Last night was a cathartic moment for my wife. Heath was at last granted that sweet nod by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for what can only be described as the only performance deserving to be nominated. But for my wife is was confirmation of the genius she saw in a one-time little-known actor. And to those who are no doubt saying that “he only got this award because he died”, you are wrong. There is no other way of putting it. This isn’t so much a matter of opinion as it is empirical fact.

All in all I’d say the Academy got it right. At least I have no overwhelming objections to the final choices. Perhaps they got a bit enamored by Slumdog Millionaire, but that happens every year it seems. I’m happy for their cast and crew but eight Oscars? One for best music? Really? Okay, no biggie.

What stunned me was the “In Memoriam”. I make it a point to watch this part every year because I think it’s worth a few moments to pay tribute to the folks who dedicated their lives to their craft, which inspires millions of people. And I’ll be honest, I was looking for one particular tribute. And as they went by actors, actresses, producers and even a movie critic (??!), it started to become more and more obvious that they weren’t going to get to him. And as the screen closed on Paul Newman, I rose from my seat and listened to the rest of the program in the background. Not one mention of George Carlin.

Shocked I tell you

And I slept on it. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that George would’ve no doubt found great humor in being passed over in lieu of a movie critic. I don’t think it would’ve been his shining moment either — he was better than that. Hell, he’s still more talented than 70% of the people in that auditorium. But I did check things out on the net and as it turns out, not only was I not the only one who noticed the snub, but a few other rather notable people were passed over as well. Eartha Kitt, Harvey Korman, Estelle Getty…

Wow. Great job Academy. I’m glad you included that movie critic.