Telecast Discussion

[Big Magilla]

From Variety:

The Academy Board of Governors will meet this Friday, April 8, to discuss the actions and consequences for Will Smith after slapping Chris Rock during the 94th Oscars telecast. Originally scheduled to meet on April 18, in a letter obtained exclusively by Variety, the move comes after Smith’s resignation from the Academy.

“I am calling a board meeting for this Friday morning, April 8, at 9:00 a.m. PT, rather than the previously scheduled April 18 meeting, to address possible sanctions for Will Smith in response to his actions during the Oscars broadcast on March 27,” the letter begins.

Signed by Academy president David Rubin, the letter states: “Following Mr. Smith’s resignation of his Academy membership on Friday, April 1, suspension or expulsion are no longer a possibility, and the legally prescribed timetable no longer applies. It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion.”

[anonymous1980]

The ratings for the Grammys this year is 8.93 million people, only a little over half of the 16.6 million that the Oscars got. This is why I'm always puzzled why ABC and the producers so want the Oscars to be more like the Grammys: skew young and popular, barely any awards (the Grammys only presented 8 categories live on air this year), lots of music performances and comedy bits. Yet they get barely over half of what the Oscars got.

[Big Magilla]

SAG-AFTRA action against Will Smith next?

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sag ... 06500.html

[Big Magilla]

A superb discussion between Nick David and Nathaniel Rogers at The Film Experience that really touches on a lot.

I listened to it, agree with a lot of what they had to say.

I don't think the criticism of Wanda Sykes at the Academy Museum was warranted. It was clear that she playing a part in the skit.

My overall takes five days later are roughly the same as my original thoughts.

The good:

1. The show moved along fairly briskly. The hosts didn't ham it up too much, nor did most of the presenters.

2. The use of clips of the actors returned, which was great.

3. Acceptance speeches were mostly kept within the time allotted.

The bad:

1. Few presenters most of us were familiar with. Very few of the unknowns were even introduced in relation to roles we might have seen them in. I think only the Disney princesses were accorded that.

2. The big names were poorly used. Why weren't Bond stars Javier Bardem and Judi Dench asked on stage instead of, or at least, with the sports guys who introduced the clips? Why weren't Pacino and De Niro asked to do something other than walk out with Coppola, like present Best Director or Best Picture, along with Coppola? Why wasn't the introduction of Liza Minnelli handled more properly? There should have been more of a tribute to Cabaret's 50th anniversary. Maybe show a clip of Liza singing the title song cutting to her on stage and with Gaga accompanying her and giving them the music awards to present instead of Best Picture where she was under heavier pressure.

3. The gospel show or whatever it was in front of the In Memoriam screen. The singling out of Sidney Poitier, I get, but not Ivan Reitman, and certainly not Betty White whose tribute should be at the Emmys, not the Oscars.

The ugly:

1, The idiotic twitter votes presentations.

2. The infamous slap of which we had a glimpse of earlier that no one else has mentioned.

Early on, either Wanda Sykes or Regina Hall asked Will Smith to come on stage and join the other male stars Hall wanted to have fun with. He rather churlishly refused. I couldn't tell if it was part of a rehearsed schtick or if it was a genuine refusal. The sequence sort of just died after that making me think it wasn't rehearsed.

[Sonic Youth]

A slap is used to display anger/disapproval in a dramatic way, not to cause actual harm.

IOW, a show of dominance meant to cause humiliation. Plus, a punch almost certainely would have gotten him arrested.

Here's my question. If this were staged, what does Smith get out of all this? What is the upside?

He gets a lot of attention out of it. The whole family will. And he’ll be one of the most memorable best actor winners, solely due to the slapping fiasco.

Ok. Wouldn't it better to try for a second Oscar instead?

[Okri]

A superb discussion between Nick David and Nathaniel Rogers at The Film Experience that really touches on a lot.

[anonymous1980]

Part of me still thinks this was staged -either by the Academy/ABC or Smith himself. ABC will have this whole nonsense played out again next year which I’ll likely get more people to watch the show. Will Smith’s best actor win will now be one of the most famous wins because of this.

I’m thinking it was staged because of the slap. Why a slap and not a punch? He might as well have used satin gloves. Something about all this doesn’t ring true.

I'm Facebook friends with a Hollywood insider (a character actor actually) who has a friend who works in the Oscars: No, it wasn't staged. At least not by ABC and the Academy. If it was staged, the Academy and ABC had NOTHING to do with it. These award shows have a script to follow. The entire production is always informed if there are any changes.

[jack]

A slap is used to display anger/disapproval in a dramatic way, not to cause actual harm.

IOW, a show of dominance meant to cause humiliation. Plus, a punch almost certainely would have gotten him arrested.

Here's my question. If this were staged, what does Smith get out of all this? What is the upside?

He gets a lot of attention out of it. The whole family will. And he’ll be one of the most memorable best actor winners, solely due to the slapping fiasco.

[Sonic Youth]

A slap is used to display anger/disapproval in a dramatic way, not to cause actual harm.

IOW, a show of dominance meant to cause humiliation. Plus, a punch almost certainely would have gotten him arrested.

Here's my question. If this were staged, what does Smith get out of all this? What is the upside?

[Big Magilla]

A slap is used to display anger/disapproval in a dramatic way, not to cause actual harm. Smith has a history of using the slap in such a manner.

In the old days, a slap would have meant an invitation to a duel. Thankfully, we've moved beyond that.

[jack]

Part of me still thinks this was staged -either by the Academy/ABC or Smith himself. ABC will have this whole nonsense played out again next year which I’ll likely get more people to watch the show. Will Smith’s best actor win will now be one of the most famous wins because of this.

I’m thinking it was staged because of the slap. Why a slap and not a punch? He might as well have used satin gloves. Something about all this doesn’t ring true.

[Big Magilla]

Someone on another site had this to say:

You can't help but think this is some Scientology thing: "Rule 27.5.42 - always render your oppositions power over you moot, lest your Thetans' alignment gets out of whack..."

Scientologists believe that when a person dies—or, in Scientology terms, when a thetan abandons its physical body—they go to a "landing station" on the planet Venus, where the thetan is re-implanted and told lies about its past life and its next life. The Venusians take the thetan, "capsule" it, and send it back to Earth to be thrown into the ocean off the coast of California.

[Big Magilla]

I thought might have been an April Fool's Day joke, but it's real.

The Academy says this won't affect their decision.

[Mister Tee]

No need to get him expelled. Will Smith resigned from the Academy.

"You can't fire me -- I quit!"

[mlrg]

No need to get him expelled. Will Smith resigned from the Academy.