WriterVixen's Open Salon Blog

Twittering the Oscars: Keeping It Real

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 05:03:05 -0500

Kathryn Bigelow and team collecting well-deserved awards for "The Hurt Locker." [Photo: Monica Almeda/The New York Times]

There may have been few surprises in the awards, but there was loads of heart.

Kathryn Bigelow was the dark horse favorite, with The Hurt Locker taking home awards for Best Pictureand her award as the first woman ever to win for Best Director.

She finally (finally!) got to trade in ex-husband James Cameron—who was himself the odds-on favorite for both awards—for an even smaller, far more powerful man with whom her name will now forever be associated. And one who doesn't talk to her. Which made her the big winner of the evening in every conceivable way.

Presenting the Best Director award in a moment destined for Oscar clip history, Barbra Streisand prefaced the announcement with, "Well, the time has come." Babs is the queen of drama—not to be confused with the mere drama-queendom of lesser mortals.

Serving up a boring telecast even by Oscar standards, the real action—and most of the fun—was online where Twitter livened up the show with snarky and insightful commentary:

@kellyoxford So many ex wives feel good right now.

@BorowitzReport Kathryn Bigelow says she got the title "The Hurt Locker" from her marriage to James Cameron.

@rejects "I'm Queen of the World." - The only way Kathryn Bigelow's speech can end.

@jedgarlopez Poor James Cameron, he'll have to cry himself to sleep tonight in his bedsheets made of gold-plated hundred dollar bills.

The best headline came from @newyorkpost: 'Hurt Locker' leaves 'Avatar' Blue; Wins Best Picture.

Seizing the moment, The Women's Media Center—a nonprofit founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem ("Amplifying women's voices. Changing the conversation.")—leveraged Twitter-power for its fundraising. After congratulating Kathryn Bigelow, the organization tweeted:

@womensmediacntr Voice your support for women in film - text WOMEN to 50555 to donate $10 to Women's Media Center

Their message was retweeted by @Janefonda (natch) and dozens of other influencers, reaching hundreds of thousands of potential donors.

From left: Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Kathryn Bigelow, Elizabeth Banks [Photos: The New York Times]

In fashion, the classiest ladies wore silver. Except for the always-appropriate Sandra Bullock, who wore gold to match the guy she took home at the end of the evening.

Sandra Bullick, Pretty in Gold [Photo: The New York Times]

A long-time romcom favorite—and clearly an auditorium favorite—who's never before been nominated, Sandy accepted her Best Actress award for The Blind Side asking, "Did I really earn this, or did I just wear you all down?"

The Twitterverse had its own spin on this heartfelt moment:

@weareyourfek Come to think of it, bittersweet night for Keanu Reeves. His Speed co-star and Point Break director reminded him ... he'll never win an Oscar.

Jeff Bridges, Hollywood's hometown boy and the sentimental favorite to win Best Actor for Crazy Heart after a career filled with nominations and near-misses, didn't disappoint. His award brought the Academy to its feet for a raucous standing-O, and his tribute to his parents, whom he thanked for turning him on to a "groovy profession," had everyone reaching for Kleenex.

Except on Twitter:

@popcornreel This just in: Jeff Bridges has officially broken the record for saying "man" the most times in an Oscar acceptance speech.

@JamieKennedy How many people think jeff bridges smoked a lil medical before his speech...anyone?

@thecarpetbagger Jeff Bridges in press room, reflecting on career, immed makes a Lebowski ref: "Well, ups and downs - as the Dude says, strikes & gutters."

@aliarikan Please say "The Dude Abides." Please say "The Dude Abides." Please say "The Dude Abides."

@ebertchicago The Dude Aboded.

A big #OscarFail goes to the Academy for inexplicably omitting Farrah Fawcett from its memorial tribute. As Roger Ebert tweeted, "They have a whole lot of 'splaining to do."

Vanity Fair's Twitter reporters lent some unexpected perspective to the evening's glamour, a point-of-view usually absent from the pandering print pub:

@vanityfairmag The glamorous red-carpet interviewers spend the broadcast wearing overcoats, watching the show on flat-screens.

@vanityfairmag Shirley MacLaine jokingly asked the doorman, "What are we here for, the Writer's Guild Awards?" Close!

Summing up the awards, Twitterers irreverently nailed the zeigeist:

@tinadupuy The Academy Awards should not hand out Oscars for editing until they learn how to edit the Academy Awards.

@phil_rosenthal How come they don't rush through the Oscar credits like they do on every single movie that ever airs on TV?

@weareyourfek Oprah's about to tell everyone in the audience there's an Oscar under their seat.

Live-blogging Oscar, the biggest Oscar winner was clearly Roger Ebert, who graciously thanked the Academy and also remembered the little people:

@ebertchicago http://twitpic.com/17b5ry - I would like to thank the Academy for getting me 6,575 new followers on twitter. And my drama coach, of course.

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen

The Power of Being You

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 23:02:05 -0500

Remember how your parents and teachers always said, "Just be yourself and you'll be fine"? You probably wished that were true, while shaking your head at getting such bad advice from people who really ought to know better.

One of the keys to personal happiness (and to having fun) is being truly, deeply, flagrantly ourselves. In fact, liberating the best and truest version of ourselves in every moment. The struggle is that we're constantly tempted to adjust who we are—if not sacrifice it altogether—to obtain the approval of others.

This is always a colossal waste of time and energy. Not only is it impossible to please everyone else (or sometimes, to please anyone) but it's a kind of casual self-betrayal that accumulates and accrues over a lifetime.

It's true: The greatest gift we can give ourselves, and the world, is just to relax and be who we are—no negotiation, no regrets. Just be yourself and you'll be fine.

Cindi breaks it down:

I always have to remind myself: You're not just given a good voice. You're not just given the ability to articulate what you feel.

You're also given who you are. And who you are is part of your instrument.

And the people who raise you, they're part of your instrument. And your surroundings are also your gift and your muse.

It took me a long time to realize all of that.

— Cyndi Lauper, 2007, Live . . . at Last

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen

"I Have a Dream": Speaking from the Heart

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:01:45 -0500

Long weekends are awesome. Even when they're rainy, cold and dreary (hello Bay Area!) they still rock.

Martin Luther King is now remembered as much for giving us the first holiday of the new year (don't quibble with me over New Year's Day) as for his humanity. But thanks to the early days of television, we can still witness the passion and conviction that were the hallmarks of his short life.

I'm a collector of fabulous speeches (there aren't many, so don't be too impressed—or, you know, too horrified) and they don't get much better than this one. Dr. King was a master of oratory. In an age where people gas on endlessly about every boring thing, King's "I Have a Dream" speech reminds us of the power of speaking truly, simply, and clearly from the deepest places of our hearts.

It's a true pleasure.

EXCERPT:

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

Happy Martin Luther King Day. ;)

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen

The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:01:38 -0500

Obviously, life's better when we're having fun. So why is it so difficult to remember to just enjoy our daily lives instead of scheduling our fun for the upcoming weekend or that evening out with friends?

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions. But this irresistible, animated vid is so in sync with my own natural philosophy that it's inspired me to create more fun in my life in 2010.

To sum up:

• Be flagrantly yourself! (My favorite principle.)

• Embrace selfishness. (It's a good thing.)

• Break the rules.

• Take chances.

• Lighten up.

• Simplify.

• Slow down.

• Start something.

Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy your weekend. ;)

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen

The TMI Epidemic

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:01:50 -0500

People are always telling me more than I want to know. This happens so frequently that I wonder if my face somehow sets up an expectation of sympathy and understanding that my personality can’t deliver on.

Waiting in line is a particularly hazardous undertaking. The bank, the post office and the grocery store offer endless opportunities to trip a TMI landmine. Like people in movie theaters who forget that they’re not sitting in their living rooms—where they apparently take phone calls during movies and talk back to the screen—something about standing still somehow causes people to forget the concept of social boundaries and prompts them to indiscriminately share their personal lives.

Or maybe it’s just something about standing in proximity to me. Clearly inspired by my utter lack of interest, strangers constantly launch into long-winded stories about their marriages, their relationships, their sex lives (or lack thereof), their aches and pains, their political opinions, their mothers.

Mothers are a favorite topic among oversharers—especially among women of a certain age. Many are apparently burdened with unreasonable mothers whose endless demands exasperate them to distraction. (I’m thinking that if you get to be middle-aged without managing to set appropriate boundaries with your mother, then maybe TMI isn’t your worst problem. But I digress.)

I blame Facebook and Twitter. We live in an era of exhibitionism that encourages oversharing. In a moment of excruciatingly poor judgment, Penelope Trunk tweeted her miscarriage, then later tried to justify it as a discussion about a workplace issue that women deal with. But everyone saw it for what it was: a vulnerable moment made uncomfortably public by easy access to social media. (Stop me before I tweet again!)

I’ve had more than one budding friendship derailed by TMI. Sometimes people feel too comfortable too soon. There’s a rhythm to the evolution of a new relationship—sensitive information requires a context. If we’re on a first date, then your story of bad sex with a crazy ex-girlfriend who stalked you constitutes 95% of everything I know about you.

First-date TMI can be chalked up to jitters, but how to explain the new acquaintance who suddenly veers into intimate details about her marriage? Like taking a wrong turn into a bad neighborhood, a pleasant conversation over a glass of wine unexpectedly morphed into a monologue about the balance of power in her relationship, the state of their finances, and the details of their marriage counseling.

Among other things.

Unable to stop her, I listened to everything with the sinking realization that I would never again be able to chat with her husband without feeling profoundly embarrassed for knowing too much about him.

Or spend time with her without the discomfort of knowing so much more about her than I was willing to reveal about myself to someone whom I barely know.

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen