Oscar snubs the late Renfro during montage, says, 'Not possible to include everyone.'

From IMDB:

Tragic actor Brad Renfro was snubbed at Sunday's Academy Awards when organizers left him out of a montage of stars who died in the past year. Renfro was found dead from a drug overdose in Los Angeles in January, aged just 25. But he was overlooked on a list of 98 movie industry people, that included everyone from actors and directors to public relations people. A statement from the Motion Picture Academy of America claims, "It is simply not possible to include everyone in that segment." But a friend of the late star of "The Client," "Apt Pupil" and "Ghost World" tells Tmz.com, "It's unbelievable and disgusting."

I am inclined to agree with the anonymous friend quoted at the end of the article. However, even if that person was a good 'friend,' why did he or she choose to remain anonymous? Was this 'friend' afraid he or she would upset someone within the Academy and cheat themselves out of a potential nomination/award in the future? Could no one go on the record for Brad Renfro in this situation?

This article is indicative of everything that's wrong with entertainment journalism today. Few people are willing to have an opinion or speak the truth on the record, and yet the 'journalists' print most of it anyway, without attribution. If I was writing the little blurb, I would have told Renfro's 'friend,' "If you really care about your pal, you'll go on the record. Find a more tactful way to air your complaint if you must, but without a name to place with the quote, it looks like I'll have to give the Academy - who by the way screwed your friend out of a final tribute he completely deserved - the final word."

My old boss in the PR firm I worked for once told me: "Some people give you chicken shit and expect chicken salad."

In this case, I'm not sure why no one could give the writer of this piece the proper ingredients.

Poor Brad, Poor Brad, Poor Brad....