Annie Proulx to Academy: It's ON!

All I can say is Well done Annie. It's nice to see someone not pull any punches out of fear of the 'establishment'. Nor does she have to fear them. What could 'they' possibly do to hurt a near 80 year old Pulitzer Prize winner. Besides she's (obviously) sharp enough to shred anyone who tries!

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What a sad, bitter woman with bushels of sour grapes. That Anne actually thinks this is about homophobia is an utter insult to the people who worked on the same movie she did and got awards such as Ang Lee for directing it not to mention the mountain of other awards it received this season already. Anne received exactly what she deserved...

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Anyone familiar with Annie Proulx' writing knows that she's a master of subtlety. She's an incredible writer, deservedly respected and acknowledged as such.

Ask yourselves why she has produced this piece, which is anything BUT subtle.

Does anyone think that she's not smart enough to predict a knee-jerk dismissal of her article as 'sour grapes'? Please... she says as much in the last line!

Does anyone think it's self-serving on her part? Please... she's going to get nothing but criticism from the establishment for this!

Why, then?

She's an intelligent woman, who has worked in journalism for many years, in addition to being a fiction writer is also a social historian. To me, it's obvious why she's chosen to publish. Her article reveals a truth, a shameful and ugly one, that needs to be confronted. She was the only one positioned to say it- none of the others artists involved in making Brokeback Mountain (directors, producers, actors) could do so, because they're all dependent upon the movie industry. She is safe from all of that, because she doesn't depend on Hollywood for work. She is using her voice, although she could have chosen to remain silent, in recognition of the fact that she has a moral obligation to be honest, to challenge homophobia within the industry and also in society (as do ALL good people)

Annie Proulx choose not to be subtle about this, because she knows a storm is needed, and wants to cause one! It's the most effective way to make this truth known, to challenge this injustice.

She doesn't care about receiving prizes or getting bashed over this... history will judge her!

Give her credit for bravery! All Americans should be proud of having produced a woman of such integrity and stature! Please don't ignore the objectionable facts surrounding what happened at the Oscars this year. It's well documented in several pieces that NEVER has a film which gathered all of the national and international awards received by Brokeback Mountain been shunned by the Academy for Best Picture; that is unprecedented. THAT IS A FACT! Now ask yourselves why? Those who believe 'Crash' is a better film than 'Brokeback Mountain' are entitled to their opinion, but when members of the Academy show no shame in admitting publicly that they didn't want to see this film because of its subject matter... sorry, folks, but don't you get it? That means it was not considered on an equal footing with other nominated films that didn't look at homosexuality. That behaviour is homophobic. You can't get away from that fact, however you want to look at it! Can you imagine the public outcry if Tony Curtis had said "there are Jews in 'Munich' so I'm not interested in seeing or voting for that film", or similarly offensive comments about 'Crash' because it touched upon issues that affect ethnic minorities? I remain shocked about this whole affair, including the fact that blatanly prejudicial remarks like those from Tony Curtis drew little negative press! I mean, THATS how deeply rooted homophobia is in modern American culture! This reality is too ugly for anyone who cares about justice and equality to ignore! This is bigotry, and shouldn't matter only to gays... it should matter to women, ethnic minorities, members of all minority groups who have experienced discrimination. Please, stop and THINK about these facts for a second, then you'll understand why people are so outraged by what happened at the Oscars. It's not about a statuette... it's about homophobia, and hypocricy among a 'liberal' elite who have behaved unjustly.

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Well, I happened to think that Annie was exceedingly honest and brave with that article, speaking the unspeakable. I absolutely salute her courage. That's the guts required of a real pulitzer winner.

She might be a sad, bitter woman to some *uninspired souls*, but she will forever be my hero.

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Very funny rant by Proulx; at least she's not disappointed in the movie version, eh?. The "gelded godlings" line is worthy of Addison De Witt. I especially liked the suggestion that Scientology mind-meld that may have got Crash its victory.
Among other things, this win by Trash-I-mean-Crash proves the sagacity of the Borgnine Rule. Check the March 17th issue of Entertainment Weekly: saith Malibu Borgie re Brokeback: "I didn't see it and I don't care to see it. I know they say it's a good picture but I don't care to see it. If John Wayne were alive, he'd be rolling over in his grave."

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How is this anything other than being ignorantly bitter?
People have no respect for the opinions of others. It is the opinion of the judges that Crash was a better film. It is the opinion of most people in the world that Crash was a better movie.
A personal opinion is what leads a person to vote in a certain manner.
Maybe your personal opinion is that Brokeback Mountain is a better movie. Good for you. Let everyone know. Share your reasons as to why you think this way. But stop being an ignorant ass by asserting your opinion as fact.
The continueing lack of tolerance and understanding for the right of others to have personal opinions is a sign of ignorance. It is also what extremist Muslims, the North Korean government and the Taliban live/lived by. Is that the type of society you want?
Ignorant losers.

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Ah, truths told in the way we Westerners love, unadorned. And of course she hits the mark square.

For the record, I think the homophobia argument is a bit off base, Tony Curtis and a few others aside. I argue as much here: http://blackvelocities.typepad.com/blackvelocities/2006/03/art_as_hammer_o.html

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i love that she referred to the atmostphere at the show as "an atmosphere of insufferable self-importance." seems to me that's exactly the "atmosphere" of the piece i just read. and she has the right to be bitter that she lost out, but it's just childish to refer to the winning film as Trash instead of Crash. i had no idea that Brokeback Mountain was authored by a Jr. Higher. (kinda makes it even more amazing, don't ya think?)

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To: "Finished.Law.School"
I find it frustrating that you chose to compare people who are upset about the outcome of the Best Picture outcome (which, but the way...um...Mr/Ms "I finished Law School", has a lot of merit based on the FACTS that many academy members simply refused to see Brokeback - you remember the idea of evidence to support an argument, don't you??) with extremists. You're sinking very low in that respect. How about this analogy: people who don't like debate and for truly informed opinions to be expressed [e.g. "Share your reasons as to why you think this way. But stop being an ignorant ass by asserting your opinion as fact." (your words)] are the kind of people that want us to blindly support the Bush Administration - even in the face of all of their corruption, lies, ineptness, and incompetency. Fair analogy? You decide...

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I, too, have often wanted losing nominees to defend their work, instead of graciously applauding what they clearly believe to be an inferior film.
But that is not what Proulx has done here. She offers absolutely no proof to the positive. She does not tell us why Brokeback deserved to win; what were its merits, how it was unique, etc. Indeed, she hardly refers to her own work at all.
At the same time, she provides no serious criticism of Crash...but rather, in a shamefully juvenile outburst for a woman her age, she maligns it as..."Trash". (That particular line was embarrassing to read, in the first place; to repeat it is almost excruciating. One feels definite pity to see such fall from the pen of a professional scribe.)

The overall tone of her piece, is that of a snob who cannot believe she was tricked into caring about something as worthless as the Academy Awards, and who, having been defeated, now cares all the more. Cares enough, in fact, to take the time required in composing phrases like "a bushel of the magic gold-coated gelded godlings going to the rap group."
Distilled to its essence, Proulx's complaint would read something like this:

"How dare you? Our timing was impeccable, our political calculations flawless. We released this movie, and gave you a very simple choice: Vote for it, and be elightened; vote against it, and be damned as miserable redneck bigots. And you chose wrong!
How much clearer must we make it? What will it take, to terrify you people into doing the right thing? Should I have made one of my gay cowboys black, and the other a drug-addicted musician suffering from autism, who speaks with a British accent and hides Jews from the Gestapo?
No! Racial harmony, as a cause, is out of fashion. So are psychiatric disorders. Likewise murderous prostitutes, junkies, and holocaust victims. What matters now is sexual orientation! What gives any of you the right to defy that, to defy me?"

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Bravo Annie, your story has become real. "They got him with the tire iron"! Tell your story again and again. Because if you cannot stand it, you have to fix it!

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Bravo Ms Proulx; bravo liketoday!!
Something's just plain wrong when 20% of the Academy don't bother to vote at all and many that do vote freely admit that they didn't bother seeing Brokeback Mountain. Sorta like GWB "winning" the election in 2000. Is there a pattern here?

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At first I thought "You can't be serious" when I read "#5 law school's" remarks, but with sadness I knew he/she/it did.
Your research is so obviously flawed. Brokeback Mountain has won worldwide acclaim and won more MAJOR honors and awards than can be counted-even if you took your shoes of-which is more than can be said for Crash, who'w major awards you could count on one hand!!!

As it's been pointed out several times, many academy voters refused to even see the movie, which isn't fair, and I applaud Annie her spunk, and yell out BRAVO!!!

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Dear Finished Law School,

You may have preferred Crash, but you are totally incorrect factually to say that "most people in the world thought Crash was a better movie."

There is absolutely NOTHING to support this other than your own opinion.

Brokeback Mountain won every major Best Picture Award prior to this. Crash didn't win any major critics or film scholar's prize. Brokeback got near universal great reviews. Crash's reviews were mixed.

Brokeback's near sweep of the Critics awards show that of the people who actually see the movies (which is not the case of the Academy, by the way), more of them obviously preferred Brokeback. For what it's worth, Brokeback's box office take was higher.

I don't want to take away from anyone's love of Crash for it is great when anyone connects with any film -- and I don't think works of art should be forced to compete with each other anyway.

But that comment was such a sweeping, unsupported generalization with no basis in actual fact, I couldn't let it slide.

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I respect Annie as a writer and a person. She is not a member of hollywood and feels no need to play nice. I also appreciate that she would express her disdain. This was her experience Oscar night. The mood she's expressing has been echoed by other people attending the ceremony. There was a definite " Crash" favor in both the reporting and the crowds. hey it's LA, the film was shot in la with a dozen known actors, big surprise. But this does not represent the world, so please silence that argument now.
For anyone claiming her to be ignorant, is a foolish sentiment. She is writing about her own experience. how she felt and what she saw. Anyone watching the telecast could see Ang, larry, diana, Jake, heath and michelle seemed uncomfortable the entire evening. Ang stating to asian press afterwards that he knew the film wouldn't win before the show started. It was a difficult moment for him too because he had won all the other awards and then wins director, but the film gets slighted in the big prize. Crash was not the best film by any measurable means. ( tied in Oscar awards with brokeback, geisha, and king kong?) And when countless voters have said they did not see all the nominees, what does that tell you in terms of a knowledgeable voting block?
If all the voters, or atleast most of the ones speaking out, had said" i watched all films and thought Crash was the most deserving" then i think it would be a different case. But when you have the most awarded film in history ( yes in history check the facts ) not even viewed by people voting, mostly due to it's "material", this is erroneous and disrespectful of their role. Upsets do occur, but for the film that people claim was the better film ( funny how no one was saying that before it won the Oscar, but i digress) which manifested it's qualities through middle ground box office, lack of awards ( sag and Ebert influenced chicago film critics only) and lower pre-oscar poll results, It does seem rather suspect. You shouldn't have to be a Brokeback fan to realize that.

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Annie told it like she saw without any of the fluff that someone beholden to the industry would have put in. I happen to agree with her assessment and her characterization of the show. If someone wanted to debate the merits of the films, that is fine, but she is exposing the emperor's clothes for what they are. And I think her comments are another nail in a coffin of irrelevence for the academy. Lastly, it is disturbing that no one reported on the protestors, maybe just another example of Hollywood wanting to create their own version of reality.

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I guess Sean McCarthy comment (12:58PM on Mar 11th 2006) has a lot of support here. But I don´t find much on Annie Proulx prose to substanciate it. Specially this part:

'Distilled to its essence, Proulx's complaint would read something like this:
"How dare you? Our timing was impeccable, our political calculations flawless. We released this movie, and gave you a very simple choice: Vote for it, and be elightened; vote against it, and be damned as miserable redneck bigots. And you chose wrong!" '

Is it bitter? Of course, and she recognizes it. Is it unworthy of a Pulitzer winner? Maybe, but keep in mind that she had to make it simple to understand for the people who give importance to this: the people of Hollywood.

Her article is not about the merits of «Brokeback Mountain» ou «Crash». Apart from the "trash" thing, she hardly refers to both. It´s about what she witness that night. I don´t like the "trash" part, I think it diminishes her. But I understand after reading the rest that she writes, like PSH vs. the "actors who start in the dark", and so on. Annie Proulx feels cheated and she´s not the only one. Because of who she is, maybe she should have been politically correct. Or maybe she´s in a position in which she´s doesn´t have or cares anymore.

See things from her perspective. She was there all night, watching Hollywood saying how great they are. Read her description of the futility and provincianism of the cerimony. Than, the shock of realizing what all of us knew: that it was not just a matter of artistic merit. It was the LA thing with "a hit with the home team", the DVDs, the "out of touch" and "conservative heffalump academy voters".

For her, the all thing was a personal and intelectual insult of people that have no credit: they are for sale, have no class, are hypocritical in their so-called liberalism, but have the arrogance of pretending award movie achievement!

At the end, the "trash" part was totally unecessary, but excusable. I read at the link from Roger Ebert: "According to industry watchers, no movie has generated this sort of fan response after a loss for Best Picture". There will always be politics at the Oscars. But I hope all of this will, at least, make some people think twice before taking their duties as academy members so lightly. The movie and oscar fans can´t make them watch the nominated movies, but can try to make they fell ashamed for not.

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And now the argument is that the judges MUST watch the film no matter what, even if they have no interest in watching it?
How is forcing someone to do something any different than not respecting someone's opinion?
As judges they were exposed to quite a bit of information about the film prior to having an opportunity to watch it. In their role as judges they have the ability to choose to not watch the film (again, apply the Taliban, Muslim extremist, North Korea argument here because people under such regimes do not have a choice in most things). It is likely that their decision was based on an opinion which was formed based on information about the film.

It is also likely that most of the awards and all of the recognition given to Brokeback Mountain were solely because of the subject matter rather than the quality of the film or anything meaningful. The Oscar is a more genuine and meaningful award in the industry (why else is it such a big deal and why else is Proulx whining like a 4 year old) and the judges acted appropriately in not giving the award to Brokeback Mountain just because it broached a "taboo" subject. The Academy gave/gives awards based on overall quality and merit, not liberal sentiment and taboo subject matter.

And nothing will take away from the fact that you are all complaining about the opinions of others and are exhibiting nothing more than a lack of tolerance for the opinions and values of other people.

And you remain ignorant losers.

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I'll add a few things to my earlier comment:

1.) You cannot APPLAUD a piece like the one Proulx wrote here. You can agree with it, you can reluctantly approve of it's basic message, and you can certainly sympathize with the emotions that gave it rise. But to say "Bravo", in response to such an unfocused spasm of hatred, is absurd. Proulx's tantrum is like that of a child, who overstates his case in every respect, and spares no melodrama to do it, but who nevertheless succeeds in getting across the point that he is hurt. Treat it accordingly.

2.) It is necessary for skeptics and supporters alike, to ask themselves: What would Proulx have said, if Brokeback won (as it very nearly did)? Would the Oscars still be a meaningless paegent of self-importance? Would the voting members of the Academy still be old, decrepit reactionaries? Would the live audience still have been too dim for such a wit as John Stewart? The fact is, that she accepted her invitation, and showed up.

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For Finished.Law.School,

I´m sorry, I don´t understand your point. So, if you are "judging" something, you don´t have to see all subjects under avaliation? Like, if you are a teacher, you don´t have to read all the works from your students?

Look, I don´t think «Brokeback Mountain» lost because of it. But academy members aren´t the "average Joe". In teory, I guess the members of the Academy have the right of not watching. But don´t they have duties as well? Iff they were serious, they should not feel confortable to vote.

To Sean McCarthy,

About what Annie Proulx would have said, if «Brokeback Mountain» won. Probably she would refrain her criticism of the cerimony, I don´t know. I would have said that the Academy, the Oscars, for once, went against his instinct, his nature. Like in the year of «Silence of the Lambs».

But keep in mind that she´s an outsider. She was probably in shock watching the Oscar politics in full display. She came to realize, the hard way, what we knew.

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