Happy Monday gents,
In recent years I can recall watching at least some of the Oscars or whatever 'big' event is on that evening. After discussion with some friends it seems very few watched. And we all have one common reason why- the increasing PC offended culture in media.
I am relatively moderate in nature, and have friends ranging from Bernie Sanders supporters to Ben Shapiro disciples. Most of us agree the media coverage of these events has turned us off to the events.
When I first saw this in action on a big state was after Villanova won the men's basketball championship and that poor kid (Devashenzo or some absurd last name) who hit the game winning shot was criticized for tweeting rap lyrics ~10 years prior to that day that contained a slur. It seems with every major accomplishment, the first thing to do for some members of the media is dig up their social media and see if they have ever posted something offensive. A sad job to have if you ask me.
I saw this morning that Green Book won best picture (have not seen the film - plan to) and the first story I read is about how offensive the film is and how it promotes the idea of a 'white savior' - the director in his past had allegations, etc.
It seems like - in today's word - if you do something well and win an award, contest, etc. the first thing people look for is anything remotely offensive to tear you down. Completely wrong in my opinion.
Maybe I am too young and this has always been happening? Maybe social media just amplifies it? But whatever the cause is, I didn't watch, close friends ( all young to late 20's for reference) did not watch, and ratings overall dropped according to quick google search. In the last year and a half or so I have only been watching big sports events and not any media events of this in nature due to the media coverage of politics and the perpetual outrage that the media is desperately seeking.
So did you watch? Why or why not? Any thoughts on PC media attacking everything? Anyone else worried about Bradley Cooper swooping their girlfriend or wife after that singing performance?
And as a reminder, make sure cash rules everything around you unless other asset classes provide higher risk adjust returns.
-Wu
Didn't watch (don't watch any awards shows). I generally dislike "look how far we've come" films because it adds to the delusion that we don't have a long way to go (and this includes films from black directors, who made Twelve Years A Slave and Selma - both of which I didn't watch). Green Book appears to be another one of those films and if it was whitewashed, as the family of one of the main characters claims, it (and the academy) deserves all the criticism it is receiving. As an aside, glad that Spike Lee finally got a best director nod as he has at least three classic films in his catalog.
edit: he won adapted screenplay not best director lol
I feel the same. Agree with people saying Black Panther shouldn't have been nominated for best picture. I think it's a good film, but I think other things carried it there and not one of the best of the year.
What are the classic Spike Lee films? Love and basketball is the only one in my opinion.
Inside Man, probably one of the most woooosh endings. Won't spoil it though. He Got Game is pretty good if you're into basketball.
Do The Right Thing (obviously), Malcolm X, He Got Game, Inside Man. He did not direct Love and Basketball.
I guess I should have known that Roma wouldn't win best picture due to it being distributed by Netflix/it being in a foreign language. I wish First Man and If Beale Street Could Talk would have been in the Best Picture categories (haven't seen Vice, but from the opinions I've heard I would've replaced that and Black Panther). [Edit: originally said Green Book, but thinking back, I've mostly heard that Green Book was controversial but decent, while Vice was too hamfisted and carried by Christian Bale]
The Korean film Burning should have been nominated for best Foreign Language film, though I'm not sure what it would've replaced.
It felt like a crazy strong year for female talent in acting, but a pretty mediocre one for male talent. I would've thrown in Joaquin Phoenix for You Were Never Really Here to replace Viggo Mortensen (using the U.S. release date of April 2018, even though the film came out in 2017), Steven Yuen from Burning to replace Sam Rockwell, and made supporting actress have 6 nominees just so Claire Foy would be recognized for First Man.
Eagerly anticipating The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Us, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Roma was great, but that had zero chance of winning because of the resentment Hollywood has toward Netflix.
No, Roma wasn't "great." It was mediocre at best. Everything Hollywood related blows. I dont spend my money on this shit anymore.
Didn't watch it. Still have an aftertaste from last year's event.
Movies are selected not for their merit, but because they are about one or another social issue/injustice/whatever... Not planning on watching future events either!
Love Olivia Colman and don't care about the rest. She's come a long way since David Mitchell & Robert Webb sketches and "Peep Show."
She's going to be fantastic in Season 3 of The Queen
Peep show is amazing dude
I had it on in the background while I was doing other stuff. There are a handful of actors/directors that I really like, and I enjoy seeing them get recognized for their work. Other than that, I'm not really interested in hearing random costume designers and sound producers go up there and rattle off 20 people who they want to thank.
no
Didn't watch straight through, bounced back and forth between it, NCAA ball and binge-watching episodes of The Umbrella Academy.
Missed seeing Spike finally win. Missed Gaga and Bradley. Very cool to see Rami Malek and Olivia Colin win.
The highlight for me personally was seeing one of my all-time favorites, Regina King win, she can do no wrong by me, whether on TV [she was the reason to watch "Southland"], in film or doing voice-overs [she voiced both Freeman brothers on the animated "Boondocks"]. She's even been doing some directing these past few years... so who knows, perhaps another Oscar for her someday, from behind the camera.
Boondocks was awesome and Regina King is amazing
Agreed on both counts.
I didn't even know the oscars were yesterday
This is the only Oscar I care about
Over 50-years old and the only Oscar I even remotely recall was the one back in the 70s or 80s when Sally Fields made the immortal comment: "You love me, you reeeeeally love me!" Didn't watch the show, but read a few articles about it a couple days later.
Any show that has all the glitzy glamour fake, obnoxious pomp and circumstance surrounding the Oscars is a dead give-away that the show couldn't be less entertaining. A bunch of Hollywood celebrities and has-beens glad-handing each other over a statue that signifies you were the best actor/director/blah blah blah that year means absolutely nothing in this politically charged day and age. The Oscars have become so polluted with politics and political satire that even if one wanted to sit down to a 4-hour marathon of garbage to escape politics, they better turn off the TV and read a book or stare out the window.
Didn't watch because award shows are boring but read about the results this morning since I love movies.
I don't really care about all the hand wringing over Green Book and try to think of movies as independent from the people in or making them. Kevin Spacey was still a solid actor, Woody Allen is a fantastic director, Tom Cruise almost never makes a bad movie, etc.
I haven't seen it or The Favourite, so I can't weigh in on how good or deserving it is, but in general I thought this year was a pretty weak year for movies. Compare this to last year, which featured Shape of Water (not my pick for best, but still good), Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, Three Billboards, and even Get Out.
Bohemian Rhapsody featured an unbelievable performance by Rami Malek, but the movie itself was pretty cookie cutter - generic band bio. BlackKkKlansman is a Dave Chappelle skit. Black Panther wasn't even the best Marvel movie of the year, and yes I understand it absolutely captured the zeitgeist and I don't mean to downplay that, but I'm not sure how that makes it a best picture nominee. I was so hyped for Vice because I loved The Big Short and political movies in general and Christian Bale dominated it, but there were some terrible casting and writing choices. Roma was really solid but didn't hit home with me and it's hard reading a movie instead of watching it. A Star Is Born was good at least.
Still, not even in the same league as last year's selections.
Did not watch, but the "Free Solo" acceptance speech was a PC train wreck if you know anything about what sort of accomplishment it was for Alex Honnold to climb el cap unassisted. The comment of "Alex's gf climbed her own mountain that day" was sooo far off point. Then the comment at the beginning, "this film is what it is because of the women and people of color who participated in its creation", it was a freaking skinny ass white kid who performed the most difficult sporting achievement ever and you want to talk about women and people of color? I feel bad for the women and people of color who actually feel embarrassed when this sort of stuff is said for their "benefit". What if the word "men" and "white" were inserted? ..... "this film is what it is because of the men and white people who participated in its creation" LOL lets not think rational about anything anymore, reality is too grating to our sensitive, delicate selves.
Loved that movie - did not see the speech but yikes...
Agreed that the PC shoehorning does get tiresome.
PS. It's the "free solo" bit that's incredible, not the climbing part. Thousands of people, including myself climbed El Cap "unassisted" (i.e. only using ropes/gear for protection, as opposed to using it as aid). Most climbed the very same route Alex climbed, for a modern climber it's not that difficult of a route beyond the logistics. However, climbing it solo - no ropes, "you fall, you die" is an incredible achievement; my hands are sweating from just imagining doing the boulder problem (or worse, the f*cking Monster OW) without a rope.
It's funny because Green Book was another attempt of Hollywood liberals to pat themselves on the back, but in the Oppression Olympics, you are never woke enough.
I honestly enjoyed Dragonball Super: Broly far more than anything those self-centered idiots came up with for the entirety of 2018.
Broly was so much fun
Didn't the actor that voiced Broly get fired for some PC non-sense? Not even Dragon Ball is safe...what is this world coming to?
I did not watch Oscar. What was interesting?)
Had it on in the background. Bunch of rich liberals spouting off about "immigrants" (notice no distinction made between illegal/legal), women, gay people, minorities, blacks, Latinos, etc. Plenty of moral-high-ground attacks on Trump of course. Full-on SJW feel-good limousine liberal circlejerk.
Almost turned it off but didn't because there were a few moments of brilliance like Lady Gaga / Bradley Cooper's performance.
Serious question because I'm not in the industry. How much is PC culture defended/ advocated in high finance or ST in general?
Seems link anyone without mainstream opinions is looked at as a nut these days regardless of industry.
All the major banks are highly vocal in their support of women/minorities/LGBT/environmental issues because the media would burn them alive otherwise.
Internally most people don't care about / discuss politics at work. I will say that I have heard many people ridicule Trump but have never heard someone say that they support Trump. You can guess why.
Well said!
Wu_Tang Financial stop watching movies and give us some AAA memes on insta.
I only watched a little but only because it happened to be on my tv at the time. The only two movies that I saw were A Star is Born, which I did not like, and Bohemian Rhapsody, which I liked a lot.
Would have appreciated it more if "Roma" won best cinematography and "Cold War" won best foreign film.
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