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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

We're not in Kansas anymore

Editor's note: No, we're not paying esteemed film critic Martin Tsai to write about "Big Brother" in his column. He can write about whatever he so pleases, including yo' mama. We don't encourage libel, though.

Sunday night's annual Emmy Awards pops some burning questions about Hollywood: Are these Hollywood industry people so out of touch with reality? Or does much of Hollywood's make-believe really serve as some sort of liberal propaganda?\nThe night's two biggest winners, "The West Wing" and "Will & Grace," are the two most highly implausible shows on television. Certainly, they are also the most undeserving winners of the night. Though "The West Wing" is a well-written show, President Bartlet's constant liberal-leaning tendencies are really far-fetched.\nAmerica probably won't see a liberal president in the near future. Case in point: The liberal Bill Bradley lost to closet-Republican Al Gore during the Democratic Party primaries. Nothing about "The West Wing" actually strikes us that the series is really a science-fiction set in the future, but ultimately that is what "West Wing" is all about.\nSo what's the big deal with "Ellen" going off the air when "Will & Grace" is such a huge success? Many people in the gay community probably view the show as their triumph to earn acceptance in America ' or at least on prime time television. Unfortunately, the show is only funny when it toys with the gay stereotypes. "Will & Grace" is not interested in showing us anything other than the light and the funny. The idea of "homophobia," which all gays and lesbians have to deal with every day in this country, is curiously absent from the show.\nWhy are these Hollywood types dissing reality television programs during the Emmys? If their programs remotely resemble reality, maybe they would end up doing as well as "Survivor" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."\nThankfully, HBO's "The Corner" emerges as one of the night's big winners in the miniseries category, because this story about junkies in the inner city is truthful and tremendously moving.\nHBO's prison saga "Oz" is unquestionably one of the best series on television, but nobody in Hollywood can stomach such a downer. Even "The Sopranos" and "Everybody Loves Raymond," which always offer insightful explorations on family relationships, probably bare too much resemblance to the reality that Hollywood is so desperately trying to escape from.

Oscar season has officially begun\nIn the past eight months, the only film worthy of Oscar-buzz that has been released is "Erin Brockovich." Although many other excellent films have also been released during that period, such as "Humanite," "Time Regained," "The Idiots" and "Beau travail," they are probably too obscured for the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.\nBut look out. Two very Oscar-worthy contenders have thrown their hats in the ring this past weekend. "Nurse Betty," the new film from Fort Wayne director Neil LaBute, is as smart as his Sundance-winning "In the Company of Men" but more commercially viable.\nWhile director Bryan Singer has gone totally mainstream this year with "X-Men," his "The Usual Suspects" cohort ' screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ' is back with a real delicious neo-noir called "The Way of the Gun." The movie, which is written and directed by McQuarrie, is unpredictable and gripping despite some obvious gimmicks and unavoidable genre conventions.\nThis column will take a look at some of the most buzz-worthy films and festivals this fall in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned next week for updates on Venice, Deauville, Montreal, Toronto and New York film festivals.

More 'Big Brother' drama \nThe remaining six house guests in the "Big Brother" compound are contemplating walking off the show together during tonight's live show. Yes ' a moment that is truly reminiscent of "The Truman Show." The seemingly boring and uninteresting house guests finally come up with something that is worthy of the buzz that the season finale of "Survivor" has gotten.\nWith three weeks left for the show, will the house guests really walk?\nCurtis Kin, one of the remaining house guests who recently won a challenge and was rewarded with a trip to the Emmy Awards ceremony, was greeted by as much fanfare as Rudy Boesch of "Survivor" on the red carpet. Will the sudden realization of his 15-minute fame change Curtis' mind? Or will the new six-house guest alliance make television history and walk off the show tonight? In any event, with luck this stunt is going to boost the ratings that "Big Brother" so desperately needs.

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