Our Reader Comment of the Week Award goes to Bob Champ, whose thoughts on the Academy Awards remind us of what Hollywood can be at its best, and what it is at its worst, which is all too often the case these days:

I’m just glad the Academy didn’t hire some bozo comedian to host the show.

The In Memoriam segment was hampered, for tv viewers, by the roving camera, which should have focused on the images of the departed actors and actresses. I do think that Queen Latifah did a good job singing "I’ll Remember You."

The highlight of the night for me was seeing Sophia Loren. She looked, well, like what she is, an aging woman; but the way she stood with her hand on her hip was classic. How they lured her to take part in the show I haven’t the slightest idea.

And why did Cuba Gooding, Jr., have to make an ass of himself in talking about Robert Downey, Jr.? Every other actor who talked about a fellow actor turned his talk into a tribute. But Gooding went off on some kind of race thing that made him look ridiculous and out of place.

I think I heard more English accents at this Academy Awards show than I ever have.

I liked Mickey Rourke’s "Wrestler" look but if he keeps dressing like that he’s going to be type-cast. And just how many wrestler roles are there?

I haven’t seen a single one of the nominated films, so for me it was all about the people in the audience and the people on stage. I liked Kate Winslet’s request to her father to whistle so she (and the camera) could pick him out of the crowd. He didn’t disappoint.

I ask you: Who on earth will be able to remember the Oscar-winning song from "Slumdog Millionaire"? Not the kind of tune that sticks in the back of your mind. But then Oscar-winning songs of late have had that effect. The days when composers produced songs the likes of "Moon River" are gone.

Sean Penn’s daddy was a well-known Communist on the Hollywood scene in years gone by. I suspect that Sean would like to continue the tradition, but I don’t believe there are any Commies in show biz any more—even if some folk do slip off every now and then to visit Fidel.

This was the first Academy Award show I’ve seen in years. I don’t know if they’ll be able to lure me back. After all, I could have spent that time reading!

Bob