Oscars: Peace Si, Moore No
Published March 24, 2003
Julie Andrews was received with great warmth, 38 years after Mary Poppins, as she introduced a musical medley. She looks great - also aging very well are the twin towers of Hollywood liberalism Barbra Streisand and Susan Sarandon, who were restrained and nonpolitical in their presentations.
One of the most serendipitous byproducts of the aging of the Baby Boomers is that women can now be sexy and glamorous at least into their 50s. This is liberating for us all on the one hand, but also a challenge: there is no age now beyond which it is generally accepted you can "let yourself go." A nation is grateful but nervous.
Salma Hayek and Halle Berry are shockingly beautiful, have outrageous bodies, are strong and independent, and put the lie to the blonde myth.
I enjoyed watching Richard Gere, who was seated in the front row and about the only person associated with Chicago other than the caterer who wasn't nominated for an Oscar, beaming and glad-handing the Chicago winners (they picked up six including Best Film) as they went by. He looked like the usher at a wedding, very expressive, not a hint of resentment, very much enjoying the success of his compatriots. I'm not sure where Gere's image of being cold, dispassionate and selfish came from, but he was none of the above last night.
Moore, discussed elsewhere (the audio evidence is here), regardless of your political views committed the crime of violating the tone of the evening: he turned it into a circus, shouting and braying his condemnation of Bush, the war, etc., like a fishmonger.
Moore, with the audience probably 80% sympathetic to his views, managed against all odds to turn them against him with his ideological rant, spewing bile and self-righteousness and cheapening every moment of real emotion and genuine humanity in the entire program. My mother-in-law, a pacifist Buddhist dead set against the war, said this: "What an asshole." Amen.
And while some have questioned my use ofthe words "fat" and "greasy" to describe Moore, his oozing self-indulgence is a remarkably apposite physical manifestation of his personality. He is both despicable and disgusting.
The audience erupted in cheers and laughter when Steve Martin said: "That was so sweet backstage ... the Teamsters were helping Michael Moore into the trunk of his limo."
Adrien Brody, who shocked most by winning Best Actor for The Pianist (I had never heard of the guy), proved that an inclusive plea for peace rather than devisive political hectoring was the spirit of the evening. After sucking face with Halle Berry and a round of tearful thank you's - that boy loves his mother - he refused to allow the orchestra to drown his message:
- Oscars: Peace Si, Moore No
- Published: March 24, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: News, Video: Television
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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Comments on this articleComments
Im Sorry What?
Some random guy who should spend his spare time in the gym instead of in the editing suite, is trying to tell the US Population what he thinks. And then he washes away his crying words with a bit of hipocracy..... Im sorry did you say you like making movies about fiction because we're living in a fictitious world...my ass Moore! The world we live in now is more non-fiction and real than I have ever seen it. Cancer, War, AIDS, Sept. 11... all these things are real, so take light Mr. Moore.. Untill anyone has the balls to take a seat in Mr. Bush's chair, please dont tell us what you would do if you were in it.
Eric, for the record, I liked this take on the show and on Moore's blustery comments. . .
Thanks Bill, you rock
Goddamn, Eric, first it was fattism and greasism, now it's kiltism. What is your problem with men in kilts? And what will you be opposed to next? :)
yeah... give me a kilt any day.
*The Theory... would totally wear a kilt*
peace.
I have seen the damage a kilt can do firsthand.
Ryan, Moore said he and the others make non-fiction films (his one feature film Canadian Bacon was pretty bad).
On MICHAEL MOORE:
The BAD news -
Moore makes a complete ass of himself (again), thus proving the old adage:
"Booze & Glitz just don't mix."
It wasn't just an acceptance speech, it was a Public Service Announcement.
The GOOD news -
Since it appeared on television, Moore is now eligible to be nominated in the "Best Performance by an Angry White Man in a Musical or Variety Show" category at next year's Emmy Awards.
Personally, I think his chances of winning that Emmy are pretty darn good.
Pete
I was startled by your reference to Peter O'Toole as an "aristocratic Englishman". He does play that part well, and probably would have been knighted by now - except that he is Irish.
sorry Lynne
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/4032)
But that's Moore's style. It has been since Roger & Me. And I respect his unwillingness to subvert his style, private forum or no.
Adrien Brody's brand of peace protest was, however, much more to my personal taste.
I understand where you're coming from in labeling Moore "fat and greasy". It's an emotional response. But I think that in a public forum, it weakens your case. (It might be appropriate with some humor, but I don't think that you had much of a sense of humor about it last night.) If in an anti-war plea I refer to President Bush as President Bush, then I may get some people to listen. If I call him that arrogant, idiotic, Nazi bastard, I'm losing my audience before I can even state my case.
Tell me you meant "fat and greasy" with a sarcastic sense of humor, and then I'll buy it. Otherwise, you can call him whatever you want, but I think it weakens everything you say after that.