Home
In this issue
June 17, 2013

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical

Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc?

Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched
Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence

Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now?

Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers?

The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test

June 14, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler

John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found

Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases
Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis

Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it

Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!')

June 12, 2013

Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect

Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements?
Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying

Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels'

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top

June 10, 2013

Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case
Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there
Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes?

Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life

The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub

June 7, 2013

Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy

Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous

Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah
Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season

Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust

June 5, 2013

John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less

Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value
Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes

Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn

The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream

June 3, 2013

Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself

Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government

Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified
Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise

Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More

The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting

May 29, 2013

Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die

Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie

David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers?
Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these

Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game

Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video

The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering

May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting


Jewish World Review July 2, 2009 / 11 Tamuz 5769

It's About Time!

By Greg Crosby


Printer Friendly Version
Email this article

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | At last some really good news to report. And boy do we need it now! Finally the board of governors of the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made a major change in the Academy Awards, a change that we all have been clamoring for - that's right, the Academy Awards are doubling the number of best-picture nominees from 5 to 10. The change takes effect with next year's Oscars on March 7.


Academy President Sid Ganis said at a news conference that the academy's board of governors made the decision to expand the slate. Ganis said the decision will open the field up to more worthy films for the top prize at Hollywood's biggest party. That is so wonderful. These last few years must have been hell for the Academy voters to have to narrow down all the great, worthy films for Oscar consideration to only five.


When the first awards were given out in 1927-28 the nominees were only three, "The Racket," "7th Heaven," and the winner that year, "Wings." In 1928-29 five pictures were nominated. Five nominees also for 1929-30 and 1930-31. Then for the 1931-32 awards ceremony the list grew to 8 nominees. It went to 10 in 1932-33 but swelled to 12 in 1934 and 1935. The number of nominees settled back to 10 in 1936 and stayed at that that number until 1940 at which time the number was only 9. In 1941 it went back to 10 and continued at that number for the following two years. In 1944 the number of nominees went down to 5 and there it stayed for the next 64 years, until last week.


Interesting that over the last six and a half decades the Academy was able to narrow down the pictures to the best five from all that were offered in any given year. But now the voting members need to double the nominees to ten. Well, it must be because of the large amount of outstanding motion pictures now being produced. Ya think?


The Academy certainly doesn't want any of the marvelous, inspiring, artistic films to be left out. They can't allow all those fabulous achievements in motion picture excellence to go unrewarded. Let's review some of those great motion pictures that were NOT nominated in the last couple of years because the Academy was "confined" to only five contenders. Here is the deserving bunch:


2008: The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Hancock
WALL-E
Kung Fu Panda


2007: Spiderman 3
Shrek the Third
Transformers
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I Am Legend


Can you believe that these tremendous motion pictures were totally dissed? NOT EVEN NOMINATED!! Well, all that will change thank Heavens, now that we have doubled the nominee count. Finally all the really great films of this generation can at last be recognized for what they are - Academy Award nominees!


But why stop at Best Picture? I mean how can you nominate 10 movies for Best Motion Picture and not nominate 10 directors also? And why not increase the Best Acting awards to ten nominations in each category as well? We have much better working actors today than they did in the so-called "Golden Age." If you don't believe me, go ask anyone under the age of 30. But if you plan on asking the youn-uns for comparisons to the old stars, be forewarned, they might not know who the hell Spencer Tracy, Fredrick March, Charles Laughton, Bette Davis, Olivia deHavilland or Susan Hayward are.


And why stop at only 10 nominations? Let's consider GIVING EVERYONE AN AWARD. You know, like they do in children's school sports. You made a movie? Yes, you get an award!


And another thing, I believe it's about time we expand the Oscar show, which is what increasing the nominations will most definitely do. I was getting worried, frankly, that the show was zooming by just too damn fast. Things zip by so quickly that it doesn't give one a chance to really savor all the artistic achievement that goes into each one of the fabulous films that are nominated. I think maybe we need a week-long Oscar show, sort of like the Olympics. That way we might truly get into the full depth of the art of the motion picture. Each night we would breathlessly tune in to see another category lovingly reviewed and explained and lavished awards upon. Sort of the way the acting nominations were done last year, remember? The old stars standing over the nominees and telling them how wonderful they were.


More awards. That's what we need now. More awards.


Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.

Greg Crosby Archives

© 2008, Greg Crosby

Insight (Our Columnists)

 Arnold Ahlert
 Mitch Albom
 Jay Ambrose
 Michael Barone
 Barrywood
 Lori Borgman
 Stratfor Briefing
 Mona Charen
 Linda Chavez
 Richard Z. Chesnoff
 Ann Coulter
 Greg Crosby
 Larry Elder
 Suzanne Fields
 Christine Flowers
 Peter Funt
 Frank J. Gaffney
 Bernie Goldberg
 Jonah Goldberg
 Julia Gorin
 Jonathan Gurwitz
 Paul Greenberg
 Argus Hamilton
 Victor Davis Hanson
 Betsy Hart
 Ron Hart
 Nat Hentoff
 A. Barton Hinkle
 Jeff Jacoby
 Paul Johnson
 John Kass
 Jack Kelly
 Ch. Krauthammer
 David Limbaugh
 Kathryn Lopez
 Rich Lowry
 Michelle Malkin
 Jackie Mason
 Ann McFeatters
 Dale McFeatters
 Dana Milbank
 Jeanne Moos
 Dick Morris
 Jim Mullen
 Deroy Murdock
 Judge A. Napolitano
 Bill O'Reilly
 Clarence Page
 Kathleen Parker
 Star Parker
 Dennis Prager
 Wesley Pruden
 Tom Purcell
 Sharon Randall
 Michael Reagan
 Robert Robb
 Cokie & Steve Roberts
 Heather Robinson
 Debra J. Saunders
 Martin Schram
 Greg Schwem
 Culture Shlock
 David Shribman
 Roger Simon
 Lenore Skenazy
 Michael Smerconish
 Thomas Sowell
 Mark Steyn
 John Stossel
 Cal Thomas
 Dan Thomasson
 Bob Tyrrell
 Diana West
 Dave Weinbaum
 George Will
 Walter Williams
 Byron York
 Cathy Young
 Mort Zuckerman

'Toons
 Eric Allie
 Robert Arial
 Chuck Asay
 Baloo
 Nate Beeler
 Lisa Benson
 Chip Bok
 Dry Bones
 John Branch
 Daryl Cagle
 Patrick Chappatte
 John Cole
 Paul Combs
 J. D. Crowe
 John Darkow
 Bill Day
 John Deering
 Sean Delonas
 Brian Duffy
 Everything's Relative
 Randall Enos
 Mallard Fillmore
 David Fitzsimmons
 Glenn Foden
 Jake Fuller
 Bob Gorrel
 Walt Handelsman
 Joe Heller
 David Hitch
 Jerry Holbert
 David Horsey
 Lee Judge
 Steve Kelley
 Mike Keefe
 Jeff Koterba
 Dick Locher
 Chan Lowe
 Jimmy Margulies
 Gary McCoy
 Rick McKee
 Jack Ohman
 Jeff Parker
 Milt Priggee
 Michael Ramirez
 Rob Rogers
 Steve Sack
 Bill Schorr
 Drew Sheneman
 Kevin Siers
 David Ray Skinner
 Jeff Stahler
 Scott Stantis
 Danna Summers
 Gary Varvel
 Kirk Walters
 Christopher Weyant
 
Larry Wright
 Dan Wasserman
 Adam Zyglis

Lifestyles
 Tech Q&A
 Mr. Know-It-All
 Ask Doctor K
 Richard Lederer
 Frugal Living
 On Nutrition
 Bookmark These
 Bruce Williams