# Official 83rd Academy Awards thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857 "2011-02-27T23:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/421 "2011-02-28T22:35:47Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > Jack’s usually sitting in the front row, wearing sunglasses and grinning. It just occurred to me that I don’t recall seeing him last night. Did I miss him? Didn’t see him. Or Julia Roberts or George Clooney. Aren’t they Oscar stalwarts? I read that Mo’Nique refused to present the Supporting Actor Oscar. It’s been a tradition that prior year’s winners present the next year’s award, for their opposite number, so WTF was her problem? **Dewey Finn** , “ungracious” is a good word for Newman. I’m still fuming over Melissa Leo’s remarks. The F word doesn’t bother me, but she acted like it was a big deal. Very attention-whorey all 'round. Her comment to Kirk Douglas “What are you doing later?” was patronizing, and using his cane to “hobble” off the stage was just stupid. She’s the reason I never watched _Homicide_. She gave off an “I’m special and edgy” vibe even back then. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/422 "2011-02-28T22:45:53Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I read that Mo’Nique refused to present the Supporting Actor Oscar. It’s been a tradition that prior year’s winners present the next year’s award, for their opposite number, so WTF was her problem? She didn’t boycott, she was just too busy. She was at the nominee announcements, though. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/423 "2011-02-28T22:54:44Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I thought it was ungracious of Randy Newman to note that he had been nominated twenty times but had won the award only twice. Anyone else agree? I didn’t care because I thought the rest of his speech was funny. And I’m not into his music. I did think his song was the least bad. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > I’m still fuming over Melissa Leo’s remarks. The F word doesn’t bother me, but she acted like it was a big deal. Very attention-whorey all 'round. I don’t see the problem. She got caught up in the moment, said “fucking” on one of the most-watched TV shows of the year, and was embarrassed when she realized what she said. That kind of thing does happen. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/424 "2011-02-28T22:59:25Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > She didn’t boycott, she was just too busy. She was at the nominee announcements, though. I don’t buy the “too busy” excuse. As was said, it’s customary that if you win one of the acting awards that you present the opposite award the following year. So you should have the date set aside in your calendar for the following year. (And unless you’re a major star, it’s a good idea to be a presenter so that you can remind everyone of who you are.) ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/425 "2011-02-28T23:10:10Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I thought it was ungracious of Randy Newman to note that he had been nominated twenty times but had won the award only twice. Anyone else agree? No, I thought it was hysterical. In fact his acceptance speech was one of my favorite parts of the entire show – I remember it being one of the only times I applauded. He was just saying what anyone who is a committed regular viewer of the show was thinking – that it wouldn’t be the Oscars without Randy. I loved his line about the “Randy Newman chicken” at the nominees lunch. I think it’s ungracious to mention all the many times you’ve won. But mentioning all the times you’ve lost is self-deprecating and funny. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/426 "2011-02-28T23:14:50Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I’m still fuming over Melissa Leo’s remarks. The F word doesn’t bother me, but she acted like it was a big deal. Very attention-whorey all 'round. Agreed. Everything from her sitting there looking ridiculously stunned when her name was announced to her looking up in wonder at the people in the balcony to her “shocked” reaction after having said the “F-word” to her bucking up and soldiering on afterward all looked contrived and done for effect. And Oprah’s dress! Gads! The gown itself would have been very pretty on someone else, but…Jeez! I mean, I’ve heard boobs called melons before, but those suckers looked like cannonballs. The gown didn’t do much for her hips either. Agreed on Randy Newman’s remark. I’ve always like him and I was glad that he won, but that was a pretty classless, bitter-sounding thing to say. Liked the rest of his speech though. I think ol’ Kirk did pretty well for a 94-year-old stroke and helicopter crash survivor. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/427 "2011-03-01T12:06:59Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Normally I would just say it’s too bad they wrote a generic speech about her, but the thing that annoys me is that even knowing nothing about Lena Horne, I knew why they wrote a generic speech (aside from not wanting to spend too much time): if you tell these stories, you have to own up to the fact that Hollywood used to be very racist, just like the rest of society. At Oscar time, the movie industry is happy to take credit for helping society overcome prejudices and such (which it can do, in its own way) but doesn’t mention the prejudices in its own past. Along those lines one has to consider that whenever an award winner (and I’m thinking of Halle Berry’s atrocious acceptance speech a few years back) talks about how “brave” the Academy are for being willing to give the award to a black/woman/other minority, they’re really saying “Thanks for not being the racist sexist assholes you usually are”. What’s so brave about giving an Oscar to a minority these days? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/428 "2011-03-01T12:47:29Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Along those lines one has to consider that whenever an award winner (and I’m thinking of Halle Berry’s atrocious acceptance speech a few years back) talks about how “brave” the Academy are for being willing to give the award to a black/woman/other minority, they’re really saying “Thanks for not being the racist sexist assholes you usually are”. What’s so brave about giving an Oscar to a minority these days? If you think about it, the entire awards season is joke. What other profession goes to these lengths to celebrate itself? It’s not like these people are saving orphans or actually putting their lives on the line – they’re just pretending to do so. And they get paid gobs of money to do so, much more than the people who inspire them! Some of the speeches that they give, oh, the histrionics!, are so out of perspective with reality that it’s borderline crazy. Seriously, the last time I got a public award, I stood up, smiled and waved thanks. I didn’t give a speech thanking my parents for giving me the education so that I could kick ass in Excel, I didn’t weep buckets of tears, nor did I stand there as if in shock, even though there was a 1 in 5 shot that I’d get the award, and then “blurt” out the F bomb. These folks are being recognized for play acting, for Chrissake, not orchestrating world peace! Honestly, I believe that they add in these little “causes” to make them feel less like overindulged, superficial brats. One year the cause is minorities, the next it’s women directors…this year, their cause du jour was stammering. Now they can go home with their $10,000 worth of free bling and feel that they’ve given stammerers a glimmer of hope. (Cue orchestra.) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/429 "2011-03-01T14:58:42Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > If you think about it, the entire awards season is joke. What other profession goes to these lengths to celebrate itself? It’s not like these people are saving orphans or actually putting their lives on the line – they’re just pretending to do so. And they get paid gobs of money to do so, much more than the people who inspire them! It does get nauseating doesn’t it. The annual gathering of narcissists all there to pat eachother on the back. “You’re so great!” “Oh no, you’re so great!” “Oh what an honor to a great person among so many other great people!” ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857/430 "2011-03-01T15:55:28Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Some of the speeches that they give, oh, the histrionics!, are so out of perspective with reality that it’s borderline crazy. Seriously, the last time I got a public award, I stood up, smiled and waved thanks. I imagine you weren’t being watched by millions of people at a world-famous awards show. Whether it’s actually true or not is debatable, but many people consider winning an Oscar to be the highest point in an actor’s career, it’s something dreamt of as a kid, “When I grow up, I’m going to be an Oscar-winning movie star!” I’m not sure why you seem surprised or offended that those who win can get a bit emotional. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-83rd-academy-awards-thread/572857.md?page=21)