THE OSCARS!!! Live Thread.... Hosted by The GUILD.

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[rbmillerjr]

Playa' hatin' nite on Free Republic for some of you. What nite was it when all winners were white eh?

Explain what playa hatin means?

[Mo1]

Well I am off to bed ... But I just wanted to thank you for the thread and an Enjoyable Oscar Night ..

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Imagine if she had had the class to accept her award as if race didn't matter.

The way Denzel Washington did. Didn't see any movies without hobbits in them, but his acceptance speech had class!

[Rose in RoseBear]

The sight of more than 3 thugs makes me cautious, and as long as the preponderance of blacks chose to at least dress and move lke 'gangsters' I will stay prepared.

I don't know where you live, or how many black people you encounter every day, but the "preponderance of blacks" don't "dress and move like 'gangsters'" anymore than you do.

I would advise you to expand your sphere of knowledge, and really look at the black folk around you ... but you won't. You are probably most comfortable with all your prejudices laid out just so; in that way, you can reach out and caress them blindly whenever you feel threatened, or challenged.

Enjoy.

[SarahW]

Oh, cut her some slack, SAlly Field lost it too.

I would have preferred she show some Portier-like dignity, but she's not really a very dignified person.

[marajade]

At least Redford spoke about freedom...

[LWalk18]

But every question she has been asked by the press before and now after has been about her being the first black Best Actress.

I have heard both regarding the GGs and the Oscars about the number of Aussies being nominated. Several of those nominees mentioned their fellow countrymen. How come see that as "racist" or "bigoted"?

[SarahW]

I could stomach Robbie - was actually even a little touched. Babs was definately retch-worthy.

[x]

You go too far in accusing her of racism. The New Zealanders and Australians make much of being from where they're from. If an American actor or actress of Irish, or Jewish or Italian ancestry wins they might make an acknowledgement of other actors or actresses of that background who inspired them. Less now than they might have in previous years perhaps, but it's only a part of life.

Halle Berry did go on for too long, both about race and in general, but an acknowledgement of thanks to those who came before isn't out of place, whether among Blacks or Hispanics or WASPs or Coppolas or Australians or Americans. Ultimately our identity comes from being individuals, but a sense of heritage or background is still a part of who we are. There's more dignity in leaving the question of ethnicity aside and letting others say what they will about it, but talking about it is perfectly understandable.

If Halle were going to go on for so long she probably should have added to her remarks a gesture to the larger community, but "racism" is not an accurate reflection of what happened. In the case of Halle and Denzel, what they said -- and he showed great dignity in keeping race out of his remarks -- is more a milestone on the way to assimilation than a sign of increasing or enduring separatism.

[ValerieUSA]

Thank you HLL -- it was FUN!! Now to move around and see if the blood can circulate in my poor "puter butt".

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Don't turn on E!. Halle is on. She never thought a black person would win in her lifetime. She broke the glass ceiling wide open.

Well I am glad we didn't have to wait 50 years for this moment. We are all the vessels for which these blessings flow.

[StarFan]

Yes Julia had a few too many. Now Halle's being interviewed and going on and on, as if we didn't hear enough during her acceptance speech.

[mafree]

Only racists like herself and you feel the need..

Now elaborate on why Halle or I are racists.

We are both Black women and we identify as Black. She has a white parent; my white ancestry goes further back. I have some Native American in me and I don't doubt that Halle does too. Still, I look Black and so does Halle. She seems to be comfortable with being Black and so am I- if that makes us racists then I'll be your racist 24/7.

[breakem]

McKellen was with the same guy at the Golden Globes. Shaggy black hair, in his 20s I think. He could be the boyfriend or from an LA "escort service."

[dougherty]

Roger Ebert must be having an orgasm right now.

Oh, thanks a lot for that visual! I just lost my dinner.

[mafree]

Doesn't it get heavy carrying that chip on your shoulder?

Not at all- to me, not carrying it is worse.

[ValerieUSA]

No, she went too far in her accusation of racism. She is far from ever being colorblind --- if a person doesn't fit into black or white categories, she's gonna FORCE her into one of them. She won't accept mixed race as mixed race.

[LenS]

Let me guess, the operational definition of racism precludes blacks from ever being racist and condemns whites as being inherently racist no matter what each group does.

[Jorge]

Playa' hatin' nite on Free Republic for some of you. What nite was it when all winners were white eh?

I don't know...we don't need to rave about every white person that happens to succeed at something.

Too bad you think that criticizing racist patronizing at the Oscars is "hatin' nite on Free Republic".

[mafree]

i don't think Denzel won because of diversity... i think he won because "he was due" is the eyes of many...)

That's happened more than once in Oscar history- my beef is with some who now want to chalk it up to affirmative action just because the winner is Black.