Stinko Man of the Year - Bruce Broughton

As someone who likes movies, I always make an attempt to watch the Academy Awards.  I think last evening's telecast was better then most.  Not only will it be remembered for the winners but also for the 'selfie' sent round the world... and the pizza delivery guy.  Who ever would have thought you'd see Brad Pitt handing out paper plates, or Kevin Spacey handing out paper napkins.  This was the first ceremony in which the actors, even those who didn't win, seemed to be having a good time, as though it really was a celebration of film and not death match competition.  I felt a little sorry for those who felt "Gravity" should have won Best Film but they should understand it is a work of science Fiction, a genre which never wins.  The one thing I did find curious was Best Song category, I'd thought they'd nominated five not four.  Surprisingly, there had been 5 Best Songs nominated but one nomination was revoked.  Curiosity demanded I do a little research.

The song which had its nomination pinched was by a composer name Bruce Broughton, lyrics by some guy named Spiegel.  It seems that for 9 years, from 2003 to 2012, Mr. Broughton was a Governor of the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - the group which votes on the songs which get nominated, and he is still on the Executive Committee of that group.  There are 239 members of this branch, that number is important.  Since there were 5 songs nominated, a song needed to get at least 48 votes in order to get a nomination.  The songs are sent on a compilation DVD to the voting members with no information as to writer, composer, or lyricist in order for them to be reviewed solely on the merits of the song.  Broughton sent emails identifying his song and asking voters take it into consideration.  How many emails did he send?  About seventy, he claims, and he only needed 48 votes to garner a nomination.  Perhaps this is how a song which no one had heard of, from a movie which only made $134,000 on it's release, managed to get a nomination.

Stinko Man of the Year!

Because this guy wanted to win an Academy Award for Best Song he pretty much shit away his moral ethics.  According to him he wasn't using his influence as a former Governor and still current Executive Committee Member to insure his song would get enough votes.  That's horse shit.  He knew exactly what he was doing.  True, as he points out, there is no specific rule that forbids actions such as his, but that's the kind of argument you hear from someone who is morally corrupt.  For him, the only thing that counted was getting the award.  Since he is on the branch which compiles the songs the voters get to preview, one can only wonder if his dirty little fingers were stinking around in there as well.  And, if the Academy hadn't revoked his nomination, one can only what kind of influence he might have smacked around during the actual voting for the award.  In case you haven't realized it, I think Bruce Broughton is pretty much of a scumbag.  If he gets any award it should be for Stinko Man of the Year.