It’s been well documented here on The Movie Blog that I thought the selection of Chris Rock as host of this years Oscars was a HUGE mistake for several reasons. Now the funny man (and yes, I think the man is a very talented comedian and I like his stuff a lot) has given me another reason to dislike his selection.
If you’re going to host the show, then act with some class about it. Don’t start shooting off your mouth, abusing your positions as the show’s host and trying to influence academy voters before the show. Did Billy Crystal do that? No. DId Steve Martin (best host the show has had in decades) do that? No. Did David Letterman do that? No. Did (uggg) Whoopi Goldberg do that? No. But apparently Rock thinks he’s above everyone else. The IMDB reports the following:
Chris Rock is so determined to see fellow comedian Jamie Foxx take an Oscar home at next month’s ceremony, he has vowed to steal one for him if he doesn’t win. While the Academy Award nominated have yet to be announced, Rock, who is hosting the ceremony, is confident Foxx will take the Best Actor trophy home – for his role in Ray Charles biopic Ray – and he’s willing to take action to ensure it. Rock says, “I am rooting for Jamie, and if he doesn’t win, I’m going to talk about it on the show. (If Foxx doesn’t win) I’ll take an Oscar from one of the sound or light people that win and give it to him. Jamie Foxx is not going to walk out of that place without an Oscar.” Foxx is a favorite to scoop the prize, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio for his role in Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator – a movie which has failed to impress Rock. He adds, “It’s a weird movie; it’s well made, but a story about a rich guy who gets things done doesn’t excite me. Oooh, he overcame obstacles, like how much money to spend. And he washed his hands a lot.”
So here’s my point. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about the upcoming Oscars… but Rock isn’t just anyone this year… this year he is the master of ceremonies of the show… the host. He’s got a position right now that he needs to show some respect to. He should keep his opinions to himself until the show… then say whatever he wants. With the privilege comes responsibility.
Disrespect. Rock has just thrown a huge pile of disrespect to the guests of the Oscars before they even show up. What about all the other nominees? As MSNBC put it:
Forget for the moment what an insult this is to the other, eventual best actor nominees (Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and Don Cheadle are among the usual suspects). Forget for the moment what an insult this is to sound engineers and lighting people, who are apparently unimportant peons in Rock’s world. More than anything, Rock’s comments demonstrate a complete lack of understanding about how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences actually votes.
Chris Rock goes and open his big mouth. Plays movie critic. Yeah, Mr. “Head of State,” Mr. “Lethal Weapon 4,” Mr. “Bad Company,” I’m sure you know what a good movie is.
And no, this post has nothing to do with the fact that I think Leonardo DiCaprio should win best Actor. I would have no problem if Foxx won it… I just think there’s a difference between great acting and great impersonations. Foxx did a marvelous impersonation of Ray Charles, and deserves to be nominated… I just found DiCaprio more captivating and gave a LITTLE bit better of a performance.
Having said that, I don’t really think either of them should win. I thought Tom Cruise in Collateral was BY FAR the best performance of the year over either of those two guys. But oh well… no one listens to me. The most beautiful thing about film is the pure subjectivity of it.
atleast no one was shot at like mtv or vibe awards.
and thats why some are called niggers.
The whole idea about Chris Rock being a bad host for the Oscars seems silly to me. He’s a comedian, he’s supposed to be funny. Whatever he says it’s going to be funny and ke knows it’s going to hurt some people, it always does. BUt so does everyone elses comedy. Steve Martin doesn’t do stand up. Neither does David Letterman or any other oscar hosts. They did it for the ratiings. People like Chris Rock, so hopefully the ratings will go up. That’s the point.
Here’s an educated response…
Hey Kat, you don’t like the language or grammar? Get your so-called “educated” ass outta here. Oh by the way… it’s spelled “CRACKERS”.
Sean Penn licks mucho dick!
Rock’s a comedian. What he said about J-Law was a joke. That’s what comedians do!
People keep forgetting what an a-class a-hole Penn was during the 80’s well into the 90’s.
Rock was great as a host and aside from that… the oscars sucked. Chris was the only reason my eyelids didn’t permanently close up during that event. I guess you can’t save a naturally boring show. Casting Al Pacino for example instead of Mathew Broderick wouldn’t have saved Godzilla.
Best parts of the show…
When Rock introduced Prince as an “Academy award winner”.
When Rock introduced Jeremy Irons as a “Comedy superstar”.
Sean Penn making an ass of himself by taking Chris’ joke for real. And what’s up with the hair, hothead?
I came upon this site accidently but I was intrigued to hear and know what people thought about Chris Rock hosting the oscars. I have asked people all day. I read your posts and I can’t quite figure out why some of you feel as though you are higher or better than black people or you can judge how a white person and a black person act. It is absolutly appaling that you would use such distasteful language. You talk about perfect spelling, one of you wrote this line: “so the next time you come on have some got damn sense when you speak son.” Tell me how that is perfect spelling. I get that you didn’t like Chris Rock hosting but none of you explained why except to say that he promoted Jamie Foxx other than that what is your reason. The host has not input into the voting, so I don’t understand that. I think you all are uneducated “Krackers” Feel free to write me with educated responses only
Chris Rock sucked as Oscars host. If he had any vocabulary and possessed any ability to talk about anything remotely intelligent (or even funny), he might qualify as a stand-in guest on some idiotic hip-hop late late show. What an absolute nigger rube!
Chris Rock said it best…
“It’s all-right… cause it’s all white!!!”
I’m pretty sure Chris will blow the Kodak theater up!
Chris Rock said it best…
“It’s all-right… cause it’s all white!!!”
I’m pretty sure Chris blows the Kodak theater up!
shut the fuck up, it is chris rock, why do u love him, not because he jokes about vigina, breat and buts, because he jokes about tits pussy and ass, yes ass, so leave him the fuck alone. peace b-love
Excuse me for my misspellings and bad grammar. I guess I went back to my slave days, of not being able to spell and speak proplery.
Note” it is “can we please have our one channel ma’am”
2. “brunt truth without the candy coated sugar”
I see that some people are borderline racist. Hence: who ever was talking about the WHITE ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISOIN needs to get on some quadrouple glasses. The rest of the 500 channels is white entertainment. Let me repeat every channel is white entertainment, so why do you need to put it. Why are you mad that Blacks get 1 measley channel. can we have the please mam, or do I have to go through your back door and fix your food.
You people just won’t learn. I have to repeat, this is a dichotomy of the way a black person acts and a white person. We are just plain different from you. First off, he was just joking about stealing an Oscar from the sound guy if Jamie doesnt win. But he knows that Jamie should win, and if he wants to say that then he can. How is that classless? But more importantly who is that classless to. I bet if any black comedian was hosting they would have said the same thing.
NOTE PLEASE: ASK YOURSELF WHY DID THEY PICK CHRIS ROCK? BECAUSE JAMIE FOXX IS GOING TO WIN BEST ACTOR AND JAMIE FOXX IS BLACK.
See Rock might be classless to a whole sect of people but he is of much class to another people. I cannot stress that this is a much deeper problem than rock hosting the oscars.
You might think this guy is nuts but I know you’re saying that. I am just willing to say what is the brunt truth with the candy coated sugar. People are thinking this but they are afraid to say it. Just like Rock’s comedy.
Well done Triffic, I know some smart arse would answer those questions. hehehehehe. However, many of those Stars named are stars in genre specific films (Martial Arts), which originate from a certain demographic area. Also how many of those films are Hollywood Films / American Films?
Cause I”m in a fun sort of mood, here are their most current films:
Gong Li (2046, 2004)
Zhang Ziyi (House of Flying Daggers, 2004)
Aishwarya Rai (Bride & Prejudice, 2005)
Halle Berry (Catwoman, 2004)
Pam Grier (Jackie Brown, 1997)
Penelope Cruz (Sahara, 2005)
Maggie Cheung (Clean, 2004)
Michelle Yeoh (Memoirs of a Geisha, 2005)
Thandie Newton (Chronicals of Riddick, 2004)
Pei Pei Chang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2002)
/outta here.
David:
Well said. I totally agree.
However, just for fun, 10 non-white leading ladies:
Gong Li
Zhang Ziyi
Aishwarya Rai
Halle Berry
Pam Grier
Penelope Cruz
Maggie Cheung
Michelle Yeoh
Thandie Newton
Pei Pei Chang
(With the execption of Grier and Chang, all of those woman are currently leading ladies, so I barely have to go throughout history).
Laralalaaa I think you are missing the point. It has been stated, and I agree, that the mass media is prodominantly White based. Thankfully, over the last ten years, things have began to change and different creeds, cultures, races and colours are slowly but surely beginning to get correct representation, but it still isn’t enough. Therefore, Race / Colour specific channels are required to allow non-white communities to watch what they want to watch with actors / presenters that they can relate to. Go through Movie History and name me 10 non-white leading actresses? How many non-white actors or actresses have won awards for their work? Name me a current TOP rated TV show where the majority of the cast are non-white? Now tell me you feel hard done by because you havent got White specific television? Now tell me you think its racist? Surely you can now relise why there is a need for non-white specific channels in the first place?
I am so tired of people getting away with ‘murder’ why some blacks are allowed to say offensive things that if put in an non-black person’s mouth would have this person practically ‘crucified’?… they’re also absolutely and apallingly racists again non-blacks because they feel they can… I would love to see a TV channel named White Entertainment Television THAT WOULD BE RACIST right?…. but they can their have Black Entertaintment Television and that’s okay… that is pure bull.
Its disgusting that someone so classless like Chris Rock is presenting. The thing with people like Chris Rock is that he now thinks blacks are superior. Would he have said the same thing had it been a white man playing a white man biopic and was nominated in two categories? It is so stupid that Rock claims Foxx’s performance was the best when he’s not even a film critic of any sort. How does he know whether an acting performance is hi-calibre or not. He’s just biased towards foxx because he is the man-of-the-moment and happens to be black. I’m not racist so don’t come posting any racist responses. Im a film critic and in my mind the oscar should go to Don Cheadle….absolutely terrific in Hotel Rwanda. What a performance. Foxx’s performance in Ray, cheap karaoke impersonation in my mind. Ray was also a poor movie
Yeah!!!
I don’t get how anyone watching Chris Rock on stage can be offended because he starts taking a piss on the Oscar Award show!
Turn the sound or TV of if you don’t like it and keep watching commercial sh*t featuring Leonardo Dicaprio or however his name is spelled!
I saw the “aviator” (small lettered for a reason)
and I think it’s just another movie to please an as big as possible audience!
Take a pi*s on all these glamorous hollywood motherf*ckers as much as possible!
they’re earning their piece of the pie because of stupid sh*ts like marla anyway!!!!
If you (Marla) didn’t notice, it’s people like Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy and the South Park guys that keep people around the world liking Americans and America for not being as f*cked up as Hollywood or Washington are!!
Greetings from Germany to everyone sharing my opinion (or not)!
Holger
come on now people are actually watching the oscar? the superbowl is in 2 weeks. after that i cancel my cable.
It’s not just John Jim, did you see the associated report from MSN? I suppose with a site like the Movie Blog that he owns, he can talk about anything he wants?
If you think that anyone, especially academy voters, are going to be the least bit swayed by what Chris Rock has to say about ANYTHING, you’ve taken WAY too many drugs.
It’s really sad (and says allot about John) that he’ll spend so much time on the comedic rantings of Chris Rock, when there’s allot more important things to be raising his voice to. Within the movie industry and especially outside it.
Give me a break.
i think i speak for us all when i say…
BRING BACK STEVE MARTIN!!!
Nice try Marla, but that response is typical as well. To think that you must be a racist because you bring up race is not an epistemology worth even considering and it is absurd as well.
Americans love to drop this term now conviently called “the race card” to make other people feel as if issues of race, class, etc. don’t matter at all and never really mattered and yet the entire construct of American economic life was built on it.
But now that we know that it’s not Rock’s race that matters can we just all watch the show? To expect him not to have a big mouth is pointless, no? But he is quite hilarious so let it be.
Nothing to do at all with Chris Rock being black, Whoopi hosted it in the past but I dont think it was ever an issue either.
That’ll be cool, either Will Smith or Eddie Murphy! *winks*
well put vic, well put. i’m sick of that “ur being racist” crap. obviously the person that is suggesting racism as an issue is a racist becuase they thought to mention it.
You know, it really burns me when that race card crap is floated. It’s a wonderful way to put people on the defensive and make yourself feel superior.
If you want to get racial about it, here are some black actors I think would make great hosts for the Oscars:
Denzel Washington
Eddie Murphy
Morgan Freeman
Ving Rhames
Will Smith
I think they’re all capable of being funny and charming without being obnoxious.
Vic
Maybe what’s really going on is that you guys just don’t want a black guy hosting the Oscars…mmm? So much ENERGY spent over this thing as if it were the last Oscars ever. Perhaps we should settle in and watch and THEN comment.
Derek is right. The Oscar’s are a sham. An entertaining night where the movie industry get’s some of their products attentioned by a wider audience. Big bucks.
Of course there are class acts nominated and then we have the “Seabiscuit”s in there as well and no one knows jack shit about how they got there.
Sideways though, is a great movie.
William, give it a rest.
Rock is hosting the Oscars because he targets the studios’ core demographic of 15-25 year olds or whatever, and with Oscar ratings falling they want to pull in some of that audience.
You can say the Oscars have been stale forever… I say they used to have class, as did the actors who atttended. Can’t tell you how much it irked me to see Joaquim Phoenix show up like he just rolled out of bed. Save that presentation for the MTV movie awards.
With the progressive pandering of the show to a more common level and with the political crap that goes on in acceptance speeches I’ve pretty much lost interest anyway. As to Rock’s comments: He’s the HOST, folks, he’s entitled to opinions but he should be gracious. A concept I will admit which no longer holds much meaning any more.
Vic
So Marla, I see you hate video game playing adults and blacks. You are one big hate monger!
On second thought, who cares anyways. Award shows suck regardless. It’s all just Hollywood masterbating and patting itself on the back.
Rock has been great hosting the MTV awards. He’s not afraid to joke about the movies and “roast” the occasional star. This is why the MTV awards are FUN to watch. Maybe the academy has noticed that their ceremony has been a bit stale since, oh I don’t know, FOREVER. I don’t think he was showing any actual disrespect. He is allowed to have an opinion. I’m surprised that he agreed to do it, actually. Money talks I guess. Maybe this year the ceremony won’t be so boring and painfully unfunny.
I love Johnny Depp so much I think that *I’LL* steal the Oscar for him for him if he doesn’t win.
To be fair I didn’t know that anyone actually enjoyed the Oscars ceremony. Shows what I know.
Yeah, Chris Rock used to be funny to me but now he just seems like an ignorant asshole…
i really dont care what he said, its not like it really matters anyway. my prediction is that neither leo nor fox will win, johnny’s bringin home the oscar finnaly!
i hate rock, he’s gonna ruin the oscars for me.he’s so annoying, i dont know how anyone finds him funny. both jamie foxx and LEO are tied, they both did biopics, they both did a great job.. for some reason i feel that leonardo will always make good movies but i feel that jamie foxx had a good year and thats all the effort he needs to put in (he gave off a cocky vibe to me at the golden globes) I’m more enthused for dicaprio to win because he’s done a lot of good stuff and hasnt won an award yet. we’ll see feb.27th i guess
i hope at the last minute they pull chris rock off the “host” block and put billy crystal on!
Oh thank GOODNESS I was reading the first couple of posts and I thought: omg people are REALLY upset because Chris dissed the Academy somehow. Ooooooo.
I don’t actually care but since so many seem to be insulted I’ll read the article to learn exactly what he said and in what context.
*reads it*
Ok, I read the article. Damn he dissed ‘The Aviator’ too? THE NERVE. What does he know about a good movie? Come on Chris Rock, show some CLASS.
Right, that’s enough outrage for today, see y’all next week! Chris, if you’re reading this you can hide the Oscar at my place.
Have to agree with Derek,
The reverence with which we treat the oscars is a bit rediculous. Who cares is Rock expresses his opinion about the matter. I think there is a line to walk between ‘popular’ awards shows swarming with screaming teens and stuffy awards shows filled with rich people with sticks in there asses. I suspect Rocks comments were not to be taken too literally. I doubt we need to worry about having extra security on stage for the presentation of best leading actor award. I doubt Rocks words are going ot have any influence on voters as back room politics are most likely to decide that rather than opinion of the MC.
The Oscar’s are a sham. A big glamorous party celebrating the vapid Hollywood movie-making machine. Movies with stars rather than brains receive entirely too much award and praise.
I for one appreciate them finally accepting the fact that they are no more relevant than the MTV movie awards by choosing Chris Rock as the host. At least it will be entertaining.
Just my opinion.
Allow me to play devil’s advocate for a bit:
Because God forbid the person hosting the Oscars should have an opinion about movies. That’s just inappropriate. It must, at all costs, remain an insular industry backslap where people get rewarded for serving their dues and playing the game. The idea that movies are exciting and divisive and people love them and hate them and hold all sorts of fun irrational opinions about them because movies get under your skin in ways nothing else can… we’ll have none of that, thank you very much.
Chris Rock calling Elia Kazan a rat remains one of the Oscar highlights of the past decade. I think he’ll be great, and the Oscars might actually be interesting to watch for once.
Rock should be replaced immediately! Those comments are outrageous (whether he’s trying to be funny or not). It’s such lack of respect for a craft he obviously doesn’t understand (or do well for that matter).
I can’t believe the Academy chose him. I agree that the Steve Martin was the best host in decades. I much prefer his dry wit.
Chris Rock will be Chris Rock, Oscar host or not. It’s not like this is out of character for him, right? This is what the man does; tell jokes that might be offensive to some. It’s his nature – can you blame him for doing what he’s famous for? I don’t think Rock should take any flack for his comments. I think the Academy should take all the responsibility for hiring him in the first place. For ex: If you put an infant in a crib containing a python and the python eats the child, do you blame the python? Nope, blame your own dumbass for mixing two things that don’t belong together.
Chris Rock is a classless mother-f’er… that’s why we all love him. And that’s the same reason he shouldn’t be hosting the Oscars.
The Academy night will be one stand-up comedy that wouldnt even be funny. I can see it now, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Makes me wonder though, the Golden Globes didnt need a host or some master of ceremonies, but they did well in dishing out the awards anyway, so what do you need a host for?
Aye, aye Marc, Cruise was very good, Mann a genius.
Thanks for posting this, John. Whomever chose Mr. Rock to host the Oscars needs to step in and say or do something. This is outrageous! And, if he actually follows through with his threats to talk about Foxx during the broadcast, heads should roll.
As for Collateral, I finally got around to seeing it last week and was blown away. It’s the best film that I’ve seen in a while and was picture perfect Michael Mann. I was very impressed by the preparation done by Mann and the actors for the film. Check out the ‘making of’ documentary to see what Cruise went through prior to filming. I have much more respect for him as an actor because of it. If Collateral is snubbed by the Academy, I hope that Mann picks up an Oscar as producer of The Aviator.
Alter Ego Comics
Applause, applause, applause for John. I couldnt think of a more appropriate title, I am jumping for joy.
I was also appalled when I read this report earlier, I mean, oh okay if Chris Rock thinks that Jamie Foxx gave a best performance and deserve that Oscar, then fine, but to actually make a comment like that, youre digging your own grave boy. See that’s what happens when you talk so much and you dont think more.
I agree with all your points, heck, before I saw “The Aviator” I also wanted Depp to win, when clearly Di Caprio gave a more defining, obvious performance, but surely this statement from Rock will not earn him brownie points either. He will make sure Foxx gets an award nonetheless, was he kidding or being just a real bully? So he loves Foxx and wants him to win, shut up man and just cheer from within, Crystal has been a real class act even if you can tell he would have wanted another actor to win.
As for “Collateral”, I think there has been a conspiracy against Mr. Cruise for a while now. It seems that the Academy wouldnt want him to win, or maybe even nominated, so they would rather just give it to someone who have worked with him a movie who at first just looked scared but later fought back. Heck? I have nothing against Foxx, but I think he is way overrated. I dont think he acted well either in “Collateral”, as for “Ray”, yep, it was without a doubt a very good impersonation.