Posted on 01/12/2006 12:43:04 PM PST by SirLinksalot
Why I'm skipping the Oscars this year
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© 2006 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Every year since I was old enough to stay up late, I've watched the Academy Awards. This year, however, I have absolutely zero desire to watch the Oscars. In recent years, lack of quality from Hollywood has turned the Academy Awards into a special-interest-group get-together. If you're crazy, gay, have a disability or are a member of a minority race, you'll likely be nominated for an Oscar. If your film tackles a "deep social issue" (normally an issue dear to the hearts of Hollywood's liberal glitterati), you'll have an excellent shot at grabbing a gold statuette.
The combination of declining product quality and rising Hollywood disdain for mainstream America has opened the door to the agenda-film crowd. It began with the 1994 Oscars. "Schindler's List," "The Fugitive" and "In the Name of the Father" all received Best Picture nominations; other excellent films of 1993 included "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" "Searching for Bobby Fischer," "Shadowlands," "Fearless" and "In the Line of Fire."
Still, Hollywood had to take a shot at mainstream America, and they found their vehicle in "Philadelphia," throwing their honorary liberal activism award to Tom Hanks for his weak performance as a dying AIDS-stricken gay lawyer in "Philadelphia." Unbelievably, Hanks' cheesy hospital-bed routine beat out Liam Neeson in "Schindler's List" and Daniel Day Lewis in "In the Name of the Father." "Philadelphia" is, clinically speaking, a maudlin, ham-handed attempt at social commentary.
The remaining 1990s were filled with weak movies and weak performances. On average, high-school audio-visual clubs make better movies than Hollywood put together in the late 1990s.
Then, our illustrious decade: With great films scarce and politically mainstream Academy voters even scarcer, 2000 featured the victory of repulsive anti-suburbia and pro-homosexuality hit piece "American Beauty." Of course, it beat out a film lionizing an abortionist ("The Cider House Rules") and another attacking the tobacco industry ("The Insider"). Most disturbingly, the Academy handed Hilary Swank a Best Actress Oscar for playing a transgendered biological girl murdered by a bunch of hicks. And 2002 was the year of the African-American honorary Oscars, when Denzel Washington took home Best Actor for his decent if overrated performance in "Training Day" and Halle Berry took home Best Actress for her highly touted simulated orgasms in "Monster's Ball." In 2003, homosexual agenda films like "The Hours," "Frida" and "Far From Heaven" grabbed the largest share of nominations. In 2004, Hollywood couldn't hold off "Lord of the Rings" any longer, but Charlize Theron, playing an ugly lesbian serial killer in "Monster," won Best Actress. And last year, the Best Picture was forgettable pro-euthanasia film "Million Dollar Baby."
And then there's this year. "Brokeback Mountain," the stomach-churning story of two 1963 cowboys who get cozy while bunking down in Wyoming and then carry on their affair over the course of decades, is likely to grab Best Picture honors. The critics love it, mostly because critics love anything that pushes homosexuality as normal behavior. The New York Times raves about it, mostly because the Times has always wanted to carry a ridiculous story proclaiming that "there has always lurked a suspicion that the fastidious Eastern dude of Owen Wister's 'The Virginian' harbored stronger than proper feelings for his rough Western compadres, and that the Red River crowd may have gotten up to more than yarning by the campfire whenever Joanne Dru was not around." Maybe that's what Pinch Sulzberger thinks about when he watches John Wayne on screen, but the Times should be more careful when speaking for the rest of us. By the way, don't believe the "hit movie" hype – this supposed blockbuster has netted a grand total of $8 million. "Hostel," last week's No. 1 movie, a cheap horror film, has already netted almost $15 million.
Best Actor honors are likely to go to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his performance in "Capote" – this would mark the first time that an actor in a gay role has actually deserved his Oscar. Best Actress will probably fall to Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line," but supporters of Felicity Huffman's transgendered father-mother in "TransAmerica" could push her over the top.
Aside from pimping for GLAAD, the Oscars will provide a platform for other leftist talking points. "Good Night, and Good Luck," George Clooney's blatant attempt to bash the Bush administration through the mouth of Edward R. Murrow, and "Munich," Steven Spielberg's attempt to equate Arab terrorism with Israeli self-defense, will likely garner nominations. And to top it off, Comedy Central partisan hack Jon Stewart (who is less and less funny each day) hosts this self-congratulatory leftist feting.
I won't be watching. Neither will most Americans.
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Benjamin Shapiro is a recent graduate of UCLA and is currently enrolled at Harvard Law School. In "Porn Generation," he explains how mainstream acceptance of pornography is destroying his generation ... and our nation. Ben also shows how students are duped into becoming socialists, atheists, race-baiters and narcissists in "Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth."
This dude's a little late to the game, ain't he?
I think most conservatives gave up on the Oscars years ago. Who watches these things anymore?
Wow, I have not seen any of the movies listed as winners.
Have never watched more than a few minutes of any award show. Just too boring. I must really be out of the mainstream!!
Watching the Oscars requires sitting like a bag of lard in front of the TV.
I figure I have some options.
If I turn the TV off, I can:
Work on my motorcycles
Drink a cold beer
Work on my motorcycles while drinking a cold beer
Work on anything while drinking a cold beer
Ride one of my motorcycles
Clean the house
Clean the house while drinking a cold beer
Jog
Play with the kids
Go out to eat
Go walk around the Mall
Play with my dog, take him jogging
Get out my telescope and do some stargazing
Try and fix a new recipe with my girl in the kitchen, away from the TV
Etc
Etc
Now let's examine my options if I turn the TV on:
Sit in the recliner like a bag of lard.
No, that's the Best Actor nominee from 'Brokeback'.
"I belong to an organization that hands out trophies to mountain bikers, and God only knows we're not important either."
Thats the difference. Its not the center of your life.
What a grouch!
I don't see much enjoyment in sitting waiting to be offended, shocked, disgusted. Apparently they do not wish to entice Bush supporters, those that honor middle America values, or those that support the war and America.
Therefore, let them enjoy the anti-America, pro-depravity, anti-war, democrat dictator lover crowds they seek to woo.
I won't waste my time to get offended.
Those are important words.
Regardless, the OSCARS have always been more than I could stomach.
"It's only in the last hundred years or so that we have elevated these people to some vaunted status. "
BARF warning!
Liza Minelli said, "We don't have royalty in this country, so everyone in this country looks at Hollywood as our royalty".
In Shakespeare's time the actors were considered the lowest of the low in society. How appropriate.
What about "The Man who hung Liberty's Valances" about the first interior decorator in the west?
The People's Choice awards were entertaining for the hour that we watched. The presenters were all tongue in cheek and some good shows actually won.
I will miss it again this year.
Say what you want, but her performance in that movie was just amazing and absolutely deserving of the acclaim it garnered.
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