I didn’t bother to watch it either. I never do.
I read a book. But then, that’s usually what I do rather than watch TV.
Ummm Cartooniverse, how does what you said differ from what I did?
I believe your point was the same as mine, that being it’s nice when the receipient puts a little thought into it. Sean Penn left me with the impression that he gave it no forethought whatsoever, he just went up there and said the first thing that came into his head. I believe he even mentioned that in the speech… that he didn’t write these beforehand.
Did you honestly think I had a problem with him mentioning those that got him there? Huh? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?
My problem was that he apparently had so little respect for the Academy and his audience that he just went up there and winged it. My problem is that 99% of the speeches were obviously given more preparation.
I like his acting abilities but his historically dismissive attitude towards awards shows came through loud and clear that night. That’s cool, but still his speech sucked.
Penn said something about his kids telling him it would be pretentious to write an acceptance speech. Afterward, my friend turned to me and said, “This is why grown-ups should make the decisions.”
Strewth! I’d much rather read a Harlequin Romance than watch one o’ them documentary thingies on PBS . . .
LOL. Why ask whether I watched if you don’t wanna know? After all, it is what I do rather than watch TV. But I’ll leave the romances to you.
I prefer my entertainment in the form of books - if you prefer TV, I don’t have a problem with it.
Actually, I didn’t ask—I didn’t even watch the Oscars! But—even though I am a writer—that “all books are better than all TV” attitude kinda plucks my nerves. Let’s face it: some books suck, and some TV is actually quite excellent.
I was also pissed at at the “Short Film” winner…he was just annoying how he wouldn’t shut up.
I’ve always thought that my speech would go like this: First I’d thank everyone quickly, then I’d say OK, now give yourselves a big hand, because you’re sucessful and famous and you’ve worked damn hard to get here!" And then I’d congratulate myself, because I just won an Oscar, dammit.
Hey! You’re speaking of the future Mrs Manduck there! The Zellweger broad, I mean, not Sean Penn.
Anyway, I was too busy reading to the blind and knitting coats for homeless kittens to watch the Oscars.
I watched. I have a friend who throws a party for the Oscars every year, and it’s kinda fun, plus he’s a GREAT cook so I get well fed.
Most of the fun is in making fun of the actors who seem to be under the delusion that people care what they think. Well, that and getting all puffed up with righteous indignation that ROTK, a film with astonishing technical achievements and not one single original idea, won Best Adapted Screenplay over American Splendor and City of God.
Ah well then, I apologize to all who inferred criticism. None was implied. 
Oh, darling, we can’t possibly get in a tiff in a “fuck the Oscars” thread!
Actually, just for me, I appreciated Sean Penn’s speech. Usually, some of those people (Alec Baldwin springs to mind) are so convinced they’ll win, they probably wrote out what they’d say long before even having taken a particular part. They appear to believe they’re that good it’s a shoo-in.
So, I took him at face value that he wasn’t expecting to win and therefore refused to prepare in advance (on top of the pretentious, arrogant presumption of it all) so that he would simply deal with things at face value.
That’s how I took it anyway. Of course, I’m a fan of his and I prefer spur-of-the-moment over canned rehearsal any day.
Well, there’s always the mocking…
God how I hate the Oscars. Why do I rubberneck at this train wreck? It’s funny that, in a thread with this title, Sean Penn’s speech, which in part derided the method of ranking performances, has received little suport here. I like that he listened to his kids and thanked them.
It really is the most wonderful piece of months long self-publicity. And sometimes it even feels like a genuine award ceremony, rather than an industry-wide cash cow – but then again, it also feels like the end-of-line January sale; lets give it all one more push before the next product comes in.
Anyway, kudos to the biz for getting some folks to ‘emotionally invest’ in their products.
For what it’s worth, If I had a teevee, I’d have watched it. Which is why I don’t. And I didn’t read a book, either.
But I did see the utterly appalling Renee Zellweger in the even utterly-er appalling ‘Cold Mountain’; if the award she won wasn’t for most over-the-top, look-at-me-and-give-me-an-Oscar, cliched ridden, hands on hips, ‘I ain’t messin’, Tom-Boy of the Year, she wuz robbed.
Haven’t seen a more obvious, Oscar-aspirational performance since . . . Nicole Kit-off in the same film. Bollocks.
See, thats what pisses me off about the Oscars. Every year, a Miramax film starring Kidman and the usual bunch of ‘actooors’, done solely for the purpose of getting Oscars. Why not act instead of giving an oscar winning performance. I think at least this year their bubbles been burst a fair bit. it’s getting too obvious.
But at least Judi Fucking Dench wasn’t up for anything this year. most overrated actress EVER. with Kidman a close second.
and Renee Schwarzenegger looks like she suffers from air pressure. -squint-
Has anyone ever won an Oscar and just said “cheers” and went back to their seat again? That would be cool.
And yeah I agree Judi Dench is a dumbass.
Let’s can it on the Judi Dench remarks, thank you.
As for a short and sweet acceptance speech, hats off to Jane Wyman[can’t remember if she was post- or pre- Reagan. She won the Best Actress award for “Johnny Belinda,” wherein she played a young woman who was deaf, and also could not speak. Her words after clutching Oscar were, “They gave me an award for keeping my mouth shut, I think I’ll do it again.”
Do you think? I can’t believe Baldwin thought his blackhearted casino owner would trump Tim Robbins as a victim of abuse. Nothing trumps a victim of abuse. Even a marginally well-acted one, I would think.
If Baldwin ever deserved an acting nod, it was for Glengarry Glenross. Calling poor old Alan Arkin a c–ksucker and still managing to look cool. Now that’s the stuff!
