Snubbing The Ladies of Mattel....Not At All Swell.....

 

 Whatever else, Mr. Castanias is undeniably insightful.

 

Then....along comes a FB poster...a Mr, Nemo Fett.

"...I keep seeing this meme and it's just dumb.

 

First of all, that wasn't the plot of Barbie, a summation of the plot of Barbie is "you don't have to get into the box"

 

But also, it's not like Gosling got the nomination in spite of Margo and Greta. They're not competing. It's like saying it's bullshit that the US lost the pole vault because they won the high jump. 

 

There's still a best actress award going to one of some fantastic candidates. As well as an award for best picture which barbie is nominated for. Robbie just didn't surpass those candidates according to the judges..."

 

Unasked, but never letting the absence of invitation prevent a point of view...I responded as follows...

...given all that needs fixing in this country, let alone the world, this whole discussion seems coupla levels below trite.....

 

that said....for my friends who are up in arms about all of this....

 

poster Fett's POV that the meme is dumb is an opinion to which he is, of course, entitled......

 

THAT said.....

 

the farily obvious intention of the meme is to point out the "irony" that the two primary women (and, props to America Ferrera, the two only unconditionally necessary women) are not to be invited into the Oscar limelight and the primary man is.

 

in other words, men first and always....women...every now and then, if at all....

 

which is, of course, the philosophical ground zero of the entire piece.

 

at best, "you don't have to get into the box" is sub plot (text)....(and gently toes the line between insight....and chauvinistic condescension...in itself quite the irony) 

 

so the "totally accurate" meme should conclude.....

 

"this is actually the 'primary' plot of "Barbie"

 

all of THAT said....

..

this is this year's "empirical" that these awards, like pretty much all awards, are, first, subjective...one's meat, another's poison, et al......second, subject to influence by what has always been, is now and will, for the immediate future, continue to be......

 

the 'good ol' boy' culture/society/nation/world in which we all, all races, creeds, colors and...genders....live.....

 

it's also worth noting that "genderless politics" also, and always, play a part in the process when it comes to award "worthiness".  A politics that comes in all shapes, sizes and flavors. From envy to jealousy, pettiness to outright nastiness...

from "hey, you vote for mine and I'll vote for yours"...

and let's not totally disregard simple laziness.

in my Nashville years, I saw one too many secretaries being told by their producer/publisher/record company bosses to "here...I don't have time for this....fill this thing out and mail it back...." to totally disregard simple laziness.

parting thought.....good on Ryan Gosling for speaking up and out.

and saying "really? what the fuck?" as graciously as it can be said without actually saying it.....

meanwhile.....next week....on "Artistic Lives Matter".....

 

how does any movie get nominated for best actor/actress/picture and NOT get a director nom.....?

 

you want dumb? 

 

there's ya dumb.....