In response to The Irony of Michelle Obama's Oscar Moment:

The media and government fused to present an award to a movie about government/media fusion.

I saw Argo when it came out, one of four Best Picture nominated films I've seen so far. I thought it was excellent in part because it was tense and realistic but not deadly serious in the way most Oscar nominated films tend to be. Argo is fun. I was rooting for it to win last night.

Despite it being based on real, very political events it does a good job not weighing the story down with too much political baggage. This isn't a top-down story, it's a bottom up one. Yes, there is a voice over by Jimmy Carter during the credits, but it's really the first time Carter intrudes on the film.

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In response to Post-Oscar: Michelle O, Chris Christie Break Bread at the Gov. Ball:

I'm not sure what to make of Chris Christie.  Sometimes I think he's just banking his New Jersey political capital to remain secure as governor, build up a gubernatorial legacy, be a kingmaker when he finally leaves the office, etc.

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In response to Finke: Michelle at Oscars 'unnecessary and inappropriate':

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Obama/Christie or Christie/Obama in 2016?

In response to Oscar Winner Jennifer Lawrence Laughs Off On-Stage Tumble:

That was quite a tumble. 

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From the doyenne of Hollywood bloggers, Nikki Finke, live-blogging the Oscars:

As if Hanoi Jane wasn’t fuel enough. Oh My God - the Academy actually fans the fire by drafting First Lady Michelle Obama to help present Best Picture from presumably the White House? So unnecessary and inappropriate to inject so much politics into the Oscars yet again. Hollywood will get pilloried by conservative pundits for arranging this payoff for all the campaign donations it gave the President’s reelection campaign. I don’t understand this very obvious attempt to infuriate right-leaning audiences. Clearly the studios only want to sell their movies to only half of America.

Entertainment reporters gathered backstage this evening after the Oscar awards ceremony to ask questions of the evening's winners.  One of the best set of exchanges occurred when Jennifer Lawrence, who won best actress for her role in "Silver Linings Playbook" - and who had earlier tripped up the stairs on her way to accept her award - made her way through rapid-fire questions.

She began the interviews by telling the group of reporters that she'd had a shot before coming out to answer questions.  One asked her about her fall and how it happened.

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That extra "¡" seems appropriate to indicate the sheer cultishness of what happened at the Oscars tonight. I am perfectly willing to acknowledge that Michelle Obama has some appealing qualities. That does not mean those qualities must be omnipresent. Her Deus ex machina moment was just obscene, and rather frightening in what it suggests about how low we have fallen as a nation. Healthy societies do not create political personality cults.

In response to FLOTUS Interruptus: Michelle Obama Announces Best Picture Winner:

I had a family commitment tonight that went a little long, so I ended up missing the Oscars.

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Conservatives managed to avoid any major sucker punches through tonight's interminably long Oscar ceremony.

And then ... POW.

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In response to MacFarlane Didn't So Much as Tweak His Shtick for Oscar Night, Did He?:

I think I lean more toward Ace's take on MacFarlane.  He can punch out a funny joke here and there, and he has a great set of pipes for voiceover work (for example, "Hellboy 2") but most of his approach seems lazy to me.  He's selling nihilism as humor - random oddball juxtapositions and bottom-of-the-barrel cynicism.  Wouldn't it be hilarious if your favorite childhood toy grew up to be a foul-mouthed hedonist?  

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When you hire an edgy comic known for potty humor to host the Oscars you shouldn't be surprised when he trots out edgy jokes brimming with potty humor.

Still, the folks behind the Oscars surely hoped Seth MacFarlane would class up his shtick - at least a little.

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The clumsiest part of any Oscar telecast is the In Memoriam segment. Either the crowd starts up an applause contest, or the list of the dearly departed leaves out someone who had a real impact with viewers.

Tonight, George Clooney introduced the somber segment as if he were reading a cereal commercial. C'mon, George, puts some emotion into it. You do have an Oscar, remember?

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Watching the Oscars, you'd think these people were curing breast cancer. But the truth is, they're just really good at helping us suspend disbelief for a few hours. 

But when these kings and queens of cachet are all done celebrating themselves, most Americans will still be stuck in a less luxurious reality. After the Oscars are over, the actors, the producers and the directors won't have to cope with smaller paychecks and bigger tax bills, a lower standard of living and higher gas prices. 

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...where William Fitchner wins in every category...

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In response to Anti-Sethite:

Ironically.

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He's pretty much making the Oscars into Ted + The Family Guy.

They're not funny either.

He's pretty much making the Oscars into Ted + The Family Guy.

They're not funny either.

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I've always been aghast at how many musical numbers an event honoring film manages to squeeze in each year

That said, the just-wrapped musical numbers (Les Mis, Dreamgirls, Chicago) really brought the show back to life. I'm not a movie musical kind of guy, but seeing the cast of Les Miserables belt out their song gave me chills - and also helped me forget how presenter John Travolta mangled the film's title.

The Best Documentary category often lets Academy voters flex their political muscle. Just consider that both Al Gore and Michael Moore have golden statuettes on their respective mantles.

Tonight, with two films casting a negative light on Israel competing in the documentary category (5 Broken Cameras, The Gatekeepers), the Oscar voters went for ... a soulful story about a presumed dead singer finding new creative life in South Africa.

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You don't have to mention boobies or George Clooney to get a standing ovation on Oscar night. Just invite ageless crooner Shirley Bassey to belt out arguably the best Bond song of all time, Goldfinger.

Done and done.

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The Oscar telecast usually serves up one major award before descending into a blurry parade of technical achievements.

Tonight, the Best Supporting Actor Oscar presentation opened the festivities, and Christoph Waltz walked away with the award.

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The folks at NOW are probably firing up their fax machines as we speak ...

Scarlett Johansson, so beguiling as Black Widow in The Avengers, was a no show when the film's (all male) heroes gathered to present an award tonight.

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We can't say Seth MacFarlane didn't warn us.

The Family Guy creator's opening monologue had singing, dancing and Capt. James T. Kirk from the future.

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His "Argo" hair was epic, but apparently it's Ben Affleck's beard that's getting all the attention.

And now his beard is even tweeting. 

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If I don't see this man during the Oscars' tribute to the Bond movies I will be very disappointed.

In response to Presented without Comment:

Anne Hathaway's dress was completely forgettable and not particularly fashionable.  I hate the necklace with that neckline.  The only thing that could save her from oblivion was to turn on the highbeams.  As Mae West said, "It's better to be looked over than overlooked."

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- Doing the Angelina Jolie leg pose

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The Red Carpet arrivals start at 5:30 p.m.  We know who the nominees are, but here are a few ways to spot those who think they may win:

- For the most part, all the nominees for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor will be in classic tuxedos.  For instance, if Bradley Cooper decides not to wear a tie, he thinks he'll lose.

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In response to OSCARS: One Percenters Get Swag Bag Worth $47,802:

I had to share this clip. (Warning: bad language)

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Radar Online is reporting that the 1%ers in Hollywood will be getting a swag bag worth $47k.  The bag will go to all the nominees and the presenters at the 2013 Oscars.

While this may seem excessive, the value of the swag is half the value of the 2010 awards. Everyone has been affected by the Obama economy it seems. 

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Presidential leadership is a prominent theme at this year's Oscars--and a lacking theme in American politics today. Three contenders for the Oscar provide an alternative: Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty (Obama). 

Each was written with a view to current (Democratic) politics. Tony Kushner wrote Lincoln to support Obama's ideological push against the Reagan revolution; Argo is an attempt to rewrite history's view of the inept Jimmy Carter's conduct during the Iran hostage crisis; and Zero Dark Thirty was long suspected of being an election-year promotion for Obama (whose White House may have shared information with the filmmakers for precisely that reason). Yet only the first two are considered in the running, because Zero Dark Thirty appears to take the position that torture was necessary to obtain clues leading to Osama bin Laden.

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