Oscar Nominees Asked to Prepare Two Speeches

MTV Movies Blog is reporting that Oscar nominess have been asked to prepare two speeches:

Basically the winners will be allowed 45 seconds with which to tell the world what the award means to them. As for shout-outs to agents and parents (and spouses if they're remembered), there will be a separate forum for such gratitude backstage via a "Thank You Cam." These videos will be available online afterward for anyone to see, rather than aired during the television broadcast of the ceremony.

Apparently, MTV's story comes from Reuters which reported that the producers of the Oscar telecast, Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic, made this request at the annual Oscar nominees luncheon held Monday, Feb. 15th.

I have to say that the acceptance speeches annoy me, probably as much as the other really annoying elements of the Oscar telecast: the performances of dull best song nominees, the speech from the Price-Waterhouse guys or whoever counts the votes, the obligatory speech from the Academy president, the presenters' attempts at humor, etc.

Some of the winners' speeches are just plain embarrassing, for any number of reasons:  too long, too personal, too many people to thank.  Some of the winners ought to have the decency to just get off the stage.  That meanness said, I still think they should have their time to say what they want.  For all that they annoy me, I don't think they should be rushed off the stage.  I can always press the mute button or switch to another channel for a minute or so.