Highlights and Lowlights of the Oscars and the Oscars Reviews

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Did the reviewer over at Time watch the same Oscars I did? I’ve never been a huge fan of Ellen DeGeneres, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not so over at Time, where Ellen’s performance earned a D. Even the absurdly stupid and time-wasting “Comedian at the Oscars” earned better. The A was reserved for Jerry Seinfeld’s totally unoriginal trash-in-the-theaters jokes. Must be a guy thing.

Another clue to their rating system: British accent = “classy.” That’s what they have to say about Helen Mirren’s rather unmemorable presentation with Tom Hanks. Let’s not confuse her winning performance with her presentation, mmkay?

The only assessment I agree with is Jennifer Hudson: D. This isn’t reality TV where blubbering is warranted. (And what about that costume malfunction during her performance? Close call.) Strangely, the Washington Post review, which is pretty relentless about everything else—notably, and justifiably, the length—singles Hudson out as a highlight. Maybe it was the near breast-sighting.

(Lamest and most transparently sexist remark in the Post review: “DeGeneres didn’t seem to have quite the stature of the legendary Oscar hosts of the distant past — namely Johnny Carson and Bob Hope.”)

Can we just get back to the awards please? The people who are genuinely touched to win carry the show, and those expensive montages are the turkey.

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