Monday news
Today is the 28th of March, 2022. Finally entertainment: the Oscar, dresses and yesterday’s visuals.
Finally I can report on news that has no or little political background - The Oscar 2022. What a show I slept over! So many things happened there for the first time, including the strange fashion choices. But let’s start with the most discussed part...
Will Smith’s slap
That was the main event last night, all the rest was just a nice background. Chris Rock made an awkward joke about Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith came up to the stage and slapped the man. Then asked him quite roughly not to talk about his wife. I don’t want to get into the details, those are all over the media - from Dazed to the New York Times. Check it for yourself.
Most of the people who didn’t follow the private life of Jada didn’t understand why the reaction was as it was. So here’s the explanation: Jada was losing hair because of the disease, she came up on her social media about it in 2018 and she shaved her hair for that reason. Chris Rock compared her look to Demi Moore’s in G.I. Jane, saying that he was expecting the sequel. Did he know? Or was he disrespectful? Stupid? I don’t know. Mean joke in any case. Was it bad enough to deserve the public slap at the Oscars? I guess it’s personal choice, but the stopping factor wasn’t in motion. That leads me to another observation.
The best or the worst?
Someone thought the ceremony is still about nominations for the best films, performances, music, scenarios and all sorts of parts of the film production of the year. Come on! Let’s be honest, for a very long time it’s not. And the public interest is so long gone that even participants don’t really understand what exactly is the value of those golden statues right now. Do they really need those?
I don’t think that in 10 years something like that could happen. The whole spirit of the show was like that’s the place where people enter to become legends. Now? A little circle gathering to talk, show themselves, standwall memories and photos. Not a birthday party but not a movie premier either… Something in between. Film industry corporate event.
Look at the clothes. Do we forget that that’s one of the few opportunities to respect the “black tie” dress code? Or at least make it a show, not just something lousy and lazy.
Like “Hi, everyone! I was passing by, and came to say “hello”. - “That’s ok! We’re glad you made it. Everything is easy this year”.
Here’s Dazed and Confused coverage: “Everyone looked fine at the Oscars” and The New York Times. The most controversially dressed were Kristen Stewart in Chanel everything and Timotee Chalamet in Louis Vuitton, the upper part - from the women’s collection. That detail could be a spicy one but the shirtless pale body under the suit looked just sad. But the saddest (maybe that was a tribute to Ukraine, I don’t know) was Billie Eilish in Gucci.
Among the fashion heroes that night was Jada Pinkett Smith in a Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture gown designed by Glenn Martens. She looked great, but felt the opposite. “How’s the dress, Jada?”, asked a reporter, and she replied without a shade of smile: “This is cardio for sure”.
First time ever
So I have again the question about the purpose of the event. Why does the general public watch the Oscars? Not for the films, it’s obvious. I believe we watch the ceremony for the jokes and uncomfortable scenes, not even to argue about the choices the academy made, because everything is predictable. So let’s look at the show.
This time it started with the enormous amount of the hosts and incredibly low numbers of viewers of the nominees. And if we consider that streaming platforms were presented as largely as the theatrical movies, the numbers are alarming. For example, Netflix’s winner “The Power of the Dog” had only a few million views on the platform. And another streamline winner but from Apple+ “CODA” - a hilarious 375K viewers.
Jane Campion won in the category with her “The Power of the Dog”. The only win for the most nominated film of the year, the second time for Campion (in 1994 was “The Piano”) and for the first time a woman got second award in the nomination.
“Dune” got six Oscars. “Encanto” was named best animated film. The best actor went to Will Smith for “King Richard”, the best actress - to Jessica Chastain for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” First time for the latter.
Ariana DeBose became the first queer woman of color to win the best supporting Oscar for playing Anita in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” And she’s the second Latina to receive an acting Oscar. Previous was Rita Moreno, who won it in 1962 for the same role but in the original film.
Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man in academy history to win an Oscar for acting. For the first time a Japanese movie “Drive My Car” was nominated in three categories including the best international film. But won only the latter. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, who directed the film, was unceremoniously cut off by the “play off” music while giving his speech twice. Don’t remember anything like that happened before. Is it for the first time?
Kenneth Branagh won his first Oscar for his “Belfast” original screenplay; Sian Heder won for her adapted “CODA” screenplay.
For the first time political agenda was staged thoroughly: Mila Kunis said a couple of words, after all the main standups warmed the public. The academy acknowledged Ukraine with a couple minutes of silence.
And for the first time the most “boring” nominations were removed from the televised version, but the academy said the winners' speeches will incorporate them into the final show. Altogether eight nominations, including for shorts, scenography, makeup and montage. Who said that all the professionals are equally important and appreciated? Non-acting public was disappointed of course.
P.S.
I remember on the first lecture on Western world history in my University my professor said:
“The Oscars are the symbol of the American tolerance culture. Among the winners will be Black person, a woman, an invalide and an LGBT representative, but if it’s 4-in-1 - the prize is granted”.
He referred to the film's stories. But now everything is literal. Does it make the competition more fair? It surely wasn’t convincing for the audience this year. There were quite good movies to watch and to value higher as well as the acting.
A digest from my Instagram for March 27th, 2022
9.00am zakharova_kaetano Good morning 🌞 How are you today? #haveagoodday Here’s @nadiia_shnaider #dronevideography for #morninginspiration and #meditationmood #morningmood#goodmorningpost
11.45pm zakharova_kaetano #nightmood #fashionportrait #artofportrait@elena.tavares “Le Spectre de la rose’’ work for @dayvera Stylist: Carmen Corella FloralStylist: @elena.tavares MUA/Hair: @maracorella. Dancer: @airiairi_f @juanmontobbio #artofphotography#beautyofcostume #balletphotography #fairytaletime
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I have been enjoying your post from Florida. It feels more inline with our generation and what we are all going through. The world feels pretty F’d but we keep pushing along. Wishing you all the best and thank you for your posts.