COLUMN: Why can’t clean be fun?
I was stunned to read an array of reviews of this year’s Oscars that criticized the award show for being boring.
The reasons? A lack of political harangues, speeches filled with “thank you’s,” the fashion wasn’t daring/shocking/ugly enough, and the same movie kept winning over and over again.
The Washington Post blames the tame show on the Janet Jackson Super Bowl stunt: “That single unveiling seems to be fostering a climate of suppression and fear.” Yes, what a shame that networks and celebrities alike now realize they will pay for violating existing broadcast law.
In previous years, actors have used the few precious minutes of their acceptance speech to blast President Bush’s war on Iraq or air various other political complaints. This year, other than a quick quip by Sean Penn about the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the winners spent their acceptance speech time thanking those who helped them succeed. Is this unexpected or inappropriate? Isn’t that the point of award shows?
And several reviewers complained the actresses wore boring dresses. One even blamed the suddenly conservative fashion on the influence of “The Passion of the Christ.” Personally, I suspect many people enjoy seeing beautiful women in dresses that are flattering and elegant, as opposed to the circus tents and bizarre glorified bikinis that have graced the red carpet in past years.
Finally, the media are upset that the Oscars were so predictable – all the movies that were expected to win did. On top of that, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won 11 awards and the reviewers got tired of hearing everyone in New Zealand get thanked for their contribution to the film. No doubt the success of “pop” movies must be tough for an artsy-fartsy reviewer to swallow since the approximately 50 million people who watched and enjoyed “The Return of the King” obviously have no taste. Why would anyone like a movie with no nude scenes, foul language or sexual tension?
Ironically, early estimated Nielsen ratings for the award show are 17 percent higher than last year. Can it be that Americans enjoy watching “An unbearable evening of easy-to-chew television for the elderly and prim,” as a Salon.com reviewer so delicately put it?
If reviewers feel the comic routines at the Oscars weren’t witty enough or that the musical performances weren’t jazzy enough, fine. But they shouldn’t equate “family-friendly” with “boring.”
It’s about time Hollywood figured out that not everyone needs to see shocking, crude behavior to be entertained. That type of show has its fans. But for many, it is a pleasure to watch a classy, dignified show on TV without having to hit the mute button or change the channel. Not everything has to be a G-rated Disney production, but if Hollywood gives America family-friendly television, it will be gladly watched by many.
We should all send thank-you notes to Janet Jackson and MTV for prodding the entertainment industry into exerting a little self-control.
Heidi Burton is a senior majoring in print journalism and is the news editor of The Utah Statesman. She can be reached at heidithue@cc.usu.edu.