The Oscars & Hollywood's Role In American Culture

[DudeAsInCool]

Hollywood's often accused of rank commercialism that aims for the lowest common denominator. This year, well-made fantasies like The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and King Kong earned the big money, but the nominees for Best Picture have been weak at the box office and strong on social and political themes: Brokeback Mountain and Capote, both with gay characters; Goodnight and Good Luck, about watchdog journalism in an age of paranoia; Munich, about Israeli agents and the psychology of revenge; and Crash, about continuing racism in Los Angeles. Do Americans want films that challenge their unspoken feelings on race, sex and politics? Why isn't there an Academy Award for comedy? We hear from social activists, film critics and other journalists.

http://kcrw.com/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_co...tmplt_type=show