Oscars ‘10

There are SO MANY reasons to be excited for The Hurt Locker winning SO MANY awards last night, including Best Picture. First, it’s a GREAT film.  Second, it’s one of the only nominated films I was able to squeeze into a Friday night this year, so I was rooting for it all the way.  Third, the movie is so amazingly shot and directed that it feels like a documentary.  Finally, the many strong performances, led by Jeremy Renner, were honest and captivating. 

I know Jeremy will be getting film offers left and right.  He’s a super talented (not to mention good looking) leading man.  I read he was romancing Jessica Simpson at a pre-Oscar bash and I think that would be great.  (No matter what you think of Jessica, she definitely needs to find a good man.)

History was also made last night.  It was the first time a female director won the Best Director honor, so that was doubly awesome for The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow.  She looked really nervous and truly surprised.  I can’t wait to see what she does next.

I have to mention Sandra Bullock winning Best Actress for The Blind Side.  I loved that her acceptance speech was equally touching and heartfelt as it was cute and witty.  Her husband looked so proud.

Another highlight of the evening was this tribute to the late director John Hughes.  It was so cool to see many members of the original “Brat Pack” on stage to talk about their experiences with the director.  This clip reel of his work really made me remember his many iconic films from the 1980’s that were so REAL and filled with such SOUL.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did a C+ job as our hosts for the LONG evening.  I will always love Steve Martin.  He’s such a likable Dad from films like Father of the Bride and Parenthood.  I just don’t GET 30 Rock (Sorry!), so it’s hard for me to rally around Alec Baldwin.  I just think of him as the crazy Dad yelling at his daughter on the phone.

Finally, can I PLEASE LOOK LIKE THIS when I’m her age??  Or, right now even?  She looked GORGEOUS and was the best dressed of the night.

Everything Comes in Threes

The past THREE days have consisted of THREE things that I’ve been SO wanting to write about:

A. Our big MOVE
B. The 2010 GRAMMY’s and
C. My BIRTHDAY

Because of THE MOVE, I have not been able to FIND my laptop amdist the sea of boxes and dirty laundry and Sesame Street paper plates.  But now I’m back to a semi-normal state in our brand new digs, so here’s a QUICK update.  (The final season premiere of LOST is tonight, okay?)

THE MOVE:

Our landlady kicked us out so we had to find a new place to live and FAST.  This all happened right after our Christmas vacation (Happy New Year! Yeah, right).  But it’s actually been a great blessing in disguise.  I personally don’t really mind moving because I’ve done it A LOT and it also gets me a chance to dig into my inner Hoarders fantasy of tossing out all this random stuff.  I get such a sweet satisfaction when I throw out bags of old junk and garage pilings.   Not that my house looked like an episode of Hoarders, mind you.  Quite the opposite.  It’s the OCD side of me.  Just ask my husband.

We found a bigger, nicer, and CHEAPER place to live that is close to Bean’s preschool and the mall.  What more could I want?  It was a little sad to move out of the house where Bean grew up and Annabel was born, but we’re excited for our brand new “home sweet home.”

THE 2010 GRAMMY’S:

The 2010 Grammy Awards were really great this year.  Lady Gaga opening the show with Elton John.  Pink continuing to swing around in the air and SING at the SAME TIME.  Taylor Swift looking cute while winning a bunch of gold awards.  But I really want to point out Beyoncé.  She is super talented and classy. I love that she is amazingly successful and married to the also amazingly successful Jay-Z. Yet they have no DRAMA.  No paparazzi scandal photos.  No stories in the entertainment gossip magazines.  They are just a  talented couple.  And Beyoncé had a really strong performance Sunday night.  You go, girl.

MY BIRTHDAY:

I hate surprises and I was totally surprised, BIG TIME, on my birthday.  In a GOOD way.  My hubbie took the day off work and did not tell me.  I woke up at 5:30 AM SCREAMING at him to “Wake UP!  You are SO LATE!  AHHHHHH!” and he just rolled over and said “SURPRISE!”  That was GOOD.  He made an awesome French Toast with Berries breakfast. He took care of the kiddies ALL DAY LONG. He sent me to the spa for a massage and facial. Oh, and he gave me THIS!

Yes, it’s a RECORD PLAYER.  AWESOME.  I have saved all of my albums and 45’s since the 1980’s and it’s been so much fun to unpack all day long while listening to these great songs on a RECORD PLAYER.  Maybe it’s just me, but I love it so.  Oh, and the grand finale to my birthday?  I’m seeing John Mayer in concert Saturday night.  Yep, it was a pretty darn good birthday this year.

Sandra Bullock: One Step Closer to Oscar

I just LOVE this acceptance speech by Sandra Bullock. It was the highlight of the 2010 SAG Awards.

Golden Globes 2010

A few things on my mind after watching the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards last night…the first awards ceremony of the year!

1. Yay Glee! (Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical)

2. I NEVER wanted to see Avatar - until now.  I was not interested in a long, science fiction movie with blue people.  But after James Cameron was a guest on The Oprah Show on Friday, he changed my mind.  Well, okay, OPRAH changed my mind.  She went nuts over the film.  And now that it just won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama, I’m making plans to see it. 

3. How cute are Drew Barrymore and Justin Long?  At first it seemed like such a weird match to have one of Hollywood’s power players dating Warren Cheswick from Ed. But now it seems…nice.  Drew looked AMAZING in her champagne colored Versace gown and I was so happy she won the Golden Globe for Grey Gardens.  I remember watching the HBO movie one lazy, rainy afternoon while the kiddies were napping.  The 2 hours just flew by.  I was mesmerized by the film and Drew’s performance.

4. How cute are Sandra Bullock and Jesse James?  Again, they seem like an unlikely couple that just works.  She has really paid her dues in Hollywood so it was great to see her win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.  I need to see The Blind Side now too.

5. The Hangover won for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.  This movie has received SO MUCH HYPE.  I couldn’t even get Netflix to send it to me because of the “very long wait.”  Hubbie and I had to buy it on pay-per-view last week so I could finally see it.  CONFESSION: It was just…alright.

6.  Meryl Streep = Great Actress and Class Act.

There were many movies and TV shows that won last night that I have not seen.  I consider myself pretty darn savvy when it comes to TV shows and movies, but every time I watch these award shows I once again realize there is so much that I DON’T watch.  I did see The Good Wife and thought  Julianna Margulies was really great, but then I just gave up.  I love The Office, Hung, Cougar Town.  All were nominated, but none of them won. I have seen 30 Rock. I know I’m in the minority here, but I just don’t get it.

Finally, on a fun note, I hope the rumors are true.  They would make a super hot couple.

People’s Choice Awards 2010

Things I Am NOT Thankful For…

1. Adam Lambert’s crazy performance at the American Music Awards on Sunday.  I wanted to do a recap of the entire awards show, but the only thing I keep thinking about is Adam and his many bumps, grinds, and that KISS.  Okay, I get it.  That was the POINT.  He WANTED the water cooler talk the next day.  (Adam has arrived!  Woo-Hoo!)  But I just thought it was too much, too soon.  I LIKE Adam.  I’ve written about it here and here and here.  I was excited for his post-Idol career.   I guess I was just expecting to see the Adam I fell in love with on American Idol. But he showed his true colors at the AMAs.   I’m sure he’s fine with the fact that he’s now alienated his core American Idol audience of soccer moms.  Well, that’s me.  Bummer.

2. Oprah leaving her talk show in 2011. I already wrote about it here.

3. The series finale of Jon & Kate Plus 8 last night.  I really thought Kate looked great and Jon looked relieved.  I’ve watched this series since day one and it is just so sad to see it end this way.  A broken marriage, tons of tabloid scandals, and bitterness.  At the end of the day, I just hope those eight adorable kids are happy.

4. Entertainment magazines, websites, and television shows that do those ”Celebrities Without Makeup” or “Celebrities and Cellulite” pieces.  Just…MEAN. 

5. And, finally, the fact that I am about to consume a bazillion calories in T-minus two days and counting.  (But, oh, it will hurt so good.)

The Year of Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift was named Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Awards last week and that pretty much said it all.  She truly is the Entertainer of the Year. 

She is the face of country music. She is the face of pop music.  Best of all, she is the face of teen celebrity and that is a sigh of relief for many moms of young girls right now.  She is a great role model.   She is a talented artist who writes her own music, plays the guitar, and sings.  (She doesn’t just dance and lip sync around the stage in tight clothes.) She twitters and really appreciates her young fans.   She likes her parents and has a great relationship with her mom who is always with her at press events and appearances.  She is not drinking underage or hanging out all night at dance clubs.  She  also showed us that she has a wicked sense of humor with this fun opening monologue on Saturday Night Live.

I opened the mailbox today to find her staring at me (in 3-D!) as the cover girl on InStyle Magazine.  She looks gorgeous and glamorous and, might I add, age appropriate.  I especially love that she is super tall (5′11″) and has curly hair (”I love it when girls rock curly hair!” she says in InStyle)  just like my baby girl Annabel.  The article confirms again that she doesn’t drink or smoke and that her answers to questions “come out in long, perfectly formed sentences mostly free of ‘ums,’ ‘likes,’ or slang.”  I pray she understands how important it is to be a great role model.  I hope she remains untainted by all her fame and fortune.

Taylor will also make an appearance in the new romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day” which opens nationwide February 12th. It’s from the director of “Pretty Woman” and stars a megawatt cast of A-listers including Julia Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, and Jessica Biel.  But the only buzz I’ve read about this movie so far is that Taylor Swift kisses that boy from the “Twilight” movie. (!) 

This truly is the Year of Taylor Swift.,

Emmy Awards ‘09

I LOVE television.  I watch A LOT of television shows. Every year I watch the Emmy Awards. Then I realize that there are so many television shows that I DON’T watch.

(Before I get into that, let me say that Neil Patrick Harris from How I Met Your Mother (and Doogie Howser, M.D. !) ROCKED as the Emmy host.  He is funny, cute, and charming and should just host EVERY awards show.  Ha.)

So back to the television shows that I don’t watch.

Maybe I should be watching 30 Rock (Winner, Best Comedy Series)?  I did give it a try a couple of times last season but I just could not get into it.  Tina Fey seems like a fun gal, but the show is not The Office.  None of The Office nominees won, but John Krasinski (Jim!) looked so darn cute, so that was enough for me.

Maybe I should be watching Mad Men (Winner, Best Drama Series)?  This one I will give you.  It looks really cool and I should start the TIVO now.  The men are cute, the women are fashionable, and this show always wins tons of awards. 

Maybe I should be watching Breaking Bad, Damages, or United States Of Tara?  They all won awards last night. But excuse me, what are these shows?  I know that cable programming is getting more front and center attention, but I just have zero interest in these shows.   I have not even heard of them. I also don’t have time to TIVO any new shows. (I already need to make room for Mad Men now!)

John Cryer won Best Supporting Actor for Two And A Half Men. That was cool.  It’s great to see Duckie from Pretty in Pink come out ahead after all these years!

I am a huge reality show fan.  Amazing Race won for Best Reality Show.  It really is an incredible show.  It must take hundreds of behind-the-scene experts to pull off this globe trotting competition.  But I was hoping Ryan Seacrest from American Idol would win Best Reality Show host.  He deserves it.  He is the face of AI.  (Jeff Probst won for Survivor.) And, of course, I love Top Chef so I was glad it was (at least) nominated.

Heidi Klum from Project Runway was also nominated for Best Reality Show Host.  She lost, but man, she WON for looking amazing at almost 9 months preggers.  You go girl!

MTV VMAs ‘09

So I’m sure this will be the moment we all remember most from this year’s MTV Video Music Awards: 

Kanye West walked up and snatched the microphone right out of Taylor Swift’s hands during her acceptance speech for Best Female Video for her awesome song, “You Belong With Me.”  He proceeded to talk about how Beyoncé should have won the award instead.  He left Taylor Swift standing there just shocked and confused.  The worst part of it all is that every entertainment news outlet is still talking about Kanye’s rude moment and that is probably exactly what he wanted.  Taylor was a class act, of course.  She didn’t make a fuss at all and it was INCREDIBLY classy of Beyoncé to bring Taylor back to the stage to finish her acceptance speech.  Beyoncé won Video of the Year for “Single Ladies” and rather than use the time herself, she handed it all over to Taylor. Girl Power!

I loved Madonna’s opening of the show.  Her tribute to the late Michael Jackson was poignant and heartfelt.  She really dug in the fact that we all just kinda forgot about MJ until his death.  She reminded us again that he was definitely ”one of the greatest talents the world has every known.” Janet then performed the song “Scream” while dancing along to the video she had created with her brother almost 15 years ago.  She was strong and powerful and it was a touching moment.

Lady Gaga can crank out the hits but, man, is she weird.  She had some crazy costume changes, Kermit the Frog as her date, and a performance that ended with her bloody and hanging from the ceiling.  In the future, I’d prefer to just listen to the fun Lady Gaga songs on the radio and ignore all the rest of her.

And let’s talk about Beyoncé’s leotard she wore during her “Single Ladies” performance.  She looked GREAT, but I felt a little uncomfortable watching her thrust and knee bend in that thing.  Overall, the performance was amazing with all her backup females dancing the steps to the most popular video of the year.  It was some awesome eye candy.

I have to end with Pink.  That girl can SING.  And she SANG while performing on a trapeze high above the VMA stage.  It was so incredible to watch. I was holding my breath for most of it.  She definitely pulled it off and it was my favorite performance of the evening.  Plus, she was the first celebrity to hit Twitter after the Taylor Swift/Kanye West deal. She called Kanye a piece of “you know what” and told all her Twitter fans to “pass it on.”  Love her.

PS - It took me an hour and a half to figure out how to put that fun accent over  Beyoncé’s name!  Ha. I’m committed.

Teen Choice Awards ‘09

Here are some observations about the 2009 Teen Choice Awards on FOX - from my (Pop) mommy perspective:

*I would be totally cool if Annabel loved The Jonas Brothers.  They are ‘clean cut’ and cute. Oh, AND talented. Okay, fine, I’ll be honest.  I like the Jonas Brothers.  (Plus, I really love that they always give their mom some major props.)

*I consider myself really hip about pop culture, but I did find myself saying “Who is THAT girl?” or “Who is THAT guy?” A LOT. (I guess because I don’t watch The Disney Channel. Oh, and I’m not a TEEN.)

*I thought it was so funny that Ellen won the TEEN choice award for best twitter. She is 51 years old.  I guess she just crosses all the boundaries.  Amazing.

*Zac Efron is cute - no denying it.  He also seems like a great guy.  He won for 17 Againwhich was a really good flick that both me and my hubbie enjoyed.  Plus, he definitely gets points for standing by his girlfriend, Vanessa Hudgens, through all the “controversy.”

*It was great to see the teen cast from Glee.  I can’t wait for the series premiere next month!

*I LOVE Gossip Girl.  It’s just so entertaining. (But I would FREAK OUT if my son or daughter acted like any of those kids on the show.)  Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass!) won for best TV villain.  He is awesome and it was so weird to hear him talk in his (real life) British accent.

*I really think Miley Cyrus is talented, but her reputation has been ruined a bit from some of her poor choices in the past.  It’s really unfortunate.  Hopefully she has learned from it all and her teen girl fans have also learned from it too.

*I LOVE that new Black Eyed Peas song “I Got A Feeling.”  They rocked it out.

*Britney won an Ultimate Choice award and she looked really happy.  She was really short and sweet with her acceptance speech which was good.  Hopefully, she’s moving forward on a healthy path.

*Finally, I just put Twilight in my Netflix queue because I can not stand to be ignorant about this movie or the young actors anymore!  Twilight won the most Teen Choice awards of the night, so I am officially intrigued and jumping on the bandwagon.

On a final note: There was a commercial that ran about an ”Octomom” documentary that airs next Wednesday on FOX.  So I have to go and put that one in my TIVO right now…

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