3 Takeaways From The SAG Awards

It's hard to believe that we are rounding the corner to the final award show of the season.  With Golden Globes, DGA Awards, and now SAG Awards officially done, where do we stand?  Well, here are three takeaways to ponder until the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26th:

Photo:  Hollywood Life

1.  Here are your official Oscar winners in the Supporting Actor/Actress categories:  Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer.  No one can beat them.  It's done and the final Oscar ballots aren't even in.

Photo:  Hollywood Life

2.  Viola Davis:  She proved herself to be a contender tonight, but remember Meryl Streep is a formidable opponent who walked away with the Golden Globe in the same category this year.  Many voters feel that Streep is way overdue for another Oscar given the fact that she last won in 1983 for Sophie's Choice and she has a record 17 nominations under her belt.  This is a two-woman race for Best Actress at this point.

Photo:  LA Times

3.  Jean Dujardin:  Interesting and unexpected win for him tonight.  A two-man race that was being lead by George Clooney and Brad Pitt suddenly became a three-man race for that golden statuette.  A good thing to remember is that the Acting Branch at the Academy has the largest membership of any branch.  This could sway a race that some thought Clooney had locked up earlier in the awards season.

If you are wondering if The Help now stands a chance to win Best Picture after their ensemble award win at the SAG Awards, think again.  The Academy doesn't offer an ensemble category, so the Best Picture race is still The Artist's to lose.

What are your thoughts on last night's show?  Comment below and let me know what you think of my awards season assessment.

Calling All SAG Actors!

Okay, tonight is the 18th Annual SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards and likely, the last one with this name attached to it since both boards of SAG and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) have paved the way for a merger of the two unions.  I have always loved how SAG opens the show with various celebrities stating "I am a SAG actor" and The Hollywood Reporter often asks actors how they got their SAG card during their roundtable discussions. Well, it's nice, but it excludes the majority of us who represent the union.  I, in fact, am a member of SAG, but I am not an actor.  I am an entertainment reporter and a host.  We even utilized the SAG New Media contract for The Web Files, but I have had my SAG card since 1999 during my days in NY.  I'm thinking it's time we honor the little people too, so indulge me on this idea, please.

So, here's my fun project:  Tell me how you got your SAG card in the comments section below.  I will feature all of the stories at some point this week because it is fun to see what show, commercial, or industrial gave you your official union start and that coveted SAG card.  Make sure to include your name and the link to your website. And don't worry, I will be sharing my story too.  Stand up and represent, SAG.  Let your voice be heard!  Ready, set, go!

My Full Oscar Nominations Coverage-2012

Phew!  What a day it was.  I was so amped up, that I stayed up from my 2:15AM alarm until about 8:30PM last night.  There was so much to do from interviews to writing articles to getting all of the videos shot and ready to go.  Instead of sending you all over the internet, you can find all of my coverage here:

Let's start with Starpulse:
My full article on what happened in the theatre is here along with a fun interview with Tom Sherak, President of the Academy.  He was pretty forthcoming about the diversity of this year's nominees and the new rules set in place to keep the playing field as level as possible during the voting period.
Starpulse highlight video with Tom Sherak: Click Here.
Starpulse FULL interview with Tom Sherak: Click Here.

For Red Carpet Report:
Here is my Oscar insider thoughts on yesterday morning's nominations:


And I get to pick legendary film critic, Leonard Maltin's brain about the surprises and omissions on this year's list.


Finally, I will be doing Oscar updates each week between now and February 26th for a bunch of media outlets.  Here is my Nominations update for Forces of Geek in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.  (I told you it was a busy day!)

I am also interested in hearing your thoughts on the nominations.  I was pleasantly surprised because, for once, the awards don't seem predetermined to a specific film or actor.  I feel that almost every category is up for grabs.  Now, it's up to Billy Crystal and show producers, Brian Grazer and Don Mischer, to make this show entertaining.

All photos property of Mingle Media TV and Kristyn Burtt.  They may not be used without permission. Thank you.

The Winning Dress for Oscar Nominations Day

I know there has been a BIG debate this year over which dress I was was going to wear.  The blue one or the green one?  The interesting thing is that everyone was drawn to one or the other and there was no in-between.  Those that were in favor of the green dress loved the cut and color.  Those that were in favor of the blue dress thought that blue was a better color for me.  Several were concerned that the blue dress would be too baggy.  That's the beauty of online shopping, you don't know what it's going to look like until you try it on.

So please, congratulate Ali and Julia for picking the winning dress from Bloomingdale's.  Yes, the blue dress won.  It fit like a glove and it was a fun dress to accessorize.  The green dress from Banana Republic was huge on me.  I loved the color, but I needed a week with a tailor to remake the dress.  That is the one caveat with Banana Republic:  if they don't offer it in a petite size, a regular size 2 or 4 is often cut more like a size 6 or 8.

In case anyone wants to know, Julia is 12 years old.  I think we have a budding fashionista on our hands.

The details on the dress:

Dress:  Aqua by Bloomingdale's.  (With coupons and Ebates, this dress was under $75.)
Shoes:  BCBG Girl
Ring:  Forever 21 (Also seen in this post.)
Bracelet:  Gifted from a Gift Bag long ago.
Necklace: Jessica Matrasko 
Belt:  Roni B (I wore this belt backwards..buckle in the back.)
Hair: Lisa Cavalone

Do More Of What Makes You Happy

Yesterday at the start of my day, I was having a discussion about career/life goals with a close friend. My friend starting teasing me about a point I made and I told my friend that my feelings were hurt.  As the conversation rolled along, it turned into a heated argument.  Now, anyone that knows me could vouch that I just don't fight.  What you see is what you get.  I'm pretty easy to read when I am happy, sad, annoyed, and my calm version of mad.  This friend is probably the one person whom I have epic fights with.  It doesn't happen often, but maybe once every five years.  They know how to push my buttons and boy, did that ever happen. I was so mad, I started crying. (Also not a frequent occurrence.)  We made up after about 30 minutes because there is no point to being mad all day at a great friend, but it made me think.  While my friend's delivery stunk, I know what they were trying to say:  "Do more of what makes you happy.".

Of course, it took a Facebook quote to give me my Oprah "Aha!" moment to realize it.  Someone had posted that quote (Thanks, Alli!), but I knew that this quote was the point of the fight.  I need this mantra to take me through 2012.  Last year's theme was "year of dreams" and I sure did achieve that.  While I have started 2012 on the right foot, I still was aimlessly wandering through trying to figure out what I wanted to achieve this year. Here is what has been nagging at me and let's see how well I do by the end of the year:

1.  Travel:  I love to travel.  I want to explore the world and meet new friends, eat good food, and still go back to Paris all at once.  My current work travel schedule, even though I cut back, is grueling.  So, I need to find a balance of less work travel, more personal travel, and do things a bit differently.

2.  Home:  This falls right into place with the travel.  I love living in LA, I love how I have decorated my home, and I sure have some great friends that I would like to see more.  Even better, I have a chubby kitty who loves it when I'm home.  I want to sleep in my bed more.

3.  Entertainment Reporting:  Nothing gives me greater pleasure than my job whether it is covering an event with the Disney Channel kids or hitting the hottest red carpet in town.  I get asked this question a lot: "What is your ultimate career goal?"  ME:  "I'm doing it.  I'm in the job I set out to do.  Yes, I would like to do more of it and I know who I would like to work for (And no, kids, it's not ET or E!, believe it or not.).  This job makes me happy.  I'm going to stick with it." (By the way, I will be doing something that gives me great happiness tomorrow, the Oscar Nominations, so please stop by or follow me on Twitter for all of the up-to-the minute scoop.)

Now these goals may sound simplified and they are.  I have more detailed ideas in my head and on my dream board, however, I just wanted to share with you what we all should be doing in 2012 on a daily basis. Let's all be accountable and get out there and "do more of what makes us happy".  I'm going to do it, are you?

For more inspiration on this, read or visit The Happiness Project.  I think my personal copy needs a few more dog-eared pages in 2012.

The Friday Five

I've been laying low the past couple of days because I know I have a big week coming up with the Oscar Nominations on Tuesday morning. I will be wrapping up NAIAS in Detroit on Sunday and hopping a plane back to my favorite place in the world....home.  I miss LA's sunshine and warm weather, I just don't think I am cut out for winter these days.  Here's my Friday Five for you this week:

Me, Kenny Wallace, Trackside Tina, Matthew Troyer.

1.  Toyota Live:  We have a lot of guests that come through our show in different cities, but Kenny Wallace, a Toyota Racing NASCAR driver, easily was one of the nicest and most engaging guests we have ever had on our stage.  He took the time to talk with each and every fan before signing autographs and taking photos with them.  I love watching people interact with their heroes.  It's really sweet to watch.

2.  V. Mora:  I am excited to be working with Anna Livermore of V. Mora on a new custom-designed red carpet dress.  She called me the other night and asked if you could design a dress for me.  Uh, YES!!  I will keep you posted on all of the details since she will be working on it while I am in Chicago next month.  In the meantime, take a look at her designs on Etsy.

 With Rafi and Benny Fine, me, and Sandra Payne after the show.  If you aren't following The Fine Brothers on YouTube, it's time to subscribe to their videos.  They are awesome. 

 

3.  IAWTV Awards Photos/Interview:  A few more photos have trickled in and I wanted to share a couple of my favorites.  The top one is by Bernie Su and the second photo was taken by Gregory Storm.  Thank you for such wonderful photos, guys! (Especially since I took only 10 photos of the night on my iPhone.) Finally, check out the red carpet interview with Misty Kingma of Mingle Media TV.  Yep, I am on the other side of the mic.

4.  Debby Ryan:  I first met Debby Ryan back in 2008 at the Beverly Hills Chihuahua premiere when she was cast member of Suite Life On Deck.  I managed to catch back up with her at the Gracie Awards and at Radio Disney's NBT finals in 2011, so I am looking forward to talking with her about her new Disney Channel movie, Radio Rebel,  coming up on February 17th.  Debby is a great role model for tweens and my 12-year old niece loves her show, Jessie.  So, look for more Disney coverage soon.

5.  Marie Bruns Jewelry:  I will be wearing a few pieces of Marie Bruns jewelry during Oscars Week and I am really excited to showcase a few of their colorful items.  I am not sure exactly the items I will have, but I did mark these Amethyst Gem Drop earrings as one of my favorites.  Take a look at the line here.

Dress Challenge 2012: The Finalists

Okay, the day has come to let you know who the two finalists are.  I have ordered both choices and they will hopefully be waiting for me when I return home.  I have no idea which one will be the winner, so you will have to wait until Tuesday, January 24th!

The two dress choices are:

I talked about these dresses in two different posts here and here.  The green one is from Banana Republic and I love the color because it is an unexpected one for me.  I haven't worn a soft green shade to an event in ages.  As for the Bloomingdale's blue dress, I love the possibilities for accessory choices....a belt, a necklace, a hot pair of shoes.   So, congratulations go out to Eli and Ali/Julia, you are the finalists in the 2012 Oscar Nominations Dress Challenge!  Let me know what you think of the dress choices.  Which one do you think I will pick?

My Top 10 Thoughts About The 2012 Golden Globes

Photo Credit: Esquire

The show is over and my Top 10 is up!  I thought this year was rather snoozy versus boozy.  Do you agree?

1.  Spray Tan:  When you are asked if you want a second coat, just say "no".  Oompa Loompa orange is not pretty and we witnessed it on too many last night.  Bradley Cooper, Matt LeBlanc, and Rob Lowe, I'm talking to you.

2.  Accessories:  Every lady will be sporting a sparkly headband on the red carpet this season and men will be sashaying down the press line with a Brad Pitt-inspired cane.  Even an injury can be hot when you're shacking up with Angelina and your best friend is Clooney.

3.  Please EAT, Julie Bowen:
This is Julie Bowen in 2012:

  This is a healthier Julie Bowen in 2011:

I ran into her about two weeks ago.  It (her scrawny body) doesn't look pretty in person.  Bones aren't beauty.  Sorry, Hollywood.

4.  Reese Witherspoon: I've called off the Baby Bump Watch.  She's not pregnant.

5. Year of the Actress:  I've seen just about everything this awards show season and I cannot think of a finer year with standout performances by women:  Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Michelle Williams, Octavia Spencer, and Tilda Swinton are proving you don't have to be 25 years old to get the juicy meaty roles in this town.

6.  Ricky Gervais:  He was funnier last year.  Less snark makes Ricky a dull boy.

7.  Sofia Vergara: I don't find her that funny on Modern Family with her non-stop yelling and yapping.  She keeps on receiving nominations.  I said her acting was one note.  A pal reminded me her acting is "two note".  Yes, kids, she's getting honored for her own Golden Globes.  So, while I might find her acting over the top and not award worthy, her dress certainly merited a mention here.

8.  Sarah Michelle Gellar:  Um.......color is always good on the red carpet, just not like this:

Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

9.  Lea Michele:  This is also a NO.  Look, Lea works a mean red carpet and everyone knows it, including Sarah Hyland.  Lea takes fashion risks, but they don't always pay off.  This was one of those times.

10.  The Truth:  If any of these red carpets during award show season make you feel bad about yourself, here is the truth.  Fantasy:  The first photo is of me on Thursday night with a spray tan plus an outfit assembled by a stylist, hair professionally done, and makeup courtesy of a makeup artist.

Reality: This is the REAL me and my pal Julie at our Golden Globes party in Detroit.  Feel good about yourself, don't let the smoke and mirrors fool you.

What were your thoughts on last night's Golden Globes?  Give me the scoop in the comments below.

The Dress: IAWTV Awards

Well, that's a first.  I'm not sure I got a clean full-length shot of me standing on the red....er, blue carpet. So, I cobbled together what I could for my post on my dress details.  So, here we go:

Stylist:  Roni B.

Makeup:  Aurora Nerone 

Hair: Candace Campbell

Colorist:  Lisa Cavalone

Dress:  Minuet, $47 (Yep, a red carpet look under $50, but don't forget to use your fashion tape to prevent wardrobe malfunctions.)

Shoes:  Guess, Winter 2007 collection

Bracelet:  Aldo Accessories, Winter 2007 collection.

Ring:  Roni B

Earrings:  Roni B

I think my dress color has become my signature color.  I wore a similar shade to the opening night of Godspell here and to a deeper shade to the Oscar Nominations in 2011 here.  I think it's time to retire the color....just for a little while.  I love it because it pops on the red carpet, but I am on the verge of overdosing on this look.  Nevertheless, I was very comfortable in my outfit at the IAWTV Awards and I wouldn't have done my outfit any differently.  

A big thanks to Aurora and Candace who put together my red carpet hair and makeup.  We haven't worked together before, but they did a great job making me look like a much better version of myself.  It was a wonderful collaborative process and I think they got the look I wanted down perfectly. So, if anyone needs any Vegas referrals, I have two great artists for you.  So, thank you to Team KB for putting me all together.  You know I couldn't do it without you.....

Photos Courtesy of Mingle Media TV.

IAWTV Awards-We Won!

Wow.  I just spent a whirlwind 36 hours criss-crossing the US to make it to the IAWTV Awards.  As I had mentioned during the nomination process, everything was an incredible surprise.  Thursday night was an even bigger surprise with 2 wins for Best Hosted Web Series (Taped) and for Best Host in a Taped Web Series.  I had not prepared a speech.  Seriously.  I just didn't think this was our year, so when I heard my name called, my knees buckled, and it took everything in me to climb three stairs to get to the stage.  I didn't remember a thing I said, so I went back and watched a replay of the live feed.  Okay, I sounded relatively coherent.  (See my section beginning at 1:47:11)

Team Web Files:  me, Perry Payne, Sandra Payne, Jenn Bobiwash

What was important to me was the show win.  Four out of five of The Web Files crew was in attendance, so it was a wonderful way to celebrate together.  Without the creative minds of Sandra Payne, Perry Payne, Jenn Bobiwash, and Melissa Anchondo, the show would have never happened.  It has been such an honor to work with them and perhaps you will see another episode in 2012.....stay tuned.  I had such a wonderful time in Vegas catching up with my web TV peers and enjoying the sunshine since I have been working in gray Detroit.  I just felt happy all day.  It was such a win for me to be there to attend the show, so the results of the show were more than I could ever ask for.  Thank you to everyone who made my day special, it means more to me than you will ever know.

Finally, a huge "Congratulations" to the IAWTV organization and the Awards Committee for putting on a show that the web community deserves.  I hope you all enjoyed a cocktail or two....you earned it!

 Being interviewed for CraveOnline.com

 One of my favorite photos of the night:  with Brian Rodda.

 I giggled when I saw someone in the forums was looking for a "wardrobe malfunction".  Silly rabbit, if you knew me better, you would know I tape everything down before I hit the red carpet. 

 I love these black and white shots by Kent Nichols.

 Always be photo bombing.  Me and the foxy Rick Fox with Misty Kingma.

 Tamara Krinsky (my buddy from Stagedoor Manor!), Mark Friedlander, me, and Kevin Winston. 

 My Red Carpet Report cohort, Misty Kingma.

Hamming it up on the blue carpet with Red Carpet Report's JD Piche. 

Team KB in full force at IAWTV Awards:  Melanie Marquez of M4PR was a red carpet ninja on Thursday night.  

I've interviewed her, now she's interviewed me.  Paula Rhodes takes over my role on the red carpet.  Nice work, lady! 

Photos courtesy of Mingle Media TV, Brenda White, Jenn Page, Kent Nichols, Indie Intertube, and Digital Hollywood.  They may not be used without my permission.