Oscars 2014

After about 15 months of Red Carpet blather and a hopelessly low FPM (fashions per minute) rate, we are going to have the actual event.

Why yes, I do sound jaded. Perhaps this is the last year I'll bother live-blogging, rather than recapping. And that retirement may very well happen mid-ceremony tonight as well. There are at least 5 blogs that I read regularly that are live tweeting, and I don't read that many. So I can probably find dozens of them  without needing to create my own. Ceremony recap is similarly well covered. The internet has come a long way from the olden days when you had to wait a week for People Magazine to come out with its fashion coverage.

Now, of course, stuff is posted seconds after it happens, is infinitely searchable and findable, and clips go up within 24 hours. My

So, here we are with the obligatory call out of people who are here tonight routine. But Ellen looks great in her sparkling blue velvet tux, her jokes are gentle but still funny--much kinder than Seth McFarlane. But she still did "The nominees have together made 1400 films, and a total of 6 years of college. Stay in school, kids."

"I'm not going to say, who's the prettiest tonight, but let's be honest, it's Jared Leto."

"Lupita Nyong'o is here. She is from Kenya: she is a Kenyan. Barkhad Abdi is from Somalia, he is a Sommalier, so he knows a lot about wine. Who's the wine captain now?"

Anne Hathaway to present Best Supporting Actor. Her dress is lovely--it's got the vibe that Anna Kendrick's was going for, but does it right. Just the right amount of strap and shape, but massive bling, and looks great on her. Love it. And the Oscar goes to:

I predict: Jared Leto.
Winner is: Jared Leto.

There is an entire blog post about the tipping point we are on right now, between the old way of having "daring" men play transsexual roles, and the growing demand for using actual transsexuals playing these roles, like Orange is the New Black. I'm not quite sure where I fall on this dispute, but it's interesting.

Lovely that Leto is using this time to speak to his mom and brother. He's not putting his foot into his mouth about what it takes to play this role. He's also calling out to the larger world, before he does the list of people he needs to thank. Much the best speech he's given this awards season.

Jim carey looks dapper in a blue shiny tux with a black shirt and I think a bow tie? Hard to see over the facial contortions. He's introducing animated movies? Yes, after an LSD joke and then putting on his Martin Scorsese glasses. But it's not an actual award, it's a tribute to animated heroes? No wonder these shows go on for donkey's years.

Great staging of Pharrell's "Happy"with great dancers of all ages--literally--there's a couple of kids who look to be about eightI Also love the reinterpretation of THAT HAT. That is such a great song--it deserves to win, but I don't think it can possibly beat the juggernaut that is "Let It Go." So I guess he'll just have to be happy being the force behind three of the biggest pop hits of the year--"Happy," "Blurred Lines," and "Up All Night." I mean, it's only fair to ask him to share a little bit.

And we're into a commercial break!