The prospect of watching the Academy Awards broadcast has never appealed to me, even when, as recently, I’ve seen most of the nominated films. I remember the bad old days, when the show was plagued by kitschy and interminable dance numbers. (There seemed to be an idea about that, in order to appeal to millions of viewers,the Oscars ought to mimic the Las Vegas extravaganza.)Last night, though, it seemed not only that the show had gone back to its roots but that it was doing so in a manner that a seasoned audience could follow.

As entertainment, the presentation is one of countless parodies that, year after year, accompany the kind of ritual ceremony best known as “graduation.” Replacing solemnity with mockery, talented wits roast the leading personalities of the closing year. Tics are exaggerated and pratfalls commemorated. The Academy Awards actually run the two programs together, and if you are familiar with Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos you know how tricky the conjunction can be. Giggles and exaltation require careful buffering. Even more, the giggles have to be prompted by the right kind of silliness.

Among many favorable indicators last night — the band’s Fifties vibe, the voluminous skirts — it was the fishing rod that convinced me that the Oscars producers are getting it right at last. Ben Stiller, presenting the makeup award, came out in Na’vi drag, complete with funny ears, yellow corneas, and a tail. (And a suit.) This outfit neatly eyelined the fact that Avatar was not a nominee in the category. Looking wonderfully uncomfortable, Mr Stiller barked some gibberish and explained that it was Na’vi for “it seemed like a good idea at rehearsal.” Then, just as he was opening the envelope to announce the winner, his tail was snagged by a fishhook. After a bit of tugging, the actor reeled in the rod from the wings.

Without fussing over the unpacking of this gag, I think that we can agree that the incursion of a fishing rod into the dream that is Pandora constitutes the droll Dada of a Bugs Bunny romp. It also reminds us that Avatar is a cartoon.

You didn’t have to understand the fine points to get a laugh out of the cutup,  but if you did, or thought that you did, then you belonged amongst the horde of family and friends customarily invited to spectate at such productions. You could sigh and think that, maybe next year, that nice Professor Streep will win the distinguished-faculty award. 

Drop me a line at rjk@dailyblague.com
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