Yes, Des Moines and Hackensack are scary too. But they don't do an annual four hour broadcast from those cities, showing it's citizens congratulating themselves and patting each other on the back for doing a hard job well. Give me a break.

Why does Ang Lee deserve the attention and praise more than an insurance sales manager from Hackensack?

Answer: celebrity worship.

We all know "the Academy" doesn't reward excellence, except on a rare occassion. They reward their current "in group", their own taste in films, and box office.

The Academy Awards are SO not about art.