I like the movies, thought there were many outstanding films and performances justly recognized for their artistic merit and entertainment value, and I even enjoyed much of the program itself. I confess to losing track of how many bare breasts Seth MacFarlane had seen from among the actresses in attendance--his musical homage to the best mammary performances of the year was perhaps a tad crude. Bob Hope would have done it more subtlety but with a similar naughty chuckle.
The Oscars show and awards have been analyzed and critiqued from top to bottom and I have nothing to add, or mercifully choose not to do so. But I am in a bit of a toot about the red carpet and the appalling opulence, ignorance, and superficiality it represents in an era of unemployment, gun violence, sequesters, and threats to the very preservation of the species--global warming, renegade asteroids, nuclear bombs, unmanned drones, and Honey Boo Boo.
We have a broken governmental system that is reaping the scorn of the American people. We have acquiesced to a culture of incivility that demonstrates a shocking acceptance of racial slurs, childhood bullying, political intolerance, and a total lack of respect for diversity in ethnicity, personal lifestyles, and the marketplace of ideas.
And despite a system that arguably led to the worst economic crash in 70 years we continue to accept an ever-expanding gap between the rich and the middle class (let alone the poor), rewarding CEO's, money managers, athletes, entertainers, and a select few with obscene wealth while unions get busted and teachers, industrial workers, public safety employees and others limp along hoping they won't lose their jobs or succumb to the fear du jour--that they might get sequestered, whatever that means.
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| NBA Bad Boy Player Dennis Rodman meets with North Korean Big Boy Dictator Kim Jung Un. Probably discussing nuclear proliferation. |
And then came the biggest mistakes of the night. They actually let some of these starlets talk into the microphone. Oh Sweet Jesus, why? Surely somebody got fired. A boyfriend with a big neck and chin stubble looks around as Bambi explains how she had been born to act. I'm looking at that boyfriend checking out a redhead over by the palm tree and I'm thinking I'll bet I know where she practices her acting.
I'm sorry. See what this nonsense does to one?
But you know what? This really isn't very funny. For example, this week Dennis Rodman, former NBA basketball player who was at the center of countless debacles throughout his career, became the first American to formally meet with the new leader of North Korea, Kim Jung Un, who apparently loves basketball. Just turned 30, he is the youngest leader of any nation in the world and his country is one of nine nations with some form of nuclear capability. When asked what he thought of Kim, Rodman said he was an "awesome kid."
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| When Honey Boo Boo points the way how can her adoring fans not follow? |
Critics were largely appalled by the seeming exploitation of a rural Georgia family, most of whom were chubby, had atrocious eating habits, and got into a thin mint scandal with the Girl Scouts. In fairness, she has supporters as well, including celebrities who embrace her star quality and point to her as a role model for children who have to deal with weight problems.
Apart from her serving as an icon of American decadence and frivolity, I've got no issue with Honey Boo Boo; I had never even heard of her until she began appearing in the headlines alongside coverage of John Kerry's first international tour as Secretary of State. As Kerry was adroitly moving from one hot spot to another, trying to deal sensitively with such issues as the searing violence in Syria, it kept feeling like that story was partnered by this little kid vying for attention and her parents vying for you know what.
What must the world be thinking of us, I kept wondering?
And that is the nub of my little rant against the celebrity culture. Those who know me will surely agree that I am more than willing to look at the lighter side; much of what I write and speak is delivered with a twinkle in my eye. Seriousness of purpose does not negate humorous reflection.
But laughing at funny is not the same as laughing at stupid. We are awash in celebrities without talent, wealth without merit, and causes without virtue. When matched with national and global distress and with increasing public anger we are at risk of a dangerous upheaval in our society. There are incredibly deep and significant questions arising from our very foundations, and Bambi, Dennis Rodman, and Honey Boo Boo are not the answers.
I will concede this. I didn't see them, but I'm sure Meryl Streep and Daniel Day Lewis walked that red carpet as well. It is not just that they have enormous talent, but when it came time to speak they were gracious, eloquent, humorous, and had something to say. In other words, they are stars. I can live with that, and even celebrate it.
Oh how I agree with you, Grant! I miss the more wholesome 50's. They had their problems too. Racial injustice reigned then. (as it does now) but life then was not so blatantly obscene.
ReplyDeleteBe careful, Margie. I read a book once titled "Them Good Ol' Days, They was Awful." When I visited my childhood home as an adult I was amazed at how it had shrunk. So, sometimes our memories of a better time are filtered through life's experiences and are remembered differently than they were lived.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I agree that the 50's sure felt less complicated than now, a perspective that is undoubtedly flavored by the fact that I was aged 3 to 10 during that decade. :-)
I have to dispute your take on Seth MacFarlane's song. It was not a celebration of the year's best mammary performances, many of the films he named were 10 years old or more. But what really bothered me was that many of the shots he was referencing were scenes of sexual violence or exams immediately following sexual violence. A battered and bruised body illustrating the regular violence done to women ("The Accused", "Monster") or transgender people ("Boys Don't Cry") was reduced to "Ha, ha - boobs!"
ReplyDeleteEven the reference to Scarlet Johanson, whose personal photos to her then husband were hacked, stolen and illegally splashed all over the internet, was a celebration of how when women are victimized, it's something to laugh at. You know, because she "had it coming."
There is a way this song might have been a witty commentary on how actresses are often celebrated more for their physique than talent. But that's not what this was. This was "Boobs are funny in any context, even, and perhaps especially, when that context is a crime."
I'm with you on everything else. But this wasn't just immature humor. It was a reflection of how pervasive rape-culture and victim blaming are in our culture.
It's a fair criticism Karolyn. I have to confess that the "best mammory performances" line was too hard for a mere mortal like me to resist because of mere factual details.
ReplyDeleteI am aware that the song has been criticized for reasons well beyond crudeness. I understand why women might feel that it plays to a larger problem in our culture. I probably should've been more sensitive and appreciate your thoughtful response.