This was not a good Oscar show. I mean I’m thrilled that Katheryn Bigelow became the first woman to win a Best Directing Oscar, but I’m annoyed that it took this long.
And, frankly, co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were not served well by their writers. The in jokes were so in even the insiders weren’t getting them.
I’m also a little frustrated at the mature content of the show – and it’s not like folks don’t know kids are watching. Case in point, all the presenters and winners commenting on their memories of watching the show and hoping to be just where they were.
Which does bring to mind one of the evening’s highlights, composer Michael Giacchino’s wonderfully inspiring speech about his parents’ support of him going off and doing creative things, “I know there are kids out there that don’t have that support system so if you’re out there and you’re listening, listen to me: If you want to be creative, get out there and do it. It’s not a waste of time. Do it. OK?”
But the thing that struck me was the vaguely mean-spirited banter between Baldwin and Martin – not typically Martin’s style, I assure you. And all the crass jokes. Granted, most of them probably flew over the heads of the youngest viewers, but they weren’t even funny. It was crass for the sake of being crass, and I am so tired of it.
But, hey, the dresses were cool, the dancing was interesting and the show remained, as always, inspirational. Not every kid out there watching and dreaming will win an Oscar. In fact, the vast majority won’t. But the kids who don’t dream don’t stand a chance of winning because they will never try.
