One way to fix the Academy Awards: eliminate the endless lists of thanked names
Just a little note as we’re relaxing with friends here at Buzzquarters watching the Academy Awards.
If you had one moment in your life to stand before an audience of millions and say something from your heart, would you give that up to whip out an index card and read the equivalent of a large chunk of the phone book off in your 30 seconds at the mic?
Say something inspiring.
Read a little poetry.
Sing!
Encourage people to believe in themselves so they can get where you are too.
Be sappy. Sappy plays incredibly well at awards shows.
There is a time and a place for a long list of people you want to thank: it would be an ad in Variety, or some other arrangement through the Academy. If you want to thank 50 people publicly, that way they get to frame it and put it on their wall too.
Every year, we start to wonder around Oscar time why we don’t especially enjoy watching this show. And then, we tune into the broadcast, and the name rattling begins, and we’re reminded of why this program drags on and on.
If you are going to thank an individual, pick one or two, and tell us WHY that person inspired you and how she or he helped you reach your dream. That could be a wonderful story to tell, one that we’d remember the next day, and maybe long after, depending on the story.
But, enough with the shopping lists of names.
If ever we had 30 seconds to speak to the world, you can guarantee we wouldn’t waste it rattling off names.
We’d thank our grandparents and moms, actually, for raising us, and for teaching us to never give up and never back down, if what we’re doing is right and we believe in ourselves. We’d thank all of our teachers for making us take pride in all our work, whatever we did, and our friends for standing by us through thick and then. And then, we’d wish everyone in the world a chance to have a moment like that — getting such applause and reward — because if they all work hard enough at whatever they love, that’s possible for anyone to have in their own small way.
What would you say if you had the chance to speak to millions at something like the Academy Awards?
30 seconds, live broadcast, with the expectation you’d say something memorable?
UPDATE: Despite some of the more ridiculous things Tom Hanks has said and done lately, THIS IS WHAT AN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH SHOULD BE.
And we liked this one too, from Morgan Freeman, that was so short and sweet, and yet worked in “Heavens to Murgatroyd” slightly under his breathe as well:
We realize the actors and actresses are performers, and the costume designers and technical people are not, but at least the writers — the WRITERS – who win awards should be able to cobble together something meaningful to say, and not a laundry list of everyone they’ve ever met, including the kid who ate all the glue in kindergarten.
Morgan Freeman’s approach was wonderful: just a big blanket statement of thanks to everyone who was ever involved in the movie, then thanks to Director Eastwood and his costar Swank, and finally a very personal and sedate thanks looking above to “You”, to be taken however you like it, but meaning something particular and personal to Freeman and Freeman alone.
Why can’t all the speeches be required to be of that caliber?
If they were, more people would surely watch this broadcast year after year.
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I could not agree more.
I would say, “thank you so much for this great honor, and to all that have supported me in my endeavor”
If I had a moment in my life to stand before an audience of millions to say something from the heart, I would say that Obama is not a natural born citizen and therefore is not constitutionally eligible to serve as POTUS. I would further point out that every bit of legislation that he signs into law is invalid. Finally, I would add that the armed forces do not have a CIC, unless it is – egads – Joe Biden! I would also ask anyone who knows to tell the rest of us why Obama is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to quash the requests by citizens of these United States to produce the vault copy long form of his birth certificate, as well as the medical and academic records he never released when applying for the position.
Oh my god I love it!!!I needed that laugh tonight..
LOL..i wish you had been there and said that…
Also, Hillbuzz did Sean Penn really address the crowd as I just read:
“You Commie homo-loving sons of guns.”
… No he did not just say COMMIE…Did He?
Why, yes, he did indeed say Commie.
We also like when he said, “I know I make it very hard for you to appreciate me”.
Sean Penn was EXCELLENT in Milk (which we saw again today, for probably the 6th or 7th time). But, as a person, we’re not too keen on him and his antics. Or his choice of company in everyone from Chavez to Castro to the rest.
He sure was good in Milk though. Milk should have been best picture too.
The should have been winners according to us:
Supporting Actress = Viola Davis
Supporting Actor = Heath Ledger
Best Actress = Meryl Streep
Best Actor = Sean Penn
Best Picture = Milk
Best Director = Gus van Sant
Doubt and Milk were our favorite films of the year
I will be honest with you…. I did like MILK, and it took me a long time to watch it only because he was in it.. I don’t like to support him because of how you say antics. I remember Harvey Milk very well. He is a true crusader in our time, a very important story to be told.
I remember Harvey Milk too from growing up in the bay area. Haven’t seen the movie yet…waiting for DVD.
But I am not sure if people realize that CA wasn’t always filled with liberals and these battles of acceptance were hard fought. Even hippies and college protests weren’t looked favorably on by many.
Anyway….when first seeing the trailer and Penn raised his hand and moved it the same way Milk did…I gasped. I hadn’t seen it in sooooo long. It was iconic in a way…..and I had forgotten it. Which is the whole point of killing him. Wasn’t it?
At the time there was something in the air….both good and bad. It was exciting to hear Milk say what you wanted representatives to say about every topic.
People forget, or don’t know, that at the same time Rev Jim Jones was also a popular ‘go-to’ person for the local nightly news for comment on those same topics.
To me, Rev Jones was
obviously creepy, as he talked numberous AA widows into donating their houses to the church for the cause…..while they were still alive! There was something odd about exploiting these women who often had nothing else.
So we all were waiting to see if he was going to build what he said he would or was flat-out stealing widow’s homes for a lie. Since all outward signs in SF was that his social programs were making a difference. It was also hard for people to speak out against Jones who would constantly play the race card in defense of those social programs.
Another interesting fact, is that he provided church members for politician’s causes/protests so there was no traction there either complaining against Rev Jones. Eventually the media went so far as to not believe anyone who did speak out against Jones and tear them down. (Hmmm….sound familiar?)
While the true fighter, Milk, was interested in changing the system from within. That is who we, in my family, focused our hopes on. He was geniune and passionate with a situation to the ‘straight people’. As anyone was called who was an establishment person.
There was just a huge feeling of relief as Milk didn’t misrepresent the other side of the debate.
And then there was Dan White who couldn’t turn a phrase like Milk to sum up a situation. So with Rev Jones and Milk stealing any extra time on the local news nightly. Dan White almost seemed to fight for his segments and came off as a typical politician. It was sometimes hard to watch him after Milk boiled down an issue. Or while Jim Jones hugged and kissed his widows, while showing another program the church has developed for the poor. Dan White made even Rev Jones seem a more honorable in his goals.
The strange thing is we all knew. Those who loved what Harvey Milk stood for…knew they would succeed. And we were openly mocked for believing it too.
‘He isn’t important enough.’
‘There isn’t enough gay people to matter.’
A direct contrast to MLK who was often referenced in the coversation as someone important enough to kill and the numbers behind him to matter.
The very few that grudgingly accepted that someone might try. Would dismiss it as he would be murdered for being gay. Like a random hate crime….but no one would risk making him a martyr. It wouldn’t be for political reasons was the argument.
But as stated earlier. There was something in the air though…both good and bad.
We knew.
Correction…oops
He was geniune and passionate….with a gift of common sense who could explain the situation to the ’straight people’.
Ugh…poorly written sentence.
“There was just a huge feeling of relief as Milk didn’t misrepresent the other side of the debate.”
To elaborate, often the news would have someone speaking for liberal causes that didn’t represent us properly. Milk did represent and defended liberal arguments….perfectly.
Which is what I meant about the other side of the debate.
I always get best picture, editing and directing right, lol. Having watched “Slumdog Millionaire” some 3 weeks ago, I said then that it will swept the Oscar.
The Hollywood people are so full of themselves..is it any wonder they supported obama?
I actually have thought about this, I would love to write a book or screenplay. I have thought what I would say, and I would thank my parents, and thank them for supporting me how they have the last couple of years. Not having a home to call my own, and their most watchful eye, really has made me humble and full of gratitude.
Katlynnelore, You Keep that dream! You will be wonderful, and that speech is perfect… Now get out there! I’m pulling for you : )
Countless people to thank. Yet, the ones rarely thanked are the fans/moviegoers.
Good point.
I can’t wait until they take half of his income to support us…not…if only he had to “pay” like the rest of us..he might learn to keep his stupid mouth shut…
I stopped watching the Academy awards some years ago. I just got so tired of the preening, posturing, self-indulgence of Hollywood, where actors (not know as a group for great intelligence) have taken it upon themselves to use their celebrity to push their political candidates and malign those who disagree. (Even soap operas have taken to pushing their favorite causes onto the viewing public).
I watch the black and whites of the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s. Those were the days when, with certainly some exceptions, movies had great, complex plots, actors and actresses who could rightly be called ‘legends’. (The Olsen twins have their sidewalk stars yet)?
He sure was good in Milk though. Milk should have been best picture too.
penn was fantastic in Milk (saw it for the first time sun night)…but slumdog deserved best picture…that movie was nothing short of fantastic
penn really is an incredible actor tho…if anyone hasnt seen his work in i am sam…go rent it now, guy just kills his roles
We’ve never had a female win for Best Director. Not in the entire history of the Oscars. And only three have ever been nominated.
Loveleen Tandan co-directed Slumdog, but was not nominated alongside her partner Danny Boyle.
There’s a rule that you can only have one director except they made an exception for Heaven Can Wait, West Side Story, No Country for Old Men, and allowed both directors to be nominated. Not so with Slumdog, so once again we have a woman doing winning work that just can’t really win.
Hollywood is fine with actresses, but there’s a glass ceiling for women working in other areas of film.
I want Bob Hope and Johnny Carson back.
I rather enjoyed Hugh Jackman and the fancy-schmancy song & dance numbers ….. these kinds of production numbers keep things entertaining amidst the long lists of faceless people the winners blather on about.
Love Queen Latifah. Would have preferred to see her do the big musical tribute than Beyonce-the-overexposed.
It was an interesting new procedure for presenting the actors this year. Time-consuming, but oddly personal. I haven’t decided if I like it yet or not.
Overall it was head & shoulders above the Oscars of the last decade ….. classy , nice set design, glamorous presentations …. at least until Penn did his impression of Sasheen Little Feather and put politics front & center. I am continually amazed at Hollywood’s inability to recognize that this is NOT their job.
im with you on how they presented the candidates…some were truely heartfelt and looked sincere…some looked phoned in
I’m a Slumdog Millionaire fan. I saw the day after it was released – you know you are alive when you see that film. But I notice the news media didn’t give it much coverage since it is about India and that is foreign, not like us, so who cares. I thought the two young leads were lovely in their delight at being at the ceremony. There was an innocence and humility about that group usually missing from such occasions.
I was at work so didn’t hear the speeches, except A R Rahman’s and since he is a Muslim, it was great to hear him say he chose love over hate.
Also pleased that Sean Penn won, rather than than Mickey Rourke.
I wonder how many people are aware that Milk was a Navy man and a former Republican, and was murdered by a Democrat.