What message does the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences send when it awards “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” the theme song from the movie Hustle and Flow, as Song of the Year? The song (by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard) whines (sarcastically) about the life of pimp. Listening to this pimp stuff and imagining a child walking around and singing it drives home the impact of this song winning the Oscar. The movie’s producers are the real pimps. The song added nothing to the movie, but did provide a sound bite that could grab the movie some publicity and sell tickets. I agree with host Jon Stewart when he said the song’s winning just made “it easier out here for a pimp.” I guess that’s what happens when you have an academy that has historically snub actors and they’re trying to give at least one award to a black person. Terrence Howard was great in Hustle and Flow, but I think the award went to the right person (Phillip Seymore Hoffman for Capote), though it was a toss up between he and Good Night, Good Luck lead, David Strathairn.