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| There is a right time, place to
speak your mind |
Katrina Walker
Greeks Beat
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As I sat on the couch
Sunday watching basketball, the games inevitably came to an end.
As I talked to the other people in the room with war updates on
the television, it dawned on us that the Academy Awards were on.
I haven’t paid much attention to what the “good movies”
were this year, but it’s always interesting to see what the
so-called experts say.
To my dismay, I didn’t see Vince Vaughn or Will Ferrell waiting
to receive their award for “Old School,” and James Bond
still hasn’t received the recognition from the Academy that
I think he deserves.
I mean really, if you can be that cool you deserve something more
than seemingly endless riches, new toys to play with and break all
the time and beautiful women like Halle Berry and Denise Richards.
All right, maybe that’s enough.
The snub on some of my favorite movies was not the thing that stood
out to me the most. What still stands in my brain was the acceptance
speech by Michael Moore, who won the Oscar for best documentary
film, “Bowling for Columbine.” And the dress of Jeff Bass,
who with the help of Eminem won for best original song from “8
Mile.”
In case you missed it, Michael Moore started out by making what
I thought was a very classy move. After winning, he brought all
the other people nominated for the same award on stage with him
as to say he was no better than any one else. Things turned sour
quickly. He then used his time to voice his opinion on the war in
Iraq. Within seconds the crowd, including all the other actors,
actresses and stars, began to boo and would eventually boo him off
stage.
I don’t believe that an awards ceremony like the Oscars is
the proper place to make your opinion known to people who may or
may not agree with you, and judging by the crowds reaction not only
did they not agree but didn’t care to know how he felt.
The reason Jeff Bass stands out is because of his clothing. He was
not wearing a dress held on by double stick tape or a different
style tuxedo but rather a Detroit Pistons jersey with a sports jacket
over top and at least three big, gaudy necklaces to attract attention.
I was happy to see an artist like Eminem get nominated for such
a prestigious award and actually win to join the likes of Bob Dylan,
Phil Collins, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John.
What I was not happy about was his colleagues’ apparent lack
of respect for his accomplishment.
All the other awards ceremonies have been down graded to the point
that wearing an outfit like Mr. Bass’s is not only acceptable
but also expected. When Bass came up on stage it showed me he is
full of what my grandmother always described as “foolish pride.”
He lacks the ability to change and look respectable for one night
of the year and a night that has no doubt become the crown jewel
of his career.
Individuality is an idea that I embrace on a regular basis, but
I believe there is a time and place for everything.
The actions of people at the Academy Awards showed me that we as
a society we have embraced individuality more than respect for others
and ourselves. |
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