28
Feb
No Reds on the Red Carpet
THE ENVELOPE PLEASE
TOM FENTON BLASTS TV NEWS
LOST CITY FOUND
Red and reds were out, Blue was in on the red carpet… Lips were sealed… Bland was beautiful.
When Chris Rock started rocking at the outset of the Academy Awards last night, it appeared as if this was a show that was going to slay some icons. He started with a reference to Michael Moore and the missing Fahrenheit 911. Moore was this year’s persona non grata. Not even invited as a presenter. Rock did a riff on the war that sounded almost radical comparing President Bush to a clerk in the GAP who runs up a humongas deficit and then starts a war with the Banana Republic store across the street on specious grounds. Perfect.
But then it was all down hill. You could almost hear the off-stage voice of the network censors insist that, lest he be “misunderstood,” he also thank all of our soldiers fighting for “freedom” (sic) a sentiment later repeated by the President of the Academy who would have waved the flag longer if he could. No need to alienate any paying customers, but US jingoism should be out of place in an industry that derives half is revenues overseas globally, in a world that does not see our soldiers and their role through Hollywood colored glasses. Besides the flag waving, there was censorship… oops, forgive me, the enforcement of “network standards and practices.”
Robin Williams came out with a bandage over his mouth in a protest of against ABC censoring his routine protesting the censorship of Spongebob on PBS. Note how presenter Tim Robbins was put down for his “boring” politics which he didn’t/couldn’t express. Don’t you love the stereotyping. Ha. Ha.
Forget the chilled environment of the days of the Hollywood red scare. The corporations have it all nailed down today, and nary a dissenting word was heard about any issue. The maxim was: Keep it bland, read the script and move it fast. Even Chris Rock quipped that next year they will give out awards in the parking lot, a comment on the way statuettes were handed out in the audience to save time.
It was disappointing not to see clips of the shorts and the documentaries, films we rarely get to see. Honoring them without showing them was a disgrace. Everything was compressed; keep it tight and keep it right. The old ABC which used to stand for “Always Be Conservative” was back. Critic Richard Roper afterwards said “Chris Rock played it safe.” And he was chosen, we were told , to make it all outrageoues. Duh?
Will I always be a contrarian? I wasn’t turned on by the syrupy Hollywood nostalgia of the Aviator and found the 60 Minutes story last night on Howard Hughes payoff to Richard Nixon — cash in an envelope — more fascinating. Million Dollar Baby left me cold. I was glad Ray won. It was edited by a friend, Paul Hirsh.
How about a bio pic based on the life of Michael Eisner, Disney’s Billion dollar baby based on a new book that tears him a new a—-le, Mike’s company controls ABC which “owns” an Oscar franchise which has been dumbed down over the years into more like a hyped up fashion show. The Red carpet pre-show now offers the only surprises. Am I getting jaded or what?
Sorry, I wanted Hotel Rwanda to win… and was happy that the Born in a Brothel doc was honored. Salt Lake City’s Geralyn Dreyfoos, the Exec Producer who helped make it happen has been very supportive of our work and was radiant when they cut to her twice. Go Geralyn. (My film WMD was not entered. It was unlikely that a media event like this would look kindly on a critique on the industry it is part of. Know what I mean?)
Clint Eastwood’s Oscars were a blow to Rush Limbaugh & Co., who had attacked “Million Dollar Baby” as commie propaganda — because it supposedly was a message film about the “right to die.” The absurdity of this case was demonstrated by Frank Rich in the NYT two weeks ago.
February 28th, 2005 at 11:46 amI generally agreed with your comments on the Oscars. But saying things like ripped him a new asshole is a macho homophobic slur. It would be better to use adjectives or more sexually neutral expressions. For an interesting discussion of the feminization of the things we fear, see a good recent book by Stephen J. Ducat, The Wimp Factor.”
February 28th, 2005 at 12:52 pmThanks for listening.
Danny,
I’ve agreed with 99% of what you have said since BCN was on Stewart Street, but you’re a bit off on this one.
A little-noticed fasion statement was made by Carlos Santana. When he arrived on the red carpet, I noticed he was wearing a Che shirt under a jacket.
Very pleased to see that the ABC “powers that be” either did not catch it OR did not call him on it OR did and Carlos played on.
We need to ask Carlos what happened.
Sometimes the best protests are subtle.
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20050228/thumb.kdk14702280009.oscars_kdk147.jpg
More photos & commentary at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104×3190764
February 28th, 2005 at 12:55 pmI found it ironic that Chris Rock’s metaphor for the war was flawed due to the ologopolistic nature of Corporate America. In fact, the Banana Republic is a subsidiary of GAP, and thus they would never have gone to war with each other because the same company owns both stores. So who would the GAP have gone to war with? Old Navy? Nope, they own them too…
I just find it ironic that our society is so screwed up that people can’t even make metaphors about how bad it is because its so bad and so twisted, even those making the metaphors fall into traps of deception.
February 28th, 2005 at 3:42 pm