LT Features

I Accept This Award Every time I turn on the TV I see The Golden Globes, The Screen Actors Guild, The Academy Awards or some crazy combination of all three.  All of the hoopla can only mean one thing – we are knee deep in award season.  Personally I get a kick out of how Hollywood works their way up to the big show with other equally fun but dare-I-say less prestigious award ceremonies.  I mean, you don’t see “Starring SAG-Nominated Actress…” in the opening credits of many films.  Big whoop if you won a Moon Man at the MTV Movie Awards or a giant surfboard at the Teen Choice Awards, they’re nothin’ if you don’t have that little golden man sitting atop of your mantle. Yes - the nominations, the winners, the who-wore-what, and the baby-bump-watch-2011 can all get a little daunting but there are some aspects of the actual award shows that I like.  You can see what the actresses and actors wore in gossip magazines, you can read who won and how fat… I mean pregnant… they looked while accepting their award online – but actually seeing the strange and sometimes painfully awkward acceptance speeches is most exciting when done live.  One of the many bonuses of having multiple ceremonies leading up to Oscar night is that you can see what style dress works best for you (points to Natalie Portman for seriously improving her look from the Golden Globes to the SAG Awards), you can rehearse your “aww, too bad I didn’t win but I’m so happy for so-and-so!” face and finally, you can get your speech down.  Why so few performers take advantage of this opportunity will forever be a mystery to me. Everyone has to thank the core group that got him or her there – parents, Director, Agent and maybe even God (a classic!) – but then you add a personalized spin.  In Natalie’s case, she does that awful, inexplicable, guttural laugh.   It’s usually after I’m starring at the TV with my jaw on the floor that I remember that these talented actors and actresses just memorize lines given to them – their powerful on screen speeches were written by a professional so I shouldn’t get my hopes up that their acceptance speeches will pack an equally powerful punch.  Why are my expectations always so high? Like that Miss Teen USA speech that went haywire, some stars just should not be given a microphone unless the audience is prepared to cringe.  A couple celebrities who come to mind are Ricky Gervais, Kristen Stewart and Mariah Carey.  Jessica Simpson (not like she’s won anything in a while) is another lady I would rather not hear speak publically.  Anna Nicole Smith – R.I.P. – was skilled in many ways but eloquence was not one of them.  Remember when Julia Roberts won best actress for Erin Brockovich but forgot to thank, oh you know, ERIN BROCKOVICH?? Who do you think does a real bang-up job of accepting awards and whom would you rather just nod and smile?  Clearly I’ve been sipping on some Haterade all morning – I promise to include butterflies and lollipops in my next post. L.T.

I Accept This Award

Every time I turn on the TV I see The Golden Globes, The Screen Actors Guild, The Academy Awards or some crazy combination of all three.  All of the hoopla can only mean one thing – we are knee deep in award season.  Personally I get a kick out of how Hollywood works their way up to the big show with other equally fun but dare-I-say less prestigious award ceremonies.  I mean, you don’t see “Starring SAG-Nominated Actress…” in the opening credits of many films.  Big whoop if you won a Moon Man at the MTV Movie Awards or a giant surfboard at the Teen Choice Awards, they’re nothin’ if you don’t have that little golden man sitting atop of your mantle.

Yes - the nominations, the winners, the who-wore-what, and the baby-bump-watch-2011 can all get a little daunting but there are some aspects of the actual award shows that I like.  You can see what the actresses and actors wore in gossip magazines, you can read who won and how fat… I mean pregnant… they looked while accepting their award online – but actually seeing the strange and sometimes painfully awkward acceptance speeches is most exciting when done live.  One of the many bonuses of having multiple ceremonies leading up to Oscar night is that you can see what style dress works best for you (points to Natalie Portman for seriously improving her look from the Golden Globes to the SAG Awards), you can rehearse your “aww, too bad I didn’t win but I’m so happy for so-and-so!” face and finally, you can get your speech down.  Why so few performers take advantage of this opportunity will forever be a mystery to me.

Everyone has to thank the core group that got him or her there – parents, Director, Agent and maybe even God (a classic!) – but then you add a personalized spin.  In Natalie’s case, she does that awful, inexplicable, guttural laugh.   It’s usually after I’m starring at the TV with my jaw on the floor that I remember that these talented actors and actresses just memorize lines given to them – their powerful on screen speeches were written by a professional so I shouldn’t get my hopes up that their acceptance speeches will pack an equally powerful punch.  Why are my expectations always so high?

Like that Miss Teen USA speech that went haywire, some stars just should not be given a microphone unless the audience is prepared to cringe.  A couple celebrities who come to mind are Ricky Gervais, Kristen Stewart and Mariah Carey.  Jessica Simpson (not like she’s won anything in a while) is another lady I would rather not hear speak publically.  Anna Nicole Smith – R.I.P. – was skilled in many ways but eloquence was not one of them.  Remember when Julia Roberts won best actress for Erin Brockovich but forgot to thank, oh you know, ERIN BROCKOVICH??

Who do you think does a real bang-up job of accepting awards and whom would you rather just nod and smile?  Clearly I’ve been sipping on some Haterade all morning – I promise to include butterflies and lollipops in my next post.

L.T.