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?"
"Comedian Robin Williams said it all when he walked on stage with a piece of white tape over his mouth."
A pity he didn't leave it there.
Bores, bores, bores.
The poor dears. Victims of censorship....
I won't get over it. And I'm not afraid.
However, the Hollywood elite will never get another penny from me. If more people would have that attitude, the egocentrics would go broke without us common folk, who have supported them for years.
-Jonathan Winters
Jonathan Winters, for all his problems, was one of the funniest guys around. Lonesome George Gobel would break me up. Both of these guys did it without profanity.
But heck, starting back with Fibber McGee and Molly, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, Fred Allen - all on radio in the same era - they were hilarious then. I listen to their old radio shows and remember why they were hilarious.
And it wasn't from repeated use of the f word.
Or continuous president bashing.
I don't see how this garbage would help them attract a bigger audience.
He's lost a few brain cells since then.
"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 he stamped his foot, stormed away and took a Midol.
I got news for Mr. Rock. Straight white men don't watch them either. At least not this one.
agreed!
Hope and Crosby, Abbot and Costello, Laural and Hardy.
One of my favorite movies, Bringing Up Baby.
Ma and Pa Kettle, the Blondie movies, Henry Aldrich, Francis the Talking Mule, I thought all those movies were great when I was a kid.
I loved Robin Williams as Mork from Ork but his stand up material has always been lost on me.
And Al Sharpton, I just don't get at all.
Hey! I just had a brainstorm!
Make the Oscars Pay-Per-View and let the Hollywoodites go nuts, or nutz! even! Spelling "nuts" with a "z" and a "!" is totally zany.
Fear not. The last thing I remember watching him in was that crazy, so depressing it probably caused suicide, utterly worthless movie in which he died and Cuba Gooding, Jr. was his son. ICK.
MM
The old Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin films were great,and the Lewis movies after they split.
The Alec Guiness comedies from the fifties are classics.I thought of him as only a comedian until "Bridge on the River Kwai" came out.
The entire family,including grnadparents,parents,and children could go see those old comedies.. There aren't many of them anymore.
Exactly. Besides, it's not exactly a timely joke. What's next -- is Robin Williams gonna bust Jerry Falwell's chops about the Tinky-Winky thing next year?
The only Alec Guiness comedy I know that I've seen is Lady Killers. I rented that one because it had him and Peter Sellers in it.
Haven't seen the remake yet.
Some of Jerry Lewis' films I remember liking, like Cinderfella and the Geisha Boy, but I can't always take him.
There was one where he's playing a little boy or something and it's with Dean Martin, it was on AMC or TCM a year or so ago and I tried to watch it but I couldn't take it LOL!
Of course, in King of Comedy he was great. He should have found more roles like that. All that frenetic energy focused into a dramatic role, he could have been one of the greats.
As important as a national audience is, the blue states ratings are larger markets and moe valuable than the red states.
People in cities go to the movies more frequently and have more disposable income - and are therefore more valuable to advertisers.
I read an article on FR that says 75% of their profits are from hate America overseas markets. Thus their leftist pandering. They know which bread their butter is buttered on.
You have got to get Guiness' "Kind Hearts and Coronets",my favorite. Guiness plays most of the roles and it has a funny ending that will knock your socks off.
Absolutely hysterical. In fact I think I'll watch it again myself,my public library has most of those great old movies.
Enjoy!
p.s.----Don't waste your time on the new version of "The Ladykillers",it was a bomb.
I doubt it's 75%, probably more like 50% or 45%. There's a lot of money to be made in the American market, i.e. theatrical release followed by cable pay per view release, followed by DVD release and then network TV release. This is all pure profit if the movie breaks even at the theaters. And they don't have to pay a middleman in France or Germany.
And true, some of the countries that see the movies profess a hate for America, but they love American lifestyle/pop culture, and hate themselves for loving the lifestyle/pop culture. The rest of the world has a complex relationship with America and Americans. I once met a guy from the Congo who said he was inspired to come to America because of Bay Watch and Happy Days. And I've known more than a few French people who profess a deep hate for America, but love NYC to the point of buying expensive apartments here. And, don't forget the Ukrainians. During the recent protests over the election one protest song was repeated over and over again -- it was a hip hop song someone there recorded.
Also and lastly, the movies that seem to do well overseas aren't the movies that down America, but those that tap directly into the most American of myths of gangsters, solitary heroes, and self-made success.
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