What do you think of Michael Moore getting shunned by the Oscars?

[mtnsnake]

According to mainstream TV media, Michael is the "most disappointed" person in the country as far as people seeking academy awards. Apparently he did everything under the sun to lobby for his movie F9/11 to be nominated for Best Picture, and it didn't happen...no nomination this time. They said he took on a personal trainer, lost a bunch of weight, got a haircut, shaved, dressed up, and blah blah blah in his attempt at promoting his film for Best Picture after finding out it wouldn't qualify for Best Documentary.

I loved the film; it was more powerful than I thought. Just because it wasn't nominated doesn't mean it wasn't as good as we all know it is. Personally, though, I think Michael should've just laid back and let his film do the talking and let his legacy be decided on its own merits.

What do you think of the "clean cut" stuff that went on a while back, though? Is that what he was up to, in regards to promoting himself and the film?

[davidinalameda]

1. he should have left it in contention for best documentary

I never did understand his reasoning for promoting it for best picture

[Miami Liberal]

4. I agree

He could have easily won the documentary award.

[mtnsnake]

self delete

re-located

[mtnsnake]

11. According to the tube, it didn't qualify for best documentary

That's what has me puzzled. Was the reporter doing the Oscars coverage wrong in stating the film didn't qualify for Best Documentary? Like you, I remember MM saying he had to make a choice one way or the other as to what category he could submit it in quite a while ago, and he chose not to use the documentary one.

[flyingfysh]

35. that's true, it didn't qualify

Because Moore got it onto some cable TV channels in an effort to help defeat Bush. If he had kept it off cable, it would have qualified.

[oppositionmember]

66. Well that's his problem. It's a documentary. Period.

[flyingfysh]

34. he considered it a long shot for best picture

He thougth defeating Bush was much more important than getting an Oscar. He would have been a shoo-in for Best Documentary, but wanted to get it on TV to try to defeat Bush.

[Free Speech Zone]

86. He shot for the moon and missed

Oh well...

[Radio_Lady]

93. You're right...

Who ever heard of the Academy choosing a documentary for "Best Picture"?

He shot himself in the foot. Stupidest "Oscar logic" I've ever heard in my thirty-odd years of reviewing movies in Miami, Boston and Portland, OR!

[bobbobbins]

2. i think he needs to just suck it up

it was a good movie, but there were several others that deserved the award more.

[candy]

6. I agree, and the balance in his bankbook should help him get over it.

[SayitAintSo]

76. Bingo......n/t

[Cha]

77. Michael Moore isn't doing this for

"the balance in his bankbook". He wants F9/11 to be seen by more people. Michael Moore is a true Patriot!

[henslee]

3. Michael has moved on. He expects nothng from establishment...

His box office is validation enough.

[WaterKiteS]

5. I'm sure he's disappointed, I am.

I loved the film. But there were other good films as well. I predict Aviator sweeps the Oscars.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

7. He was a shoo in for documentary

and he withdrew it, hoping for Picture. Stupid move. A doc will never win Best Picture-if anything, most Academy members are actors and they'll never vote for a genre they don't work in.

[nashville_brook]

14. narrative vs non-narrative film is a tension that will probably never be

overthrown in the film biz. there's just too much riding on the primacy of narrative film as far as hollywood is concerned.

[anarchy1999]

22. It was my understanding it was a strategic move so it could get wide

release before the "election/selection" day. Am I wrong?

[demily]

28. from what I remember

A documentary that was shown on television cannot be a contender for best documentary. So he had to choose between putting F 9/11 on pay per view before the election, or having it nominated. I think he made the right choice. What really matters with a film like that is that the maximum amount of people possible see it. I think he succeeded in that.

[WaterKiteS]

29. no, you're right.

[Cocoa]

8. awards are elitist

just like it didn't matter that all the whores trashed F911, it also doesn't matter that whoever votes for the Oscars didn't vote for the movie.

All that matters is that ordinary people like us went to see it and liked it.

[sonicx]

9. he doesn't look all that different to me...

The field is crowded, so it's not surprising it didn't get a nod. It also hurts that it's a summer movie. Oscar bait ususally comes out in Nov or Dec. "Aviator" will probably sweep, anyway.

[nashville_brook]

10. i think he looks great

so even if he didn't get the a nomination, uh -- he looks good.

i don't think 9-11 was his best work. i would have given it the Oscar if it were up to me, but i can see why it was passed on just based on where it fits in Moore's oeuvre.

[MadHound]

12. It doesn't suprise me

MM shoudn't have taken it out of contention for the documentary award, though I understand why he did. If he had left it in, F911 would have won easily. Going for best picture is a stretch, and in this time of political timidry, the Oscar people aren't going to stick their necks out.

[Southsideirish]

17. Agreed - good post.

[bobweaver]

13. #1 concern in Hollywood is making money, and that makes THEM conservative

[Ian David]

16. How does Michael Moore sleep at night? On a big bed full of money.

I'd tell the Oscar committee to go fuck themselves. Why should he care?

He did, after all, cost Bush a legitimate election.

[Tacos al Carbon]

89. He did?

How?

[tyne]

19. Bill O'reilly

will take credit for this.

[prodigal_green]

15. Could have been a strategic move

to show how conservative Hollywood really is (or at least to make that claim). After all, his original distributer backed out and hey, The Passion of the Christ DID get a nomination (for best makeup) while F9/11 didn't.

[crispini]

18. He withdrew it from Best Doc

because he wanted to show it on PPV before the election. Didn't happen, but I can understand why he did that. Actually wouldn't that have totally disqualified him from the Oscars at all, not just Best Doc category?

[WaterKiteS]

30. nope

He was recently inteviewed on the E Channel and said he was hopeful that he'd win best picture. Alot of good movies came out in the last few months. Loved Aviator. Bet it gets best picture.

[stlchic]

20. The Oscars is mostly a self congratulatory ego fest/fashion show

...so I really don't care if MM carries away a gold statue or not.

If he was nominated and got the award, my respect for him and the film (which is already high) would not increase one bit.

If he would have preferred making another speech and having another dust collector on his mantle - well, I'm sure he'll get over it and find other outlets (he's a clever guy, after all).

It's still a great film, Moore is still a patriot, and has made a huge difference in the lives of a lot of Americans.

Oscar-schmoscar...

[DARE to HOPE]

21. As I remember he pulled it from Documentary so he could show it...

...on PayPerView. He was trying to get it distributed to the public as widely as he could before the election. My own brother just finally saw it, and it really opened his eyes, like about the stolen elections, even though he had already voted for Kerry.

I doubt Michael is really hung up over this. The tabloids' personal remarks about his appearance maybe.

He is an American hero, no matter what "awards" he gets.

[wabeewoman]

25. Agreed DARE to HOPE

From everything I read, Moore was more interested in getting the word out to the American people than making money off the film. He had only made 15k a year until Bowling for Columbine so I don't think money runs his world. I also think the freeps are more concerned about his appearance than he is.

[cms]

23. I personally don't...

care for Michael Moore at all...but hey thats just me...

[DrWeird]

26. That's alright.

I personally don't care about Michael Moore detractors.

[Bridget Burke]

33. It's not just you.

You do most of your posting in Gun Rights. I'm sure others down there are of a like mind.

[CarinKaryn]

56. Weren't you here last year...

...slamming BOWLING? Wasn't your user name then msc or smc or something?

This isn't really a gun nut issue. Its about f/911.

[Dufaeth]

24. Putting it on DVD disqualified it for Documentary,

but not for Best Picture, from what I understand. So he sacrificed the sure win to get the DVD out before elections.

[Downtown Hound]

27. Seriously, I doubt Michael cares very much

I'm sure he would have loved it if it won just because it would have given Bush a nice, big, black eye, but beyond that I doubt he's going to lose much sleep over it. It has already grossed far more than any documentary in history and won the Peoples' Choice Awards. Michael has done what he set out to do, and he already has an Oscar under his belt. I actually somehow doubt that Michael ever really placed a whole lot of stock in 911 being nominated. Had he hoped? Sure. But he had to know that there was always a chance it wouldn't be, and this is one of the few guys in America that has stood up to Bush and the right wing. I think he's big enough to handle it.

[Hamlette]

31. Wait. He lost weight so his movie would be nominated?

Is this MSM tripe, MM's tripe or ours?

[mtnsnake]

36. It was according to MSM's tripe

Yup, that's what was said.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

32. He didn't submit it for "Best Documentary" only for "Best Picture"

So he couldn't be nominated for Best Documentary.

[AngryAmish]

37. Why should I care that a multi-millionaire get "snubbed"?

He can sit in his private club and laugh at us who care so much about his little drama.

[mtnsnake]

40. Yeah, but this multi-millionaire is different. He cares about us

I don't mind someone like him making all the money he's entitled to, considering the cause.

I hope he continues writing books and making movies, but at the same time, I hope he doesn't get too enamored with being in the public spotlight all the time. For all the good he does doing his own thing, I think he can do a certain amount of damage by attaching himself to any one candidate or any single cause.

[AngryAmish]

57. Don't beleive the hype

He is a brilliant marketer. He knows his audience, gives them what they want and gets lots of money for his efforts.

[adigal]

38. I am sure he knew this would happen

and how does anyone know why he cleaned up??? Did he say it was for the nomination???

I learned a valuable lesson a few years ago: Believe 1/2 of what you see, and none of what you hear.

[imax2268]

39. I think he should just leave it alone...

after all...the establishement is bullshit...

The "PEOPLE's" Choice Award says it all...the people voted for that film...to me that's all that matters...screw the establishement...the Oscars are rigged anyway...

[deadparrot]

41. MM doesn't give a shat about the establishment.

I don't agree with some of his methods/views, etc. But he wouldn't have disqualified his own movie straight out of the box if he was obsessed with winning another Oscar.

[durutti]

42. I wish Michael Moore would just quit.

He's a liability, a hypocrite and a sellout. And he's obnoxious.

[wuushew]

43. How was he a liability?

F911 was a big time political motivator for the left. Since I didn't give two shits about the conservative "documentaries" last year, why should I be afraid of the right's reaction to he or his movies?

[jagstang3]

49. He was a liability because...

...he gave much of America the impression that the most Democrats are far left conspiracy theorists akin to many DU folks. Lots of people-- and not just rabid right-wingers--think DUers and Moore are nuts. Whether this is an accurate perception or not, it's one that lots of people have. And it doesn't bode well for Democratic election victories. Michael Moore became one of the "faces of the Democratic Party," even though his views are inconsistent with most moderate voters. I don't think Moore speaks for most Democrats, but what do you expect people to think when he's invited to sit next to President Carter at the DNC? The more Democrats worship Moore--and try to nominate folks like Dean and Boxer--the more elections they will lose. Democrats didn't lose the presidency in 2004 by being to moderate.

[wuushew]

50. swing voters are a myth especially in this election

In the current political climate the level of polarization is close to 100%. Michael Moore didn't change any body's vote to Bush. Turnout was also high, so I really doubt people just sat at home saying they couldn't vote for Kerry because of MM.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

53. LOL

You've got two choices.

Keep quiet, don't rock the boat......and lose.

Be loud, be brash.........and lose.

Ah, the joys of living in a media wasteland controlled by the right.

[CyberSon]

59. I would rather rock the boat

then sit around degrading fellow Democrats for scaring away the imaginary undecideds. if it were up to people like this guy, we would the the democratic moderate party. they move further left and we tag along?? i think not. what about OUR goals?!

[Bluebear]

54. "Lots of people think DUers are nuts"

Are you a DUer now or did you come in just to report that information? Who are these "lots of people"?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

60. I guess freepers aren't nuts then?

Or are they just kept hidden from the public better......

I don't know what he was getting at either.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

80. Well, Bluebar, you know...

some people say...
(know what I mean?)

[TankLV]

71. Yeah - sure.

And where have you been all my life, darling?

[durutti]

72. Moore wasn't even formally invited to the convention.

Carter's family got him in at the last minute.

[Cha]

78. Michael Moore exposed bush for

the ASSHOLE he is..in F9/11!

Michael Moore is a Hero and a True Patriot!

[durutti]

84. He's a little dishonest.

Many of the attacks on him are exaggerated or unfounded, but he does occasionally stretch the truth a bit.

[Cha]

85. Okay, name something that Michael has

"stretched"?

[durutti]

91. $43 million to the Taliban, for starters.

$43 million was given to the UN for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. It was not given to the Taliban.

There's more here: http://www.spinsanity.org/topics/#MichaelMoore

Not a right-wing site, by the way.

[Djinn]

95. I with you Durutti

in that I don't see MM as the Messiah some do - he makes good TV/movies but they're pretty light on info and big on bells and whistles (and that is what you have to do to get people to see them these days) BUT money given to "afghanistan" was in essence money given to the Taliban, and I can guarantee they didn't spend any of it on providing healthcare/eductaion etc for women, Hazara's etc etc so I think that one might be a bit disengenuous.

That said if I was voting (and it was elligible) I wouldn't have voted 9/11 for Best Pic OR best doc - the oscars aren't about box office and Outfoxed and The Corporation weer both better documentaries than 9/11.

[Bridget Burke]

90. Sorry, you're wrong.

I know a couple of people who aren't as politically minded as I who LOVED Fahrenehit 9/11. They're fairly moderate & learned a lot from the movie.

Hint on formatting: Paragraph breaks between the Right Wing Talking Points make them easier to read. Not that we haven't read them before!

Thanks for reminding us that our enemies still regard Michael as dangerous.

[K8-EEE]

52. F-9/11 Was A Great Film -- Michael Is A Truthteller

If the Uh-Murkins can't handle the truth fuck them. NOBODY could change their vote, they are completely delusional about the Great Liberation -- hell most of them think VietNam was a good war that the Dems fucked up, you can't fault Michael with not making people with self-imposed blinders see.

Who COULD? They're like fucking Moonies.

[cire4]

64. Nice to see that the Moore-bashers are out in full force

Like it or not, that movie helped our side way more than it hurt. I, and countless others, spent the summer trying to convince everyone that they knew to go see this movie. Once they did, the results were almost universal:

Those that already were against Bush hated him even more
Those that were on the fringe became solidly against Bush
Those that were non-voters/ignorant/apathetic became avid Kerry supporters.

Farenheit 9/11 energized our base, simply put. Remember where we were in June? Democrats were still licking their wounds from the nasty primary. There was still widespread animosty within the progressive community towards the Democratic party and Kerry (like right now). Once Moore released his film to the masses, we all realized how important it was to get Bush out of office. Like a swarm of bees, we all united strongly behind Kerry. Millions of people around the world saw that film and it instantly became a national mobilizing tool that energized the liberals like no other.

Moore's film was a positive force and I'm sorry that you can't see that. The only people it alienated were those that refused to see it. And those people were already firmly in Bush's camp and were very vulnerable to RW propaganda.

[tubbacheez]

44. no biggie. let the art films get the oscars.

F911 was an ok film from a filmmaker's perspective. Not bad. Nothing earth-shattering either.

F911 was an awesome film from a political perspective. It was unprecedented and relentless.

I say let the Oscars go to those films that really tried to push the filmmaker's art.



F911 already won at Cannes, which is probably more of a political statement by the European film community than any serious opinion of F911 itself.

And F911 already won a People's Choice Award, which testifies to its huge popularity.

The Academy Awards don't necessarily measure popularity.

[Johonny]

45. Personally

I thought it took guts not to go for best Documentary and to push for a best picture instead. I think Oscars will always be a second class award until it starts considering ALL movies for it's best picture. Not just best drama of the year. 9/11 was the best picture I saw last year. At the least I think it's nuts it didn't get an editing nomination since it's the razor sharp editing that really punches the movie's points home.

[WillowTree]

46. I couldn't care less...

....who does or doesn't get nominated in these silly popularity contests.

[DrGonzoLives]

47. It was a great film

But which is more important:

1) It gets nominated for an Oscar in a popularity contest.
2) Millions of people see it and realize the truth.

I would think that Mike would go for option #2, myself. I would be surprised if he even really cares all that much.

[anarchy1999]

48. Nothing at all, it was to be expected. MM knew what he was doing.

He didn't need anymore recognition or money.

What a bunch of interesting, different opinions on why?

"after finding out it wouldn't qualify for Best Documentary."

Have you read any of the other posts on why this happened? It is well documented.

[against all enemies]

51. I'm sure he was more disappointed that Bush got elected.

[tinanator]

55. at which point Farenheit's Oscar future was decided

their fates were locked.

[sendero]

58. I find Oscars...

... pretty hard to get excited about. They in no way reflect the best works IMHO.

[earth mom]

61. Michael Moore did the right thing!!!

Wow! I am frankly stunned and sickened by some of the remarks on this thread and wonder where they are coming from...? Hmmm....?!

Moore sacrificed his film getting an Oscar for best documentary so that it could be aired on T.V. so that uniformed people could see what * is all about and how this nation has been blatantly lied to. That's the honorable and right thing to do. We should all be willing to make such a sacrifice! Most people would NOT! And even though he made millions off the film, there is no doubt Moore would love another Oscar. I can't image any one in the film industry doing the same! Few people in this country have the kind of dedication Michael Moore does to the greater cause at hand!

Who the hell else is speaking out like Moore?! That's what I want to know! Even Kerry and Boxer for that matter will cover their asses first when push comes to shove! We all know that the MSM isn't speaking out, SO WHO THE F WILL? MICHAEL MOORE THAT'S WHO! I think we need hundreds more brave souls like him who will get out there and tell it like it is! Big deal that some don't believe in his every opinion or pov. Who the hell believes exactly like everyone else in the dem party? We are all different-if we all thought exactly alike we'd be drinking the kool-aid and spouting the on message party line just like the idiot rethugs!

I really feel for Moore today. He made a sacrifice and it was one that cost him personally, no one else. For that he is MY HERO. Not Kerry and Not Boxer or any of those other politicians who would sell their soul 9 times out of 10 for a vote. Moore would do this whether he made a dollar off of any of it-because he cares that much. And he didn't lose weight for anyone but himself-he told Katie Couric that he needed to start caring about himself and stop caring so much about others.

Moore should run for president!!! He'd be a helluva lot better than any of em and I mean ANY of em!

[mtnsnake]

63. Of course Michael Moore wouldn't sell his soul for a vote

as you said in your post.

He's not a politician like the people you used as examples, Kerry and Boxer. He's got less to worry than they do about when it comes to votes.

I agree we need more people like him, though.

[CBHagman]

62. Some strange stuff going on, as usual.

Don't misundestand me; I'm not talking conspiracy theories. However, I was puzzled that another major and critically acclaimed documentary, "Control Room," also didn't make the Oscar nominations. Is there some weird eligibility rule I don't know about? Probably.

Anyway, I'm disappointed for Michael Moore. For what it's worth, however, he has earned his place in history, and we will go on watching his films and TV shows for as long as Earth has him.

[KharmaTrain]

65. It Shouldn't Have Been Nominated For Best Picture

In all due respect, it was a great movie, but I look at it that this award is designed at movies that encompass many elements of the film genre...cinematography, acting, directing, writing and so on. While F911 has some of these elements, there are other films that fit this criteria far better.

This was and is a documentary; a totally different type of film. This is similar to confusing fiction with non-fiction. Since Moore took the film out of consideration for Best Documentary in hopes of getting it on TV before the election, it will probably get few if any honors or mentions. But so be it.

Moore got his message across and that was the purpose of this movie. Turned on or turned off, this movie was intended to make people think, not to win hardware. The money the film grossed and the amount of attention/publicity he got from it should have told him he accomplished what he did...something the academy never could. Sure, it'd be a blast to see him make another scene at the Awards ceremony, but I'll be satisfied with seeing his next project.

The best thing to come out of F911 for Moore, and those of us who appreciate his work, is he will be able to continue making these movies with little interference from "mainstream Hollywood" since they make money...and in Tinsel Town that's the ultimate Osacr.

[geek tragedy]

67. Godard, a true film legend, said that Bush would win after he saw F911.

Moore is a liability, and the film was no great shakes either.

Good for the AMPAS.

[elare]

68. Cleaning up ...

I believe that whole story about Michael Moore getting a haircut, cleaning up, etc. started when he appeared on Leno's show shortly after the election. A couple of weeks ago, he was on Leno again ... in his baggy jeans and baseball cap. There was a reference made to his previous appearance and it came out that Leno's people had asked him to dress that way ... they thought it would be funny if he came out all cleaned up and looking like a "Conservative".

[GRLMGC]

69. He's won an Oscar before

Who cares? Plus, documentaries don't get nominated for Best Picture, neither do comedies (for the most part). I'm sure he doesn't care. A. He's rich and B. He already has one. For most people, it's a once in a lifetime thing.

[Mike Niendorff]

70. :shrug:

To be honest, I don't really think about it.

F911 was a good title, but if it were up to me it would have been about 1000 times more scathing (for starters, I would've run the entire video of Bush reading "the pet goat" at full-length, unedited, with a split-screen showing the towers burning at the same moment. Then, I would've pointed out that Bush's photo-op on top of the rubble pile forced the rescue workers to stop searching for survivors so that Bush could get his campaign moment in). Anyway, no, I'm not particularly worried about F911 getting Oscars or not. I just don't really care one way or the other. What I do care about is getting the word out about what the Bushies have been up to -- speaking the truth that our joke of a media simply refuses to tell anymore. That matters, and to the degree that F911 accomplished some of that, well, good for Michael Moore. Other than that ... :shrug:.


MDN

[proud2BlibKansan]

73. It sux

but Mel Gibson got slammed too so I wasn't too bummed out.

[ilovenicepeople]

74. The one problem that I had with F911 was,

that it gives credence to the government version of who pulled off 911.And I don't believe "that" version.

[osaMABUSh]

75. Not a big deal - MM won the Peoples Choice - righties will go nuts

The righties will go nuts over 9/11 not getting nominated like it means that the movie was never relevant. Remember back to June 2004? It was the biggest movie event of the entire year. The right will try to rewrite history again. But it doesn't matter the damage to Bush was already done. Yes, he got "re-"elected"" (two pairs of quotes intentional) but he will go down as 'the worst president ever'.

[Cha]

79. Yeah! That's right..

The People chose F9/11 for the best movie!

And Michael gave a Fantastic speech and I got to see it!

[unkachuck]

81. I think the clean-cut stuff...

....was mostly tongue-in-cheek.....Hollywood playing it safe and moving Right, shows you the power of Bush....

[walldude]

82. I think they were just playing it safe period

The Passion didn't get nominated either. Not that any of this matters, ever since 1977 when Annie Hall won Best Picture over Star Wars, the Oscars have been useless....

[rocktivity]

83. Well, I'm confused because I overheard someone on CNBC

whining about how the Hollywood liberals conspired to keep The Passion of The Christ enough. Yet they consider Moore shunning a moral victory? And how do they reconcile the Passion's producer Mel Gibson saying that he liked Michael Moore?

:headbang:
rocknation

[ComerPerro]

87. I couldn't care less

Then again, I couldn't care less about the Oscars at all.

I don't even know what WAS nominated.

But I don't think F 9/11 deserved it, and neither did The Passion.

[Felix Mala]

88. Love Moore and his work

But Fahrenheit 9/11 was not the best movie of the year. It was not his best film. It was powerful and important and told a story that needed telling. It was also rushed and needed about a half-hour to 45 minutes cut out of it. He needed to get it out by summertime, so a lot of raw stuff was left in that might otherwise have received more interesting treatment had time permitted. I'm glad he did it, but it wasn't the best picture of the year.

I always thought Roger & Me was hard to top, but I was really impressed by Bowling For Columbine. Don't worry Michael. You've got lots of films left to do and I don't think you're done yet with this war or this president. Just give yourself more time, next time. Everyday we see the Nazi right re-writing history right before our eyes, on Fox News and in dozens of blogs and rags. We're looking to Michael Moore and people like him to get the truth out, and there's plenty out there been held from the people.

Looking at the list, the one glaring omission is Hotel Rwanda. All the other films were much better films, objectively speaking, than either F9/11 or Passion.

[proud2BlibKansan]

92. E.T. got shunned too

I saw an article several years ago that listed great classic movies that were not nominated for Oscars. So Michael Moore is in good company.

[fortyfeetunder]

94. Why Mike worry, he's got job security!

After all he's got 4 more years to report more on the damage Bush has done.

But I am optimistic that once * supporters are fed up with him, they will return to F9/11 to better understand how he has wrecked this nation...

[proudbluestater]

96. Didn't Mel's "Passion" also get stiffed?

[SouthPasadenaDem]

97. To paraphrase:

First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. Then they fight you.

Then you win.

[MADem]

98. I do not think he really cares one way or the other

He wanted the film SEEN. And the bottom line with Hollywood, aside from the artistic shit, is receipts. Plus, they dissed PASSION. One for one!!!!

Most Americans do not eat, drink, sleep and breathe politics. They are astoundingly unaware. The best the ACADEMY can do is pick the films that represent what THEY feel is the best work of their cohorts, that also appeals to the public to some extent.

Here's a thing that slays me--everyone is bitching about this film or that not making the cut. It AIN'T a popularity contest...go to the PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS if you want that shit. This is actors, producers, directors, the whole HOLLYWOOD crowd, deciding what THEY like, what THEY think is cool, cutting-edge, artistic, viable. It's what they do for a living, it is what they know.

It's the ACADEMY making the calls...not the DEMOCRATIC ELECTION OF OUR FAVORITE FILMS!

The ACADEMY has every right to pick what they see as the best from their peer group--that is the way the awards are set up. We don't ask the employees of Chi-Chi's to pick the police officer of the year, or ask the membership of Overeaters Anonymous to pick America's Top Model. It's their club--they own it.

This is a group who have SAG cards, who are on a select list of producers, directors, etc., picking the best amongst THEIR PEERS. The fact that the display is splashed across our TV screens is a result of their clever marketing (strictly for profit, because we LOVE 'celebrities' and like fools, we TUNE IN), but we do not OWN the process, we do not have any input into it (beyond buying tickets, which is a form of influence, but not an overriding one), and it is NOT our show. It's THEIRS. Ya don't like it, don't watch!

We just tune in, suffer the bullshit musical numbers, commercials, overlong speeches, smarmy music, and lame comedy. We do it to ourselves!!!! We've no one else to blame!!!! We must stop excoriating these people for applauding the people they like, in their club, and either "Suffah!!!!", dig it, or change the damn channel!

IMHO..........

[NotYourPresident]

99. Palast's Bush Family Fortunes v. F911

Moore thought he should have gotten a Best Picture nomination. What he's too good for documentaries now? It kind of serves him right. Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie. I thought it was great and it was important to have it out there, but Moore clearly has some issues that has made this now all about his own ego.

I think this really came home to me after I realized how of F911 is based on Palast's book, Best Democracy Money Can Buy and yet he doesn't thank Greg (who gave him his own notes, etc.) or even think he is worth interviewing for the film. It is strange. After reading BDMCB and seeing Bush Family Fortunes (Palast's low budget attempt at a film version), it's hard to imagine Moore ever making his film without reading the book and seeing Palast's reporting footage.

My point? Moore's self-promotion is nothing new neither is his need to hog the spotlight and the credit. But I think this past year has gone way too much to his head and he actually believed that his film could win any category he decided to enter it as.

I, for one, am glad that it wasn't nominated as best picture. Not because I don't think that MM is a great filmmaker and wish him success, but because people already believe that the film was fiction. Why give them another reason to dismiss it as a "Hollywood adaptation" of the facts surrounding this corrupt administration?

[Raised_In_The_Wild]

100. Boycott the Oscars, its unbearably boring anyway, Michael is the best! nt