Humor at the Oscars: Where Was It?

by Eric Blume

ABC/Art Streiber

My Oscar assignment for the site was to do a review of the show's hosts (Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall) and cover the evening's best jokes.  But the next day, it's difficult-come-impossible to do such a thing, because there really was little to no humor in the show! In fact, the evening drove into such an abyss of darkness that it was actually full-on depressing.  What can one say about a program that is meant to honor the highest artistic achievements of the craft, when there is no attention given to art, achievement, or craft?

I will do my best to quickly execute my given assignment nonetheless. There were jokes in there somewhere...

Click to read more ...

Who was best dressed? Supporting Actress Edition

Our Best Supporting Actress obsesssion manifests itself in our longest running series, the Smackdown. But we've already covered this season's battle. Kirsten Dunst won the Smackdown but it was Ariana DeBose who took the Oscar as expected? (Wasn't her speech beautiful?) Now who gets your vote for Best Supporting Actress Best Dressed? You know you want to vote! Comments welcome, too. Why'd you choose which gown? 

online polls

Ranking the Oscar Clips

By Ben Miller

We're back, baby! After the Academy made the terrible decision to showcase the 2020 acting nominees without utilizing clips, the one good decision was to bring them back for the 94th Academy Awards honoring the films of 2021.  So let's over-analyze it to death.  Let’s get it!

You went with that?

Click to read more ...

94th Academy Awards in Review: Slaps, Tears, and Confusion. "And the Oscar goes to... Mixed Messaging"

by Nathaniel R

Nicole reacts... to what? I was sent this image but it applies to the whole show really

"What just happened?" the question ricocheted across the room at our Oscar party last night. We weren't yet drunk enough to have lost the thread but confusion reigned.

Having cut the cords years ago we were watching the Oscars via the "live TV" on Hulu, putting us at the mercy of not just ABC and Hulu but a temperamental 5G internet connection in Bedstuy, Brooklyn. We heard Chris Rock making a pretty low G.I. Jane joke at Jada Pinkett-Smith's expense (we were already aware that she lost her hair due to Alopecia and how could Rock not be aware of that?) When Smith lept on stage and approached Chris Rock with what looked like aggression we knew something was up. But wait, is this a comic bit? Smith was laughing seconds earlier. Abruptly, true story, our screen-mirror connection cut out and the menu screen appeared. When we restored the connection a few seconds later, Chris Rock was doing his presenting job (the category now forgotten) but he looked and sounded a bit rattled. We missed the whole verbal exchange too. "What just happened?" No one in the room had the answer.

But dear reader, the booze kept flowing, the pizza (sans licorice) and fried chicken (in honor of The Power of the Dog) kept being devoured, and the Oscars kept "going to"...

Click to read more ...

Toxic Masculinity at the Oscars

by Deborah Lipp

the initial reaction to Rock's joke. Will laughs and Jada clenches her teeth.

The best director Oscar went to a woman for only the third time in history. It went to the only woman who was ever nominated twice. It went to Jane Campion for making a movie about the destructive power of toxic masculinity.

The elephant in the room, given that prize, was Will Smith’s toxic behavior. In case anyone was wondering if the patriarchy is at risk of being overthrown, there’s Smith assaulting someone on stage, in view of millions, and then moments later being applauded for a speech in which he declares he is all about love. He was not stopped, or escorted from the room, and he will face no consequences...

Click to read more ...