Golden Girls

You guys, I stayed up for the ENTIRE Golden Globes ceremony last night! I really can't explain how I managed to do that, especially since most of the show was mind-numbingly boring and cloying, but there you go! I think I partially have the hilarious live-tweets to thank for getting me through! (check out my recap from last year, if you're so inclined)

I have a love-hate relationship with awards shows - I kind of like how shallow and over-the-top they are and how everyone looks awkward most of the time (it's entertaining). And it IS nice to see someone who you think is deserving win. But I also hate the awkwardness and shallowness, 99% of the time the jokes and "banter" between the presenters is just terrible (seriously, who writes this crap?), and most of the acceptance speeches are devoid of originality and go on way too long.

But let's be honest - the main reason we all tune in is to see the FASHION! I HATE watching the red carpet (just read this tweet and you will understand what I mean) but I love looking at all the pretty dresses.

Let's start with the good news first, shall we?

My 4 Favourite Looks

Michelle Dockery

I just thought this was very regal and elegant, but also different with the ornate gold top. The styling is perfect too.

Naomi Watts

I absolutely love this deep wine colour! The dress fits her really well - it's form-fitting yet still covered up so it's a bit sexy but still elegant. I also love the neat little train in the back - adds a touch of glamour without going over-the-top.

Claire Danes

Another colour I absolutely adore. Although this dress is quite simple, it is cut really well and it fits her personality. Claire always seems to nail a great, electric colour with a tousled, casual, girl-next-door styling and I think it suits her and how people see her. Plus she just had a baby like a month ago - HELLO?!

Lucy Liu

This is very different and I could see a lot of people hating it, but I really loved it. There are so many monochromatic dresses on the red carpet that it's nice to see a vibrant, lively print for a change. The full skirt and refined print give it an old-fashioned air, but I feel like the acidic colours, fishtail braid and simple jewelry keep it modern and fun. 

And now for the bad news....

My 4 Least-Favourite Looks

Halle Berry

Oh Halle, you are so beautiful - why do you always wear the weirdest clothes? I feel like she tries way too hard. This dress has WAY too much going on - strange print, cut-out hip, super-high leg slit, elastic tube top. This dress looks like it cost $19.99 at Sirens (and the same can be said for most of Halle's wardrobe, imho). KISH (Keep It Simple, Halle).

Jessica Chastain

It PAINS me to put Jessica on this list because I adore her and usually she looks gorgeous, but I just can't deal with this loose top. There were many moments throughout the night where I thought her girls were going to make an appearance, and it's just not flattering. Her whole top half looks droopy and frumpy. I do love the colour and her hair, but the shape is just all wrong on her. I still love, you Jess.

Emily Mortimer

Ok, I officially do not like ANY part of this outfit. She looks like she's wrapped in tinfoil. While I like me some sparkly-ness, this is just too much with the sleeves and the severe high neck that looks like it's choking her. And the sequins look cheap to me and the grey shade is really blah. Plus, there is absolutely NO other styling. Her hair looks like she just ran a comb through it and left, and her black clutch is completely out of place here.

Tina Fey

This is another choice that pains me because I adore Tina as well, and there are things about this that I like. I LOVE her hair - it frames her face beautifully - and I actually don't mind the lacy print and the accessories. However, this reminds me of a bad bridesmaids dress with the white...boob collar (?) on the top. And I'm not sure about the cropped bottom - I feel like it would have been much more elegant in a floor-length style (and more flattering). Not the worst, but definitely not my favourite (Tina looked way hotter in the glittery green halter she wore for the opening of the show).

Other observations:
* Definite trends were all-over glitter and what can best be described as "boob keyholes".
* Many ladies who seemed imprisoned in their dresses (Lena Dunham looked like she might fall over as she left the stage!) - they did not look comfortable or like they could even move. At all. Weird.
* Most people looked very unimpressed in general (Tommy Lee Jones looked like he was going to beat up Jennifer Lawrence for her Meryl comment!).
* A lot of things won that I have never heard of (Game Change), don't get the hype for (Homeland), and there was a clear obsession with American politics permeating it all (Lincoln, Game Change, Homeland, Zero Dark Thirty, Bill Clinton presenting).

Highlights for me were:
* Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell presenting together (they were hilarious and they NEED to host next year!!)
* Tina and Amy inserting themselves into the audience in weird costumes and Amy canoodling with George Clooney
* Adele high-fiveing Bond
* Jodie Foster's acceptance speech (the first part did not make sense to me, but her comments about her mother were so touching and poetic - did she make that up on the spot?! If so, wow)
* Tina and Amy referring to Bill Clinton as "Hilary's husband"
* Ben Affleck's TWO wins (for Directing and Best Drama - take THAT Oscars!!).

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a bunch of movies to see before the Oscars!

Did you watch this year? What were the best/worst moments for you? Did any dresses, presenters or winners stand out for you?

girl crush

Just when I thought I couldn't have more of a girl crush on Emma Stone, she went and pulled this out of her hat at Sunday's Oscars:

(forgive the crappy quality - it's the best I could find)  

This cracked me up, which was refreshing since (frankly) I found most of the show to be quite boring and awkward. I love that she made fun of Ben and (arguably) Anne Hathaway's fake over-enthusiasm at last year's ceremony but in a very goofy and non-threatening way. This routine really injected some much-needed fun and silliness into the broadcast and I am thankful to her (and Ben) for that. 

I have had a little girl crush on Emma since I saw her in Superbad (that glossy hair! Jealous!), but that crush has only grown watching her career take off the past couple of years. 

For one thing, she is gorgeous but not intimidatingly so - I could see myself sitting next to her in class or something (could you see yourself sitting next to someone like Angelina Jolie in class? Yeah, don't think so. She would burn little holes into the side of your head if she ever lowered herself to turn and look at you). I also have a mild obsession with redheads because I have a secret wish to have natural ginger hair. So much more exciting and vibrant than boring brown (don't we all want what we weren't born with, ladies?):

I mean, look at the colour! So vibrant and rich!

Aside from her looks, her personality is just so approachable - she seems like someone you would want to be friends with. She seems like the kind of person who would sit up until the wee hours listening to you blab on about your boy troubles and would say exactly what you want to hear - good advice but sugarcoated just enough to still be "on your side". She seems REAL. Genuine.

At the same time, I get the sense that she is someone who would always be up for a good time. She would likely spontaneously drag you out dancing just to make you feel better about a breakup. I'm sure she would spend an hour curling your hair just the way you want it and would let you borrow her new leather boots so you feel extra sexy. I bet she would make you laugh your guts out by making entertaining, sarcastic comments about everyone in the bar and would be the last one on the dance floor with you. She would also protect you from creepers - an essential quality for a bff (trust me, I know from experience).

She remains poised and down-to-earth although she is smack-dab in the middle of the Hollywood "machine", all the while appearing as though she finds it all rather amusing (and some of it silly). She gives off the vibe that she is just enjoying the ride.

She and I need to go shopping.

Besides, she made out with Ryan Gosling! If we were friends, she could tell me all about it and I could live vicariously (until he comes a-knocking on my door, of course...one day).

Do you have a celebrity "girl crush"? What is it about her that makes you love her so much? 

golden year

Ok, so I realize everyone and their dog (AND their grandma, I'm sure) is posting about the Golden Globes today and I'm not normally a bandwagon-jumper, but I can't help it - it's so easy to get sucked in by the glamour of it all.

It was fun to live-tweet the red carpet arrivals and to read everyone's real-time reactions to the outfits - fashion is SO polarizing! For example, I sort of liked Sarah Michelle Gellar's dress (I'm a sucker for an artistic print, although I could do without the duvet pouf at the thigh/hip), but it seems like everyone else on the interwebs hated it.

Anyway, instead of going on and on about what I liked and disliked about each look, I figured it made more sense to narrow it down to my Top 3:

 

#1 Emma Stone in Lanvin - I love the colours of this dress, the slight military influence with the jeweled epaulettes and eagle belt, and the breezy bottom.

 

#2 Charlize Theron in Dior -  What I really loved about her look was the styling - I love her 20's style hair-do and sparkly headband, as well as the simple shoes and clutch. The plunging neckline and high leg slit keep the giant thigh-bow from overwhelming her.

#3 Diana Agron in Giles Deacon - I LOVE the colour of this dress (even though she matches the carpet) and the top of laser-cut swans is beautiful. I can't imagine how many hours it took to make this top! I think her red lip and simple hair really go well with the dress. 

Honorable mentions go to Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon who both looked smokin' (I seriously said "Damn!!" about both when they walked out on the red carpet - you can ask my cat, she was there). I would give supporting nods (see what I did there?) to Julianne Moore's divine green earrings, Heidi Klum's turquoise necklace, and Tilda Swinton's icy blond fauxhawk (she has such an amazing look - very patrician yet alien at the same time).

And I know people hate on Ricky Gervais (my mom wouldn't watch the show specifically because she didn't want to see him) but I thought he was funny! I can see why you would either love or hate his sense of humour because it is a bit weird, but personally I love that he makes fun of all the celebs (you can read for yourself here). However, you could tell that the HFP Assoc reigned him in as much as they could this year because you barely saw him after his opening monologue! At one point I was willing him to appear and tell more jokes because I was so bored. 

I would say I probably watch more for the fashion than the actual awards, but I was really excited to see The Artist pick up three trophies - I saw that last month and it was one of my favourites all year. It's completely charming and so refreshingly different than anything in the theatres nowadays that it was a pleasure to watch. If nothing else, you should go to see the adorable and intelligent little dog (named Uggie) that plays a supporting role. 

Ummm HELLO?! Behold the cuteness

 Another win I was excited about was Octavia Spencer for The Help - I absolutely loved this book AND the movie (which almost never happens) and a bit part of the reason for that was her character. She was just wonderful, so this award was well-deserved.

Fav acceptance speeches include Christopher Plummer (I love him so much, and love that he's still making wonderful movies into his late 80's! He paid his wife - who is gorgeous btw - a beautiful compliment), Michelle Williams (who seems like such a sweetheart, albeit very timid), and the producer (I think?) of The Artist who told a story of a man who won an Oscar for a short film in the 60's but was not able to afford a ticket to the ceremony to accept it - turns out he was talking about his father, who is no longer with us (tear-jerker!).

Ok, ok so award shows can be incredibly over-the-top, long and boring, and narcissistic but it's kind of fun to escape into a glamorous netherworld of beautiful people for a few hours once in a while.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have like a MILLION shows and movies to catch up on before the Oscars (I thought I was pretty up to date but I realized last night I have yet to see many of the main noms! Thank goodness for movie passes!).

What did you think of the show? Do you have a favourite dress or moment?

Make Em Laugh

One of the things I try not to do in my life is take myself too seriously. In fact, I don't think anyone should take themselves too seriously. Obviously there are times for seriousness (of course), but I just think it's crazy to take anything or anyone TOO seriously.

We are all human. We all make mistakes. We all stick our feet in our mouths and embarass ourselves and make bad decisions. We all have faults. That's a part of life and we have no control over it, so it's important to not dwell on such things - to work on them, but also accept the things we can't change or control and be able to move on.

Some of you may have heard that the host of this year's GG's, Ricky Gervais, was on Piers Morgan's talk show last week defending the jokes/monologues he performed on the show. I say "defending" because it appears many people complained that some of these jokes were in bad taste (including my mother), and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association went so far as to call his remarks "unacceptable". Many felt that Gervais was "mocking" the stars and their various personal problems.

Considering I watched the entire telecast, I can say with authority that, yes he was "mocking" the stars and some of his remarks did shock me a bit. But I didn't once think "wow, that's going too far". I actually thought he did a good job and I enjoyed his jibes at the celebrities' expense. You could almost feel them squirm at some points and (for some reason) I found that amusing. I guess I thought it was refreshing that he didn't hold back and "sugar-coat" his comments. I'm sure that sugar-coating would have been preferable for the stars and the producers, but it sure would have been more boring. As many people have commented, he was telling the jokes for the audience watching at home, not the people in the room. So, I suppose (as a viewer) at home, I appreciated that.

Ok, I could see how some of his comments could be seen as offensive. But here's my take on it: LIGHTEN UP!! Remember when I said you shouldn't take yourselves too seriously? Well, I'm talking to you actors! First of all, you're not perfect or superhuman; you are not "above" scrutiny. Second of all, the GG's are often described as an "informal" awards show where attendees can relax, so for a so-called "laid-back" event, the atmosphere was rather uptight. Thirdly, you are mocked on a daily basis in tabloids, on entertainment shows and blogs, and other online forums, so shouldn't you have developed thicker skin by now? I guess it's ok when there is some distance between it and you, but when the barbs are flying directly into your face they must pierce a little more sharply. Fourth, you make like a bajillion-kajillion dollars a year and can basically do whatever the hell you want, so quit whining! Besides, you are pretty easy targets for mocking when you think about it, because lets be honest here, some of you make some pretty stupid choices in spite of the fact that you can (as I mentioned) do whatever the hell you want and are AWARE that your every move is being watched.

I would also like to remind you (actors and Hollywood Foreign Press Association - whoever you are) that Gervais is a comedian - that's his profession - and comedians are hired to TELL JOKES. And most comedians have a reputation that precedes them (i.e. they tell a certain kind of joke). What did the producers think he was going to do when he got up on the stage, make balloon animals?
I would also like to remind you (stars) that, whether you are used to it or not, the jokes that were directed at you last week were jokes that have been trotted out about you many times before. The joke about Robert Downey Jr. being of LA County Jail/rehab fame is not new! You would have to have lived under a rock for the past 15 years to not know about his checkered past. So, why all of a sudden is it SO taboo to refer to it?
Besides, look at what he's done with his life since! He's completely resurrected his career and has earned an enormous amount of respect from the public and fellow actors (I seriously have never heard anyone say they aren't a fan of his). Ironically, the comments made about him were some of the more offensive ones of the night and yet he seemed to not be bothered by them in the least. I guess once you get made fun of for being a drug addict and criminal enough times, you just learn to take it with a smile. And this may be news to you, stars, but generally the public will like you more if you are self-deprecating and humble (for me, this is actually part of the appeal of RDJr...though it does help that he's yummy).

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that I think those that made a stink about Gervais' jokes need to lighten up and stop taking themselves so seriously. And there are many people I've met in my everyday life that I'd like to say these words to as well. Just relax, people! Learn to take a joke. In my experience, most people that poke fun at you are either A) genuinely kidding and don't mean any offense whatsoever, or B) are just trying to get a rise out of you. So, either way, moaning and groaning about it won't help you. The best solution is just to roll with it. I'm willing to bet both kinds of people will have more respect for you if you do.

Trust me, I've done and said some incredibly stupid things in my life, but guess what - so has everyone! NO ONE is immune to stupidity. And it's only natural to feel embarassed and silly in the moment - I have felt incredibly embarassed and stupid at times, so much so that I've hidden in bathroom stalls and bawled. And I'm sure I will again. But I take solace in the fact that, even though I feel embarassed now, I will laugh my ass off about it later.

Idiot Box

Confession: I watch a lot of tv.

However, I don't really watch awards shows. I try to catch at least most of the biggies - the Oscars and Golden Globes, plus the Tony's can be fun to watch as well at times - but for the most part I find them WAY too long and overdone.

Confession #2: I was kind of excited to hear this year's Emmy nominations. Well, mainly I was excited to hear that Glee is nominated for 19 AWARDS! Glee is one of my new favourite shows that I've been following this year, so for it to get that many noms is great! I think it's one of the most clever, funny shows out there today and it really pushes the envelope in terms of its dialogue and no-holds-barred portrayal of high school life (and how shitty it can be at times. You feel me, fellow former [non-popular] teens?).

Matthew Morrison (humina humina) is nominated for best actor in a comedy, which is great even though (confession time again) I think Sue Sylvester is actually my favourite character (please let Jane Lynch win for Supporting Actress). Speaking of BAIC (Best Actor in a Comedy), I'm also happy to see that Jim Parsons is nominated for his role as Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory. BBT isn't something I watch religiously, but I'll catch it here and there and it's always hilarious. Sheldon is really the best part of the show. He's just so darn wierd and socially awkward!

I find it rather funny that Larry David is nominated for playing "himself". That's rather ironic, dontcha think? I want his job - newsflash Larry: I play myself on a daily basis and I sure as hell don't get money and awards for it!

Another "like" is True Blood and Dexter noms for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series - these are two more shows (in addition to Glee) where the casts really make the show. Two personal favs are Michael C. Hall as Dexter himself (holy crap I can't wait to see what happens to him next year - if you follow the show, you know what I'm talking about) and Ryan Kwanten (omgyummyrockhardabs) and Nelsan Ellis (hooker, please!) on True Blood. They just crack me up! And John Lithgow totally deserves the Outstanding Guest Actor trophy for his role as the Trinity Killer/Arthur on Dexter - he was a crazy mix of spine-tingling creepiness and a kind of lost sadness. I believe he won the Golden Globe this year...

I rented the first season of United States of Tara (man, HBO and Showtime just have the BEST shows) a little while ago and rather enjoyed it, so can totally agree with their Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series nod (though it's rather black comedy). Toni Collette - call me! (she should be a shoe-in for Outstanding Lead Actress for what she does with this character).

It's very interesting to see some new very 21st century categories, like that of Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media (for Fiction and Non-fiction), which heralds web and social media promotion used by various tv shows and specials. Signs of the times.

So, even though I'm not a fan of awards shows, I'll probably tune into this one to cheer on my favourite shows, since I have so many of them and so many of them are up for such great awards! Sure, there is a whole lotta braincell-sucking drivel on tv today, but there is also a whole ton of shows that are edgy, witty, stylish and have a lot to say about various issues of our time and ourselves as human beings, whether in a serious or satirical manner.

Did I mention Jimmy Fallon is hosting? This makes me very happy considering I pretty much want to marry him and make out with him heavily in a broom closet all at the same time.

But if Mad Men doesn't win, like, ALL of the style awards, I swear to God I'll have to boycott the Emmy's for LIFE!

Tune in August 29th - if for no other reason than to see the gorgeous and/or hideous fashions!