Following the Money and Xenophobia

Here is an interesting article on the latest Oscar odds and some other random tidbits. The most interesting points:

"UK bookmaker William Hill cut Crash's odds from 8/1 to 6/4 but still put Brokeback Mountain ahead at 1/2."

8/1 to 6/4 is a significant increase in odds. Although I'm still not (metaphorically) buying it. Not going to happen. No matter how many times Roger Ebert says so, or some odds maker says so, etc. It is just a bunch of unsubstatiated media hype in order to make the whole thing less boring. Which I guess is fine, but considering that I don't believe it for a second I just find it irritating.

Secondly.

"Meanwhile, a conservative US Christian group has said 61,000 people have signed a letter protesting against Brokeback Mountain's eight Academy Award nominations.

The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ said the acclaim "had little to do with honouring great moviemaking".

"Instead, it is just a high-profile attempt to mainstream the homosexual agenda," the centre said.

The letter, sent to the Academy, said the gay cowboy story was "offensive to the vast majority of Americans".

I'd say that considering Brokeback Mountain has made 75 million dollars (more than any other best picture nominee, mind you), and that the vast majority of Americans are infact, not bigots, that it is actually maybe a high-profile attempt to honor excellent film-making and the movie itself is offensive to bigots, xenophobes, and psychotic fundamentalist religious zealots everywhere.