More Laura
Dern, please!
I absolutely
lost it at “Awkwafina Guggenheim rejection letter”.
The genius of
the song’s writer, Jordan Firstman, and the deadpan delivery of host Aubrey
Plaza made this wonderful queer anthem possible. Besides the sheer comedy of the
performance, it was interesting to observe how this television remediation of
film moments as well as the tone of the Film Independent Spirit Awards (that tauntingly
pitches the ceremony against the Oscars) facilitated this queer narrative in
this year’s musical tribute.
Television, unlike narrative cinema, definitely allows reactions and commentaries in its formats that adds dynamics to its contents, and that is the main source of entertainment in viewing awards ceremonies for me, personally. This Spirit Awards performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus being jabs at the Oscars for its lack of diversity in LGBTQ+ representation was part of that. Awards ceremonies have also been the only occasions for me to participate in live TV viewing experiences recently. It seems that not many of us are partaking in communal TV viewing anymore, however. While the Oscars hit a record low in ratings with 23.6M, as with most live TV events now, it was refreshing to see the Spirit Awards, despite its disastrous viewer ratings, still going all out with its monologues and performances. Or conversely, maybe it’s the horrific ratings that makes the performers push boundaries?
Television, unlike narrative cinema, definitely allows reactions and commentaries in its formats that adds dynamics to its contents, and that is the main source of entertainment in viewing awards ceremonies for me, personally. This Spirit Awards performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus being jabs at the Oscars for its lack of diversity in LGBTQ+ representation was part of that. Awards ceremonies have also been the only occasions for me to participate in live TV viewing experiences recently. It seems that not many of us are partaking in communal TV viewing anymore, however. While the Oscars hit a record low in ratings with 23.6M, as with most live TV events now, it was refreshing to see the Spirit Awards, despite its disastrous viewer ratings, still going all out with its monologues and performances. Or conversely, maybe it’s the horrific ratings that makes the performers push boundaries?
Thinking back to last night's Oscars, I equally was struck by the affordances of the reaction shot, in particular during Eminem's performance of "Lose Yourself." Like yourself, award shows are one of the few "live" TV events I participate in and it was fascinating to witness the speed and ease of the cross-platform movement of Billie Eilish and Martin Scorcese's dumbfounded reactions to Eminem onto Twitter nearly immediately. The segment in itself was a totally confusing choice, the best outcome perhaps being the multiple tweets calling for Eminem and Elton John to return to the stage and re-perform their rendition of "Stan" from the 2000 Grammys. Ultimately the Oscars were as boring as ever but it was curious to watch them attempt to grapple with not having a host, especially in the increased numbers of performances and tributes, the increased movement in the room especially in the placement of speakers in aisles and on the balcony, and the use of the behind-the-scenes shot.
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