Some TV show on Sunday

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Franco? Good grief. Do they do any sort of screen test before they pick hosts?

It is widely believed that he was stoned.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Franco was awful, stoned or not (and if he was, it's pathetic that he had no idea whether he could do something like this stoned). Hathaway was fantastic, especially when you take into account that every other time she was off stage she was getting her hair totally redone and a new dress applied. I bet her head hurt. Plus, she had to look like she was having fun even as Franco was ruining their bits. I enjoyed it anyway - I think this was one of the better ones in recent years. (Live tweeting did help.) I also liked the two-host idea and I think they should try it again.

The stage was awesome and I loved the tributes to Hollywood history. Kirk Douglas was great and there were some good thank-yous.

The Oscars is another one of those milestones that is beginning to make me feel my age, as the stars of my youth grow "distinguished" and the newer generation become respected winners. When Billy Crystal came out I thought, holy hell, how am I going to explain to Theo who Billy Crystal is?

[Alex]

Just start at the pinnacle of his career, weekly viewings of My Giant.

I thought it was the worst of the shows in quite a while, despite Hathaway's willingness. Two hosts are fine (Baldwin and Martin were fine last year). "Performing" hosts are fine (as with Jackman). But even if Franco has been present and accounted for, they didn't really have anything to do (there were good moments in the opening but Billy Crystal was doing it better 15 years ago). Though "I have news from the future, microphones get smaller" was a great line.

Didn't help that after the first two awards there were no real surprises all evening and only a couple noteworthy acceptance speeches. But it probably wouldn't have been ethical for them to give Hailee Steinfeld the award just for the interest it would cause.

[innerSpaceman]

Just as "ethical" as pitting her against actual supporting roles when hers was a leading role.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Forgot about Baldwin and Martin. I found that show much more disappointing because I expected a lot more.

Even so, I always enjoy the Oscars, mostly because I'm a sucker for seeing all the famous faces in one place. I also like montages (reminiscent or present), seeing people win Oscars for their passion, big dance numbers (I'm the only one who wants those back, I guess) and deciding things like "I will see Black Swan after all because the clips intrigued me and it's kind of a pop culture event moment and I've never been a big fan of Portman's acting but hey, looks like she turned a corner".

Witty banter is nice, but I tune in for other reasons.

[Alex]

All I care about it who wins, who loses, if anybody says anything interesting, and if I'd missed anybody in the In Memoriam.

Which is why most years I watch the opening and then usually wander off keeping half an ear on things. Not sure why I sat through last night's show without much distraction. I don't do that even in years when I'm mostly enjoying the show.

I think the "show" I'd have preferred seeing is the Governor's <<something>> where they've ghettoized the lifetime achievement awards.

One positive, if all goes well I'll never have to listen to another Melissa Leo acceptance speech.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

big dance numbers (I'm the only one who wants those back, I guess)

No, you are not alone. I love big production numbers.

So do you want to come to a Tonys viewing party with me? It'll will have a bunch of them.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Just as "ethical" as pitting her against actual supporting roles when hers was a leading role.

Maybe this is why the Academy secretly supports the Golden Globes. How much fuss can be made over the Lead/Supporting games that get played when four out of the five best musical or comedy nominees at the Globes were neither musical nor comedic?

For Heilee Steinfeld maybe they decided "Supporting Actress" mean "she carrying the weight of the entire movie on her performance."

[Strangler Lewis]

We basically listened to the Oscars because our TV picture is dying. The one virtue of this is that we missed all the Tweeting.

Frankly, I don't understand how you can combine Tweeting with the Oscars. The Oscars are about granting authority to the Academy to determine what is the best entertainment produced by the various companies that we are happy to have be our entertainment producers. Why you would combine that with celebration of a medium that honors whatever happens to spew from somebody's brain on the spur of the moment is beyond me.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yeah, having conversations with friends is for losers.