Posted on 02/28/2005 3:51:30 PM PST by missyme
At the Oscar awards, what was not said was probably more interesting than what was.
Hollywood's big night on Sunday was beamed to the world with a five-second time delay, and broadcaster ABC ordered some controversial quips cut before the show, sparking debate about how far political correctness should go and freedom of speech controlled.
Comedian Robin Williams said it all when he walked on stage with a piece of white tape over his mouth.
Williams was to have performed a song lampooning conservative critic James C. Dobson, whose group had criticized cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants for appearing in a video it branded "pro-homosexual."
He was going to do it by concentrating on the dark underside of other cartoon characters, asking, for example whether Casper the Friendly Ghost wore that white sheet as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Marc Shaiman, who wrote Williams' original routine, said he decided to withdraw the material after ABC raised objections that would have led to him re-writing 11 of 36 lines. ABC declined to comment.
"It's ironic because I feel the song is silly and the situation is silly and yet on the other hand it's extremely serious," Shaiman told Reuters from New York. "This is the most blatant, immature censorship that I've ever come across."
Williams did eventually develop an act questioning cartoon characters' sexuality. But it was a pale imitation of some of the lines originally planned and he looked pained performing it.
"The show lost what would have been the best minute-and-a-half they would have had last night," said Shaiman, before adding: "Where does the buck stop?"
Chris Rock, the edgy black comedian called in to host the show, and, some say, to boost flagging ratings, was also in trouble long before the Oscars got under way.
He previously joked that straight, black men did not watch the Oscars, drawing an angry response from commentators like Jake Lamar, an African American who called Rock's comments "a massive generalization" and "depressing."
Then Oscar producer Gil Cates weighed in, calling ABC's decision to introduce a time delay in transmitting from Kodak Theatre a "terrible idea" and a concession to political correctness.
IT BEGAN WITH A BARE BREAST
Federal regulators may boost fines for U.S. broadcasters following last year's infamous Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction" by singer Janet Jackson in which she bared her breast.
Earlier this month the U.S. House of Representatives voted to raise the maximum indecency fine to as much as $500,000 from $32,500.
On the one hand, commentators predict that the more networks are forced to sanitize shows, the less people will be inclined to watch.
But at the same time, the more a show's producer warns viewers they may be offended, the more they are likely to tune in.
"The entertainment industry is figuring out how to spin and use this paranoia we've encountered since the Super Bowl," said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University.
"People wanted to make sure they were present if the next Janet Jackson moment happened."
In the end Rock's content was political and racial but avoided becoming the main issue on the night.
Thompson said Rock's natural instinct would have been to go much further with his humor, but he had too much to lose.
"He is going to play by the house rules," he said. "He realizes that certain compromises have to be made."
Williams was not available to comment on his act at the Oscars, but he told the New York Times on Friday:
"For a while you get mad, then you get over it. They're afraid of saying Olive Oyl is anorexic. It tells you about the state of humor. It's strange to think: How afraid are you?"
Actually, there may be no accounting for my taste, but I thought the toned-down routine WAS funny. It's just that he was delivering it terribly---it sounded more like a lecture. If he had only pulled the stick out of his butt it could have been fun. I mean, come on, who couldn't laugh at "Spongebob Hotpants". :)
Censorship doesn't bother me so long as it's not the government that's doing it. Beyond obscenity, it's the network that's trying to limit the Christian bashing and hate speech, and that's the network's right. No one has a constitutional right to have their personal views broadcast to millions of people. Robin Williams can go to Central Park if he wants to exercise his rights without restriction. Or he can buy his own television station.
Too bad he didn't walk on stage with his vocal chords in a jar.....
Johnnie Carson!! (although he did flip the bird once, but it was really funny when he did).
He was going to do it by concentrating on the dark underside of other cartoon characters, asking, for example whether Casper the Friendly Ghost wore that white sheet as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Hey, Robin, that's really, really funny. Did you clear it with Senator Byrd?
When I noticed that the Hollyweird crowd intended to dis-
Mel Gibson and The Passion of the Christ-- I determined they had NOTHING at all to offer. Did not watch -was not offended by Chris Rocks potty mouth -nor any of the stuffed suits applauding movies NOt worth watching and
acting not worth the price of a ticket.The Passion should have taken Best Picture for daring to depict that world changing event without making Christ appear as Hollyweird has imaged Christians for too long now.
Gibson had the best actor for Christ, for Mary, and that
haunting image of Satan
As with the recent Grammy awards, I realized that the whole scene has passed me by, or - rather - it no longer interests me. I don't identify with those people in any way, and I don't care what they're wearing.
-Jonathan Winters
The show lost what would have been the best minute-and-a-half they would have had last night," said Shaiman,..."
Give me a frickin break!
Oh I agree with you, I just switched the channels back and fourth and the times the cameras at the Oscars focused in on people sitting in the audience some were sleeping.
I'm sorry if I missed something, but, didn't the Oscars get good ratings last night?
I'm so disgusted and tired of the "stars" who, with their GED's and honorary degrees, think they have the right to tell other people how to vote and abuse their elevated positions to spread their stupidity. In fact, for the first time in my life, I went out and held up a sign stating as much. Right there at Hollywood and Vine. Shut up and act. With Rondog and the rest of the LA Freepers. Felt good.
I don't think Robin Williams is that funny, but I can sort of understand why others do. But Adam Sandler - there's a guy whose success totally mystifies me.
Robin Williams is Old,Tired,and Over the Hill.
And if you looked at him last night he sure looks Old,and Tired, and Over the Hill.
And he stopped being funny many years ago.
I hadn't seen any info relating to the ratings, but am glad to hear that.
WE SAW that!!!! I thought we were imagining things....
Maybe SpongeBob is a revered member of the Academy.
These people are idiots. Getting attention by being "edgy" goes back to Elvis. It's old fashioned. These people have run out of room to push the envelope.
Old fashioned entertainment that's good is much harder to do. And the people with the skills to do it have died off.
Hollywood is doomed. They haven't a clue.
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