Speaking of psuedo-events, I was able to hold to last year's vow (or was it the year before?), and refrain from viewing even a tiny bit of the bloated self-indulgence that is the Academy Awards. Congratulations to me, therefore.
I did browse for the results, just so I could verify that Sean Penn will continue to receive awards for simply being Sean Penn (to the detriment of at least 3 better acting performances in that category), that Lost in Translation received the "consolation" of Best Original Screenplay, that Return of the King would win not only Best Picture on the basis of the halo effect but a whole bunch of other awards no one cares about, and that Best Female Actor continues to be the only remotely interesting category of the whole bunch.
I'm not bitter, though. Really, I'm not. The Academy is one of those little prestige networks, one with a fairly high membership threshold, whose tastes are mistakenly projected onto an entire industry, through sheer force of luxury, celebrity, and excess. If you don't believe me, check out what someone like Naomi Watts gets, just for showing up. Our eyeballs pay for their luxury cruises, high-def TVs, and diamond-encrusted lingerie. Ick. Okay, so I'm a little bitter.
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