Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Well, having now seen Youth, I've given these nominees close to their due: watching Youth, Spectre & 50 Shades, and seeing Till It Happens to You and Manta Ray sung on YouTube.

And my question: is it too late to cancel the category?

Stipulate: See You Again would EASILY win over all of these. Can we add an annual such prize, for entries that would have won if nominated?-- call it the LEGO Movie Memorial.

I can't imagine Manta Ray figuring in the voting.

Earned It would seem not the academy's taste, but we probably thought the same right up to the moment Queen Latifah intoned "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". However...that song had a sterling showcase within the film; Earned It plays over the end credits, by which time many voters might well have checked out.

Simple Song #3 DOES have that kind of showcase, plus a classical tinge that might make some voters applaud themselves for liking it. I'm seriously tempted to make it my upset choice.

Everyone seems unimpressed by Sam Smith's song, but how much of that is just post-Adele crash? It's a perfectly pleasant song, and could win.

BJ mentioned that the lyrics of Simple Song #3 are on the primitive/basic side, but couldn't one say the same about Till It Happens to You? It feels like there are only about seven lines to the song, repeated in variation. Apparently Gaga and Warren are selling the hell out of the song across Hollywood, so maybe it's as locked in as people think, but I'd be more sold if the movie were one people at least saw.

This is just sad, but I suspect Dave Grohl will perform a tribute to David Bowie leading into the In Memoriam segment so his inclusion doesn't disturb me.

I hope Gaga, in her acceptance speech, acknowledges Anohni and the other artists who were so summarily dismissed.

Nominated songwriter Anohni - one of the nixed performers - has written a lengthy and provocative essay on why she is not attending the awards.

http://pitchfork.com/news/63773-anohni- ... my-awards/

Rubbing salt into the wounds of the songwriters of "Simple song #3" and "Manta Ray:"

Biden to introduce Lady Gaga at the Oscars:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/25/politics/ ... ga-oscars/

They could do a medley number with all of the singers performing - make it 3 minutes, and put us through less torture.

The Original BJ wrote:All of these songs are uninspiring -- and truly, the idea of sitting through a telecast listening to "Simple Song #3" and "Manta Ray" isn't something I was looking forward to -- but I find moves like this odious. It's beyond obnoxious for the Academy to suggest that if you're famous, the song you wrote is worthy of being performed on the telecast, but if you earned the EXACT SAME NOMINATION but aren't a pop superstar, tough! I'd half-way root for "Simple Song #3" to win just to spite them.

Plus, as Nathaniel Rogers pointed out, in a year where diversity is the big talking point, there's something kind of gross about not allowing the transgender performer an opportunity to sing her nominated song.

Of note, one of the last times this category had a song cut from the telecast, J. Ralph was also the songwriter.

So maybe, if Michael Shannon had been nominated this year, the producers could have skipped showing his clip -- he's not really that well-known, and wouldn't have a chance of winning, so why not save some time? And they could have easily omitted Demian Bichir the year he was nominated.

One of the remaining great things about the Oscars is when a nobody gets nominated -- especially for acting, but in all categories, really -- they get to strut alongside the hugely famous, be their equal for just one night. Fuck these producers for denying them that. And throw in Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who hasn't shown any of her ubiquitous high dudgeon for this snub.

All of these songs are uninspiring -- and truly, the idea of sitting through a telecast listening to "Simple Song #3" and "Manta Ray" isn't something I was looking forward to -- but I find moves like this odious. It's beyond obnoxious for the Academy to suggest that if you're famous, the song you wrote is worthy of being performed on the telecast, but if you earned the EXACT SAME NOMINATION but aren't a pop superstar, tough! I'd half-way root for "Simple Song #3" to win just to spite them.

Plus, as Nathaniel Rogers pointed out, in a year where diversity is the big talking point, there's something kind of gross about not allowing the transgender performer an opportunity to sing her nominated song.

Well, if this just isn't the cherry on this-year's-crap cake of the Oscars:

Oscars: Two Original Song Performances Nixed From Broadcast:

http://variety.com/2016/film/in-content ... 201710638/

Jesus fucking Christ, people...Are we seriously going to bitch about a fucking song credit? Regardless of how much of the lyrics were written by Gaga, it's her interpretation of the song, which as far as I'm concerned, is a musical element equivalent to songwriting. Besides, if Diane Warren wants to share her credit with Gaga, then so be it. Everything Linda Perry says sounds like sour grapes for not being chosen to sing the song.

It could be that Warren is using Gaga's name to increase her odds of winning an Oscar, as a lot of people would vote for the award to get Gaga on the stage as an Oscar winner. If what Perry said is true, the Academy should take away Gaga's nomination.

anonymous1980 wrote:Linda Perry claims Lady Gaga's contribution is rewriting just one line.

Which is not a surprise to anyone who has listened to the song.

In any case, I'm under the impression that it's pretty much a standard practice for big artists these days to have professional songwriters do the songs and then give a token credit for the performer for re-writing a few words.

Greg wrote:

The Original BJ wrote:I know a lot of people love "Simple Song #3," but I'm a bit more muted in my reaction. Musically, it has some beautiful classical elements and gorgeous singing...but this is also a lyric prize, and sorry, but those lyrics are about on the level of an over-dramatic third grader's diary. (Not that the competition offers much in that department either).

I think because it is an opera, the vocals overwhelm the lyric, even though it is in English.

Point taken, but I'll stand by my opinion that "I die / I hear all that is left to be heard / I wish you would never stop / I've got a feeling" doesn't exactly have the ingenuity of Cole Porter.

The Original BJ wrote:I know a lot of people love "Simple Song #3," but I'm a bit more muted in my reaction. Musically, it has some beautiful classical elements and gorgeous singing...but this is also a lyric prize, and sorry, but those lyrics are about on the level of an over-dramatic third grader's diary. (Not that the competition offers much in that department either).

I think because it is an opera, the vocals overwhelm the lyric, even though it is in English.