Tomorrow night you’ll pop your popcorn and plop down on the couch to see yet another award show. The Oscars. The Academy Awards. The best of the best in award shows. (Or at least they seem to think so.) But with all the hype surrounding award shows lately I can’t help but think a regular night at the Oscars might not hold up that well against some of the drama we’ve had surrounding our award shows lately.

Embarrassed celebrities?
Outraged actors?

How can the Oscars compete with that? Well, I have a few ideas…

1. Get Ricky Gervais to host. I know James Franco and Anne Hathaway already have this gig covered but I think it would be great if Ricky Gervais at least got the chance to speak. I mean the man’s been a social pariah since the Golden Globes and I think it’s time he and Hollywood bury the hatchet. Sure, the celebs may not be ready for another round of Ricky’s hard hitting humor but I most definitely am. These celebs need to learn to take a joke and the only way they’re going to get a thicker skin is if they’re exposed to the abuse over and over again. What…too harsh?

2. Someone needs to pull a Kanye. I think it would work best if this were to take place during the winner of Best Picture’s acceptance speech. Let’s say The Social Network wins. Someone should step up just as Scott Rudin is thanking the academy and declare that they’re going to let him finish but Inception is the best film of all time, and could Christopher Nolan please tell him if the whole thing was a dream or not now? Because it’s been driving him crazy for months and he needs answers! And so do I.

3. Natalie Portman should have a “wardrobe malfunction.” Similar to Janet Jackson’s at the Super Bowl back in the day. She played a ballerina in Black Swan, right? Just have her do a couple of pirouette’s here and there around the stage and let her strapless gown fall down a bit too far. And have her continue the dance as though she hadn’t even realized it happened. Got to love live television, right?

4. Jesse Eisenburg should kiss a boy and like it. Gentleman’s choice, of course, but I can’t help but feel like his costar, Andrew Garfield would make a good smoocher. Not only would it add a whole new dimension to their best friends/worst enemies dynamic, break that rule about not mixing business with pleasure, and serve as a throwback to the Britney/Madonna kiss, but it would also cause people to stop and wonder what really happened between Marc Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. Completely unfounded? Yes. But entertaining nonetheless.

5. James Franco and Anne Hathaway should hookup. Have you seen their Oscar commercials? They’re just so darn adorkable together as they train to host the Oscars. Laughing and teasing and just being too cute for me to want any of the above to take place and cause them trouble. I mean, I’ve loved Anne Hathaway since she played the frizzy haired Mia Therm0polis in The Princess Diaries, and James Franco, well, he’s James Franco. So if none of the above were to happen it would be okay as long as these two were to hook up.  And mean it. Like, have the cameras zoom in on them going at it behind stage when they should be hosting. It can be staged. I don’t care. Just don’t tell me that. Please?

Fingers crossed for a little Oscar excitement to break up the long-winded acceptance speeches(!!). Make sure to tune in with us Sunday night as we liveblog all the potential dramz!

This week, the Golden Globes happened along with a lot of other fun stuff! Celebs got pissed, celebs got engaged, celebs broke up, and some celebs even had secret babies! All in all, a well-rounded week, I’d say.

Back To The Semester Parties

1. You’ll probably never see Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes again. Despite the fact that he did a hilarious job of hosting the Golden Globes, which would have been utterly dull without him, Ricky Gervais’s jokes are being slammed by the majority of Hollywood. Why? I guess because he made fun of both Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp within the first five minutes (I guess Hollywood royalty isn’t used to being picked on…), he trashed the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press, and according to some people, he just went ‘too far’ with the jokes he made about Robert Downey Jr., Bruce Willis, and Tom Cruise. There were tons of rumors that he was asked to never return – but apparently, Ricky has made that decision on his own. Can we pull the stick out of Hollywood’s Botox-injected butt, please?

2. Halle Berry is having baby daddy drama. She’s going into a custody battle with her ex, Gabriel Aubry, over their daughter Nahla. He wants to be officially declared the father, and wants joint custody of his daughter. Can’t really blame the guy, can you? Their break-up seemed pretty friendly, but let’s see what happens when the court gets involved.

3. Anne Hathaway had a great week – not only has it been announced that she’ll be making an appearance on Glee, but she was also cast as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. I guess we’ll find out if Anne has the vocal ability to hold her own on Glee, and the body to pull off that catsuit. All that and the fact that she gets to host the Oscars with James Franco AND got to make out with Jake Gyllenhaal for a movie makes me kind of hate her… and want her life.

4. Kanye West is PISSED. Earlier this week, the rapper made a little joke on his Twitter about Britney Spears: “I’mma let you be #1, but me and Jay-Z single is one of the best songs of all time!” Britney’s manager replied with, “Thanks for letting us be #1. Much appreciated.” The whole thing was obviously a joke, with Kanye kind of making fun of himself. But the media blew the entire thing out of proportion (WHAT? I know, that never happens), and Kanye was not very happy about it. He wrote a little blog about it, saying “This sh*t takes the air out of my lungs sometimes from blogs to news reports… enough already!!” Amen, Kanye. AMEN.

5.  Nicole Kidman had a secret baby. Kind of. She and Keith Urban welcomed a daughter born through a surrogate mother. No one knew it was happening, so it was pretty random. Too bad this didn’t happen last week, when everyone in Hollywood decided to get pregnant.

Back To The Semester Studying

1. Regis Philbin is retiring. He’s leaving his long-standing post as the host of Live! With Regis and Kelly. Everyone is already wondering who will replace him… but no one seems to be too surprised. That dude is OLD.

2. The Coachella 2011 lineup was announced. If you live in California or near this area, just know that I am extremely jealous of you. Set to perform are Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, Lauryn Hill, Interpol, Neon Trees, Jimmy Eat World, Duran Duran, and soooo many more. Tickets are almost $300 for the 3-day concert, but it’s also an amazing celeb-and-music filled event that everyone should experience. Like I said… jealous, from cold New York.

3. Jake Gyllenhaal was spotted with Camilla Belle, and the dating rumors immediately flooded the Internet. It WAS kind of a weird coincidence that right after he breaks up with Taylor Swift, he was spotted with her reported ‘enemy’. Oh man, I can’t wait to hear this song.

4. Don’t worry, ladies and guys – Pauly D is still single, as is January Jones. January Jones and her boyfriend, SNL star Jason Sudekis, broke up this week. Honestly, I had no idea they were dating (shameful for me to admit as a gossip blogger), but that sucks because she’s beautiful and he’s funny. And if you were hoping to run into Pauly D at a club and make out with him, you still can. He denied that he’s dating both Chloe Sevigny and Brittany Gastineau.

5. Two more Hollywood engagements: Jodie Sweetin, former Full House star, got engaged. Aw, Stephanie Tanner! But I can’t say I’m happy for these other two – Jesse James and Kat Von D. Ew. You deserve each other. (Sandra, you’re so much better).

Does this look like a mean man? No!

Dear Stars and Starlets of Hollywood,

I understand that many of you are feeling a little hurt from Ricky Gervais’ monologue. And I have three little words for your GET OVER IT!

(Take a deep breath now before you read the rest. Good? Good.)

It’s a joke.  The whole world loves to see comedians (such as Rickey Gervais or Kathy Griffin) poke fun at other celebrities. It’s like seeing the popular girls in school get taken down, but better because it’s on national television….and you have to keep smiling.

The audience (the people spending their money watching your movies) loves it; why else would celebrity gossip magazines be flying off the shelf every week? Oh and Ms. Jolie – how many movies have you had succeed at the box office? Who are you practically married to again? Oh right, Brad Pitt.  I think you can handle a little joke about The Tourist. I’d let anyone make fun of me so long as I could come home to those arms of steel.

And another thing, aren’t you constantly told to have a thick skin to be in the acting world? Well where is it?! I mean you all must get rejected countless times at auditions — shouldn’t you be able to handle a little joke every now and then?

Not to mention most of the people who made it to the Gervais’ cut-you-down-because-it’s-funny list were all celebs that have been in the news recently. He wasn’t talking about some big hush hush secrets; he was merely commenting on what we all already knew…and joked about. I mean, Charlie Sheen hasn’t exactly been subtle about his recent adventures. The funny man just made it well…funnier.

And while we’re on this “get over yourself” subject, let’s keep it going. After all, it wasn’t just the Golden Globes that has been getting all your Hollywood panties in a bunch. I’ve seen how you all react to the clips from SNL or when you’re featured on a talk show. Robert Pattinson, I see that killer look in your eyes when you’re poked fun at for playing something that sparkles. Well people, live with your decisions. Because unlike the rest of us, you chose a career that happens to be in the public eye. And you get rewarded pretty handsomely for it.

Speaking of SNL, Mrs. Tom Cruise, I get that you are rather sensitive, but boycotting the Oscars because you’re mad at Anne Hathaway? Please. I understand that your career hasn’t really taken off like you hoped since you got married to Tommy and you haven’t had the luxury of mocking others on SNL, but it happens. You weren’t the first person to be satirized and you won’t be the last. So get off your high horse and learn how to laugh. Making a fuss just makes you look like a prude who can’t take a joke and if we’ve learned anything from The Situation, it’s that no one likes a prude.

To the rest of you lot, maybe you need to watch some funny clips from YouTube or something and relearn how to take a joke. Just because you make millions from movies does not exclude you from being made fun of, so come on down from the pedestal you all have placed yourself on and crack a smile. Yes, Nicole Kidman, it might mess with your daily Botox injections but it’s totally worth it.

Sincerely,
Courtney (aka Tay Swift’s BFF)

P.S. I do understand that your personal life is unfortunately in the public eye, and I am sorry. I can’t imagine how annoying that must be. But still…you signed up for this ish so deal with it.

Can I get some Red Bull up in here? I’m majorly struggling right now. It’s like the crash that comes after eating a bag of Sour Patch Kids, only instead of sugar I was hopped up on sequins and cleavage and Brad Pitt’s sunglasses.

Yes, you know I’m talking about the glamour that was the Golden Globe’s Red Carpet.

Of course there are always lots of entertaining moments in the award show itself (Ricky Gervais was hosting, after all), but like most ladies with an eye for fashion, the true highlight of the show comes before it even starts. And last night’s show before the show did not disappoint. From the stunning shoes (I’m looking at your hidden feet, Olivia Wilde!) to the bright hues (word to your mother, Angelina) to the style doo doos (how else do you describe Christina Aguilera’s ‘fit?), the 2011 Golden Globes red carpet had me on the edge of my futon.

So after 3 hours of acceptance speeches during which I did some careful consideration (and drank a few glasses of Franzia), I bring you the best dressed, worst dressed, most WTF dressed and, just for fun, the sexiest men of the 2011 Golden Globes.

Enjoy.

Who was your fave? The biggest hot mess? Share the pics below!

When it came to the fashion choices last night, the celebs pulled out all the stops…and hairspray, as they had to brave the showers to make an appearance on the red carpet.  Of course, despite the rain, they all (well, almost all) looked amazing (I’m looking at you Mariah Carey!). And the fact that they could look so beautiful while showing support for Haiti just made the couture dresses all the more fabulous in my little eyes.

There was a whole lot of awesome on the Red Carpet. From Jane Krakowski’s gorgeous purple frock to Courtney Cox workin’ it in basic black, it really was hard to find a dress I didn’t like. But, as always, the beauty is really in the details, and there were some really breathtaking details on display. Below are a few of my favorite bits and pieces from the Golden Globes Red Carpet. Click on the picture to see the deets at work in the overall look!

Let the Amy Winehouse downward spiral continue!

Need answers to your tricky love questions?

Chris Brown gets sentimental.

This takes the vampire obsession a bit too far.

Who will host the Golden Globes?

Bradley Cooper is single once again!

Indeed, those are big shoes to fill, as my previous piece, which introduces the mastermind(s) behind the Office indicates. (Despite my focus on Gervais, he shouldn’t be given all the credit, as Stephen Merchant was also the co-creator of the Office and their hit series on HBO, Extras).

THE VERDICT: FIRST IMPRESSIONS AREN’T ALWAYS CORRECT

I’ll be the first to admit, when I watched the first few episodes of the American Office, my leeriness was confirmed. Jim (played by the now famous John Krasiniski, a native – like the writer/actor of the show B.J. Novak – of Newton, MA) just parroted Tim (Martin Freeman), and as a mere mimicker of the British actor, I wasn’t impressed. It was worse for Carell, however, as he was taking on Gervais’s role. All eyes were on him. While Gervais received gushing praise (one critic, as I mentioned previously, lauded, “the show is perfect.”), American TV critics, not surprisingly, reviewed Carell’s initial performance with either tepid (ahem) approval or outright despair, the latter bemoaning the fact that he was channeling Gervais and in a decidedly not-so-subtle manner.

One EW reviewer, expressed similar misgivings as I had, stating, “the first episode’s script was a near-verbatim copy of the British pilot. While character names were changed, the archetypes remained the same: Carell’s boorish Michael futilely tries to prove he’s the funniest man — and coolest boss — alive.”

In slightly more flattering terms, a critic of the NY Times observed, while the show “pales in comparison [to the BBC version], [it] is still funnier than any other new network sitcom.” But that’s not saying much, as most American sitcoms have lowered their bar of standards so close to the ground, people these days think lukewarm, G-rated, cutesy humor is good, if not fabulous.

That’s perhaps a bit harsh, as the British – historically speaking – have been the dominant King of sharp wit, fantastic satire, and biting parody. One sees these developments, for instance, in their love of caricatures (connected to sex, of course), a “low-brow” art from that has flourished for centuries on the that quirky island. (And we should not forget what the UK offered us, good fare for those who hunger for a good laugh, in more recent times, i.e. the domineering geniuses behind Monty Python, notwithstanding the sole American in that bunch, Terry Gilliam).

Regardless of this baggage, handed to Carell from across “the pond,” he stepped into the mix, quite boldly. Playing Michael Scott, the American manager of Dunder Mufflin, a paper supply company located in Scranton, PA, and along with a remarkable cast of new, fresh humorists, the Office has grown remarkably since its first show. Although I stated that there are similarities, thanks to this cast of highly talented actors and writers, it has meandered into a different realm of satire, equally as jarring, funny, and uncomfortable. In so doing, it stands apart from the original version.

Let’s turn now to the first season of the American version.

To be continued…

The similarities are clear – both shows are hinged upon making their viewer simultaneously cringe and laugh. This comedic form is not for the faint of heart, and that applies to the creators and their viewers. Incidentally, this type of laugh-out-loud-cringe-inducing tenor is remarkably similar to the HBO hit series, Curb your Enthusiasm, by none other than the Seinfeld master, Larry David (set in L.A., David plays himself, and the show is a much dirtier version of the sorts of shenanigans and meaningless of everyday life moments that was so artfully and humorously portrayed in Seinfeld).

Such parodic artistry takes a special, if not mentally twisted, type of creator. Ricky Gervais and David are equal contenders when it comes to shocking their viewers’ sensibilities. Steve Carrell has also proven that he’s is in that same elite comedic ring. But long before Carrell was able to shine as the idiotic Michael Scott in Scranton, PA’s office, there was Gervais’s David Brent in Slough, England.

While TV critics (and connoisseurs) in Britian wilt at the mere mentioning of Gervais’s name, he is not a household name here. Most Americans would neither recognize his name nor know that he was, along with Stephen Merchant, the creator of the Office. (That may soon change, as David Koepp’s Ghost Town, coming out this summer, is already getting a lot of press, and Gervais stars as the leading male actor). Nevertheless, it’s high time that this enormously talented writer and actor receive his due credit in Hollywood.

Briefly, Gervais (b. 1961) attended University College of London in 1979, where he first studied biology, but later switched to pursuing a degree in philosophy. As a college student, he was involved with music, and created his own band, called New Romantic Duo. Later, Gervais would go onto manage two bands (Suede and a Queen tribute band). Gervais, who needed an assistant after he was hired to work for XFM London, a hit radio station in the UK, eventually met up with Merchant. Merchant was hired to be Gervais’s assistant at XFM, and this was the start of their relationship. After Gervais was laid off, he ended up being hired as a music adviser for BBC, at which point he and Merchant also worked on radio pieces together.

It was the Office, which aired on BBC in 2001, where Gervais’s acting and writing abilities were recognized as nothing short of brilliant. One New Yorker critic gushed, “Nobody who has seen the [British show] has anything bad to say about it, and there’s a reason for that: it’s perfect.” Coming from the mouth of a critic, such a simple sentence is a precious, rarely stated remark. As I mentioned, Gervais plays David Brent, an inept, needy, painfully insecure manager of a paper company in Slough, London. The show ran its course from 2001 – 2003, a total of three seasons, and its creators won several prestigious prizes. (Gervais himself won 6 BAFTAs and two Golden Globes for his performances).

Like the American version, the show is depicted as a documentary, and many critics have compared this filmic, (intentionally) faux style to the classic “Rocumentary,” This is Spinal Tap. That film was created by yet another heavyweight contender in the comedic boxing ring, Christopher Guest.

Shortly after the Office came to an end, Gervais proved that he was just getting warmed up, as he began writing and acting in Extras, which started shooting in 2005 and ended after its third season in 2007. Incidentally, Merchant wrote and directed this show, too. He also shows up as, Darren Lamb, Gervais’s incompetent manager. While Extras is as equally uncomfortable as the Office, Gervais’s character – Andy Millman – an “actor” in L.A., is quite different from Brent. (No tiresome “character recycling” here, thankfully).

In later blogs, I’ll delve into the episodes of the British Office.

To be continued!

What’s the show about?

Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, a quirky musical duo, have brought their parodic folk band from New Zealand to the U.S. The two musicians have turned their previous stage show into a television series, which is available on DVD and also airs on HBO. Set in NYC, the show follows the two folk artists, Bret and Jemaine, as they struggle to succeed in the music industry.

Given the subject matter, NYC is the perfect location, a city that brutally demystifies the dreams and aspirations of most artists (much like L.A. crushes teems of hopeful, fresh, young actors). After hiring an incompetent manager (Rhys Darby), whose “real job” is with the New Zealand Consulate, Bret and Jemaine fumble to get “gigs,” buy food, and so on.

Although it’s a parodic take about two struggling musicians, FOC’s satire functions more broadly. Borrowing from wide-ranging and thematic concepts from their original songs, the duo cleverly undermines commonly held assumptions and inverts concerns related to broad ranging social problems, all the while seamlessly incorporating peculiar, goofy, one-of-a-kind topics.

The end result: B and J provide the viewer with a type of humor that functions at a sophisticated level. One notable example, demonstrating the multifarious nature of their satire, is the song, “Albi, the racist dragon.” Clearly a spoof on children’s after school programs, Albi, an adorable looking dragon, is kicked out of his “cottage cheese cottage” for being racist.

Under the guise of total absurdity, the song (like many of their others) effectively straddles the realms of social critique and puerile fantasy land. At one point, Jemaine sings: “And so all of the villages chased Albi – the racist dragon – into a very cold, very scary cave. And it was so cold and so scary inside of there, that Albi began to cry, dragon tears, which as we all know turn into jelly beans!” Albi meets a “badly burned Albanian boy” in the cave, which helps him overcome his racism.

More examples of their songs and their quirky sense(s) of humor

As I’ve said, in order to appreciate FOC, there is a prerequisite: the viewer must possess an off-beat sense of humor. To be sure, the show and its type of humor aren’t for everyone. But that’s the beauty of smart humor: like a fine bottle of wine, only those with refined palettes can appreciate the intricacies and nuances of FOC’s superior quality.

As for the others, those of you who have (quite sadly) superficial and paltry notions of what “funny” means, you will find the show confusing and therefore conclude that it’s “lame, stupid, and annoying.” That’s a shame, so allow me to express my condolences for your obliviousness. For those of you, however, who do appreciate sarcasm and parody, oddness and subtlety – key ingredients to possessing a good (and intelligent) sense of humor – you’re laughing taste buds are in for something deliciously funny.

Below I’ve included a truncated and annotated list of a few more exemplary songs. YouTube has a good number of clips from their on-stage performances and from the show itself.

(Their CD, is also available for purchase, and was just released April 22nd).

(a)David Bowie Song (became a theme for an entire episode) – Jemaine played David Bowie, who appeared in a series of Bret’s dreams. Their ability to reinvent, while closing mimicking the true musical icon is one of the many ways in which the two demonstrate their own musical prowess. Furthermore, this “remake” of a classic 80′s song is yet another example of their honed musical skills.

(b) “Something for the ladies”

(c) “Mutah Uckers” – another clip from the show, a song that is related to the episode’s focus of racism (Bret and Jemaine encounter an anti-New Zealand fruit seller). It’s also a clever way of making fun of censorship.

(d) “We wanna deal with the issues” This song is emblematic of how they mix the absurd with the “real” issues in the world.

(e) Delightful parody of hip-hop music, Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

– self-effacing, sarcastic, and hilariously written song about how they’re loser rappers. They warn: if you rap like us, you won’t make a dime.

[Tune in each week for periodic show recaps of the newest season!]