Posted by Dan Ewert : 3/27/2003 01:21:00 AM (Archive Link)
You may have watched the Oscars on Sunday night. Never have they seemed so hallow. This was likely due in part to the war, but I can’t imagine that they would have been entertaining even in the war’s absence. Performances were flat and Steve Martin was awful. Bruce Villanch must have written most of those jokes because that wasn’t Martin’s schtick or timing at all. The monologue consisted of numerous disjointed jokes with no flow whatsoever. At any rate, when there’s real life and death fighting going on on the other side of the globe, it’s hard to watch a ceremony in which a ridiculous industry full of highly overpaid rich people pats itself on the back. Gosh, I always like to see people honor themselves.

Fortunately, there weren’t too many anti-war outbursts. Susan Sarandon restricted her protest to self-righteously flashing a two-fingered peace sign before taking the podium. Honestly, that was probably more annoying than anything else. The gentleman introducing the nominated song from Frida opined that if Frida Kahlo were alive today, she would be “on our side, against war.” Good to know, but unless Frida was God, and she wasn’t, her opinion matters no more to me than the rest of them. I also think the verbiage is very telling, “our side.” It implies you’re not a good Hollywood celebrity if you support the war.

There was Michael Moore, of course, with his absurd outburst. He was obviously preaching to the choir on that one. It’s amusing that he complained about fictitious this and that considering that his “documentaries” have always played fast and loose with the truth. The thunderous standing ovation he initially received for his win also illustrates the utter hypocrisy present in that town. Moore won for his film that was anti-gun and anti-violence. Don’t forget that many a movie has made many a dollar based upon guns and the glorification of violence.

Adrian Brody’s speech was interesting. He stated how his experience filming The Pianist helped him realize the horrors of war and that’s why peace is good. This goes far to show another fallacy on the left. They believe wars are all bad and exist in some sort of vacuum. If nothing else, The Pianist, about a gifted young man caught up in the horrors of the holocaust, shows what happens when early action isn’t taken. The evils portrayed against the Jews in the movie wouldn’t have taken place had the international community lived up to its responsibilities and its words during Germany’s military build-up. World War II was a direct result of stunning inaction in the face of aggressive evil. It’s a perfect illustration for the justness of the present conflict in Iraq. It’s a shame that Hollywood liberals are incapable of seeing that.