You’re going to have to help me out here.
I watched the Oscars… sort of… but as usual, I kind of dozed off within the first few minutes, and so it’s all kind of foggy. I’m not sure how much of it was happening in the TV, and how much was just in my head, in that dream state that takes over about halfway between groggy wakefulness and deep REM sleep.
I could have been dreaming most of it.
Or all of it.
Clouding the issue further, I discovered later that I was sitting on the remote, and every time I shifted a bit, I changed the channels.
So as the awards went on… and on… and on… I was no longer sure if I was watching the Oscars… or cable news… or the comedy channel.
Judging from the number of awards presented to Donald Trump, I think it was mostly the comedy channel.
Winners listed online and in the papers the next day don’t quite jive with my memories of of the ceremonies.
But here goes my recollection:
The only Canadian winner for the 2018 slate was Justin Trudeau, for his slick performance featuring Indian costumes for the whole family in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
As I mentioned above, Donald Trump figured prominently in my dream-altered – or should I say, nightmare-tainted – recollection of the presentations.
A number of Trump associates were nominated in the Best Short Film category. They all lost, but Detainment is expected to return in a much longer format and a cast of thousands.
In the Foreign category nominee, Shoplifters, Trump picks up a Supporting Role Oscar while Russian agents run off with America’s democracy.
The Favourite proved to be a major coup for Vladimir Putin, with Trump once again figuring prominently in a supporting role.
And who could forget Period. End of Sentence. A documentary offering a futuristic look into the lives of many of Trump’s friends.
Not sure what was gong on with Bohemian Rhapsody, but the name kept popping into my subconscious over and over, and each time, my brain launched into a little vignette of Queen singing “I see a little silouetto of a man…” while a miniature Trump danced atop a wall.
Then there was Shallow, Trump’s winning song from A Star Is Born… or Hatched… not sure which.
That was followed by Animal Behaviour, an inconclusive Trumpist behavioural study.
And finally, there was End Game, a documentary exploring the state of democracy after Brexit, Donald Trump’s presidency, and rising populist movements throughout the Western world.