
Does it bother you, even in the slightest way, Althouse, that you wanted to express yourself by sharing that link to those videos, and yet they are all summarily blocked by Comcast?
Seems, at the very least, a little rude, don't you think? It's as if our humanity has been limited by a mindless censoring machine...
When your act is basically the old épater les bourgeois shtick, doesn't it eventually get tough to find new ways to "top" your previous "shocking" project?
Cohen is going to have to start killing people with chainsaws one day, or something.
Doesn't it eventually get tough to find new ways to "top" your previous "shocking" project?
No, because eventually the censors crack down. They'll accept a little bit of unusual artistic expression, but only a little...
Good thing that unusual artistic expression is valued in places like this here blog! Otherwise, where can the marginalized turn to associate with one another in freedom?
Ann,
Please prevent "America's Politico" from further fouling your site. It is just dreck; utterly without merit of any sort. That you have tolerated it for so long is to your credit. But, scrolling past that crap is putting strain on the middle finger of my right hand. TIA.
This is taking Ash Wednesday to extremes.
Ann + Meade,
I think it is utterly inappropriate for "Mark B" to demand that you censor one of your commenters. Please prevent him from further fouling your site. That you have tolerated it... scrolling past... strain... etcetera...
Dead Julius,
I "demanded" nothing. And censorship is not what I asked for. Merely some editorial discretion. If you see some merit in American Politico's comments, I'd be very interested in hearing from you what it is. I think his/her comments are just boring nonsense. Who wants to read that crap? Not me. I'll put up with it because of the other stuff here (almost uniformly excellent), but I don't like reading crap.
Merely some editorial discretion.
Althouse and Meade can either delete comments, and maybe (?) ban certain commenters... that's the technical limit of their editorial discretion. And that's censorship. Or do you suggest something else be done with the offender du jour?
Dead Julius,
"Or do you suggest something else be done with the offender du jour?"
That's paranoid weirdness. I'm just tired of reading crap. Nothing more to it.
Good night.
That's paranoid weirdness.
No, it certainly ain't! You said...
And censorship is not what I asked for.
So if not censoring comments and/or a commenter, then what, specifically, are you asking for?
I already told you -- editorial discretion. Censorship is accomplished by large institutions or governments, and must be pervasive to be effective. Editorial discretion is exercised by private publishers (bloggers) who have limited space or bandwidth (including limits to the attention span of the readers -- like me.)
I'm just begging for mercy. America's politico should establish his own blog, then I can choose to ignore his/her dreck, and cocoon myself in Ann's interesting space.
Here's the first of what will likely be many Comcast protest videos.
It ain't blocked by Comcast because it don't belong to Comcast!
Gawd, this is beautiful!
Almost like it were divinely orchestrated...
This space belongs to ann, not to the public. Censors limit public space, not private space.
Censorship is accomplished by large institutions or governments, and must be pervasive to be effective. Editorial discretion is exercised by private publishers (bloggers) who have limited space or bandwidth (including limits to the attention span of the readers -- like me.)
Dude, you logic is so absent that I suspect you are just playing games.
The "censorship" and "editorial discretion" you describe are the same thing!
The only difference you elucidate is the size of the audience. But Althouse's readership is larger than that of, say, the newspapers of many small cities. She is the #1 law blogger, isn't she? And Law is a big community...
If Ann chooses to prevent America's Politico from posting here in the future, she is an editor, not a censor. You (Dead Julius) seem to think that you can commandeer her space.
Give Sacha an OSCAR already!
This beats out the time Barbra Streisand showed up in a black lace "see thru" gown.
Traditional guy @ 7:26 PM. I laughed out loud.
1. I ain't "elucidatin'" anything.
2. It is not the size of the audience, it is the level of control (pervasiveness). AP can go elsewhere, and do so easily.
You (Dead Julius) seem to think that you can commandeer her space.
Well, it's certainly not my intention to commandeer her space! But if that's what I'm perceived as doing, I can just go away. BYE-EEE!
You won't hear from me for a while, Althouse! Enjoy your fucking boring discussions in the meantime!
Dead Julius flounces off.
I apologize for diverting the thread. But I think it's important to clarify what is, and is not censorship.
Excuse me for inserting myself in a perfectly boring flame war, but one person's dreck may be another person's bemusing dreck. America Politico cracks me up. Not intentionally, I don't think. He (I'm assuming it's a he; no reason, just my gut) is fantastically impetuous with an unhealthy interest in politics.
In another thread he claims very matter-of-factly that he has given up political consultancy for online delivery of vegan cupcakes.
That's frickin hilarious. And I wish him well. If he's just a troll with a schtick, I still find it entertaining.
"Tell them you are wearing Kim Jong Il"
Now that is a funny line.
Anyone who spends the evening asking people "who are you wearing" on national TV deserves whatever SBC can dish out.
Why aren't the Oscars on line?
Joe Schmoe. I'm glad you find it entertaining. I think it's crap because there is no truth in it. It is like the ravings of a lunatic, sound and fury, signifying nothing. I kept responding to Dead Julius because his view of what constitutes censorship is harmful to civil society in that it does not allow for private space. That's important. If you think it's boring, I'm sorry.
@Lem....Perhaps the Oscars aren't on-line because, believe it or not, the net has higher standards then broadcast television??
Baron Cohen is odd. What does it mean that the man can never appear as himself but instead must at all times be in character? I used to think it was a cynical ploy to plug his latest project but now I'm not so sure. The late Andy Kauffman was the same way.
So, KenK, you are saying his a a Weird Al Yankovic sort of guy? Well, think of impressionist Rich Little. Guy does Ed Sullivan, the Tonight Show, etc. And his act goes over well, back in the day. Then some fool invites him to be the entertainment at the White House Press Club Dinner, late in the 2nd term of GW Bush - and he tries to do political humor and lightens up on the impressions (by this time his repertoire is almost all dead persons). He bombed worse than Wanda Sykes.
My thought on Cohen and the Academy was that they were trying to distance themselves from him and the character he plays in this latest film. I mean it's not that hard to imagine a truck bomb showing up on the red carpet, if you know what I'm sayin'. At some point they have to think about security.
I'm sure it's not relevant but put me down as one who usually enjoys American Politico's comments.
phx - "I'm sure it's not relevant but put me down as one who usually enjoys American Politico's comments."
Each to his own. I don't feel strongly about it, other than a weariness with dreck. It is not important.
I do feel strongly about the censorship question. But I am getting no support on that. It makes me sad.
I guess I came to the wrong thread. People who dislike dreck probably avoid Oscar discussions to begin with.
How many of the people who said they wouldn't watch the Oscars if they were paid, would have been disappointed if they couldn't see what happened live, if it was actually live and there was a chance of seeing something interesting?
It doesn't have to be Cohen (I don't tend to get his humor) but you know anything that was actually *interesting* will be available to see later.
And the list of winners is the list of winners.
Why watch?
What does it mean that the man can never appear as himself but instead must at all times be in character?
It means he is a clown.
I say that with great respect for clowns--at least the intentional kind.
"Man or Muppet" has won best song.
I think that puts Sasha Baron Cohen in proper perspective.
I liked the way, when announcing the list of nominated film editors, each nominee talked briefly about the editing of that film - ala dvd commentary.
Cirque de Soleil did a nice number.
Some man hater set up the presentation pairs. Both Robert Downey Jr and Ben Stiller were paired with women a foot taller than they.
I'm not really watching, I hurry to say, I'm just catching bits as Sister watches.
Angelina, mocked.
Every Best Picture nominee title would also work as a porn film:
The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Why in the world would you censure America Politico?
He's (she's?) a moron, hilarious, and he just never learns. At one time, I figured he was Althouse, or Meade trolling to drive traffic. I'm not so sure anymore.
One thing is for sure, everything he knows is wrong.
The ash bit was funnier when Python did it with Graham Chapman.
@ Wally K, et al
I'm surprise that the Oscar people would even have SBC there. That guy is a freak-out waiting to happen and on live TV to boot. Weird Al has his persona too but it ain't so edgy in that scary unscripted sort of way.
@ David
Pee Wee Herman, Weird Al, are all quite clownish as is SBC, but that SBC is one scary clown. Some day whatever demon he has bottled up inside him is gonna come pouring out.
Sacha Baron Cohen was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Hugo. He was the french cop chasing the kid.
Anyway, that's why "SBC" was there. And, because the "academy" withdrew his tickets, he went public, in character as The Dictator, on TV. He got millions of dollars worth of free publicity.
You know any other film that's opening this summer?
At least "SBC" didn't rip Angela Jolie's dress.
Also, I don't know if there were better Oscars done, but here, hosting this one, Billy Chrystal's plastic surgeon won't be claiming credit for his knife skills.
Okay I looked at the video that Orange Julius linked. I mean Dead Julius, but I rather don't like the word dead, and saw in the background that the guy did NOT drop down dressed in long red underwear and brogans, all suspended in a harness with wires, and tip ashes onto Brian Seacrest as I was imagining.
But that reminds me. True story:
There was a guy who lived on the street here in Denver who showed up every summer. He took a place on a blanket on the 16th St. Mall and offered a cup with pencils. A musician. Saxophone, I think. Amputee, I think. Then one year he died.
Did I tell you this already? Stop me if you heard this.
He wanted his ashes strewn from the Daniels & Fisher Tower, which was across the street diagonally from my office at the FRB. I looked out the window on street level at 16th and Arapahoe and saw limousines lining up. Most people on the mall are already dressed nicely but now people are overdressed nicely. There was a celebration going on over there and it was a bfd, occurring in the mid afternoon right as traffic is beginning to build.
And at the precise time that an FRB employee was returning from an errand to pick up a cake from a bakery in the same area.
He stopped to look while carrying the cake back to work for a celebration planned for when the work day ended and he wondered as he gazed at the activity what all that flakey stuff floating down from the window and getting in his hair and on his shoulders and on the cake.
So the ashes got all over all the people, even the non-funeral people all over the intersection at Arapaho and 16th downtown. That stuff flies around, you know.
The cake was ruined. I'm fairly certain it was in a box but still ruined.
@Carol Herman,
What did the academy withdraw his tickets for? As a nominee it should be for a really good reason.
Billy Crystal has started looking like Kim Jong Il.
SBC was NOT nominated this year. He was previously nominated for adapted screenplay for Borat. And won a golden globe for best actor in a comedy.
What's up with the invisible girl, Holly Hafermann, aka Skyler Grey? Wiki says she was born and raised in Madison before she moved away to write chart busting pop hooks like 'Love The Way You Lie' for Rihanna's duet with Eminem. Does anybody in Madison still remember her?
The Big Lebowski also had a great ash scene--the dude abides
"Each to his own. I don't feel strongly about it, other than a weariness with dreck. It is not important."
And yet you feel strongly enough about it and consider it important enough to call for Prof. Althouse to block AP from posting comments to this blog...all because you find his comments to be dreck.
You are drearily typical of self-appointed arbiters of all things acceptable. You object to his commentary, so, rather than simply skip over AP's comments, or consider that others may find his comments humorous and worth reading, you implore the owner of the blog to block AP's commenting privileges.
After all, why should it matter that others may enjoy AP or, even if indifferent to him, prefer that he be permitted to post his comments, as long as you won't have to be inconvenienced skimming past his remarks?
@ChipAhoy -
Someone left the cake out in the cremains?
I would like to thank the Chip and Kate for making it worth slogging through the dreck this morning.
It Will Rain from Breaking Dawn should surely have been nominated for Best Song in an Original Score, lead vocal Bruno Mars accompanied by Skylar Grey.
Julius,
If a blog excluding someone is censorship, when may I come over your house to use your computer, printer and ink to publish my opinions?
And, Mark, the "large institution" line doesn't work either. The New York Times is pretty large, but they are not censoring when they select which letters to publish, etc.
The only institution that can censor is the government. Everything else is people using their own property as they wish, and that is in fact an exercise of 1A, never a violation.
That said, I agree that America's Politico is a silly diversion and would like to see his/her posts continue. But, it's up to the Professor.
As for the Oscars, "The Artist" is a truly wonderful film with a sparkling sense of life. I am glad (and surprised) that the nihilists in Hollywood have praised it so. I suspect they were fooled by its nostalgia, even though its theme was the essential benevolence of humanity and of the universe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHi4_XJR44&feature=player_detailpage
I wish Adm. Gen. Shabazz Aladeen had been carrying Kim Jong-il's yogang instead.
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