Show me your 'O' Face

I just hope it doesn't look like this:

I should give these people the benefit of the doubt, because I have no idea what crazy face I would make if Oprah had just given me a new car that hadn't even been released yet so only the silhouette of which could be revealed, a scholarship, built me my own school in my African village or took me on a trip down under. My O face might look very different.

Perhaps something like this.

This is what I look like on my birthday. I imagine Oprah makes everyone feel like it's their birthday when they visit Harpo Studios. Unfortunately for me, I'll never know.

[Also, I was very generous with the picture selection of my O face. This is unfair to the people shown above and for that, I apologize. But, it is my blog. And you met Oprah. So we're even.]

The one time I did meet Oprah, was at the Academy Awards in 2004. I use the word meet loosely, as we were about 60 feet away and there was no formal introduction. Unless she has excellent hearing and heard me whisper "I love you Oprah" from the bleacher seats, which I'm sure she does and did. She was radiant. As my three friends and I ate our free bread (the only thing the fine Academy gave to us "bleacher creatures" in the 9ish hours we sat out there), I dreamt of being able to talk to her, to have a conversation with the icon herself. Ask her a question. What in the world would I ask her? Instead she went to Maria Menounos who asked her, "Who are you wearing?" What a waste of a question, Menounos. I should've slapped Maria when I saw her again in Park City this last January for Sundance and simply said, "That's for Oprah."

Okay, now I'm just dropping names.

Oprah has been on the air 93% of my life. I've never known a world where Miss Winfrey did not exist. However, Oprah and my relationship didn't really blossom until I was in college. In a world before DVR's, I wasn't able to watch Oprah on a daily basis as I was probably running around a soccer field or track through most of my middle and high school days. When I was in college, I was usually home in the afternoons to watch her show. College is probably the best age to start watching Oprah because now you've seen a little bit of what happens outside of your hometown-albeit I was in Corvallis, OR which was voted one of the most liveable towns in the nation. Although, 'The Oprah Show' did have an unfortunate connection with Corvallis when a young woman, Brooke Wilberger, was kidnapped from an apartment building and later murdered, and Oprah interviewed Wilberger's parents.

Love or hate her [there usually seems to be no middle road with O] you must give credit where it is due. This woman changed television and further than that, she changed lives. And we watched her change along with us. It's easy to invite people onto your show to engage in a staged and intimate quarrel for entertainment value, but it is quite another to take an interest in someone's life and help them improve it. Sometimes this was in the form of material items, but most often other times, it was giving them validation. Hey guess what, I care. It's something we don't say enough to the people in our own lives and it was such an apropros message she shared on her finale yesterday. People need to feel a sense of validation. That they matter.

And if nothing else, she gave us "Oprah voice." It's one of my favorite ThIIIIIIiiiinnngggs!

Note: I have come to love and often use Oprah voice on friend's birthdays, holidays, and sometimes just for kicks on their voicemails. I've tried to transfer this onto the wall's of Facebook, but it's just not the same. I think this has been Oprah's biggest impact on me. And it makes people smile, so that's enough. Thanks for helping me get a laugh out of my friends, O.

Cheers, Oprah. You done good. Now start writing your book already.

“Find your calling. It lights you up and it let’s you know you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. You in your own way can illuminate the world.” -Oprah Winfrey 5/25/11

And the winner is...

I was 5 for 8 on my Oscar scorecard last night.

I saw 9 out of the 10 Oscar nominees for Best Picture. I’ll shamelessly admit I did not see ‘True Grit’ for no other reason than the fact that I loathe Westerns and guarantee I would've been snoozin in the cinema. And unlike a certain friend of mine, theater time is not my usual nap time.

Let’s start with the big award of the night going to “The King’s Speech.” I like Colin Firth; he’s a great actor. But the movie was not at the top of my list of films this year. Sure, I had moments of sympathy watching the struggles of the King’s stutter especially as an instructor of speech, but the empathy with his character was never built and I wasn’t made to feel any type of connection with him. This transition from sympathy to empathy is what divides the average from the best. “The King’s Speech” had its moments where Bonham-Carter offered a witty line or Rush before his time, made us laugh with jokes of nicotine being harmful to the body, but nothing to withstand my respect for an Oscar for Best Actor and certainly not Best Picture.

Like the premise and claim of the Winklevoss twins, “The Social Network” got robbed.

A friend of mine who wasn’t as big of a fan of ‘The Social Network” as me, made the comment, “it’s not hard to play an asshole.” However, Eisenberg’s character transcends this simple label and he is much more multi-faceted than this. He’s a genius. He’s a co-ed. He’s seeking acceptance. He’s an innovator. And even though he committed what some of us would deem inexcusable acts for forgiveness, I got it.

How often is it where we have a main character that represents the protagonist and antagonist? Heroic in the sorts of having this billion dollar idea that has reshaped the entire way people communicate, build, create, maintain and sever friendships, relationships, and kinships? And in the same body, Eisenberg manifests this carelessness toward those who assisted him in getting to this place. His performance is equal to Zuckerberg’s IQ: Genius (or whatever numerical score would be the equivalent).

It was outstandingly done.

This, plus the UH-MAY-ZING score of “The Social Network” = Best picture. Apparently not for those occupying seats of the “prestigious” academy. I’m curious to know the youngest member that sits on that board.

[I bet if there was a biopic on Alexander Graham Bell, it would’ve won.]

Other noteworthy moments:

-The opening sequence. Where they used the score of 'The Social Network' (just saying) and Alec Baldwin.

-Anne was radiant and could’ve held down the show solo. Too bad James Franco was sneaking herbal refreshments not of the Lipton family, backstage and made us all feel awkward and question why he was there.

-Kirk Douglass probably shouldn’t be presenting awards anymore. Betty White is an exception for Hollywood senior citizens and just because she can, doesn’t mean Kirk can.

-Sandra Bullock always makes me smile and looked fantastic.

-Also fantastic? Halle Berry. What is it that she is drinking, eating and moisturizing in because I need a life’s supply. Maybe the box of girl scout cookies I ate while watching her speak are not the first steps in the direction of the golden goddess. At least the milk the cookies were dipped in was fat free.

-Gwyneth, stop singing. I can’t believe your husband who is a phenomenal musician hasn’t advised you of the same advice if for nothing else, to save himself from embarrassment. I really hope your dream collaboration with Jay Z doesn’t happen. I think Hova would have more sense than that. He already has 99 problems.

-Celine?

-Melissa Leo, I wanted you to win. Your speech sucked though. I know I have no idea what it might be like to win an Oscar, but repeatedly saying “ummmmm” and “uhhhhhh” is not only annoying, but it prolongs the already 180 minute presentation. You’re an actor, improv. Better yet, being nominated allows you to write something down. The animation guys had better speeches.

-It was Natalie’s year. She was magnificent but I was a bit sad she didn’t mention her cast in her acceptance speech.

I long for the days where Cuba Gooding Jr’s feet left the stage in between whoops and hollers of yelling people’s names he wanted to thank. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnCMqr1QRQw.

Where two strapping young boys took home their first Oscar for “Good Will Hunting.” Where Tom Hanks spoke of angels who were victims to AIDs when he won for “Philadelphia.” Where there was this palpable joy felt between actor and audience. Where there was sincere gratitude for what this honor meant.

The show is getting stiff in the voters and the speeches. Throwing a [Winter’s] Bone in there for Sundance and Indie’s sake but not really considering them as victors of the night, is cheap and annoying. Selecting young hosts for the evening doesn’t make the Oscars “young” “hip” and progressive” if the votes don’t echo the product placement.