The Oscars Hurt: A Continued Reflection of Masochism

It has been announced that the Academy has scrapped the musical numbers from the Best Original Song category this year.  While this category is need of a major overhaul (and perhaps altogether abandonment) judging on their lack of hearing, taste or discretion, and while no one will complain that a forgettable song from a film long forgotten like Rio won't get any Oscar screen time...this also means that the category's frontrunner, the joyous "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets won't either.  The song, like others, in the film was written by Flight of the Concords alum Bret McKenzie won't get any action at this years Academy Awards.  In a wild dream, I was hoping for a medley of Muppets tunes, including the stupidly snubbed "Life's a Happy Song," and Kermit's touching ballad "Pictures in My Head."  While the Academy has taken this stance in years prior...even a few years back when a worthy and totally listenable tune, like 2009's winner "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart wasn't given the stage, there's a bigger point on hand I feel.  Is this a commentary on the Academy's embarrassment of the song category?  Why not let the two songs have their three minutes of stage time; it can't be a choice decision to reduce the run time-- the show is always LONG!!!  One feels that if the Academy isn't going to support the ruins of the flawed Songs- just get rid of them...

The shapelessness of the Best Original Song is so variable however, that take a year like 2011, where the song selection may not have been prime, aside from The Muppets soundtrack, and the overlooked Captain: America pastiche "Star Spangled Man."  Mostly neglected from the Academy versus a stronger year like last year when they had an opportunity for prime awards catnip with the Cher-headlined ballad "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me,"-- yes Burlesque was a dumb movie, but that song rocked, and the performance at the Kodak could have to (Toy Story 3 won the Oscar for the familiar sounding Randy Newman tune "We Belong Together.")  And yes the performances have always been up and down...for every joyous Amy Adams charmer "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted in 2007, there's an overdone clunker like "In the Deep" from Crash in 2005.  The other conundrum lies in the nominating process altogether-- in that the same group can acknowledge worthy songs like "Falling Slowly" from Once in 2007, or "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart in 2009, but overlook (or as conspiracy theorists might say, intentionally snub) something as moving as "The Wrestler," Bruce Springsteen's beautifully moody and weathered melody that was so appropriate to the narrative of The Wrestler in 2008.

I hope Kermit the Frog mugs away from Billy Crystal and sings for the four hour telecast in mad protest.

Best Original Song

Here are the 39 finalist for Best Original Song at this years Academy Awards:

• "The World I Knew," African Cats
• "Lay Your Head Down," Albert Nobbs
• "Star Spangled Man," Captain America: The First Avenger
• "Collision of Worlds," Cars 2
• "Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu," DAM999
• "DAM999," DAM999
• "Mujhe Cho'd Ke," DAM999
• "Rainbird," Dirty Girl
• "Keep On Walking," The First Grader
• "Hello Hello," Gnomeo & Juliet
• "Love Builds a Garden," Gnomeo & Juliet
• "Bridge of Light," Happy Feet 2
• "The Mighty Sven," Happy Feet 2
• "Never Be Daunted," happythankyoumoreplease
• "Hell & Back," Hell & Back Again
• "The Living Proof," The Help
• "Coeur Volant," Hugo
• "It's How We Play," I Don't Know How She Does It
• "When the Heart Dies," In the Land of Blood & Honey
• "Ja Nao Estar," Jose & Pilar
• "The Keeper," Machine Gun Preacher
• "Life's a Happy Song," The Muppets
• "Man or Muppet," The Muppets
• "Pictures in My Head," The Muppets
• "Summer Song," The Music Never Stopped
• "Imaginary Friends," Olive
• "Sparkling Day," One Day
• "Taking Your With Me," Our Idiot Brother
•  "The Greatest Song I Ever Heard," POM Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold
• "Hot Wings," Rio
• "Let Me Take You to Rio," Rio
• "Real in Rio," Rio
• "Shelter," Take Shelter
• "Pop," White Irish Drinkers
• "Think You Can Wait," Win Win
• "The Backson Song," Winnie the Pooh
• "So Long," Winnie the Pooh

A selection of the some of the possible frontrunners, including the Alan Menkin (he of Disney fame, and several Oscar for The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast and Aladdin) penned anthem of Captain America, the Mary J. Blige ballad at the end of The Help, and the zippy tune for Winnie the Pooh authored by Zooey Deschanel's band He & She.  However, if The Muppets loses this...this means war!  Which by all means, it surely could, their music branch is, well...you know.

Best Original Song Finalists

Here the finalists competing for the Best Original Song Oscar. I'm still pissed at the Academy's music branch for ignoring Bruce Springsteen's amazing song from The Wrestler last year, it was perfect for the movie and an all kick ass song. Also the elimination of Jonny Greenwood's haunting and revelatory score for There Will Be Blood still burns. Anyway, here's the list-- I've tried to include links to ones I could find. Enjoy:

• "All is Love," Where the Wild Things Are
• "Almost Over You," My One & Only
• "Almost There," The Princess & the Frog
• "AyAyAyAy," The Maid
• "Back to Tennessee," Hannah Montana: The Movie
• "Being Bad," Duplicity
• "Blanco," Fast & Furious
• "Brothers in Arms," Brothers at War
• "Butterfly Fly Away," Hannah Montana: The Movie
• "Cinema Italiano," Nine
• "Colorblind," Invictus
• "Depression Era," That Evening Sun
• "Don't Walk Away," Hannah Montana: The Movie
• "Dove of Peace," Bruno
• "Down in New Orleans," The Princess & the Frog
• "Fly Farm Blues," It Might Get Loud
• "Forget Me," I Love You, Beth Cooper
• "God Bless Us, Everyone," Disney's A Christmas Carol
• "Here," Shrink
• "Hideaway," Where the Wild Things Are
• "Hoedown Throwdown," Hannah Montana: The Movie
• "I Bring What I Love," Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love
• "I See You," Avatar
• "(I Want to) Come Home," Everybody's Fine
• "If Your Wondering," The Lightkeepers
• "Impossible Fantasy," Adventures of Power
• "Innocent Child," Skin
• "Invictus: 9,000 Days," Invictus
• "Legendary," Tyson
• "Let Freedom Reign," Skin
• "Loin de Paname," Paris 36
• "Ma Belle Evangeline," The Princess & the Frog
• "My One & Only," My One & Only
• "Na Na," Couples Retreat
• "Never Knew I Needed," The Princess & the Frog
• "New Divide," Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• "New Jersey Nights," Adventures of Power
• "New York is Where I Live," Did You Hear About the Morgans?
• "No Time for Love," Simon & Malou
• "One Day," Post Grad
• "Only You," The Young Victoria
• "Other Father Song," Coraline
• "Petey's Song," Fantastic Mr. Fox
• "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," Ponyo
• "Possibility," The Twilight Saga: New Moon
• "Raining Sunshine," Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• "Running Out of Empty," Lymelife
• "Smoke Without Fire," An Education
• "Somebody Else," Crazy Heart
• "Stu's Song," The Hangover
• "Take it All," Nine
• "Through the Trees," Jennifer's Body
• "Trust Me," The Informant!
• "Un Bouquet des Violettes," New York, I Love You
• "We Are the Children of the World," The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
• "We Love Violence," The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
• "The Weary Wind," Crazy Heart
• "When You Find Me," Adam
• "Winter," Brothers
• "The Word is Love," Oy Vey! My Son is Gay
• "You Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger," An Education
• "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home," Hannah Montana: The Movie
• "You've Been a Friend to Me," Old Dogs

There you've got it-- some U2 ("Winter" from Brothers), some Duffy (An Education), Karen O. (Where the Wild Things Are), and some Miley Cyrus. That was exhausting. What are your favorites?

My predictions:

"All is Love," Where the Wild Things Are
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"Down in New Orleans," The Princess & the Frog
"Take it All," Nine
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart