Chicago: Smell the Glove

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I tend to agree with Nick. For the most part, at best, they're pretty faces.

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:49 (twenty years ago)

An ugly face couldn't do a better job directing Good Night and Good Luck.

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:50 (twenty years ago)

I don't know why people complain about the length of the speeches, I almost always find them pretty entertaining. Except when they're just thanking a string of names that don't mean anything, that can be kinda annoying, yeah. But there was far less of that this year than in years past. It strikes me that the people who want winners to just go up and say thanks and get off stage don't really love the Oscars. You don't have to watch it, you know.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:51 (twenty years ago)

True - where's the dignity in watching the Oscars? The most dignified thing to do is not watch. I was at Schubas with the FFs drummer, personally.

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:52 (twenty years ago)

Also, Eric OTM about Clooney. I dunno, I mean if the Oscars were like All Jessica Alba All the Time, then I could concede your point. But just because they're famous doesn't mean they're not talented.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:54 (twenty years ago)

I'm not saying they're not talented, I'm saying they're not artists.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:58 (twenty years ago)

FITE

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:59 (twenty years ago)

What the hell are they then? Are YOU an artist?

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:59 (twenty years ago)

I am the last one to argue about films, because I usually dislike them. But for the record:

I tend to agree with Nick. For the most part, at best, they're pretty faces.

-- Steely Df'nM (thedanmarti...), Today.

I have seen exactly zero of the films nominated for Best Picture (or, as far as I know, any other Oscar.) This is a consequence of a long, drawn-out embittering process I have undergone do to having parents that didn't love me (or loved me too much, depending on your opinion) and made me read books instead of going to the movies.

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:00 (twenty years ago)

do = due

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:00 (twenty years ago)

artist: one who professes and practices an imaginative art; a person skilled in one of the fine arts

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:01 (twenty years ago)

And obviously I'm being totally hyperbolic here. I just get annoyed with awards for art, it's the same problem I have with top ten lists: Everyone talks about how they're dumb and how art is subjective and you can't compare one piece of art to another ad infinitum but then EVERYONE DOES THEM. Just like EVERYONE SHOWS UP FOR THE STUPID AWARDS SHOW THAT HISTORICALLY AWARDS SOME OF THE WORST, LEAST RELEVANT MOVIES OF THE YEAR.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:02 (twenty years ago)

Word.

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:02 (twenty years ago)

Why did you watch them, Nick? Which of the nominees were the worst of the year?

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:03 (twenty years ago)

It's too bad that society is forcing awards shows and top ten lists on you. Can't walk down the street without having them pushed in your face.

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:04 (twenty years ago)

I mean (and I'm saying this all in a playfully argumentative mode), you showed up for them, right, Nick?

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:04 (twenty years ago)

Milwaukee was fun and a lot cooler than I expected. Still, it is no Chicago BUT IT'S TRYING.

John and Chris and Kenan made love last night. I went home.

― unclejessjess (unclejessjess), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:05 (twenty years ago)

Off the top of my head, Crash was the worst movie I saw this year.

And yes, I suppose I should avoid all entertainment-related media in the months of November and December.

I'm guessing that I would have turned the Oscars off after an hour or two if Kenan hadn't been at our house. I can say without defensiveness that 90 percent of why I watched was to see what Jon Stewart did.

Maybe I just feel about the Oscars like I think John feels about zombie movies: I have trouble understanding why people I respect attach any importance to them other than as something to make fun of.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:10 (twenty years ago)

I was being snide with my original comment. Essentially I don't think that art should be a competition, at least not in a first place, second place kind of way.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:12 (twenty years ago)

Well, you have to take something like the Oscars with a whole heap of salt. You know what they're about, you know they're not going to nominate something truly groundbreaking or whatever, but within that context, it can be kind of fun to predict what's going to happen and root for your favorites. And this year in particular, a lot of the films I liked were nominated -- Munich, Brokeback Mountain, and Capote were all in my personal top ten, and both Hoffman and Witherspoon were my favorite leading performances, too. So that actually made it interesting, too, unlike all of the Lord of the Rings years, for instance. Although as I said above, I get into the Oscars for a whole lot of other reasons, too.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:12 (twenty years ago)

I interrupted, I'm sorry.

― unclejessjess (unclejessjess), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:18 (twenty years ago)

Also, Nick, doesn't it seem like a lot of the actors and actresses really disavow the whole competitive aspect of it, taking pains to praise their fellow nominees and all of that? Or do you think that that's disingenuous? Like if they really believed it, they would take a stand and not accept the award at all?

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:19 (twenty years ago)

(And if you can't stay away from the awards show as an audience member, whether because of peer pressure or watching John Stewart or whatever, would you really skip the Oscars if, say, you make a film score on a fluke and got nominated for Best Original Score?)

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:21 (twenty years ago)

jesse, i hope you're feeling that german-mexican-boy-gay-adventist-beer drinking guilt right about now.

― Sweet Tater (kelstarry), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:22 (twenty years ago)

Wow Nick, you're never going to be able to go pick up your Oscar now. Just like I'll never be president.

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:23 (twenty years ago)

i tend to see the oscars not as a 'first place/second place' competition of sorts, but more of an acknowledgement for a job well done. i suppose this is in line with what john just said, but i'm a bit behind the times.

― Sweet Tater (kelstarry), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:24 (twenty years ago)

I have some more Oscar thoughts on the Stylus blog right now (www.stylusmagazine.com/turntable).

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:25 (twenty years ago)

Let's go back to a time when this board was about praising me by saying how much more fun things are when I'm there and how I'm great to have around and stuff.

Here, I'll start: Milwaukee was 10 times better when I entered the city limits!

OK, now you try.

― unclejessjess (unclejessjess), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:32 (twenty years ago)

http://www.mikeserieys.co.uk/blog/images/attention_whore.jpg

Sorry, I had to :)

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:35 (twenty years ago)

haha

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:37 (twenty years ago)

(she's hot)

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:38 (twenty years ago)

Haha, you're having an ILX backlash already.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:42 (twenty years ago)

Oh I'm not trying to be mean, I hope it wasn't taken that way!

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:44 (twenty years ago)

YOU CAN ALL GO TO HELL.

― unclejessjess (unclejessjess), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:00 (twenty years ago)

Just kidding! Please still love me....

― unclejessjess (unclejessjess), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:01 (twenty years ago)

You should've come over to my house last night, Jesse.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:06 (twenty years ago)

1. If you "have to take the Oscars with a whole heap of salt," then why are you guys on my case for saying that they are dumb and meaningless? Isn't this roughly saying the same thing?

2. (And if you can't stay away from the awards show as an audience member, whether because of peer pressure or watching John Stewart or whatever, would you really skip the Oscars if, say, you make a film score on a fluke and got nominated for Best Original Score?)

-- Eazy (chicagoflaneu...), March 6th, 2006 3:21 PM. (Eazy) (later)

a. I COULD stay away from it as an audience member, I just didn't this year. I hadn't watched more than 10 minutes of an awards show since I don't know how long, until yesterday.
b. There's a pretty big difference in validation between watching something on TV and showing up and accepting an award. Am I supposed to vote for Bush if I watched the State of the Union address?

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:12 (twenty years ago)

I.e., being an audience member doesn't equal approval. Think of all the shitty bands you've seen in your life.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:13 (twenty years ago)

hi. i don't feel like doing any more work & i don't know what to make for dinner.

has anyone tried those veggie 'meal starter' things by morningstar farms? i bought the fake steak ones.

― Sweet Tater (kelstarry), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

John, why should I have come over? What happened? I think I was not down with what seemed to be about to happen (you and a certain someone getting bizzy).

― unclejessjess (unclejessjess), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:18 (twenty years ago)

That's some gossip right thar!

― Sweet Tater (kelstarry), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:27 (twenty years ago)

If you "have to take the Oscars with a whole heap of salt," then why are you guys on my case for saying that they are dumb and meaningless? Isn't this roughly saying the same thing?

No, because there are different levels of meaningfulness. I don't expect the Oscars to always represent the very best achievements in the cinematic arts -- for one, because the Oscars have their own implicit agenda that precludes them from recognizing smaller independent films, foreign films, etc., and for another, because art is subjective, blah blah blah.

But the Oscars are about more than that. I mean, I really liken it to following a political campaign. You could be cynical from the get-go and say, well, no progressive candidates are ever going to run on the national Democratic ticket again, so who cares? But I really like all of the machinations behind it, seeing how certain contests play out, watching a candidate's chances rise and fall with public opinion. And occasionally there's someone like Howard Dean or whomever that you might genuinely get excited about, even if he's not your total dream candidate.

Plus, it's not dumb because it's fun. There's a whole history of the awards that's compelling: one of the first things I did this morning was research what the last Best Picture winner to score as few total wins as Crash was -- which obviously appeals to the stats geek in me (also see baseball, baby names, pop charts). But the show itself is also frequently funny and entertaining -- and if all you're doing is watching it to make fun of celebrities, then I don't know, in some ways, that's worth it alone.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

Zombie gossip?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

I am going to keep mum on what Jesse is referring to, except to say that nothing really happened.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:30 (twenty years ago)

First base?

― Eazy (Eazy), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:31 (twenty years ago)

Keep you lips sealed, John. Just like you did LAST NIGHT!

― unclejessjess (unclejessjess), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:36 (twenty years ago)

Petting, over clothes

― Steely Df'nM (OutDatWay), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:46 (twenty years ago)

ILseX

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:47 (twenty years ago)

No touching.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:47 (twenty years ago)

cyber?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 March 2006 22:48 (twenty years ago)

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