Anyone else watch Chris Rock's opening monologue? While he agreed with the overall premise of there needing to be more good roles for black actors, he was not kind to the Smith's at all. Kinda raked them across the coals. I was shocked that someone would take them on like that under that big of a spotlight.

(02-29-2016, 11:00 AM)michaelsean Wrote: Anyone else watch Chris Rock's opening monologue? While he agreed with the overall premise of there needing to be more good roles for black actors, he was not kind to the Smith's at all. Kinda raked them across the coals. I was shocked that someone would take them on like that under that big of a spotlight.

I wasn't shocked until the comment about her not being invited. That one kind of took me back. The rest of it I don't think was too harsh, and even that commentary wasn't that bad, I think it just hit me weird.

He definitely didn't say anything that wasn't true, though.

(02-29-2016, 01:03 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I wasn't shocked until the comment about her not being invited. That one kind of took me back. The rest of it I don't think was too harsh, and even that commentary wasn't that bad, I think it just hit me weird.

He definitely didn't say anything that wasn't true, though.

I just didn't think people took on those two.  especially in public like that.  

My favorite part is when he says something about having more good roles for black people, and there's a big applause as if the people clapping aren't the people who make those decisions.  

(02-29-2016, 01:13 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I just didn't think people took on those two.  especially in public like that.  

My favorite part is when he says something about having more good roles for black people, and there's a big applause as if the people clapping aren't the people who make those decisions.  

My wife and I were talking about this before the show, and Chris touched on it. The most interesting thing about all of this is that industry is the most liberal (arguments could be made about academia) industry in this country, and they are having these diversity issues. There is a lot of lip service being given to this sort of thing there, but how many more decades is it going to take before representations of minorities on screen is actually on par with their representation in the real world?

(02-29-2016, 01:43 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: My wife and I were talking about this before the show, and Chris touched on it. The most interesting thing about all of this is that industry is the most liberal (arguments could be made about academia) industry in this country, and they are having these diversity issues. There is a lot of lip service being given to this sort of thing there, but how many more decades is it going to take before representations of minorities on screen is actually on par with their representation in the real world?

It's not a black thing or a white thing.  It's a green thing.  Hollywood is all about the green.

There aren't that many great roles for anybody, regardless of color. 

You want to make a great movie, there's a good chance you have to do it outside the mainstream.  Has Will Smith ever gone outside the system to make a great movie without a ten mil payday in advance? 

Independents are what you do on the way up or the way back down.

(02-29-2016, 02:33 PM)McC Wrote: It's not a black thing or a white thing.  It's a green thing.  Hollywood is all about the green.

There aren't that many great roles for anybody, regardless of color. 

You want to make a great movie, there's a good chance you have to do it outside the mainstream.  Has Will Smith ever gone outside the system to make a great movie without a ten mil payday in advance? 

Independents are what you do on the way up or the way back down.

This is evidenced by the awful nominees this year. 

If black actors REALLY want to get nominated, do what most white actors have to do anyways...make an Oscar bait film.

Play a member of the media/Hollywood who is a protagonist is a way no actual member of the media/Hollywood ever would be against some seemingly impossible or daring situation. Collect awards.

Play a slave/Holocaust victim/person who helps either of those/wear ugly makeup in a shitty terrible movie. Collect awards.

Bust your ass for 20+ years in great roles and build a legacy as an amazing actor who never won an award, do a mediocre indy/artsy flick  no one outside the academy and pretentious college sophomores saw. Collect awards. 

(02-29-2016, 02:40 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: This is evidenced by the awful nominees this year. 

If black actors REALLY want to get nominated, do what most white actors have to do anyways...make an Oscar bait film.

Play a member of the media/Hollywood who is a protagonist is a way no actual member of the media/Hollywood ever would be against some seemingly impossible or daring situation. Collect awards.

Play a slave/Holocaust victim/person who helps either of those/wear ugly makeup in a shitty terrible movie. Collect awards.

Bust your ass for 20+ years in great roles and build a legacy as an amazing actor who never won an award, do a mediocre indy/artsy flick  no one outside the academy and pretentious college sophomores saw. Collect awards. 

I always thought the best acting jobs are the ones where you don't realize it during the movie because they do the part so well that they go seamlessly with the movie.  I think Morgan Freeman does this.  He just was Hoak in Driving Miss Daisy and he just was Red in Shawshank.  The was no emoting.  No overly dramatic scenes.  He played simple people in those movies and you never even realized it because he played them perfectly.  

(02-29-2016, 02:40 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: This is evidenced by the awful nominees this year. 

If black actors REALLY want to get nominated, do what most white actors have to do anyways...make an Oscar bait film.

Play a member of the media/Hollywood who is a protagonist is a way no actual member of the media/Hollywood ever would be against some seemingly impossible or daring situation. Collect awards.

Play a slave/Holocaust victim/person who helps either of those/wear ugly makeup in a shitty terrible movie. Collect awards.

Bust your ass for 20+ years in great roles and build a legacy as an amazing actor who never won an award, do a mediocre indy/artsy flick  no one outside the academy and pretentious college sophomores saw. Collect awards. 

This is exactly the method.

or do an autobiography like Jamie Foxx did.

Except that doesn't fit the narrative for this whining.

The thing that irks me is that minorities only stand for one but not all.

(02-29-2016, 02:57 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I always thought the best acting jobs are the ones where you don't realize it during the movie because they do the part so well that they go seamlessly with the movie.  I think Morgan Freeman does this.  He just was Hoak in Driving Miss Daisy and he just was Red in Shawshank.  The was no emoting.  No overly dramatic scenes.  He  played simple people in those movies and you never even realized it because he played them perfectly.  

I never got all the Morgan Freeman love tbh. 
He's good but not great. Sure has a great voice though. 

(02-29-2016, 03:23 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: This is exactly the method.

or do an autobiography like Jamie Foxx did.

Except that doesn't fit the narrative for this whining.

The thing that irks me is that minorities only stand for one but not all.

Or you make a self-felating crapfest biopic and get nominated when you REALLY don't deserve it, like Trumbo. 

Did any of you guys see Monster's Ball?

Man what terrible acting in a dredge of a movie.

There are black actresses that blow Halle Berry away on TV and the big screen.

If anything they should be zinging on actors/actresses who keep getting roles that suck at acting.

(02-29-2016, 03:32 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: Did any of you guys see Monster's Ball?

Man what terrible acting in a dredge of a movie.

There are black actresses that blow Halle Berry away on TV and the big screen.

If anything they should be zinging on actors/actresses who keep getting roles that suck at acting.

That's Hollywood. Halle Berry doesn't have to be a good actress, she's hot. She can look like a smiling Wal-Mart greeter in every movie from Monter's Ball to that James Bond movie she did. No one cares because they're staring at her boobs.

It's the same with guys, too. I read an article years ago abut them casting Henry Cavill and then idea was (pretty much) 'who cares if he can act or if he's British, he looks like what we wanted.'

(02-29-2016, 03:44 PM)Benton Wrote: That's Hollywood. Halle Berry doesn't have to be a good actress, she's hot. She can look like a smiling Wal-Mart greeter in every movie from Monter's Ball to that James Bond movie she did. No one cares because they're staring at her boobs.

It's the same with guys, too. I read an article years ago abut them casting Henry Cavill and then idea was (pretty much) 'who cares if he can act or if he's British, he looks like what we wanted.'

Not if she wins an Oscar doing it.

Hotness should get rears in seats.

That I do agree with.

But when people are whining about not winning awards and she wins with crap... yeah.it kinda does matter.

I wonder how America would react if all during the NBA finals the announcer would say every moment between plays, "White Athletes Matter" we need more diversity in professional basketball?

I personally was sick and tired of hearing about it. You could feel through the screen how uncomfortable people were getting as it went on and on and on. You'll never hear this from the media though because then you would automatically be termed as "racist".

besides the Oscars is bullshit anyway, its all politics no matter what color you are.

Wasting three hours watching "bullshit?" To each his own.

Back on topic. I thought Rock did a good job. Jada and Will weren't his only targets, so there was probably some grousing all over town. He kept needling thoughout the night, but that's what I like about him: once he gets ahold of something he'll work it over but good. Thought the telecast overall was pretty decent and I would have chosen Brie and Leo for the tops awards, too. Would have given Best Picture to The Revenent, though. Spotlight was good, but just didn't resonate with me as much.

(02-29-2016, 04:23 PM)GodFather Wrote: I wonder how America would react if all during the NBA finals the announcer would say every moment between plays, "White Athletes Matter" we need more diversity in professional basketball?

We can't complain about lack of diversity in the NBA because the guys doing the hiring (owners/GMs) are almost all white.

Here is the problem with black people in Hollywood.  White people have a lot more money to spend on movie tickets, so they get a lot more of the movies designed to appeal to them.

It is about the money.

(02-29-2016, 04:23 PM)GodFather Wrote: You could feel through the screen how uncomfortable people were getting as it went on and on and on. You'll never hear this from the media though because then you would automatically be termed as "racist".

Wow.

You are ripping the media for not reporting on something you "felt through the screen"?  Are you one of those people who claimed we could tell by the look in AJ Greene's eyes that he hated playing with Andy Dalton?

And why would anyone be called a "racist" for pointing out that race discussion makes some people uncomfortable?  I thought the people who deny that race is an issue were the ones usually called "racist".

The "They'll call me racist!" victim card does not just automatically fit every situation.  I think it was misplayed here.

(03-02-2016, 01:01 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Wow.

You are ripping the media for not reporting on something you "felt through the screen"?  Are you one of those people who claimed we could tell by the look in AJ Greene's eyes that he hated playing with Andy Dalton?

And why would anyone be called a "racist" for pointing out that race discussion makes some people uncomfortable?  I thought the people who deny that race is an issue were the ones usually called "racist".

The "They'll call me racist!" victim card does not just automatically fit every situation.  I think it was misplayed here.

You don't think that some peoples demeanor were uncomfortable in that audience? It certainly looked that way to me. I also love the fact that Rock was crying about racial diversity and then making Asian jokes all the time, aka sweat shops. would it be funny and ok to have little black boys come out as slaves for Hollywood? Shit would've hit the fan if that happened. 

(03-02-2016, 12:51 PM)fredtoast Wrote: We can't complain about lack of diversity in the NBA because the guys doing the hiring (owners/GMs) are almost all white.

Here is the problem with black people in Hollywood.  White people have a lot more money to spend on movie tickets, so they get a lot more of the movies designed to appeal to them.

It is about the money.

It is all about money, and while were at it the Oscars in general is all about politics. Theres plenty of whites and other races who shove been nominated and won in the past that haven't. The Oscars is anything but "fair".

(03-03-2016, 12:27 PM)GodFather Wrote: You don't think that some peoples demeanor were uncomfortable in that audience? It certainly looked that way to me.

Even if it was true why would a person who pointed it out be called "racist"?

(03-03-2016, 01:21 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Even if it was true why would a person who pointed it out be called "racist"?

It's the society we live in today. I see it all the time, maybe you don't but I do. Im not saying it is racist, I'm telling you how its perceived and quite frankly think its bullshit.