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.

Comic Relief

Maybe Mork just went home!

Growing up I remember watching Comic Relief on television (I believe it was on HBO). While at the time many of the jokes went completely over my head I can still hear my parents laughing as Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams took the stage and proceeded to conduct an improv set the likes of which I had never seen. Even with my limited understanding, I couldn’t help but watch them go back and forth not missing a moment or opportunity to turn common responses into belly laughs. While Crystal and Goldberg were good, Robin Williams was always the one that took over the entire stage and the audience.

Recently I have been thinking about Robin Williams ever since we learned that we will be having a baby early next year. For some reason I have been thinking about a part of one of his stand up sets when he talks about becoming a father. It was one of those rare moments of honest vulnerability that he would occasionally touch upon during those wild times on stage. In the midst of clear chaos, it was those moments that made you stop and think about something so serious that it just sticks with you years later. Maybe that it why it has been on my mind during the last few weeks.

 

Of course, as I am certain you have heard, Robin Williams was once again on the forefront of all our minds. I am still shocked that he is gone. I am not one to dedicate an entire lost to the loss of a celebrity but Robin Williams was on a completely different level. As I have gotten older I have constantly looked forward to what he would do next… whenever he was on I was going to watch.

And as I have gotten older, caught up and now understand those jokes lost on me during my childhood, I have continued to become more and more envious of the ability to create at an instant no matter where he was, what he was given, or what was said. He is a talent that we will never fully understand let alone replace. He was a complicated man but one with unparalleled ability, talent, and passion. I will miss watching that complicated man both during those intense moments of improv and also during those subdued roles that showcased a complexity and range that few have possessed.

Unfortunately, we all have our flaws and our struggles and his death is a reminder that no matter how much we watch someone, or their outgoing personality, or the success that they have… we don’t know what is going on inside of them. It is the scariest part of life not knowing what can be just below the surface and the horrible way that people see themselves. We can only do so much but one thing that we can do is make sure that we are there for our friends and family regardless of whether they seem like they need someone or not from the outside. You just never know.

Bye Bye Uncle Buck

Having finally finished all the wrapping and with a cup of tasty tea steeping beside me, my wife and I were watching the tail end of “Uncle Buck” on HBO before my wife headed to bed and I was to finish up a few things on the computer. The day was ending just how we would like it to when the night over took the apartment. Around 10:30 all the lights dimmed for a second or two, flashed, and then completely shut down. So long Uncle Buck.

 

At that point we didn’t have many options so we decided to head over to the front desk and try to offer whatever assistance we could. As soon as we manually slid open the front door we could hear the complaints filling the shadow filled entryway. Unfortunately, the weather had just turned colder in the past 24 hours and residents were returning to their apartments from unusually late dinners.

Not helping the situation was the fact that we could all see that the lights were on in every building around us. Simply put, this was not a power grid problem, this was a major building malfunction which seems to have only gotten worse over the past year. The piercing alarm resonating from the basement seemed to confirm the severity of the issue and did not lend an air of confidence that this particular problem would be fixed in a timely manner.

I know what it is like to be behind the desk during those moments and I knew that the situation was beyond his control so my wife and I began helping in any way that we could to make the situation at least a little easier to deal with for everyone. While my wife assisted residents up the stair well and to their apartments (not an easy task given the ages of many of the people) I was doing my best to relay messages, keep track of both entrances, and keep the other dark dwellers occupied by talking about anything but the electric.

After about an hour of walking all around the ground floor, entertaining residents, coordinating with the local police department, and getting updates from PECO and our in house maintenance people the power finally came back on. While there has been the occasional humming traveling through the walls and into our apartment, the power remains on. So, with the rooms again full of light, it was time to turn them off and try to rest before travelling all day tomorrow. Essentially, everything is back to normal at least until the next time the building falters or the grid fails.

Is That A Cliff I See?

The quote for this week is something a little different (would you expect anything else on this blog?). I am sure that many of you have already seen this video but I had to post it here anyway as there is a disturbing amount of truth in the humor. Namely, the blind following that seems to be going on. I think Chicago's Second City Network did a magnificent job in distilling the current situation that I, and I am sure many of you, have been witnessing.

I have written on the subject of Syria recently and it is clear that I don’t side with the President on this issue. However, there are many that do and that is their right to do so. But, before you support a position, give it some thought rather than blindly following someone. Let your voice be heard and make up your own darn mind.

When it comes to decisions like this, think about the reasons not to go to war first before you consider the reasons for the action. If you still believe that it is in our best interests to commit to this conflict then at least you thought it through and while I may not agree with your conclusions I can at least respect the fact that you gave it some serious thought. Even in making their rather humorous point you can tell there is a considerable amount of thought behind the sketch.

Humor aside, this is a sad state when so many will follow blindly. I know I have my own point of view and it happens to fall on the conservative side most of the time but it has never been blind trust which is why there are some views where I completely disagree. I try to give the benefit of the doubt to both sides but never throw my full support without giving some dedicated thought to the topic at hand.

The current epidemic of blind devotion to politicians has to stop. And I make that statement with both parties in mind. This also applies to the support and opposition of legislation. Just because the party you affiliate yourself with opposes some measure doesn’t mean you have to and just because your party supports a particular bill doesn’t mean you have to either. The same rules apply to the party you don’t affiliate yourself with.

In the end, you may find yourself supporting everything that one party does, I seriously doubt it, but at least give those positions some thought first. And even after you have formed an opinion and taken a position, don’t be afraid to reevaluate if you come across new information. As an example, in my Syria post I said that I do not support military action with the evidence at hand but if additional information is brought to light I will reconsider my position.

It’s not flip flopping. It’s being an informed member of society. So take the time and think about what you believe and what is really going on. Only then can you make an educated decision. Don’t let yourself be fodder for the comedy community.  

Cleaning Always Makes Me Feel Dirty!

Yesterday my wife and I finally set aside the time to give our apartment a much overdue deep cleaning. I wouldn’t say that our apartment was filthy but after seeing the dirt picked up I can say it was anywhere close to clean either. While we still have a few things that need to be addressed, namely the office, dining room table, and a few items that have to be put through the laundry, there was significant progress made and we both agreed that it just felt cleaner. The floors even passed the white sock test.

Every time we have one of these OCD days, I am reminded of the irony that cleaning always makes me feel incredibly dirty and a shower is mandatory after such a Clorox marathon. Inevitability this leads us to agree that we can’t go so long in-between cleanings and that a (fanciful) schedule is needed. We will see if hope becomes reality this time.

However, I think the most important development from yesterday for me is the realization that, once again, we have too much stuff. I feel as we are becoming the embodiment of a George Carlin rant… soon our stuff will be spread all over the world.

I think it is time to downsize. We have done it before and we can do it again. It’s a simple process overcomplicated by the physical act and mental roadblocks. Hopefully, we can get to the point of removing that which is bogging us down… the vast majority of this issue is my fault and something that I have to get done. Basically I am a crap addict with ten pounds squeezed into an apartment which holds five.

I know you will be waiting with bated breath for the next thrilling post on this exciting topic. Don’t worry I will fill you in on the exhilarating results. Also, as a side note, if you try and pawn your stuff off on me when I don’t have a real need for it I might have to beat you with one of the bags of trash that will certainly result from my efforts.