14 DAY TRIAL // The Oscars 2013 are now over, but reviews on the telecast (or the Oscarcast, as it’s commonly known) are still pouring in. The New York Times, for instance, notes in a very lengthy piece that many people – too many, if you count – found it offensive in a myriad of ways.
And all of them hold Seth MacFarlane, who hosted the show, responsible for it.
I’ve already covered the joke about Rihanna and Chris Brown, and the one Ted made about how “Jews control Hollywood,” but the NY Times notes that most of MacFarlane’s material was deemed too offensive for a show of that caliber.
Women and gays were the butt of many jokes, as also were blacks and Jews, for which reasons even Academy members are saying that MacFarlane crossed the line.
Of course, they do that without going on the record with a name which, in itself, should probably mean something.
MacFarlane has so far refused to answer calls for comments on the allegedly offensive material he wrote, but an Academy spokesperson says it best for him.
“If the Oscars are about anything, they’re about creative freedom. We think the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and host Seth MacFarlane, did a great job, and we hope our worldwide audience found the show entertaining,” reads the statement.
What do you think: was the comedian out of line, or did he simply deliver what the Academy paid for?