Monday, April 26, 2021

Boredom at Union Station



image from cnbc.com 

Boredom at Union Station


“2020 has been a hard year for everyone, but our

love of movies helped us get through it.”

--Regina King.


The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony from last night

is on my mind, pushing the flitting sun-breaks in the

overcast Northwest beyond the cognitive back burners.

Sure, it was a nice try to reinvigorate a lackluster set

of recent awards shows, but due to Covid restrictions,

they broadcast it from a train station, with a quarter of

the normal audience, with maximum social distancing,

and intermittent mask-wearing, 


Filmed live, directed by Steven Soderbergh, I hoped

for something chic, and woke, and creative. What was 

delivered was about as exciting as a limp phallus or a

sad pair of sagging breasts. Everything seemed off-

kilter and out of balance, while suffering from chronic 

fatigue syndrome. 85% of the movies honored were 

streamed and had never seen the inside of a theater. 

We should have called the show the “Emmscars”.


There were no musical numbers, no live orchestra; 

rather there was this hip-hop DJ, fresh from some

bar mitzvah, and no live host. It was bogged down

with topical politics and appropriate ethnicity, moving

like a dose of sodium pentothal. Even the “In

Memoriam” section flipped by in two nano-seconds,

making it hard to keep up, or feel anything.


I don’t support most of the “cancel culture”, but as a

life-long movie buff, and ex-professional actor, who

has faithfully watched the Oscars since 1953, this

show was insipid, dull, and still-born; about like

filming a meeting of the City Council. People

Magazine called it “hilarious, emotional, and

inspirational.” They must have seen a different 

broadcast than I did.


A squirrel in our

maple tree chattered at the

terrier below.



Glenn Buttkus


Haibun


Posted over at d'Verse Poet's Pub

10 comments:

brudberg said...

I have never seen any Oscar award ceremony, but I can understand that it receives some mixed feeling... that said I think Nomadland sounds like an excellent film

Gillena Cox said...

intermittent mask-wearing, ( this phrase made me stop and smile, BUT YES i understand it fully)


Happy Monday
Much💛love

indybev said...

I'm in total agreement of your opinion of the Oscars. In fact, I turned it off half-way through and turned to Netflix for some entertainment!

ben Alexander said...

Well, Glenn, don't worry - your haibun was much better than a limp phallus!

I kid!

Thank you for sharing your perspective - I really enjoyed this write of yours.

-David

JadeLi said...

That's a long time to be watching the Oscars every year. Sounds like it was disappointing every which way. I read another review earlier today that said essentially the same. Too skim fast through the In Memory of section is such a slap in the face to the remaining family members of the deceased. I like you haiku and see you as the terrier.

Truedessa said...

I didn't watch the Oscars this year. I haven't been to a Theater in over a year. Regal is re-opening at 30 percent capacity. I laughed at the chattering squirrels.

Kim M. Russell said...

I have to admit that I have never watched the Oscars. I don’t like the waste of money on all those clothes that they will probably only wear once, made by people on minimum wages who couldn’t even afford a drink at one of the after-parties. I didn’t know that it was broadcast from a railway station. I love the way you describe it as ‘exciting as a limp phallus or a sad pair of sagging breasts’ and a ‘dose of sodium pentothal’.

Helen said...

Trust I will be the outlier here ... in light of the pandemic time we exist in, I appreciated the low-key, no-fuss, no stupid jokes, no lame host, fewer political rants, close up views of beautiful fashion design (men and women), Glenn Close dancing even though it was most likely staged ... saying that, I hope with all my might we return to normal next season.

Ingrid said...

This does sound rather dismal, Glenn: sign of the times I suppose!

robkistner said...

Agree brother. The Union Station I thought was a beautiful setting for the event. I think a live out-doorish event was a brilliant idea — but while it was live, it wasn’t “alive”. This train needed a conductor, one who could keep the train moving and on thebtrscks. And if there truly wasn’t a good tactical way for a full orchestra — maybe a small hot jazz orchestra (10-12 pieces) to give the event some “steam”. The I memoriam section was embarrassing, and traveling at 100 mph shot right by the platform. No one could see who was a board. Oh well, COVID,!