The Cat Dish
  • Musings
  • Food
  • #CatTravels
  • #BabyFox
  • #40trails
  • Videos
  • About Me
  • Contact

Dishing about the Oscars

By Catherine Toth Fox • February 27, 2012 • Musings, The Daily Dish

When I was growing up, I loved watching the Oscars.

I’d sit in front of the TV and wait for the red carpet interviews, seeing what all my favorite actors were wearing to Hollywood’s biggest awards show and waiting for the winners to be announced.

But the Internet and the onslaught of celebrity news have made the experience less appealing. I wait until the next morning and read about the winners, the long speeches, the uncomfortable moments and the bad fashion choices on the Web.

But this year I decided to tune in. And not because George Clooney and Brad Pitt were competing for the Best Actor award.

I was actually interested to see Billy Crystal, who hosted last night’s 84th annual Academy Awards for the ninth time.

He’s still one of my favorite hosts. And, with lines like, “We’re here at the beautiful Chapter 11
theater,” he remains one of the best in history.

But enough about him.

Let’s dish about the awards show!

“The Descendants,” written by local girl Kaui Hart Hemmings, nominated for five Academy Awards, took home just one, for adapted screenplay. It was the silent flick, “The Artist,” that turned out to be the big winner, taking home five statues including “Best Picture.”

But what really stole the show last night was a movie or comedy montage. It was a captivating performance by Cirque du Soleil — and a sincerely heartfelt acceptance speech by supporting actress winner Octavia Spencer for her role on “The Help” — that got people on their feet.

Here were my highlights:

• Just the fact that Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”) and Jonah Hill (“Moneyball”) were nominated for Oscars. I love it when funny people — and not the usual suspects — get props for their work.

• Christopher Plummer, who, at 82, became the oldest acting winner for his supporting role in “Beginners.” And sharp, too, starting his acceptance speech looking at the statue and quipping, “You’re only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all my life?”

• Chris Rock. Period.

• Meryl Streep won her third Oscar — her first since 1982 — for her role in “The Iron Lady.” I would’ve given her the statue for “The Devil Wears Prada,” but no one asked me.

• Billy Crystal’s “What Everyone Is Thinking” segment. My favorite had to be Nick Nolte.

• Anytime Will Ferrell gets on the stage, I know it’s going to be one of my favorite moments, no matter what happens. When he came on stage with fellow comic Zach Galifianakis, bashing cymbals semi-rhythmically, it was definitely a bright spot in the show.

• Uggie, the canine star of “The Artist,” got a shout-out from director Michel Hazanavicius: “I think he doesn’t care. I don’t think he knows what I say. I don’t think he’s that good.”

What was your favorite moment during last night’s Oscars?

Tweet
16
Today's happy shot
Lessons from the Berenstain Bears

About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

You Might Also Like

  • Anyone Else Feeling Like You’re Failing at This?

  • It’s Hard To Say Goodbye—So I Won’t

  • Was 2020 Really That Bad?

  • Here’s What Happened To My Dog Indy

16 Comments

  • Reply David Jackson February 27, 2012 at 4:24 am

    I watched something else…

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:08 pm

      What could you have possibly watched????

  • Reply midori February 27, 2012 at 6:35 am

    I agree with your comment about Meryl Streep and her role in The Devil Wears Pravda. But, nobody asked me, too.

    I’m glad that Octavia Spencer won for her role in The Help. I was rooting for her but I loved Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaid. She was so funny.

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:11 pm

      Me, too. I was rooting for Octavia. I just wished the Academy didn’t cut her off during her speech. It was really heartfelt. Her first!

  • Reply M February 27, 2012 at 6:39 am

    Hello Cat!
    I didn’t watch it.

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:11 pm

      Why not???

  • Reply Annoddah Dave February 27, 2012 at 7:09 am

    CAT: Agree with you on Cirque de Soleil segment, it was totally mesmerizing! Angelina’s dress was really quite nice, her tats suck, made her look like a graffiti laced sculpture and took away from the total look, so sad.

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:12 pm

      It must’ve been SO MUCH BETTER in person, too. I think that’s my new goal: to get invited to the Oscars. I’ll wear Couture Old Navy.

  • Reply HEBSAN February 27, 2012 at 9:20 am

    What I don’t understand is why The Academy Awards was not broadcast live in Hawaii. We were the only state that it was not shown live.

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:12 pm

      We were? That’s weird. I did read about the winners online first. I just watched to see the little segments and presenters. I actually cringe when I’m listening to the speeches. But this year, they weren’t so bad. Lots of interesting quips and some swearing. Nice!

  • Reply reid February 27, 2012 at 10:04 am

    Angelina Jolie’s right leg!

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:13 pm

      You heard? It’s got its own Twitter and Facebook page now!

  • Reply jaydee February 27, 2012 at 10:29 am

    Esparanza Spalding’s version of “What A Wonderful World”, awesome!

    Cirque du Soleil was incredible as usual.

    Billy Crystal was funny but it wasn’t his best effort.

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:14 pm

      Right, “What a Wonderful World” was incredible. Glad it was Esparanza Spalding and not someone like Miley Cyrus. (Why was she at the Oscars, anyway?)

  • Reply kyleepuu February 27, 2012 at 10:45 am

    I haven’t watched an awards show in years, this one really captivated me – the biggest draw was definitely Billy Crystal but I ended up laughing out loud during McCarthy and Crystal’s skit about visual effects (both of her glittered heels in the air!) and Chris Rock’s “… animation is SO EASY! … Then they pay me a million dollars!” lol awesome show!

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 28, 2012 at 7:15 pm

      I agree. I don’t know why I even turned it on this year, actually, except to see if “The Descendants” were going to win anything. (But, honestly, I looked up the winners online first!) I just loved Chris Rock. Host next year, perhaps?

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

Latest Posts

  • Anyone Else Feeling Like You’re Failing at This?

    March 8, 2022
  • It’s Hard To Say Goodbye—So I Won’t

    January 29, 2021
  • Was 2020 Really That Bad?

    December 31, 2020
  • Here’s What Happened To My Dog Indy

    December 10, 2020
  • I Did Noom For a Month and Here’s What Happened

    October 7, 2020

Made with in Seattle

© 2013 Solo Pine Designs, Inc. All rights reserved.