My favorite part of the Academy Awards are these Oscar-clinking pictures of the beaming winners…
They always capture a moment of pure unadulterated joy.
Here’s another one I kept from a few years back. Different year, same Day Lewis.
See what I mean?
Don’t you want to know what the shared joke was? Or just be part of that group?
I sure do.
Despite all the cynicism thrown at the Oscars, they are still the highest honor and absolute pinnacle of accomplishment for people who make movies all over the world. The winners are in a very exclusive club. They did a scientific study and found it’s a thrill that can literally extend your lifespan.
Call me a sentimentalist, but that’s the part of the Oscars that I like.
I don’t have much to say about the ceremony itself. As a show, it was far from the best I’ve seen, but it wasn’t the worst either. (That would be the one where they handed out trophies in the AISLES – remember that shit?) But if the Oscars have become an honored annual tradition, so has the inevitable Tearing-Apart-Of-The-Oscars the day after, and unfortunately the 2013 edition was more apehshit than ever.
Granted, there was a lot for critics to feed on. Seth MacFarlane only hit about 40% of his jokes at best and some of them were needlessly “edgy”, even harsh. His opening bit with Shatner felt interminable. The banter between all the presenters was the lamest it’s been in years. Shirley Bassey delivered diva-style, but Adele and Streisand put in listless performances. The Bond montage was boring. And WTF moments abounded: A tribute to CHICAGO and DREAMGIRLS?? The playing-off of a Visual Effects winner with the JAWS theme? Michelle Obama presenting Best Picture from the White House??
But every Oscars has weird moments and jokes that flop…
What seemed to ignite the twitterverse this year and felt new to me was this exaggerated outrage at the un-PCness of MacFarlane’s jokes. They accused him of sexism, racism, anti-semitism and any other -ism they could think of. Like I say, his jokes were more cringeworthy than funny, but I don’t think they were truly hateful or offensive. People’s ability to make a fuss out of nothing is reaching epidemic proportions with social media these days. It never occurred to me the silly dance number “We Saw Your Boobs” would be a big deal. But humorless prudes popped up everywhere acting as if MacFarlane had crossed a red line of misogyny – even though three of the actresses spoofed played a part in the joke.
I’m genuinely worried we are losing our ability to laugh at ourselves.
That’s why Jennifer Lawrence is so refreshing…
Whether she’s falling down and not giving a damn…
Or flipping off a bank of international photographers, and…not giving a damn.
She knows not to take any of this too seriously. Least of all herself.
Her win was the highlight for me. She’s adorable and sexy and enthusiastic and grounded, and she has a talent way beyond her 22 years. I get excited about the Oscars – even in a mediocre year of film like this – because of winners like her. You want them to win for all the right reasons. And the promise she represents is there will always fresh blood coming up in Hollywood making the movies vibrant again.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the veteran Daniel Day Lewis – an absolute genius at his craft who continues to amaze us time after time, year after year, and earns every bit of acclaim he gets. And who, by the way, also seems to stay humble and keep it all in proper perspective as well.
As for the hosting job… On to the next martyr who wants to throw him/herself on a grenade.
Good luck finding someone who wants that thankless fucking job.
Loosen your sphincters, people.
–RR