[Robert Drobot]

My view of the debasement of the Oscar Awards can be summed up with the an observation from Mark Twain:

Sacred cows make the best hamburger.

[bobjam]

Hollywood writers are so out of touch with mainstream America that they are incapable of creating new story lines that have broad appeal. In order to pay the bills, they must cinematize classic stories (JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings), rehash old heros (Master and Commander is really a Horatio Hornblower remake), or remake past hits (Rat Race).

[snarks_when_bored]

Happy Days had lost credibility.

Please...I'm drinking orange juice!

[My Favorite Headache]

My protest to the oscars is simple...buying another copy of the passion on dvd to give as a gift the day of the oscars and not watching the f-cking show for one minute.

[steve8714]

"Vera Drake"...the feel-good abortion movie of the year!

[Clemenza]

The Oscars jumped the shark when Sacajawea Little Feather accepted Brando's academy award. Although she was later proven NOT to be an American Indian, she went into a diatribe about Hollywood's treatment of the American Indian. Supposedly John "I play the same guy in every movie" Wayne tried to rush the stage. If that is true, than I have no respect for the Duke, as it doesn't take much of a man to attack a woman.

At least the Aviator was nominated. Better than last year when that TOTALLY GAY Lord of the Rings crap won. ;-)

[ConservativeBamaFan]

Another great "jump the shark" moment was when Ponch from CHiPs dodged a laser beam that was shot at him from the back of a moving van.

I'm just glad Michael Moron's CROCKumentary was ignored. Although, being ignored sure has gotten him a lot of MSM publicity . . . ( sigh)

[SlowBoat407]

IMHO, the Oscars jumped the shark when the very people who voted Halle Berry best actress celebrated their own vote as some kind of victory for black actresses. They're experts at blowing their own horns.

[Liberty Valance]

I do want to see "Ray"...it comes out on DVD in a week or two. Other than that we're not really interested. Wake me up when they make better movies than Lonesome Dove and better records than Marty Robbins Gunfighter Ballads or when The Beatles start touring again.

[lilylangtree]

I won't be seeing any of the nominees. I'm still bored from the last two batches.

[Sam Cree]

Have any Martin Cuz Smith novels been made into movies?

[DoughtyOne]

On the Laura Ingraham show yesterday Monday morning, Michael Medved was talking about the demise of Johnny Carson. He mentioned that Carson's following was so strong that the wedding of Tiny Tim drew more watchers than this year's Academy Awards ceremony will.

Wow, that sure put the Academy in the proper perspective for me.

[Orca]

Oscars = ego display = emetic = projectile vomiting. So, I don't watch in order to protect my TV, floor, and toilet.

[Mamzelle]

While I never really wanted the Passion to be on the Oscar "Red Carpet"-- this might be a good year to boycott the Oscars just to let Gomorrah know we noticed. Nobody turn the TV on, period, for the time that the Oscars are on? Wonder how that'd work.

[RobRoy]

In my mind they jumped the shark when Annie Hall beat Star Wars as best picture.

But that's just me.

[Logic n' Reason]

I do not watch these awards. . . for various reasons that don't need to be stated here.

However, in my own personal humble opinion, I think the only airwaves that should carry them at all is Bulgarian TV. (my apologies to all the Bulgarians on FR.)

[Hildy]

I disagree with the author that this year's movies were less than memorable. That's just wrong.

[HitmanLV]

The Academy Awards jumped the shark years and years ago - the last one I saw was in the early 1980s and it was pretty bad even back then. It's just a dull trade show that they have suckered the American public into thinking is meaningful.

The only better marketing coup I can think of, off the top of my head, is how Madison Avenue has hypnotized many millions of Americans into being excited about commercials during the Super Bowl. "Oh, those commercials!" I never did understand that, nor have I been very impressed with Super Bowl commercials, either.

I prefer my World Series, what can I say? ;-)

[Twinkie]

. . . . . and meantime, down at the First Union Bank of Hollywood . . someone is laughing as they make another deposit . . . who is it? . . . . . Mel somebody or the other . . . hee hee . .

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I was stuck watching "Catwoman" on the flight home from Mexico yesterday. *Rolleyes* I can't believe that movie wasn't nominated for something! First of all, Hale Berry is just so gorgeous to look at, and secondly, someone should've kicked Sharon Stone's @ss decades ago, LOL!

Seriously, I like seeing which movies win something, then I go read a few reviews and Netflix them, or borrow them from the library. I like an entertaining flick, but to me, it's just entertainment. Books are much more fun, IMHO. I can direct, produce, costume, compose the soundtrack and edit them all inside my own head, you know? :)

[TChris]

I think the article incorrectly defines the phrase, "jump the shark." AFAIK, the phrase isn't just a generic way to indicate that a show has peaked, but an indication that the show has already begun its downward slide and the producers/writers are trying increasingly desperate and pathetic measures to rejuvinate it.

The Happy Days scene was done after the show had peaked, and was trying to hold out a little longer, IIRC.