Barbara Walters ends her Oscar Specials

[Lzcutter]

Saying she "is sick of them and feels like I have been there and done that", Barbara Walters announced this morning that her annual Oscar Special (which immediately follows the Golden Guy's telecast) will be coming to an end this year.

She's been doing them for 29 years and has some fond memories including a private lap dance by Hugh Jackman (oh, baby!), talking with Bette Davis and learning to tango from Al Pacino (I bet Robert Duvall is the better tango aficionado), but she feels enough is enough.

Joining her this year will be Oscar nominees Sandra Bullock and Mo'Nique. The final show will include a retrospective look back at the previous 28 years of shows.

The Special follows the Oscar telecast here on the West Coast on Sunday, March 7th.

On the East Coast, it will air at 7 pm EST.

Where ever she is, Katherine Hepburn is undoubtedly smiling.

[moira finnie]

Where ever she is, Katherine Hepburn is undoubtedly smiling.

And you can bet Kate isn't broaching the question of "What kind of tree would you be?" with Spence.

[klondike]

For some reason, Moira, that flashed me back to the anecdote about the correspondent who spied a barely camouflaged Spence seated, reading, in a hotel lobby, awaiting a rendezvous with the incomparable Kate.
When asked what he was doing there, ST replied laconically: "Why, I'm waiting for Mrs. Smith; and believe me, there's few things any finer than just waiting for Mrs. Smith."

[mrsl]

.
It's events like this that bring out the 'snide' in me. Could it be that although she is getting on in age, and that makes it highly understandable, it is also getting harder and harder to find 'new' people to interview, that she imagines will be around in five years? It used to be the winners of the previous year that she interviewed, but a better show might be 'Where are they Now?' Before you get all upset, I know they're still around, but at one time, Oscar winners tried to keep the 'bar' up. The seem to have lost that urge. Since Training Day, what has Denzel done? Several movies but nothing like John Q, and the same goes for Halley, where is she? That person who won for Best Actor did a little movie, but I can't recall anything about it, OMG at least Merle Streep is always around, and I'm glad Maggie Gyllenhall (?) is nominated for something this year. I secretly hope Sandra Bullock wins but she'll probably lose to Merle. If that Monique wins, I'll probably stop watching movies from this century altogether. I'm sick of these one movie wonders getting the oscar over people who have been in the business for years. What's hard about playing a screaming mother who gets mad at her kids for not cooperating? There is something to be said about paying your dues.

I like Goldie Hawns daughter, something Hutson, who won an Oscar a while ago, but nothing since. At least Charlese Theron won for North Country and came back right away with Monster, or vice versa. That's what I mean though, a little thought should go into choosing their next script to try to do something of the calibre of an Oscar winner. I know all movies can't be 'Best' nominated, but if you received an 'A+' on your first report, those following should at least be no lower than 'B+'.
.

[rudyfan]

As much as I adore Meryl Streep, I will be shocked if she wins this year. I did love the film though, at least the parts with Julia!

[MichiganJ]

If that Monique wins, I'll probably stop watching movies from this century altogether. I'm sick of these one movie wonders getting the oscar over people who have been in the business for years. What's hard about playing a screaming mother who gets mad at her kids for not cooperating? There is something to be said about paying your dues.

There's nothing better than having such a vehement opinion about a performer you've never heard of before in a performance you've not seen. (FYI Mo'Nique has been acting at least since 1999 and her performance in Beerfest alone should be enough to consider her dues paid in full. She's pretty brilliant in Precious, too.)

[jdb1]

I don't understand what you all mean about Hepburn vis-a-vis Walters and her silly tree question. Was Hepburn asked this? I cannot abide Walters, and I've never watched any of her self-serving Oscar "interviews."

I do know, however, that Hepburn was at one time married, and her husband was indeed named Smith. The story going 'round was that she made him change the order of his names so that she wouldn't have to be "Kate Smith." She later said that wasn't true, and that his name was always the turned-around way. However, when one of the big auction houses sold many of Hepburn's effects a few years ago, I saw in the catalogue Hepburn's drivers license from the 1930s, and there it was -- "Smith, Katharine H." It's not likely anyone would have confused Hepburn with the portly diva Kate Smith.

I don't get that tree thing -- who thinks about being a tree? Don't people usually think about being some kind of cool animal? It's wombat for me.

[Lzcutter]

judith,

Babs did, indeed, ask Ms. Hepburn what kind of tree she would be. As I recall, Ms. Hepburn gave an amused look and then answered the question.

Babs has taken a great deal of crap over the years for asking that one!

[mrsl]

Michigan J:

My opinion was not of her as an actress, but as someone who appears and then disappears as so many actors and singers of today do. If Monique has been around for a while then fine, she's paid her dues, I'm sorry that I simply am not a fan of today's brand of rock music, so not being aware of who she is is unfortunate. However, I am not completely unaware of all entertainers of the younger set. The good ones catch your eye no matter how old you are. I have been a fan of both J-Lo and Queen Latifah since the first time I saw either of them (ages ago). I was also anxious to learn that LL Cool J was going to be a regular on a TV show, because I don't care for him as a singer, but have seen him in a few movies and like him. This Monique is completely under my radar. I never heard Selena sing, but I knew who she was long before her death. Many performers try to make themselves appeal to all ages, at least at first. For someone like me who watches so much TV, especially talk shows, I would imagine I would have heard about this Monique long before she was nominated for any kind of movie award. I can only assume you and I are a couple of generations apart because I seem to ruffle your feathers when I talk about younger performers. In most cases, it's better than everyone always agreeing though, that makes things rather boring.
.

[ChiO]

I can only assume you and I are a couple of generations apart because I seem to ruffle your feathers when I talk about younger performers.

We're about 4-5 years apart, and my parents celebrate 60 years of marriage on Friday, so you shouldn't make that assumption to blame it on generational differences.

[klondike]

I am surprised that you haven't hear about Mo'Nique before this, Anne, as so much of her early work was done on TV series; she has also created & aired several comedy specials, which I found side-splittingly funny; for my money, her appearances on stage, screen & television have earned her twice the show-biz creds of poseurs like Kate Hudson or LL Cool J.
By the way, her first name isn't this, and it isn't that, either.

[MichiganJ]

If Monique has been around for a while then fine, she's paid her dues, I'm sorry that I simply am not a fan of today's brand of rock music, so not being aware of who she is is unfortunate.

While I understand that Mo'Nique is not someone on your radar, she nevertheless has been an actor and comedienne as well as talk show host for many years. (I'm unaware of any music career.)

If that Monique wins, I'll probably stop watching movies from this century altogether.... What's hard about playing a screaming mother who gets mad at her kids for not cooperating?

My opinion was not of her as an actress, but as someone who appears and then disappears as so many actors and singers of today do.

I apologize for my mis-reading this. It seemed that you were disparaging or at least dismissing her acting ability because either the role was too easy or that she was new to movies. Neither of which is true.

I wonder if somehow you mistaking Mo'Nique for the actual newcomer to films, Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title role in Precious and has been nominated for Best Actress. While her performance is honest, brave, sometimes even funny, because this is her debut film, does this mean she should be ineligible for Academy recognition? If so, Julie Andrews, among many others, need to return their statues.

The only reason my feathers were ruffled is reading a bold opinion and dismissal about a performance not even seen. It's a silly pet-peeve of mine.
If it matters at all, I'll be 47 this July (but my hairline is in its 60s).

[mrsl]

.
Believe me, if I could get out of this apartment more often, I would spend less time ticking you people off. Right now my grand daughter has my car for job hunting, so I'm stuck here, so . . .

Chio: Michigan J is the same age as my oldest son, so that makes us a generation apart. I kind of thought he was around that age, because I have the same discussions with my two sons.

Klondike: I use this and that because it's easier to type them than Monique with that apostrophe and capital N.

Michigan J: I'm sorry, I thought someone said she was a singer. I've seen 2 clips of her and that's what happens in both of them - - her yelling at her daughter. Honestly, I did not confuse her name with that of Gaborney Sidbie. Finally, in my final defense, I have never heard of Mo'Nique until she was nominated for the Oscar. I watch all the HBO comedy specials, and a lot of the ones on the comedy channel. I did, however, give up on half hour sit-coms a long time ago, so I would never have seen her in one of them. But again, I don't especially care for stand-up comediennes because of the language they usually use, unless they are political satirists.
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[knitwit45]

Believe me, if I could get out of this apartment more often, I would spend less time ticking you people off. Right now my grand daughter has my car for job hunting, so I'm stuck here, so . . .

you gave me the chuckle of the day....

[srowley75]

Oh, the story about Hepburn was hilarious. I wonder if that interview is on YouTube.

Though Mo'Nique has been around for a while, and I'm hoping she wins BSA, I concur that from all I've read and heard it would seem that she was one of those performers whom no one ever expected to come within a hundred miles of an Oscar. Several of her films had been/are in the IMDB bottom 100, and I don't think her schtick on TV rated very highly with critics either. Whether or not she wins, I think it'll be interesting to see where she winds up next (hopefully this won't be the end of the road for her). But to me it's similar to when Jamie Foxx was nominated (and won) a few years ago. Out of nowhere, he transitioned from a lame sitcom and movies like Booty Call into roles in prestige projects. Come 2004 and he's one of the hottest actors in the business with two highly acclaimed performances (Ray and Collateral) and, now, an Oscar to his credit.

I was a little annoyed that Meryl Streep was nominated this year - it's getting to the point that the woman could be nominated for starring in a Uwe Boll film. I didn't think she deserved it (though her film did make me want to seek out more about the life of Julia Child) and I don't think she'll win, but then I'm wondering if we may see something of an upset. I could see Carey Mulligan winning just as easily as Sandra Bullock - Mulligan has claimed several other prizes this year. I know the year Marion Cotillard won, many people I knew were guessing that the winner would be Julie Christie.