Reply #109: let's get a grip and look at reality [View All]

There are around 6000 Academy members and each one can vote in every category, meaning the same folks could vote for best director and for best film and for best screenplay etc etc. (The Academy is divided into branches and the branches vote do the nominating, but the final voting is open to all members for all categories).

You have no idea whether Crash beat BBM by one vote or a thousand. Neither do I. But there is nothing new or different about the results of this year's Oscars than previous years. Academy members frequently split their votes for any number of reasons. Some may have voted for Ang Lee because he didn't get best director for Crouching Tiger. Some may have voted for Crash because they wanted to see a very good movie get the attention that comes from winning Best Picture (and because BBM already has gotten more publicity than any movie in years). And while, yes,some may have voted for a picture other than BBM because they were uncomfortable with its content, the fact is that some other academy members might have voted FOR BBM because of its content.

What is clear is that with 6000 Academy members, the idea that there was a conspiracy to deny BBM the best picture award is ludicrous. Were there emails? Phone calls? To all 6000? And not one person has stepped up and said anything? GIve me a break.

The fact is that they were both excellent films and any judgment about which one is "best" is by definition entirely subjective. Clooney had it right when he pointed out the inherent problems in comparing different performances. But even if you gave the director and actors in each of the best film categories the same script and told them to make a film based on it and then compared the results, you'd still ultimately be left with a subjective judgment.

The fact that BBM got made, got numerous nominations, and won one of the "big" ones -- Best Director -- is great. Silly conspiracy theories about a process that is subject to myriad influences, including personal and professional friendship and jealousies, etc. is pretty silly.

onenote