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2020 Oscars Predictions – The Year of the International Film

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Wrapping up awards season this Sunday are the 2020 Academy Awards. For the first time in history, we have a comic-book movie, Joker, leading the field in nominations with 11. It was a relatively good year for movies overall, highlighted by my personal favorites: Parasite, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, and 1917. Parasite made a splash by becoming only the twelfth foreign film in history to be nominated for Best Picture, deservingly so. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, directed by Quentin Tarantino, gave us a combination of great filmmaking/writing and a star-studded cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino. OUATIH was able to deliver on the promise that teaming LDC and Brad Pitt up together would be a match made in Heaven. And 1917, the WWI movie based on stories told to director Sam Mendes by his grandfather, aside from being a fantastic war drama, gained notoriety for it’s single-shot effect (https://collider.com/1917-movie-one-shot-explained-roger-deakins/). 2019 was undoubtedly a fun year in the theaters filled with outstanding work by those in front of and behind the camera. Now let’s get to my 2020 Oscars picks:

Best Picture:

Nominees:

“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

Who Will Win: “1917”

Who Should Win: “Parasite”

Best Director:

Nominees:

Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”

Who Will Win: Sam Mendes, “1917”

Who Should Win: Sam Mendes, “1917”

Best Actress:

Nominees:

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”

Who Will Win: Renee Zellweger, “Judy”

Who Should Win: Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”

Best Supporting Actress:

Nominees:

Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Florence Pugh, “Little Women”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”

Who Will Win: Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”

Who Should Win: Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”

Best Actor:

Nominees:

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Who Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”

Who Should Win: Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”

Best Supporting Actor:

Nominees:

Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Who Will Win: Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Who Should Win: Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”

Best Original Screenplay:

Nominees:

“Knives Out,” Rian Johnson
“Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach
“1917,” Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino
“Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han

Who Will Win: “1917,” Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Who Should Win: “Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Nominees:

“The Irishman,” Steven Zaillian
“Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi
“Joker,” Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
“Little Women,” Greta Gerwig
“The Two Popes,” Anthony McCarten

Who Will Win: “Little Women,” Greta Gerwig

Who Should Win: “Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi

Best International Film:

Nominees:

“Corpus Christi,” Jan Komasa
“Honeyland,” Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov
“Les Miserables,” Ladj Ly
“Pain and Glory,” Pedro Almodovar
“Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho

Who Will Win: “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho

Who Should Win: “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho

Best Animated Feature:

Nominees:

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” Dean DeBlois
“I Lost My Body,” Jeremy Clapin
“Klaus,” Sergio Pablos
“Missing Link,” Chris Butler
“Toy Story 4,” Josh Cooley

Who Will Win: “Toy Story 4,” Josh Cooley

Who Should Win: “Klaus,” Sergio Pablos

Best Original Song:

Nominees:

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Toy Story 4”
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman”
“I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough”
“Into the Unknown,” “Frozen 2”
“Stand Up,” “Harriet”

Who Will Win: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman”

Who Should Win: “Stand Up,” “Harriet”

Best Original Score:

Nominees:

“Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir
“Little Women,” Alexandre Desplat
“Marriage Story,” Randy Newman
“1917,” Thomas Newman
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” John Williams

Who Will Win: “1917,” Thomas Newman

Who Should Win: “Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir

Best Cinematography:

Nominees:

“The Irishman,” Rodrigo Prieto
“Joker,” Lawrence Sher
“The Lighthouse,” Jarin Blaschke
“1917,” Roger Deakins
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Robert Richardson

Who Will Win: “1917,” Roger Deakins

Who Should Win: “1917,” Roger Deakins

Best Visual Effects:

Nominees:

“Avengers Endgame”
“The Irishman”
“1917”
“The Lion King”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

Who Will Win: “The Lion King”

Who Should Win: “Avengers Endgame”

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Sports

The Lakers Stay Quiet During 2020 NBA Trade Deadline While Rest of the League Gets Hit With Woj Bombs

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It’s hard to complain as a Los Angeles Lakers fan right now, being that we have the second-best record in the NBA plus a roster that includes LeBron James and Anthony Davis…but I will anyway. Many teams got better as a result of today’s 3 p.m. EST NBA trade deadline, but the Lakers weren’t one of them.

 

Lakers fans have been calling for a trade that would most likely include Kyle Kuzma for some time now, as he has not lived up to expectations this season. While Kuzma is averaging 43.7% from the field and 33.7% from three in 25 minutes, which are comparable to 2020 All-Star Jayson Tatum, it’s the rest of his numbers that irk the Lakers fan base. He is averaging just 13.1 points, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 4.7 pre-game Instagram posts per game (unofficial).

What’s so frustrating about GM Rob Pelinka not making any moves at the deadline is that despite the winning, they have holes. They are a much worse team when James is on the bench, proving that they don’t have the supporting cast (aside from Anthony Davis) to pick up the slack when James isn’t in the game. Thinking back to their January 1st game against the Suns in which they almost blew a 34-point lead once James went to the bench, it shows why Laker Nation has reason to be nervous. They’ve also lost both games to their biggest competition in the West – the Clippers – who have just showed that they want it more, especially in the final minutes of the second matchup.

However, not all hope is lost. They still remain the favorite to sign Darren Collison, who retired this past offseason. Collison, a career 39% shooter from three would help the Lakers in spacing and would surely add to their depth alongside James and Davis.

BREAKING NEWS – *J.R. Smith has entered the chat*

OUT OF LEFT FIELD the Lakers announce they will bring in J.R. Smith for a workout. Smith, currently a free agent, hasn’t played in the NBA since November 2018, so it seems like the only reason they’d be looking to sign him is because he’s played with James before, so he knows his system?? He did win a championship with James in 2016, so maybe they’re hoping some of that mojo transfers over to this season. However, he’s basically just another Rajon Rondo, so do we really need two of these guys? Plus, with All-Star Alex Caruso and KCP as the primary shooting guards, I’m not really sure where Smith would work into the line-up.

The Lakers have problems that still need addressing, but hopefully if they can sign Collison, it’ll tighten up some loose screws on offense that have been evading them this season. Another scorer is essential to their playoff run, and especially if they expect to be able to compete with the highly favored Bucks out of the East in the Finals.

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Sports

The Dodgers Have Pulled off the Biggest Trade in Franchise History

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We had been hearing rumors about a Red Sox/Dodgers trade for a while now, but it has finally happened. It seemed like the Dodgers were the frontrunners all along, since it was inevitable that the Red Sox were going to make a trade, but I can’t believe it actually happened. The Dodgers (with the exception of Manny Machado) never make big moves like this in the offseason. They don’t generally sign big free agents and they don’t make big trades. They develop talent through their farm system and build from within (Kershaw, Buehler, Bellinger).

But this move tells me that they are doing whatever they can to win a World Series title next year, and I fucking love it. This fan base has suffered far too long and come too close in recent years of a title, and I’m so glad the front office is making moves. This definitely softened the blow of missing out on Gerrit Cole earlier this offseason, when he chose to sign with the Yankees.

Of course, the Dodgers were forced to part ways with several fan favorites, as Alex Verdugo, Kenta Maeda, and Joc Pederson were all traded. Verdugo is a young outfielder who will no doubt continue excel as he gets more playing time. There will probably be some backlash from Dodger fans about Verdugo because he was beloved by the Hispanic fanbase…most notably for his signature walkout song “Volver Volver”.

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Kenta Maeda over the past few seasons, but I was really starting to like him more recently in a relief role. And last but not least, Joc Pederson, who is just heading about 45 minutes south to Anaheim, will surely be missed. Yeah he struck out a lot and was frustrating to watch at times, but he’d show flashes of greatness that made you think he could really be a “guy”. He is also one of the most charismatic guys in the league, and he’ll be missed as a clubhouse presence for sure.

However, despite how much these former Dodgers will be missed, they just traded for MOOKIE FUCKING BETTS and DAVID PRICE. Betts is inarguably a top three player MLB right now, and David Price, despite an injury-riddled 2019, is still effective. The Dodgers still have Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, and A.J. Pollock to fill in the outfield, alongside Betts and Bellinger, so offloading Verdugo and Pederson is great from a consistency aspect for the other players. And with losing Ryu and now Maeda, adding Price will solidify the missing arm in the rotation.

However, the biggest win for the Dodgers in this trade is that they didn’t give up any prospects. You can consider Verdugo a prospect if you want, but in my mind he is now an everyday MLB player, and no longer a prospect. They were able to hang on to Gavin Lux and Dustin May, which were thought to have been trade pieces initially. I don’t think there’s a baseball analyst out there who could say Andrew Friedman was anything short of amazing in putting this deal together. The holes the Dodgers had were filled, and gained far more than they lost. It’s safe to say the Dodgers are CLEAR frontrunners to win the 2020 title…mostly because Betts and Price really know how to win a title in LA (2018).

 

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T.V.

Substance Abuse and Lies – All in Week 5 of ‘The Bachelor’

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First, I want to address the biggest drama that came at the tail-end of this three-hour gem. I think we can all agree at this point that Tammy is the most sneaky and conniving contestant on this season of The Bachelor…and Petey Boy still gave her a rose! I’ve never been able to wrap my head around when these girls use their precious one-on-one time with him to talk about other girls. Because of the way the show is edited, it’s easy to forget how little time these girls are actually spending alone with him. The girls that don’t get one-on-one dates are seeing him once every 2-4 days (especially if they’re traveling), and get to spend maybe 10-15 minutes tops with him before the classic “can I steal you for a sec?”; then their alone time with him is up for the next couple days.

For Tammy and all the girls that love to gossip to the bachelor about the other girls, it’s clear they aren’t there for the right reasons. Do you understand that these girls literally have no forms of entertainment? No TV, no phones, so yeah, I’d probably get drunk a lot too. Obviously, Kelsey coupled her alcohol with an impressive amount of crying, but to tell Peter she has a drinking problem?? I mean, it’s hilarious for the viewers, but sooo not cool or fair to Kelsey. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of Kelsey; she’s way too emotional for this experience – if you told me she’d still be here after champagnegate I would’ve thought you were yanking my chain. Regardless, it’s clear that Tammy crossed a line, so I’m on Kelsey’s side here.

I also think it’s crazy that Victoria P. snaked her way out of another confrontation. After last week when she just started crying as a defense when Peter confronted her about the whole Alayah situation, I can’t believe she found her way out of this one. Apparently, she was the one who told Tammy she thought Kelsey was popping pills (it was birth control and Adderall), but because everyone was so mad at Tammy, Victoria P. basically escaped unscathed once again. I hope Pete catches on to her eventually, because she is 100% a snake. Can’t trust those pageant girls, man.

We also had two one-on-one dates this episode. The first was with Sydney, who has definitely caught Peter’s eye of late. Really nothing wild came out of this date except for Pete claiming Sydney is the best kisser on the show, and that she had no friends in high school and had to eat lunch in the bathroom her whole senior year. And as I am writing this blog, this I come across this:

So now I don’t know what to think about her. But obviously she’s a liar, which sucks because Peter actually likes her, and she’s made a great impression up to this point. I didn’t really see her winning this thing, but I was definitely rooting for her to make it far. Now I just hope she gets kicked off ASAP. It’s crazy to me that she thought she could say that and think no one would find her yearbook and prove her wrong.  This is just a reminder that you need to have a squeaky-clean record to be on any show nowadays, and the internet can dig up just about everything about you.

The second one-on-one was with Kelley. The attorney from Chicago. Seemingly, the most normal girl on the show. On paper she should’ve been my front-runner from the beginning. But, I’ve gotta admit that that shit she pulled in the obstacle course back in episode one rubbed me the wrong way. Can you trust a girl that doesn’t respect the set boundaries of a game? You could say “well, she did what she had to do to win and go on a solo date with Peter”. And I can respect that argument. But where does it stop? I’m sure when the Astros started cheating it was a simple arrangement. But it developed into a complex system with a live video feed, trash cans and buzzers (allegedly) to help them steal a World Series championship away from the Dodgers. I’m just saying…it’s the little things you’ve gotta pay attention to. HOWEVER, Kelley really impressed and surprised me this episode. Her normalness really came through in the dinner portion of the date because she addressed all her reservations about this experience and was completely transparent with Peter about them. While Kelley might not have been at the top of Peter’s list before, because she said she is going to be more open with him from here on, I think she is on her way up.

And I want to personally congratulate Pete for finally getting rid of Alayah. We all knew her second stint on the show would be short lived, but he should be thankful he got rid of her when he did. I think several girls might’ve left the show if he continued to allow her to stay on. Either that or they would’ve put rat traps on the floor next to Alayah’s bed. It was a terrible situation for the both of them TBH, and Pete definitely made the right call. Like I said…you can’t trust those pageant girls, man. I think her and Luke P. from the last season of The Bachelorette should grab a cup of coffee.

Stay tuned for a special Wednesday’s episode! Hopefully his cut heals a little bit more by then.

Power Rankings (of who I think will win) Through Week 5 (Monday):

  1. Madison
  2. Kelley
  3. Victoria F.
  4. Hannah Ann
  5. Victoria P.
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Owen Wilson Joins Cast of ‘Loki’ – Possibly the Greatest Hire in Marvel History

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First reported by comicbook.com:

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s family is looking to add a well known actor with its upcoming Disney+ series Loki. Loki has added Owen Wilson to the cast in a major role ComicBook.com has learned, although the characters which Wilson will be playing is being kept under wraps.

The Addition of Wilson might indicate a comedic tone for the series, something Hiddleston is no stranger to after working with Taika Waititi on Ragnarok.

The Loki Series will follow the version Hiddleston’s character who escaped New York City in the MCU’s 2012 during a scene in Avengers: Endgame. The original version of the character went on to die in Avengers: Infinity War at the hand of Josh Brolin’s Thanos.

Disney had no comment on the casting.

Wow is right, indeed. Disney apparently just has money bags coming out the ass with this signing (but we already knew that). Loki, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Eternals, WandaVision, Hawkeye…I mean, when does the list stop?? *There are still several more projects through the end of 2022 planned for Marvel*.

This Owen Wilson signing just tells me that they definitely needed to add some star power to this series. And not that I wasn’t going to watch Loki before this, but I am 1000% watching it now that Lighting McQueen has joined the cast. Like seriously, how do you not want to watch Owen Wilson in a superhero show – with DISNEY’S budget??

Owen Wilson doesn’t do TV…he never has, even at the start of his career. He did an episode of Drunk History and Documentary Now! (which tons of A-list actors have made cameos in) and that’s it. So for Wilson to sign on to this is a pretty big deal. Not news I was expecting on a Friday afternoon in January, but news I’m very glad we got.

I honestly have no idea what his character will be, mostly because we don’t know too much about the series as a whole yet. Essentially all we know is that in a Mandalorian-y way, Loki is hopping around the universe on space adventures with an infinity stone. So will Wilson’s character have powers? Is he from Asgard? These are questions I’m sure we’ll be getting the answers too sooner than later, but I’m sure Disney’s in no rush as Loki is not set to premiere until spring 2021.

I just hope to god they manage to put Owen Wilson in a Loki-style getup (see below) so we can have that visual for all time.

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Sports

NBA Is Changing All-Star Game Format to Honor Kobe Bryant

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We have officially received word on how the NBA will honor Kobe in this year’s All-Star game. There will 100% be a pre-game tribute and I’m sure much more, but for now we have this. They have restructured the game in a way that I think would make Kobe proud:

At first glance this just seems like a weird format that came from the mind of a 14-year-old 2K addict who drinks too much Monster, but I think it could really work! Of course the NBA could’ve just decided to make the East wear the number “8” and the West, “24” (which were the two numbers Kobe wore in his career), but they chose to take a more complicated route. One of the biggest complaints about the NBA All-Star game is that no one plays hard, which makes it boring. The big men can only shoot so many 3’s before it’s not funny anymore. But this makes it interesting. Guys will actually try to win this thing now. To be fair, with Kobe passing, I think we would’ve seen a spike in effort regardless, but these changes confirm they’ll try harder than usual. Obviously, teams are always supposed to put as much space as possible between them and their opponents, but now they have a goal to reach. And that goal for the leader after three full quarters is 24 points – in honor of the late, great Kobe Bryant.

We all know how a basketball game works: basically, you score as many points as possible in 48 minutes. There’s no limit to how many points you can score in a traditional basketball game…but in this game there is. Like I said, they will have a goal to attain – just 24 more points in the fourth quarter and the game is over. Remember running the mile back in middle school gym class and you got that little burst of energy on the last leg before the finish line? That’s basically what the best players in the world will get to experience (probably for the first time) on a basketball court.

Unless it’s a blowout (which I highly doubt) by the fourth quarter, the first three quarters should have the intensity of a playoff game. And if it’s a close game going into the fourth? Wooo is that gonna be exciting to watch. And that’s exactly what Kobe would’ve wanted. He never took a game off – even the All-Star game – so having the NBA honor his legacy by making this year’s All-Stars play as hard as they would in a playoff game is the perfect tribute.

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Sports

Mourning the Death of Kobe Bryant & The Legacy He Left Behind

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This is something I never thought I’d be writing, nor would I ever wish to cover, but Kobe Bryant died this morning in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Also on board was Kobe’s daughter Gianna, Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, daughter Alyssa, and others. This is news that has rocked the NBA and sports world as a whole. I truly believe this is the most significant and devastating death the sports world has ever suffered. Personally, I have never been this upset over the death of someone I didn’t know, but it really feels like a family member died.

Growing up in Los Angeles, and being alive for Kobe’s entire career in the NBA, I was blessed to be able to witness him come to embody the city. In a time where so many players are often traded or sign as free agents with other teams, it made it all the more special that Kobe spent the entirety of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Things really weren’t supposed to happen this way. I was convinced Kobe was invincible. He deserved to live to see his daughters grow up. If not busy with some other business venture, we all thought he would come to own or at least be the GM of an NBA franchise one day…that was the future we all saw for the Black Mamba. Kobe was so much more than an athlete; he was the first athlete to ever be nominated for and win an Academy Award for his animated short, Dear Basketball. He was also a fantastic father that clearly (reference video below) would do anything for his wife and children. (I’m now quoting my Instagram caption) His impact on the game of basketball and sports as a whole are unparalleled. He left behind a legacy that has inspired an entire generation of athletes (and city) to strive to be better both on and off the court/field. Seeing the love that has been expressed for him online truly shows how much he will be missed:

Let’s also take a look back at some of the best “Kobe” moments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

My prayers are with the Bryant family, the Altobelli family, and those others on board. May your families find peace in this tough time, and in the words of Kobe Bryant:

 

 

I realize I posted way too much Kobe stuff but his life is worthy of ALL the recognition. Mamba out.

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Music

2020 Grammy Awards: PREDICTIONS

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In honor of the Grammy Awards tonight, I’ve listed my predictions below. I chose the “Winner” based on who I think will win the award, not who I personally think should win – most of my personal opinions line up anyway. The Grammy’s are largely a popularity contest based on who got the most radio play, so of course you’re going to see a bunch of Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish. While the most popular nominees are played out by now (at least they are to me), there’s no denying that they certainly do appeal to the masses, and are worthy of nominations. Can I also just say that in a time where the airwaves are dominated by pop and rap, it’s embarrassing what’s become of the Rock genre. It’s been a while since we’ve had a decent set of nominees in rock categories, but this year might take the cake. Rival Sons?? I Prevail?? Bring Me The Horizon?? Has anyone ever heard of these groups?  Coming off the generation with bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Blink-182, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, etc., it’s sad to see how unpopular rock has become. I’m just hoping Greta Van Fleet is everything I think they can be, and help to revive the genre. 

Let’s get to the list.

Record of the Year:

Nominees: Bon Iver (Hey, Ma), Lizzo (Truth Hurts), Khalid (Talk), Billie Eilish (bad guy), Post Malone & Swae Lee (Sunflower), H.E.R. (Hard Place), Ariana Grande (7 Rings), Lis Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus (Old Town Road (Remix).

Winner: Lis Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus (Old Town Road (Remix)

Song of the Year:

Nominees: Billie Eilish (bad guy), Lewis Capaldi (Someone You Loved), Lady Gaga (Always Remember Us This Way), Taylor Swift (Lover), H.E.R. (Hard Place), Lizzo (Truth Hurts), Lana Del Rey (Norman fucking Rockwell, Tanya Tucker (Bring My Flowers Now).

Winner: Billie Eilish (bad guy)

Album of the Year:

Nominees: Lana Del Rey (Norman Fucking Rockwell!), Ariana Grande (Thank U, Next), Bon Iver (I,I), Lil Nas X (7), Vampire Weekend (Father of the Bride), Billie Eilish (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?), H.E.R. (I Used to Know Her), Lizzo (Cuz I Love You)

Winner: Ariana Grande (Thank U, Next)

Best New Artist:

Nominees: Lis Nas X, Rosalia, Lizzo, Tank and the Bangas, Black Pumas, Billie Eilish, Yola, Maggie Rogers

Winner: Billie Eilish

Best Pop Solo Performance:

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 24: Lizzo performs at Radio City Music Hall on September 24, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Nominees: Lizzo (Truth Hurts), Billie Eilish (bad guy), Beyonce (Spirit), Ariana Grande (7 rings), Taylor Swift (You Need to Calm Down)

Winner: Lizzo (Truth Hurts)

Best Pop Pop Duo/Group Performance:

Nominees: Ariana Grande & Social House (Boyfriend), Post Malone & Swae Lee (Sunflower), Camila Cabello & Shawn Mendes (Señorita), Jonas Brothers (Sucker), Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus (Old Town Road (Remix)

Winner: Post Malone & Swae Lee (Sunflower)

Best Pop Vocal Album:

Nominees: Taylor Swift (Lover), Ariana Grande (Thank U, Next), Billie Eilish (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?), Ed Sheeran (No.6 Collaborations Project), Beyonce (The Lion King: The Gift)

Winner: Ariana Grande (Thank U, Next)

Best Rock Song:

Nominees: Vampire Weekend (Harmony Hall), Gary Clark Jr. (This Land), The 1975 (Give Yourself A Try), Brittany Howard (History Repeats), Tool (Fear Inoculum)

Winner: Vampire Weekend (Harmony Hall)

Best Rock Album:

Nominees: I Prevail (Trauma), The Cranberries (in the end), Bring Me the Horizon (amo), Cage The Elephant (Social Cues), Rival Sons (Feral Roots)

Winner: Cage The Elephant (Social Cues)

Best Rap Performance:

Nominees: Dreamville Featuring J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG & Young Nudy (Down Bad), DaBaby (Suge), Cardi B featuring Offset (Clout), J. Cole (MIDDLE CHILD), Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy (Racks In The Middle)

Winner: DaBaby (Suge)

Best Rap/Sung Performance:

Nominees: DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend (Higher), Lil Baby & Gunna (Drip Too Hard), Mustard Featuring Roddy Ricch (Ballin’), Lil Nas X, (Panini), Young Thug Featuring J. Cole & Travis Scott (The London)

Winner: DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend (Higher)

Best Rap Song:

Nominees: YBN Cordae Featuring Chance The Rapper (Bad Idea), 21 Savage Featuring J. Cole (a lot), DaBaby (Suge), Rick Ross Featuring Drake (Gold Roses), Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy (Racks In The Middle)

Winner: Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy (Racks In The Middle)

Best Rap Album:

Nominees: Tyler, the Creator (Igor), J. Cole (Revenge of the Dreamers III), 21 Savage (I Am > I Was), Meek Mill (Championships), YBN Cordae (The Lost Boy)

Winner: Meek Mill (Championships)

(And just for shits and giggles) Best Comedy Album:

Nominees: Jim Gaffigan (Quality Time), Dave Chappelle (Sticks & Stones), Ellen DeGeneres (Relatable), Trevor Noah (Son of Patricia), Aziz Ansari (Right Now)

Winner: Dave Chappelle (Sticks & Stones)

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Movies

Looking back at the 1998 Academy Awards – The Most Watched Show Ever

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Awards shows aren’t what they used to be…now dominated by smaller box office earners and indie projects, things have certainly changed. Of course, that’s not 100% accurate, as this year (2020) the Academy nominated the box office hits Joker ($1.07 B) and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood ($373 M) for Best Picture. But they also nominated Parasite ($148 M), Little Women ($133 M), and Jojo Rabbit (44.4 M), which pale in comparison to the earnings of the other two (specifically Joker).

Another thing that has changed is the classicness (did I just invent a word?) of the films from 1998 to 2019/2020. I’m not trying to discount the Best Picture nominees this year, as they are all well-deserving, but will we still be talking about them in 22 years? Because people sure as hell are still talking about the 1998 nominees, which consisted of Titanic, As Good as It Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting, and L.A. Confidential. These are five CLASSIC movies that are still relevant and are regularly on cable TV (which proves people still want to watch them). I’m not so sure people will be talking about any of the 2020 nominees besides maybe Joker and OUATIH (because of Tarantino) in 2042.

And this is coming from someone who loves all these movies (1917 and Parasite in particular)! But if I’m being honest, I just don’t see them having that big of an impact on society the way the films from 1998 did. This was still a time in history where everyone saw the biggest movies in theaters because there weren’t streaming platforms or really even cable yet. So, people either had to see it in theaters or wait to rent them at Blockbuster – oh those were the days. Therefore, everyone had seen the movies that were nominated! Now we’ve got Netflix movies as Best Picture nominees, which is great on the one hand because there are so many more outlets for aspiring actors/directors, but on the other hand, some of the “best” movies of the year were barely even seen. If movies were nominated for Best Picture based on their box office numbers today, like it was in 1998, then Marvel would have a clean sweep across all categories.

To put things into perspective, the 1998 Academy Awards had over 57 MILLION viewers, compared to roughly 30 million viewers in 2019. And that’s because people actually saw and cared about the movies that won back then. I’m willing to bet 75% of the people that watch the Oscars this year will not have seen Parasite, Little Women, Jojo Rabbit, or Marriage Story (probably closer to 85%). Hell, I had to go to a theater that only shows Korean movies just to see Parasite, so I can guarantee most people haven’t seen it, despite it being phenomenal. This was absolutely not the case in 1998. Titanic was the first movie ever to eclipse the $2 billion mark in the worldwide box office which is absolutely insane if you take into account that this was in 1997. If you adjust for inflation, Titanic made $3,465,089,086 in 2019 value. That’s outrageous. And every other movie made over $200 million (in 1997, no less) except for L.A. Confidential ($126 Million).

Titanic made Leonardo DiCaprio (LDC) and Kate Winslet household names/immortal, Good Will Hunting launched Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s careers, and Jack Nicholson gave one of the best performances of all time in As Good as It Gets. Those are movies that will be talked about until the end of time and are widely considered some of the greatest films ever. I’m not sure you could make the same case for the 2020 nominees. Joker will always be remembered because Joaquin Phoenix gave the performance of a lifetime, as the mentally ill, mass-murdering Arthur Fleck…but none of the other films had performances that made the films all that memorable.

It has been known that the Academy Awards have dipped in ratings in recent years, and they very well know why: the nominated movies in 2020 aren’t as popular as the movies that were nominated in 1998. But the trade-off is quality in cinema. The Best Picture nominees are all better movies than Avengers: End Game (fight me if you want), but you could argue that End Game is more entertaining. There’s a reason that End Game made roughly $2.8 billion, making it the highest grossing movie of all time. Don’t get me wrong…I love Marvel movies, but they’re not traditionally what the Academy votes for in these types of awards shows. The difference between now and then is that movies were both box office darlings AND outstanding films. I’m not sure what the solution is to bring back the glamour of the Oscars, but maybe they should nominate an End Game every now and then for a nice little ratings booster. The 1998 Academy Awards were truly the epitome of what an awards show should be – classic movies, star-studded casts, and box office hits. It’s no wonder it was the most viewed show of all time.

They really don’t make acceptance speeches like this anymore

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