The Oscars awards last night . . . oh, the Oscars. Oh, dear.
The first salvo against Donald Trump was fired only a few minutes into the Oscars — and then they just kept on coming.
In what might be an unprecedented numbers of jokes, allusions, and sincere articulations inspired by a single person during an awards telecast, Hollywood’s most luminous tackled Trump and his policies during the the 89th annual Academy Awards. From host Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue, to the acceptance speeches, to those blue ribbons on tuxedo lapels, there were direct and indirect references to the 45th president throughout the ceremony.
. . .
(After that, of course, Trump was quickly forgotten amid the jaw-dropping chaos of Dunaway reading the wrong winner, but that’s a whole other story).
Sunday’s ceremony was expected to one of the most politicized in memory given Hollywood largely standing in opposition to President Trump and his policies.
There's more at the link.
I'm afraid the mass display of groupthink last night (or, given the very well publicized proclivities of many Hollywood denizens, perhaps that should be 'gropethink'?) left me cold. I have no problem at all with people holding their own political opinions, whether or not those happen to coincide with my own. I have no problem with them expressing those opinions in appropriate fora . . . but the Oscars are supposed to be the pinnacle of recognition for US cinematic art and related fields. They are not supposed to be a political party rally - but last night, they may as well have been.
I suppose this is yet another example of the echo chamber effect. The stars and their coteries last night are surrounded (or, rather, they surround themselves) with sycophants who echo their opinions. That's how things work out there. They never come into contact with the rest of us, the 'great unwashed', the 'deplorables'. They completely ignore the fact that it's the 'unwashed', the 'deplorables', who voted the present administration into office. They don't see that as being in any way important compared to the importance, nay, the sanctity, of their different views.
I'm left shaking my head at their moral, intellectual and mental blindness. It seems almost inhuman in its robotic lockstep political perspective . . . but then, as my friend Jennifer observed several years ago, it may not be a human characteristic after all.
Dear Hollywood celebrities,
You exist for my entertainment. Some of you are great eye candy. Some of you can deliver a line with such conviction that you bring tears to my eyes. Some of you can scare the crap out of me. Others make me laugh. But you all have one thing in common, you only have a place in my world to entertain me. That’s it.
. . .
I don’t really care where you stand on issues. Honestly, your stance matters far less to me than that of my neighbor. You see, you aren’t real. I turn off my TV or shut down my computer and you cease to exist in my world. Once I am done with you, I can put you back in your little box until I want you to entertain me again.
. . .
I’m supposed to care what the director of fluffy tripe made for gullible people thinks of those who realize global warming is a scam? Get back into your bubble. I’ll let you know when I’m in the mood for something blue and shiny.
Make me laugh, or cry. Scare me. But realize that the only words of yours that matter are scripted. I might agree with some of you from time to time, but it doesn’t matter. In my world, you exist solely for my entertainment.
So, shut your pie hole and dance, monkey!
Again, more at the link. (BTW, her words have been plagiarized many times by others. If you see any reference to Hollywood stars as dancing monkeys, the odds are pretty good that whoever's saying it is, to a greater or lesser extent, copying Jennifer - very often word-for-word.)
Performing monkeys. Dancing monkeys. I think that just about sums it up, for most of us. As for the 'flinging poo' part - the vituperation directed against those with different views - well, that's pretty much a characteristic of the breed, isn't it?
Peter
My take? They had the Oscars last night?? Wow, and I missed it..... NOT. Dancing monkeys is right. Yawn.
ReplyDeleteDidn't watch either. But that "wrong envelope" thing? Clearly was the work of the Russians.
ReplyDeleteYup. Left 'em all sittin' in the box last night. Put on some classical music and re-loaded some 30-06.
ReplyDeleteI missed the Oscars this year. My intent is to miss them next year as well.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see a few examples of truly deplorable, morally bankrupt human beings, just watch the Oscar Awards. You'll see plenty.
Actors and actresses are meat puppets, nothing more, tools to be uses by the writers and directors to convey a story on screen.
ReplyDeleteTheir status as celebrity gives them a soap box denied we common folk, but almost invariably their self important image of themselves means that three words in no one of any sense wants to listen to whatever blather them might spew forth.
Knew the awards were on, did not even surf over for a look as I knew with no doubt whatsoever what their primary topic would be.
There have been a few actors (and actresses) whose intelligence and interest have lead them to hold political opinions I feel I must respect. Ronald Reagan, Charlton Heston, and Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart spring to mind. Most of the Hollyweird Brigade are vapid little idiots who's politics reflect their proximity to the city Mencken called "Los Angeles The Damned".
ReplyDeleteI don't STOP watching an actor I like because (s)he is a political imbecile; that would be giving their opinions too much weight. I avoid Jane Fonda films not because she's a traitorous little twunt, but because I have never seen any indication that she can act he way out of a wet paper bag.
I don't necessarily agree with her politics, but Mayim Bialik clearly has a functional brain.
ReplyDelete"Hollywood's most luminous tackled Trump and his policies ..."
ReplyDeleteSo Donald Trump won the Oscars last night.
OUTSTANDING.
There's this guy in El Lay who's getting it right:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/la-street-artist-targets-oscars-mocking-posters-hollywood-highland-979443
Let's give it up for Sabo's Redbox modification that speaks truth to Hollywood:
http://truthfeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sabo03.jpg
But seriously, you watch this Oscars stuff?
I can't speak to all actors but my observations while doing security for a couple of Hollywood productions definitely gave me the impression that these people live in their own weird little world and with some notable exceptions actors are dumb as dirt. Some of them are quite good at acting/lying for a living but damn they're dumb. Now some of the technical people are as normal as anyone else you'd meet and their job is just a regular job albeit with weird people in a weird world which has little in common with the one the rest of us live in. Get some drinks in the crew, the sound guys, production assistants, lighting and camera guys, craft services etc. and they'll start spilling about just how screwed up and detestable the majority of actors, directors, producers, studio heads etc are. *Cough*pederasts*cough*
ReplyDeleteYes, they're dancing monkeys, but who do you think they dance for? Each other? There is a huge market for consumption of celebrity. It doesn't have to be original or creative, it just has to keep going. How long ago did Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt break up? Yet there's at least one magazine covering their secret relationship. I know this because I have to go to the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteWho do they dance for? They dance for us. We don't want them to stop. We don't even care if they do stop, because the magazines will keep churning out innuendo and rumors on long-dead people (Look for the latest revelations about Liza Minelli or Natalie Wood). They continue to dance even after death! So if they hold political views, it's just more dancing. Blame the lady in front of you in the Express lane who just tossed that glossy in her cart.
We could boycott them, of course, not pay to see their movies. But they dance because we demand it. The same people who voted for Trump go see those movies, watch that television, buy the albums (and sports jerseys, but that's a different rant), and it's like eating candy or snorting cocaine--it's there to be consumed and enjoyed. Sure, some of them--okay, a lot of them--take it really seriously, but was it Barnum that said something about never losing money underestimating the intelligence of the public?
I have actors and directors I like, and I go see them, and I enjoy it. Personally I think Melissa McCarthy is hysterical, and her parody of Spicer had me ROLLING. but that doesn't make her anything more relevant than a talented comedienne. It's entertainment, that's all.
Antibubba
Why would anyone "depend on" the viewpoints of celebrities when deciding what to think?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't anyone have a mind of their own to use?
Maybe out of curiosity one might want to know what so-and-so thinks of this-and-that, but any one person's viewpoints and opinions are always subjective at best.