tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post4909948030921979307..comments2023-12-24T19:38:00.242-08:00Comments on Mendelson's Memos: Why Kathryn Bigelow's big Oscar win might not be a real victory for women.Scott Mendelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131426080984100749noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-45352174696694248912011-08-05T11:39:24.443-07:002011-08-05T11:39:24.443-07:00Brilliant and spot-on.Brilliant and spot-on.Laurennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-79070422041822795342011-05-13T10:54:45.310-07:002011-05-13T10:54:45.310-07:00I agree with you Scott. The group I watched the sh...I agree with you Scott. The group I watched the show with had a hard time stomaching the talk, "Will we have our first female winner, our first black winner, or...or...three people who brought their own scripts to the screen". Ridiculous. Seriously? Way to make a win by either of the other three feel like they were taking away a historic moment from the other two. It's one thing for pundits outside the show to do it, but the producers doing it is another.Kyle Leamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04418642592946535731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-28065001906278771792011-05-13T10:54:44.833-07:002011-05-13T10:54:44.833-07:00Monique's comment was a specific response to t...Monique's comment was a specific response to the many media pundits who honestly believed that she didn't deserve the Oscar purely because she wasn't actively campaigning for it. Had it been unsolicited, I might have agreed with you Kyle. But she was explicitly refuting a certain attack narrative (she won't campaign because they won't pay her to do so) that had been built around her work.Scott Mendelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131426080984100749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-90815492858989148192010-03-09T15:50:54.188-08:002010-03-09T15:50:54.188-08:00As a black female, you don't need to feel emba...As a black female, you don't need to feel embarassed on my behalf. In fact, please don't. You do not speak for me.<br /><br />Rather than just stating an opinion about how Kathryn Bigelow's (or Halle Berry's, or Mo'Nique's) wins at the Oscars and the concomitant celebrations as "firsts" affects women's rights or black rights, perhaps you should ask a woman or a black person. And then listen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-86404242121051054622010-03-09T10:05:01.446-08:002010-03-09T10:05:01.446-08:00Scott,
I agree that when things are being called...Scott, <br /> I agree that when things are being called out-mentioned-focused on it's more a sign of ongoing "groupism" than anything else. It would be great if more people got that. Kudos to Bigelow for generally being simply - a director.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-68126466633667202102010-03-08T13:19:56.824-08:002010-03-08T13:19:56.824-08:00I suppose it makes more sense in that context. Jus...I suppose it makes more sense in that context. Just struck me wierd watching it with my friendsKyle Leamanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04418642592946535731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-41435232090985268152010-03-08T13:09:54.630-08:002010-03-08T13:09:54.630-08:00Monique's comment was a specific response to t...Monique's comment was a specific response to the many media pundits who honestly believed that she didn't deserve the Oscar purely because she wasn't actively campaigning for it. Had it been unsolicited, I might have agreed with you Kyle. But she was explicitly refuting a certain attack narrative (she won't campaign because they won't pay her to do so) that had been built around her work.Scott Mendelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131426080984100749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-28480568581797501622010-03-08T13:07:06.213-08:002010-03-08T13:07:06.213-08:00Nope, Geha, I knew what she was talking about and ...Nope, Geha, I knew what she was talking about and I agreed with it. It just seemed to be a logical way to bridge the piece into discussing 'outside politics' and there effects on the awards. Pardon me for trying to be artsy. :-)Scott Mendelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131426080984100749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-42733107362482137342010-03-08T13:01:34.105-08:002010-03-08T13:01:34.105-08:00I'm not trying to be overly critical about the...I'm not trying to be overly critical about the Mo'Nique quote, but did it seem to anyone else that it bordered on arrogance? It's a great performance, most agree, but doesn't her quote seem to be saying that she thought her win was all because of the performance? As in, 'Yeah, this proves it's about how good I did"? Minor thing for me, but how does she know there weren't politics involved working for her?Kyle Leamanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04418642592946535731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-54030953710798823562010-03-08T12:57:42.618-08:002010-03-08T12:57:42.618-08:00I agree with you Scott. The group I watched the sh...I agree with you Scott. The group I watched the show with had a hard time stomaching the talk, "Will we have our first female winner, our first black winner, or...or...three people who brought their own scripts to the screen". Ridiculous. Seriously? Way to make a win by either of the other three feel like they were taking away a historic moment from the other two. It's one thing for pundits outside the show to do it, but the producers doing it is another.Kyle Leamanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04418642592946535731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-71026221284460109052010-03-08T12:18:34.375-08:002010-03-08T12:18:34.375-08:00I think you're using the Mo'nique quote ou...I think you're using the Mo'nique quote out of context. She wasn't talking about Bigelow, but the attacks against her from some columnists and bloggers for not campaigning more actively, given the fact she was busy with her talk show. She says that the only thing voters should consider is the performance and nothing else. And personally, she is somewhat right.geha714https://www.blogger.com/profile/12680077918707375990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-78916993696850995162010-03-08T11:50:15.073-08:002010-03-08T11:50:15.073-08:00I'm reminded of the big media frenzy over the ...I'm reminded of the big media frenzy over the 2001 Oscars, when everyone was screaming 'racial progress' when Denzel Washington and Halle Berry won Oscars in their respective categories. But for me, the real progress came in 2006, when Forest Whitaker, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Hudson were front-runners in their respective categories and absolutely no one discussed the two victories and one surprise defeat in terms of their race.Scott Mendelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131426080984100749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-48619761228186383262010-03-08T11:27:31.728-08:002010-03-08T11:27:31.728-08:00DIMA, the problem is the "FIRST WOMAN WINNER!...DIMA, the problem is the "FIRST WOMAN WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!" actually overshadows her achievement of making a film voted by her peers and colleagues as the best of the year. Let's not vote or value milestones over the actual achievement.<br /><br />Making too big of a deal (of course it should be noted/recognized, and she should be proud of that status)of her being the first woman winner can also create a situation where she can be viewed (unfairly obviously) as a charity case or affirmative action winner.<br /><br />I can't help but think that if the Hurt Locker wasn't as good as it was, she might have won anyway. People subconsciously can get strung along by things like history, previous losses, overall career etc. over picking the best movie of the yearTopher0820https://www.blogger.com/profile/04248864107532023162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-59161241230178070962010-03-08T11:15:37.105-08:002010-03-08T11:15:37.105-08:00I disagree with you. Gender, race, sexuality, disa...I disagree with you. Gender, race, sexuality, disability will always be discussed in our society. There IS real progress when people talk about it. To ignore it is to deny that sexism or racism even exist in the 1st place. <br /><br />I do, however, agree with you about how the media is trying to pit this as a battle between James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow, which is just so annoying and offensive.<br /><br />Like you, I've also noticed how gracious and supportive he has been toward her. <br /><br />She deserves it and she broke the glass ceiling. Now she can inspire a whole new generation of female filmmakers (ME) to make it happen.Sabina E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14679639206346030919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-50558733172827863992010-03-08T09:48:30.677-08:002010-03-08T09:48:30.677-08:00Excellent post.Excellent post.Afrofilmviewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02496201078047006999noreply@blogger.com