Feedback: All the ways readers were unhappy with Oscars 2022

March 30, 2022 11:52 AM PT

Regarding “Chaos in Hollywood” by Josh Rottenberg, March 28: I hope the film academy does invoke consequences for Will Smith’s assault.

If an usher in the audience or someone like me did such a thing at work, there would certainly be consequences. My suggestion is that the academy bans Smith at next year’s awards show, which would not allow him the honor (and tradition) of the previous year’s winner of the lead actor Oscar presenting it to the current year’s winner.

There has to be consequences for this type of behavior whether it is at an awards show or at work.

Steve Shaevel
Woodland Hills

When will we hear Chris Rock’s sincere apology to Jada Pinkett Smith for having told an appalling joke at the expense of a woman who is bald due to a disease

Jackie Dooley
San Clemente

Regarding “The Oscars Promised the Most Entertaining Show. But it was not. At all,” by Lorraine Ali, March 28: Ugh. I’ve enjoyed watching the annual Academy Awards for decades. Some shows were better than others, but none were just plain bad — until this year’s production.

From the lemon-colored excess of the opening musical number, to the lame writing for the trio of comic hostesses, to the embarrassing low points of the evening: Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock, followed by Smith’s shouted profanities and then his bizarre, blubbering and bloviating acceptance speech. It was not a good evening of television.

That said, a sincere “thank you” to Jessica Chastain for the finest moment of the night. I haven’t yet seen her performance as Tammy Faye, but she was gracious, thoughtful and eloquent.

Marcia Goodman
Long Beach

I think Will Smith single-handedly (no pun intended) gave the 2023 Oscars an early ratings boost.

Joe Kevany
Mount Washington

Missing inspiring Oscar moments

I’m completely on board with all the criticism leveled at the Academy for segregating those “below-the-line” category winners [“All Eyes on the Oscars? If Only ...,” by Josh Rottenberg and Anousha Sakoui, March 27] , but to me that’s no more egregious than the practice that’s been going on for years now of making the Governors Awards a separate — and invisible — event.

When Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Groucho Marx, Alex North, Robert Boyle and others received special career achievement awards, those were among the most entertaining and inspiring events in every Oscar show. Now, that’s been eliminated.

Who wouldn’t have wanted to see a clip montage of the career-best performances of Liv Ullmann and Samuel L. Jackson, or hear what altruistic Danny Glover had to say about real-world activism, or what witty Elaine May had to say about anything she had a mind to?

In the wake of this year’s broadcast, the Academy’s powers-that-be are probably going to rethink their controversial decision to downsize those technical awards — I wish they’d rethink the self-inflicted damage they’ve done by keeping the honorary career Oscars in the dark.

Preston Neal Jones
Hollywood

Oscars: It’s what’s for dinner

Justin Chang and his pun/fun-loving wife served up a slap-up menu in your Sunday edition [“Caviar Bardem and Jane Champignons: Your Oscar Viewing Party Menu,” March 27].

Delightful, sassy, flavored with wit and humor, the listing was riotous and worthy of an award.

Each one is a gem, truly inspired by film lovers Justin and his wife for film-crazy folks like me.

The special edition is a keeper.

Prem Kishore
Reseda

Racist themes in nominated film

Thank you to Jen Yamato for pointing out the racist issues in “Licorice Pizza” [“Awards Favorite Faces Racism Fallout,” March 24]. That was accurate and timely.

How many times have we seen movies portray people with British accent as sophisticated, French accent as elite, Italian accent as passionate? Unfortunately, people with East European accents are usually portrayed as evil while those with Asian accents are too often the butt of the joke.

Racist issues aside, there are so many other problems with this movie: A 25-year-old woman seemingly stringing along a 15-year-old boy in what appears to be a romantic adventure, are we supposed to enjoy that? And why does the director have to parade Alana Haim around in a bikini when everyone else is fully clothed in a furniture store?

Jack Lee
Camarillo