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.

Golden Globes And The Art Of The Quip!

While flipping through the channels the weekend before last, I stumbled upon the Golden Globes. Actually, it was the cheekiness of Ricky Gervais that really caught my attention. With my wife and son sick and having long since gone to bed, especially since our usual programs were reruns, I was looking for something to put on in the background while I did some work on my computer. Now that a program was selected, I pulled out my laptop and proceeded to open up the numerous pages and tabs that had been dormant for the past day. It didn’t take long before some of the quips pulled my attention away from my work.

In particular, his banter with Mel Gibson was something to behold as you could tell there were a number of lines that Gervais was waiting to say hoping that someday the two of them would meet face to face. However, it wasn’t all about the ongoing dialogues. Many times it was a single line that had the audience gasping and my chucking from the kitchen. For instance, who else would introduce one of the nominees in the following way while taking a jab at another celebrity: “He’s also the only person who Ben Affleck hasn’t been unfaithful to. Please welcome, Matt Damon!”

Beyond the quick wit on display, one of the more memorable moments was when Sylvester Stallone won for best supporting actor for his role as, you guessed it, Rocky Balboa in the film Creed. Thankfully, he didn’t forget to thank his imaginary friend, the aforementioned Rocky, because that would have been an interesting apology later. Good think Adrianne is dead because that might have been even more awkward.

But there were also lines that were topical as well as humorous including an interesting reference to El Chapo: “I want to do this monologue and go into hiding, OK? Not even Sean Penn will find me.”

However, there were moments of seriousness during the broadcast beyond tremendous speech by Tom Hanks and the tearful acceptances of stunned stars. Leonardo DiCaprio, regardless of what you may think of him he is one heck of an actor, while accepting the Golden Globe for Best Lead Actor for The Revenant proclaimed that he shares the honor with “all the indigenous communities around the world. It is time that we recognize your history and that we protect your indigenous lands from corporate interests and people that are out there to exploit them. It is time that we heard your voice and protected this planet for future generations.”

It will be interesting to see if his actions reflect the words that he spoke during the ceremony and if he makes similar statements should he win the Academy Award next month. That is what it really comes down to… follow through. He can say, preach even, all that he wants but you earn the respect of the people you supposedly represent by taking action. So, similar to the way Gervais ended the night while invoking the sentiments of Mel Gibson, I will end this post with a single word… Shalom!

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.

Alright, Alright, Alright…

This time every year, the awards shows block off an entire evening on network television to tell me about all the shows I didn’t watch and all the movies I didn’t see in the previous year. There are a few programs that I recognize, and occasionally they seem to humor people like me with nominations for the shows that I enjoy. But usually it looks a bit odd like “one of these things is not like the other” (much like Matthew McConaughey’s acceptance speech verses everyone else’s).

Despite my seemingly lack of connection to most of what is found on television or in the theaters, these shows are rather entertaining. If anything for the reactions of the people who really didn’t expect any recognition. Not for what they say but for the shock on their face at the news and the slight horror of having to get up on stage and thank everyone without a script having been written beforehand. The Golden Globes this evening was a prime example.

Watching The Andy Samberg and Amy Poehler win awards this evening was worth watching. Both of these Saturday Night Live Alumni looked to be in genuine shock when their names were called and even Seth Meyers, who announced Samberg’s win, were filled with a childishness glee (in a good way) when the reality finally hit them. While we were all watching this unfold, Poehler getting a massage from and making out with Bono and Samberg high fiving Leonardo DiCaprio on his way to being mauled on stage by Meyers, the evening seems to take on a surreal quality for the two of them.

On the other side of the spectrum is the simple fact that as you watch the camera cut to different stars, you are faced with the aging, some gracefully and others not so much, of some of the many stars that you grew up watching on television or in the movies. It makes you wonder how much longer they are going to be performing. While some may seemingly go on forever you know that some others, no matter how much you enjoy their work, are probably going to be gone soon. While many were nominated this evening, Michael Douglas and Jon Voigt to name a couple of winners, it is an interesting dynamic to watch the transition to a new crop of actors in the prime of their careers, DiCaprio and Matt Damon seem to be the two that most accurately fit that description.

As you can see, even if the majority of your entertainment comes from life and nonfiction programs (or even those things we call books) you can still get a kick out of watching the Hollywood social experiments known as awards shows. And while this evening proved entertaining and even as a means of prediction for the other two majors, things will surely be a bit more interesting with the raised stakes that come with the Oscars and Emmys. Based on tonight, this should be interesting.