Blogcritics: Comments on The Oscars: Chris Rock Out of His Element

Comment by Pete

Fri, 4 Mar 2005 00:30:51 EST

On target with a lot of your observations. Rock, in addition to not being funny, his jokes crossed the line and came across as insulting and rude. It's distasteful to rip on people who are in the audience. Hosting isn't the same thing as doing standup. Obviously he wasn't the right person for the job. He looked stiff and uncomfortable, shouting at times. If they wanted someone young they should have gone with Jimmy Kimmel. He's funny, quick witted, and works well with people. Rock was too antagonistic and ruthless to be a host.

Comment by Eric Olsen

Wed, 2 Mar 2005 17:04:02 EST

perhaps what Moore does should be called "film collage"

Comment by Richard Porter

Wed, 2 Mar 2005 15:28:28 EST

Dave What upsets me most is that Michael Moore did not win an Oscar for BEST FILM EDITING. After all, isn't Fahrenheit 9/11 the most cleverly edited film ever made? It's cut up more than an MTV video.

Comment by Hermann

Tue, 1 Mar 2005 21:52:55 EST

It was apparent that Al Pacino was totally high at the Oscars. Does anybody know what his drug of choice was that night?? My friend thinks he was totally coked up...I agree...but another in our crowd thought he was wasted on weed because he did, in fact, slur a lot. In recent years, he's been so over the top, and his performances have been more about his hair than his acting. None the less, he doesn't usually seem stoned out of his mind. Any thoughts?

Comment by Natalie Davis

Tue, 1 Mar 2005 01:59:20 EST

I thought Chris Rock was quite funny (save for his Oprah/Travolta joke; everyone knows it's Tom Cruise). Mileage varies, especially when humor is the subject. I liked Dave Letterman as Oscar host too, though not the "Uma... Oprah" nonsense. And this boggles: Why, necessarily, is Oprah raising a fist in delight because of Jamie Foxx's win something to do with "black power?" I spontaneously threw my fist into the air when Foxx won, when Morgan Freeman won, when Charlie Kaufman won, when Hilary Swank won, when Clint Eastwood won (that one was halfhearted, because I really wanted Scorsese, but I love Clint), when Robin Williams appeared with tape on his mouth, when Julia Roberts appeared looking FABULOUS... you get the idea. It's about joy, and it may have been about mere joy when Oprah raised her fist too. And you know what, even if it was as you claim, which I doubt, so friggin' what?

Comment by Aaron, Duke De Mondo

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:43:04 EST

but only on the weekends, and you have to call him Martha.

Comment by george

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:28:35 EST

THE LAST WORD.... CHRIS ROCK SUCKS

Comment by Eric Olsen

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 18:42:13 EST

not a transformation even the most resolute Cuban would nod at approvingly

Comment by Aaron, Duke De Mondo

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 18:40:12 EST

oh now, i thought her hair was nothing short of perfect, having just browsed through dozens of google links to find said images. the one i eventualyl found hidden away on the site you mention, was pretty small, and when i clicked on it, thinking, reasonably enough, that surely larger kirsten will follow, i get a picture of gloria fucking estefan. what the hell?

Comment by Eric Olsen

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 18:26:06 EST

Kirsten was sweet and petite but her hair was weird, sort of plastered on her head helmet-style - there are pics of her at Oscar.com

Comment by sydney

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 18:23:38 EST

Ya I love dave, didn't mean any disrespect. By the way, can anyone figure out Dave's politics? I've found it unbelievably difficult, although lately i gather he's a conservative (despite which party he may or may not vote for)--- I dont mean to change the topic.. just curious.

Comment by Debra

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 18:14:51 EST

Funny how everyone dumps on Dave but forgets his Oscar show boasted the highest ratings in 12 years. And everyone brings up the Uma, Oprah bit (which really didn't last that long), but no one mentions the "Do you want to buy a monkey?" auditions? God, that was really funny.

Comment by Aaron, Duke De Mondo

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 18:06:20 EST

i was very much hoping to see Chris Rock's performance, but then the BBC didn't have the rights to broadcast the show this year. But how did Kirsten do? did she hand out the award and did folks say "holy shit, that was the best award handing-out ever!" And i must say, with all the talk of billy crystal, his performance at last years awards was without doubt one of the most wretchedly embaressing things i've ever seen. I thought i was gonna puke during the big song. I didn't. i turned it over. aw well

Comment by sydney

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 17:32:30 EST

Well I think chris rock is great and I liked some of his jokes. But, mostly, oscar jokes are lame anyway. However, I think it's inappropriate to cut actors up at a ceremony that is meant to celebrate them. I mean, in a night club or on a PPV special that's fine because it's what comedy is about but he could have used a more appropriate humour given the situation and he probably would have got some laughs. As it was, he was offending the audience in which he was looking for laughs. Naturally, alot of the jokes came off flat.. In lettermans case.... well he's never been good at stand-up. Dave is brilliant at unscripted interviews but pretty amature in standup. At least he acknowledges that he was 'the worst host in its 70 year history'.

Comment by AF

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 17:29:32 EST

Dave, I don't see how you can like Chris Rock but not his monologue last night. It was pretty good material. The main criticism I can see is that it was too much a typical Chris Rock stand-up act and not quite appropriate for the occasion. Billy Crystal and Steve Martin might be a little more in tune with the audience as it currently is, but that's why and because nobody like me (young straight males) watches the Oscars. The whole point of getting Chris Rock was getting people like me to watch it and it worked.

Comment by Rodney Welch

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 16:33:54 EST

"He was a total misfit in a gathering of some of the most talented artists in the world." Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Mr. Penn.

Comment by Phil

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 16:25:06 EST

I thought Rock was funny and with comments like, and I'm paraphrasing here, "star of the long awaited sequal Catwoman 2, Halle Berry..." Come on; you're telling me that wasn't funny in the context of Halle Berry attending the same venue with Rock? But like someone else said, funny to me isn't funny to you and thats the point of blogs, one person's opinion, however much I might disagree.

Comment by Gord

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 15:59:52 EST

Chris Rock ... please award him the Oscar for worst host ever. He was a total misfit in a gathering of some of the most talented artists in the world. His style of delivery, i.e. non-stop yelling in his harsh voice, is sadly indicative of over-compensation of volume for lack of substance. Compared to previous hosts like Johnny Carson or Billy Crystal, he was a total embarrassment.

Comment by Dave Nalle

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 15:19:56 EST

Ok, comment some more without reading the article, please. I fucking LIKE Chris Rock. I didn't like Chris Rock's hosting style. There's a difference, you morons. I actually missed his quips about Bush. From what I've seen Rock skewers the left as much or more as the right, so I'm not particularly politically offended by him. Though I'm surprised that Democrats aren't up in arms about some of the comments in his regular stage show. Dave

Comment by Matt Egan

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 14:08:25 EST

No big shock that Dave didn't like Chris Rock, since he offended his precious conservative sensibilities with quips about Bush. That was Chris Rock's act last night, PG-13 for the network and FCC. YOu either think its funny or you don't. Count me in the former.

Comment by Oscar_Watcher

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 13:22:18 EST

dave is a pompous ho....

Comment by Comixchick

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 11:08:42 EST

Sorry, Dave, but I thought he was funny. I watched Letterman, too, and I'm wondering how drunk you were if you wanted "Uma, Oprah" back. NOTHING would make me make that wish.

Comment by Dave Nalle

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 11:03:47 EST

If you read the article I did point out that I actually LIKE Chris Rock when he's doing his standup act. It's just that Chris Rock the Oscar host wasn't really the same guy. And I did mention Beyonce, but I mentioned her bad performance rather than her 2 good ones. Dave

Comment by Larry

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 10:51:50 EST

As far as Chris Rock is concerned, NO comedian is funny to everyone. It depends on the type of sense of humor that you have. If you like polite and politically correct, you might not like Chris Rock. Sometimes he was funny and sometimes he was not. No one mentioned the wonderful performances by Beyonce. Overall I think that the awards went to the right actors.

Comment by Dave Nalle

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 10:27:46 EST

How anyone could think Chris Rock was funny is completely beyond me. It's like you guys were watching a different show. I just replayed the monologue on my DVR and had to stop it after about 2 minutes it was so awful. Dave