"The Social Network" Didn't Win Best Picture Because Hollywo

That's (sort of) the theory posed by New Yorker film critic David Denby in his post-Oscar round-up. Actually, Denby, an outspoken proponent of David Fincher's very fine film loosely based on the founding of Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook empire, didn't use the word "hate"; his exact statement on the subject is below (from a live chat yesterday with New Yorker readers):

QUESTION FROM PETER: The Oscars last night felt like they were of a different time and place, not 2011 in America. No edge. Not much diversity. Not funny. Old fashioned. Corny. Apolitical. Lifeless. Is it a sign of what Hollywood thinks of us?

DAVID DENBY: It’s a sign of Hollywood playing it safe, not offending anyone, don’t interrupt the flow of money. You know, the entire thing is strange every year. What do they do all year long? The make family movies, digital spectacles, thrillers, horror films, animated films. Then at Oscar time they go all high-minded—The King’s Speech. I think that’s why they [sic] Social Network didn’t win, by the way. They would all like to make a killing and have absolute authority, and do exactly what they want, but they are working below their talents (except at the craft level) most of the year. I think they resented Zuckerberg—but that’s just a guess.

One last finance-related Oscar note: Of all the on-stage and backstage quips and comments, this gets my nod for most outstanding comeback of the night:

Backstage, Randy Newman [who won an Oscar for best original song] picked up on the weary, wrung-out mood when he responded to a chipper college reporter's question about breaking into the music business by responding: “Who would want to break into it? It’s like a bank that’s already been robbed."

(The New Yorker)

(NYT)

(Related: The Part About Facebook Going Public in 2012)