OPINION | Barry Richard: Fox News Oscar Hypocrites

So, for a week Fox News slams last night's Oscars presentation as an unwatchable political lecture by a bunch of rich, pampered, self-important, Hollywood elitists. BORING! Who cares what they think? What do they know?

Well, as expected Fox and the others devoted massive amounts of air time this morning to what those elitists had to say. It was covered as though it was newsworthy. As though it did matter.

There is a terrible double standard here and it is sickening. Fox is attempting to have it both ways. The Fox folk have become elitists in their own right in that they will look down their noses at something like the Oscars, watch it and then report breathlessly on what was said. And pretend to be offended by it at the same time.

If the Foxies truly felt as though the Oscars were nothing but a big old can of nothing they would ignore it all together. No lead-up hype, no post-awards reporting. Nothing. But, to be a big-time cable network star is to be among the cool kids and what cool kids don't want to be in the know? Who wants to be the only one around the water cooler that's not in on the joke?

Besides, it's money. Many of the folks at home who chose not to watch the award show do want to know what the best zingers from last night were. So, Fox had better be talking about it or those viewers will go elsewhere to get it.

By the way, I predicted that the new Death Wish movie would win the box office over the weekend. It actually opened third behind Black Panther, (which the Clintons saw this weekend), and another newcomer, Red Sparrow. See how much I know about movies?

Editor's Note: Barry Richard is the afternoon host on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from Noon-3pm. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.