Where Did All The Nominees Go?

There is an interesting controversy brewing following the Golden Globes and the announcement of the Oscar nominees… there are several people upset at the lack of representation or minorities at the upcoming awards. Because Native American and Asian nominees were so prevalent for so many years, this radical change is seen as a slight. That being said, I think it should be noted that while there is a lack of representation of minority nominees as a whole this year, it does not mean that one shouldn’t support the industry which pays actors and actresses millions of dollars. Case in point, Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith will not be attending the awards ceremony the latter because of the fact that her husband, Will Smith, did not receive an Academy Award nomination for his role in Concussion despite being nominated for a Golden Globe.

While I doubt she will, Mrs. Smith can always simply take Aunt Viv’s advice (Janet Hubert was the first actress to play the role of Will Smith’s Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). In response to a video posted by Smith stating that she would be boycotting the Oscars and inviting others to join her in this action, Hubert, 60, posted her own video in which she condemns the Hollywood couple and stated the following in reference to Mrs. Smith:

"First of all, Miss Thing, does your man not have a mouth of his own with which to speak? The second thing is, girlfriend, there's a lot of s**t going on in the world that you all don't seem to recognize. People are dying. Our boys are being shot left and right. People are hungry, starving. People are trying to pay bills. And you're talking about some m***********g actors and Oscars. It just ain't that deep… And here's the other thing: For you to ask other actors, and other black actresses and actors, too, to jeopardize their career and their standing in a town that you know damn well you don't do that... I find it ironic that somebody who has made their living and made millions and millions of dollars from the very people you're talking about boycotting just because you didn't get a nomination, just because you didn't win."

However, let’s take a step back and look at the real issue and the real numbers. What is lost in the hype is the simple fact that the Golden Globes have two categories recognizing lead acting performances in Drama as well as Comedy or Musical. This makes for 10 total nominees at the Golden Globes with only room for 5 at the Oscars. Unfortunately, Smith got the short end of the stick and was replaced with Matt Damon with all other Drama nominees from the Golden Globes remaining in place. Damon won the Golden Globe in his category so someone had to take the hit.

However, I will concede the basis of the point that Lee and Smith have made in their boycotting efforts, there is a bias when it comes to awards. However, is has nothing to do with race… it is a much bigger issue that transcends race, religion, politics, etc. While there are some that are able to break through these terrible walls, the fact of the matter remains… the Oscars don’t take to kindly to Comedies or facial hair.

That’s right, I said it. Someone had to put it all out there and risk the backlash. Just take a look at the nominees this year in the Best Lead Actor Category for the Oscars in comparison to those up for the award at the Golden Globes. Nearly all those who didn’t make the cut with the Academy were up for the award in the Comedy or Musical category. However, a more startling revelation is that when you look at the photos, ALL of the eliminated nominees have either full-fledged facial hair or are a bit past the five o’clock shadow period.

We simply can’t stand for this blatant bias for the clean shaven actors who take on serious roles. They’re no better than the other nominees and it is time to take a stand. So, I would like to propose to Mr. Lee and Mrs. Smith that if they are serious about having an impact, don’t shave for the next month and walk that red carpet with the longest beard that you are able to grow. I am certain that the media will take notice.

Highlights And Shutouts From The Oscars

Last night we turned on the television for only the second time in the past week. All of the sudden the Oscars coverage began running across the screen. We had both completely forgotten about the awards show but it’s not like we have been dedicated viewers in the past either. It is basically a collection of movies that we haven’t seen with a few that we would like to watch at some point in the future. Sometimes it is not even a matter of what role someone played, it can simply be a ‘I liked him/her in some other completely different movie/show so it would be nice to see them win.”

While we only saw a maybe a total of about ten minutes of the show scattered throughout the night, there were a few interesting things that caught my attention. Keep in mind that these are not unique observations as it seems that everyone took note of them immediately but sometimes there is nothing new to say when recording your life. And where there are great moments there are times when the selections are a bit disappointing… such is the case every year at every awards show.

First let’s start with the surprising moments getting the most talked about moment out of the way… who knew Lady Gaga could really pull off the Sound of Music? Come on, don’t lie, no one saw that coming. While I am not a fan of her music she obviously has an amazing voice and I hope that this side of her comes out more and more because it is worth hearing. Thankfully she didn’t perform in a meat dress… that might have killed it.

The other moment was early in the evening (also called Cuba Gooding Jr. time) when JK Simmons, stunned by the sound of his own name, took the stage to accept the award for best supporting actor. While many of you may remember him from the State Farm commercials, Spiderman movies, or Law & Order which adds a little twist to the award in and of itself I remember him in a different role which really makes you do a double take… I best remember him as neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger on Oz. A great actor and I am happy to see him win it just seems odd when I think of him as that character accepting the award. However, his speech cut through all that and we should all heed his advice… “Call your mom. Call your dad, if you are lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet. Don't text. Don't e-mail. Call 'em on the phone. Tell them you love them, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you."

Of course, with the good moments are also those that disappoint a little as both the actors I was rooting for to get best actor, Michael Keeton and Bradley Cooper, failed to take home the prize. I have always been a big fan of Keeton from Mr. Mom, Batman, Beetlejuice, Live From Baghdad, My Life, etc. and would like to see him pull it off one of these days. Cooper, in all the parts I have seen, reviews I have read, and interviews I have watched about American Sniper was Chris Kyle. I am quickly becoming a fan of his work. Lastly, why wasn’t Clint Eastwood nominated for best director? That was a bit of an oversight but, when compared to leaving Joan Rivers of the “In Memoriam” video, it doesn’t seem all that bad.

Oscars In Need Of Polishing

I don’t know about anyone else but the Oscars seem to have lost their appeal to me. I remember in the past turning on the awards program in the early evening and watching completely through until it is done. Last night, I just couldn’t keep the channel on and found myself flipping back and forth but, mostly, watching other programs especially when I was working on my computer.

Maybe the lack of the appeal is as simple as not being familiar with many of the movies that are out in the theaters (and not having seen many of the movies from the previous year). That would also explain the reason why I tend to enjoy the Golden Globes more as there are television programs honored during the night. But, even those are a little lacking as nonfiction programming is pretty limited in their exposure.

One thing I have noticed with all the programs in recent years is the effort to relax the structure and atmosphere during the long program. This year, however, things seemed forced. Even more than usual. The pizza order and the Twitter selfie while entertaining, it didn’t seem like a natural moment and somewhat interrupted the flow of the evening.

That might be the least successful aspect of the program as some of the skits pulled the program in a completely different direction making the transitions to other presentations awkward. Flow, whether in an awards show, sitcom, or ‘reality’ program, is an incredibly important factor to keep the audience engaged. Especially those on the fence such as myself. When the flow is off the channel is changed.

What seems to have been lost in many of these programs, and also talk shows when I think about it, is the use of language. Too much focus is now being placed on the skits and antics of the hosts and the use of words is lacking. This may be the biggest hindrance to the ability to transition. The turn of phrase, introduction, and intelligent quips are all but absent from the scripts. Having a great script also enhances the natural spontaneity of the acceptance speeches.

Of course, the awards are the focus of the night but the dialogues, monologues, and exchanges between presenters shouldn’t be afterthoughts. Writing can and should carry a show. Why should the Oscars be any different? Why should any awards show be any different? Personally, I would be more apt to watch all the way through if they invested the time and energy into writing a strong ‘script’ which carried the program from beginning to end. Even if the performances aren’t the best, the writing should make up for it not antics and skits.