A bit late, but let's talk about Oscar. Like many, I tuned in two Sundays ago to see who would win what, who would wear what and who would do something outrageous. And you'd think with Chris Rock hosting, there would be more than a few times when the comedian stepped all over and across the FCC's line of decency.

Not so.

Rock was almost passive. With the censors on standby there wasn't a single four-letter word uttered by Rock to bleep out. Well, other than what Hollywood's liberal majority considers a four-letter word', namely Bush. As in our Commander-in-Chief, George W. Bush.

Typical of most awards' shows these days, (whether it be the Grammy's or Golden Globes), the left must always throw some sort of disparaging remark the Oval Office's way. I believe it's written into the script. Ever since the disheveled figure of documentary producer Michael Moore wobbled across an Oscar stage and loudly proclaimed Bush's apparent theft of the 2000 Presidential race, Hollywood has taken to public grandstanding like bees to honey. Or, should I say, like liberals to gay marriage.

But less there be any supposed anti-American sentiment emitting from tinsel-town's biggest day, Rock did throw in the customary, 'we support our troops' tag-line to close out his opening speech.

Now, on to the awards themselves.

The big story was "Million Dollar Baby", an unlikely award candidate if there ever was one because it's about female boxing. Hilary Swank walked away with Best Actress and Morgan Freeman won for Best Supporting Actress. Clint Eastwood won Best Director.

How ironic is it that Eastwood, a man who got his start playing a cowboy on "Rawhide" and made a name for himself as Los Angeles cop Dirty Harry in the 70s, has two Best Director Oscars. Martin Scorsese, one of the acknowledged masters in modern cinema, has none. Nominated four times previously, Scorsese was picked again this year for his epic "The Aviator." Like I said, he lost and he's quickly becoming the Susan Lucci of the Academy Awards.

Best Actor was probably the lone lock heading into the ceremony. "Ray" is the only Best Picture nomination I've seen so far and Jamie Foxx deserved this award for his total immersion into the character of the late Ray Charles. Cate Blanchett, meanwhile, took home Best Supporting Actress honors for her performance as Katherine Hepburn in Scorsese's film.

And of course, in between, Oscar pummeled us with every type of other award imaginable. While the technical, screenplay and editing awards are certainly appreciated and loved by those winners who work behind the scenes, do we, the television audience, really care? And then it seems these same editors, writers and art designers are usually the ones who drone on with the longest speeches.

For pity's sake, just thank your mother and father; they're the reason why you're really here after all.

Kevin Pearcey is editor of The Luverne Journal. He can be reached at

335-3541 or

via email at kevin.pearcey@ luvernejournal.com