Oscar weathers the storm.

Okay, so where am I? 

I’ve said it for nine straight year including eight in this space—there’s little more electrifying that when hit that plush Oscars burgundy carpet. Dreams are created here. Some are realized. Others are energized. It’s a throwback to old Hollywood. There’s nothing that can stop it. Not even the rain, and there was a lot prior to the red carpet arrivals. Everyone is there, year after year, in their quest to win (or see who wins) the thirteen-and-a-half-inch tall, eight-and-a-half pound golden statuette.

According to Adweek and Nielsen’s fast national ratings, the 92nd Oscars drew 23.6 million total viewers and a 5.3 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. That’s a 20% decrease in total viewers and a 31% demo drop from last year’s ceremony, which had veeb watched by 29.6 million people and a 7.7 demo rating. Maybe they do need a host. Who knows.

I am happy to report that I’ve let my verbal contract with my agent expire. He’s been missing for over a year and wasn’t around for my KHL/Penguin book deal and my four movie scripts are gathering dust on his swank Avenue of the Stars corner office. I will make things happen on my own thank you. Onto more satisfying things…

So for the ninths straight year, here’s my first-hand view of the happenings backstage at the 92nd Academy Awards:

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Q: I loved you in Judy. I have to say that it’s, I mean, absolutely amazing performance and amazing film. So, basically, you became an extension of Judy in the film. It’s almost like she transcended with you in the film.  And what I want to know is, how did you connect? What was it about Judy that connected you so closely by so in heart that you basically became her? I know you’ve done a lot of research, but was there anything else that you felt very close to with her that you were able to deliver such an incredible performance and become her, essentially?

credit: Nick Agro / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Renée Zellweger: That’s really kind.  Thank you very much. I appreciate that. You know, I can’t think about it. I can’t extract myself from the collaboration. The only things that I would do by myself are sing in the car on the 405 in traffic, you know, for a year. So that was a lot of practice for anybody who’s tried to drive down the 405.  But—and, you know, the reading and things, that was by myself. But what you’re talking  about, that connectivity, that was a consequence of everybody’s work on that set. Everybody was motivated by the same thing. We    just appreciate the importance of her legacy and who she was as a person and we all wanted to celebrate her. And everyday we came to work and we just tried things, we just kept trying things. And the director, Rupert Goold, called it “mining for treasure.” We were all digging around in sort of the materials of her legacy, her music, her books, interviews, her television show. You know, just everything that we could find that seemed essential in conjuring her essence to tell the story.  And that was everybody’s work, you know. And it was, you know, the partnership with every single department throughout. And it really was a celebration. We just came to work every day. You could feel the love, the love for Ms. Garland, and that was what we had hoped, so, and I thank you for your question.

Q: So have you called anyone? Who are you going to call first and how are you going to celebrate tonight?

RZ: Well, my phone is in somebody else’s bag right now. So I haven’t called anybody. But I know that my mom is with my dad and they’re hanging out with their friends and they were watching TV and I told her, “Please just keep your phone on the coffee table so you can” — so she’s waiting. So I’m going to — yeah.

Q: All right. They say that we learn a great deal in the hard times of life, but I think we learn a great deal also from success. From almost before this picture opened, people realized and began talking about how amazing your performance is, how amazing the movie is. So you’ve gone through this whole award after award, you know, expressions of success. How has that changed you? What has that done for you to know that you set out to do this and you did it?

RZ: Thank you.  That’s a really great question. It’s not something that I’ve actually thought about, you know. I wish I could answer you in a couple of days because I would sit with that for a second and I would really think on it, you know. Off the top of my head, if I could look back on this year of experiences, it’s really nice when something that really matters to you resonates with someone else. That’s — you know, it’s always a huge, wonderful kind of unexpected reaction to — I don’t know, for anyone who creates art. You write an article and somebody calls you and says, that touched me or — you know? So it’s a really nice thing and it makes me happy for everybody that, you know, that I worked with, because I watched how hard everyone worked. It always goes back to that. It always goes back to the collaboration and what you intended and what you hoped for it. And like you said, when it becomes meaningful to someone else, and it’s kind of a confirmation that, “Yeah, okay, that’s what we meant,” you know. And this definitely was not what was on my mind when we started this experience, you know. But in my mind, when I go back to those couple of years that we shared celebrating her and telling the story and building toward it, boy, that’s the blessing, isn’t it? Yeah.

Q: How is this award different from the first one you won in 2004, and how have you changed as a person, as an actress?

RZ: Oh, my goodness, how much time do you have? Well, at that time, I think I was so busy that I wasn’t actually in the moment. I think I had just flown home from something for Bridget Jones two or something. It’s different, different perspective. I’m a little more present now.  I think that the time away and the time in between has helped me to appreciate it in a different way. I just look at it in a different way, what it represents is a little bit different.  And, obviously, this isn’t ultimately — you know, this is about this wanting to tell that story and to celebrate Judy Garland and to shine a light on, perhaps, the nuances of the circumstances of her life, which people dismiss as tragic. And, you know, the opportunity to tell a story that challenges that narrative and says, “Oh, no, no, no, no, you can’t know how extraordinary a person is until you know what they struggle with and what they overcome.” And, to me, that, you know, that’s what this is.

RZ: Thank you, guys. Thanks so much. And good luck. My goodness, what a busy night for you all. I know you have deadlines, so good luck with those.

Onstage Speech:
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Note that Joaquin Phoenix did not come backstage for a Q&A with the media. No one held it against him; that’s how he rolls. Instead I put in his acceptance speech, in which I mentally screamed “you tell them, brother…!” when he talked about second chances. Respect Mr. Phoenix.

Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

God, I’m full of so much gratitude right now. And I do not feel elevated above any of my fellow nominees or anyone in this room because we share the same love, the love of film, and this form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know what I’d be without it. But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me, and many of us in this room, is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless. I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the distressing issues that we are facing collectively. And I think at times we feel, or were made to feel, that we champion difference causes, but for me, I see commonality. I think, whether we’re talking about gender inequality, or racism, or queer rights, or indigenous rights, or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice. We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control and use and exploit another with impunity. I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world, and many of us, what we’re guilty of is an egocentric worldview, the belief that we’re the center of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal. And I think we fear the idea of personal change because we think that we have to sacrifice something to give something up, but human beings at our best are so inventive and creative and ingenious. And I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment. Now I have been, I have been a scoundrel in my life. I’ve been selfish, I’ve been cruel at times, hard to work with, and I’m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance. And I think that’s when we’re at our best, when we support each other, not when we cancel each other out for past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow, when we educate each other, when we guide each other toward redemption. That is the best of humanity. When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric, he said: run to the rescue with love and peace will follow. Thank you.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Q: What’s your Tinder profile going to say now?

Brad Pitt: (Laughs) You’ll just have to look it up.

Q: Some unkind souls have suggested you had a writer throughout the speeches this award season. Say it ain’t so.

BP: What, no, actually, historically, I’ve always been really tentative about speeches, like, they make me nervous. So this—this round, I figured if we’re going to do this—like, put some, like, some real work into it and try to get comfortable, and this is the result of that. No, I definitely write them. I have some funny friends. I have some very, very funny friends that helped me with some laughs, but, no, it’s, you know, it’s got to come from the heart.

Nick Agro / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q: It’s been a pleasure for all of us watching you go up awards show after awards show this season and it will certainly be something that we all remember looking back. When you look back on 2020 and this awards season, what do you want to remember?


BP: On 2020 awards season?

Q: Yes, this season, this year.


BP: What do I want to — hell, if I know, man. I can’t even catch up with—you know, what do I—again, it was—for me, it was just about getting cozy, you know, up in front of a mass of people. I know that sounds antithetical given the profession I’ve chosen, but it’s not necessarily my thing. So that’s probably what I’ll remember.

Q: Brad, as referenced earlier, you had a lot of humor in your previous speeches this season, but tonight you did have your — a political reference. What kind of prompted you to go that way?

BP: I was really disappointed with this week. And I think when gamesmanship trumps doing the right thing, it’s a sad day and I don’t think we should let it slide. And I’m very serious about that.

Q: You mentioned your kids in your acceptance speech and Quentin Tarantino said that your son Maddox delivered one of the best film reviews he’s ever heard. So what’s his review of Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood?

BP: I’m going to keep that…I just keep that to the…I keep that…that’s like…I just keep that indoors.

Q: How are you going to celebrate with your kids?

BP:: Don’t know yet. We’ll see.

Q: In your speech you mentioned Robert Garcia. Could you talk about who Robert Garcia is and why did you decide to mention him in your speech?

BP: Robert Garcia is a dear, dear old friend of mine. He’s a Teamster and I rely on him heavily and he’s a lovely guy.

Q: You say this was dedicated to your kids. What would you say to them if they want to become actors? Would you let them do it and what would be the advice that you would give them — to them.

BP: We can have that conversation if—once they are 18. And then I — listen, I want them to follow their bliss. You know, follow their passions, whatever—whatever they are most interested in. And then it’s—then I think it’s about, you know, guiding as you can. But they get to try everything on and find what—where their passion lies. So, sure, why not?

Q: Are you having the time of your life? You know, you’ve walked up and won every single award. Is this the time of your life?

BP: Well, no. I hope not. I hope I got other shit going on. But it has been a really special—really special run. And, again, it’s a community I love and friends that I’ve made over, you know, 30 years and they mean a lot to me, truly. And I feel a responsibility to that more than anything, more than, like, a victory lap. And so I think, like, right now I’m just looking—I think it’s—I think it’s time to go disappear for a little while now and, you know, get back to making things.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Q: Happy birthday.

Laura Dern: Thank you. Thank you. Will you help me for a moment? I just want to say I was in complete shock. And I forgot to say thank you to my guides in my life: Peter Levine, Jason Weinberg, Annett Wolf, Kevin Evein, and my life-long acting teacher Sandra Seacat, who I’ve been with since I was 18 years old. And now I can have a great night because it’s a little bit of heartbreak when you haven’t thanked all the people who bring you here, you know. So thank you.

Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Q: Congratulations in promoting your close friends down in Australia. I have to say, so your mom’s been nominated for an Oscar, your dad’s been nominated for Oscars, you’ve been nominated for Oscars before. You are such an incredible acting family. What does it mean to be finally holding that statute tonight?

LD: Well, I went backstage, and people were telling me my mother was very moved, and that just makes me so happy to stand up and sing their praises. They literally got me here and artistically got me here as well. So it means the world. Thank you.

Q: My question is in such a divisive time culturally and politically, you mentioned about the gift of being able to talk about love through a story. What did you realize through Marriage Story that, perhaps, we should think about this year as a nation and just internationally as well?


LD: I think if a couple through heartbreak and divisiveness can come together to raise a child, then this country better get our act together. I think there is much to learn from the  story so beautifully told by Noah. And on a global level, as I mentioned, you know, we have a planet to save. So I pray we can all come together to focus on something that is not at all about politics. It’s all about our home. Thank you.

Q: And I was wondering what advice you have for women who are looking to break into the film industry.

LD: Oh, said so beautifully by the filmmakers of How To Skateboard, you have to use your voice in this life. You have to stay true to yourself whoever you are. As my fourth grade teacher advised me, the best advice I got, “Keep your eyes on your own paper.” And in a social media heyday, to stay true to your own inner voice and not be too focused on the noise and to feel blessed when we get to do what we love in this life. Thank you.

Q:Addressing the elephant in the room, if you had a chance to nominate any female directors, who would you nominate?

LD: If I could give this Oscar to Greta Gerwig, I would do it right now, and Lulu. I mean, there are so many beautiful films. I met the director of Honey Boy yesterday at the Independent Spirit Awards. There are great films. I think that our lens should focus, perhaps, less on the lack of accolades and more on the less — the less opportunity that there is, and even more so the lack of second chances given to female voices. And as the business and the people with the money give more and more opportunity to extraordinary and diverse voices and representing who we want to see reflected in film, which is ourselves, we are going to be in a lot different shape. And I share this with Noah and Greta as well, who I spent my year with in art and friendship and now doing press for both films. So I would love to also see her continually awarded for all her beautiful work.

Q: I’m wondering on the note that you were just speaking about and considering Joaquin Phoenix’s speech that he just gave at the BAFTAs encouraging everyone to actually look at what is happening systemically at these awards shows and in Hollywood in general, I’m wondering if you have any further thoughts about how the Oscars, how Hollywood as a whole, can be more intentionally inclusive when it comes to bringing about not just women but people of color as well?

LD: When we say, use our voice, we are talking about us, each other, in whatever industry we are in. We have power to say something. And when we don’t see our culture reflected around us, we get to say something. And I think that’s the biggest shift we’ve seen in the last couple of years is voices matter, and a community of voices rallying around the truth really matter in journalism, in this industry, and in many others. So make sure that your crew and the storytelling reflects our global community. And if you’re an actor on a movie or you’re the filmmaker, you’re the producer, you get to say something. If you’re the DP, you get to say something about your camera crew. And that matters.

Q: In Marriage Story and in Big Little Lies, you play these characters who, you know, take no crap, won’t be silenced, and are very confident in who they are. And I’m just wondering who are the women in your life that inspired you in these roles? And if you had a message to little girls out there who want to be in the position that you are right now, what would it be?


LD: Well, I start with my mother, who she and my godmother, Shelley Winters, were massive influences on my life as an actor and activist, and be loud, be proud, stand by incredible sisters. You know, I have been blessed in this year to have extraordinary roles, and they said, “Wow, this year you’re playing powerful women versus, you know, complicated, indigent addicts or some other reference a journalist said.” And I said, “Because there are women in positions of power to play now. But five years ago, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to play a leading divorce lawyer or a CEO of a major tech company because they weren’t in those positions.” So there are many more exciting roles to play, and the future generations are going to be the ones that lift us up and show us because they know it’s their role, not because they are going to ask for permission. They’re just going to do what they love, and bless them for showing us the way. Thank you all. I’m so excited to be here. Thank you.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite
Best Picture, Directing, International Feature Film, Writing (Original Screenplay)
 The Full Oscars 2020 Backstage Interview

NOTES ON THE SCORECARD:

Past Media Guy Oscars Backstage Columns: 2019 – 2018 – 2017 – 2016 – 2015 – 2014 – 2013 – 2012

“If the Academy allows, I would like to get a Texas chainsaw, split the Oscar trophy into five and share it with all of you. Thank you, I will drink until next morning.” —Bong Joon Ho

credit: Nick Agro / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Spike Lee with the moving tribute to Kobe Bryant:

Oscar-worthy bomb of Margot Robbie from Timothée Chalamet.

2019 Oscar-winner Regina King celebrates with 2020 Oscar-winner Brad Pitt.

Scarlett Johansson proved to be the “wow” of the arrivals.

Adapted Screenplay winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) mugs backstage with Natalie Portman.

The fun of Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s critical insights into the role of the cinematographer continue off-screen.

The clean-up from the rain almost encroached into the celebrity arrivals.

THE envelopes…

Cats wasn’t a hit, but Rebel Wilson and James Corden as cats was…

Oscar in hand, Brad Pitt takes a moment.

In a surprise move, Eminem performed his Oscar-winning “Lose Yourself” seventeen years after he won. Here, he shares a moment with Salma Hayek Pinault.

Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves in their own world.

It’s all fun and games when Maya Rudolph and Kirsten Wiig are around.

Penelope Cruz and Bong Joon-Ho after one of his Oscar wins.

And the Media Guy on the Red Carpet prior to the show:

Note: Some photos courtesy of A.M.P.A.S.

The post Backstage at the Oscars: 2020 appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

The red carpet is not actually red; it’s more like a burgundy.

Get ready for the Oscars’ politically tinged acceptance speeches — and likely more than 45 minutes of advertising.

Before I get to all of the tidbits around the Academy and the Dolby Theatre, I’ll bore you with my winners prognostication. Before you roll your eyes, remember that I started covering the Academy Awards six years ago and my picks have been accurate to the point I want to fly to London back them up with a little bit of cash. For the record, I’ve gone  on in the major categories with 37 out of 44 correct selections. Here’s the Media Guy choices for the telecast on Sunday:

Best Picture
La La Land

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Emma Stone, La La Land

Just to remind everyone…Spielberg and I have two Oscars combined!

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Viola Davis, Fences

Directing
Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Animated Feature Film
Zootopia

Foreign Language Film
The Salesman, Iran

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan

THE COMMERCIALS

Last year’s Oscars drew over 34 million total viewers, Because of that number, a thirty-second commercial on the Oscars telecast will cost you a cool $2 million. This is the most expensive TV buy after the Super Bowl.

Last year’s Oscars featured 80 commercials which generated $115 million in ad revenue which is about equal to the Grammys and Golden Globes combined.

GOVERNOR’S BALL MENU

The 1,500 guests to the Governor’s Ball expect some of Wolfgang Puck’s traditional specialties, but each year they are treated to new dishes to sample, including this year’s treats: gold-dusted popcorn, sweet pea falafel, taro root tacos with shrimp and mango, spice gougeres with black truffle dust, lobster corn dogs and parsnip agnolotti.  no small undertaking…

…It takes a lot of fish and cheese to feed that many guests: 3,500 miso tuile cones, 15 pounds of truffles, 350 pounds of Atlantic tuna, 7,500 shrimp, 2,375 pretzels, 4,250 pieces of handmade gnoccetti and 150 pounds of arugula. And don’t forget the Oscar-shaped smoked salmon matzos.

Dessert stations will offer lava cakes, red velvet waffles, and a chocolate buffet with treats including caramel cappucino Oscar lollipops and bonbons in movie theater flavors like Sour Patch Kids.

THE OSCARS SWAG BAG

A pelvic floor exercise tracker, a sweat absorber and a CPR kit might not seem the most exciting of gifts for anyone, let alone a Hollywood star. But these, along with a Hawaiian holiday, a California ranch experience and personal training sessions are just some of the gifts in the unofficial Oscars swag bag courtesy of Los Angeles-based Distinctive Assets.

A five-night holiday to Kōloa Landing, a luxurious resort on Hawaii’s Kauai island is included, costing around $1,150 a night, along with a week at Golden Door, an exclusive California spa where a “Classic Women’s Week” costs around $8,850.

If the nominee prefers a European adventure, then a three-night stay in a suite at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como is also on offer, which retails at around $1,400 a night, before taxes. Also in the swag bag are three nights in the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, where a suite costs upwards of $700 a night.

Quirkier gifts include a hydrating mist “for improved vocal cord management and skin regeneration,” a SweetCheeks cellulite massage mat, and a t-shirt from Happiest Tee, to “celebrate your happy place.”

NOMINEES QUESTIONNAIRES

This year, the Academy released some of the questionnaires submitted by the nominees providing a fascinating look at the the stars. Here’s a couple of note…Nicole Kidman and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The post Oscars Week 2017: My Picks appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

There’s been some rumor about a trip to Hungary to see the amazing architecture and take in the opera at the Hungarian State Opera House (amazing!). And, I may have needed to be in Hollywood to accept my Emmy (yeah, that’s a thing, woo hoo!). And, I may or may not be stalking mirroring following uhhhhhhhhh, reporting on the global premieres of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 and the fashion of Jennifer Lawrence.

The London Premiere

For this column, let’s go with The Hunger Games. By now, most of you know of my affinity for Ms Lawrence (read: Straight Out of Encino and Dreaming on the Oscars Red Carpet for a better taste of that), so this plum assignment was too good to pass up.

London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin with a side trip to Hungary? Who am I to say no? All the big designers has showed up in style for the Oscar goddess: Burberry, Christian Dior, Dion Lee, Mugler, Thakoon, Schiaparelli, and Ralph Lauren,

The Los Angeles Premiere

So just when I was soaking in Jlaw’s Jimmy Choo gold Dory sandals and her gorgeous, goofy command of the red carpet, I ran into Gaby Lorenzo, a Bay Area marketing genius and she shared why it’s nearly impossible not to draw parallels from the Hunger Games into your life and society.

But allow me to digress a moment with this JLaw tidbit from the world premiere roadie as she admitted on the Conan Show that she made a horrible mistake with her first tattoo. “I feel I have ‘I’m stupid’ tattooed on my hand permanently,” she said. She added to is by telling us that she made a pact with her Hunger Games co-stars to all get tattoos when filming finally wrapped on the series of movies. She decided to get ‘H2O’ to “remind me to drink more water.” But she admitted that she got the ‘2’ in the wrong spot – superscript above the other characters, rather than below. “It’s now H-squared!”

“I didn’t go to school…I’m an uneducated idiot.”

Yet, I digress; back to The Hunger Games and its unique life lessons. Whether it’s politics, romance, business, or even pop culture, there are lessons we can draw from the trilogy and apply to our daily routines. Here key takeaways and lessons learned from the Suzanne Collins’s fictional characters:

The New York Premiere

Develop relationships and network.

With 24 tributes participating in the games, it’s important that you make connections (think about your colleagues and business partners). Your friends and allies are your key assets. Whether you need food, medicine or weapons, all of the tributes must rely on the help of others. The Hunger Games are not something that you can participate in alone. Ask for help when you need it. Seek and create resources for yourself and your team. Everything we do is based on relationships and experiences we encounter with media, colleagues and prospects. The relationships we develop over time help us to produce good work and to continue to advance to new adventures, and ultimately grow. Like the arena in The Hunger Games, the world is smaller than you think, and every day I continue to remain surprised at how often paths will cross.

Your work ethic matters.

The Paris Premiere

At the end of the day, there is no shortcut to getting ahead. The shortcut is working hard. Determination is the key to success in all future endeavors. It’s the work, planning and preparation you put in along the way that gets you to the finish line. Like the tributes, PR professionals must remain committed and strategic in everything that they do to produce stellar results. Hard work rarely goes unnoticed in our industry, and the leaders in the arena like Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark exemplify these traits. They also showcase their many values: dedicated, smart, honorable and ballsy to name a few!

Showcase your skills and value.

The Berlin Premiere

Tributes in The Hunger Games must rely on their special skills. This will help them differentiate themselves from the other tributes. The core competencies that they possess cannot only help them win, but also to get sponsorships from the districts (think investors). This is the value-add, and the players in the arena must leverage their special skills – from hunting, to camouflage, to building a fire and even gathering food. In communications, it’s just as important to highlight your special skills. Are you a good writer? Do you know all of social media’s secrets? Familiar with analyst relations? Are you an expert in Adobe Illustrator? Flaunt those skills! Bring something to the table that no one else can offer. For our clients, they find our special skills to be most beneficial.

Just keep swimming.

The Madrid Premiere

While we are not fighting for our lives day-in and day-out, we need to remember to keep breathing. Naturally, the PR and marketing industry is not as hectic as the arena that the characters face. It’s important to look ahead and focus on the big picture – keep trekking through the workday. Whatever you do, just don’t give up. Finnick, a tribute in Mockingjay once said, “It’s better to not give in. It takes ten times as long to put your self back together as it does to fall apart.” Mind over matter in the games is key, and in real life, it absolutely holds meaning. Remember to stay motivated even when the days can get stressful. At the same time, remember that we aren’t saving lives.

As Effie Trinket would say, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER

What else could it be than the epic final trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 and  its $40 plus marketing budget:

The post The Hunger Games World Tour and the Fashion of Jennifer Lawrence appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Yes, indeed I am at the newly named Microsoft Theatre (formerly the Nokia Theatre) in Downtown Los Angeles at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Before I talk about the triple digit heat on the red carpet, I must declare that I really want to party with three women:

Click here to watch the commercial.

While I was backstage eyeing up one of those golden statues, the biggest highlight came Apple Music as they premiered they new spot featuring Taraji P. Henson and Kerry Washington hanging with Mary J. Blige at her crib fantasizing about mix tapes and doing air drums to Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”. I mean, really! This is everyman’s dream, isn’t it? (Incidentally, this also counts as the winner of my regular feature, “AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER“.)

Back to the heat…the way you heard celebrities talking about the scorching City of Angels heat, you might have thought they were preparing to join Lawrence of Arabia in the Arab Revolt. There was a lot of moaning about the heat and, I think, Mario Lopez lost 42 ounces of water surrounding all those muscles:

I wasn’t too far from E! News’s Giuliana Rancic and every time she stopped one of the nominees they moaned about how they were making the intolerable expedition from their air-conditioned limousines to the air-conditioned Microsoft Theater without needing an IV for their dehydration. I bet most were secretly wishing they were in Celine Dion’s old Caesars Palace digs with her special climate control system while their tuxedos and Haute Couture melted on the red carpet. Ah, the struggle!

Amish Kitteridge starrring Frances McDormand

The fashion was interesting to say the least. Leading the best dressed were Taraji P. Henson from Empire, Jaimie Alexander from NBC’s Blindspot (see gallery below), and me! There was the Heidi Klum yellow canary disaster too. But my pick for the “I Didn’t Think the Emmys Were This Weekend So I Didn’t Shop for a Dress” goes to Academy Award- (and now) Emmy Award-winning actress Frances McDormand who showed up looking like she rode all week from the Amish farm in preparation. Yikes!

Viola preached! But not everyone was screaming “TELL IT” Meryl Streep-style over Viola’s powerful speech.

Nancy Lee Grahn, known as Alexis Davis to people who watch General Hospital and known as “WHO?!” to people who don’t, was not into what Viola said. Nancy Lee basically screamed “ALLACTRESSLIVESMATTER” on Twitter and went on and on and on.

Mikkos Cassadine needs to come and get his daughter, because Nancy Lee said that Viola is a member of the TV elite who has never faced discrimination and that the Emmy stage wasn’t the place to bring up racial issues in Hollywood. Nancy Lee deleted a few of her tweets, but something called “shift + command + 4″ exists and so Buzzfeed and others screen shot her “greatest hits.”

I don’t know why everyone hated on Nancy Lee. I mean, I, for one, learned something from her rant. The African American history professor tweeted (and deleted) this:

“Heard it and went oh lord ur a great actress just accept it and I heard Harriet Tubman and I thought Its a fucking emmy for gods sake. She wasn’t digging thru a tunnel.”

Nancy Lee is educating us all, because I did not know that the Underground Railroad was an actual tunnel dug by Harriet Tubman.

After Nancy Lee got dragged back and forth and continued to defend herself by saying that she can’t believe she’s getting so much hate, she took back everything she said and farted up this apology:

“I apologize for my earlier tweets and now realize I need to check my own privilege. My intention was not to take this historic and important moment from Viola Davis or other women of color but I realize that my intention doesn’t matter here because that is what I ended up doing. I learned a lot tonight and I admit that there are still some things I don’t understand but I am trying to and will let this be a learning experience for me.”

Translation: “My agent and the executives at ABC made me type this.”


My reaction: Let people have their time and speak with the people they want to speak about. Maybe Nancy Lee needs to read The Secret and gain the power of being positive!

January Jones is no Better Draper…wowza!

The Media Guy’s Instagram Feed!

The Most Beautiful Couple Award: Sophia Vergara and What’s-His-Name

Congrats! That was an amazing speech.

First Coca-Cola and now an Emmy…what an exit for Don Draper.

Matt LeBlanc is still one cool cat.

Maybe it was Jaimie Alexander who brought the heat to the red carpet.

Heidi…Versace…Really?!

Taraji…I’ll make you a mixtape any day!

Julia Louis-Dreyfus: The most successful comedienne of all time.

The post Melting on the Emmys Red Carpet appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Okay, so where am I?

AHS co-stars Paulson and Roberts

At the Los Angeles premiere of American Horror Story. The red carpet was buzzing with the normal magpies (aka paparazzi) imploring celebs to look their way and pose a certain way. Usually each quasi-star, celeb or show exec takes their 90-second allotment, preening and twirling so the print folks can get their snaps off and then they move on to the television media for sound bite moments.

So while the likes of Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts and Gabourey Sidibe humbly (did I just use “humbly” and “red carpet” in the same story?) took their recommended time, Lea Michele decided to drop anchor, lapping up the faux raise of the boys with the cameras.

And just on cue (according to the veteran stalker, er, cameraman next to me) she did what she always does: She nearly fractured her neck, L4 and L5 lumbars like a “Dance Moms” concert audition contestant while on Quaaludes and Uppers. I mean for goodness sakes, she’s doesn’t even have a sniff from IMDB for this show and she was still posing like Jane Lynch is calling our her praises on her beloved megaphone.

Pull up that anchor bitches, your current Emmy winner is coming through…

INITIAL REACTION: Lea’s Priya Ali bronzer instantly turned pasty white from all that shade Queen Jess threw at her. However, this is more than shade could ever hope to be. This right here at the 1:04 mark is the greatest diss in the history of red carpet.

MEDIA GUY REACTION: Lea Michele needs a someone with some gumption [read: HUEVOS], to give her their own brand of shade on the red carpet, because when the celeb backup begins, the bitchy heat rises like the July sand in Qatar. Really, there’s no such thing as bad press (well, there is), but that last hing you want your client being know as the actress who was honored to be snubbed by Jessica Lange.

Red carpet looks: Lange (l) and AHS Alum Angela Bassett (r)

Lea was on the red carpet so long that even Darren Criss photobombed her!

Oh Jane…jeans AND no megaphone?!

The post The Queen of Shade appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

A peek into the goodies in the SWAG bag.

The post OSCAR WEEK 2014: Dreaming in Gold appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

You have to be both bouncer and caretaker when the client starts drinking after the event.

Never blow off the walk-through or your credentials are toast.

• 1) know every step of the route,
• 2) tonight is not amateur hour, and
• 3) the real work begins at the after party as you urge your clients to avoid making themselves fodder for TMZ.com.

The handler (over Meryl Streep’s right shoulder with the yellow badge) is ever present, yet invisible.

Do you see the handler? Good!

The post The Handler appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.