Why I won't be reviewing the Oscars

It started in the late ‘90s.  For fun I wrote a snarky review of the Oscars and sent it to the folks in my address book.  The response was positive so I kept it up.  In 2005 I started this blog so the first chance I got I posted my review publicly.   More positive feedback and eventually the endeavor took on a life of its own.  At one point newspapers in Toronto and London were running my reviews.  I was guesting on various radio shows around the country.   

To make sure no one could accuse me of stealing anyone else’s material, I always wrote the reviews right after the show and posted them immediately.  That generally meant pulling an all-nighter.  

The reviews certainly resulted in increased traffic.   I transferred them to my podcast its first few years to help build an audience there.   So now we’re talking over twenty years of Oscar reviews.  (The feature became so popular that for a long while I expanded to Emmys and Golden Globes.)  

I am officially now discontinuing my Oscar reviews.  

There are a lot of reasons for it.  A big one is that no one gives a shit about the Oscars anymore.  (More on that topic tomorrow.)  

But the major reason is the current woke culture.  God forbid I offend anybody.  What good is being snarky if you’re not allowed to criticize?  And it goes beyond possibly being insensitive.  Now you’re branded as a racist.

In the privacy of our homes, part of the attraction of watching the Oscars (and especially at Oscar parties) is taking shots at the horrible gowns and stupid tuxedos and ridiculous hairdos.  What makes them so funny is how those offenders thought they were looking so glamorous and elegant.  Bringing down people who take themselves too seriously is a comedy staple.   And you may not be proud of yourself for making fun of these entitled people, but you do. 

However, if I say one despairing thing about Viola Davis’ dress I’m loudly pegged a racist.  If Penelope Cruz mangles her turn announcing the nominees and I point it out, I’m a racist.   If I’m happy for a deserving winner who happens to be white I’m a racist.  

So who needs that?  Who needs to put a target on their chest?   It’s a shame because comedy suffers.  And as a society we need comedy.  Now more than ever.  But if those who provide it have to walk on eggshells, then what’s the point?  

And that’s where we are today.  So no snarky review on Monday.  And forced apology on Tuesday.  


from By Ken Levine