Oscars: Melissa Leo and the F-bomb — forgive, or forget you? [Poll]

The F-word achieved a bit of respectability this award season, going undercover as in the title of Cee Lo Green's Grammy-nominated hit, "Forget You," and starring in a key scene in "The King's Speech." But it took Melissa Leo to unforgettably turn it back into the F-bomb at the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday night.

Overwhelmed upon winning the Oscar for supporting actress and having declared herself "kinda speechless," "The Fighter" actress blurted, "When I watched Kate [Winslet] two years ago it looked so ... easy" (you fill in the blank, OK?).

Backstage, Leo apologized. "Those words — I apologize to anyone if they were offended," she said. "There's a great deal of the English language that is in my vernacular."

The Oscars were, she said, "an inappropriate place to use that word in particular."

Coming off supporting actress wins at the Golden Globe Awards in January and the Spirit Awards on Saturday, Leo had walked down the Oscars red carpet Sunday looking incredibly excited in her gold and cream Mark Bauer gown.

"This dress was made especially for me," she said before the show started. "I saw it on a dummy a month and a half ago, but it's so cold now!"

Forgettably cold, perhaps?

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— Christie D'Zurilla and Jessica Gelt

Photo: Melissa Leo accepts the Oscar for actress in a supporting role for "The Fighter" at the 83rd Academy Awards on Feb. 27. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press.

 

Comments

[Megan Stark]

Dear Melissa Leo,
You may have just won an Academy Award, but you are clearly a loser. There was nothing 'accidental' about that slip and for such a 'gifted actress' you might have tried a little harder to come off as anything less than a desperate attention seeker. Do us all a favor and drop off the face of the earth for a while.

Thanks.

[I'm SO Appalled]

rep your city like a g and put ur middle finger up

[ken]

Dear Megan Star,

Troll harder.

Thanks.

[Jack]

Well, stuff like that happens. Let it go and worry about the more important issues confronting us now.

[Cheat On]

@ Megan Stark

"Do us all a favor and drop off the face of the earth for a while."

==================================

You and that stick up your rear crevice first harpie.

[Robert]

Wow - was the show that lame and precictable that this is the big takeaway. I hear six year olds using the word that I assume Melissa used. Can we all be grownups here? Who the F' cares...

[aurosan]

Megan Stark, honey, you're embarrassing yourself.

Good on Melissa for dropping the ol' F-bomb. The only memorable thing about this dull, trainwreck of a show.

[Cynical Watcher and not a believer for a second]

Melissa Leo - very contrived and over rehearsed speech (Golly -there are people Up there). Stupid Shtick with Kirk Douglas (kneeling). Horrific "bit" grabbing his cane from him.... and after being in 92 films and numerous TV shows (and purchasing your own "glamorous" CONSIDERATION ads, you are UNPREPARED for your big Oscar moment and drop the F Bomb? Seems very calculated to drop the F Bomb so you are in all the headlines after the show. Watch the speech again - Contrived and rehearsed....

[Patricia]

These things happen. There's no need for some big paranoid conspiracy theory here.

[Don Nelson]

Dear Ms. Stark,

You sound like a helplessly unhappy old troll.

[ChaChaheels]

It's her moment and if she wants to drop f-bombs so be it. People get caught up in the moment so let her bask in the excitement. Non-issue..just drop it already. Sometimes spontaneous colorful language in an acceptance speech is welcomed to liven up a dull awards show. Maybe a streaker would have sufficed...wasn't Charlie Sheen available?

[debbie]

I guess unless it's being written for her, she truly can't find something appropriate to say. She will go down in history for this and replace Sally Field who at least had Class. Dress her up, make her pretty, but her hair was a mess and she should have had a clue what to say!

[KayC]

Dear Melissa,
At the initial few seconds, I was happy you won as I thought you played your role quite well.
Well, that all went pear shape as soon as you rocked up the stage and opened your trap!
May be next time, try dropping the falseness and show some real genuine feelings and emotions for a change, life doesnt have to be 24/7 of acting. As if we are dumb enough to buy all that fake rubbish you put on ;_)

[KayC]

ps. my rant has nothing to do with the fact she dropped the F bomb, thats not the issue. I think I'm more disgruntled at the over-rehearsed, badly acted 'emotions', cheah!

[Star Watcher]

Was it impossible for Melissa Leo to show some class? Maybe it was for her!

[GingerSnaps]

I am neither a troll nor do I have a stick stuck up anywhere but I do agree with Megan and Cynical. That West Virginian escapee known as Leo – all dressed up in that ugly costume and she still looks and act like classless trash. Of course she knew people were up in the balcony and how many times had she won an award for this performance? She was not shocked or speechless she was just milking the clock. I hope Leo is busy working somewhere far away at next year's Oscar or stuck in her backyard with a mouth full of tobacco so I don't have to see her mug again as a presenter.
For all of you who say its okay to drop the f-word on television, I would like to remind you that some of us have young children we are trying to raise with good character and a sense of dignity. There is a time and place for using such words; the Academy Awards is NOT one of those times.

[Emma]

I re-watched Melissa Leo's speech and thought the whole thing was planned.The swearing wasn't really offensive or disrespectful, it was just contrived and tacky. She tried to justify it by saying it's part of 'her vernacular' - well it's part of most people's vernacular, no excuse.
The worst parts were her interactions with Kirk Douglas - the 'pinch me' line etc.

Her ego has got a little ahead of her modesty.