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March 02, 2005
At What Point Are You Famous Enough to Perform Your Own Song?
Gil Cates, the producer who forced people to accept Oscars in the aisles because they weren't important enough to be on stage, decided that Jorge Drexler wasn't famous enough to perform the song he wrote and performed in "The Motorcycle Diaries" at the Academy Awards Show. Turns out, Drexler won the Oscar for "Al Otro Lado del Rio," and in protest sang the chorus as his acceptance speech.
Adding insult to injury, a greasy-haired Antonio Banderas sang the song off-key and attempted to add flamenco dancing (a Spanish musical style) to the Uruguayan song. Leticia Talmon, a Uruguayan interviewed by the Wall Street Journal said: "I laughed when I saw Antonio Banderas's flamenco version. That has nothing to do with the culture here."
Yesterday, Uruguay's largest-circulation newspaper, El Pais, included a six-page section devoted to Mr. Drexler. Also in Uruguayan news yesterday, they inaugurated their first socialist president ever.
further reading:
"Uruguay Is Asking Why the Oscars Snubbed Jorge Drexler: Antonio Banderas Got to Sing His Award-Winning Song: National Pride Is at Stake," by Katy McLaughlin with contributions from Vanessa Nichols in today's WSJ
"Viva Banderas! An Oscar-winning song served with extra cheese." by Dana Stevens in Slate
"A singing Protest; a tattoo promotion" Contributing: Hugo Espinoza, Maureen Ryan, Robert K. Elder, Tim Bannon. Sources: Tribune wire services, BBCMundo.com in today's Chicago Trib (includes why Jake Gyllenhaal looked beefy and bald)
Posted by cj at March 2, 2005 10:06 AM