Commentary

Why Rush Limbaugh is mad at the Oscars

Why Rush Limbaugh is mad at the Oscars

Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh is generally pretty angry, and he’s directing his impotent rage at the Oscars this week.

Limbaugh was particularly miffed that Moonlight won Best Picture. That a film whose main character is African American and gay could have won on its merits is inconceivable to Limbaugh. No, it had to be affirmative action.

Now, remember, Hollywood took it on the chin last year. Remember everybody was jumping in their chili, claiming that it was all white, all night, all the nominees, and that the only roles for African Americans are drug-addled criminals and gang leaders and so forth or servants, and they’re fed up with it, and then they’re fed up with no nominations for anything. So Hollywood had to make it good last night so they went the twofer. They had a movie about a gay black guy. So what they did there, taking no chances whatsoever after the grief they got last year, they went for the twofer. Two protected groups in one movie.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an organization with over 6000 members, apparently thinks with one hive mind, and that hive mind is focused solely on eliminating all controversy. The only thing this theory doesn’t explain is why Hollywood is the subject of so much criticism.

Fortunately, Limbaugh had an explanation for why Hollywood would avoid this particular controversy. You see, they were worried about violence from *ahem* certain people:

I wonder if they were afraid that Hollywood might be — I’m not, no, nevermind. I’m not going to talk about potential violence if one of the two didn’t happen, but you — folks, this is great.

Did you see what he did there, mentioning something by saying that he isn’t going to mention it? That’s a pretty sophisticated rhetorical move, sure to impress the whole 7th grade!

Limbaugh seems to address the inherent flaw in his logic – if Hollywood has been on the receiving end of so much criticism for not being concerned with diversity enough, could it be that they actually aren’t very concerned with diversity? If so, perhaps Moonlight wasn’t picked because it was a “twofer”? – but he really doesn’t.

There weren’t riots about #OscarsSoWhite last year, and no one seriously thought there would be any this year. Moreover, the idea that over 6000 people, many of whom would have no problem finding a camera to talk in front of, discussed coordinating their votes in advance to prevent riots but somehow kept it all a secret is a far-fetched conspiracy theory.

Limbaugh also took on the Best Picture mix-up.

Hollywood could not have scripted a more ironic ending. After lecturing us all night on who should be president, after telling us all night how to run the country, after lecturing their number-one fan base, middle America, which is where the vast majority of people are. After impugning them, making fun of them, and laughing at them by making fun of the things they believe, these geniuses couldn’t even get their big moment done right, and that’s the award for the best movie of the year.

You see, those who spoke about politics at the Oscars weren’t just people speaking from their hearts about something important to them. No! They’re arrogant eggheads who think they’re better than everyone, and haw haw haw Warren Beatty couldn’t even read the right card! It proves that we have to build the wall and that Hillary Clinton orchestrated Ben Ghazi!

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