The best actors in the business still lean into the microphone when they talk

Raymond Chen

Now let me get this straight. The Oscars honor, among other things, the best actors in Hollywood. These are people who have devoted their professional careers to reciting dialog in front of a camera and making it look spontaneous and natural. But for some reason, put them on stage at the Oscars, and instead of reciting dialog spontaneously and naturally, they read it stiltedly and lean into the microphone while doing it. And these are the best actors in the business?¹ It’s like hosting a music award show and finding that all the performers suck at singing.

¹Oh wait, sorry, it’s not a business. It’s a craft. I don’t know whose idea it was to start referring to movie-making as a craft, but I’m sick of it already.

Raymond Chen

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