Thank you so much for the 'Nyad' shoutout. If only there were an Oscar for 'Best Film About A Con Artist About Whose Con Artistry Everyone Involved With Making The Film Was Clueless (Or Pretended To Be).'
Vince, I went to an event at the Academy Museum (one of my favorite places in LA. The exhibits are awesome and they curate a lot of great stuff) where producers from each of the best picture nominees came and did a 10 minute discussion (I appreciated that these people came out, it’s the Thursday of Oscar week. I’m sure they were slammed). The funny part was they couldn’t get anyone from Anatomy of a Fall and my fantasy was that the producers found out they couldn’t smoke and refused.
Given the length of these fucking shows there should have been a rule where the first person to break the seal at your particular party has to do something. Maybe finish everyone else's drinks; jungle juice, sans bowl.
what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza is ethnic cleansing, not a genocide. That’s important, at least in part, because I don’t put genocide past the Netanyahu government (feels great being Jewish these days! Have to tell ya!).
Also, I don’t think Barrera should have been blacklisted but her comment, “Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.” WAS antisemitic. There’s been a lot of antisemitism since 10/7. It’s why I’ve been really aggressive in the past about differentiating between legitimate criticism of Israel and its government and antisemitism. Because I knew there would come a time where that bad faith accusation would hurt us.
Oh, and while I’m here the framing of white Israel against brown Palestine is bullshit. Even before we get into “are Ashkenazi Jews white?” (As my grandfather said: yes, as long as it benefits white people) most Israeli Jews aren’t Ashkenazi.
I’m not lumping you in Vince but I’m just exhausted by the bad faith takes on both sides meant to flatten the other into a caricature.
Speaking of Nyad: Charlize Theron, who introduced Annette Bening as a Best Actress nominee last night, apparently has better things to do than spend two hours watching a biopic that glorifies a serial liar and pathological narcissist. During her introduction, Theron called Diana Nyad "Diane." She paused for a moment as if to correct herself, then called her "Diane" again.
“I started this as a way to both make the Oscars more interesting for me, and in a shameless bid to make it feel like an event, even for people who aren’t really “into” awards shows. Mostly I did it to feel less lonely, which is probably why most people do most things.”
Good lord Vince. I learned to drink in Eastern Ukraine during a revolution, but this list of drink prompts would put me in a coma.
I pity the poor frat boy who attempts to climb this particular Everest...
Back when Vince first started this a group of friends and I did* it. We had a great time.
*tried to do it. It's an awards show, not an Irish wake.
Thank you so much for the 'Nyad' shoutout. If only there were an Oscar for 'Best Film About A Con Artist About Whose Con Artistry Everyone Involved With Making The Film Was Clueless (Or Pretended To Be).'
Vince, I went to an event at the Academy Museum (one of my favorite places in LA. The exhibits are awesome and they curate a lot of great stuff) where producers from each of the best picture nominees came and did a 10 minute discussion (I appreciated that these people came out, it’s the Thursday of Oscar week. I’m sure they were slammed). The funny part was they couldn’t get anyone from Anatomy of a Fall and my fantasy was that the producers found out they couldn’t smoke and refused.
Probably boycotting due to the Academy's ill treatment of Messi.
I also wondered if they were like, “we’re not winning. We’re not going to this, we’re going to a party. Fuck you.”
Given the length of these fucking shows there should have been a rule where the first person to break the seal at your particular party has to do something. Maybe finish everyone else's drinks; jungle juice, sans bowl.
Not to be pedantic or get on a soapbox but…:
what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza is ethnic cleansing, not a genocide. That’s important, at least in part, because I don’t put genocide past the Netanyahu government (feels great being Jewish these days! Have to tell ya!).
Also, I don’t think Barrera should have been blacklisted but her comment, “Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.” WAS antisemitic. There’s been a lot of antisemitism since 10/7. It’s why I’ve been really aggressive in the past about differentiating between legitimate criticism of Israel and its government and antisemitism. Because I knew there would come a time where that bad faith accusation would hurt us.
Oh, and while I’m here the framing of white Israel against brown Palestine is bullshit. Even before we get into “are Ashkenazi Jews white?” (As my grandfather said: yes, as long as it benefits white people) most Israeli Jews aren’t Ashkenazi.
I’m not lumping you in Vince but I’m just exhausted by the bad faith takes on both sides meant to flatten the other into a caricature.
Speaking of Nyad: Charlize Theron, who introduced Annette Bening as a Best Actress nominee last night, apparently has better things to do than spend two hours watching a biopic that glorifies a serial liar and pathological narcissist. During her introduction, Theron called Diana Nyad "Diane." She paused for a moment as if to correct herself, then called her "Diane" again.
https://youtu.be/IC1iIrKn-0w?si=Ek2eWBfAAC3HRTEQ&t=167
That link disappeared. Here's a new one:
https://youtu.be/XDYBUnCqsyw?si=INFeO752w8JqjLPv&t=162
“I started this as a way to both make the Oscars more interesting for me, and in a shameless bid to make it feel like an event, even for people who aren’t really “into” awards shows. Mostly I did it to feel less lonely, which is probably why most people do most things.”
I felt this so much
Can we add… “a joke about Leo’s girlfriend’s age” to this - 1 drink for every year she’s past legal age - keeps us sober.
Thank God the Barbenheimer rule requires only 1 person to drink, because I feel like that one alone could give someone alcohol poisoning.
Also I think Oct. 7 was technically a pogrom not a genocide.