Whoa…The Sword!
In the wake of this afternoon’s Deadline report that the Academy has reversed course and will now permit Sacha Baron Cohen to do with his red-carpet routine to promote The Dictator, MCN’s David Poland is tweeting “Wow…if Nikki Finke is correct, a new precedent is being set for the Oscars. And I expect people to be fired.”
This, I’ve long believed, is Poland at the nub. When some person or company has been judged to have seriously erred through stupidity or clumsy politics or has otherwise dropped the clay vase on the stone floor, there is only remedy in Polandworld — i.e, severe punishment. People must lose their jobs and/or be tarred and feathered. They must be wounded economically. They must put out their hand and the hand must be cut off with a sword. No wrist-slaps, no admonishments, no probations. Arterial blood must soak the sand.
The blood, it it happens, is over a possible scenario that’s being discussed by Poland and Harold Itzkowitz, to wit: that the Sacha Baron Cohen banned-and-then-allowed-to-walk-the-carpet story is/was (a) a stunt and, (b) that it’s “looking more and more like [it] was orchestrated with Finke & Sherak, not just WME & Paramount].”
Undetermined quote #1: “If this cahootism is proved, it’s a downfall.” Undetermined quote #2: “One would think Finke has better survival skills than to do this, no? What’s interesting is that [this] story isn’t mainstream yet.” Undetermined quote 3: “What is stunning… if this is true… is that smart people recently hired at The Academy can be this fucking stupid.”
One of them commented earlier in the thread: “Is every call by the new Academy team going to be another Brett Ratner moment?”
My point (apart from the particulars of this story, which I know nothing about one way or the other) is that while the stories may change from month to month, Poland’s appetite for Jihadist vengeance remains constant.
Poland inqures: “Paramount spokesperson officially denies N[ikki] Finke, who initiated & promoted a ‘controversy,’ is being paid to shill 4 The Dictator.”
The Oscars want ratings for yet another predictable ceremony. They think this will help even though it probably won’t.
Lame. The whole fun was that the people didn’t know they were being fucked with by Borat or Bruno.
I don’t know, I’m amused by the whole thing. Why on earth should there be any consequences for anyone? I don’t think it’s anymore outrageous that Miss Piggy.
While Itzkowitz is correct that the internecine politics of who will and will not get fired over this silliness has not gone mainstream the stunt itself certainly is. Cohen was on The Today Show and MSNBC this morning (and being very funny): http://collider.com/dictator-sacha-baron-cohen-oscar-banning-video-response/147740/
“When some person or company has been judged to have seriously erred through stupidity or clumsy politics or has otherwise dropped the clay vase on the stone floor, there is only remedy in Polandworld — i.e, severe punishment.”
Just wondering if the person who typed that, who has had “Stalinist purges,” did it with a straight face…
Wow, the Oscars want to do something to drum up publicity? Shocker!
You people are missing the real story here. This Poland fellow is obviously out of control!
I’m confused. Was there actually someone over the age of 7 that didn’t realize this was a set-up? If so, I hate to break it to you, but Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan didn’t really hate each other.
Roy, that’s just SILLY TALK NOW.
who gives a fuck?
As for the infamous Stalinist purges, are any of you guys getting paid to comment? Mgmax is back, Nolte turned his badge-of-honor banning into a job as e-o-c of Big Hollywood, and Lex gained more Twitter followers.
It actually worked out better for everyone this way. Publicity over SBC not going, then publicity for him going after all. More people might tune in…. I agree we don’t have to fire someone every time there’s a public mistake. I didn’t think the ESPN headline-writer should have been fired becuz it didn’t occur to him for 30 minutes that “Chink in the Armor” was a racial ding, even though 99% of the public recognized the problem as soon as they saw it.
Krillian that’s kind of his job to recognize that, as he’s producing the headlines.
Oh please oh please. Stunt from beginning to end, the whole thing, unfolded with precision to get some pr for this latest Baron Cohen fiasco (Am I the only one that feels the guy is very clever but really not that funny?. The ideas for his gags make me smile more than his execution of them.)
I will give a pass to the Academy this time, because the man is part of an award-winning film, but no more. If they want to be taken seriously, they have to put their foot down at these kind of shenanigans. The Oscars either aspire to be a serious award or they become another beauty contest. There should be no buts and no clowning. The rollback is no proof of their ‘sense of humor’ but of their spineless resolve. We know they are bores, now we know they are weasels as well.
This is really a big revelation. There’s something that is needed to do with this. I hope everything will be fine. – Mercy Minsitries