And the Oscar goes to.....

[Kaeos]

"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow"


It's rare, but once in a great while the Academy Awards takes a cultural step forward. This was such a moment, I think.

I'm sure Three 6 Mafia was surprised enough when they got nominated. Imagine how much more suprised they were when they were asked to perform. Honor of a lifetime yet. Then to find out you won the thing?!?!?!

Nice to see something different from the Oscars every once in a while.:)

[sickness]

I don't know if being asked to perform is such an honor. Doesn't it go hand-in-hand with being nominated? As in you get nominated, you're expected to perform on the show?

Actually, I saw them play and then accept the award and I gotta say it was the funniest thing I ever saw. There's a comedian -- I forget who -- that was riffing on rappers degrading women and encouraging drug use and more violent crimes in their songs. He said it was really odd to see them accept awards usually with a statement like "I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me the talent to write this song" because it's usually followed with something like "and look for my new single to drop next month. It's called 'Suck Yo Momma!'"

And there was Three 6 rapping "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" and then thanking God, Jesus and whatever diety they could think of. It was the best joke of the night to me. I laughed my absolute hardest at that moment.

[Bill_the_Pony]

I have no respect for, and utterly reject thug culture.

[southpaw]

Hey, it really is hard out here for a pimp.

[jayce78]

''Pimpin ain't easy'' . . . .

But it's nice when we get Academy awards.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6096/h4bx.png (http://imageshack.us)

[Queen Mae]

"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow"


It's rare, but once in a great while the Academy Awards takes a cultural step forward. This was such a moment, I think.




You mean a cultural step backward? Would people be lauding the Academy if the song was titled "It's hard out here for a woman-beating-sexual-trafficker?"

[Adam54]

I need to hear this song before I can properly judge the win, but I honestly thought that Bird York was a lock for this one. "In the Deep" was so gorgeously powerful, especially how it was used in the film.

[Minion]

You mean a cultural step backward? Would people be lauding the Academy if the song was titled "It's hard out here for a woman-beating-sexual-trafficker?"

Have to agree with Mae. Since when did a song about pimping suddenly become some cultural step forward?

Culture? Sorry...I'm looking at the lyrics for the song (http://messageboard.cinescape.com/cinescape/forums/showpost.php?p=8362&postcount=50) and I fail to see much positive culture there.

Minion: Classy song. :rolleyes:

[Kaeos]

Have to agree with Mae. Since when did a song about pimping suddenly become some cultural step forward?

Culture? Sorry...I'm looking at the lyrics for the song (http://messageboard.cinescape.com/cinescape/forums/showpost.php?p=8362&postcount=50) and I fail to see much positive culture there.

Minion: Classy song. :rolleyes:

You mean a cultural step backward? Would people be lauding the Academy if the song was titled "It's hard out here for a woman-beating-sexual-trafficker?"

Sheesh. Now I know how American feels....:rolleyes:

Look I wasn't trying to paint this as the feel-good song of the season. Trust me I'm the last person to defend ghetto thug music. I'm a nerdy white mortgage banker from the northeast for crying out loud.

What I was trying to say is that the Academy Awards don't often find a point where they jibe with what pop culture. The Oscars (to me anyway) always seemed to exist in their own little fantasy world and give awards to artsy fartsy crap that really didn't reflect what the real world or popular culture were doing at that time.

Again, I'm not trying to defend this song or this style of music, but do you deny that this music is not reflective of a large part of modern, American life? Good or bad? That's kind of irrelevant.

The point is that in the broader scheme of things, the Oscars seems to have finally taken a "step"to reflect a actual part of American pop "culture" and in that broader scheme, NOT focusing on right and wrong this could perhaps be looked at as a step "forward"

Is that better? I a larger sense, (not right or wrong) I think this award can be looked at in the same vein as awarding Tom Hanks for his role in Philladelphia. LOTS of conservtive Americans and religious groups balked at the validity of rewarding that role the same way you gusy just balked at this award. No?

[Bill_the_Pony]

I would hardly call myself conservative.

I just know bad taste when I see and hear it, and YES, it is an all-too-common (ie "lowest-common-denominator") aspect of American Pop "culture" (using that word is a stretch). Heavy emphasis on the word "common." Any idiot can embrace this idiotic tripe. Though I do not use the Oscars as a mesauring stick for quality, I am amused at whatever reasons they would pick this.

I may not be conservative, but I am extremely intolerant..... specifically, all forms of cretinism (if it isn't a word, it is now), and that is something that inflicts MOST people everywhere.

[Intelligent_Design]

God I love Hip Hop and this Angrys up my Blood. There are sooo many talented people out there in the hip hop world that have sounds on soundtracks that should have won .Hello Academy!!! Mosdef??? You heard of him you twits? He actually talks about things outside of thugging. I've been sitting by for 7 years waiting for this Pimp Shit to die off ,now you Fucks at the academy may have breathed now life into that crap.....Thanks, you tards!!!![/rant] :romy:

[neglet]

You folks do know that the main criterion for "Best Original Song" at the Oscars is not which of the selections is the best piece of art, but which of the selections best reflects the movie in which it appeared?

Of course, the Academy doesn't always follow their own rules, especially with huge hits, which explains the win of "My Heart Will Go On," or why "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" won over "Circle of Life" in 1994.

[Son of Gilbert]

What song has Mos Def done that was in a movie in the past that could be up for an Oscar. And the "Pimp Shit " as it was put is what the public wants so as long as those "twits" keep makeing it, thats what we'll listen to.

[Intelligent_Design]

What song has Mos Def done that was in a movie in the past that could be up for an Oscar.


Destination Love or Caldonia by Mosdef in the movie Lackawanna Blues should have been nominated.

And the "Pimp Shit " as it was put is what the public wants so as long as those "twits" keep makeing it, thats what we'll listen to.
Just cause the public wants it doesn't make it it good.Hell the public wanted the Spice Girls at one time are they good?

I find it telling that the 36 Mafia has not won 1 grammy, for a genre that is so popular that is a tavesty right?

[Son of Gilbert]

Wasn't Lacawanna a made for TV movie? Not a Major Motion picture. And I agree that the "pimp shit" is not really that good, hell most of dem aren't really pimps, but their not going to stop making making it because thats all they know how do. So don't blame the " academy for breathing life" into the "pimp shit" it was far from life support as everyone thinks.

[Intelligent_Design]

Wasn't Lacawanna a made for TV movie? Not a Major Motion picture.

I never saw the movie but I bought the soundtrack because I'm I MosDef fan, so I'll take your word on it.


And I agree that the "pimp shit" is not really that good, hell most of dem aren't really pimps, but their not going to stop making making it because thats all they know how do. So don't blame the " academy for breathing life" into the "pimp shit" it was far from life support as everyone thinks. True. But I just had to vent my displeasure for the style as a whole . :(

[Son of Gilbert]

Word that Player pimp

[Natalie]

Well, like or dislike the hip hop culture or the pimp trend, I loved seeing people get up there and be truly excited about winning. i think just about every other acceptance was boring, trite, and pretty much scripted. So, whether I like that there is dialogue about how hard it is out there for pimps or even if it burns me that objectification of women is music was awarded, I loved how jacked up they all were that they won.

That's always been my favorite part of the Oscars. Watching people win and go nuts like normal people, not Hollywood robots who are reciting another script when they thank their managers and lawyers and forget to thank Mama and their kids.

[ladymurasaki]

Well, like or dislike the hip hop culture or the pimp trend, I loved seeing people get up there and be truly excited about winning. i think just about every other acceptance was boring, trite, and pretty much scripted. So, whether I like that there is dialogue about how hard it is out there for pimps or even if it burns me that objectification of women is music was awarded, I loved how jacked up they all were that they won.

That's always been my favorite part of the Oscars. Watching people win and go nuts like normal people, not Hollywood robots who are reciting another script when they thank their managers and lawyers and forget to thank Mama and their kids.

I have to agree with you. That was one of the only truly exciting moments -- you could see how pleased they were to be up there and how unaffected and just play EXCITED they were. It made me feel excited for them.

[Intelligent_Design]

I you could see how pleased they were to be up there and how unaffected and just play EXCITED they were. It made me feel excited for them.

I don't don't think that was excitement.I think that was surprise we all witnessed