Oscar bites his fingernails over politically active stars

[rodbarnett]

HOLLYWOOD (AFP) - Hollywood is fretting that outspoken stars could hijack Sunday's Oscars (news - web sites), the scene of frequent political outbursts, to score points ahead of this year's US presidential polls.

And amid a tough crackdown by US federal authorities on the broadcast of "indecent" material, Oscar bosses worry that an unexpected political tirade could be censored, tarnishing the image of cinema's top awards.


<snip>

"Hollywood egos cannot resist telling us what they think about what's happening," said awards expert Tom O'Neil.


Last year, liberal US documentary maker Michael Moore scandalised Hollywood and America when he lauched a vitriolic attack on US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) for waging war in Iraq (news - web sites) during his acceptance speech for his best documentary Oscar for his anti-gun film "Bowling for Columbine."


With free-speaking left-wing actors Tim Robbins and Alec Baldwin sure to take the stage this year as presenters if not as best supporting actor winners, and with equally combatant Sean Penn also nominated, organisers are bracing for possible fireworks as conservative Bush seeks re-election.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1504&u=/afp/20040227/ts_afp/oscars_film_lifestyle_us_040227073228&printer=1

comment : a snarky shot across the bow?

[Wetzelbill]

1. Penn and Robbins!!!!!!!

[madmax]

2. Good

I hope they raise HELL! btw - what does snarky mean?

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. Snarky means...

From Merriam-Webster:
dialect snark to annoy, perhaps alteration of nark to irritate
Synonyms: crotchety, snappish

[madmax]

13. Thank you

Had no idea it was a 'real' word ;)

[TeeYiYi]

11. ? . . .

snark·y    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (snärk)
adj. Slang snark·i·er, snark·i·est
Irritable or short-tempered; irascible.


snarki·ly adv.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=snarky

Wow, I thought it meant something entirely different. The only person I every heard use that word was my grandma.

TYY

[5thGenDemocrat]

24. Heck, I used it here a couple of days ago re: Nader

Correctly, too, as it turns out.
John
Can't be wrong all the time.

[truthspeaker]

3. if they call a political tirade "indecent"

Then this really is 1984.

[sadiesworld]

10. Indecency= liberal political speech

[hyphenate]

31. Ah yes,

But if it's the repukes message, it's okay, right? All them nasty liberals like Baldwin, Penn and Robbins will be present, while the main poster boy for the right, Charlton Heston, sits at home and stares into blank space. (I wonder how far his Alzheimers has gotten?) At least our side has people with consciences--I can't think of any right winged actor who is in any way a stand-up guy. Have you ever noticed that the main "action-adventure" genre actor is almost always a repuke? Arnold, Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, for starters? Our guys know how to act, not just shoot guns and look manly.

[opihimoimoi]

4. This is still a FREE Nation?

freedom allows expression, which is healthy for the long term.

suppresion results in negative flow and is counter productive.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

9. I don't htink it's so free anymore

:-(

[opihimoimoi]

32. Sadly, I agree

Our precious freedom got hit by a despotic President who talks to God.

[bleedingheart]

6. I support Free Speech and everyone including Actors

have the right to speak their minds...

[Mandate My Ass]

7. Ah, the five-second delay is going into effect

can't have any *obscenities* shocking the audience. Censorship anyone?

[Kolesar]

8. Political causes are often promoted by Oscar winners

Of course, having presenters rip into the president would be a new level. I still don't think I 'll watch. I never do. The headlines ought to be good

[frank frankly]

12. such terrible writing in this piece

and so pathetic

we've got nine months to save the Republic...

definitely a snarky shot across the bow

[Bridget Burke]

14. The possibility of the unexpected is the main reason to watch!

Who will make a political statement? Who will be too drunk/stoned to function? Who will look like heck--even though her outfit cost the earth? Yes, some of them have "Hollywood egos"--it takes a lot of nerve to dress up funny & pretend you're somebody else in front of cameras.

Of course, I do hope that ROTK earns lots of awards.

And I'd REALLY like to see Johnny Depp win!

[mhr]

15. Free Speech Today, Free Speech Tomorrow, Free Speech Forever

Always Remember:

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

Thomas Jefferson
Founding Father Of The United States of America

[Brotherjohn]

16. Don't forget, Johnny Depp has called the U.S. a big, mean puppy...

...that bites.

He and Penn are the favorites.

Also, even if Murray sneaks up and wins, he may have something controversial to say as well. He apparently has agreed to show up only if, in case he wins, the orchestra doesn't chime in and drown him out if he's going on to long. He seems to really want to say what he wants to say, and I don't think he'd place that much importance on merely the usual thanks.

[ixion]

17. ah, but it's okay for 'tweety' to run pro-bush spots

on his 'news' show.

It's always the 'liberal' element that makes them nervous. anyone who supports BushCo is free to speak all the propaganda they wish. :eyes:

[Brotherjohn]

18. Um, hasn't time proven Michael Moore was right about the war?

People may argue about the "fictitious president" part. But no one can reasonable argue that we went to war for fictitious reasons.

Even the administration now claims that "we were all wrong", so WE DID, in fact, go to war for fictitious reasons!

[peekaloo]

28. Amen Brotherjohn!

[bpilgrim]

19. good thing they got the delay

phew...



peace

[w4rma]

20. Orwellian: "indecent" material = anti-Bush political tirade (n/t)

[blindpig]

21. man, I thought this thread was about a mixed animal....... n/t

[stanwyck]

22. They better speak up!

What's happening in our country is too important not to speak up...particularly since these high profile people have a perfect forum to voice their dissent. They owe the rest of us our voice. I'm serious. I know people say it's inappropriate. Not the place. Whatever. But this is just too important. Our democracy has been hijacked. So, forget the manners. We've been the good kids. And where has that gotten us? Lied to. Manipulated. There is a time for good manners. This is not the time. We're not at a tea party anymore. We're fighting for the soul of our nation. Robbins, Penn, Murray, Depp, and all the others cannot remain silent. I respect these people. But I'll lose respect for them if they don't say what is in their hearts about the precarious position of democracy in our country.

[ignatius]

23. I wish Michael Moore was going to give an award or something to

see if he would get a standing ovation for a. being right on the money and b. having the courage to speak up against the Bush evil regime when few others did.

Thanks Michael Moore and may your passion and courage serve to inspire others!!!!

[Protagoras]

25. Sean Astin

Has been using his time at the podium to slap at Bush, though he did a better job at the Golden Globes than at the SAG awards... Wonder if he can get the mic when ROTK wins best picture.

[stanwyck]

27. I'm surprised

but gratified to see your post. I saw Astin on Bill Maher's show and he was very concillatory towards Bush. He gushed about meeting him at the White House and how a person could tell how truly compassionate and caring he is when you meet him. He sounded like he'd drunk Uncle Karl's Kool-Aid.

[Lorien]

33. Astin was a real Bushlicker

right after 9/11. Hopefully his time spent with liberal co-stars like Viggo Mortensen, Ian McCellan and Ian Holm has turned him around a bit.

[MoonAndSun]

26. whoever wrote this article is obviously anti-Hollywood,

I hope that all the people that win any of the awards will not be afraid to say how they feel about any subject.

I think that regular viewers of the Oscars expect to hear all kinds of stuff at the Oscars. This is a waste of an article.

[skippysmom]

29. Because God forbid someone say something

anti-Bush.

Get over it, repukes and your enablers. There are lots of liberals in Hollywood, and I hope they say whatever they damn well please.

[Dedalus]

30. What if they do?

First of all, I think it's pretty convenient for the GOP that Janet Jackson provided them with an incentive to slap popularly supported delays on all live TV events mere weeks before the occurence of a very highly-rated annual live broadcast where damn near every person coming to the mike is heavily to the left (by national standards). I think most of those who were both "offended" and powerful spell Janet Jackson M-I-C-H-A-E-L M-O-O-R-E. And what if there was no delay, or it doesn't get used to cut political speech? Doesn't matter, because there's still a mindset right now that would allow pundits to paint any political Oscar speechifying as yet another "stunt," no matter how appropriate or eloquent. And what if there was no Janet flap at all? Still deosn't matter, because the GOP machine is so damn good at unobtrusively injecting double standards into the popular consciousness, whereby certain people "obviously" need to "shut up and sing/act/whatever." In other words, we're battling a self-perpetuating vicious circle wherein any leftist celebrity saying anything functions as "proof" that she or he should not be listened to. We need to work at eroding this concept, because all shouting does is make the people who are already cheering or booing cheer or boo louder, without changing anyone's mind. Oh, and I agree about Sean Astin seeming not-so-left on "Real Time."

[Lorien]

34. I didn't see Moore's movie as "anti-gun"

it seem more "anti-fearmongering", anti-corporate media, and pro-family (since he focused on the disaffected Columbine shooters and the mom who had to put her kid in day care while she worked miles from home). He's a member of the NRA, and pointed out at the beginning that other countries have as many guns, but their people aren't shooting one another like Americans are. Maybe the author never saw the film?