This week on Aftermath Hours, Gita and Chris talk Oscar nominations. That’s right, it’s Christmas for Tinseltown, the Academy Awards! Another dogshit year where the worst movie you’ve ever seen is likely to sweep the show, leaving you with your head in your hands as you overlook your cheese plate.
I stopped watching the Oscars a couple years ago. I used to make a huge deal out of it, inviting people over and making a spread of hors d'oeuvres. After many years of disappointments, I learned to stop giving a fuck. Now each year on Oscar night, I watch the On Cinema, At The Cinema Oscar special instead of the award ceremony. This live comedy special takes place on the same night as the Oscars every year and is the culmination of each season of On Cinema, At The Cinema, a comedy web show produced by and starring Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington. I’ve sung the praises of this bizarre program many, many times, but the main appeal is that Heidecker and Turkington express the same level of disdain for the Hollywood establishment that I also have. Their Oscar special has the same level of respect for cinema that Academy voters have, which is to say not much at all. At least Heidecker and Turkington are funny.
On this week’s pod, Chris and I spent a lot of time talking about this year’s Oscar frontrunner, Emilia Perez. Despite looking like absolute dookie, this film has been nominated for 13 awards including Best Picture. You may know the film from a bizarre excerpt that keeps going viral where Zoe Saldana sings badly about sex change operations. Yes, that’s right—this movie is about trans people, starring a trans actress, but in a way that feels incredibly transphobic.
Chris and I just about lost our minds talking about this stupid fucking movie and the inevitability of it winning Best Picture. If you don’t work in media and are similarly dreading this future, just watch the On Cinema, At the Cinema Oscar Special instead. You will simply have a better time.
You can find this week's episode below and on Spotify, Apple, or wherever else you prefer to listen to podcasts. If you like what you hear, make sure to leave a review so that we can go Spring Breakers at the Academy Awards.
