Hollywood AWOL From Culture War
Everyone was so worried about "politics ruining the fun at the Oscars." Personally, we knew this wouldn't be a problem. Since when were the Oscars fun? But it turns out that there needn't have been any concern even on the part of those who think watching Billy Crystal smack his lips for 3 hours is "fun;" all the big Hollywood liberals won in their categories and still nothing happened. The closest Oscar got to the third rail of entertainment was when Errol Morris received the Best Documentary Feature award for "Fog of War," but even then his comment was oblique: "I fear we're going down a rabbit hole once again." And he could have been talking about Peter Jackson's "King Kong" remake.
Sure, Sean Penn made a reference to WMDs, but it's not like he had a woman in a burka accept his award. Tim Robbins' big statement may as well have been the tag-line for a Lifetime movie of the week: "There's no shame and weakness in seeking help and counseling." Backstage, he was more bold, taking a stand against electronic voting. OK, maybe not a stand. But he's "really nervous about computerized elections." Let me look outside: Is there rioting in the streets?
Politics Makes a Return at Oscars [AP/Yahoo]
Robbins Talks Politics Backstage [AP/Yahoo]