2026 Oscar Winners

[Bobby Henderson]

The Oscars telecast has had celebrities voicing their politics and/or support for various causes going back more than 50 years. Some of this stuff dates back to the Vietnam war era.

The thing that has changed over the past 20 or so years (and seems to have worsened within the past 10) is the toxic political environment the media has cultivated and weaponized. In the 1980's and earlier decades news was reported in a far more dispassionate, bland manner. News divisions at TV networks lost money. By the 1990's some folks figured out they could make shit loads of advertising money by using news and opinion programming to yank people's chains. People tune in to get pissed off. Very effective business model.

Add broadband Internet and all its rabbit holes to the toxic mix. The people consuming that anger pornography get their world views warped. They pick one of two sides, swear their side can do no wrong and look at politics as a zero sum equation. They end up living with a giant stick up their ass just itching for the opportunity to get offended by something. The situation today is so bad it's now common for people to end friendships or get estranged from family members over the crap. I think a pretty large chunk of the general public is just trying to tune out anything political and stay silent about it.

The big thing that bothers me about celebrities spouting their political views at the Oscars (or Grammys, Emmys, etc.) is it feels like performative bullshit. These stars are rich, pretty people who don't have the first thing in common with ordinary people like me. I can understand them using the spotlight they have to bring attention to some kind of cause, or even donating lots of money toward it. But they still live a life apart from the rest of us. I think the only way any of them can relate is if they came from humble beginnings.

On the bright side, traditional cable/satellite TV and the networks on it are a business model in decline. All of the 24 hour news networks have viewer demographics that are aging. The bulk of the viewership is in the Gen-X and Boomer age range. So many Millennials and Gen-Z aged people aren't getting cable TV. I don't know what "legacy media" is going to do to adapt. Maybe over time some of this stuff will calm the hell down.

[Frank Angel]

The Oscars telecast has had celebrities voicing their politics and/or support for various causes going back more than 50 years. Some of this stuff dates back to the Vietnam war era.

The big thing that bothers me about celebrities spouting their political views at the Oscars (or Grammys, Emmys, etc.) is it feels like performative bullshit. These stars are rich, pretty people who don't have the first thing in common with ordinary people like me...they still live a life apart from the rest of us.

Exactly! I think Ricky Gervase said it best a few years ago at the Golden Globes. He said: :So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg. So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and fuck off, OK? It’s already three hours long. .

[Terry Monohan]

Just like the last few years the long pre Oscar red carpet show produced by a TV station in LA was broadcast in MONO sound to TV stations that picked up the feed. .

All the commercials were in STEREO , The last 1/2 hour red carpet when the ABC network did the coverge that was in STEREO sound.

To think that this event is held in the classic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA that the long local LA produced full of ads red carpet footage that is picked up all over the world would have been in STEREO sound .

With all the multi mikes and interviews I guess It would have been to hard for them to at least give us a surround sound crowd noice effect. At least the ABC network got the sound correct during the last minute outside entrance red carpet even that most of it was pre recorded not live like they put on the screen.

When ABC stops showing this live Hollywood event in a few years maybe 'You Tube' or however takes It over will stop cutting everyone off and let the show go long like people watch It live in the Dolby Theatre.

They cut Miss Babs off and rushed to a 'Prime' commercial when they used to go to a dark screen for a few seconds after the memorial segment ended. What is the big rush to end this once a year live movie Oscar event. Start the live show at 3PM CA time If need be.

The interview people on the red carpet on both the all afternoon MONO sound coverge and the ABC so called live red carpet feed are so boring. There was no one like 'Joan Rivers' and her daughter to entertain us before the Oscar show started many years ago. Joan had camp trash plus comedy and offended some people but so many of these moody up tight Hollywood types need to put in their place on live TV.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Frank was referring to this particular speech:

But yeah, I guess people can see the irony in the situation of somebody lecturing the world about climate change, while flying there in their own private jet...

[Leo Enticknap]

Not to mention their behavior when they got there...

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Presumably the lady sitting bottom right is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she didn't win! To be fair, that pic could easily be of any auditorium in a mall 15-plex at the end of a night. The difference, though, is that the customers at the mall multiplex aren't in the habit of lecturing the public about environmentalism.

[Frank Angel]

Well, for those who don't think political speeches are appropriate, Ricky certainly was able to be pretty Inappropriate (still pretty pointedly funny) without being political. I remember I was drinking a cup of coffee when I saw this live and when he said "the Hollywood Foreign Press are all very racist," I laughed so hard the coffee squirted out my nose. Although the humor was aimed directly at the very people sitting in the audience, most seemed to be able to take the jokes with good humor, although Apple's Tim Cook looked none to happy with that half grin frozen on his face.. . .

[Bobby Henderson]

I get pretty annoyed by crowds trashing up a movie theater, but it's pretty disgusting to see it done so horribly at such a high profile, formal event. I can understand people accidentally dropping a few pieces of popcorn, but that's ridiculous. And it comes off as a big "fuck you" to the employees who have to clean up that mess. I never leave behind any trash at my seat when I'm finished watching a movie.

IMHO, our nation needs some remedial courses in manners. The stuff needs to be taught in public schools since the parents are obviously not doing so at home.

This lack of etiquette is common everywhere. Take the gym for instance. When I'm lifting weights I'll see plate weights and other stuff scattered all over the place. Some guy will load up a bunch of plates on a leg press machine and then just leave all the plates loaded when he's finished. Lazy bastard. Now I'm putting various things back where they're supposed to go in between my sets. And that's just so I'm not hunting for various plates, dumbbells, etc. when I get on a different machine or bench.

But yeah, I guess people can see the irony in the situation of somebody lecturing the world about climate change, while flying there in their own private jet...

Generally speaking, people with shit-loads of money need to be doing more shutting up. That goes for more than just celebrities in the entertainment industry. Highly visible billionaires and multi-millionaires in other walks of life get on TV and pull the same shit. It doesn't go over well when some rich douche who was born into wealth says things to minimize the struggle people in middle and lower income classes go through.

On the other hand, I'm not going to give us ordinary people in the general public any cover on this situation either. Today we are far less tolerant of hearing any views that don't align perfectly with our own. The 24 hour news industry and tech industry helped cultivate this situation. But many of us are willing participants in the dance. It's common for someone to get outraged by something and have to sound off about it on a social media app. Yet they want people on the "other side" silenced.

It's as if the Sergeant Hulka character from "Stripes" needs to tell all of America, "Lighten up, Francis."

[Mike Blakesley]

I get pretty annoyed by crowds trashing up a movie theater, but it's pretty disgusting to see it done so horribly at such a high profile, formal event. I can understand people accidentally dropping a few pieces of popcorn, but that's ridiculous.

Jerry Seinfeld does a bit about that in one of his comedy specials. He says, "Leaving your trash is part of the deal we have with the movie theaters. You're ripping me off, so I'm opening my hand."

I am a fan of Seinfeld but he lost major points with me on that one.

What is the big rush to end this once a year live movie Oscar event. Start the live show at 3PM CA time If need be.

So you're suggesting the show should be longer?? One of the major complaints about it today is, it's already too freaking long.

[Mark Ogden]

Folks keep ragging on attendees because of that photo. The ceremony starts at 4:00 PDT and runs thru dinner time. They put snack boxes with popcorn, candy and water under the seats to tide people over. They don't provide trash bins, so it winds up on the floor. It has nothing to do with environmental hypocrisy or ill manners. It has to do with there not being any place to throw stuff out.

[Bobby Henderson]

Jerry Seinfeld does a bit about that in one of his comedy specials. He says, "Leaving your trash is part of the deal we have with the movie theaters. You're ripping me off, so I'm opening my hand."

Yeah, that joke makes him look like a douchebag. If somebody doesn't like the prices at the movie theater they can try complaining to corporate management about it -not even the local GM has a say in any of those policies. The idea of taking out one's frustration on the low wage, grunt-level employees is just shitty.

[Frank Angel]

Well, the producers give away all those goodies, so I am bet they probably put them in those Swag bags or boxes -- never miss an opportunity to print the logo on something. At the very least, the empty wrapers, cans and such should then fit nicely back into the box or bag from which they came. At most, all that should be left behind would be the box or bag that stuff came in and maybe a few dropped popcorn kernels , not this mess. This looks like the place was populated by people who live in dumpsters. Then again these folks probably have "help" to pick up and clean after them, so just leaving garbage right where they are at the moment they are done with it comes naturally to them. It's just the culture of the rich and famous..

[Ed Gordon]

The Oscar presentations should be done just as they do the Oscars for technical achievements. The technical awards are done before and are not broadcast. Don't broadcast the show at all. Video highlights after the show are entertaining. The live broadcast is boring.

In regards to the garbage left in the theater, the scene below from The Sand Pebbles comes to mind:
.

FRENCHY

What do you want for breakfast? Tell Wong — anything you want.

HOLMAN (pause)

Eggs?

FRENCHY

How many?

HOLMAN (pause)

A dozen?

FRENCHY

You got 'em. Over easy, or what?

HOLMAN

Over easy.

FRENCHY

And ham?

Holman nods, crosses to his locker. Wong bobs up and down delightedly.

FRENCHY

The Old Sand Pebble's not much to look at, but she's sure as hell a home
and a feeder.

Holman has been getting his shaving gear out of his locker.


Cont.

[22]

36 Cont.1

FRENCHY

Clip-Clip here does all the shaving.

HOLMAN

I like to shave myself.

FRENCHY

It's his rice bowl.

Holman looks around at the other men. Their faces are serious.
Is this an odd-ball lousing up the team?

HOLMAN

Don't want to break nobody's rice bowl.

He returns his shaving gear to the locker, crosses to Clip-Clip's
chair which Restorff has just vacated, sits down. The men relax,
nod reassuringly at each other as Clip-Clip starts to lather
Holman's face.

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