It seemed the trend this year wasn't so much golden-age Hollywood glamour, but more of a black/white affair of updated 1950s mermaid dresses and 1960s Capote-And-The-Swans glamour.
As for the tuxes, other than the basics, it was unbuttoned, open-neck or chest tuxes, which I don't particularly care for at formal events, but it depends on who's wearing it and how.
I don't do worst dressed, I'd rather focus on the positive 😊
In no particular order - if anything, sorted by color of dress so as not to clash - at the top of my best-dressed list are:
Greta Lee in Loewe (*This one is likely my favorite) ...
Anya Taylor-Joy in Dior ...
Carey Mulligan in Balenciaga ...
Haley Steinfeld in Elie Saab ...
Lupita Nyong'o in Georgio Armani Prive
Regina King in Versace ...
Haley Khalil (unknown designer) ...
Liza Koshy in Marchesa (despite taking a tumble on the red carpet) ...
Xochitl Gomez (unknown designer) ...
Eugene Lee Yang in Nimona ...
Sterling K Brown, the best to rock the basic tux ...
Riz Ahmed ...
Ramy Youssef ...
Mark Ruffalo
Yorgos Lanthimos ...
Matteo Bocelli ...
Bradley Cooper (one of only two who could pull off the open-collar/open chest thing well ...
With Chris Hemsworth being the other, being literally the only person to pull off the open-to-the-chest thing well ...
I dunno, I just thought everyone else in the open-shirt thing looked sloppy or cheesy?
Even Ryan Gosling couldn't pull it off without looking sloppy, IMO.
Some honorable mentions ...
Zendaya in Georgio Armani ...
Laverne Cox in vintage Thierry Mugler ...
And there you have it, my best-dressed list for Oscars 2024!
Well, I don't know about y'all, but I'm still an hour behind today after the time change!
So I'm gonna post on the dresses later, but for now, some quick afterthoughts. Okay, maybe not so quick, but I will have to write it and edit later 😂
So whereas last year was clearly about redemption and second chances for a few in the industry, this year had no message or theme at all, politically or otherwise (making me wonder if everyone heard the message within American Fiction loud and clear 😂.)
In fact, IMO, we are finally rewarding innovation and talent for talent's sake, regardless of skin color or faith - giving those stories a better shot now, of course - and telling new stories or old stories in a different way than we've ever seen before!
Wahoooooooooo!
AND ... no one slapped anyone else and it was pretty apolitical, actually, surprisingly so (despite what Trump grumbled about like an angry old man on Truth Social).
And Jimmy Kimmel did very well again as the host, moving things along and keeping them even-keeled with no overly controversial jokes (again, also despite what Trump shadow-boxed from Truth Social), which is one of only two times politics were even mentioned, when Jimmy mentioned Trump's post.
As I said, IMO, it wasn't about politics OR representation, this year - because if that were the case, then Lily Gladstone and Killers of the Flower Moon would've swept everything, but she/they didn't - it was about pure innovation and talent. 😞
In some ways, I'm very sad they didn't receive more awards because though I haven't had time to see the 4-hour film yet, this was an extremely important story to tell.
So I'm not sure why Trump said that, other than the fact that some people of color were nominated and won?
If he had actually seen their performances, maybe he would get why, but I doubt he did, nor could he see the talent displayed (particularly by best supporting actress, Da'Vine Joy Randolph in the grief-stricken scene in the kitchen of The Holdovers) ...
... but even if he HAD seen any of these performances or films, he'd never get it anyway due to his racial bias.
I just don't get how he can be THAT negative, ugly, and whiny and people eat it up and want more, it just floors me.
But I digress - otherwise, I absolutely loved, loved, LOVED taking five former Oscar winners to introduce each of the nominees in a personal way, a powerful way ...
The Best Supporting Actress was the most emotional, perhaps because it was the first of these, but they all were very touching.
This may sound odd, but if you were a nominee, it must have been like listening to your own eulogy at your funeral, but in a way that you got to hear it live.
You could see the nominees trying to hold back tears, or sometimes, just letting them flow, but regardless, the sincere gratitude for the accolades and congratulations from real friends, mentors, idols, and peers was especially affecting and nice touch, such that I found myself thinking "Why hasn't this been done before, this is brilliant!"
It was also just simple kindness and encouragement, on a night that not only do you know that everyone is judging every little thing you do to gossip about the next day, but you may not win - and yet their words will resonate and encourage you for a lifetime 😂
I'm not sure, but I think the former Oscar winners got to pick which nominee they introduced?
I say that because some of them clearly mentioned personal details as their friends, as they lauded them?
Then again, maybe not, because I know that Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are very good friends, but Sally Field introduced Emma, so it also could be that Sally chose Emma because Emma has mentioned being influenced by Sally as a mentor?
It works either way, but can you imagine that the person that made you want to do what you do in life, standing on stage in front of God and everybody, now introducing you, congratulating your nomination and why you deserve it, welcoming you into the club and passing on the baton to you?
Even if they didn't cry, I know I did ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Otherwise, of course, the one I didn't have time to see, this weekend, won it all, but I knew that it would - Oppenheimer!
Well, I'm sorry I haven't seen it yet, give me a break, it is three hours long and I rarely sit down to watch a regular 2-hour movie without pausing it to get stuff done as it is!
(This is why I post something often stream-of-consciousness, grab some quick photos, and then come back to edit later - time!)
I was curious to see how Cillian Murphy would react to the whole Oscars thing, because I understand that in Ireland, being a "movie star" isn't as lauded as it is here; they'd rather you sit at the pub with them and behave just like everyone else, rather than "put on airs" about anything.
He seemed rather reserved (well, he is anyway) and unaffected about the whole thing, right up until he was standing on stage looking at a room full of his peers, half of whom probably made him want to be an actor when he was a little boy - and the first thing he said was "Wow, this is overwhelming," as many do.
It happens so quick, when they call your name, and until you're standing onstage realizing the gravity of the moment, that it's really happened, that you get how important it is, who's shoulders you're standing on, and how every dream you had as a child has just come true and you've just joined the "greats" club!
Well, not true ... the first thing he did was give the most tender, romantic kiss to his wife Yvonne.
(I apologize for the source of this video, but it was the only one, at present, to show it from the front view that we saw it live, versus other press photos from behind them.) ...
...
... after which (not in the clip), and then she touched his face and either said "I love you,"or "Proud of You," (not sure which, I was lip-reading lol) - and THEN he allowed himself to be hugged and patted on the back by those around him before going onstage.
We actually saw all of this from the angle in the clip, a better angle from the front, but regardless, probably the best, most romantic, Oscars kiss moment I've ever seen 🥰
Congratulations, Cillian!
Okay, I haven't seen Oppenheimer, I knew you had it in you - anyone who has seen Peaky Blinders did. 😂
Speaking of being overwhelmed, Emma Stone's reaction at winning Best Lead Actress was THE best.
She looked completely stunned, as if they didn't just call her name 😂
And that is because she wasn't expected to win, Lily Gladstone was.
Then her dress broke in the back immediately, which she cutely mentioned right away in her speech, adding that she thought it happened when Ryan Gosling performed "I'm Just Ken" live 😂
Otherwise, her speech was a quirky and disjointed, of course, after her dress broke, plus being overwhelmed, but but that's Emma - and we love her for it.
Here's the entire piece of Best Lead Actress with nominee introductions ...
This is why we love both Emma, AND one of her besties, Jennifer Lawrence - who touchingly helped her walk backstage with their arms around each other, like a sister helping her navigate and just simply deal with the gravity of this moment. I couldn't find a picture of it, but here's a backstage view of just after.
Now - having said that, I had to twist my husband's arm to watch Poor Things because he said he thought Emma Stone was "plastic?"
Me: "Emma Stone? Erm ... are you sure you're not confusing her with somebody else? She's one of the most quirky, goofy, genuine people in Hollywood. She's got that Lucy or Carol Burnett quality."
So then I showed him clips of her on talk shows to prove it and he was still like "I guess so. Let's see if it's real and not an act;, let's see how she acts if she wins."
So after THAT quirky, little-girl-inside speech after a wardrobe malfunction, I turned to him and said "Still think she's plastic?
Mark said "Definitely not plastic! Not sure why I thought that, she IS pretty goofy and loveable."
Yep - and that's why we love her. 😊
And as I said in the post below, her performance in Poor Things was very impressive, it removed her from being typecast as the pithy, sarcastic college girl.
But I think Sally Field said it best in her introduction: "It is an unforgettable and endearing character, created by an actor who is always surprising, who refuses to be categorized, and like Bella, is completely original."
Here, here 🙂
And here are Emma and her mentor, Sally, together backstage ...
Other favorite moments?
- Billie Eilish's nearly equally shocked look for her win.
- The banter between Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling about the "Barbenheimer" rivalry.
- John Cena's nude introduction of "Best Costume Design"
- A years-clean-and-sober Robert Downey Jr. finally winning an Oscar after previously destroying his career and nearly himself, roasting himself and thanking his "terrible childhood" for the win.
- Of course, the moment that popped Emma's dress (and mine), Ryan Gosling's live performance of "I'm Just Ken" ...
I would love to end this quick-afterthoughts post on that note, but I would be remiss not to mention the most important thing said during an acceptance speech of the whole night - and it's not political.
Cord Jefferson, after winning best adapted screenplay for "American Fiction" - which I thought was a brilliant film - said this:
“This is a risk-averse industry — I get it. But $200 million movies are also a risk, and it doesn’t always work out, but you take the risk anyway. And instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20, $10 million movies.”
I literally stood up, from my living room, and clapped when he said that, Amen!
It should be about quality above quantity in all things - and if this Oscars was any indication, we're heading in the right direction :)
... and as I usually do, I'm trying to catch up on the nominees and watch them before Oscar night, but I usually don't succeed. Some of these things, you have to be in the mood for.
I've seen Barbie, The Holdovers,and just last night, Poor Things, and today/tonight, since it's a cold, rainy day, I'll be watching American Fiction and Killers of the Flower Moon (if the price comes down from 20 bucks to stream the latter!)
So keep in mind as you read this that I have NOT yet seen American Fiction, Killers of the Flower Moon,Maestro, or Oppenheimer yet, though I love Cillian Murphy and suspect Oppenheimer and KOTFM will do a semi-sweep.
I think it's the intensity and somberness of both films that I have to be in the right mood for, plus KOTFM and Oppenheimer are 3 and 3-1/2 hours long - who has time for nearly 4-hour movies anymore?
That's right, Scorsese - I love you, you're the master, but I AM, in fact, "talkin' to you" 😂
I mean, a book, you can put down and come back to later, but nobody has time to sit in a movie theater for almost 4 hours anymore. And even you've rented a streamer, you have to finish it in 48 hours and we all do have work and lives and kids' lives to do, too.
Now, also keep in mind that I wanted to be a screenwriter at one time, and that I've said there are only two things I'm snobby about, film and architecture - because I feel if you have the ungodly amount of money it takes to do either, then do them right - so it takes a lot to impress me.
Thus, I'll give you my thoughts on what I've seen thus far?
(After I see the two tonight, I may update this post, we'll see.)
I should start by saying that although I look at ratings, I don't read critics' actual reviews of Oscar-contender movies until AFTER I've seen the movies myself, so that I can see them with fresh eyes.
Also, I try to remember that we are still watching movies re-emerge after the pandemic, so IMO, it's been slim pickins since, shall we say, for a couple of years, and we're just now starting to see the big-budget films with big-name actors return, and IMO, we're STILL waiting for the type of caliber as before.
Having said that, though Barbie was a fun movie with a twist on what you think about Barbie, and as much as I love Greta Gerwig, I ... really hope she doesn't wain for Barbie.
I mean, it was fun, but let's be honest, it wasn't Oscar material.
If Greta DID win for best director or picture or screenplay, it'd actually be kind of a slap in the face to women that it's only this kind of stuff we can win for, rather than heavy-hitting material?
Same for Margot Robbie, I've seen her do better work in better things. America Ferrera, too.
Quite frankly, this movie didn't deserve to be nominated for an Oscar in anything but set design and costume design, maybe soundtrack - NOT best picture, best director, and acting awards, come on.
I think it's just one of those "I think they're just trying to make up for prior losses, knowing they should've won" types of things, like when they give the Lifetime Achievement award 😂
IMO, not only should Oscar-worthy movies have flawless and seamless directing, editing, cinematography, dialogue, and acting, but more importantly, they should have a good story, and not just a story that leaves no loose ends and doesn't suspend our disbelief too far, but even more importantly - a story that hasn't been told before, or at least a story that is told from a different perspective or in a vastly different way than we've seen before?
Thus, to me, the Oscars are really about innovation, breaking new ground, while still telling us a good, airtight story in a believable way, even if we have to suspend our disbelief for a while (but not too far or too long in its absurdity)
Which brings me to The Holdovers, with an excellent message, perhaps an old revived message, told from a different perspective ...
... and yet I can't help this movie ending with the thought "this could've been done better?"
More on that below.
SEMI-SPOILER ALERT
A white male college professor at a prestigious all-boys Northeastern Boys Prep School has much disdain for his students and reserves his compassion for the poor and those who have truly struggled or lost much in life, and most of the time, he's right about his students and their families - until he meets one student, who at first is the sarcastic bane of his existence, despite setting the curve on his overly harsh grades.
We learn that there's more than meets the eye, with this kid, who not only gets left behind at the school for Christmas by his mother and stepfather, but is hiding a secret about his father that he cannot share with anyone and is in tremendous pain.
We white people tend to do that, that's true. We expect other white people to behave a certain way and only tolerate other people getting upset about petty, trivial things, because real pain and struggle is often too much for us - AKA "white fragility" is a real thing.
Also, we confuse burying emotions with strength, when true strength is compartmentalizing things so you can get stuff done, but letting yourself feel emotions at a good time and then moving past them, rather than stuffing them so they come out in other ways, particularly shaming other people for displaying them.
And in this day and age especially, both political parties tend to sanction us to only feel compassion for certain labeled groups.
Like for the political right, it's veterans and other white people.
For the left, it's also veterans, but more about anyone else BUT white people.
HOWEVER, both parties are guilty of believing that money solves all problems and heals pain and thus don't need our compassion.
And that's the lesson of this film: Don't let politics or society dictate who is the most deserving of your compassion.
Let your compassion instead be guided simply by anyone in actual pain, regardless of "deservingness," remembering that no amount of money will fill emotional voids and heal emotional pain.
Now - that does NOT mean we should allow our compassion to be manipulated or enable behaviors that aren't good for them/the people around them, just that compassion IS in order, albeit with boundaries to keep yourself/the person safe, "and to stop letting society tell us who we should feel compassion for and shouldn't!
Otherwise, as much as I am always impressed by Paul Giamatti's acting skills, I wasn't blown away. I just said to myself "Paul Giamatti is killing it, like he always does" - but it wasn't anything new for him or a character stretch?
So I was more impressed Da'Vine Joy Randolph, best supporting actress nominee - specifically the kitchen breakdown scene over her son ...
... but otherwise, she was just sort of hanging out blandly in the background, they all were, as if they all took a backseat to the scenery as its own character.
Don't get me wrong, the scenery should be its own character, I love that - but let's not lose the characters in the scenery, either?
(Special mention to Dominic Sessa, though, while although his acting may not have Oscar-rendering performance, was still incredible, despite having been discovered at an open audition at the boys' prep school location where the movie was being filmed!)
Honestly, though, as much as I loved the message of this movie, it's one of my favorites over the past few years, as I said earlier, I also felt it could've been done better overall.
And you know who's fault that is?
The director.
I have nothing against Alexander Payne, it's just that although he was really good at effective environmental scenes to set the tone, the shots on the actual actors as they had emotional meltdowns or moments were too far away, which is an essential part of the audience making an emotional connection with a character?
For instance, when "Mary" breaks down in the kitchen at a party at Christmas over the death of her son in Vietnam, I'm thinking "WHY ARE WE WATCHING HER HAVE THIS EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN OVER THE DEATH OF HER SON FROM ACROSS THE ROOM?!" 😂
Or - SPOILER ALERT - when "Professor Paul" is making the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Angus, again, I'm thinking "Why are we watching this monumental moment for main character from across the room?!?"
Okay, yes - in real life, that's how it would probably look, and yet wouldn't you naturally move closer to that person?
Nope. Instead, Alexander just stands there awkwardly and lets it happen, as if it didn't just happen, which reminds us that we're an audience watching, and just moves on to the next scene, la la la, that didn't happen, which prevents the audience from relating better to the characters.
I couldn't find a still image of either scene, but here's an example - we have mood lighting to set the tone, a darkly beautiful background with spotlighting meant to create an intimate feel - and yet we don't feel that, because we're still too far away from the characters to better relate to them!?!
Also, the actual film quality was almost grainy, and the sound editing was atrocious, at least in my view. (Sound editing isn't something you notice at all when done well, but when it's done poorly, you know - even if you can't put your finger exactly on what's not working.)
I'm not sure if that was intentional because it was set in the late 60s or what, but it doesn't help your ability to emotionally connect with the characters much.
Moving on, just last night I watched "Poor Things." I must forewarn you, it's a weird, effing movie and there's lots of soft-porn going on - but if you're an artist/creative type, you'll get it. Mostly.
Of course the premise is grotesque, absurd, and impossible, especially during the Victorian era - but the good news is, you can suspend your disbelief to "what if" in thought provocation?
However, there were some major problems with it.
For instance, I get where the movie was trying to go, and had it gotten there, I'd be telling a different story - but it didn't.
It's supposed to be a twist on a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady story where instead of allowing her creator to control her or running back to him out of either codependency or fear, the creation breaks free from control and finds her own path as a feminist icon.
However, if I'm supposed to be watching a new feminist icon in the making, why am I at the same time watching her full-frontal-nudity sex scenes every other minute, while we don't see the same for the males?
I mean, sure, I get that being free of social constraints and her sexual liberation was an essential part of the character, and yet scene after scene of Emma Stone's gratuitous full-frontal nudity sex/orgasm scenes - without doing the same for men - kind of detracted from the "feminist icon" point.
It became so gratuitous that I just started thinking to myself, "Wow, Yorgas Lanthimos must've just wanted to repeatedly see Emma Stone naked and having orgasms, because the rest of us are getting bored"
In fact, my final synopsis thought was: "This is not true feminism or social-expectation defiance - this is a male-fantasized ideal of what true feminism and freedom is, making being liberated all about sex without commitment and lack of true emotional attachment - this is what MEN would do if they were female!?!
And upon checking, sure enough, both the book AND the screenplay were written by men, directed by a man!
Greta Gerwig, you care to chime in here? 😂
In fact, why don't you remake this movie from a female perspective, still using Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe (and though I love Mark Ruffalo, not his best performance).
Once again, I think many modern feminists confuse feminism with being allowed to behave like stereotypical white, powerful men, when that is not necessarily a good thing to emulate!
In fact, maybe no one should be acting that ways!
But I digress, on the positive side, some things that I think were done well.
Though her brain development is fast, it's spot on with Piaget's child development theories; differentiation between the self and others and empathy, life versus death, concrete versus abstract logic, all of it.
But we have to remember that the motor-muscle development is already there because it's a baby's brain in an adult body, so development would be especially quick.
Also keep in mind that the brain never again grows as rapidly as it does in the first two years of life, the brain is like a little sponge, absorbing everything.
Along the lines of feminism that I think were done well was recognition that despite women getting a bad wrap for the desire to "trap and control," it has historically actually been men that have done this to women.
Thus, with the exception of her "creator" father eventually learns that as much as he wants to protect her from the world, the only way she's going to learn how horrible the world can be is to experience it, trusting her intelligence and that his advice thus far will suffice in making good choices - which is all you CAN do as a parent - even if you know they're making a huge mistake, even if it hurts YOU - they have to sometimes learn the hard way, and all you can do is hope that your words of wisdom and experience will eventually sink in.
Also kudos to her future husband's character, who understands her background fully and lets her go have her fun, but will await her return when she's ready to settle down, as promised.
Because the old adage is true - if you truly love someone, set them free - and if they love you, they will return. And if not, they won't, and that's okay because you're both better off - and then find someone who wants to stay
Now, having said all of that about the mixed point of the film, I still must give kudos to Emma Stone, I was impressed by her emotional range in this film.
Her ability to express genuine child-like joy in her eyes, rage, sorry, later empathy, was phenomenal. I wouldn't say I was blown away, but I was impressed.
The emotions of showing genuine interest - or joy, mischievousness, or intelligence - are particularly hard emotions to convey from the eyes, when acting - but Emma is successfully able to do it.
Speaking of things that would be hard to express believably in a room full of a mostly male film crew - and eventually the world - having to fake an orgasm believably, THAT many times!
So I wouldn't say that I was blown away by her acting skills, but I would say that she has shown us what she can do other than play the pithy, sassy, sarcastic, smart college-girl movie roles.
So overall summary - keeping in mind that I'm a harsh film critic - thus far, from what I've seen, nothing and no one has blown me away since before the pandemic.
However, though not blown away, I will say that I was somewhat impressed with Paul Giamatti and especially Emma Stone's acting, and the innovative story-telling of "Poor Things," despite feeling that both films could've been done better.
I'm not saying that I could do them better, mind you, just that there are people who could have?
Otherwise, let me watch the other contenders and we'll see if anything blows me away 😂
______________________
Update: 3/10/2024
So I've watched American Fiction and Past Lives, but Ididn't have time to watch Oppenheimer or Killers of the Flower Moon before the Oscars start, in an hour, so I guess I'll be saving the favored-to-win for last, probably after Oppenheimer has swept it, from what I understand.
Quick thoughts on the above two that I have seen since yesterday- Past Lives made me cry in the best of ways from nostalgia and in a cleansing sort of way ...
... and American Fiction made me both think and laugh out loud, sometimes at the same time, both at the movie and at ourselves - brilliant, thought-provoking, social commentary.
Most striking of the thought-provocations is unfortunately true it is, how much we white people only want to read/watch, as the main character "Monk" puts it, "black trauma porn," and have little interest in stories by black authors that aren't about being poor and black.
Are we guilty of that?
Yes, we are - but this film doesn't shame us, it makes us laugh at ourselves about how ridiculous we are😂
The only thing that didn't quite fit about it was the end?
Now, I've mentioned before that I hate the whole "pick your own ending/leave it up to interpretation" thing, but in this case, that wasn't the issue; in fact, I have to admit, it totally worked and that was the point - instead of giving it a realistic ending, give it the Hollywood ending that sells, that everyone wants, regardless of how absurd it is :)
I think because I think if the whole movie had been like a narration of the ideas in his head, but it wasn't, it only happened only twice, which came off as somewhat of confusing, "WTF moment" for a minute.
I might have a whole other post on American Fiction, because it was so brilliant.
The only other downside is that as much as I loved every actor/actress in this movie - particularly Tracee Ellis Ross - no big "Oscar moment" acting scene from anyone, which Best Actor/Pictures usually have, but we shall see, very soon ...
So ... y'all know that Hannibal Lecter was a cannibal, right? 😂😂😂
Not to mention, a fictional character???
But okay, wow - who knew there were a lot of white, male, Harvard-educated, forensic-psychiatrist cannibals illegally crossing the Mexican-US border? 😂😂😂
(He also compared their Spanish language to "languages from Mars" without apparently realizing our own language of English heavily borrows from Latin, too. Regardless, it's pure racism.)
So he acts like he's semi-joking, but at the same time, he's rambling on about insane asylums, and apparently, this isn't the only time he's said it lately - and his whole schtick is power of suggestion to cause panic.
Now, you would think that MAGATs - Making America Great Again Terrorists - would finally say to themselves"Okay, this is absurd, it's pure fear-mongering propaganda to win an election, now,"over this one.
Nope, they're already buying up straight jackets and bite-muzzles masks in preparation for the onslaught of cannibals 😂
(Ah, if only they would use them on themselves and their fearless leader.)
I guess the whole "criminal, rapist, and pedophile" fear-mongering thing wasn't working out so well for him anymore, considering he was found guilty of at least 2 out of 3 of those crimes himself (and the third is still in question considering his close friendship with Epstein.)
But not to worry, if you read the books instead of just watched the movies, then you know that Hannibal only killed and ate the rude/offensive and the self-important-but-unqualified/stupid ... oh, wait, never mind ... yes, y'all especially should worry. 😂
(He also killed anyone that caught onto him or wanted to turn him in, but if they were nice and a good person, he apologized as they lay dying, and he didn't eat them later, so there's that? 😂)
Okay, we all know the border crossings are a problem, but comparing them to cannibals to cause panic?
Totally something Jesus would do, just to win an election. Very sane, not demented at all (see previous post).
(Cough, cough).
But where would Trump be if he didn't have his power-of-suggestion, panic-inducing speeches based on BS?
Yes, we have two nearly-elderly presidential candidates, not just one - Biden is 81, but Trump is 77.
But if we don't stop picking on just Biden alone about his age, we are going to have a repeat situation of 2016, and nobody wants that!
As for dementia, I'd really like to see those MoCA or MMSE test results - for them both, actually - because I'm not sure Trump did as well as he claims.
In fact, he was making up shit that isn't even on there, and I know, because I've transcribed the dictated results in reports from them many times.
So ... if you can't remember what's on the test, later, or you make shit up later, doesn't that actually leave you suspect for having dementia? 😂
Also, we know that any time he brags about something, usually the opposite is true. And these aren't intelligence tests, these are short-term memory and cognitive-functioning tests!
And did anyone ever stop to ask themselves WHY a doctor felt that Trump needed to take the MoCA in the first place?
Of course not - but I can assure you that there was a reason a doctor felt they needed to administer the test, it wasn't just for kicks and giggles.
The other day, he confused Obama and Putin again during a speech and was met with confused crickets. And let's not forget his confusing Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi and accusing her not protecting the capitol building.
So careful, people - they're BOTH old, but this is what we've got to work with.
Do you want Trump as president again?
No?
Then you'll stop throwing shade at JUST Biden based on age alone.
Now, Biden's bugging the living shit outta me lately, diving in head first with Israel without thinking - already knowing that Netanyahu is a corrupt, far-right, overly nationalistic a-hole.
Then trynna act like "Oh, no - now Israel is taking things too far, they're destroying the Gaza strip and killing too many civilians, themselves!"
Well, duh, what did you think was going to happen if you took sides - one faith/culture wants to decimate the other!
So for God's sake, if you're going to get involved, then help mediate, don't take sides!
As I said from the beginning, what Hamas did was a horrible terrorist act, so yes, help Israel get the hostages back, but don't get into bed with Netanyahu at the helm of this thing, as you do it, he cannot be trusted.
There's a difference between the Israeli people and their current government, right now, and to blanket-generalize an entire country or race based on their leader isn't fair - it's like saying the whole U.S. is like Trump.
(Okay, that one may be semi-true at least - only half the U.S. is like Trump, to be fair.)
Dang, if Jimmy Carter wasn't in hospice, you could ask him, because mediating between Israel and Palestine was like the one thing he was really good at 😂 At least look to his legacy on this one, dang.
And yet even still, my PTSD triggers every time I even think of Trump as president again and his angry impact on our culture 😂
... and I'm not gonna tell you WHICH two players, just that they're in this picture and they're two of the star players, likely headed to the NBA - one of them even likely at the end of this season, he's top 10 in the country in his position 😉
For those either not from this country or not college basketball fans, the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team are national champions several times over and often a conduit to the NBA after graduation (and oftentimes before).
In fact, they're one of four teams who play the "Champions" Game to kick off the NCAA college basketball season, every year, based on their legacies - Kentucky (my alma mater), Michigan State (Mark's alma mater), Kansas, and Duke.
Anyway, when our new neighbors moved in, we had no idea they were UK players, we are just nice to them like we are everybody, and one of them especially loves Ziggy pug.
Some of our neighbors from across the way asked Mark "I heard your new neighbors play for UK?"
Now, even though I don't watch UK much anymore since MSU is only allowed in this house (lol), we already suspected they might be, not only because one of them is like 7'2," but because their security sits out in the parking lot watching their apartment at night and they have a high-end security camera at their front door 😂
Now, you may be saying to yourself "Security? For college basketball players?"
Yep - this is the world we live in now, especially thanks to social media, which can falsely make people feel like they're "friends" with people because you're friended on Instagram or FB - and Kentucky fans are notoriously boundariless and crazy!
Regardless of whether they were or not, we've both been around famous people before and know that famous people like their privacy and want it protected, so we're happy to help them do that, before everybody here goes all fanboy/fangirl on them 😂
So to help guard their privacy and security, Mark just said "Maybe, I don't know" which is kind of true, because we've never directly asked and he follows MSU 😂
We're always friendly to them but respect their privacy, just like we do everybody else - and I think they appreciate it.
So tonight, one of the two players (won't say his name for privacy) came up and gave my husband the DAP and said ...
Player: "Did you see our game last night?"
Mark: "Which game?"
Player: "UK, we play for UK."
Mark:"I wondered about that, but to be honest, I'm from Detroit, I'm a Sparty and went to MSU, sorry? lol I watched their game at Purdue, so I didn't see UK's. My wife went to UK, though, and she used to follow, but I think I've converted her to the dark side lol."
Player"Oh, Really? That's cool. Yeah, I've seen you wearing your Detroit stuff. We'll have to convert YOU, though lol. I can get you tickets sometime, if you want. Do you know Alan Haller (Athletic Director at MSU)?
Mark: "Yeah. I know Alan, we even text every now in then. You know Alan?
Player: "Yeah, man, he's my guy, love Alan."
So for those of you saying to yourselves "What's a DAP?"
It's this ...
It's a greeting for a casual acquaintance that you either like or are in agreement with on something.
But if you DO know them well (or are celebrating something), it ends in a hug, rather than a shoulder bump, like this ...
Awww 😂
It's mostly a guy thing, whereas women, we just hug, but I've seen women occasionally do it in sports.
Anyway, during this conversation, I looked out my window to see who Mark was talking to - when I saw like 9 or 10 people gather together across the street to watch them have this conversation 😂😂😂
Mark came back in and said "The neighborhood cool clique just watched us Dap, soooo jealous lol."
Now, I'm friends with some of those "neighborhood cool kids," and though they do like their gossip (which I'm not into), they're actually pretty nice, so I just said "Okay, now, be nice."
Because believe me, I have known my share of mean girls (and boys), and if they were true mean girls/boys, I wouldn't waste my time talking to them!
My husband had a lot of culture shock, moving here from Detroit, which I did too, many years ago, moving here from Cincinnati after high school. If you just visit here a few times, you won't notice it until you actually live here, which is what happened to us both.
He has a bias, now, against people from here because he hasn't had the best experience here, but that's kind of your initiation here, I explained lol.
He's not the first person to transfer in from somewhere else and say it's hard to make friends here and he won't be the last. In fact, I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone who transferred to Kentucky say that, I'd be a millionaire, at least.
Because though it is worse in rural areas, in Kentucky in general, you really had to have grown up here, or at least spent some part of your childhood/high-school life here, they like to "know your people" and don't trust outsiders.
So even if you had a ton of friends elsewhere and were Mr. or Ms. Popular, if you moved here anytime after high school, it will take extra time to make friends and get invited to anything, and even then, they will only let you in their circle so far ...
*UNLESS*
... you dorm/live together in college and/or are in a sorority/fraternity together, you're a UK or Louisville basketball player, or you're otherwise famous 😉
It's very confusing, for people who move here from another state, because Kentucky people are very friendly, they can seem like they're your new best friend, but they really don't like you at all and are saying all kinds of stuff behind your back, and you'll never know lol.
I warned my husband about that, but he just HAD to go get himself burnt by that, and now, it's thrice bitten, four times shy and he just wants to leave, but I tell him to keep trying - not everyone here is like that - he met me, right? 😂
When I moved here from Cincinnati after high school, I didn't live on campus at UK, so I went through the same thing, and I've noticed that since, most of the people I hang with here the most aren't from here, either. It's not that I dislike them or vice versa, it's just what I said earlier - I didn't grow up with them, they have their set of friends since childhood, so I'm not getting in that inner circle! 😂
Also, the rules are different here than in Detroit, or even in Cincinnati, where if someone doesn't like you, you know it. They weren't rude, necessarily, but they didn't act the opposite to throw you off.
You can't be direct here, passive-aggressive is the rule. They don't like direct communication or confrontation, it's an affront.
But the truth is, no matter how friendly someone is to you in Kentucky, no matter how sincere they may seem, you'll never know if someone is really a friend until they're either willing to help you move or show up at your hospital bedside 😂
ANYway, back to my point - so I had been inside, making lasagna, had just sent two pieces down to my neighbor and her son, so I asked Mark if he thought they might like some, too, since I'm like the building mom/grandma lol.
The player came back outside and I went on the balcony and said,"Hey, you all like lasagna? I'm sure you all miss home-cooking."
He said, "Yes MA'AM, thank you!"
And that is the story about how two star UK basketball players ended up eating my lasagna lol.
No word on if they liked it yet, we'll see later 😂