Preceded by silence... followed by more silence

February 24, 2009 9:37 AM

When Resul Pookutty won the Oscar for Sound Mixing last weekend, it's probably the first time an Oscar acceptance speech, or really any U.S. network television broadcast, has mentioned the "primordial syllable," Om, which is very important to Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists.
posted by aught (16 comments total)

Ommm
Ommm on the range....
posted by jonmc at 9:43 AM on February 24

ॐ... I guess that's pretty cool.
posted by gman at 9:53 AM on February 24

Interesting. Another utterance of mention: Will Smith drops a BGTD.
posted by JBennett at 9:53 AM on February 24

Also. Pookutty's speech was a fine speech, but I'm an idiot and thought he said "home" not Om.
posted by JBennett at 9:56 AM on February 24

That was a very nice speech.
posted by chunking express at 10:27 AM on February 24

What is the boom goes the dynamite gag about?
posted by paisley henosis at 10:57 AM on February 24

That was a nice acceptance speech, but "first ever mention of Om on TV" is a bit more hyperbole than I needed.
posted by paisley henosis at 10:59 AM on February 24

Find your answer to boom goes the dynamite here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no


Now, enough derail to youtube ridiculousness, that was a really good little speech, and as a Sri Lankan, I thoroughly enjoyed the browning up of the Oscars. AR Rahman spoke in tamil, which pretty much has to have been a first.
posted by dnesan at 11:42 AM on February 24

Is Om (Aum) also the root source of Amen (Ammon via Egypt)? Or is that something completely erroneous that I picked up from some book of Crowleyan wackiness? The two seem to follow similar mystic usage structures, but it could be a coincidence, since the sound itself is one of the most basic in the human tongue.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:43 AM on February 24

or really any U.S. network television broadcast

Pepperjack, are you serious?
posted by mwhybark at 12:11 PM on February 24

*waves staff in the air*
posted by Curry at 2:23 PM on February 24

Om, which is very important to Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists.

Also Pratchett fans and lovers of tortoises.
posted by quin at 2:30 PM on February 24

I'm pretty sure Dharma and Greg might have featured the sacred syllable a time or three.
posted by empath at 3:20 PM on February 24

Om nom nom nom?
posted by fuq at 3:26 PM on February 24

Fatherdagon - Probably not.
posted by robhuddles at 3:30 PM on February 24

dnesan: Thanks for that youtube. The poor kid, I just want to take him home and and relieve his stress ;-)
posted by Goofyy at 1:15 AM on February 25