THE NO CHILL ZONE Oscars Report

First of all, let me say that I did not watch the 88th annual Academy Awards on ABC last night.

However, it was less because of an intentional boycott, and more because of an inability to pick up the local television station(s) in my area, and no access to cable.

However, thanks to the Internet and social media, I know some of the highlights from last night's broadcast.

Alejandro Inarritu won the Best Director Oscar for "The Revenant."

Leonardo Dicaprio (finally) won his first Oscar for Best Actor, also in "The Revenant."

Brie Larson won Best Actress for her role in the movie "Room."

"Spotlight" won the Oscar for Best Picture.

"Mad Max:  Fury Road" won the most Oscars last night.

Vice President Joe Biden made an appearance, along with Lady Gaga (who performed "Til It Happens To You"), to talk about rape culture in Hollywood.

But the night belonged to host Chris Rock, whose opening monologue raised a lot of eyebrows.

And we even had a brief appearance from controversial actress, FOX News personality, and Patheos columnist Stacey Dash.

Congratulations to all the winners at the ceremony.  Many will say that your trophies are well deserved.

That being said, do I wish that the nominees were more diverse?  Absolutely!  But was I really surprised when they failed to nominate people of color for two years in a row?  No.

The unfortunate fact is, the people who have been nominating films and individuals have been reflected in who even gets a shot at a trophy in the first place.  Most of them, according to many figures (you can Google them if you'd like) are white, male, and old.
New Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs has promised to diversify the nominating body of the Academy, and I hope she follows through. 

There are good actors and directors of color there; the Academy (and Hollywood, generally) just have to give them a fair chance.  There have also been some good films with actors of color.  Again, just give them a chance, not just because they are black or brown, but perhaps because they are worthy.

Maybe at next year's Oscars we will see some progress, if not necessarily wins, for people of color in Hollywood.  Until then, we must keep up the fight to be seen and heard.

Are there any other major stories from last night's broadcast that I may have missed?  Leave them in the comments section.

News Wrap Up, February 24th, 2016

It's time for THE NO CHILL ZONE News Wrap Up.

First, I had the (dis)pleasure of reading a piece on so called "white guilt," by FOX News contributor and Patheos columnist Stacey Dash.  Apparently, a school showed a video on "white guilt," and not surprisingly, people were not happy, including African American conservative Dash.

I will spare you what she had to say, but if you ask me, there is NO SUCH THING as "white guilt."  When I lived in New York City, and even living here in Connecticut, when I pass by white people (especially white women), they look at me as if I am a physical threat.  And when I worked as a cashier last year, I dealt with white customers who acted as if they were superior to me.

And let's not forget that racism and bigotry are still a huge problem in America, as shown by recent events.

White guilt.  WHAT white guilt?

Second, I read an article on SpoiledNYC that said that The Bronx was the least friendly of the five boroughs.

Well, you could have fooled me.  I think ALL five boroughs are unfriendly, but whatever.  I don't have to live there anymore, so I really shouldn't care that much.

Finally, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump won last night's Nevada caucuses.  But he also made headlines for saying that he loves "poorly educated" people, who in part delivered the win for him.

I suppose that Trump does love the poorly educated.  Those are the people that he easily can get over on.

But it's not these people lack education.  It's more that they lack information, getting it only from a few sources.

In any case, there is an old saying..."When you stand for nothing, you fall for anything."  That can pretty much sum up ALL of Trump's supporters.

Comment...as you see fit.

On The Recent New York City Slashings

Over the last few weeks, innocent people, minding their own business, have been the victims of random slashings in New York City.  These attacks obviously have a lot of residents concerned for their safety, and wondering who is going to be the next victim.

These attacks are not being carried out by one person.  It seems that every other day, there is a new victim, and another unhinged person that is responsible.  I see the stories on the local newscasts about this wave a slashings, and wonder, What the hell is going on?

What boggles my mind as well is that so many attacks happened in the neighborhoods of Manhattan, such as Greenwich Village and SoHo.  I always believed those enclaves to be safe, and well protected.

The Mayor of New York City,  Bill de Blasio, says crime is at its lowest levels in a long time.  Yet, these slashings are trending upward.  It might be time to address the problem.

A few of the individuals arrested for the attacks have mental illnesses.  They should be getting treated for their issues.  But I think these folks are falling through the cracks (Correct me if I'm wrong).  I would certainly hope that they are getting help now, although they should be held responsible for their crimes.  There is certainly no excuse for attacking innocent people.

Hopefully, this is just a phase, and as the days and weeks go by, we will hear fewer stories about someone getting slashed for walking down a street.  To have to fear for one's safety, or that of a loved one, is insane.  I hope this nonsense stops sooner rather than later.