I am getting the sense that it's become fashionable to be a critic of the oscars. And since it is also fashionable to be fashionable, I'm going to do just that.

The jokes about putting on the oscars in the midst of tough economic times were a little hard to take seriously when delivered on a stage bedecked with hundreds of thousands of dollars in the form of the Swavorski crystal curtain. Maybe someone should have told the writers that the budget concerns were a tad overinflated.

While they're at it, they should also talk to the group of editors who choose the clips that best illustrate the award category. At least that's what I thought was the purpose of these clips.

For "special effects," the clip from Dark Night featured a few of Joker's clown-masked minions posing maliciously inside a freight truck. Okay, Freight trucks are admittedly not cheap, probably even to rent. But what exactly is "special" about this particular effect? How about the bat-mobile turning into a bat-bike? That was pretty special.

One of the clips from the nominees for the screenplay award (for those who "don't just write screenplays, but movies") went something like this: "What are you having sir?" "The steak" "And you, mam" "I'll just have what he's having." Now I can see including this in a movie. People are required to place orders when at restaurants, after all. But if this is Oscar-quality writing, then I think I found an occupation that requires even less effort than being a disserator.

At least Benjamin Button didn't win best picture.