IDT anyone is saying they should nominate all blockbusters, but having a mix of commercially successful movies and the "artistic films" that make Hollywood feel superior is probably best.

Personally the last Oscar telecast I watched in full was the one when "Shakespeare in Love" beat "Saving Private Ryan" - that outcome being ridiculous, IMO. If a film comes along I care about then I'll probably watch again, but until that time I'll ignore it.

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Originally posted by xwiseguyx:
The problem with the Oscars is not necessarily that they are bad indicators of quality, but rather,they dismiss a lot of movies that are of good quality just because they are not an elitest fare. Otherwise, we would have seen one of the Harry Potter flicks get an appropriate nomination.

Last year, I recall that Little Miss Sunshine was up for Best Picture. I saw that and while mildly entertaining, it was hardly a masterpiece of cinema. It's evident that something is wrong with the process for nominating the most Oscar worthy movies.

For the Harry Potter movies, the first one wasn't very good at all, and sequels rarely get awards.

What the Oscars like best is a critically praised movie that is also a commercial triumph. Look at the shower of Oscars for Titanic or Lord of the Rings - not all of them deserved.

But such movies don't exist every year, then it is better to reward great films (as long as they didn't completely bomb in theaters).

Juno isn't commercially successful?

It's probably going to end up grossing between 140 and 150mil in North America alone--and its production budget was around 2.5mil.

In fact, all the nominated films were financially successful. Were any of them enormous blockbuster summer movie tentpoles? No, and you know why that is? Because the enormous blockbuster summer movie tentpoles were a bunch of juvenile CGI-dependent crapfests.

They'd have LOVED to get a few big movies in there, but nothing passed the smell test this year. It was all remakes and sequels and remakes of sequels, and nothing that could even pretend to have anything remotely resembling artistic vision--even of the rather strained and unconvincing variety one sees in the recent efforts of Peter Jackson or Stephen Spielberg.

I mean, were they supposed to give Michael Bay a best director nod for Transformers? Sheesh, all he did was direct traffic on the set.

There's a lot of pretentiousness and navelgazing inherent in the kind of artsy movies Oscar loves, sure. And maybe that turns people off, but frankly the reason the ratings are down has nothing to do with the movies being nominated. Hell, the announcement of the winners takes up a small fraction of the broadcast. And the ratings have gone down consistently--including in those years when films like Return of the King were nominated, and WON.

So ultimately the problem is that the broadcast itself is increasingly painful and boring to watch. And that people are less interested in mainstream entertainment these days, and have more options--same problem as with the TV ratings.

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Originally posted by pisher:
I make fun of bad television shows. I correct the bad spelling and grammar of people who have the nerve to question my intelligence while defacing the English language. Oh and I abbreviated somebody's board name here, and got accused of Anti-Italian bias.

I don't call successful female screenwriters 'whores' on the basis of their having made a living as strippers for a short time. I mean, that's not even TECHNICALLY correct, Riff. Sheesh, how frustrated and emasculated do you have to feel to throw words like that around?

There's plenty of whores making it big in Hollywood--most of them are men, and have far more power than Cody ever will. She wrote something she believed in and sold it. I may not think it's genius, but I won't use the misogynist's equivalent of The N-Word to attack her for having the nerve to achieve something in a male-dominated industry, after working her way up from a less prestigious arm of showbiz.

Never took you for a prude. An unfunny poseur, sure. But not a moralist. How precious.

Me me me me me me me.

You make fun of bad television shows. I make fun of bad Oscar shows. You correct the bad spelling and grammar of people who have the nerve to question your "intelligence" while defacing the English language. I'm above spelling and grammar lames so I let it slide when you typed "villain" as "villian." You abbreviated somebody's board name here, and got accused of Anti-Italian bias. I defended you.

Diablo is a whore according to wikipedia. That's good enough for me. After all, wikipedia is the utmost authority on all things whorish. Am I offended by the fact that the voters gave an Oscar to a ex-whore? No, I'm offended by the fact that they gave an Oscar to a bad writer! She might as well go back to the stripper pole, because, hey, everybody has one thing they're good at. In your case, it's being the forum equivalent of Dick Donato.

And the misogynist's equivalent of the N-word? Why would I need an equivalent? I thought I was a racist?

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Me me me me me me me.

(waits politely for Riff to finish his theme song)

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You make fun of bad television shows. I make fun of bad Oscar shows.

Well, you TRY.

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You correct the bad spelling and grammar of people who have the nerve to question your "intelligence" while defacing the English language.

You just copy/paste what I wrote and change the pronouns. Hey, at least it makes it less likely you'll misspell something.

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I'm above spelling and grammar lames

(waits politely for Riff to prove this isn't true)

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so I let it slide when you typed "villain" as "villian."

Thanks very much for correcting me. I shall try to avoid that mistake in future. Frustrating, aren't I?

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You abbreviated somebody's board name here, and got accused of Anti-Italian bias. I defended you.

I didn't need defending, because Marc isn't an idiot, and I don't get the vapors when people on message boards don't like me. Do I give the impression I post with an eye towards popularity?

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Diablo is a whore according to wikipedia.

She's a former stripper and phone sex operator according to Wikipedia, and to you that's the same thing, apparently.

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That's good enough for me.

But you're not good enough for any woman, which is why you don't like them.

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After all, wikipedia is the utmost authority on all things whorish.

Wikipedia isn't an authority on anything--it just quotes and paraphrases authorities. And makes a point of reminding people of this.

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Am I offended by the fact that the voters gave an Oscar to a ex-whore?

Judging by the fact that you keep calling someone who is not reported to have engaged in sexual intercourse for money a 'whore', when what you mean is that she took off her clothes in public for money, as many women (and a fair few men) have done, I'd have to say the answer to that is pretty obvious.

An awful lot of male directors, writers, producers and actors in Hollywood have slept with actual call girls. When they win all sorts of awards, do you accuse the industry of rewarding Johns?

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No, I'm offended by the fact that they gave an Oscar to a bad writer!

And that's NEVER happened before.

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She might as well go back to the stripper pole, because, hey, everybody has one thing they're good at.

That's not invariably true, and I'm talking to living proof of that.

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In your case, it's being the forum equivalent of Dick Donato.

Am I supposed to Google that?

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And the misogynist's equivalent of the N-word?

Yep. Calling a woman a whore because she hasn't lived an impeccably chaste lifestyle--but not using the same word to refer to all the very promiscuous men who have won the same award--well, what would you call it?

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Why would I need an equivalent? Aren't I a racist? You keep saying it, so it must be true.

And the opposite can be said of you.

Coming to a forum near you: Attack of the Killer Egos...

I came down with a severe case of writer's block while trying to compose a comeback to this pointless and counterpointless, so I decided to enlist the aid of America's favorite stripper turned screenwriter turned Oscar winner, Diablo Cody, to help me out.

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Originally posted by pisher:
(waits politely for Riff to finish his theme song)

OMG! Like, I totally know this girl who's, like, so totally in love with herself, you know? Like, friggin' gag me, alright? And she TOTALLY would, like, have her own theme song and stuff. You know?

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Well, you TRY.

Like, oh my God, that totally reminds me of this time I was like in, you know, Mr. Wilson's class and he, like, told me, You, like, failed. And I'm, like, get out! I, like, failed? How could I, like, fail? I TOTALLY tried and stuff! Like, what a dweeb!

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You just copy/paste what I wrote and change the pronouns. Hey, at least it makes it less likely you'll misspell something.

Oh, I know, right! Like, totally. Just... totally.

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(waits politely for Riff to prove this isn't true)

Oh my God, so like, you know, Mr. Wilson, that bufu teacher I was, like, telling you about and stuff? Like, last week, he totally tells me, Like, do you even know how to spell? And I was all, like, Uh, I know how to spell f and u. What a major bufu.

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Thanks very much for correcting me. I shall try to avoid that mistake in future. Frustrating, aren't I?

Like, OH MY GOD, I just, like, totally realized something AWESOME! Did you, like, know that if you, like, move all the, like, letters, like, in villain around and stuff, you get vanilla? VANILLA IS, LIKE, THE BEST ICE CREAM FLAVOR ON EARTH! Whoa, that's heavy!

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I didn't need defending, because Marc isn't an idiot, and I don't get the vapors when people on message boards don't like me. Do I give the impression I post with an eye towards popularity?

ZOMG, I know, totally, you know? I mean, just totally. Like when Marc friggin' gave you, like, a warning for making, like, racist comments. He was, like, totally on your side and stuff. Totally.

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She's a former stripper and phone sex operator according to Wikipedia, and to you that's the same thing, apparently.

Oh my God, like, did I tell you the time my ex-boyfriend -- he's such a MAJOR dweeb, like gross me out -- went to a strip club or something? Like, barf me out. I bet he, like, totally picked up herpes or... like, what's that other whore disease you catch from, like, whores and stuff? It sounds like diarrhea? Wait, I know this one. OMG, but, like, just EW!

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But you're not good enough for any woman, which is why you don't like them.

Like, totally. My ex-boyfriend was TOTALLY not good enough for me. Like, how dare you! I know, right?

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Wikipedia isn't an authority on anything--it just quotes and paraphrases authorities. And makes a point of reminding people of this.

OMG, I went to, like, wikipedia the other day to look up Hot Topic and, get this. They. only. have. like. three. paragraphs. on. the. whole. store. Three paragraphs. HELL-OOOOOO! It's friggin' Hot Topic!

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Judging by the fact that you keep calling someone who is not reported to have engaged in sexual intercourse for money a 'whore', when what you mean is that she took off her clothes in public for money, as many women (and a fair few men) have done, I'd have to say the answer to that is pretty obvious.

OMG, did you, like, hear about Becky Martin?
In study hall today, she, like, totally bent over to tie her shoes and stuff right in front of Johnny Hunter. Like, right in his face and everything. She's SUCH a total whore!

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An awful lot of male directors, writers, producers and actors in Hollywood have slept with actual call girls. When they win all sorts of awards, do you accuse the industry of rewarding Johns?

OMG, is it just me or is John the friggin' grottiest name E-VER? It's, like, you named your kid after a toilet. HELL-O?

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And that's NEVER happened before.

Oh my God, I should totally win an Oscar for this post. I am friggin' awesome.

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That's not invariably true, and I'm talking to living proof of that.

Like... wait... what?

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Am I supposed to Google that?

Oh my GOD, are you for reals? You don't, like, know who Dick Donato is or whatever? Oh my God, you SO totally need to get out more! Like, for real! Like, who doesn't know who Dick Donato is? He was on TV, hell-o?

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Yep. Calling a woman a whore because she hasn't lived an impeccably chaste lifestyle--but not using the same word to refer to all the very promiscuous men who have won the same award--well, what would you call it?

Juno! Oh my God, I just made up a new word! It's like, sha and y'know all, like, rolled into one and stuff! I should totally be in the dictionary!

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And the opposite can be said of you.

Oh my God, you just ended that sentence with a period. It's funny 'cuz I was, like, totally on my period and stuff. But then I got knocked up when I was, like, 16 or something. It, like, really sucked at first 'cuz I was all like EW baby poop!!!, but then I, like, found out I don't have to buy Tampax anymore, ya know? THAT WAS FRIGGIN' AWESOME!!

I love how pisher thinks people care about what he believes are "valued" opinions...Quit jibber-jabbering and go read a book or something

Hey, somebody has actually created an online identity based on my name! An homage, no less! And is attacking me for liking Lost too much, when I'm normally attacked for not liking it enough. An homage that doesn't pay attention!

Sorry Riff baby, but your muddled misogynistic meanderings can't possibly compete with that.

Who is this isher and what did he do that was so bad somebody wants to terminate him?

Oh, don't worry, pisher. I'm sure somebody here will create a "Pisher Rulz" account someday.

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Who is this isher and what did he do that was so bad somebody wants to terminate him?

Oh, don't worry, pisher. I'm sure somebody here will create a "Pisher Rulz" account someday.

Hmm. I would have expected you to come up with a slightly more effective response after two and a half days.

Not much, but slightly.

You want instantaneous responses, dude, go in the chatroom. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding it. It's advertised in every other post here. Meantime, you should be grateful you're getting responses period. I mean, gosh, just think if nobody here responded to your desperate pleas for attention. You might have to scurry back to your "clyons" account on the IMDb.

And don't be hatin' (© 2007 Diablo Cody) on me just because someone had the good sense of mind to create "Rafferty Rulz." Jealousy isn't becoming, big guy.

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You want instantaneous responses, dude, go in the chatroom.

If I want to read better wit than yours, I'll go to the men's room.

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I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding it.

"For a bad time, call Riff....."

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It's advertised in every other post here. Meantime, you should be grateful you're getting responses period.

I am grateful. Don't I seem grateful?

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I mean, gosh, just think if nobody here responded to your desperate pleas for attention.

You mean if people let me post my opinions about the ratings without all the attempted character assassination, pointless personal questions, and lame attempts to emulate my style? I'm trying to envision it, but it's just so durned unlikely.....

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You might have to scurry back to your "clyons" account on the IMDb.

Oh, are you THAT Riff Rafferty? Did the wounds ever heal?

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And don't be hatin' (© 2007 Diablo Cody) on me just because someone had the good sense of mind to create "Rafferty Rulz." Jealousy isn't becoming, big guy.

You oughta know, tiny putz.

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Coming to a forum near you: Attack of the Killer Egos...

LOL

So, she was a stripper...the I believe you have a problem about Amy Winehouse winning all those well-deserved grammies, right?

About the other one: Come on, pish, the guy is an easy target. You shouldn't have to point out his spelling mistakes when you answer to him. That's a well-known attitude taken when you don't have anything else to pick on, and I guess that's not the case...
Well, you've had better days

Psst! Riff! I'll be leaving work in about five minutes, and won't check back here until tomorrow.

So you can post your lame response and not have it torn to shreds for a whole 17 hours or so.

Enjoy the small triumphs life affords you.