Posted on 04/02/2002 9:29:39 AM PST by Mom_Grandmother
March 31, 2002
Marianne M. Jennings
Oscars' Subtle Bigotry Embarrassing
"Halle Berry was very good in the Flitnstones. Very Victoria's Secret, purring like a kitten, and the perfect contrasr to John Goodman's Fred. She's a B movie actress who logged a torrid love scene and apparently a good performance that landed her an Oscar, an achievement second in history, according to her acceptance speech, only to the Emancipation Proclamation and the discovery of penicillin.
Her Oscar acceptance performance was right up there with those youthful thespians who play Ado Annie in junior high productions of Oklahoma. Ms. Berry's overacting topped Julia Robert's yammering, sending a drifting uneasiness through the Kodak Theater with Academy members thinking, "Should have voted for Maggie Smith and a little British class."
This year's Academy Awards were a slap in the face to every black in America. Condensension was transparent. A Marlon Brando snub was called for and instead we suffered through sycophants kneeling at the golden alter of Oscar, symbol of Hollywood decadence, socialism and now racial stratification.
Ms. Berry and Denzel Washington's wins, coupled with Sidney Poitier's longevity award, were Hollywood racial pandering. Mr. Poitier had already won an Oscar in 1963 for The Lilies of the Field, but everyone behaved as if the honorary award, bestowed on the likes of film festival Robert Redford was magnanimous. Stale and offencsive Whoopi Goldberg only added to the decent into mediocrity designed to remedy discrimination. Even with writers, there's not an eloquent voice in Hollywood. Ms. Goldberg has perfomed better on Hollywood Squares.
This year's Oscar's subtle bigotry was embarassing. coupled with Ms. Julia Roberts' affected affection, the event set us back 50 years. Smug moguls ginned up the "Free at last" theme. this year's Emmys should witness best actor awards for Nickelodeon's Kenan & Kel or the Power Ranger in the black uniform.
The arrogant liberal mind assumes that minorities can never solve problems or break down barriers without the assistance of government programs, affirmative action and give-away Oscars. President Bush's characterization of such programs as soft bigotry is wrong. These condecending porgrams are racism institutionalized. They guarantee a lesser place in society as they demand dependence on feigned benevolence and discourage self-reliance.
Oscar assumed that without giveaways and special recognition, "people of color", as Ms. Berry describes herself,would never achieve. Mr. Poitier's career is proof that they are wrong. Ironically, Ms. Berry's longwinded lecture on racial barriers ensures that the racial divide continues. Wouldn't it have been lovely for Ms. Berry to recognize her own merit and simply say, "Thank you." She couldn't because Hollywood made certain it preempted her win and her night to preserce the racial divide.
That describes her well.
By the way, I admire your devotion to typing the entire article. (Copy-and-paste is permissable here. ;-)
yabba dabba doooooooooooooooooo
I disagee with Denzel's award. It was a slap at Crowe who has been acting a fool in public this year. The role of Nash was the movie and it was much more complex then Denzel's. Denzel got it for the shunning of Crowe and because he has had multiple nominations. He did better work in Malcom X and Hurricane.
I would think a person would want to win an award on "Merit" their acting ability, their accompishments, not their skin color. But what do I know, the woman has no self-respect nor shame, and the same goes for Julia Roberts. The both were an embarrassment.
Mr. Crowe has been acting the fool since his 'Macho' role in Gladiator. Running off with Dennis Quaid's spouse must have been a huge ego boost, and after she left him he is rumored to have crawled into the bottle. Now Crowe may soon have to pay significant damages for his crazed battery of a fan which included a Tyson-like neck bite ...... Only in Holly Weird.
Actors of his calibre (L.A. Confidential comes to mind) and style are always snubbed by the incestuous and PC Hollywood set. They can't tolerate rebels, unless they're of the sexual deviancy type. I congratulate him that he's in the company of the truly great actors pilloried by Hollywood fags and deviants. At the age of 39 he's already earned a place next to Brando, George C. Scott and Richard Burton - all of whom suffered rebuff by the Hollyweird elite. Go Russell.
Beauty in the eye of the beholder, I guess.
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