Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABCI dug the whole Hollywoody hand-off as Barbra Streisand presented the Oscar for Best Director to Kathryn Bigelow last night. (I was, indeed, on my couch for the historic moment, waving a hankie of hope as described in my last post.) I loved La Streisand with a bit of lace hanging off her bosom like something out of my late grandma’s closet, and I loved her sisterly preview statement, “Well, the time has come!” So please tell me: Why did the band strike up “I Am Woman” as the Oscar winner ascended the stairs? Why did the band strike up “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” when Amanda Seyfried and Miley Cyrus came out to present the Oscar for Best Song? (Does anyone younger than Lauren Bacall remember Maurice Chevalier singing the same in Gigi?) Why did Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin make clueless-middle-aged-man jokes about ugly actresses, and young female stars, and how Sarah Jessica Parker “weighs one pound”? Not to worry, I’m not seriously upset. Just, oh, you know, a Woman Under the Influence….
I am not even sure what you’re asking us here, Lisa? Is it the “time has come” meaning the telecast ran too long? Or do you mean there were several musical pieces that strived to remind us that girls are girls? I’m confused.
“Time has come” is a bit sexist. Barbara Streisand annoys me to no end. Kathryn Bigelow won because of merit, celebrate what her WORK got her – she earned it, saying the time has come implies entitlement and that cheapens her accomplishment. I think the ugly actress comment was directed to Sarah Jessica Parker.
Justin, your comment says it all. I AGREE.
However, there are a lot of people who think she won BECAUSE she’s a woman. A man directing that movie most likely would have been ignored.
I didn’t get that at all. I highly doubt Streisand thought Bigelow only won because she is a woman. She was just acknowledging that Hollywood has finally recognized a female director for her accomplishment. A well deserved Oscar!
Jason, I don’t think so, and all I need to do to express why is point out the other 4 awards it won: both Sound awards, Editing, and Original Screenplay.
@Jason. There are plenty of Best Picture nominees that were directed by men, and whose film, like “Hurt Locker,” were not loved by everyone and thought they were over-hyped. So where’s the talk that their picture got all the attention it did because they were directed by men? I think your comment generalizes the situation way too much. Just because you didn’t like the movie/thought it was over-hyped, does not mean that the film received the attention it did because a female directed it. Heck, I thought “There Will Be Blood” was the most boring movie I’ve ever sat through, but that doesn’t mean I blame the male director for receiving the praise he did because Hollywood tends to favor males.
It was obvious that Barbra knew beforehand. I love the idea of a woman winning, but Hurt Locker really wasn’t that good a film. The academy wanted to snub Cameron and what better way than to give the Oscar to his ex-wife. Ugh. It was awful.
Your comment is as idiotic as it is presumptuous. Bigelow absolutely deserved to win for HURT LOCKER – whether that film was directed by a woman, a man, an ex of Cameron or otherwise, it was an terrifically directed film.
Hurt Locker is so-so at best. It can’t hold a candle to Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, etc. It will be forgotten by next year. I agree this was given the award only to snub James Cameron. I hope Bigelow wins again down the road. . for a film that deserves the award.
I actually think Saving Private Ryan is highly over-praised, which proves that there’s always a dissenting opion of something anytime and anywhere.
The Hurt Locker bored me to tears and is totally over-rated, whether directed by a man, a woman, a child, or a horse. It’s not Oscar-worthy on any level and certainly does not stand on the same level as other winners like “Casablanca” for that matter, or even “Forrest Gump” (itself over-rated).
People comparing Hurt Locker to every other war film just proves to me that not a lot of people get it.
People should stop talking as if the academy gets together and decides who wins… there are 6000 members who send in ballots, they don’t do anything as a monolithic entity. Especially not get together and give someone an award to spite James Cameron. I thought only he could be narcissistic enough to think that everything was about him.
Cheer up, waya. And go see Avatar one more time.
Agree, “Blackhawk Down” was a far better military themed movie – and had an acutal plot – if Hurt Locker won , then Blackhawk Down should have won.
Agreed Black Hawk Down was an incredible movie.
The Hurt Locker was good, but it was more character driven as opposed to Black Hawk Down being plot/action driven.
@Taylor
I thought Hurt Locker was an excellent film, because it focused so much on the character and ‘drug-like’ effect of war on the main character.
I Love character-driven stories!
FYI: It was Zoe Saldana and Carey Mulligan who got the Gigi treatment. I think Miley and Amanda got something from Cinderella.
It was snow white, wasn’t it? Someday my prince will come? Which was weird.
The time has come for Streisand and her big ego to leave the stage for good.
Not a big fan of Streisand but I gotta admit Prince of Tides was a really good movie.
I was very weirded out by the I am woman song playing. It was distracting and just made me think that the producers of the show know nothing about women.
If we’re going to go there, Lisa, take some of your coworkers to task. During the live blog last night, one of the questions was about Kathryn Bigelow’s “hotness”. I remember someone calling them out and their reply was basically, “Well, she IS hot”. Now I’m wasn’t terrible upset because most people probably didn’t get (the Oscar, not the live blog). However, when it’s blantant like that, umm…seriously?
I quote you saying “Why did Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin make clueless-middle-aged-man jokes about ugly actresses…” Ugly actresses? I can only think of one person you might have thoughtlessly thought of as ugly, and I take great offense. Steve did not utter the word “ugly actress”, so you are assuming that is what he meant, because perhaps you think the same. Not very lady-like, Lisa.
Meg, am I mis-remembering all the magic of last night? I seem to recall one of the Steve-and-Alec’s “witty” exchanges actually included the phrase “ugly actresses.” They were making a joke, since clearly every actress is gorgeous on Oscar night.
I too was annoyed when the band played “I Am Woman.” If they’d had a song called “I Am A Great Director”…Talk about out of touch… And all the overworked talk about the fact that Bigelow & Camereon were once married became so boring.
It was Martin that made the Sarah Jessica=one pound joke, but it should also be noted that she played his love interest 19 years ago in L.A. Story. At least they know each other. It wasn’t as if that gag was made on a total stranger.
I like this post Lisa! I thought it was strange too and thought it just one instance but these other times you point with the music have me questioning.
Just look at that twit Miley Cyrus and her bronzed boobies. And she sounds like Lauren Bacall’s chain-smoking brother. Cyrus is an embarrassment to all women, and the Oscars, and America.
Babs probably got advice from Julia Roberts on how to steal someone else’s spotlight. Her “the time has come” followed by dramatic pause was classic I-have-to-insert-myself-into-this-historic-moment Babs.
That’s hilarious. I loved Prince of Tides, but Barbra Streisand proved how big her ego really is.
Lisa – I am much younger than Lauren Bacall and actually named my daughter after the movie Gigi. However, I thought playing Thank Heaven for Little Girls was a totally inappropriate choice.
I have to wonder what on earth the orchestra would have played if a man would have won? AC/DC’s “I’ve got the biggest balls of them all?” The “I Am Woman” playing made me want to hurl.