# Biggest Oscar Snub Ever: "Machete" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264 "2011-01-28T02:01:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/1 "2011-01-28T02:01:11Z")
I saw “Machete” a few nights ago. I’ve taken some time to write this because I felt like I needed at least a few days to absorb, and full reflect upon, such staggering cinematic genius. “Machete” is without a doubt the greatest expression of art in the history of the human species. Watching it takes the viewer beyond the bounds of cinema and into a transcendent state of awesome understanding of awesomeness. Throw away all your books and other movies; once you get “Machete” it is all the art you will ever need. Watching this film is like seeing the world through the eyes of God. I won’t spoil the brilliantly conceived and executed story in full, but the movie concerns a man named Machete - played by Danny Trejo, whose real name is Machete - who enjoys killing people using a machete. He also has sex with beautiful women. I don’t really need to explain anything else. That this movie was snubbed by the Academy is an absolute travesty. They clearly couldn’t handle the fact that the makers of Machete have so devastatingly trumped such mediocre bullshit as “The Social Network,” a movie with a bunch of geeks who don’t use machetes, and “The King’s Speech,” a movie about British fops who also do not have any machetes. Were I choosing the Oscar winners this year, I’d go with: Best Picture - “Machete,” Robert Rodriguez, Elizabeth Avilan, and Rick Schwartz Best Director - Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis, “Machete” Best Actor - Danny Trejo, “Machete” Best Actress - Jessica Alba, “Machete” Best Supporting Actor - Jeff Fahey, “Machete” Best Supporting Actress - Michelle Rodriguez, “Machete” Best Editing - “Machete” Best Cinematography - “Machete” Best Original Score - Chingon, “Machete” Best Original Song - Something from “Machete” Everything Else, Including Categories For Other Types of Films: “Machete” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/2 "2011-01-28T02:13:19Z")
Looks like someone has a machete to grind. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/3 "2011-01-28T02:24:12Z")
😃 If you read my posts in the _Machete_ thread, you’ll know I support the OP. What we need is a \*Machete \*forum, so that we can be free to discuss \*Machete \*philosophy, recipes, fashion, etc, without hijacking the entire _Cafe Society_ forum. But since there isn’t one yet, I’ll just mention here that I’m eagerly awaiting delivery on my blood-red WWMD (What Would \*Machete \*Do?) wrist-band. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/4 "2011-01-28T02:41:22Z")
You left out the cameo by that great thespian Lindsay Lohan. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/5 "2011-01-28T03:10:03Z")
The academy’s hatred of machete movies is no new thing. None of these movies was nominated for anything at all: _Machete_ (2006) _Machete_ (1958) _Machete: Istatwang buhay_ (1990) _Machete Maidens Unleashed!_ (2010) _Der Rebell mit der Machete_ (1979) _La primera carga al machete_ (1969) aka _The First Charge of the Machete_ _El maléfico Dr. Machete_ (2005) _Machete II_ (1994) _Machete Joe_ (2010) _Machete Massacre_ (2008) None of these other performances as a character called Machete were nominated **Machete** (_Estudio 2_ (2005), **Arturo Gil** ) **Machete** (_Machete: Istatwang buhay_ (1990), **Cesar Montano** ) **Machete** (_Hell Ride_ (2008), **Francesco Quinn** ) **Blades** aka **Machete Zombie** (\*Dawn of the Dead \*(1978), **Tom Savini** ) Technicians such as these were ostracised: **Control Machete** (Soundtrack, _Amores perros_ (2000)) **Carlito Rodriguez** nickname **Carlito Machete** (Producer, _Station Zero_ (1999)) And fine actors have been black banned: **Kem Machete** (Actor, _[HipHopBattle.com](http://HipHopBattle.com): Hip Hop 4 Life_ (2001)) **Ck Machete** (Actor, _In Company with Misfits_ (2010)) When will it end? Probably when the US elects its first machete wielding president. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/6 "2011-01-28T03:19:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > …and “The King’s Speech,” a movie about British fops who also do not have any machetes. I believe Colin Firth does use a rather sharp letter-opener at one point. He doesn’t stab anyone with it, though. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/7 "2011-01-28T03:59:35Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I believe Colin Firth does use a rather sharp letter-opener at one point. He doesn’t stab anyone with it, though. He would be more likely to stab himself with a dull one, anyways. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/8 "2011-01-28T04:32:04Z")
**MASH** got a Picture nomination. So did **ET**. But _Mash-ET_? Nothing!!! Though I would’ve picked Lindsey Lohan over Michelle Rodriguez for Actress with excellent Support. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/9 "2011-01-28T04:41:31Z")
I felt this way about **Rochelle Rochelle - A young girl’s strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk** ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/10 "2011-01-28T04:42:48Z")
I fully approve of and support the OP. _Machete_ was clearly the best movie of last year, and deserves to take it’s place in the pantheon of great films, alongside such classics as _The Groove Tube_ and _The Toxic Avenger_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/11 "2011-01-28T06:41:26Z")
I agree with everything the OP said except the part about Jeff Fahey. The person who should win the best supporting actor Oscar is Richard Marin for his role of Padre. His performance of a conflicted man who is torn between the bonds of family and his calling to God (plus the problem of what to do with two naked woman in a drug-induced coma) is one for the ages. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/12 "2011-01-28T06:55:39Z")
Machete lacked Chuck Norris. Stephen Segal is a poor substitute. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/13 "2011-01-28T11:04:48Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Machete lacked Chuck Norris. Stephen Segal is a poor substitute. Noooo. Segal’s death scene was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/14 "2011-01-28T11:51:26Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > You left out the cameo by that great thespian Lindsay Lohan. You mean the **NAKED** cameo by that great thespian, Lindsay Lohan. In short, I agree with the OP wholeheartedly. This movie is flawless. I went out and bought my first Blu-Ray player so I could own this movie on Blu-Ray, and it became the first (and to this day, the only) Blu-Ray movie I own. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/15 "2011-01-28T12:01:20Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Noooo. Segal’s death scene was perfect. This? This ain’t shit. [performs seppuku] ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/16 "2011-01-28T12:59:53Z")
The Oscars have a history of ignoring revolutionary films. I’m assuming it’s because they’re frightened. First _Bio-Dome_, now _Machete_. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/17 "2011-01-28T13:14:23Z")
Nope, you’re mistaken. The biggest Oscar snub ever is “Commando” failing to secure any nods. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/18 "2011-01-28T13:21:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I agree with everything the OP said except the part about Jeff Fahey. The person who should win the best supporting actor Oscar is Richard Marin for his role of Padre. His performance of a conflicted man who is torn between the bonds of family and his calling to God (plus the problem of what to do with two naked woman in a drug-induced coma) is one for the ages. While I wholly agree Mr. Marin was deserving of a nomination, I stick by my choice of Mr. Fahey for the win. The role of Padre was a terrific one, but limited; Fahey really brought the movie together. It was a subtle and brilliant performance from an actor long overdue for an Oscar. It’s a shame they can’t both win, but in a film this brilliant, someone’s going to be left behind. After all, I’d nominate Robert De Niro, too, but he was clearly the third best supporting player (among the men) in the movie. I just can’t say enough about Michelle Rodriguez’s work, either. As “She,” Rodriguez, playing against type in a daring role as a tough Latina chick, perfectly embodies toughness and Latinaness. I’ve never seen anything as tough and Latinaesque since that Irish woman in “Aliens.” ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/19 "2011-01-28T13:26:58Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I just can’t say enough about Michelle Rodriguez’s work, either. As “She,” Rodriguez, playing against type in a daring role as a tough Latina chick, perfectly embodies toughness and Latinaness. I’ve never seen anything as tough and Latinaesque since that Irish woman in “Aliens.” But she also delivered the one flaw in Machete’s otherwise brilliant screenplay. She refers to herself as both “She” and “not She, She’s just a symbol” throughout the movie. Which clearly pushes the award to Lohan, especially for the subtle way she convinced her mother to perform a girl-on-girl scene in an amateur porn with her own daughter without letting her father know what was up. Truly the pinnacle of acting. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264/20 "2011-01-28T14:34:01Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > The academy’s hatred of machete movies is no new thing. None of these movies was nominated for anything at all: > > _Machete_ (2006) > > _Machete_ (1958) > > _Machete: Istatwang buhay_ (1990) > > _Machete Maidens Unleashed!_ (2010) > > _Der Rebell mit der Machete_ (1979) > > _La primera carga al machete_ (1969) aka _The First Charge of the Machete_ > > _El maléfico Dr. Machete_ (2005) > > _Machete II_ (1994) > > _Machete Joe_ (2010) > > _Machete Massacre_ (2008) > > None of these other performances as a character called Machete were nominated > > **Machete** (_Estudio 2_ (2005), **Arturo Gil** ) > > **Machete** (_Machete: Istatwang buhay_ (1990), **Cesar Montano** ) > > **Machete** (_Hell Ride_ (2008), **Francesco Quinn** ) > > **Blades** aka **Machete Zombie** (\*Dawn of the Dead \*(1978), **Tom Savini** ) > > Technicians such as these were ostracised: > > **Control Machete** (Soundtrack, _Amores perros_ (2000)) > > **Carlito Rodriguez** nickname **Carlito Machete** (Producer, _Station Zero_ (1999)) > > And fine actors have been black banned: > > **Kem Machete** (Actor, _[HipHopBattle.com](http://HipHopBattle.com): Hip Hop 4 Life_ (2001)) > > **Ck Machete** (Actor, _In Company with Misfits_ (2010)) > > When will it end? Probably when the US elects its first machete wielding president. So I guess we shouldn’t hold our breath for _Machete Kills_ or _Machete Kills Again_ nominations, either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-oscar-snub-ever-machete/569264.md?page=2)