Oscar stuff

HIGHLIGHTS:

-Obviously that interpretive dance sequence set to the best score nominees. Pretty much all The Hurt Locker needed was some poppin' and lockin', so it was nice to see the stuff that was sorely lacking in the film get its just due.

-The Hurt Locker winning was OK enough by my standards. I thought Inglourious Basterds was better, but I figure that if it won a massive backlash would have ensued, which would have drowned out all the praise for it. You know, sort of like how no one really exalts Slumdog Millionaire anymore...

-The hosts were OK. Their opening monologue was decent. That's always a good thing. Right?

-I was enthused with 3 (count em, THREE) of the winners: Up for Best Score, Waltz for Best Supporting Actor, and Star Trek for winning anything.

-Suck it Avatar.

LOWLIGHTS:

-The first hour was WAAAY loaded with little segments and clips, then it slowed down considerably and just concentrated on the categories and nominees (aside from the interpretive dance scene... which was the right choice, of course). I'm assuming they had little segments for each category, realized that their show was on track towards being 8 hours long, then cut out the rest of the remaining segments. Except for the interpretive dance sequence. Which saved the show. For the record.

-The shorts categories for screwing up all my predictions.

-Hurt Locker winning over Inglourious Basterds for Original Screenplay. I was sort of hoping that the Academy would spread the love and give Basterds an extra Oscar or two, but I guess that wasn't meant to be.

-Just a general lowlight for all my favorites that didn't win. *shakes fist rather unenthusiastically*

-Actually, all the awards were kind of boring. Pretty much the biggest upset was Precious winning Adapted Screenplay... and that was kind of a boring category to begin with.

So yeah. If District 9 randomly won Best Picture... that would have been OK.

-Not rigging the Best Director category so one of the three white guys won. Not that I was *really* hoping for it, but after the announcer and Barbara Streisand hyped the fact that "HEY! A WOMAN OR AN AFRICAN AMERICAN COULD WIN FOR BEST DIRECTOR! HOW ABOUT THAT FOR PROGRESS!"... well, to say the least it would have been funny to see the deflated look on Streisand's face to have to give it to Cameron.

-Not enough interpretive dancing.

You know how the Best Actor/Actress categories had friends talking about how great/inspiring/brave their nominated friend was? Well... it was kind of boring. Next year, they should have street dancers up there, interpretive dancing about their feelings about their favorite nominee. AND THEN, whoever wins the category, instead of delivering an acceptance speech... delivers an acceptance DANCE.

Guys, you might as well just give me the role of running the Oscars now.