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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Oscar Sunday This N' That....

:Let me get this out right away...if you are looking for news, commentary, and coverage on the Oscars, this is not the place to go. I make no secret of my distaste for award shows...the fact that "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead" didn't get one Oscar nod, and "Juno" did pretty much puts the final nail in an already tightly sealed coffin for me..


I wonder why the secret "Black Oscars" decided to stop meeting the year before a sympathy nod goes to Ruby Dee and "Norbit" gets a nod for make-up. That's it for our community this year, as far as I know--doesn't really seem like progress to me. From The Obenson Report:

Did You Know...

... From around 1982 until 2007, African-American actors, directors, producers and executives held a secret ceremony on the night before Oscar night, to celebrate black performers, calling the event, the Black Oscars. Every talent, from the likes of Samuel L. Jackson to Will Smith, participated in this event, which was considered a moment for black Hollywood to honor its own. In 2007, the "Friends of the Black Oscars," the secretive group that sponsored the event, decided that the Black Oscars had finally become obsolete, thanks in large part to the recent increases in the presence of black performers in the race for Oscar - Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Will Smith and Djimon Hounsou, notably.

From IW: Interesting.




Speaking of Obenson, he and I will be on Afronerd Radio tonight (Sunday), giving our thoughts on Ofay Oscar (my view) and Black Cinema's early days. It will be on at 8pm EST, and if you'd like to call in and give your thoughts and opinions as well the number is 646-915-9620. For more info click HERE. Take a listen if you are anti-Oscar, or if you just need a little break from the BS fest.



And speaking of podcasts, I got this in my email (thanks Slaus!):

NPR's Tony Cox talks with Neema Barnette — director of Civil Brand and All You've Got — and actor/director Kasi Lemmons, whose films include Eve's Bayou and Talk to Me, about the challenges they face and the unique perspective they bring to the big-screen.

Take a listen to this clip:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19234733&ft=1&f=11


IW: Invisiblewoman says check it out. Me love Kasi Lemmons.




The wonderful blog "
Charcoal Ink" had an new twist on Hattie McDaniel (who most write off as a tired mammy stereotype) as the first Black to win an Academy Award:


"The Oscars are this Sunday and I was thinking about the ceremony and the symbolism of having an Oscar. Hattie McDaniel was the first black person ever to receive one and
according to imdb.com, she may have been the first African-American woman to sing on radio.

Here are some other McDaniel facts from imdb.com:

- She willed her Oscar to Howard University, but the Oscar was lost during the race riots at Howard during the 1960s. It has never been found.

- Despite the fact
Clark Gable played a joke on her during the filming of Gone with the Wind (1939) (he put real brandy in the decanter instead of iced tea during the Bonnie Blue birth celebration scene), McDaniel and Gable were actually good friends. Gable later threatened to boycott the premiere in Atlanta because McDaniel was not invited, but later relented when she convinced him to go.

She was also quoted saying “I’d rather play a maid than be one.”

This woman is so incredibly important. Of course, she played stereotypical characters that are cringe worthy but you can actually see that she was just an amazing actress and what if she had been given better material ? Who knows — to survive such racism and make your mark none the less is commendable and admirable."




And last, but by no means least, I received a "Spread The Love" award from Vanessa at Vanessa Unplugged.!

I love her for this, sincerely, cause what she wrote on her blog is almost identical to how I feel. I was in the mode this week of chucking this blog, and just starting a semi-political one, as I sometimes grow weary of the haterade (completely unwarrented), the link competitions that I get mysteriously dropped from, etc. I just love film and don't really want to get caught up in the side effects of blogging. If I do, though, of course it's nobodies fault but my own.

But when someone takes time out of their day to show you love, and demonstrate that they appreciate what you do, whether it's an award, an email, or a comment, it regenerates your batteries like the Energizer Bunny. And I give thanks for that, y'all.

I want to spread the love for folks that have shown mad love to me lately:

Mrs Grapevine

The Black Actor

Danielle

Ms. Marvelous

Qadree

Darkbrotha

The Oh Hell Nawl! crew

An award back to Vanessa too for her other blog :-)


I would give one to Sergio, but he doesn't have a blog (hint, hint). You guys can post the award on your blog and spread some love too, if you're so inclined. To these beautiful people and to my wonderful readers, have a fantastic day!

17 comments:

justjudith said...

this maybe the first year in the last twenty that i could not care less about the oscars...

i used to want to win one but movies are pretty shitty right about now.

black | woman | unhinged said...

Lame award shows are like car accidents...as much as I loathe them, I still love to watch.

Shelia said...

Ms. Hattie had her 'tude together even back then. I'm totally with her.

And you know daggone well that Oscar is not lost. Some thief has it sitting up in their house and we'll see it on Ebay one of these days.

The person is just tryin' to figure out how not to go to jail first.

Anonymous said...

Would love to hear you on afronerd but if I have to pick between listening to Desmond Burton or looking at the Oscars, I think I will choose the least boring of the two, the Oscars.
Good luck with Afrofraud, the 44 year old bum who still lives with his mother.

Unknown said...

Stay strong IW. There are many of us that read your blog every day. Don't let the haterz steal your joy...

peace, Villager

The Obenson Report said...

You gotta love those "anonymous" haters! I get a few from time to time.

Anyway... I'll be talking to you and AfroNerd, so I'll miss some of the Oscar ceremony. I'll still watch part of it, if only to see who wins in the major categories, and to stay informed. It is what it is.

Marvalus said...

Wow, who's the cat who dropped the hate without leaving a name? That's mad bogus...

Anywho...IW, you can't leave! Where on earth would I get my movie news!? You know I'm here errday and my day would not be complete without a little IW insight...

Stay up, girl...either way you go, I'll be right there! And thanks for the love! Right back atcha!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much, I love getting awards. You have one of the best and original blogs of all.

I watched the Oscars, even though i said I wouldn't. It was boring as usual, but I like learning about all the indie films that didn't have a mass release. I did cut away for 50 minutes to watch the L-word, but I didn't miss much.

Anonymous said...

@ MsMarv: Anonymous sounds like an estranged ex.

I have them days where I want to quit, too. I'm not passionate about celebrities, but I am about politics and social issues, but I started it, so now I will see it through until the end.

Invisible Woman said...

@jj: then you're 20 years behind me! lol

@bwu: the Oscars are beyond a traffic accident for me--it ventures military war--I don't want to be anywhere near it

@shelia: as one being born in D.C., I think some Negro probably picked it up, found out it wasn't gold, and threw in in the trash! haha

@anonymous: sorry you feel that way, but I hope you'll change your mind to hear me and Obenson--we're not boring :-)

Invisible Woman said...

@Villager: I know, 99% of the time it doesn't, but I guess when I posted I was feeling that 1%. It is always wonderful to have you here, tho.

@Obenson: I guess I'll mosey on over to your blog and see what you thought...

@ms. m: I feel the same about your blog...you better keep it up until your fingers fall off from arthritis! :-)

@mgv: thanks for always being so sweet...

I didn't see any of the Oscars, and I don't think I missed a thing.
About politics....I would probably have to win the lotto, cause if I would blog about that I would never get off the computer!

Qadree said...

Thanks for the "Spread the Love" award IW.

I started blogging purely as a way to get information out. If I stop completely it's because I've found a better way to do that. I'm actually leaning towards using the blog as a compliment to longer articles and video, but it's all just to distribute information and to share ideas.

I will never say anything on a blog that I wouldn't be willing to say to someone face to face, and since I can be quite blunt there are always people who think that I'm mean or a jerk, but I can't please everyone so I press forward.

Anonymity is a powerful tool, I believe it amplifies the dominant traits in the people who use it. You don't seem to let that affect how you treat people so if you ever stop blogging I hope you do so without regrets.

Anonymous said...

I think I missed something but I get the sense, IW, that you are feeling a little bummed. Maybe you have received hate mails and such. I've had a couple of less than friendly comments, myself. I wasn't sure what you meant by link competitions and being dropped from them.

You and I know that no blog can please everyone. As long as you are committed to your own truth and what you're doing, then the naysayers won't matter.

But I know that sometimes the hate can be stinging, to say the least.

I remember I received a nasty negative comment. I almost felt a physical sensation of the mean-spiritedness of the comment. I came to terms with it and I understand how very easy it is for people to hide behind a computer and spew hate. People who do what we do are under scrutiny, of course.

I myself, am detached from various aspects of the blogosphere and my participation in it is not what others' participation is.

I hope you don't get discouraged and that you continue to contribute your voice as you do.

And as always, IW, thank you for the kind acknowledgement.

Keep your head up. You're doing good things over here.

Anonymous said...

IW - I'm honored and humbled. I read your blog everyday. Why? Because it's excellent. Period. "Anonymous" clowns can just go piss in the wind.

Keep doing what you do. We love and appreciate it.

As for Miss Hattie, I'm not mad at her. It was hard back then and easy to talk smack now because we don't have to deal in that world.

I love how some of us say we wouldn't do this or that. Jim Crow was a mean take no prisoners bitch and it could literally mean your life.

Anonymous said...

@invisible w -- you know you have made it into the glittering blogerati if you have an online hater! your blog is brilliant. keep writing!

Invisible Woman said...

thanks, quadree---see, I love having you around :-)

TBA: it's not really anonymous posters...it's from a couple of other bloggers....our community is too small for us not to completely support each other. That's how I feel, anyway....but thanks, you give me some alternative thoughts about focusing on other aspects :-)

@danielle: thank you :-)

And you're so right, a lot of us can talk big game cause we weren't there

Invisible Woman said...

@aulelia: ya know---you are so spot on. Bring on the haters! haha