I’m headed to Los Angeles this weekend — for work, of course. But my hotel is located right next door to the Grammy Awards venue.
I know, right?
Another red carpet, another round of celebrity self-congratulations. And as the Academy Awards draw ever nearer, I have to say — this year’s awards season seems even more shallow than usual. The nominees, the producers, the directors, and even the Oscar voters, I dare say, have abandoned even the appearance of giving out the statutes based on quality.
You just gotta be popular.
Producers always run elaborate pre-Oscar marketing campaigns for movies and their stars, but this year, even the actors are purchasing full-page ads in industry publications ‘for your consideration.’
Case in point: Melissa Leo, Best Supporting Actress nominee for her gritty performance in “The Fighter,” (which has already garnered her three other trophies).
Chillax, Melissa. You’ve been considered. And shee-shee pics like these may swing opinion in the other direction.
The popularity of the leading actors in The King’s Speech is also one of the main reasons it has of late pulled ahead of The Social Network in the awards race — not because Speech is a better film. (It’s not.) This became especially clear during the SAG Awards telecast.
When the casts of both movies appeared on stage during the show, the good feelings that washed over the cast of The King’s Speech were palpable…. whereas the young entourage from The Social Network was prickly, awkward and off-putting.
Heck, I wanted TSN to win, and I didn’t like their attitude that night much either. But I would hope — if I had the opportunity to vote for any of the awards — that I could separate my personal feelings about any of the nominees from their work in the films.
If the Oscars are going to mean anything now and in the future, the voting community has to man up, act like adults and vote based on the quality of the filmmaking…not just ‘who’s their buddy.’
But then again, maybe none of them are that good of actors.
The Sticky Egg 
Fair warning
Weeks before the 2011 Academy Awards hit the air, the producers warned everyone in pre-show interviews that their young hosts weren’t comedians, so we shouldn’t expect jokes.
Anne and James weren’t bringing the funny.
Anne did bring an overly energetic brightness to the stage that became grating. Her big number went well, but I’m sure Hugh Jackman is even happier today that he dodged that bullet.
James, on the other hand, was quiet and appeared stoned. He even had trouble reading the teleprompter. (Hey, it’s a skill not all people can master.) I think he regretted taking job #1,714 as soon as he stepped on stage, and his partnership with perky Anne even more so.
Oil and water, those two.
It made me even more grateful for the moments to come in the Oscar acceptance speeches.
Moments of wonderful self-deprecation from Best Actor winner Colin Firth:
“I have a feeling my career’s just peaked.”
“Oh, I should have got a haircut!”
Entertaining shout-outs to family members, including Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network:
“Roxy Sorkin, your father just won the Academy Award, I’m going to insist on some respect from your guinea pig.”
…and Tom Hooper, giving credit to his mother for finding The King’s Speech during his Best Director Oscar acceptance:
“The moral of the story is, listen to your mother.”
“My father always said to me I would be a late bloomer. I believe I am the oldest person to win this particular award. I hope that record is broken quickly and often.”
Now, that’s what we needed to hear.
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Posted in Academy Awards, Celebrities, Comedy, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies, Oscars, Television
Tagged Aaron Sorkin, Academy Awards, Academy Awards hosts, Anne Hathaway, celebrities, Colin Firth, comedians, commentary, David Seidler, entertainment, God of Love film, Hugh Jackman, Humor, James Franco, jokes, late bloomer, life, Luke Matheny, Movies, NYU, Oscar Awards, Oscar Best Live Action Short Film, Oscar hosts, Oscar speeches, Oscars, Roxy Sorkin, Roxy Sorkin guinea pig, sticky egg, Television, The King's Speech film, The Social Network film, Tom Hooper