NYT and Dolores Huerta Bombshells About Cesar Chavez

 

Yeah, that picture ... not so much.

All right ... so ... we have an opportunity here, as liberals, to do things differently than MAGA, when it's one of our own, and take the high road.

Rather than trying to distract from it, spin it, cover it up, lie about it, make excuses for it, pretend and move on as if it didn't happen, or otherwise continue to enable and/or hide truth about power abuse and/or pedophiles in power, we need to do the right thing - acknowledge it, admit that the evidence is overwhelming and likely truth, and talk about it -  and more importantly, DO something about it!

For those who don't know, the NYT dropped a bombshell article after a year's long investigation and finding ample credible evidence that labor and civil rights icon, Cesar Chavez, investigating claims that he groomed and sexually assaulted young girls for years.

(Brava, NYT, for doing this investigation on one of our own, despite being a "liberal" news organization.)

In fact, this bombshell was followed shortly thereafter by cofounder and leader of the UFWA (United Farm Worker's Association), Dolores Huerta, who dropped a bombshell of her own just after the NYT exposed it.

She says he sexual assalted her, too, and fathered 2 of her children and abused her, as a young woman.

She says she stayed silent because she convinced herself the movement itself was bigger than herself and it was a small price to pay for the movement  - and because she was afraid of what would happen to her if she told - but it sickens her now that there were so many more.  (See below excerpt).

Now - if she is telling the truth - that she was forced/coerced rather than a consensual relationship - then we have a huge problem.

In fact, we have this problem regardless.

What are we going to do about power abuse in our society, Ladies and Gentleman?

It's actually worse than it was years ago instead of better!

Now - when I say this next part, understand that I'm not blaming any one religion or denomination - but Cesar Chavez combined civil rights with his Catholic beliefs - and unfortunately, as we all know, religion can become a manipulation and control weapon very easily.

Dolores Huerta's statement: 

“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for. 

I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences. 

As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped. 

I had experienced abuse and sexual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret. Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives.  

Over the years, I have been fortunate to develop a deep relationship with these children, who are now close to my other children, their siblings. But even then, no one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago. 

I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.  

I have never identified myself as a victim, but I now understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control. 

I am telling my story because the New York Times has indicated that I was not the only one — there were others. Women are coming forward, sharing that they were sexually abused and assaulted by Cesar when they were girls and teenagers.  

The knowledge that he hurt young girls sickens me. My heart aches for everyone who suffered alone and in silence for years. There are no words strong enough to condemn those deplorable actions that he did. Cesar’s actions do not reflect the values of our community and our movement. 

The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever. 

I will continue my commitments to workers, as well as my commitment to women’s rights, to make sure we have a voice and that our communities are treated with dignity and given the equity that they have so long been denied. 

I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here.”

Now - you could look at this as hypocrisy. 

Because even Dolores Huerta - who encouraged people to use their voices, especially women - failed to do so until too late. 

Maybe -  but that's assuming not telling anyone was intentional cover up out of lack of integrity, rather than fear -  or as she said, convincing herself that her personal suffering was a small price to pay for the overall cause.

If she is telling the truth - that she was coerced/assaulted into this, rather consensual and making excuses - then hypocrisy should fall on the leader victimizing others -  not their victims. 

Or you could also look at it that even in marginalized groups who protest power abuse and exploitation publicly tell a different story  or enable it privately.

I learned that lesson very quickly at 20 years old. My first long-term therapist was married to the head of the Democratic Party of Kentucky. In fact, his last name shines very brightly on a building downtown as part of the law firm he helped build.

One day, just before they divorced, she told me that she couldn't take one more minute of his racism. (Well, he also had an affair, but yeah.)

I said, "But he's a Democrat, he votes against racism."

She said "Ha! Oh, to be so young, idealistic, and naive. Yeah, but he'll do whatever it takes to stay in power and make money. You've gotta learn  that what people say publicly isn't always who they are privately. He's as racist as they come privately"

Ain't it da truth.

As a quick aside, she meant well, but she also wasn't a very good therapist. Because I felt damaged an not normal, instead of doing therapy, she basically tried to train me to be "normal" from just her perspective, which including even criticizing my artsy clothes, despite being in college and that is the time to get all the artsy stuff out before you have to sell out and go professional. (She wore Talbots preppy every day of her life, let's put it that way).

And she told me that I needed to stop all the creative stuff in my life - singing, writing, acting, crafts - because that was my problem preventing me from being "normal" - it was making me increasingly emotional.

Yeah, I'm sure that's it -  rather than surviving multiple childhood traumas and being gaslighted about it, just now realizing the full extent of it and that actually, neither parent could be trusted  - and the novel idea that maybe I didn't deserve it/wasn't all my fault, after all.

Nor could it possibly have a component of a genetic predisposition to anxiety and depression by adolescence/young adulthood, but not receiving actual medical treatment for it?? 

No siree! She has a master's degree and credential letters behind her name and her husband was the head of the Democratic Party of Kentucky, I'm just a nobody, just now starting college for Social Work, who am I to argue?

Yeah, well, I should have. I saw her for 5 years and didn't feel any better. Gee, I wonder why?

Also, the day she didn't show up for our last appointment due to emergency and her secretary - normally very stoic and professional - told me I'd been coming there long enough, she didn't mind telling me he'd had an affair.

Her secretary also added this me: 

"You see, Honey? Nobody's normal. And I'm gonna say something I should've said to you a long time ago and I'm saying it because I've been wanting to say it for a long time and now's the perfect time." 

"Don't automatically assume that people with big jobs or reputations or credentials behind their name are smarter or saner or any more normal than you, they're just better at hiding it." 

"I type your office notes and you're not as bad as you think you are. And there is nothing wrong with being creative, embrace it."

"She knows that too and should tell you that, but she can't, because she was once an artist, did you know that? She quashed it all to marry a lawyer and politician and she's trying to train you like she did herself. That's also why her son ran off to Arizona and why they're estranged, but I suspect he'll be forced to go into law like his dad (which he eventually did.)

"So when she's hard on you, just realize it's not really about you, it's about herself."

"Shh, don't tell her I said that and I only said that because of this situation, but I've been waiting to say it for a long time because I think that's what you really need to hear. Do you need to sort out stuff more? Sure - but we all do." 

"She won't fire me anyway, I've been here too long, and I know where all the bodies are buried on both of them lol, but I don't want to incur their wrath for exposing truth, either. They are both powerful people in this town, in fact, this state."

I never did tell my therapist or anyone what she said, in fact, until now.

But I wish I'd listened to her.

I saw her once more a year later, after the birth of my daughter, and that 2-year gap in between made me realize the truth in her secretary's words - and that I'd grown past her -  and that she may have harmed more than she helped. 

She held my daughter, my daughter smiled immediately at her (as she did everybody), and the Ice Queen melted, actually teared up - we both did. She said felt she felt like a grandma.

But it was also that day I realized - I didn't feel that way about her.  In fact, as much as fond as I was of her, and though I learned a few things, I didn't feel like she was my mom or anything, and I realized she wasn't actually teaching or helping me with anything at all, and that despite her intent, she may have harmed more than helped.  

In fact, I still haven't gotten the creative writing back as I once did, I buried it so deep, thinking that was my problem - but that's part of what this blog is about, continuing to find that buried part of me 🙂

All of this to say - I did eventually process all of that and learned that lesson after that experience, that you can't and shouldn't automatically give your blind faith to anyone and don't assume everyone else is smarter or saner or more "normal" than you.

And after therapy elsewhere, I am have learned to embrace my weirdness - my creativity, my quirks and all - or at least I'm learning to again. 😊

But I digress - back to my actual point, public versus private attitudes - in fact, this is what happened in Communism in practice versus theory, isn't it?

It was supposed to be that no one owned more than anyone else, the people themselves owned everything, humans stayed connected to  and were valued for what they created rather than another cog in the industrial wheel, and their leaders distributed the wealth equally - no classes, no racial or religious favoritism - but that's not what happened in practice.

Instead, a little oligarchy of power-hungry, greedy people played dirty and took over, controlled everything everybody did, including personal freedoms, there were still preferred classes, religions, and races/heritage, and the oligarchy took more for themselves than they gave to the people, and then killed anyone who spoke up about it.

Why?

Because even though communism may sound great in theory, it can never happen in practice because we can never underestimate the power of of human greed/lust for power/need to control by at least one person in charge, if not more. 

And even if they don't start out that way, they will be tempted to become that way - absolute power corrupts absolutely, after all. (Not everyone, but more often than not.)

But back to Dolores Huerta, we can never underestimate the power of personal history despite their intention -  leftover messages from prior personal trauma speaking louder in her head than her own emerging voice.  

Throw in misinterpreted/twisted/perverted scriptures for selfish gain including attitudes about the role of women as a guilt trip, and boom, there you go.

So I ask us again, what are we going to do about this?

We can neither automatically dismiss or believe people making claims, that's true - some people do claim things to extort those in power.

However, that's not the majority - and it also shouldn't take several people coming forward to  have accusations like this finally be taken seriously, either.

If someone speaks up at all, then it should be investigated correctly the first time, and it wouldn't happen again! 

(Although granted, there isn't always proof of a sexual encounter, especially if there's shame and fear of speaking up for a while first.)

Also, once again - just because it didn't happen to you personally or it wasn't your experience with a person doesn't mean it didn't happen or they're not capable.

Power abusers and predators are very selective - they quickly assess the socioeconomic status, power, wealth, and most importantly, the amount of social support of their victims first.  

Thus, they already know very well who will be believed between the 2 of them before they strike.

Regardless, I am so sorry to and for those girls and for Dolores Huerta.

And, I might add, what Chavez did to her should not tarnish her legacy by default - if she's telling the truth that she was coerced/assault, too - then if anything, it proves she was the true leader of the UFW, willing to suffer and make personal sacrifices for the good of the cause - I'm just sorry she had to 🥲

Oscars, Best Dressed, 2026

   

Finished my final project before the official Spring Break - woo hoo!

Now ... onto Oscars attire.

I have to say, this year was the return of elegance overall - and our eyes are grateful.

This year was about black and/or white, sometimes with floral prints, or about jewel tones -  all of the above with or without feathers somewhere -  as well as showing off that (mostly loaned) bling! 

There was also a minimalist trend, but some of them look like they literally pinned up their silk sheets as a dress!

Now, when I do my Oscars Best-Dressed List, for the women, I don't just choose the stars, I choose everyone I saw that I could name, including people's dates, etc. And I choose things that I would actually wear (if I could pull it off lol).

I'm not a fan of the feathers thing, unless they're in the right place?

I don't know, they remind me of those old redneck roach clips from the 80s lol.

Also, let me just say this - ladies of a certain age?

You don't wanna do feathers near your face - they age you. I don't know why that is, I can't explain that phenomenon, but it's true. 

At the cuffs, the hemline or the train, separating the upper half from lower, and maybe at the shoulders - but not near the face. 

Some of these dresses have feathers, but in the right place. IMO, most of them could've left them off and they'd be just as stunning if not more so.

I can rarely pick a favorite, and these are in no particular order (although you'll see a lot of Dior, one of my faves).

Without further ado, the ladies ...

Elle Fanning -  in Dior, of course - classic 50s Dior style.

The dress looks like something Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn would've chosen, right?

It perhaps could've been in another color (or she could've have gone with honey-blonde hair instead of near platinum blonde) because it does wash her out a bit, but still stunning.

Rose Byrne - Dior.

Anne Hathaway wore similar, but I think Rose interpreted the better overall look. IMO, Anne missed the mark a tad .. she didn't get it lol.

Zendaya - - Louis Vuitton

Rocking not only that 30s-ish Louis Vuitton, but that new nearly $200K engagement ring from Tom Holland (though upcoming costar and friend, Robert Pattinson, was her Oscar date).

I love Zendaya, she has the cutest personality and she believes in herself without being arrogant. She's like "I think I'll try this now," and she usually succeeds because she has no fear of failure or doesn't care, she just moves on to try something else.

Tom Holland, too, is the cutest, they have very compatible personalities, and he can dance, woooo, can he dance! Zendaya can too, but he was classically trained and can do it all, while also being very athletic. 

Zendaya and Tom Holland are adorable, and I wish them the best!

Charithra Chandan - Miss Sohee

Stunning in Emerald, and IMO, nobody rocks the bling better than people with darker skin - it really becomes it's intended statement piece.

For example ... 

Priyanka Chopra-Jones - Dior.  

The dress itself is fairly minimalist and it fits her perfectly, and the draping adds some flare  - but it's really the statement-piece necklace that makes the look pop, right?

 Could've done without the feathers at the slit at the leg, but that's the thing, this year. 

Li Jun Li - Gaurav Gupta 

I love, love, love this one because looks vintage, but also ... not. 

It's like something a designer in the 50s would've imagined for the future, like mid-century modern, right?

In fact, Li's dress - and Marsai's dress below - might be tied for my favorites?

I'm just not sure it was fitted/tailored for her properly, is the only drawback.

Or it could be that the designers forgot to show her how to stand and display it for photos? 

Ya can't just stand there with your hands on your hips, like you're about to scold your kids for photos, that's not gonna work lol.

Designers are supposed to show you how to stand, how they want the dress displayed, and either they forgot, she forgot, or she just didn't want to lol.

Teyana Taylor - Chanel

If you're gonna wear feathers, THIS is the right way to do it! 

Of course, very few have a figure like Teyana to rock it like this, either.

Marsai Martin - Christian Siriano

This dress is the one, as mentioned above under Li Jung Li's, that could have actually possibly tied for my favorite, but the "dog collar" look of the necklace detracted a bit, am I right? 

  

Ava DuVernay -  Louis Vuitton. 

I could've sworn this was a vintage Oscar de La Renta from the 80s (except he didn't do midnight blue then) or a Dior from the 50s, but nope - it's Vuitton.

Zuri Hall - Celia Kritharioti. 

There's something very flamenco or even tango about this dress, right? I love it!

And can I just say that I'm really glad to see so many Indian designers, this year - because if you've ever seen/been to an Indian wedding with the bride and guests wearing luxury sarees and lenghas, you know that nobody does design for the female body like Indian designers.

Speaking of lehengas ... 

Gracie Abrams - Chanel

She was on many best-dressed lists, this year, but I'm not sure many are aware that the basic design is based on an Indian Lehenga. 

Yes, a liiiitttle bit of cultural appropriation there, but it worked for her. Might have worked even better in a brighter color, but I think she was going for the black/white contrast look, with her pale skin doing the "white" work as contrast.

Anne Hathaway - Valentino. 

Speaking of black and white contrast looks - yes, it's similar to Rose Byrne's Dior, but I think Rose wore the look better. As much as I love gloves, they just didn't work with this gown, for me, and something about the height of Anne's partial updo actually detracted from the look, am I right?

Miyako Belizzo - vintage Christian Dior, 1999. 

Can I just say I love it that she said "Eh, eff the trends, I'm gonna wear what I like, vintage Dior from '99" - and I'm glad she did, this fits her perfectly and is stunning!

Barbie Ferreira - Zac Posen for Gap. 

That's right, this cobalt blue stunner was actually designed by a designer with The Gap companies!

Now - I'm not going to do a worst-dressed list because it's kinda mean, but I will say this ... 

Though some put her on their best-dressed list, IMO, if anyone in the room  - especially blunt men -  exclaims "What the F? She looks like a plant!" like my husband did about Demi Moore's dress?

Then you probably shouldn't wear it unless you WANT that reaction - or it's a theme party or an art performance or exhibit?  😂

(I'd say more Ursula the Sea Witch, only skinny, but ... yeah.)

Not that we dress just to impress men, we also dress because of way it makes us feel and if WE like the way we look - but that's just not a good reaction to get from anyone, right? 

If the feathers were gone, it would've been stunning!

And again, like I said, you would think with her obsession with looking younger - much like her character in The Substance - she would've understood the feathers up top like that ages the face!

She's ordinarily a fashion icon, so we'll give her a pass, but yikes!

Okay, on to ... The Men

This year, good news - men's lapel brooches are back!

As are pocket chains.

Both can be very elegant, when not overdone.

(Not digging the huge swirls and flowers, though, I gotta be honest).

Monochrome is still a thing - some can pull it off, some can't.

So without further ado ... 

Not only did Michael Jordan win Best Actor, but IMO, he also gets my vote for best dressed in this modern Louis Vuitton tux with Mandarin collar and pocket chain.

Nobody else even came close or wore anything remotely similar! 

(Although the pocket chains are a thing, right now, as well as men's brooches).

Shaboozey's Victorian-esque Campillo tux complete with Newmarket wing-tip collar would have been my favorite - except for the shoes!  

And yes, I know the shoes are Christian Laboutin, but it's just a personal thing -  I don't care for contrast two-toned dress shoes on men, for some reason?

He is also wearing pocket chains and a brooch, which actually looks very elegant on men (if not overdone).

Hudson Williams in a monochrome laydown-collared Balenciaga and brooch.

Javier Bardem, with or without the "No War" pins, in a satin-lapeled, monochrome laydown-collared Armani.

Benicio del Toro, also rocking the satin-lapeled, laydown-collared monochrome Armani, but with shades. 

Chase Stokes - Dunhill. Never in my life would I ever thought I would've said I'd like a full velvet suit, - maybe just the jacket at most  - but the full monty works for him!. 

Not sure about the shirt, though, it's kind of ... anti-climactic. It looks kinda like he just stuck a department-store oxford button-down under there, it's ... boring. 

He could've done more with the collar? Even just unbuttoning it a bit, an open collar, would've worked, as some are doing with the tux lately?

Or maybe even a small tasteful lapel brooch would've worked to detract from the boring shirt lol.

Chris Evans, in a more traditional, classic Armani tux - but with flat Satin lapels - and shades!

And there you have it, my picks for best dressed at the 98th Academy Awards!

Oscar Notes, 2026 - Movies are Back. Tell Everyone!

Don't have time to post pictures today and I will get to the best dresses thing in a day or so, just the one video at the bottom.

I kinda take a while to get to the Oscars thing, so skip this next part if you want?

I have one more project to do and then it's Spring Break for school! (We weren't officially supposed to have one, but both my teachers gave us one after one project due tomorrow). 

Let's just say a break was sorely needed. These are accelerated courses and I'm old 😂

Before I get to the Oscars, I gotta say, one of the other things I have really missed about being school is meeting like-minded people on so many things. I think I've made a couple of friends already. 

Though I have a lot of friends and acquaintances here in Kentucky, it IS kind of hard, here, to find people that I really have a lot in common with - people that also like to delve into issues, analyze and figure stuff out, but also create and laugh at the absurd.

Don't get me wrong, I love Kentuckians for their friendliness and their lack of "putting on airs" compared to other places in the country and world, not looking down on people because of class - but you really had to grow up here to ever really be accepted.  

It's part of that whole conservative/rural mindset of  "You weren't born and raised here alongside us, you're not blood, and we don't know your daddy" mentality.

Your "daddy" could be a serial killer, for all they know and care, but he's still somehow "better" because he's a born-and-bred Kentuckian good 'ole boy. 😂

They have had their set of friends since elementary school and they don't want/need anymore, and you're an "outsider" - which has an inherent sort of arrogance attached to it, as if nobody else is as good as other Kentuckians, especially blood family.

It's less like that in Louisville - and in college, making new friends from different places - but everywhere else in Kentucky?

Yeah.

Edited: I had more about that here, how common that feeling is/how often that sentiment is expressed by new transplants here, as well as how long it takes to make friends here for "outsiders," but I have moved it to another post for another day.

ANYWAY - to the Oscars, we go. 😊

So while watching the Oscars last night, but still on this note, my husband remarked - after many things said, both the serious and the funny, particularly when listening to the speeches of the behind-the-scenes people: 

"These are your people. I get why you like this so much. Why didn't you go off and try? You were never gonna find that here!"

Yep, they're my lost tribe, particularly the behind-the-scenes people  - if only I had been talented enough - or confident enough! 😂

On that note, but still with a nod to the above, I had a lot of friends in my youth in Cincinnati - and still, if I'm honest, feeling like I actually belonged to any group has never been my strong suit, as much as I wanted to. 

Okay, that may relate back to my not fitting in/being accepted/being the scapegoat in my own family, but still - everything is not always about that.

Except once - once upon a time, years ago, being part of a movie that happened to be filmed in Cincinnati.

Never in my life, before or since, have I ever felt I belonged but then.

Not necessarily the actors (though included), but the behind the scenes people especially - from the set people to the writers to the assistant directors. 

Quirky, creative people with big hearts that just want to create and make something that they're proud of, something that connects us all as humans and sometimes, changes minds.


Speaking of which - Bravo, Hollywood - so glad to see you stopped playing it safe in movies and are telling brave stories again!!!

If I saw one more comic superhero movie or first-responder drama or happy little Disney cartoons, I was gonna lose my sh*t, I'm so tired of them. 😂 

Tell us a new story, or at least an old story with a new perspective, instead of more money for the latest/greatest special effects?

Ladies and Gentlemen?

We have officially returned to brave stories, with or without the big budget for special effects. 

Movie production companies, what have we learned, here?

Not only do you have the power to connect and unite, but you have the power to change minds and hearts, you always have - you've proven it time and time again. Now USE IT, now is the time, more than ever - and you're off to a good start, this year!

What happened was - and I'm speaking to all the major film production companies now - you started focusing on big-budget films with lots of special effects that didn't tell us a new story (or an old story from a new perspective ) - instead, you just played it safe politically to make money and kept hitting that same tired button over and over until you wore it, and us, completely out!

Yeah, and how'd that work out in the end?

Not so well, did it?

People just waited until things went to streaming, and if they did go see a movie at the theater, they didn't go back to watch it again.

How many times have people gone back to the theater to see Sinners and One Battle After Another, now - some people 4 and 5 times!

There hasn't been a movie I wanted to watch again in years - but I will watch both of them again during my break, they were that good!

But I digress. 😂


Now - the first thing I need to say is -  as I mentioned in my post below -  what could have happened is that this could be one of those rare years where Best Picture and Best Director don't win in tandem - or that best screenplay would be awarded to the non-winner.

I also said that considering Oscar history, sometimes they are just now rewarding you for all the work you've put in already, rather than your current film - although in this case, OBAA really is also Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece and best VS. Ryan Coogler is still only 39, still just a baby in the business, and will only get better.

Although it did hold to tradition and OBAA won both Best Picture and Best Director, rewarding him for his time in the industry before this, as well as his current film, did indeed win out.

And as I said, as a result, Ryan Coogler instead won the Best Original Screenplay - which is actually the highest consolation/highest honor you could ever give a "rookie" filmmaker and the best "rookies" are likely ever going to get.

It doesn't mean that either film was better than the other one - it means it's just like Paul Thomas Anderson said, looking directly at Ryan Coogler when he said it: "They (the Academy) really make you work for it."

Because the truth is, unfortunately, even if we all agreed something is the best movie ever made, it's highly unlikely the filmmaker will win Best Picture or Best Director for their first or second film before they get that invested in you.

That is because the Academy wants to make sure you mean it, you didn't just get lucky, and you're willing to go the long haul and pay your dues.

Sometimes we've even seen aging directors win a certain year, not necessarily because their current film is their best, or even really the best picture that year, but because of their legacy.

Fair or not, flawed argument or not - this is the way it is and always has been.

But in this particular case, both were true - OBAA was his masterpiece AND he had paid his dues.



Best moments?

I will first list some of my favorites, culminating in what I thought was THE best moment of the night.

First, Conan O'Brien as host - fantastic job!

I love it that he took a queue from the Billy Crystal Oscar days and did a cinematic opener incorporating all the remarkable movies of the year in it that made us laugh out loud!

Also, after saying it's the first time in history we have no British nominated - and then later adding "At least in the UK they actually arrest their wealthy pedophiles!"

DOH, oh my God ... HAHAHAHA!

Nailed it.

If you noticed, he paused for just a few extra seconds, just before he told that joke - as if he was either rethinking making it or wanted to ensure he had just the right delivery/had everyone's full attention first - but he pulled it off!

I'm also super proud of him for losing the comedic bit for a few seconds to chide production for literally retracting the microphones and turning of the lights and switching to a long shot during the speeches of people who won that we're actors/cast!

I've never seen him mad or even irritated before, but we saw a flash of it, and it was warranted - then he just told them they were "hilarious," clearly laughing AT them for that absurdity!

Now, look, ABC - what is so GD important that you have to air at 11 p.m. that you're doing this to people, especially those you deem less of a star because they work behind the scenes or on a documentary, that you justify being that heinously, obviously, record-scratch intentionally rude to someone at the pinnacle of their career, hmm?

And news flash - we LOVE to see their speeches in particular - because they're not performing, it's genuine emotion - and their speeches are actually often the most memorable!

Whatever dastardly thing Trump said and did now can wait half another hour to be on the 11 'clock news, jeeez!

In fact, what other awards show in the world do we get to see that?

There IS no better "Reality TV" than this!

So stop it, it actually detracts from the quality of the show!




Also, the fact that you think people don't care about editing and sound actually means these people have done their jobs well - because editing and sounds are the only two things you're not supposed to notice in film, if they've done their job right - they're supposed to be seamless.

(Watch any low-budget film when the sound or editing is done badly, and you'll know what I mean lol)



Speaking of editing, Andy Jurgenson winning Best Editing for Sinners and kissing his husband on the mouth, and then delivering one of the best speeches of the night

Aw, it's about time! And I'm glad to see it was applauded!

At least you let that play,  ABC, rather than use the 7-second delay feature, I'll give you that one!

And his speech about his aunt - a former film archivist - inspiring him to become an editor brought tears to my eyes!

Comedic actress, partner/wife of Paul Thomas Anderson - Maya Rudolph - holding onto his 2 Oscars just won for him, then waving them at him/in the air, while he was onstage again accepting Best Picture!😂

She can make you laugh just sitting there, how much do we love Maya Rudolph? She is one of my favorite people in Hollywood.

Kumail Nanjiani's adept, smooth and yet still hilarious handling of a sticky situation.

So there was a rare tie vote in the "Film Shorts" category.

Nanjiani took control of this situation, proving he can think fast on his feet despite nerves on Oscars night, by immediately saying the following, without missing a beat -  "Okay, this is the way it's going to go. I'm going to announce the first names, they'll come up and received, and then I'll announce the second names, and they'll come up, okay?"

While awaiting the second group to come on stage, He filled the time by saying "It's ironic that the "Short Film" category is the one that's going to end up making us run long, isn't it?" 😂

Unfortunately, the second set of speeches was the moment Conan chided - where ABC turned off the lights and retracted the mic -  but that isn't either Kumail or Conan's fault - and no one could've handled that situation better than Kumail did, Bravo!

Little teasing jabs/teaching moments towards Timothee Chalamet in the front row for his "nobody cares about" ballet and opera comments, this past week. 

They weren't mean spirited, they were light-hearted ribbing  - essentially, teaching moments for the young actor, that he needs to show a little more respect towards his colleagues and predecessors.

This was a fact that was drilled home in that the result of his his irresponsible mouth likely caused Marty Supreme to not win a single award all night! 

I also had to wonder when there were the musical and dance moments of the show like "I Lied to You" from Sinners or K-Pop Demon Hunters "Golden"- or the operatic performance by Josh Rogan during a Conan as King sketch - if Timothee finally got why these elements of performance are still relevant and important - and that movies are standing on the shoulders of these original artists/performers.

Message received, Timothee?

Good - because we love you, Buddy, but you're getting a liitttttle too big for your breeches lately, though you still have much to learn and more room to grow as far as talent.

You don't want to turn out to be an arrogant, shallow, selfish, nonappreciative douche, like DiCaprio - or worse, Sean Penn - do you?

All right, so take this as the toughlove moment it was and learn from it, yes? 😊

The "In Memoriam" moment for Rob and Michelle Reiner, all the still-living actors in all his movies holding hands.

Although the "In Memoriam" section in general was off.  They appeared to group people together into one quick slide that didn't belong, and then repeat some people twice?

Like a beloved actor with some market in the same slide - but then do the same person twice?

Previously, they didn't spend enough time on this segment, but this year, they stretched it out, repeating themselves - it was like it was thrown together and they didn't realize that?

The new award for casting director - I have said for years, they needed an award for this.

They are very skilled at picking just the right person for roles, sometimes having to sell directors and producers on someone who doubt them, and later wins an Oscar!

The overall kindness, comradery and unity displayed, rather than catty, cutthroat competitiveness.

The award losers - though disappointed, genuinely stood and applauded each other, even mouthing things from the audience to the winner like "Proud of you, buddy" and hugs and fist pumps before or just after they went up to accept - and you believed them.

That is because in this particular group, this year, they genuinely ARE all friends who inspire each other, as well as recognize how tough of a year it actually was to make these choices and how masterful their competition was this year.

Also, even when people flubbed in their speeches out of nerves, lost what they were going to say out of being overwhelmed - instead of people rolling their eyes or acting like they were superior or embarrassed, people around them and in the audience just smiled and encouraged them on, sometimes patting them to keep going, understanding what it must be like to stand on that stage and suddenly realize you actually did it - in front of everyone not just in your business, but the world watching - and presenters just smiling and giving them an encouraging pat to continue, it's okay, they get it.

Speaking of which, watching the people who won that award last year walk off with the new winners into the backstage area, putting their arms around them and helping them out, talking to them the whole way - it's like big brothers and big sisters helping them know how to navigate what just happened lol - very touching!



The speeches - from the deliberate, impassioned, articulate ones to the raw emotion,  stumbling, overwhelmed, at a loss for words ones - they're all good. (And some of them, like I said, are actually delivered from the behind-the-scenes people.)

Best:

Best Actor winner, Michael B. Jordan's raw, heartfelt tribute and display of gratitude and "I love yous" to everyone around him, including us for believing in him -  he said he can literally feel that, all the love and support and cheerleading for him we send his way, and how appreciative he is for it 😊

Amy Madigan's quirky, funny, say whatever came into her head speech, which actually did have a flow and point, you just had to wait for it lol.

(If you saw her in Weapons - a horror movie that could've been better overall, but Amy knocked it out of the park with her portrayal as giving the appearance of a quirky, possibly pleasantly demented old lady, who was actually an evil witch.)

Andy Jurgenson, winning for Best Editing for Sinners, for kissing his husband square on the mouth when he won on national/international TV and the speech he gave regarding his aunt as his inspiration 

Best Actress winner, Jessie Buckley, covering her face for several seconds in disbelief, though she was a shoo-in, when the moment finally arrived, then her quirky little shout outs and thank yous, which included the multitude of Irish fans, whom the country of Ireland literally paid the trips for seats in the rafters, because she was a shoo-in winner - and then ending it by thanking her husband, the "best husband in the world," and telling him she "wants to have 20 more kids with him." 😂 - and then topping her speech off by ending it in Gaelic - to which that crowd brought from Ireland sitting in the rafters roared with applause.

Paul Thomas Anderson, after winning Best Picture, stating this year was akin to 1975, when several masterpiece films were competing, stating that "(This year), there IS no best - it just depends on the mood that day" (when it comes to voting)" - and then going on to say he has to admit, he's really glad it's him 😂

Gloria Cazares, the mother of 9-year-old Jackie, who was killed in the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, after the documentary All the Empty Rooms won Best Documentary Short. She said her daughter’s room remains "frozen in time" and that “If people could see their empty rooms, we would be a different America."

Javier Bardem for simply stating "No to war and free Palestine" before presenting the Best International Film award. Regardless of how you feel about the conflict, you have to admire the bravery for that - because he WILL be targeted by the Trump administration for saying so.

David Borenstein - winner for Best Documentary, "Mr. Nobody Against Putin." Borenstein called out as complicit those who remain silent when a government murders citizens in the streets.


Ryan Coogler, winning for Best Original Screenplay, crediting his mom - whom he brought as his date to the Oscars.



And lastly, my favorite Oscar moment and speech for the night ...

Autumn Durald Arkapaw being the first female cinematographer in history to win an Oscar!


And her speech - asking where her son was, her husband bringing him up front so he could see, and then delivering this speech, and then having all the women in the audience stand because she felt like she didn't get here without us ... 

Just a brief note on the worst moments ...

As already mentioned, the way they cut off the non-star speeches was extraordinarily rude.

Also, Sean Penn not even showing up, apparently because he didn't want to, even though he won.

Told you he was almost as much of a douche as the role he played.

He IS one hell of an actor, though, gotta admit.

Though the Reiners tribute was great, as was the cutout tributes for Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Catherine O'Hara - the  "In Memoriam section in general was off. Like I said, tey appeared to group people together into one quick slide that shouldn't have been - favorite actors along with a marketer or someone, and then seemed to repeat some people twice?

Previously, they didn't spend enough time on this segment, but this year, they stretched it out, repeating people -  it was like it was thrown together and they didn't realize that?

Next post ... and I don't know when for lack of time ... Best Dressed!

So As Promised, I Watched One Battle After Another ...

 

As I mentioned 2 posts below, I didn't want to - NOT because I don't love Paul Thomas Anderson movies, because I do - but because of my active disdain for Leonardo DiCaprio 😂

So ... as much as it behooves me to admit - this film is also a near cinematic masterpiece  - equally brilliant to Sinners 😊

(I'll get to the reason I say "near" in a minute 😂)

 

Especially the last 30 minutes?

The road scene where she's driving and the road and hills seem endless and dizzying, while she's traumatized, letting you know exactly how she's feeling without words?

That was a nod to David Lynch filmmaking and one of the best scenes in the film that ratchets it up to (near) masterpiece range, just as Sinners is - where the environment around the character becomes its own metaphorical, surreal character.

Even if I wanted to stick to my Sinners bias until the end - at the literal end of the movie, they played dirty - they played Tom Petty in the closing scene- DOH! 😂

So it will be a tough call - Sinners or One Battle After Another?

In my opinion, both films are groundbreaking, genre-bending, even genre creating, near cinematic masterpieces - which are sorely needed, the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time.

So though usually Best Picture also wins Best Director, Paul Thomas Anderson is long overdue, and Ryan Coogler is just getting started, is it possible we may end up with the rare dyssynchrony that one gets Best Picture and the other gets Best Director and/or Best Screenplay?

We shall see tomorrow night!

Now - did I buy Leo as a lost, tragically flawed, somewhat wuss of Dad (but still surprisingly likeable), who drinks and smokes too much weed?

Yes, actually I do lol. 

Like I said earlier, I will never buy him as a stereotypical father or family man, he generally doesn't do relationship depth well  - and he obviously has no idea how to hold a baby still lol - but I did buy him as a Dad in this particular role.

Do I think he deserves an Oscar for this performance?

Meh.

It was good, yes - but not the best, even this year.

However, I was more impressed with Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro's acting chops in this movie - well deserved supporting actor noms.

I mean, Sean Penn did the better job and was in the film almost as much as Leo, right?

He blew us away!

Of course Sean Penn is already a huge douchebag in real life, too,  so that's not a stretch lol.

However, he's ordinarily a fellow liberal douchebag, whom we liberals aren't eager to claim as one of our own lol.

The stretch part comes in with the fact that he played a right-wing douchebag instead of a left-wing one, which made the performance even better 😂

And Benicio del Toro - how much did we love him?

That little dance when he got caught ... hehehe.

But can I be honest?

Teyana Taylor was only in the film for about 20 minutes, and though an interesting character, she didn't show us any range - so I don't get her nomination - sorry?

Typically, there's an unspoken rule for an Oscar nom that you have to show emotional range - either shed real tears or display passionate anger - and she just - didn't.

She was a stoic bad-ass, sure - not much vulnerability displayed at all, and a little passion, but the fact that she ended up doing what she did, showing no emotion about doing so at at all, kind of killed her previous passionate speeches, right?

IMO, Regina Hall as Deandra actually did a better job of showing us emotional range, and considering she's usually a comedic actress, that's quite a feat.

In fact, why didn't Jim/Bob go for Deandra instead? 

Sure, she's not as confidently sexy, but she has heart, was loyal and the sideline mom of Willa, waiting in the wings to fly in and save her, and she was always there when you need her out of loyalty.

And Chase Infinity as Willa?

Now there's a little star in the making  - but they rarely give you a nom right out of the gate.

And was it just me, or did anyone else perhaps see Anderson's wife -  a young Maya Rudolph - in Chase/Willa at certain angles along the way? 😊

What about the subject matter of this film, I would hope things don't get to this extreme politically, but ya never know, right?

Scary!

Thus, this film sparked a discussion about what we would do if we were certain characters lol.

Often, what we hope they would do is not what they did - and I'm normally pretty good at predicting what characters will do, from the former aspiring screenwriter perspective.

In fact, if I can guess what characters will do or whodunnit in the first 10 minutes, I lose interest, it's not a good film to me.

(Conversely, it can also be that there are so many twists and turns I stop caring, too lol.)

I admit, this one, I couldn't predict - which kept me interested.

There's only one untied loose end that keeps it from being a  true masterpiece, IMO - here's the explanation of why I say it's sa "near" masterpiece.

SPOILER ALERT:

So they just tried to kill Willa, to both hide Lockjaw being her actual father, as well as just have an excuse to exterminate her mixed race and punish her resistance parents, right?

So what, they just stopped doing that and she went on to join the resistance and they didn't care anymore?!?

Hmm, I don't knowwwww.

Having said that, what we think we would do in a situation and what we would actually do might be two different things. 😂

My husband and I would definitely and proudly be in the resistance, if it ever came to that.

Would we do terrorist stuff just to make a point?

Of course not!

Would we rat out other people in the resistance just to keep ourselves from going to fascist dictator jail?

Of course not!

If you're not willing to risk that, even die over it, then don't do it!

Would we defend our values and militarily resist against this growing white supremacist, fascist dictator nonsense, if we had to, rather than roll over and comply in self-preservation?

You bet your sweet backside, we would.

Because these humanitarian issues are bigger than ourselves -  worth going to fascist dictator jail for due to protest, worth even dying for - we're not just rolling over.

But then I'm the sort that would've hidden slaves for the Underground Railroad or hidden Jewish people in my home during Nazi invasions - because my need for doing what's right for a cause greater than myself is greater than my need for self-preservation.

Then, it being later at night - we got a little deep/heavy, so skip it if not your thing lol.

So now the question was, would we rat out the rest of the group if they threatened someone we cared about, the so-called "mafia threat" like the U.S. military did in the movie?

They realize you're prepared to die over it, but they also know you'll reconsider if they threaten death to someone you love, right?

So before our answers, first you need to know this - and it may sound strange -  but I don't fear death anymore and neither does Mark.

I think it's because if you've been at the end of a pointed gun at point-blank range - the fear of death leaves you -  which both Mark and I have, more than once.

Mark while in the military with the enemy - me with family/loved ones that were supposed to protect me from threat, not BE the threat.

As an aside, in my case, my life didn't flash before my eyes, like the saying goes, there wasn't time - if you're not armed yourself, you just freeze and go "What the F? WHY?"

At least the first time. 

The second time, I was like "Do it. DO IT. Stop threatening and DO it then. Is it worth my life, and what will happen to the people we love and to YOU if you do?"

As much as we rightfully now take seriously male PTSD and threat of death from war/enemy fire, shouldn't the threat of death at the hands of someone you love, that's supposed to love and protect you, be treated at least equally to the PTSD of soldiers, if not more so?

Regardless, I think neural pathways get created to accept death without fear because you've already faced that possibility within seconds -  you've accepted the inevitability of death and how it's beyond your control.

Thus, I actually fear ch ronic pain or disability - or being a burden to others with a chronic condition -  more than I fear death itself.

Thus, my husband and I are like-minded on our answers to that question. 

We both agreed that if someone ever threatened us with death of the other one if we didn't give information in a resistance-group situation, our wishes would be that the other would still refuse, even if it meant our own certain death -  the only excusable reason for ratting being physical tortured or waterboarded, something difficult to withstand.

(Of course, there is no resistance group we're involved in or even aware of, just speaking hypothetically - but if one was ever created/needed against this right-wing extremism, we'd definitely sign up!)

But then after making that choice, we would both add this caveat:

"But then you better take me out, too - because not only do I not want to live, after being forced to make this choice - but because myself, and the rest of the group that I didn't rat out? We'd come for ya lol." 

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not a vengeful person and don't hate anyone or want them to die, even Trump.

Allowing yourself to hate that much would make you like them.

I've walked away and let go of more situations I will never see justice for more times in my life than most people have to face even once - if for nothing else, just to avoid my own bitterness and to not become just like the people who wronged me, not catch that disease!

But just in that particular situation, I might make an exception, let's put it that way lol.

Otherwise, there are only 2 other beings still in this world worth ratting out a resistance group in a cause like this over - Ziggy and my daughter.

God forbid we'd ever be in that situation - but I've learned in this life to never say never lol.

I've had the kind of life where my worst nightmares have come true - stuff you actually say "Oh, that's ridiculous, so-and-so will never take things that far" - damn if they didn't! lol.

In fact, I was given that threat once in my life  - not over information, but after making several threats towards me that failed, an ex finally said this:

"If you don't come back to Florida with me, right now, I'm gonna call some Eastern Kentucky boys to go after your daughter and your dog."

What did I do?

I acted like I was going along with it -  then at the first stop, I ran like hell, calling DV the moment I arrived home lol.

And as you can see, everything turned out all right. 

I don't know what happened to that ex because I got away safe and never looked back - and I've found that a watched pot never boils - plus it doesn't matter what happens to them later, what matters is what happens to you later.

But back to the choice in the movie, the only way this particular situation would ever happen is if there was an organized resistance to the growing fascism in this country that had gotten out of control.

Let us hope that sanity returns so that it never will, selah, amen lol.