Academy snubs

The first snub I noticed was Ben Affleck's for "Argo" direction, not because I have any desire to see the movie, but because it's Ben Affleck.  After a few days of retrospection, it is really Kathryn Bigelow's snub that bugs me the most. And it's not the snub itself (for my money, Joss Whedon should have gotten a nomination for directing the best reviewed superhero movie of all time--"The Avengers"), but the reasoning.

Torture happens folks.  And to say it doesn't is an absolute lie.  Granted, the government is known for that so it really isn't a surprise, and such practices should be kept quiet for the sake of safety.  I do not want to know what the military does, because if I know, our enemies know.

But the criticism unleashed on this film, which is not a documentary, is unfair and unfounded.   "Scandal," which had disturbing torture scenes on a show that is essentially a political soap opera, did not receive similar criticism because folks recognized the show for what it is--fiction. 

Maybe it's easier for a TV show that is such a complete fairy tale. And an extremely entertaining one at that.  I'm hooked even with Guillermo Diaz, an out gay actor looking very cute and shirtless, but none the less being TORTURED.  "Zero Dark Thirty" is held to a higher standard obviously, and the torture scenes have been discussed and criticized to a ludicrous point.

So Bigelow is a low-blow snub.  She probably won't have sleepless nights over it, as the controversy is fueling the box office.  Publicity, even bad publicity, is always good.