40 thoughts on “Oscar Madness”

  1. Well that was strange. And then Will won an Oscar.  
    I caught The Eyes of Tammy Faye about a month ago. Like BiD it’s the only movie of the Oscar nominees I saw from 2021. If I hadn’t known it was Jessica Chastain playing the lead role I would never have guessed that. She’s certainly deserving. 

  2. “We don’t have any details about the incident. As soon as we do, we will make them available to the public,” an LAPD spokesperson tells Variety regarding Will Smith’s smack of Chris Rock

    Assault in California is an intentional attempt to physically injure another, or a menacing or threatening act. This crime doesn’t require actual physical contact or injury.
    https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/violent-crime/california-assault-battery-laws

  3. the revues

    Will Smith’s Violent Outburst Made the Oscars Impossible to Love (thedailybeast.com)

    Ratings had done a beautiful swan dive into a tropical lake of irrelevance. People complained about how the movies they actually cared about (starts with Spider, ends with Man) weren’t nominated. The Academy and producers had made several decisions that angered longtime viewers of the show, like excising crucial categories because they didn’t have famous people involved. A tear-jerking movie, the plot of which I can’t recount because it makes me weep inconsolably when I do—and yet was somehow dubbed an Oscar “villain”—won many awards.
    But then the most famous man in the world got out of his seat, walked onto the stage, slapped a beloved comedian, and continued to shout at him from his chair.
    Again, remember when we thought no one would care about the Oscars?
    It’s a tragic thing, in multiple ways.
    It doesn’t matter that, for the first time, a streaming service (Apple TV+), won Best Picture at the Academy Awards for CODA, a seismic event in terms of how the industry thinks about how film is consumed. It doesn’t matter that it’s not Netflix that broke the barrier, despite its rich investment in filmmakers, like Jane Campion’s presumed favorite, The Power of the Dog. It doesn’t matter that it was possibly the most targeted and consequential night when it comes to Hollywood addressing—and moreover, representing—LGBT issues.
    It was the biggest night in entertainment in my lifetime. Because of all of that. And also because Will Smith slapped Chris Rock and then won an Oscar.
    The question is: Were the Oscars good or bad? After what happened, I don’t know if you could possibly say one way or the other.
    First, there is the explanation that has to be done. Sunday was the Academy Awards. Many people, this writer included, thought they were going to be unwatchable. There were categories moved to pre-shows, presenters hired that made no sense, and all indications that the people involved in producing the biggest night in movies actually did not like movies at all.
    What they forgot, in all of their controversial producing, was that you just can’t produce good TV.
    Chris Rock made a horrendous, unforgivable joke about Jada Pinkett Smith and then her husband, now-Academy Award winner Will, slapped him in the goddamn face.
    I guess the Oscars were good?
    I don’t know how famous you have to be that, when a comedian makes a really bad joke (to just define our take: so terribly bad) about your wife, you ignore the many television cameras that are filming the most hallowed night of Hollywood television, interrupt a live broadcast by walking on stage, slap somebody, and then from your seat scream, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
    There is, apparently, an exact level of famous you have to be to do that, and that is Will Smith-level famous.
    Will Smith did something that the Oscars have reliably tried, but in their insecurity about ratings and buzz, very nearly thwarted itself from doing: creating a moment. It shouldn’t seem like rocket science, but apparently it is: When you put the world’s most beautiful and famous people in a room together and just set up a camera, you capture the weirdest, most beautifully out-of-touch shit.
    That can be a very positive thing. I don’t love that Jessica Chastain tied her speech back to Tammy Faye Baker, whose legacy is… complicated. But I am grateful that she devoted so much of her time onstage to talking about the rights of women and LGBT people that are at stake. Only when you are that famous would you presume to have the megaphone for that. (Again, thank God she did!)
    It can also be a horrible thing.
    Let’s be clear: An assault happened. At first, every aunt, college roommate, and person I have ever met asked me if Will Smith getting angry at Chris Rock was a bit. While I’m flattered that anyone thought I had inside information, I can say definitively, at this point, it was not.
    We’re so programmed to being programmed that none of us knew how to deal with it.
    In that moment and in his speech, Will Smith revealed himself to be a very famous person rendered very human. I do not condone his assault, but I understand the ethos. (Imagine any of these words ever being used in relation to the Academy Awards before.)
    But again, I am trying to imagine just how famous and privileged you must be to—at the goddamn Academy Awards!—get out of your seat, slap someone, sit back down and heckle, and then win the Oscar.
    It’s not that it’s great TV. It’s the kind of TV we still don’t know how to process.
    […]
    In any case, was this year’s Oscars good? I’m better at the other question. Was it bad? No, absolutely not. That I’m so obsessed with the awards and can’t answer either way? Well, that: That’s a slap in the face.

  5. Yeah, Smith is probably in it, now.  His wife shaved her head because she has alopecia, not just for style. Making fun of her wasn’t cool, either.

    When he was making his speech after he won, they had to cut away, again. I think he puked, based on what he said. They tried to cut to the Williams sisters, but that lasted about a second, I assume because one of them had a partially exposed nipple.

    What was with the weird dresses last night. Tracie Ellis Ross, the Williams sister, Jennifer Garner, the woman who won BSA, they all had the same outfit/dress top. I found it to be unflattering on everyone. Jessica Chastaine won for best dress, too, IMO.

    We should be talking about Ukraine, but instead we (the Western, TV-watching world) are talking about two, rich men getting into it; one with his mouth and one with his fist.

    Bullying in the guise of a joke, followed by a display of toxic masculinity. There’s your highlight reel.

  6. the stArt of the deal?

    Russia-Ukraine war news: Live updates – The Washington Post

    ISTANBUL, Turkey – Ukrainian and Russian delegations are arriving in Istanbul for another round of in-person talks — putting NATO member Turkey, which has ties to both Kyiv and Moscow, in the spotlight as an intermediary in the deadly conflict grinding into its second month. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed his desire for a cease-fire in a phone call Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media reported.
    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to offer a diplomatic opening Sunday, saying that Kyiv could declare its “neutrality” and effectively renounce its ambitions to join NATO in a potential peace deal with Moscow, but stressed that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are “beyond doubt” and any deal must be voted on by a national referendum held without Russian troops in Ukraine. Zelensky made these remarks during an interview with a Russian outlet, which the Kremlin’s Internet censor then banned Russian media outlets from publishing.
    The renewed diplomatic effort comes as Russian military operations northwest of Kyiv appear to have paused and the Kremlin recalibrates its strategy after failing to capture the capital. But fighting and shelling continues to terrorize the country, and Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Andriivna Vereshchuk said Monday that humanitarian corridors would not be open due to reports of “provocations.”
    [continues]

    Zelenskiy says Ukraine willing to discuss neutrality at Russia talks | Ukraine | The Guardian

    Ukraine is willing to discuss “neutral status” at face-to-face talks with Russia in Turkey, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said.
    “Our goal is obvious – peace and the restoration of normal life in our native state as soon as possible,” Zelenskiy said in a late-night video message that also set out his negotiating red lines. “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt. Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory.”

     

    He used a video interview with independent Russian media outlets to signal his willingness to discuss the idea of Ukraine adopting a “neutral status”, and also make compromises about the status of the eastern Donbas region, in order to secure a peace agreement with Russia. But he said he was not willing to discuss demilitarisation, and said Ukrainians would need to vote in a referendum to approve their country adopting a neutral status.
    [continues]

  7. As part of the deal (if there is a deal), Russia needs to cough up the money to rebuild the infrastructure they’ve destroyed.  Pootin needs more than a slap in the face as punishment for those he has killed.

  8. No diplomat here, but I am wondering whether Z and Ukraine can reconcile pledging neutrality and losing the eastern Russian backed areas Pooty has pledged to “liberate” and de-nazify. While it might stop the war it strikes me as a lose/lose position for both sides. 

  9. Oh, yeah. Liza was a presenter.  Smith’s outburst made me forget it. GaGa is a class act.  

    Not a class act: Pootin

    I really think talks are a stall tactic. Something to keep the world busy while he continues to kill civilians.

  10. but how do they solve their constitutional problem?

    back in 2019 according to radio free europe:

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a constitutional amendment committing the country to becoming a member of NATO and the European Union.

  11. the hill:

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is stressing the territorial integrity of his country as officials from Kyiv and Moscow prepare to meet for negotiations this week.
    “Our priorities in the negotiations are known. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt,” Zelensky said in a televised address Sunday evening.
    “Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory,” he added. “Our goal is obvious — peace and the restoration of normal life in our native state as soon as possible.”
    That comment, however, appears to be a shift from Zelensky’s remarks to a group of Russian journalists earlier that day, when he said Ukraine would consider neutral status as part of a peace deal if such an agreement were assured by third parties and put to a referendum.
    [continues]

  13. For the most part I found the Oscars to be a whole lot of commercials in search of a program.  At least the slap seen round the world provided some sort of content.  At first, I thought it was a stunt man type thing until the swearing started and Jada’s medical condition was explained.  

    The CODA win was fine.  The acting was excellent even though it struck me as a well-made Hallmark movie.  Troy Kotsur was a worthy winner and having the deaf community so well represented was a good thing.  

    Pissed that Lin-Manuel Miranda missed out on the EGOT since Encanto won animation but not song. 

    Overall, I’ll watch again next year.

  14. I hear that Gaga showed support for Liza.  That was. cool, I like both those girls.

  15. patd, looks like Zelensky’s neutrality comments weren’t necessarily a concession.  I’m glad to see that.  Pootin needs to be stopped from appropriating the land of relatively smaller countries (and what country isn’t smaller than Russia?) and it looks like he didn’t intend to concede what it sounded like.  If not, I hope somehow Poland and the US can find a way to get Ukraine the jets it needs and that we don’t turn off the weapons tap. 

  16. I cannot remember the last time I watched the white people’s movie showcase, now with more colorful action.  I do remember the last movie I saw in a theater, Serial, 1980. My PTSD (undiagnosed back then) was causing too much problem, the loudness of the speakers, the closed dark room and a lot of people around me.  I suppose I missed some great theater moments, but at home I can control the environment and enjoy a movie on the forty inch television.  In several ways I do miss watching a movie in the theater, just as I miss plays and concerts (classical music).  Seeing and feeling does add a lot to the experience.  But, now I can enjoy watching many movies several times to catch what I missed (or forgot) in previous viewings.
     
    I am sure Wil Smith made a good effort swing and I am sure Rock Kid took the “slap” like a man.  But, no teeth or skin was damaged, can’t go off and break someones money maker. 

  17. think this is a deal breaker though:

    he said only a face-to-face meeting with Russia’s leader 

    if zelensky won’t leave ukraine for the meeting, i can’t imagine putie has the guts unless it takes place with him sitting at the end of a very very long table stretching across the border from an ultra secure place in russia. 

    🙂

  18. Here is a view of the “fight” from the Sydney Morning Herald (I have advocated for decades to read outside of the fishbowl)

    But now that we are easing out of the COVID-19 crisis, it is time for Hollywood to resume its supremacy at the heart of its American story.
    What better way to achieve that than with a famed actor slapping a comedian live on stage, provoked by an insult to the former’s wife, and following on from an in-memoriam tribute for Golden Girls actress Betty White, performed by Jamie Lee Curtis and a puppy.

     

  20. Yeah, I can’t see Z going to Moscow to sit at the end of a very long table, hoping to catch a glimpse of Pooty in the distance.
     
    And in other news, The Jan. 6 committee wants to talk with Ginni. Let’s see what BS she tries to hang out there to avoid that. The 5th perhaps?

  21. Sturgeone

    Gaga was great with Liza.  She is confined to a wheelchair these days due to her bout with encephalitis.  Gaga leaned over to say, “I’ve got you” just in case Liza had trouble making the announcement.  It was one of the best moments in a show that was sadly lacking otherwise.

     

  22. Yes, Jamie, it was a nice moment of humanity. 

    I was underwhelmed by the songs as they were performed. It’s the Oscars. Where were the production values?

    I didn’t care for the host who felt up Josh Brolin and Jason Mamoa, either. That shouldn’t have made the cut.

    I’m more concerned with Ukraine keeping its land and independence than a spoiled actor keeping his statue.

  23. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html

    “How vital is Shanghai? The lockdown in Shanghai is a big deal not just because of the city’s scale, but also because of its deep financial and economic links.”

    “Market reaction: The announcement sent global crude prices down sharply, as traders bet that the restrictions would reduce demand from a top consumer. China imports about 11 million barrels of oil per day.”

  24. Where have all the Hummers gone? 
    Where once they roamed the island in great numbers, now you’d be hard pressed to find one.

  25. My grandmother had Lupus-induced alopecia.  She was also dead by the age of 60.  She was hospitalized for complications due to Lupus, but died of pneumonia. It’s not funny for a lot of reasons.   I hope medical progress has been made for the sake of Mrs. Smith and others.

  26. Where have all the Hummers gone?
    Long time passing
    Where have all the Hummers gone
    long time ago
    Where have all the Hummers gone
    He-men still have them every one
    Oh, when will you ever learn
    Oh, when will you ever learn…
     

  27. Hummers went out of style, the soccer moms drive enormous Suburbans and such, now; Land Rovers are the current status symbol

  28. ABC News (go.com)

    A federal judge has found that former President Donald Trump “more likely than not” committed felony obstruction in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
    U.S District Judge David Carter said in the ruling that Trump’s former lawyer John Eastman must turn over most documents he is withholding from the Jan. 6 House committee investigating the attack on the U.S Capitol.
    “Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,” the judge wrote.
    Judge Carter, who reviewed Eastman’s documents, ordered Eastman to turn over all but ten that the court found privileged.
    The judge, a Clinton appointee, provided a summary of several documents Eastman has sought to block.
    “The eleventh document is a chain forwarding to Dr. Eastman a draft memo written for President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani,” Carter wrote. “The memo recommended that Vice President Pence reject electors from contested states on January 6. This may have been the first time members of President Trump’s team transformed a legal interpretation of the Electoral Count Act into a day-by-day plan of action.”
    “The draft memo pushed a strategy that knowingly violated the Electoral Count Act, and Dr. Eastman’s later memos closely track its analysis and proposal,” Carter wrote.
    “The memo is both intimately related to and clearly advanced the plan to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,” wrote the judge. “Because the memo likely furthered the crimes of obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States, it is subject to the crime-fraud exception and the Court ORDERS it to be disclosed.”

  29. Billionaire Abramovich, Ukrainian peace negotiators hit by suspected poisoning -reports | Reuters

    March 28 (Reuters) – Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning earlier this month after a meeting in Kyiv, the Wall Street Journal and the investigative outlet Bellingcat reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

     

    Russia-Ukraine war latest: Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiator had ‘symptoms consistent with poisoning’ | World news | The Guardian

    Abramovich was taking part in informal peace negotiations in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early in March when he began to feel ill, the source told the Guardian. Ukrainian MP Rustem Umerov was also part of the negotiation, and the men later left Ukraine for Poland, and then flew to Istanbul, where they received medical treatment.
    “It was during his first trip to Kyiv. Roman lost his sight for several hours. In Turkey, they were treated in a clinic, together with Rustem,” said the source.
    The account backs up the claims of a potential poisoning first reported in the Wall Street Journal and by the investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat.
    “Bellingcat can confirm that three members of the delegation attending the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on the night of 3 to 4 March 2022 experienced symptoms consistent with poisoning with chemical weapons. One of victims was Russian entrepreneur Roman Abramovich,” wrote the outlet in a tweet.
    Bellingcat said the symptoms included eye and skin inflammation, and piercing pain in the eyes.
    “The three men experiencing the symptoms consumed only chocolate and water in the hours before the symptoms appeared. A fourth member of the team who also consumed these did not experience symptoms,” wrote Bellingcat, which said one of its investigators had been asked to provide an opinion on the incident by chemical weapons specialists.
    “Based on remote and on-sit.e examinations, the experts concluded that the symptoms are most likely the result of international poisoning with an undefined chemical weapon,” said Bellingcat,
    Abramovich’s condition improved and he later returned to Kyiv to take part in another round of negotiations, said the source

  30. Russians be like, “Vasily, lyet’s usek poison, no onek veel knyow eet vas usk”🙄

  31. Hey Craig… just curious if you and David saw Coda…. It was shot in Gloucester.

  34. I hate to leave the Smith-Rock issue behind, but good on President Biden for saying he’s not walking anything back from his ad lib. Good for you, Joe. 

  35. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/politics/madison-cawthorn-orgy-invite-cocaine-claim/index.html

    ‘We’re going to have a sexual get-together at one of our homes, you should come.’

    Maddy, Maddy, Maddy. Are sure they didn’t invite you to a “casual” get together?

    “Some of the people leading on the movement to try and remove addiction in our country, and then you watch them do a key bump of cocaine right in front of you.”

    Da’fugz a “key bump”? Why do I get the feeling Cawthorne is manufacturing qrazy-anon garbage?

Comments are closed.