Oscars 2026

[d.anders]

I had high hopes with that insane opening. Conan picked the perfect drag character to play, Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys. But I thought it went downhill from there. Conan's opening monologue was humorless. The audience seemed dead. No one was in the mood to laugh, and Conan wasn't funny.

The rest of the show was incredibly boring. Since I didn't love most of the films I saw, that probably didn't help.

Barbara Streisand scared me. What the fuck was she thinking with that ratty hair and those granny glasses? She didn't sound good, either.

I don't know. Maybe I'm getting too old. It all seems so organically joyless. Just one big marketing ad for not-so-great movies. I was a bit depressed by the time it ended.

[CuriousByNature]

I didn't think Streisand sounded bad, but maybe her voice seemed a bit tired and her range was more narrow than it used to be.  But I thought she still sounded pretty good for someone who's now 83 years old.  She sounds better than I do for sure.

[+ EVdude]

I’ll give Babs a break, even though she could have glammed it up a bit more. But agree the whole show was a snooze and I too just didn’t care for this year’s crop of Oscar movie contenders.

For me, the Burger King commercials were the highlights of the evening… “Hey, we fucked up but we’re going to do better!”

 

[mtaabq]

I didn’t even watch. Couldn’t be bothered. The show is rarely entertaining and it simply drags. The people I believe should win rarely do - if they are nominated at all. (And I have yet to review last night’s winners list.) And for the past several years I haven’t been going to the cinema except for the classic movie series. I’m sorry to read that Conan didn’t do well - I like him a lot. For those who watched until the bitter end - thank you. And thank you for your reports. Sounds like I didn’t miss much. 

[samhexum]

I am pretty sure the last time I watched the Oscars was during the Roosevelt administration but I don't remember if it was Franklin or Teddy.

[mike carey]

That was today?

[MikeBiDude]

1 hour ago, mike carey said:

That was today?

So you weren’t part of the 1 billion viewers? 😉

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

6 hours ago, d.anders said:

I had high hopes with that insane opening. Conan picked the perfect drag character to play, Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys. But I thought it went downhill from there.

The show went downhill at exactly 8:00 PM and 2 seconds (Eastern Time Zone) when the announcer said, "Live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood..."
Bozo waited another 10 seconds before he flipped the channel from ABC to FoxSports1 to watch the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic - USA vs. the Dominican Republic. The baseball game was riveting, exhilarating, meaningful, uplifting, and starred professionals who literally wore their patriotism on their sleeves. It was everything the 2026 version of the Academy Awards wasn't. Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland, and all of the other great actors and actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood must be rolling over in their graves at what has become of what was once Hollywood's finest hour.

Bozo can't wait to see the ratings. It's been in freefall since 2000 when viewership was over 46 million. Most recently it got a bump (likely due to COVID when we were stuck at home), and in 2023 it was at 18.7 million. The steep decline in viewership is probably because the Oscars has been a hate-filled, meaningless, snooze fest for at least the last 25+ years.
It's only a matter of time before the networks and major cable channels dump the Oscars, and it ends up on some pay-per-view home shopping streaming service.

Bozo is sorry (well, not really) that he missed Barbara Streisand's performance. Last time he saw her on TV she looked like a cross between a bag lady and a sea hag. Do you mean she looked even worse than usual?

BTC
🤡

Edited yesterday at 05:07 PM by BOZO T CLOWN

[JayCeeKy]

I watched most of it though, I have to admit, I taped it and watched on a delayed basis in order to skip the cringiest parts which, turned out, included most of it.  As a previous member observed, the audience looked dead and, in my opinion, appeared as though many would bolt from the theater were the show not being broadcast Live. Timothée Chalamet in particular looked uncomfortable and dyspeptic - like he drew the short straw and had to sit in the front row where he was continuously berated by Conan's not-very-funny jabs. The worst part of the whole debacle were the tortuous conversations between Presenters whose mumbled dialogue seemed so stilted and silly that I'm sure a few of the Directors in the audience were tempted to shout "Cut - let's take it from the top, this time with a little more enthusiasm." Whoever wrote, directed, or choreographed this inane spectacle should have their membership cards from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences revoked. 

[d.anders]

I'm a longtime Streisand fan. I think I once owned every LP. I always admired her perfectionism. At 83, the instrument is nowhere near the same, and I'm surprised she bothered to sing. Normally, she refuses. I don't have a need or a desire to listen to famous singers sing past the age of 80. I did enjoy her personal tribute to Robert Redford, but I'm one of the few fans who did not love the movie, The Way We Were. As for her looks, it seems to me she has thrown in the towel. I think she could look so much better, but she doesn't care what I think.

I don't think I've ever missed an Oscar episode. I've been an avid movie goer since my teens, and I've followed the Oscars just as long. I watch more movies now than ever, and I pay attention to  who does what behind the scenes. So I enjoy seeing creative people I sort of know get recognized.

The stage design of this show was awful. For actors, they had these very dark panels slide down with photos of the nominated actors, but everything was so dark, you couldn't tell who anyone was. The camera shots of the actor panels were so quick, there was no time for the eyes to focus on anything. It was a visual mess, and I found it all very frustrating.

[jeezifonly]

Everything about entertainment awards is to generate income for producers.

For myself, Award shows, (even the Tony's where friends and former colleagues are vying) are consumed only as highlights on YT the next day. So tired of grown-ass adults constantly demanding gold stickers from Teacher.

How about this? Do your job, get paid (handsomely, in most every category) and move on.

[d.anders]

1 hour ago, jeezifonly said:

Everything about entertainment awards is to generate income for producers.

That's an over-simplification. Everyone with an award in show business can benefit financially.

People in the arts aren't the only professionals who use award recognition on their CVs, bios, or promotional packages. It's very much a part of the PR process for all concerned.

[jeezifonly]

5 hours ago, d.anders said:

That's an over-simplification. Everyone with an award in show business can benefit financially.

People in the arts aren't the only professionals who use award recognition on their CVs, bios, or promotional packages. It's very much a part of the PR process for all concerned.

Percentages in employment contracts stipulate bumps in post-production fees for nomination, and for winning. And every producer (solo or group) can use any and all nominations/wins for the project in future marketing of all digital/streaming versions. The entire process of awards is rooted in money, popularity, and politics within Production and Distribution sectors. 
That is what makes the entertainment industry awards different from others. The popular culture pressure cooker. And that there is an entire Industrial subsidiary that makes Award Shows. I worked in showbiz 45yrs - money flows up before it trickles down just like all others. 

[Becket]

20 hours ago, d.anders said:

I had high hopes with that insane opening. Conan picked the perfect drag character to play, Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys. But I thought it went downhill from there. Conan's opening monologue was humorless. The audience seemed dead. No one was in the mood to laugh, and Conan wasn't funny.

The rest of the show was incredibly boring. Since I didn't love most of the films I saw, that probably didn't help.

Barbara Streisand scared me. What the fuck was she thinking with that ratty hair and those granny glasses? She didn't sound good, either.

I don't know. Maybe I'm getting too old. It all seems so organically joyless. Just one big marketing ad for not-so-great movies. I was a bit depressed by the time it ended.

Streisand scared me as well. She just looks for the first time, well....damn.....old. I know I know. Happens to the best of us. And it's always a bit weird when someone is talking, then out of nowhere starts to sing. Didn't look like she's trying to age gracefully. Seems to be fighting it and losing the battle. We all lose the battle. Best to look as if the aging we all go through doesn't bother us. Guess it's hard to do that in Hollywood. O well. Love you always, Babs!

[d.anders]

3 hours ago, Becket said:

And it's always a bit weird when someone is talking, then out of nowhere starts to sing

Several critics were talking about the sound problems in the show, saying it was inexcusable. When Streisand was escorted to the stand and began speaking, I could barely hear her. I had to turn the volume up. It was interesting that for the singing, she was given a different microphone. The whole presentation seemed strange, but I'm glad she's still getting gussied up and going out. 

[d.anders]

22 hours ago, EVdude said:

the Burger King commercials were the highlights of the evening

I saw a YouTube video talking about the changes that were coming. I don't usually eat fast food, so I had no idea that Burger King was having problems. I remember as a teenager, I preferred their burgers over McDonald's. I love grilled beef.

[+ purplekow]

For the most part, even avid movie fans have little interest in the awards, but there is a brisk gambling portion that brings some viewers to the show.  Acceptance speeches run the gamut from horrible to terrible.  A simple, thank you as Alfred Hitchcock uttered when receiving an award for people who should have won an award but never did.   

I would love to see someone go up say: "Thank you to all the people who made this possible my family, friends, mentors and colleagues" and then sit down.  That person would be the most popular winner of them all.  

Edited 8 hours ago by purplekow

[d.anders]

5 hours ago, purplekow said:

Acceptance speeches run the gamut from horrible to terrible.

But why do they deserve such harsh judgment, especially from people who don't work in the industry? People who make movies commit years of their life. The sacrifices can be enormous for all the artists and craftspeople involved. Most of those jobs are barely middle-class incomes. No one in the film business can make a movie on his or her own. I absolutely hate when the orchestra cuts off a speech. Fine, take the show off network TV, and let it run for 5 hours. I'd probably still watch. No matter how the speech is crafted or delivered, I enjoy learning more about some of these artisans and tech geniuses.

[d.anders]

I didn't realize Jane Fonda was at the Oscar's. She had a word or two about Streisand speaking about Redford.

 

[jeezifonly]

Barbra would speak to the way WE were. Jane, more the way HE was.