Althouse: I watched 1 minute of the Oscars and turned it off right after I heard myself say...

February 22, 2015

I watched 1 minute of the Oscars and turned it off right after I heard myself say...

"They all look so unhappy to be there."

81 comments:

Pat said...: I turned it off when the State Farm guy won the first award.; 2/22/15, 7:45 PM
MadisonMan said...: They're all obliged to be there per their Contracts.

If I were a famous movie star, and nominated, I'd get sick and win from my hospital bed. It's been done before.; 2/22/15, 7:49 PM
madAsHell said...: I hate the question "Who are you wearing?".

I was pleased to learn they killed the "mani-cam" which documented fancy fingernails. Some feminist group complained. I can't believe that we finally found a common ground.; 2/22/15, 7:52 PM
dreams said...: I couldn't take it either, I did see the Farmers guy win, he is the Farmers guy.; 2/22/15, 7:53 PM
Fritz said...: Why would anyone watch the Oscars when there's a rerun of Axe Men to watch?; 2/22/15, 7:55 PM
Big Mike said...: There are some sacrifices that are too much to ask. Forcing yourself to watch the Oscars is way over that line, Professor!; 2/22/15, 7:59 PM
Popville said...: Ah, the Farmers guy. He also played the police psych on Law & Order(s).; 2/22/15, 8:13 PM
Phil 314 said...: Well I'm watching it. So there you are.; 2/22/15, 8:15 PM
Gusty Winds said...: I like movies. Hate the Oscars. I'd rather watch self felatio on yoga porn.

For example. I think Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor, and like him when he is in character. Outside of that he's hypocritical douchebag. The UN speech made me want to puke.; 2/22/15, 8:16 PM
Wince said...: I have Sacheen Littlefeather DVR-ing it for me to protest the treatment of American Indians.

Yow, now and then.

Speaking of "Where to keep your pubic hair".

Definitely NSFW.; 2/22/15, 8:17 PM
Firehand said...: Sums it up nicely:
http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2015/02/21; 2/22/15, 8:21 PM
jr565 said...: They made a joke about how the bags all the actors get have 100k worth of stuff.
These same folks will then turn around and talk about economic inequality. Maybe, spend a little less on party favors.; 2/22/15, 8:22 PM
Birches said...: Blue State Superbowl.

I don't think I've watched an Oscars since The Return of the King. Now it's just so much easier to keep track of what is interesting to me (fashion and winners) on twitter than suffer through a bloated telecast.; 2/22/15, 8:37 PM
acm said...: I enjoyed the Everything Is Awesome number in spite of myself; 2/22/15, 8:37 PM
acm said...: And the bit where Neil Patrick Harris interviewed Steve Carrell as if he were a paid seat-filler was amusing if you like awkward humor. Overall, Harris is doing much better than Seth McStewie, but that's not saying much.; 2/22/15, 8:40 PM
Kelly said...: It was so painful to watch I turned it off after they screwed up the first best picture clip. They were suppose to run American Sniper, instead they ran something else, Budapest hotel I think it was.; 2/22/15, 8:43 PM
MathMom said...: I'm looking in on it now and then. Just heard Patrician Arquette (sp?) going on about income equality and equal rights for women in the United States of America?

Scheiss. These people are just too fecking stupid to live. Go to fecking Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Yemen, live there for a reasonable period of time without the insulation provided to a fabulously well-paid and coddled actress, then come back here, kiss the ground, and shut the feck up.; 2/22/15, 9:15 PM
Danno said...: Ann, We agree. I wouldn't think of turning on the tv tonight.; 2/22/15, 9:19 PM
traditionalguy said...: Clint Eastwood came down from Carmel. He seems to be enjoying himself.

Most of the Stars are very intrigued by themselves.; 2/22/15, 9:25 PM
PeterK said...: i turned it off after listening to Doogie Howser "sing" the opening; 2/22/15, 9:31 PM
Alex said...: An excellent vegan pasta recipe helps cut the carbs and will make your taste buds explode; 2/22/15, 9:33 PM
kcom said...: I'm watching a personal "Burn Notice" marathon. And cooking. And doing a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Plenty of ways to keep busy on a standard Sunday night.; 2/22/15, 9:37 PM
Alex said...: So why should wages be equal when men do harder and more dangerous jobs? Just because?; 2/22/15, 9:38 PM
Alex said...: So only white & black exist in America? Tell that to the 2nd largest group of Americans called Latinos. Where are their Oscar nominations?; 2/22/15, 9:40 PM
Simon said...: The oscars are on? Who knew? Who cared?; 2/22/15, 9:42 PM
jr565 said...: I tried explaining to my mom htst that statistic is a bogus one, but she's convinced about the pay disparity.
Today Sally Khon made a point about how only 15% of those nominated for non acting rolls were female. And my answer was - AND? how is that a meaningless statistic?
And why wold you expect parity to match the population.
First off, how many women are in those fields compared to men. Is it because of sexism or do women just not gravitate to those fields?even assuming there were 50/50 parity between men and women in those fields, who gets nominated is based on what movies get nominated, not on some quota system.
yet we keep hearing these bogus stats and facts about so called inequities that supposedly show what a terrible place we are. Give it a rest already?; 2/22/15, 9:46 PM
FWBuff said...: You're not missing anything. Patricia Arquette (the millionaire) used part of her speech to complain about the lack of equal pay for women. Multimillionaires Jennifer Lopez and Meryl Streep applauded her.; 2/22/15, 9:56 PM
traditionalguy said...: Meryl Streep did a nice memory piece of the year's Hollywood deaths.

Streep was also a best supporting actress nominee. The moderator announced that category as composed of 4 actresses, and in compliance with California State law, Meryl Streep.; 2/22/15, 10:03 PM
Paul said...: Where was ISIS when you need them?

That might have made the party lively.; 2/22/15, 10:13 PM
Phil 314 said...: Lady Gaga does Julie Andrews with tattoos; 2/22/15, 10:18 PM
richard mcenroe said...: When you live in LA your unedited experience of celebrities is watching them puke outside nightbclubs and pitch fits in Starbucks.

Then one night a year they try to convince you they are Jimmy Stewart and Olivia De Haviland. They ain't that good actors.; 2/22/15, 10:22 PM
FWBuff said...: Okay. The Lady Gaga tribute to Julie Andrews was pretty amazing. Now waiting for Julie Andrews to reciprocate by singing "Born This Way".; 2/22/15, 10:33 PM
sane_voter said...: Unfortunately my wife is watching. Had the obligatory 'hands up dont shoot' added to the song from "Selma". Then when the Selma song won the award, more comments including about how more blacks are in the US criminal justice system than were trapped in US slavery.

The brazenness to spout that knowing about black criminality and the culpability of Michael Brown is stunning. But no one will call them out on this and say the Emperor has no clothes.

And all the lefties in the audience clap like trained seals.; 2/22/15, 10:44 PM
Sam's Hideout said...: Just because a problem is worse elsewhere doesn't mean it isn't a problem here as well. What annoys me is when a person also states or implies that the US is one of the worst offenders.; 2/22/15, 11:01 PM
Phil 314 said...: So many people with Alzheimer's feel they have been marginalized,

even when they haven't; 2/22/15, 11:03 PM
Phil 314 said...: Sean Penn, seriously.; 2/22/15, 11:04 PM
Phil 314 said...: Well hit all the key, necessary constituents.; 2/22/15, 11:10 PM
FWBuff said...: Althouse, you'll be sad to know they left Shirley Temple out of the "In Memoriam" segment. A truly shocking and disrespectful omission.; 2/22/15, 11:14 PM
chillblaine said...: I'm still not over Star Wars losing to Annie Hall.; 2/22/15, 11:14 PM
David said...: Was Bob Hope any good? He's getting a little old for the job, isn't he?; 2/22/15, 11:26 PM
eddie willers said...: I watched 1 minute of the Oscars and turned it off right after I heard myself say...

"They all look so unhappy to be there."

Saw your post and could only think of All About Eve. (a much better film than any presented tonight) and the scene with the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe as Miss Casswell and George Sanders as Addison DeWitt.

De Witt: Do you see that man? That's Max Fabian, the producer. Now go and do yourself some good.

Miss Casswell: Why do they always look like unhappy rabbits?

De Witt: Because that's what they are. Now go and make him happy.; 2/22/15, 11:28 PM
Seeing Red said...: Lady GaGa killed it. Between working with Tony B and this, she's got the mantle for the next generation and a long career. If she can act, look out Broadway. She just needs some fine tuning.; 2/22/15, 11:38 PM
Seeing Red said...: I saw that on the Oscar site and thought it was a mistake. How insulting.; 2/22/15, 11:39 PM
jr565 said...: "Unfortunately my wife is watching. Had the obligatory 'hands up dont shoot' added to the song from "Selma". Then when the Selma song won the award, more comments including about how more blacks are in the US criminal justice system than were trapped in US slavery.
"
No one wants to call Islamic extremism islamic extremism and no one, certsinly not black folks, want to acknowledge that glorifying the the thug life leads to thugs going to jail.
And Hollywood and media have been one of the big pushers of this stereotype. thugs are in jail because that's where thugs belong. If too many blacks are there, well there's a breakdown in the black culture, and a lot of people are not living up to their responsibilities.; 2/23/15, 12:09 AM
rcommal said...: FWBuff:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/11/shirley-temple-black; 2/23/15, 12:25 AM
FWBuff said...: Here is my Emily Litella moment: Shirley Temple died last February right before the 2014 Oscar telecast and was included in last year's In Memoriam segment. So, never mind.; 2/23/15, 12:39 AM
Anonymous said...: Didn't watch it, but @jr565 women gained ground in the '90s in behind-the-camera work, but have stalled since. Trivia: in the early days, when it was a low status shit job, all editors were women.

women in post-production; 2/23/15, 12:56 AM
rcommal said...: I thought this was one of the better and, yes (contra many reax), classier Oscars I've seen in many years, and for a number of reasons.

All of that aside, for the moment, if I were going to bring to the attention of Althouse a thing of note, this is what it would be: Robin Williams, while referenced, was not deified, not even in the "in memory" segment, and he did not get a segment of his own (nor was there an outbreak of clapping at his image in the "in memory" segment).

Could it be that any culture can, in fact, change? I saw no suicide celebration, for example... .; 2/23/15, 1:11 AM
furious_a said...: They did exclude Joan Rivers (20+ films) from "In Memoriam". Joan would have had good, catty fun riffing on that.

Michael Moore would have exploded like the glutton in "The Meaning of Life" if "American Sniper" had won Best Picture.; 2/23/15, 1:19 AM
furious_a said...: Speaking of Ferguson, I kept waiting for Common and John Legend to hit themselves in the head with hammers in memory of Zemir Begic.; 2/23/15, 1:26 AM
rcommal said...: I'm thinking that perhaps people didn't know what to say, or do, in a year in which, for example, there was a Best Picture nominee for a movie about a character with Alzheimer's co-directed by a pair of directors, one of whom has ALS, and also in which, for another example, there was a Best Picture nominee about Stephen Hawking, famously a long-term ALS survivor (in terms of death, anyway--not to mention questions about that diagnosis). As well there were a couple of different documentary entries about hotlines: read, suicide intervention.

---

I could say more, and not only that, give more examples.

---

It's not hard to imagine various reason why this year's Oscars ceremony was, in a number of respects, more low-key in presentation (and therefore, btw, more classy). Ought this be seen as a bad thing?; 2/23/15, 1:38 AM
rcommal said...: Almost forgot to say the following!

No one booed Clint Eastwood. Shocking, or not shocking?; 2/23/15, 1:39 AM
rcommal said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/23/15, 1:58 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: Whatever you do, do not question the stars' Christianity.

Repeated from the end of an earlier post:

There are already so many different Christian sects and groups, but it is evidently time to recognize a new one: the Democratic Church of the Rhetorical Christ.

This church welcomes all that know that Jesus would want them to be doing exactly what they are doing.

They understand that Jesus is OK with abortion, or any other cause they hold dear, because Jesus would want them to be doing exactly what they are doing.

They understand that Jesus is casual with his Biblical teachings, because Jesus would want them to be doing exactly what they are doing.

They do not need to understand about the Pharisees, for example, because Jesus would want them to be doing exactly what they are doing.

They do not need to worry about hypocrisy, because Jesus would want them to be doing exactly what they are doing.

They can be atheist without contradiction. They understand that Jesus is figurative -- but, if he WAS 'real', Jesus would want them to be doing exactly what they are doing.

Tithing is OK with someone else's money. This is because Jesus would want them to be believe exactly what they believe.

Open arms.

I am Laslo.; 2/23/15, 2:49 AM
rcommal said...: [this comment was deleted and re-posted only to correct two typos]

I'm also thinking that, perhaps, people don't know what to make of Robin Williams' diagnosis (which evolved, and might, probably will, evolve still, at least in retrospect), because they don't know what to make of it--as, truth be told, even the scientists don't, not really, yet.

It was reported pretty quickly post Williams' August 2014 suicide as Parkinson's, then a bit later as Parkinson's with an added dimension.

This stuff is complicated, people.

Most recently, it seems (*seems*!) that Williams' illness condition was primarily Lewy Body Dementia, though his autopsy appears to have shown at least markers for both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's as well.

----

Anyway, the point is...

...what the point is.

What do you think it is?; 2/23/15, 2:50 AM
rcommal said...: Oh, Good Lord, Laslo Spatula. Herein, I'm gonna ladle stuff on your plate like an old church lady at lunchtime in those bad public schools way back when either 1) you were very young or 2) you were yet to be born by, what, at least a decade, or two. ; )

These two are for you, sir spat:

one

two; 2/23/15, 3:03 AM
rcommal said...: Man, this puts me in mind of stuff back in not "the" day, but in my own crossover day, including the following joke:

The Byrds left out a couple of words because they were too addled by drugs. The Doobie Brothers left out a couple of words because they were too addled by rhythm.

I leave it to others to sort out that.

Laslo Spatula? Anyone?; 2/23/15, 3:19 AM
Robert Cook said...: "So why should wages be equal when men do harder and more dangerous jobs?"

1. How do you know men "do harder and more dangerous jobs?" Assuming this is true, and assuming by "harder" you mean "more physically arduous," then, by that metric, coal miners, farmers, migrant farm workers, slaughterhouse workers, etc., should make more money than corporate CEOs. (Not a bad idea, actually.)

2. That's not even the point. The call is for women to receive equal wages as men doing the same jobs.; 2/23/15, 6:43 AM
Bob Ellison said...: This thread makes me wonder how different the blog's comment threads would look if they went in LIFO (last in, first out-- that is, most recent comment on top) order, rather than FIFO, as they do now.

Some other blogs and commentary sites operate on LIFO. Those threads seem to go batty/Godwinian more quickly than the ones here. I think LIFO is superior overall.

But there's some competition to be "First!" on this blog, and there tends to be a die-off once about two to four people start arguing past each other incessantly.

What if the Professor were to post a brief topic that is obviously click-bait, and suddenly turn the comment order around? I don't know whether Blogger supports that, but I'd guess that (1) the "First!" competition would die immediately, (2) the blathering die-off would happen much more quickly, but (3) the thread might live longer, just because commenters would get the little thrill of seeing their stuff go right to the top, right away.

Then again, there is variability among browsers. Firefox starts at the top when you click on the comment thread, whereas Silk (Kindle Fire) jumps to the bottom. Strange differences in behavior.; 2/23/15, 7:01 AM
Bob Ellison said...: Uh, I meant to say that I think FIFO (the way this blog treats comments) is largely superior.; 2/23/15, 7:02 AM
Bob Ellison said...: The overall conjecture I'm trying to extract is this: after a very brief ("First!") radicalization period, commentaries tend to have their best arguments near the top or in the middle of a thread. Then they devolve. Much like most argument on things like abortion and SSM.; 2/23/15, 7:04 AM
Renee said...: I wish I said this, but read it off Facebook.

"I noticed that very few thanked the people...a little thank you to the people paying $75 for a family of four to see a movie and eat a little popcorn while inflation eats away at the middle class paycheck would be nice."

We never go to the movies, because it would cost us this much. We wait for RedBox for a dollar.; 2/23/15, 7:34 AM
machine said...: must...be...bitter...about...everything.; 2/23/15, 7:38 AM
prairie wind said...: The Oscars have become a celebration of the disease-of-the-week movies.

Next year, the awards will go to a movie about Parkinsons unless there is a movie about sex trafficking. Actors playing hookers and actors playing characters ravaged by disease...both are shoo-ins for awards. Hard to tell which would come out on top.

The diseases need attention but I have no idea if these movies do anything other than increase the number of organizations using money (a la Susan Komen) raised to find a cure.; 2/23/15, 7:57 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @Bob Ellison I use moderation to deal with the problem of lack of substance in the early comments and a couple of commenters doing back-and-forth. I rarely have to do it. The regulars know I don't accept it (and some people who used to be regulars left because I stopped tolerating it). And you never see anyone just posting "First!" around here.; 2/23/15, 8:03 AM
Ann Althouse said...: There's no way they'd have forgotten Shirley Temple.; 2/23/15, 8:08 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Joan Rivers didn't meet the standard for recognition. Her career was not based in movies. She was not an actress.; 2/23/15, 8:10 AM
MathMom said...: Joan Rivers Films, from Wiki. 1965 - 2014.

They are punishing her for her comments about Michelle Obama. I disagree with her comments about Mrs. Obama. She has an unfortunate body type, possibly glandular issues. But she was a little girl and now she's a woman.; 2/23/15, 8:20 AM
prairie wind said...: Were Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert included in the memoriam piece when they died? I don't know the answer to that question.; 2/23/15, 8:27 AM
furious_a said...: The call is for women to receive equal wages as men doing the same jobs.

If H'wood gets away with paying women less, then why would they hire any men at all?; 2/23/15, 8:46 AM
Seeing Red said...: They left siskall out, whoopi made sure to mention him. I think they put roger in.; 2/23/15, 9:10 AM
furious_a said...: Given all the ladycomplaints last night, Joan Rivers should have been their postergirl -- groundbreaking for women in a man's world (headlining The Sands with Tony Bennett, headlining Carnegie Hall, guest-hosting for Johnny Carson, first woman to host her own late-night talk show). All in addition to her film credits.; 2/23/15, 9:58 AM
Will said...: You watched one minute more than me!! #Winning; 2/23/15, 10:02 AM
Birches said...: That was priceless, Laslo; 2/23/15, 11:26 AM
Bob Ellison said...: @Ann Althouse, thanks for the responses. Yes, most of us regular readers know your policies, and I've never seen a simple "First!" post. There's a tendency that way, though-- you might post something about Nickelback, and within the top three posts, you'll be bound to get something like "Oh, gag me, please don't say that word".; 2/23/15, 12:04 PM
Trashhauler said...: I've already forgotten the name of the Best Picture. A few years ago, when Saving Private Ryan could have won but didn't, I predicted that in ten years no one would be able to name the Best Picture of that year without googling it.

Same thing applies for this year.; 2/23/15, 12:18 PM
jr565 said...: Robert Cook wrote:
1. How do you know men "do harder and more dangerous jobs?" Assuming this is true, and assuming by "harder" you mean "more physically arduous," then, by that metric, coal miners, farmers, migrant farm workers, slaughterhouse workers, etc., should make more money than corporate CEOs. (Not a bad idea, actually.)

2. That's not even the point. The call is for women to receive equal wages as men doing the same jobs.

but that's not how they determine that stat. They average all the jobs together and say that on average women make less than men. Not taking into account different types of jobs, different hours, different circumstances.; 2/23/15, 12:22 PM
jr565 said...: Trashhauler wrote:
I've already forgotten the name of the Best Picture. A few years ago, when Saving Private Ryan could have won but didn't, I predicted that in ten years no one would be able to name the Best Picture of that year without googling it.

Shakespeare in Love?; 2/23/15, 12:31 PM
Trashhauler said...: "Shakespeare in Love?"

LOL. Presumably not googled!; 2/23/15, 12:53 PM
jr565 said...: I remembered it, but only because I actually enjoyed it as a movie. (though in truth I also enjoyed saving PRivate Ryan) And I remembered all my friends saying "Shakespeare in love? Feh!"

Usually that kind of stuff goes in one ear and out the other.It was only because of the controversy that I remembered.; 2/23/15, 1:39 PM
avwh said...: Birdman won for the same reason Shakespeare in Love won: the Academy LOVES "inside" stories about acting. The stage instead of film is OK, it's still self-reverential.; 2/23/15, 4:43 PM