Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

I wonder why I thought is was Disney. It's actually part one of two 30-minute films. They could have strung them together and released it as a feature instead of as two shorts.

Revolting Rhymes isn't Disney. It's BBC and Magic Light.

This one should be a non-starter. The incident occurred years ago, was highly publicized at the time and put to rest.

Who are these 13,000 troublemakers who signed the petition? Obviously not Academy members, or at least not all of them. The Academy only has about 6,000 members. Kobe Bryant's love letter to basketball will probably lose the Oscar to Disney's Revolting Rhymes, but it is a really lovely piece that should be judged on its own merits.

It's Dear Basketball which must be judged - not the private, or even public, life of one (just one) of those who made it. The wikipedia link provided by Mister Tee shows that the accusation was, let's say, questionable - and the charges were eventually officially dismissed. Now, I know that for the tricoteuses in America (and on this board - yes, I'm talking about YOU) this doesn't mean much...

... and it actually doesn't mean much for me, either - but for different reasons. An artistic effort shoud be judged on its own merits - simply. This will be a shock to the over-emotional, self-righteous souls here (a minority, thank God, but a vocal one, as I know even too well) - but that's the way it should be.

Okri wrote:

Franz Ferdinand wrote:We briefly mentioned Kobe Bryant as nominee. This recent development to rescind his nomination has been below the radar (my first time hearing about it), but that's a sizeable petition.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/13000 ... 56230.html

It's an interesting question, though. I hadn't heard about Bryant's history either.

I'm surprised you didn't hear about it. It was heavily covered by all the tabloids here.

Here, by the way, is a rather more dispassionate take on the events around the trial:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Brya ... sault_case

Fans in LA obviously chose to believe-or-forgive Bryant -- when he retired, he got a hero's send-off.

I have to say, I'm very uncomfortable with recent attempts to recast historical outcomes to suit current political climates. If these matters had been raised leading up to the nominations and voters chose to leave Bryant's film off because of the accusations, that would be one thing. But declaring the Academy must rescind nominations to suit someone's individual idea of justice is way beyond the pale.

When did this nonsense start? Bryant was given a prominent spot in the Academy luncheon picture just last Monday.

There's no grounds for recision of a nomination here. If voters don't want to vote for him, they don't have to. If he wins and they want to sit on their hands or boo, that's their privilege.

ITALIANO wrote:

Reza wrote:

flipp525 wrote:That comparison is very problematic, Reza, and you’ve made it (with some suspect frequency, I might add) in several threads.

Dude the world does not thankfully view the shenenigans in your country through American eyes. There can be a different perspective as well. Not as cut and dry as the perpetual hysteria in your country always indicates.

It is also fair to say, Reza, that there other parts of the world where odious acts like sexual harassment or even rape are sadly rarely punished, and frequently taken for granted. This is of course a dramatic mistake, and one in which women are almost always helpless victims - of men, first, and then of a society which too often protects those men.

But I can't deny that what's happening in the US - even based on the reactions of some on this board, reactions which are objectively hysterical (and flipp is more balanced than others honestly) - seems to me quite alarming.

I completely agree with you on all three counts.

Franz Ferdinand wrote:We briefly mentioned Kobe Bryant as nominee. This recent development to rescind his nomination has been below the radar (my first time hearing about it), but that's a sizeable petition.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/13000 ... 56230.html

It's an interesting question, though. I hadn't heard about Bryant's history either.

Reza wrote:

flipp525 wrote:That comparison is very problematic, Reza, and you’ve made it (with some suspect frequency, I might add) in several threads.

Dude the world does not thankfully view the shenenigans in your country through American eyes. There can be a different perspective as well. Not as cut and dry as the perpetual hysteria in your country always indicates.

It is also fair to say, Reza, that there other parts of the world where odious acts like sexual harassment or even rape are sadly rarely punished, and frequently taken for granted. This is of course a dramatic mistake, and one in which women are almost always helpless victims - of men, first, and then of a society which too often protects those men.

But I can't deny that what's happening in the US - even based on the reactions of some on this board, reactions which are objectively hysterical (and flipp is more balanced than others honestly) - seems to me quite alarming.

ITALIANO wrote:But the idea that a person can be prevented from being honored for an artistic achievment based on (even terrible) suspicions or accusations about his or her private life, is both puritanical and fascistic. I'm not sure that I'd call it a witch hunt yet, but I certainly find this kind of attitude intellectually repulsive and potentially.

I think this is all well on its way to becoming a witch hunt now. It will certainly grow especially with the way most under 40 year olds think in the United States.

flipp525 wrote:That comparison is very problematic, Reza, and you’ve made it (with some suspect frequency, I might add) in several threads.

Dude the world does not thankfully view the shenenigans in your country through American eyes. There can be a different perspective as well. Not as cut and dry as the perpetual hysteria in your country always indicates.

In my private life, I am free to decide that I don't want to be associated or go out with someone who's been just accused of a crime. I personally probably wouldn't distance myself from this person before he or she has been found officially guilty, but I can't deny that, if the crime is especially heteful or the accusation is very believable I could think about that. I wouldn't be proud of myself maybe, but I could think of that. We are human.

But the idea that a person can be prevented from being honored for an artistic achievment based on (even terrible) suspicions or accusations about his or her private life, is both puritanical and fascistic. I'm not sure that I'd call it a witch hunt yet, but I certainly find this kind of attitude intellectually repulsive and potentially dangerous.

I will say more. Even if the person had been eventually found guilty, I'd still judge his or her artistic achievement without even vaguely considering his or her misconduct. I believe in total separation between the artist and his or her art. And that they should be judged separately.

But especially when it's just an accusation... well, it's just absurd.

Yeah, not sure I would compare this to Joseph McCarthyism. At least, not yet. But I would be troubled if they took away someone's nomination based only on an accusation, before the person can defend him/herself in a court of law. That would be a bad precedent and send an awful message.

That comparison is very problematic, Reza, and you’ve made it (with some suspect frequency, I might add) in several threads.

Franz Ferdinand wrote:We briefly mentioned Kobe Bryant as nominee. This recent development to rescind his nomination has been below the radar (my first time hearing about it), but that's a sizeable petition.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/13000 ... 56230.html

.....and the hysteria continues. History repeats itself in the United States but with a slight twist. It's the 1940s-50s blacklist time again only this time substitute alleged (or otherwise) rapists and molesters for Commies. I guess the Commies don't seem so dangerous now in comparison