A Sad Time for US Cinema (even w/ The Oscars coming soon)

To those of you out there that regularly read my site (www.thecinematheque.com) - if there are any of you (read my belly-achin' a few posts below) - I apologize (again) for my lack of much new upon the site lately. My mind has been elsewhere + this is the time of year that everyone is so obsessed about the Oscars (myself included), there isn't much time left for other cinematatic pursuits - even the studios put out their "junk" during this time of the year. How else can you explain Date Movie. But then the film is in second place currently at the box office. Which brings me to the (sad) fact that I will take myself to see this film. Their is a masochistic streak in me that makes me - against better judgement - seek out films such as this one. Call it a sociological experiement if you will (and Nate did), but I need to see it. I cannot help myself. It's horrible, and I am sure the film itself will be too. Why, oh why do so many of the commoners flock to films like this (and many others like it - i.e. Scary Movie) and more importantly, why do so many people like them ??? It may have something to do with the dumbing down of America (and the World), or it may just be one of those unanswerable ponderments that will never be solved. But alas, I will see it (probably Thursday evening), and I'm sure I'll despise it thoroughly too. At least I can take the punch and save my sweet Doodlebug from harm coming to her. I can say, I'll see it, while she's listening to Toni Morrison speak nearby, so she won't have to - not that she would (she's much smarter than I after all). Anyway, I'm going back to The Olympics now. I'll be back in an hour or two to release the results of Oscar Poll #2 (Will Jake keep his lead at the end, or can Clooney reach him in time?).