xtcian

ok i will start.. i am in germany and stayed up til 6am watching the oscars and it was not as much fun alone without someone to share reactions with, so indulge me... first, the show was relatively boring and lacking emotion, no? except for the mafia boys who were more excited than anyone else. even jack nicholson lacked luster. jon stuart could have been... better. michelle williams and heath ledger sort of make me want to throw up, constantly batting their eyes at each other. but she looked fabulous. reese! gave the best speech of the evening. love her! while i was thrilled about PS Hoffman, i do loooove me some Joaquin Phoenix... Speaking of PS Hoffman, i always feel bad when winners forget to thank their partners. i heard hilary swank consoled him afterward-as she has experience in that area. Ang Lee - "i wish i knew how to quit you" ... bad move, man. Reference "james cameron acceptance speech."
i am all keeping the show moving - but giving the winners only 45 seconds to speak seemed to throw everyone off and make for boring or lame speeches - except for reese.

Jif! How are you? I hope all is well. Are you in Germany for long?

I will definitely indulge you in some Oscar talk. First, I heart George Clooney and I was so happy to see him win. He has got to be the most charming, handsome, amiable movie star out there, and I would run away with him in a second. Sometimes George is a bit too political for my taste, but I thought that his acceptance speech made a lot of sense. I like his "being out of touch is a good thing" theme. God, I love George Clooney. Second, I adore PS Hoffman. He has been a favorite of mine for years, and I was happy to see him be acknowledged for his greatness. Rachel W is class personified, and Reese is adorable. Her speech seemed a bit too rehearsed-in-front-of-the-mirror for me, but hey, I can't blame her. . . she was the front runner.

Here are some petty observations:
Did you notice how many of the women had this whole pale skin/white dress/albino look going on? Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, and Uma looked dreadful. Gone are all the fake tans and the colorful gowns, but I thought everyone was a bit too, uh, emaciated and WHITE. . . I was blinded!

Did you notice how uncomfortable Keira K looked sitting next to Jack Nicholson? He is like the creepy old guy of Hollywood now. Yeah, the whole Heath/Michelle thing is nauseating, especially since they did my girl Naomi so wrong! And, excuse me, but why is Jessica Alba at the Oscars? What artistic accomplishment has this girl made? I think that they need to start screening the people who are allowed into the Oscars. Being a hot chick is not enough to be there. I like Jennifer Aniston, but why doesn't she ever do anything with her hair, or try a different style of dress? She is becoming like Goldie Hawn, with the same hair/dress cut year after year. Deviate a bit, Jen!

The one thing that struck me is that a lot of the folks at the Oscars are my age now. PS Hoffman, Dan Futterman, Bennett Miller, and others are MY AGE. The others are younger. It made me reflect on my own professional accomplishments at the ripe age of 38. . . and it was a little depressing.

Oh, and I really liked the woman who won one of the awards for makeup or set design or whatever who remarked that she was a working mom, and she thanked her kids and her mother. . . acknowledging that being a working mom is not an easy thing. Sing it loud and proud, sister! We don't all have nannies, nutritionists, housekeepers, assistants, cooks, trainers, etc. like many of the ladies sitting there at the Oscars in their bling and gowns.

One other thing. I thought that it was so incredibly rude for the Academy to have this ridiculous background music playing during the acceptance speeches. I suppose it was intended to remind the speaker of the time allotment, but it was distracting and unnecessary. I mean, George Clooney has worked hard and come a long way from co-starring on "The Facts of Life". . . let him take as long as he wants for God's sake! He has earned it!

hi laurie! i am in germany for another two weeks and then here and there.
i completely agree with you about the music - it was rude and distracting. have them cut out the dance routines and cutsie shit and give people a chance to talk. they have earned it and they should not be so rushed that they forget to thank their partners! i love george clooney too - more so because he is political. and the fact that he is gorgeous doesn't hurt either. kiera didn't smile once all night i think. except at the mock film that called her beautiful. side-i loved her necklace.
i love jack. i just do. how can one avoid it? i also agree with the white dress thing, a bit strange. the white skin thing works for michelle williams though, i think. loved the dress, loved the lipstick. funny that - remember when charlize won and sported that awful spray on tan? i don't know which is worse. uma keeps getting scarier and scarier looking, no? dolly! why do i love her so?

I third the complaints about the music--it was even distracting to try and listen from TV-land, imagine how hard it must have been to try and talk over it. Jon Stewart was neutered into dullness, I think; how invigorating can a comedian really be at the Oscars? And in his natural state, he would have been popping the bubbles of these people rather than trying to cozy up to them, and it seemed from the audience shots that they realized that. (Either that or their gowns were too tight and they couldn't get any air.) Speaking of gowns, what was up with Charlize? She almost never looks lousy, and there she was looking like a bad package with that hideous bow living on her shoulder. And DOLLY: is she scary or what? I couldn't stop looking at her. She's like something from a funhouse nowadays.

Finally, what did people think of the best movie? I liked Crash, but I loved Brokeback--its poignancy lingered with me for days afterward--and I was sad to see it not winning.

p.s. Adorable Lucy pic!!

Yes, I remember when Charlize was all orange. Such a beautiful woman. . . there is no need for the bizarre orange skin. She did not look so great this year. The dress was strange, and the color and hair did nothing for her.

Yeah, Uma is getting quite scary. I remember when she was at the Oscars. . . maybe the year of Pulp Fiction. . she was dressed in this beautiful periwinkle blue dress and I thought she looked gorgeous. This year, she looked harsh. Might have been the dark makeup.

I watched the beginning of the show with my daughter. Every time they showed Jack, she would say, "Mama, who is that old man! He looks scary!" Jack is Jack, though, and I do like him.

Hey, do you think Ryan Philippe is a supportive spouse or is he deep down very jealous of Reese? He always has this hard, unsmiling look about him, and I can't tell.

I thought that Robert Altman was charming. I am not a big fan of his movies, though. Too rambling and confusing for me. I think that Altman's best movie was "Vincent & Theo", and I don't know why they did not showcase that film in the montage more. Tim Roth was so excellent as Vincent . . . I have no idea why he is not a mega-movie star now. I have not seen him in anything good in years.

maybe it's just me, but i definitely peeped "the glare" that ryan was throwing reese when she was giving her acceptance speech. maybe it's also just me, but methinks me saw her return a look which seemed to say, "clearly, this is gonna be an issue in therapy next week; bring it on." well, maybe not the "bring it on" part ...

no mention of recent alums driving jeeps through the pit???

I loved the dress with pockets! This is something all males have wanted for centuries.

Nicole Kidman remains impossibly thin.

I just heard that Dana Reeve died. She was just 44. How sad and tragic for the Reeve family.

I think Lucy's expression should be Carolina's new tired signal.

I can't imagine anything more fun than sitting beside Jack at the Oscars.

lucy's tongue is vintage michael jordan.

lfmd: couldn't agree with you more about the emaciated ghost look that so many of the ladies were sporting on the red carpet. it just made people who chose colorful dresses and healthy skin (ie, skin that's been enjoying a little sunshine, exercise and food)POP--like Michelle Williams, Salma Hayak, Felicity Huffman. I loved Clooney, but i was disapointed that Matt Dillon didn't win Best Supporting for Crash. His performance haunted me.

Interesting comparing male/female commenter ratio of yesterday to today.

CL, I was going to ask what others thought about movies that won/were nominated that I have not yet seen yet. However, the disturbing level of cattiness and viciousness displayed toward the appearance of Thurman, Watts, et. al left me shaking my head. The women and their looks who were just torced on this blog are beautiful and talented and, no matter how jealous, petty, pick a word, some of you are about them, you really need to get over it. I also couldn't believe the marriage analysis. The wife just won best actress and the husband starred in the best picture. Maybe, just maybe, they are two young, attractive, and talented people who shared a great night together and went out and celebrated with their friends and family after the Oscars. I'm guessing LMFD couldn't bear that scenario. I always wonder when I am checking out in the supermarket and glance at the US Weekly, InStyle, People, etc., Who could possibly care this much about the lives of people they don't even know? Now I know.

Tim. . . oh snap! What is the difference between me trash talking about celebrities and Ian trash talking about Coach K and players that he does not like? Would you call Ian catty and vicious when he says what he does about the Dookies? OR would you just save that adjective for a woman who rants like that?

The way I see it, these celebrities are public figures. Not involuntary public figures or private citizens. . . they are what I would call "active public figures." They are part of an industry that makes millions based on superficial appearance, popularity and ridiculous salaries. They are free game, my friend. The criticisms that I threw their way are all harmless. Perhaps it reveals my bitchy side, and yes, I can be petty and mean sometimes.

Tim, Jessica Alba could probably ask for and get a million dollar salary for simply being eye candy in a film or taking off her shirt. Is she really worth that? Don't you find that a bit obscene? Making fun of these celebrities is my way of reacting to that absurdity, I suppose.

laurie, do not apologize! let others judge our judgement.. i for one could care less. it's mindless fun, a selfish indulgence, and it's harmless. let father tim make an issue of it.. and then tell me what you thought of sandra bullock - she looks like she's had some work done...

And, I hope that Reese and Ryan are a mutually supportive couple who spend eternity together. The more pessimistic side of me doubts that possibility, given the typical Hollywood track record.

You know, if people like me were not interested in celebrities and what they wear and what they look like and who they are dating, I think the movie industry would collapse! If no one cared to see George Clooney or Julia Roberts in a film, they certainly would not pay $10 for a movie ticket. Studios would not haul in multi-million dollar hand-over-fist. Blockbusters like "Big Mama's House" would not overshadow films like "Capote" in terms of distribution and resources, and maybe the quality independent films would finally have a level playing field. And, perhaps actors who make $20 million dollars a picture would have to get a regular 9 to 5 job like the rest of the nation.

Jif, I think that Sandra had an OVERHAUL, not just "work done".

Go LFMD and Jif!! Some really good and interesting points, LFMD. And Tim, these people make more money on a two-month shoot than most of us will ever see in our lives, and a great deal of that salary is based on their appearance--are you nuts? Of course I'm jealous! But more anything, celebrities are fun to look at. Want some superficial positivity? I loved Amy Adams's unusual brown dress. Reese Witherspoon is a force of nature, and she (or her stylist) has impeccable taste. I wanted a George Clooney cam because his expressions were so droll and on the mark.

You know who has had work done? Meg Ryan. She was spilling her guts on Oprah last week, and I was mesmerized by her lips. I think that she had some strange Botox-gone-bad encounter. . . she does not even look like the same adorable Meg Ryan that we all know and love. Very unfortunate. Kind of like when Jennifer Grey got a nose job, and suddenly she wasn't our Baby anymore.

Salem's Little Sister. . . are you out there? I KNOW you have something to say about the Oscars! What do you think about the Alton/Jodie hook-up on the Gauntlet 2? Is it true love or just a rebound from the Irulan affair?

See? This is what I love about LFMD, she can make fun little observations about tabloidish things in life AND lay down an intelligent smackdown without missing a beat. Go LFMD!!!!

Off topic (but on topic yesterday), check out the "transcript" of K's recent rant to an official during a timeout...

http://forums.espn.go.com/espn/thread?forumID=434&threadID=3270040&lastPostID=20459316

If it's on the ESPM message board, it MUST be true. ;)

I wrote this for another board, so I'm just cuttin' and pastin'.

I feel like I should preface this with an apology for being kinda snarky. But geez, lighten up, Francis! ;-)

Felicity Huffman - Love her, but too much botox! Her forehead never creased at all - spooky!

Dolly Parton - The "trout pout" was disturbing.

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Not gonna lie. I was totally crying during his acceptance speech, especially when he was thanking his Mom for taking him to his first play and staying up late to watch the NCAA Tournament with him. I was swept away imagining being that kind of mom to my son.

Lauren Bacall - I was mortified for her - she was having a terrible time reading the teleprompter. It was such an uncomfortable moment. Either she needs contacts or she's just getting too old to do this kind of thing.

Reese Witherspoon - Did you feel like she was gonna forget to thank her husband? And did anyone else marvel at the curiously smarmy expression on his face? He didn't look the way I'd want my husband to if I'd just won my first Oscar for best actress at the tender age of 20-something. I'd want to see GINORMOUS, ENTHUSIASTIC pride and love freakin' beaming out of his face. He just seemed rather bemused. But contrast that with him jumping out of his seat and going apey-nutso when Crash won.

"Wock" Phoenix is an intense, kinda scary looking dude.

Jennifer Garner is too cute. No one else could have pulled off that little stumble the way she did, making you laugh with her and not at her.

Love him, but when did Tom Hanks get so old looking?

Speaking of movies, I have a netflix copy of "Five Wives..." sitting on my coffee table waiting for me to pop it into the dvd player. I can't wait to watch it!!!

Tanya -- you are kind. I was afraid that I had closed down Ian's comment section for the day!

And, I totally agree with JJE. The right word for Ryan is smarmy! He looks like the type of husband who withholds affection and praise in a passive aggressive way. In a manner intended to make Reese apologetic for her victory. We should have seen him GUSH with pride! Tears streaming down his face! Not looking like a smug jerk. I wanted to smack him. I would bet that if Tessa won such an award, Ian would have been gushing and tearing. Ian knows how to emote! It would have had us all in buckets.

Come on, Tim ... commenting about the Oscars is such fun. Are you really worried these "poor little" women might be upset by us criticizing them? I second LMFD that this was a relatively sexist put down. Would you say the same thing about Bush bashing or Coach K bashing?
Anyway, my additional thought was that in addition to the pale white women it seemed there was a contingent of orange women as well. Charlize and Jennifer Aniston seemed to bathe in self-bronzer before the show. Can't we find a happy medium skin tone people? And poor, poor Dolly really looked like her stick legs might not hold up her top load. What has happened to her?
I give Reese and Ryan another year max. She didn't seem like she was dying to thank him and he didn't seem terribly pleased. I heard from a friend or a friend of a friend that they have an "open" relationship and they stay together for publicity. I hope that's not the case. In any case though the track record of relationships between Best Actresses and their partners is not great (remember Julia, Halle and Hillary Swank have all had break up since)..
Neva

I think maybe Ryan was a little jaded by all of Reese's wins over the season--at the Golden Globes, he practically leaped out of his seat and was whacking Reese with enthusiasm (or something . . . hmm).

jje, is that some Summer School shout-out?

I thought Jon Stewart did a good job, but he didn't get many props the next day. Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton make a freaky looking couple. She almost had this Edward Scissorhands "do" going on. I had to cringe when Keanu Reeves was a presenter, he's not exactly the Master Debater of public speakers. But Clooney and Salma Hayek were smokin.'

LFMD, I saw that Oprah, and it looked liked someone stuck a basketball pump in her lips before the show.
I'll have to keep my camera in the car the next time there is a Julia Roberts sighting in town. She went to the schools down the street from us and comes back to visit fam from time to time.
Smyrna, GA is a happening place!

By the way Tim, I wonder the same thing about basketball and other sports when I see the rediculous amounts of TV channels, sports magazines, etc. devoted to these pursuits. Who really cares this much about that stuff? Well, we all have our thing that entertains us. I happen to enjoy my Us weekly. It's a fun distraction from the rest of my world. Your distractions are no worse or better than mine.

If yall want some yummy celebrity gossip check out www.pinkisthenewblog.com

He's a little obsessed with Britney and K-Fed, but he's really fun!

Scruggs! I have been meaning to email you back, and then I lost your email address! Write some time and we can talk more smack!

Do you realize how much the paparazzi photos of Julia Roberts would be worth??? The right photo of her and Hazel and Phineas would pay for your son's entire college and grad school education! If I lived in Smyrna, I would be permanently staked out in front of Aunt Tillie's house!

I think that Clooney and Salma would be such a HOT pair! I hope the Teri Hatcher rumors aren't true. She looks to me as though she is addicted to Botox, and she is so scrawny. Eat a Powerbar, lady! I get the feeling that only a man like Clooney could handle such a woman as Salma. . . if they got together, it would be fireworks!

Tim, are you still there? I am sure that you have some celebrity news to contribute! I meant no harm. . .

LFMD- I agree with all of your posts today. You're fired up girl! I enjoyed all of the Oscars and especially the gay cowboy clips. I thought Jon Stewart was as funny as he was allowed to be. I would have been disappointed if the entire night had been about politics. It wasn't supposed to be the Jon Stweart show live at the Oscars. It's the Oscars!

What struck me the most was how I have to get out of the house! Out of all of the movies and performances, I've only seen Crash and Brokeback Mountain. Ben is 16 months now and it's time for Mommy to go to the movies!

On the trash TV home front- I am so over Jodi. She is hooking up with any boy that will pay her attention. I watched the new RW Key West and it looks like a crazy season. Will we ever be too old for this? I do have a new favorite reality show on Animal Planet. It's Horse Power- the road to the Maclay. No teen angst or cussing, just 8 teen riders on $200,000 horses trying to win a blue ribbon. No, really, $200,00 . . .at least. You can even let Helen watch it if she likes horses.

And Meg Ryan, Lord help that girl. She was so adorable and now she looks like the Joker.

Salem's Little Sister -- yes, I am fired up. But those who read some of my comments 2 weeks or so ago will be glad to know that my meds finally came in the mail yesterday. JUST IN TIME!

Face it. We will be watching Real World for as long as they keep churning out episodes! I don't quite know what to make of the Key West group, but I think that the crying girl with the eating disorders will make for some good drama.

Yeah, Meg was SO ADORABLE. Her plastic surgeon should be suited.

I will certainly check out Horse Power -- Helen would love it! And, tell Ben that Mommy needs to get out! It is time. . . and so much to see, movie-wise.

does LMFD work anymore or is she a full-time commenter on this blog?

Jif/LFMD/Neva "I catch any yous messin' with my stuff and I'll kill ya." Jif, nice 'Stripes' reference. And my mother would be thrilled one of her sons was deemed priest-worthy. I know that it's human nature to bag on celebrities and I plead guilty to making catty/locker-room/whatever comments about certain presenters, etc. LMFD, for the record, I thought Rachel McAdams was freakishly skinny, Jennifer Garner looked heavier than I remember last seeing her, and Tom Hanks looked like an alien. Guilty. I just think you make these comments and move on. My post earlier was my bafflement on the time, thought, and energy that is invested in dissecting the personal lives of people we will never know. The couple snags two huge Oscars on the same night and you guys were sending them to Divorce Court. That is a tough crowd. I love debating movies and performances as much as anyone. I would argue all night about whether Uma was better in the "Kill Bills" than in "Pulp Fiction" or how underrated she was in "Mad Dog and Glory". I could give a shit about her dress color or divorce settlement. My resentment toward US Weekly, People, etc. comes from them turning no-talent ass clowns like Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline into household names. I guess that feeds a larger resentment of mine toward the current American preference/obsession with form over substance (See President, George W.)And, as long as she continues to be as piping-hot as she is now, Jessica Alba will be at every Hollywood awards show/party until further notice. I guess that is life in the bigs. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord-Father Tim

Hey, that was me with the Stripes reference!

You just made the list, buddy.

;-)

jje

Oh. Didn't mean to cause a fuss. But I enjoyed the quality of the writing in this debate. Carry on.

CL! Look what you started! It is like you lit a hand grenade, slowly rolled it into the room, and walked away as the room ignited into flames! Very sly one, you are!