It never occurred to me that there should have been some kind of tribute to the troops, but I never watch these shows. I certainly wouldn’t have had a problem with it, it just never would have crossed my mind.
Should there have been a moment of silence or something like that?
Was it a spit in the face? Obviously I don’t think so, not expecting a tribute to begin with, but is it reasonable to think of it as one?
I will say I seriously doubt there are a significant amount of people avoiding the cinema because of this or anything like it.
Something along the lines of “and now, a tribute to those who lost their live this year” (not meaning the industry deaths tribute) wouldn’t have gone amiss. To be honest, though, I didn’t feel it was a conspicuous absence.
Yeah it seems very dodgy to me to say that EVERY event must have some time set aside to pay tribute to the troops, and if you don’t it means you “snubbing” the troops. I’m sure someone out there in the blogosphere could find plenty conservative events or fundraisers where they didnt (did they have one at fundraiser he speaking at ?).
Yeah maybe I’m just a raging america-hating leftist but the the fact %99 of new releases seem to be pointless remakes, sequels, based on computer-games (which were themselves based on ideas from movies) , or just completely mind-numbing unimaginative cr@p bothers me more.
And had they stopped to acknowlege the deaths of over 2,300 American troops in the war, Ben Stein would have blasted them for hating America.
Question: Did the Academy Awards show stop to acknowlege the troops every year during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, or is Ben Stein just talking out of his ass?
Ben Stein is engaged in something the right used to complain about:
Political correctness.
The Oscars have nothing at all to do with the war in Iraq and for years have been trying to get people to shut up about politics. The troops are not owed a verbal blowjob at every event. It does not “dishonor” them to not mention them at the Oscars, just as Stein is not “honoring” them by blathering about how they’re all heroes. “I honor the troops” is code for “Look at me, look at how righteous I am.”
This “everyone has to honor the troops” nonsense is just another type of political correctness, and the worst kind at that; shaming people into saying certain things by saying they’re evil if they don’t.
Mr. Stein is correct. They also did not acknowledge the deaths of the (ongoing?) Darfur genocide, tsunami, earthquakes, cancer/flu/AIDS/heart attack victims, etc…how insensitive!
Stein just has a hard-on about Hollywood. He went on for 3/4 of a show a couple years back because no celebrities made it to the Veteran’s Day celebration in the city of Hollywood. Of course, he named all the lefty actors as spitting on the troops while ignoring the fact that all the righty actors also failed to participate.
(And, of course, he pretty conveniently forgot that a huge number of people he was condemning live in Arizona, Montana, new York, Connecticut, and other places and even the Californians rarely live in the city of Hollywood. It is just a bug he has up his butt.)
I hope this doesn’t sound dismissive, but the two things (soldiers and Oscars) don’t have anything to do with each other. So while a tribute wouldn’t have been wrong, in no way was its absence conspicuous unless you wanted to create something to complain about. Did the Emmys, Grammys, Tonys and People’s Choice Awards have moments of silence? I’m inclined to doubt it.
Right, it’s a ridiculous statement. I never for a moment expected a tribute to the troops at the Oscars, and it never would have occurred to me that anybody would have expected one if Stein hadn’t brought it up.
Of course, I remember people like Stein (don’t know if he said anything then) bitching when Michael Moore went on a tirade at the Oscars one year, saying, “it’s not a political event!”
I don’t think that carries quite as much weight when we’re talking about Ben Stein as opposed to Dick Cheney. Stein never sent anybody to war, he’s just making an ass of himself. Basically, what he says in the article Revtim quoted is a big non sequitur.
I wonder how Stein would have felt about a statement against the war.
He’s an ass. Not every freaking award show is obligated to include a moment of cheerleading for the war (and let’s be honest, “pray for the troops” is code for "support the war).
I give the event kudos for not subjecting us to that kind of sieg heil moment.
I’m rather sympathic to the military, but until reading this thread, I never even considered the idea that there should have been any mention of this at the oscars.
Methinks Stein is trying to create an issue where none exists.
And I am annoyed by this whole tactic of accusing those who you don’t like of"spitting on our troops". My respect for Stein has fallen since he has chosen to engage in it.
More specifically, had the awards show indeed taken a moment to honor the lives lost in the wars, Ben Stein would have been slinging mud, accusing them pandering and of politicizing the deaths. By highlighting the deaths he would have accussed Hollywood of sneaking in a anti-war diatribe, where “honoring the (living) troops” would have come across as pro-war.
In the end, he’s bitching about nothing. Spin-doctoring at best.