The 87th Oscars recap through tweets …

I’m not sure why I keep filling myself with false hope that the Oscars will one day be an entertaining show to watch. The optimism is almost completely unfounded by this point. Whether they go weird (Anne Hathaway and James Franco), safe (Billy Crystal), hip (Seth MacFarlane), or try and steal another show’s success (Neil Patrick Harris), the result is the same. NPH should have been the shot of adrenaline the 87th Annual Academy Awards needed—a song and dance guy who’s young, fun, and funny. Sadly—and I do blame the writers—he ended up proving as lackluster as Ellen DeGeneres last year.

There was a ton of promise after his opening number with Anna Kendrick and a showboating Jack Black. Hell, I even loved the truncated monologuing to give way directly into the awards. But then came the puns. Puns so unfunny that I was frowning at Harris when he found himself having to smile and laugh because no one else was. Add the tired “magic trick” of his predictions locked in a box that Octavia Spencer unwittingly got wrapped up in “protecting” and the whole things was vaudevillian in the worst way. At least McFarlane bombed—at least he tried.

Harris tried a couple times, ad-libbing a couple jokes when possible like Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 winner’s poodle costume being met with “that costume needs balls” or his “some treason” remark pertaining to Edward Snowden. You have to wonder whether the Academy was a bit perturbed by that one, but come on. Let your presenter do his/her thing. Stop putting them in a box. This is why a drunk Golden Globes is better. They realize the whole endeavor isn’t such a buttoned-up serious affair.

The evening’s best moment was a chaotic “Everything is Awesome” performance. It’s best attempt at humor was Idina Menzel getting some payback on John Travolta despite him garnering the most attention by touching her face. The most unnecessary bit came from a Sound of Music homage/50th Anniversary honor with Lady Gaga and Julie Andrews that came too late to be resonate. We all would have rather they cut it and end ten to midnight rather than ten after.

As for the awards: I’m just glad Whiplash got some much-deserved love with three awards. I think it’s hilarious that The Grand Budapest Hotel won everything that didn’t mean Wes Anderson receiving a trophy himself. And I was honestly shocked Boyhood earned nothing but Patricia Arquette‘s Supporting Actress. Not that Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman was a bad choice, I just wish Richard Linklater got some recognition.

At the end of the day, everyone is going to remember the speeches. Suicide became a common topic to scare away the orchestra’s dastardly “play them off” music; equal wages for women and racial equality got Meryl Streep out of her seat and put tears in Chris Pine‘s eyes; and despite Graham Moore‘s own mention of suicide and “weirdness” as a kid, the internet quickly taught us he was in fact straight so the parallel we made between him and Alan Turing wasn’t quite accurate.

The Academy once again played it super safe. I applaud the winners for bringing a bit of controversy and social consciousness in, but maybe the producers should be the ones doing that. Give us a reason to watch AMPAS. The product as it is now isn’t quite doing it. Providing spoilers for your nominated films (sorry Gone Girl) as joke isn’t a step in the right direction either.

And now the tweets:


 


























































Take note Academy:

 

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