‘It’s Hard Out Here’ for a good Oscar song

< Prev | 1 | 2

Slide show

Witherspoon reacts with her Oscar at the 78th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood

Hollywood’s big night
Big winners, winning moments from the 78th Annual Academy Awards

Slide show

Walking the Oscar red carpet
It’s all sparkle and flash as Hollywood dons its fanciest fashions for the Academy Awards.

Share your comments on the nominated films and actors, host Jon Stewart, your other favorite films of the year and whether or not you'll be watching the big show.

No doubt the song will be subjected to the same clumsy censorship suffered by Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” at the Grammys in February. Even then, the subject matter, which reflects the raw nature of the film, may offend tender ears. For those who haven’t seen “Hustle & Flow,” it follows a poor and desperate Memphis pimp in midlife crisis and his attempt to break free by becoming a successful rap artist. “Hustle & Flow” is based on the Memphis crunk subculture, and how fame can be achieved through parlaying mix tapes.

“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” is exactly what an Oscar-nominated song should be — integral to the film — not just something to listen to as the credits roll by, or thrown in at the last minute just to vie for that extra nomination. It will also be the first hip-hop song performed at the Oscars — Eminem refused an invitation to perform “Just Lose It” the year he won. While hip-hop’s acceptance from the mainstream Academy may be a couple of decades late, it’s a start.

Still, the Academy has a lot to make up for — most recently, last year, with the semi-talented Beyoncé performing nearly every nominated song. An even more-offensive exception included Antonio Banderas, accompanied by Carlos Santana, doing a cover of “Al Otro Lado Del Rio” from “The Motorcycle Diaries.” Turns out, the songwriter, Uruguyan Jorge Drexler, also sang on the movie’s soundtrack. But his respectable Spanish following wasn’t enough to get him airtime.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

Perhaps the Academy felt compelled instead to showcase Latinos with whom the non-Latino community was familiar with — even if one of them is clearly not a singer. Sadly, at least for the show’s sponsors, it was another lost opportunity to attract a more diverse audience. Winning the award didn’t take away from the Academy’s misstep, which Drexler gracefully pointed out by singing a few bars from his Oscar-winning song to a cheering audience.

Three 6 Mafia’s performance may prove to be the most compelling event of the evening — and will certainly draw a more diverse audience, at least during their portion of the show. We’ll have to tune in and see how the censors handle the lyrics — though to do it right, the Academy may end up with a couple of jillion dollars in FCC fines.

< Prev | 1 | 2