The dictator is dictated to!

There is nothing quite so amusing as when organisers of events which are almost entirely inconsequential start to take themselves seriously.  Thus it is with the Oscars.  The mere fact that the organisers entitle themselves as The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences - my dear, an academy, no less - is enough to set off the giggles.  Very quickly it provides a sitting duck target for the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen who can spot over-inflated pomposity at a hundred paces.  He has just completed a picture called The Dictator and 'The Acadamy' have graciously granted him and his company tickets to attend the Oscar ceremony, but, only on condition that he does not make use of the obligatory red carpet along which all the stars strut their stuff for the purposes of publicity. Publicity?!  Movies?!  Hollywood?! Perish the thought!

 

According to Hollywood Deadline:

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has pulled actor Sacha Baron Cohen‘s tickets from the 84th Academy Awards. This means he is banned from attending the Oscars even though he is an Academy member and one of the stars from Hugo, Paramount’s 11-nominated movie and Best Picture contender. “Unless they’re assured that nothing entertaining is going to happen on the Red Carpet, the Academy is not admitting Sacha Baron Cohen to the show,”  Paramount just told me. The reason is that a proposal reached the Academy for Baron Cohen to strut the Red Carpet in full costume as his title character in the upcoming Paramount comedy

Despite all the shrewd, keen insight one automatically attaches to The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, it is obvious that Cohen has already won hands down:

Of course, the next best thing to that publicity stunt is all the media coverage which this ban is going to generate for Baron Cohen’s film. So the Academy has decided to act like dictators about the actor playing The Dictator.

Doncha' just lurve show business?

 

Comments

[Andra]

Well, I can see their point.
They don't want anything "entertaining" happening on the red carpet.
Of course not.
There's all these painted, pampered and pouting females, of whom I have never heard, to strut their stuff, stick out their fannies and/or bums, wave their tits and utter inanities.
Wouldn't want to spoil several tedious hours of that with anything like "entertaining".
Perish the thought.
God bless America.

PS: I have never watched any of these shows and don't intend to start any time soon.
I'm happy with QI and To the Manor Bowen.

[David Duff]

I say, steady on, Andra, I don't mind casting my eye over the occasional 'painted, pampered, pouting females', er, when the 'Memsahib' leaves the room, of course. Mind you, always with the sound off!