Re your "the show itself was so-so."
Extravagant praise indeed. The Oscars struck me as homeopathic showbiz -- vanishingly small in entertainment value. But don't take my word for it. Google "boring + oscars" and see what a rich harvest of viewer ennui you get -- 250 hits right now:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=boring+oscars>
Hollywood is yet another American institution that is flatlining.
Carl