And the People's Choice Awards Go To...

Nick Gillespie | January 10, 2005

How's this for splitting the difference between Red Staters and Blue? Both The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11 won top awards at the 31st annual People's Choice Awards.

The nominations were determined by editors at Entertainment Weekly, the People's Choice production team and a panel of pop-culture fans. Winners were determined by Internet voting.

And before you get all high and mighty about the utter fakeness of these awards, remember: They all are fake.

Whole thing here.

Comments

Jesse Walker|1.10.05 @ 3:09PM|#

I strongly suspect that the overlap between the two films' audiences is much larger than Red/Blue stereotypes would suggest.

Both films have their problems, but if either one deserves an award, the People's Choice seems apt. They were the most populist movies of the last year -- genuinely risky projects that struck a chord and found enormous audiences despite widespread derision. For once, the fakes got it right.

Tim Cavanaugh|1.10.05 @ 3:13PM|#

And before you get all high and mighty about the utter fakeness of these awards, remember: They all are fake.

Yeah, but the People's Choice awards are the best because in the acceptance speeches the celebs always have to give a shoutout to "You, the people" along with the agent, the producer, Jesus Christ, etc. I like to think of it as my Grammy/Oscar-winning homey thanking me personally.

|1.10.05 @ 3:17PM|#

Both films have their problems, but if either one deserves an award, the People's Choice seems apt. They were the most populist movies of the last year -- genuinely risky projects that struck a chord and found enormous audiences despite widespread derision. For once, the fakes got it right.

Feh. Spiderman II, now THAT was a movie with risks. Though completely lacking in Kirsten Dunst wet t-shirt shots, unlike the first.

|1.10.05 @ 3:23PM|#

This just proves that America is a bunch of racist, Jew-hating apologists.

[end sarcasm]

Goiter, there are in fact two quality Kirsten Dunst wet t-shirt shots in Spiderman II.

|1.10.05 @ 3:26PM|#

Matt LeBlanc, favorite male TV star.

I weep, weep for this country.

|1.10.05 @ 3:31PM|#

If Mel Gibson actually thanks Jesus Christ if he wins something, it would be hard to argue against him. Better yet, I wonder if Michael Moore will thank George W. Bush if he wins something.

|1.10.05 @ 3:32PM|#

Goiter, there are in fact two quality Kirsten Dunst wet t-shirt shots in Spiderman II.

This is what you get when your movie viewing is limited to inflight movies.

|1.10.05 @ 3:36PM|#

Mr. Moore dedicated his win to the U.S. troops fighting overseas and said he was "amazed" to win the award. "I love making movies, and I'll take this as an invitation to make more 'Fahrenheit 9/11s,' " Mr. Moore said.

I'll make more false and misleading "documentaries" and the GOP will make more false and misleading "news stories" and the world will be a better place.

Doug Allen|1.10.05 @ 3:47PM|#

> "Two hot-button films that defied the odds to earn millions at the box office..."

Defied the odds? Rather ignorant opening statement in that Washington Times article. If you have a hot-button film, I wouldn't say you defied the odds. I'd say the odds were with you. Controversy of any sort practically guarantees box office success.

|1.10.05 @ 4:00PM|#

Doug, tell it to Oliver Stone.

|1.10.05 @ 4:30PM|#

Phil, the fact that you know Oliver Stone's name kind of proves Doug's point, hmmm?

|1.10.05 @ 4:33PM|#

And before you get all high and mighty about the utter fakeness of these awards, remember: They all are fake.

Or as immortalized on the Simpson's -

Homer: Why won't anyone give me an award?
Lisa: You won a grammy.
Homer: I mean an award that's worth winning.
Legal Disclaimer: Mr. Simpson's opinions do not reflect those of the producers, who don't consider the Grammy an award at all.

|1.10.05 @ 5:41PM|#

Ben, are there a lot of people who don't know Oliver Stone's name? At least in passing?

And is that at all relevant to the fact that the homosexual "controversy" surrounding Alexander didn't exactly send people streaming to the box office, which sort of disproves Doug's point, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

(Come to think of it, has Last Temptation of Christ ever turned a profit? There's another "controversial" movie that didn't have people beating down the theater doors.)

|1.10.05 @ 6:35PM|#

A fake award for a fake documentary.......

Doug Allen|1.10.05 @ 6:39PM|#

Phil,

All that means is that Alexander and Last Temptation of Christ would've done twice as poorly at the box office without the controversy (If you want a counterexample to your examples, look no further than the Da Vinci Code). Rap/rock artists want Parental Warning stickers on their CDs for a reason. The TV audience for the Pistons-Pacers game on Christmas Day was sky-high for a reason. Widespread controversy begets curious onlookers to see what the fuss is all about. It's as natural as the sun rising in the East.

The implication in the Times article that F9/11 and Passion did well 'despite' the red-hot controversies surrounding those films is laughable.

Tim Cavanaugh|1.10.05 @ 10:43PM|#

Jeez Louise, you people can get into a henpeck over anything. They were hot-button films and they also defied the odds by doing well even though they weren't the usual blockbuster material. What are you arguing about? Everybody can be a winner on this one!

The Lonewacko Blog|1.10.05 @ 10:59PM|#

No doubt everyone's aware that voting for these awards were conducted using a web page poll.