The Oscars Must Die

Don't cancel the Oscars - and give the winners MORE time to thank whomever they wish. They've earned the right. This is part of what gives us the surprises - it's non-scripted. Personally, it reminds me that people in the film industry are human - they have families and friends and work hard at their craft. Every person has his/her preferences - some like the Super Bowl, some like the Oscars. Watch what you want. I think the Super Bowl is boring but I don't think it should be cancelled. Some things are just part of our culture.

The one thing I hate about the Oscars is giving, people that make millions of dollars, gifts that could be better spent on the homeless, out of work, or un-insured. There has to be something wrong with our society when someone gives a gift worth over $40,000 to a group of people that have way too much of everything anway!

The Oscars are for film lovers. They don't need to be shortened anymore than the Super Bowl or any other sports telecast needs to be shortened. Members of the media keep bringing this subject up because they have nothing interesting to say about the actual nominated movies. They have not seen these movies because that requires some sort of attention span.

I hope that, after the strike is over, the usual annual televised event will return. It's only once a year, and while it may not be perfect, I enjoy at least listening to the host's opening monologue. After that, I simply continue to watch, until whatever point when the show ceases to entertain me; then, I either change the channel, or watch one of my DVD's. So, let the show go on!

PLEASE SPARE US THE OSCARS--THEY MEAN NOTHING--PURE EMPTY GLITZ--THE NAMES AND
FACES COULD BE SCROLLED DOWN-SCREEN DURING THE SUPER-BOWL OR A PRIMARY RETURN
NIGHT--BUT NOTDURING SUPER BOWL AD'S OR CRUCIAL DELEGATE COUNTS. AND NO ENDORSE
MENTS OF ANY CANDIDATE--THE "STARS" ARE POLITICALLY UN-CHALLENGED.

Personally, I love the Oscars, & watch the whole broadcast, 3 or 4 hours,
it is nice to see hard work rewarded, be it a famous actor or unknown technician,
because I love watching movies, grand & complex ones or simple & entertaining, as long as they are good productions,
Some hosts are good, others not so much, still I will watch, because the point is seeing the hopes of the nominated, the pleasure of the winner, & getting the chance to know about movies I have missed,

So, yes to the Oscars, & I hope the writers strike is resolved soon so we can have some decent shows.

Yeah, most of the films Hollywood produces are trash. The same can be said for a vast majority of the books that are published and the vast majority of the music produced. So what? That doesn't mean there aren't some great films being turned out, just as there are still great books being written and great songs being sung. I realize that film is an easy target, because a majority of the people in our society don't yet realize that it is an art form and not just some disposable entertainment (due to their own refusal to watch anything other than what opens at no less than 3000 theaters, and their presupposed notions that all those "art films" in limited release are boring and "how dare film actually try to do anything other than provide me with mindless entertainment! What an affront to mine and all my neighbor's closeminded views of film and art!") - but it's no more reasonable to call for the downfall of Hollywood (or worldwide film production) than it is to call for the downfall of the publishing industry or the music industry (or the fine art industry or whatever else.) It's fine that many people aren't interested in watching many of the smarter films produced, and that they would rather see "National Treasure 2" or "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" than "There Will Be Blood" or some boring-shmoring documentary film - you know, we want to "escape the world for a few hours, not actually have our brain stimulated" - but that doesn't mean there aren't more worthwhile things being produced than what they're willing to watch. There are some very smart people in Hollywood (and if you'll notice, the Academy generally doesn't give awards to the really, really dumb ones like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears.)

I'm not saying the Academy Awards are the ultimate judge of filmic quality - they aren't. But the films they reward are several steps above the stuff the majority moviegoers reward with their hard-earned dollars (and then those people complain that the Oscars always choose films that "nobody watches" - which just isn't true. They generally just choose films that are actually good, and therefore have less appeal to mass audiences.) Yeah, it's true, the Academy Awards are slightly silly (but couldn't you say the same for the literature and Broadway and music awards?), but that doesn't mean the awards they give are undeserved (though sometimes they are.) And at least they recognize that there is slightly more to films than just the actors, which all the people here whining about the "celebrity culture" and so on and so forth don't seem to realize, as they mindlessly declare the uselessness of the technical awards, wondering "who on Earth cares who wins 'Best Editing' or whatnot?" (hint: I do.)

On a final note, I'd ask that people stop proclaiming their ignorance of film and art in general as if it were some sort of virtue.

At last, somebody agrees with me. I thought I was the only person in the world who thought the Awards were boring. I have never been able to see the attraction of wasting 3 hours watching a bunch of people I don't know and don't care about patting each other on the back. Ho Hum. About half of the nominees are so drunk or so drugged up that they can barely stumble up the aisle to the stage to give their phony cliched "thank the entire world" speech. As for merit? Well, I don't know about that. Merit is what the power core of the In Crowd of the Academy says it is, which means it is what appeals to them, what their tastes are. Nobody asked me what I liked, and I bet they didn't ask you either. And I suspect that if the nominee hadn't sucked up sufficiently to the in crowd in the year before the Awards, they wouldn't win no matter how good their picture was. And even if a movie I liked won, so what? I wouldn't get any residuals or commissions, my salary would be the same. As for the dresses, maybe if you watched the actual Awards, which I haven't in years, you might see some pretty dresses, but the ones I see on TV and the internet in the days following the awards -- well, all I can say is I hope those actresses didn't pay good money for them. But if that is what you like and what you find entertaining, well then go for it and enjoy the Awards. I am not threatened by that, and nobody should be threatened by the fact that I don't share their opinion and find the Awards boring. People are different and like different things. What's to get upset about? Still, it is nice to finally find somebody who agrees with me. Thanks for your article, Marc Peyser!

At last, somebody agrees with me. I thought I was the only person in the world who thought the Awards were boring. I have never been able to see the attraction of wasting 3 hours of my time watching a bunch of people I don't know and don't care about patting each other on the back. About half of the nominees are so drunk or drugged up they can hardly stumble up to the stage to give the same old phony cliched "thank the entire world" speech. As for rewarding merit?? I don't know about that. Merit is what the power core of the In Crowd of the Academy says it is, which really means merit is what they like, what their tastes are. And I suspect that if the nominees hadn't sucked up to the In Crowd enough during the year, it wouldn't matter how good their picture was, they wouldn't win. Even if a movie I liked won, what difference would it make to me? My salary would still be the same, I wouldn't get any commissions or residuals, and it would still cost me the same price to get in the movie theatre. And the dresses and the bling, as for some of those outfits I see on TV and the internet in the days after the Awards, all I can say is I hope those stars didn't pay good money for them. Maybe if you watch the Awards, which I haven't in years, you might see some pretty dresses, I don't know. But if that is what somebody likes to watch and that is entertaining to them, well go for it and enjoy it. I'm not threatened by that. So don't be threatened because I don't share your enthusiasm for the Awards. People are different, and everybody doesn't like the same thing. I personally think they are a boring waste of time, but that's just me. Still, it's just nice to find somebody else who agrees with me. Loved your article, Marc Peyser!

At last, somebody agrees with me. I thought I was the only person in the world who thought the Awards were boring. I have never been able to see the attraction of wasting 3 hours of my time watching a bunch of people I don't know and don't care about patting each other on the back. About half of the nominees are so drunk or drugged up they can hardly stumble up to the stage to give the same old phony cliched "thank the entire world" speech. As for rewarding merit?? I don't know about that. Merit is what the power core of the In Crowd of the Academy says it is, which really means merit is what they like, what their tastes are. And I suspect that if the nominees hadn't sucked up to the In Crowd enough during the year, it wouldn't matter how good their picture was, they wouldn't win. Even if a movie I liked won, what difference would it make to me? My salary would still be the same, I wouldn't get any commissions or residuals, and it would still cost me the same price to get in the movie theatre. And the dresses and the bling, as for some of those outfits I see on TV and the internet in the days after the Awards, all I can say is I hope those stars didn't pay good money for them. Maybe if you watch the Awards, which I haven't in years, you might see some pretty dresses, I don't know. But if that is what somebody likes to watch and that is entertaining to them, well go for it and enjoy it. I'm not threatened by that. So don't be threatened because I don't share your enthusiasm for the Awards. People are different, and everybody doesn't like the same thing. I personally think they are a boring waste of time, but that's just me. Still, it's just nice to find somebody else who agrees with me. Loved your article, Marc Peyser!

There is a history to this grand event. It is the benchmark that many ladies and gentlemen in the entertainment industry aspire to reaching. Just as the writer that finally makes the front page (or maybe an article with Newsweek), or the lawyer that becomes a partner in her firm, we are all working towards something greater. Tell me that your family would not treat you to a celebratory dinner after landing a big promotion (I bet you scored a little TGIFridays action with this one!)? Friends and business associates wouldn't shake your hand, and offer a pat on the back, for a job well-done? Heck, aren't there even banquet ceremonies for a lot of these "daily grind???-type of jobs? We are all guilty of experiencing a slice of ego-stroking on occasion. I conclude that it must be lack of television coverage that is inspiring these ridiculous temper tantrums from whining pseudo-intellectuals (Read: Why do animated shorts get all the play?). Press on about how YOU haven't sold out to the Hollywood hype...because in a world where the rest of us have to worry about little Johnny getting fondled by his teacher, terrorist attacks, and global warming, I, for one, am pretty excited to turn off the news and get into something a bit lighter ??? even if it has to be more serious than toilet humor ala Bill Maher.

Marc Peyser likes Bill Maher. his column told me so long before he told me himself on page 2. Out of the millions of people he could have referenced he picks Bill Maher. I am a f-ing genius. and Marc Peyser is a F-ing idiot.

As I was reading this column I began to think, I'll bet this idiot likes Bill Maher. lo and behold who does he reference on the 2nd page...... need I say more?

As I was reading this column I started to think, I'll bet this idiot likes Bill Maher. lo and behold. Need I say more?

Start off with Best Picture First, Then Best Actress, actor, screenplay...Do the show backwards, that's what makes it seem so long, if you want to watch the rest, ok go ahead...
But these are people we should celebrate, because they have the guts to live our dreams over and over.

Tom