Oscar Clippings: Music

While admittedly difficult to imagine the thought process behind the Academy awarding a rap song about pimping, it is somewhat amusing to think of aging white folk casting ballots to convince the rest of the world they're so terribly hip. Not to mention Jordan's comment immediately afterwards, "I've never seen camerapeople scramble that fast to find all the black people in the audience."

That aside, the biggest requests I've received when it comes to Oscar music are Dolly Parton's incomparable performance of Travelin' Thru for Transamerica and the medley of Best Score nominees, performed by Itzhak Perlman. Naturally, a segment of "The Wings" from Brokeback Mountain is included.

Dolly's Performance

[Watch video – 3:49, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 3:49, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Best Score Medley

[Watch video – 4:00, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 4:00, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Note: If you're wondering about the pixelated block that appears briefly at the top of the medley video, I'd inadvertantly left my Caller ID turned on while recording last night. Someone called me, and I had to have Mal scrub out the number from the video. Sorry about that.

Comments

[republic]

I felt that Dolly should have won, that was the first I had heard her sing that song, and I loved it. Itunes is giving a free copy away (h/t Gay Patriot) You can get it here

[Dave]

How about the cowboy montage...I thought it was fantastic. did you save it?

[Robbie]

Do you mean the clips of the old westerns and how gay they were?

It's in the Oscar Brokeback post below.

[Queer Conservative]

I just don't "Travelin' Thru" is Dolly's best work.

[John]

Mal,

Maybe its just the Southerner in me, but if the Good Lord gives Dolly Parton an Oscar nomination, the best thing you can do is follow His will and give her the award.

I mean, how can you not give an award to a woman who starts her Oscar live performance "From Dollywood to Hollwood! How y'all like that? Ya-hee!"

And although I picked Huffman for Best Actress, I do appreciate that Reese Witherspoon has educated America about the musical significance June Carter Cash. Now, when I critique someone acting too big for her britches by asking "Just who does she think she is, she's June Carter Cash?" - people actually know who I'm talking about.

///John///

[Robert]

Dolly Parton - now THAT is an entertainer, not to mention she just exudes class.

[Rob]

Dolly's Travelin Thru has been available on iTunes as a free download. Not sure if it's still free now, but it was last weekend.

[DSH]

Yes, the BBM montage rolling to the score nominated (and won) was very moving: When Ennis put his arms around Jack, I totally lost it.

I'm still baffled that a rap song about pimping that contains the usual repugnant lyrics common to rappers was nominated, much less won. Happily, numerous blacks blasted the choice as "approving" humanity's worst instincts. I detest rap music, but it's the vile lyrics that disgust me. That rappers do not receive universal opprobrium for their criminal and dehumanizing lyrics is just one more "exceptionalism" we could all do without.