# This Oscar show sucks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2001, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479 "2001-03-26T02:37:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/41 "2001-03-27T22:03:07Z")
> [@](#): > > I was watching the pre-show and one of them stopped this one actor and you could tell he was trying to get away and wasn’t even paying attention to the stupid mundane questions she was asking. > > \*\* An actor dodging free publicity? Hell must have frozen over. Anyone who saw _Requiem for a Dream_ knows that Julia Roberts shouldn’t have won for Best Actress. Ellen Burnstyn was simply phenomanal in that picture. But as usual, the Academy gets it wrong. Russell Crowe may have deserved to win last year for _The Insider_, but certainly not this year. More than ever, the Oscars are a commercial for the movie industry. I’ve often wondered if there will ever be a major figure who will continually shun them, a la Woody Allen. I sincerely doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/42 "2001-03-27T22:59:38Z")
And no mention yet of **Bjork**? Not only did she wear the silliest, most ridiculous outfit of the evening (a skirt that featured some sort of dead swan motif) she goes on to deliver an utterly tuneless, completely forgettable piece of drivel that had somehow been nominated for Best Song thus re-affirming what an absolute joke that category continues to be. I could sense the embarassment that members of the audience surely felt. ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/43 "2001-03-27T23:15:03Z")
Hell, Bjork’s song was the only one I _liked_ from the nominations for Best song… ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/44 "2001-03-28T03:18:49Z")
I meant to ask: Does Bjork always sound like that? It seemed like she could barely gasp the words out one by one, as if she had stage fright. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/45 "2001-03-28T03:24:04Z")
Yes, she always sounds like that. Kind of an ethereal, pixielike vocal. As a member of The Sugarcubes, she had quite a following. She’s not conventional, as her attire would attest, and she’s got a certain sense of quirkiness and impiness about her. Personally, I like her, but I can see how to some she might not be all that. She’s an acquired taste. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/46 "2001-03-28T03:33:32Z")
Ethereal? Joni Mitchell was ethereal. Suzanne Vega. Some would say Sarah McLaughlan. That was a seven-year-old in a Christmas pageant, except no one was saying “Aw…” and taking photos with a disposable camera. ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/47 "2001-03-28T04:52:56Z")
Yeah, I usually like Bjork’s stuff, but for some reason it seems like all of the best original song performers were off for the show. That Bangles singer didn’t sound good at all, and Sting looked so straight with his arms at his side it was sad. I really like Dylan’s song, but even it sounded kind of off. Dylan’s was my favourite in the category; I just really liked it. I was surprised it won, though. I liked Bjork’s song, but it just didn’t work as well outside of the context of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Sapphire\_Bullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Sapphire\_Bullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapphire_Bullet)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/48 "2001-03-28T08:03:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Could someone please provide a link to a pic of Tom at the Oscars? I didn’t get to see him, and SilkyThreat’s comments made me curious…thanks. Sorry, Kaz, I looked around for a link, but all I could find were mentions of his name as a presenter. If it helps any, he was wearing a dark blue suit, with a dark powdery blue shirt, with the top two buttons undone. While I always think he looks gorgeous, he was not dressed appropriately. But on a brighter note, **he finally got a haircut**! That mop had its place in Magnolia, but short hair suits him much better. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/49 "2001-03-28T12:59:31Z")
> [@](#): > > But on a brighter note, **he finally got a haircut**! That mop had its place in Magnolia, but short hair suits him much better. You’re right, and I forgot to mention that. His hair was finally out of “What’s a barber?” mode and it went well with “I found my razor”. He looked so much less grungier than he usually does when he’s seen publicly. I just got hung up on the outfit, and I couldn’t find a link to a picture either. Which isn’t really surprising considering he had to be the worst dressed man there. The photogs were probably avoiding him for that reason alone. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/50 "2001-03-28T13:08:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\*Ethereal? Joni Mitchell was ethereal. Suzanne Vega. Some would say Sarah McLaughlan. That was a seven-year-old in a Christmas pageant, except no one was saying “Aw…” and taking photos with a disposable camera. \*\* Joni Mitchell was never ethereal. She’s a folk singer. She’s got a gorgeous voice, too, but it’s hardly ethereal. I would think we’re using different definitions of the term, but then you also mention S. McLachlan, who IMO also is ethereal. Bjork sounds like she’s from another planet; “ethereal” means unwordly or beyond the Earth… 🙂 Anyway, isn’t is possible you just don’t like her music? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/51 "2001-03-28T13:28:21Z")
Re: Tom Cruise. Are you sure it was him you saw? I checked over at [Oscars.com](http://Oscars.com) and there is no listing of him. I think him appearing sans Nicole for the first time would have been noteworthy…And I didn’t see him in the audience either. Joaquin Phoenix was there looking disheveled. Perhaps you mistook him for Tom Cruise??? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/52 "2001-03-28T13:51:25Z")
Oh no, Tom was definitely there. Someone made the distinct comment among the press that he was there sans Nicole to show he could stand on his own, etc. And I do remember seeing him without a tie, shirt unbuttoned at the top, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/53 "2001-03-28T22:52:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*Joni Mitchell was never ethereal. She’s a folk singer. She’s got a gorgeous voice, too, but it’s hardly ethereal. I would think we’re using different definitions of the term, but then you also mention S. McLachlan, who IMO also is ethereal. Bjork sounds like she’s from another planet; “ethereal” means unwordly or beyond the Earth… 🙂 Anyway, isn’t is possible you just don’t like her music? \*\* I guess we are using different definitions. I’m not familiar with Bjork’s music, that’s why I asked. I just wanted to know if that was her usual style. No offense meant. ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/54 "2001-03-28T23:12:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PunditLisa \* > **Re: Tom Cruise. Are you sure it was him you saw? I checked over at [Oscars.com](http://Oscars.com) and there is no listing of him. I think him appearing sans Nicole for the first time would have been noteworthy…And I didn’t see him in the audience either.** I would assume that those at [Oscar.com](http://Oscar.com) didn’t know about it. From [Entertainment Tonight’s Web Site](http://www.etonline.com/): > [@](#): > > It turns out that even the Academy Awards® production staff was kept in the dark about Tom’s presenting the Best Director Oscar, which ultimately went to STEVEN SODERBERGH for ‘Traffic.’ Cruise did not attend any of the rehearsals, and the telecast’s script was written so that anotherstar could be called in should Tom not show. But the reliable actor arrivedon time and made a quick exit out a back entrance. The article also says how he only stayed for an hour, as he had to be on the set of Steven Spielberg’s film (I forget what it was, but it’s not _A.I._; a different film). So that’s most likely the reason that he wasn’t dressed up and why he was nice and trimmed up: he was on his way to work. Despite that, I think he should have made a little better of an effort. He could have dressed in the limo on the way if need be. ---
**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479/55 "2001-04-16T12:32:37Z")
…okay, just rented **Gladiator** and saw it for the first time last night. My comment as the credits started rolling: “THAT won ‘Best Picture’???” Russel “Prettyboy Flavour Of The Year” Crowe got an Oscar for THAT?!? jeeezus! I’ve seen CT/HD, Quills, & Traffic and believe that Geoffrey Rush was much more deserving of an Oscar than that Kiwi (with no offence to Kiwis). Hail Benicio! (Deserved if not for all the good stuff he’s done since I first saw him in **The Usual Suspects** ) And Praise for the Director of **Traffic** , also well deserved. But why oh why the **Gladiator** movie? But The Daily Show put it best: Apparently, everyone liked gladiator movies, but the directing, music, set decoration, editing, writing and cinematography could’ve used a little work… But I say again: THAT won ‘Best Picture’??? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-oscar-show-sucks/59479.md?page=2)