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Tonight’s Oscar Awards Ceremony was a success on so many levels. Slumdog Millionare deserved those many Oscars…and the respect of the world for allowing us a glimpse into the lives of those in Mumbai. The prep and presentation of the Awards night, itself, is unmatched by anything produced during the Johnny Carson or Billy Crystal days. Hugh Jackman did a fine job. The sets were amazing. My ONLY question is whether Sean Penn’s slap in the face of CA voters was needed. Imagine a John McCain supporter making a public statement at that podium/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: What is your reaction when actors like Sean Penn use the podium of an awards ceremony, like the Oscars, to make a political statement?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Lynne on February 23 at 2:18 p.m.
What is your reaction when actors like Sean Penn use the podium of an awards ceremony, like the Oscars, to make a political statement?
Grab the remote and switch channels, lickety split!
I’m still waiting for Alec Baldwin to leave the country…
scootermom on February 23 at 2:39 p.m.
Actors routinely use the podium to make statements of faith.
I have no problem with Sean Penn.
Cabbage Boy on February 23 at 3:01 p.m.
Considering the source, who cares. Just cements the fact that they hold themselves in much higher esteem than anyone else does.
Lynne, I think there was a collection a while back for the poor actors that couldn’t follow through on that promise.
Rosalind on February 23 at 3:02 p.m.
I think Sean Penn was completely in the right to say what he did. Actors are people, and people have the right to share their opinions regarding politics. Sean Penn played a character who stood up for human rights and died for it. So if he wants to make a comment about something totally related to the character he played, then more power to him!
BlueinIdaho on February 23 at 3:04 p.m.
I listen to them and give them the respect any one of us deserves when giving our own opinion. Why is it ok for some talk radio entertainers to give their opinion on a subject and not for other entertainers? At least for the acting/music entertainers most people recognize it for what it is and no more.
Me on February 23 at 3:15 p.m.
I don’t have a problem with them doing it, I haven’t watched any of those awards shows for years though mostly because of how arrogant they all are. I mostly laugh when they tell everyone else how to live like they can relate to us at all. When you hear how much they get for making 1 movie etc and then they tell us how we should behave ourselves - ughh.
Don’t get me wrong - if I could make that kind of money I would be doing it and they have every right to do it - but I wouldn’t get on a soapbox and preach.
Me on February 23 at 3:18 p.m.
Oh one more thing - the difference between ‘some talk show entertainers’ and the stars at the awards shows? If I turn the radio on to a talk show radio entertainer, I know what I’m getting. If I’m watching an awards show I figure I’m getting pretty people slapping each other on the back. I still have control though - turn to something else - easy.
Charlie on February 23 at 3:18 p.m.
Actors and politicians are legends in their own minds!
JeanC on February 23 at 3:20 p.m.
My reaction…. :rolleyes: If they are saying something I don’t care about, well, I have a mute button or a channel changing button.
Joker on February 23 at 3:28 p.m.
Hey they can read their favorite recipe if they want. I could care less, why you ask? Cause award shows are boring and unfunny.
MamaJD on February 23 at 3:37 p.m.
I don’t care what Sean Penn says and sometimes on the topic, I agree with him. BUT — what I didn’t like last night is the clip of two men kissing when I wasn’t expecting it. It prompted questions from a 6 year old that I wasn’t prepared for. “Milk” is a movie I will be seeing but it isn’t appropriate for my 6 year old. So why does the Academy need to put a clip of a scene that they know would be controversial across the tv? I don’t care about the controversy but sometimes I’m stymied about how to appropriately answer the questions that arise when there are scenes of same sex couples sharing a tender moment.
Joker on February 23 at 3:44 p.m.
Mama,,
I am sorry you were surprised.
Hollyweird doesn’t care about your six year-old. In fact, they’d probably called you a homophobic mother for squirming in your seat.
The movie industry has been advocating gay rights and gay acceptance for some time. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
DFO on February 23 at 3:49 p.m.
Joker; I have to disagree with you re: the Oscars this year. It was well done and entertaining, from Hugh Jackman’s swell multi-faceted singing & dancing intro to the presentation of the major awards in which previous winners talked directly to the nominees. At this point, I’ve added “Benjamin Button” and mebbe “Doubt” to my list of must-see movies. I can’t see how any of the current crop could be better than “Slumdog Millionaire.” I’d recommend it to anyone with reservations b/c some of the scenes are a bit unsettling.
hmoffsuite on February 23 at 3:50 p.m.
And the academy awards are wondering why interest has fallen off? They lost me as a viewer a long time ago as a result of actors political speeches. He embarrassed himself, imo.
Rosalind on February 23 at 3:52 p.m.
Most of the big time actors do make millions of dollars per movie, but you have to admit that it’s pretty great that most of them are democrats and admit to having a responsibility to pay taxes (unlike other millionaire industries) and actually fight for individual rights. Most actors had humble beginnings, and I think getting involved in politics and using their money for good is a lot better than many of the rich republicans in Idaho can say for themselves.
If mothers don’t want their children watching kissing (i’m sure heterosexual kissing is fine though, right?) - then that’s YOUR responsibility as a parent to screen that. The entire population shouldn’t be subject to the morals you hold for your 6-year-old.
Cabbage Boy on February 23 at 4:03 p.m.
Wow. Thanks for that parenting tip Rosalind.
Cindy, if we can add another blogfest award for MamaJD. “Most unassuming blogger likely to get flamed for simple observation”
Don’t know what it is MamaJD, but you are like a lightening rod.
poolman on February 23 at 4:09 p.m.
b/c some of the scenes are a bit unsettling ~
Plug your nose and hold the photo in the air.
Made me want to laugh and cry and the same time - amazing -What an incredible movie!
pjc on February 23 at 4:12 p.m.
I could care less what a wife-beater with an anger-management problem says at some awards ceremony.
DFO on February 23 at 4:15 p.m.
Poolman; I tried to figure out how to explain the movie to a friend who said she’d hard that there were some brutal scenes in “Slumdog.” I didn’t want to spoil anything. How would you tell someone that the movie balances the squalor of the slums in India with the powerful will to live and track down a love lost — without giving anything away?
Rosalind on February 23 at 4:19 p.m.
I think you just did DFO.
eagleeye on February 23 at 4:25 p.m.
MamaJD,
My only advise on the six year old from someone who has been there and done that is to make up a quick answer that will not get you a follow up question or pretend that that you just didnt hear it. I remember not too long ago watching a show and then a commercial comes on about “male enhancement” and a female on the clip saying how much she enjoyed the “enhancement.” My daughter asked why the lady was so excited about “enhancement”. I said it was because she wanted the guy to be healthy so he would live longer!. Then I quickly turned the channel to ESPN !
poolman on February 23 at 4:33 p.m.
I think that pretty much nails it DFO. I don’t recall anything that brutal, but I’ve also become de-sensitized to violence over the years.
hmoffsuite on February 23 at 4:44 p.m.
poolman >>> ” but I’ve also become de-sensitized to violence over the years”
Unfortunately, so have our children. And, look at the result.
Cindy_H on February 23 at 4:46 p.m.
CB: I like your idea!
And Poolman, I saw the movie with my sister-in-law. We missed part of a crucial scene because we both closed our eyes at the same time! (She was supposed to tell me when it was safe to look.)
Joker on February 23 at 4:48 p.m.
I can’t wait for Mr. Penn to take his Milk movie to the middle east for a victory lap and provide special screenings for the radical Muslims clerics in Iran.
Penn loves to go to places like Iran and Iraq. I am sure they’ll embrace him with open arms.
MamaJD on February 23 at 5:05 p.m.
Wow, Rosalind — I didn’t know my statement said anything about my morals. My point was in some ways agreeing with you — I would have liked to have known I should screen the Oscars. Not because of morality but because I’m not prepared to answer the questions with complicated answers that will inevitably lead to more questions.
As for the heterosexual kissing … well, you should spend some time with a 6 year old boy. Mine thinks that when two men kiss they’re just “being silly”. BUT he is truly grossed out when he sees the “heterosexual” kissing and usually throws himself on the floor making gagging noises. He can’t possibly imagine ever liking girls. Because we all know girls have cooties.
OrangeTV on February 23 at 5:12 p.m.
Mmmm, how to explain that scene to children… One could say: “those two people love each other, and people that love each other tend to enjoy kissing.” How tough is that?
MamaJD on February 23 at 6:07 p.m.
Thanks, Orange! It’s not that tough when you have a prepared response, which I didn’t have and wasn’t thinking I would need last night.
Cindy_H on February 23 at 8:08 p.m.
Thank you MamaJD for bringing to our awareness of the need for a prepared response. I’m drafting my own right now, and should the occassion arise my sons will be instructed to e-mail Uncle OTV.
Escapee on February 23 at 8:34 p.m.
The only differences between movie stars and you & I is that their cheekbones are arranged a bit differently, their bodies conform to an ephemeral standard of beauty/handsomeness, and that they’re very, very good at being someone other than themselves. So I don’t watch these star things at all. They’re glorified self-congratulating events. I think Hollywood oughta do a high-budget action film, with the cast pulled off the street. You know, just everyday people plugged into starring roles. I think that would be really cool. Any takers? Mike the Barber could star; Joan the accountant could be leading lady, and so on and so forth. But I suppose if an actor wants to use his platform to comment on relevant and timely issues, that’s his call. Why not?
Rosalind on February 24 at 3:54 p.m.
Didn’t mean to attack MamaJD - and I definitely like the “when two people love each other” response, rather than just making up some other lie to children. And that is funny about the being grossed out by kissing. Makes me laugh - definitely right now. :)