Oscar's Grouch

What's up with Gary Busey's crazy antics at the 80th Annual Academy Awards? Apparently, Busey was almost to the point of being escorted off the red carpet for harassing American Idol and E! host Ryan Seacrest as he was attempting to interview actresses Jennifer Garner and Laura Linney. Things escalated when Busey then moved on to Garner herself, kissing her unexpectedly on the neck and making her uncomfortable to the point that Linney pulled out the "girlfriend escape card" and dragged Garner away. While I don't remember seeing this moment during the televised pre-show on the red carpet, it didn't take long for the video to circulate the Internet and raise questions on Busey's mental health, if not social health.


I feel kinda sorry for Busey, as he used to be an A-list celebrity, nominated for an Oscar at the high point in his career. Over the years, however, it seems Busey has earned a reputation as a "nut" of Hollywood ever since he suffered brain damage in a serious motorcycle accident, and most people couldn't name a movie he's been in within this decade. In fact, the only movie I can really remember him from is Rookie of the Year where he played, ironically enough today, a famous baseball player whose best years were behind him. Although most of the attention in the movie was drawn away by boyishly cute Timothy Ian Nicholas, Busey's only important line of "Throw the heat" was good enough to render him a slot in our memories. Busey seemed to really want to be interviewed by Seacrest, well, it was more like he wanted for somebody to WANT to interview him.

But, back to the video. I can only assume that Linney was whispering to Garner something along the lines of "this guy is crazy we need to walk away as soon as possible." Linney probably didn't have time to say that Busey is THE Gary Busey and I felt particularly sorry for Garner who didn't seem to even know who Busey is, referring to him as "this man." She looked genuinely scared especially with the absence of hubby Ben Affleck. Even more interesting was the woman Busey was dragging around as his date for the evening. If Busey was attempting to get attention and getting nowhere, this woman was attempting something doubly impossible. She stuck her face into people's conversations, shaking hands with people who looked at her with blank stares. But, I suppose that made her a perfect date for Busey. I don't quite understand what Busey was doing at the Oscars to begin with. I always wondered how old celebrities got invites to the Academy Awards every year. I suppose once you have been nominated for an Oscar you have a permanent invitation to the shindig. Poor Busey. I suggest next time he watch the show from the comfort of his own, camera free, home. It would save him much embarrassment and won't revamp the phrase of 15-minutes-of-fame into 15-things-not-to-do-on-the-red-carpet. In case these things escape you here they are:

• DO NOT harass reporters for attention or interviews
  
• DO NOT forget to brush your hair
  
• DO NOT bring a date more desperate for attention than you
  
• DO NOT act like everybody knows who you are
  
• DO NOT talk to people who don't seem to want to talk to you
  
• DO NOT embarrass yourself in front of millions of people
  
• DO NOT kiss a married celebrity
  
• DO NOT kiss a woman half your age
  
• DO NOT kiss a woman who doesn't know who you are
  
• DO NOT kiss Jennifer Garner
  
• DO NOT call yourself Gary Busey
  
• DO NOT talk like Gary Busey
  
• DO NOT act like you are "stoned"
  
• DO NOT interrupt interviews that aren't your own
  
• DO NOT mess with Ryan Seacrest