52 Comments

I'm just going to pretend the new Stunt Award is a nod to Saz from OMITB!

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Oh no, sorry, I hated the lighting. Everyone looked like they had fallen into vat of bronzer and marinated themselves for a few days. Maybe I need to adjust the display on my TV?

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Didn't get to watch, but have seen a couple of clips, so appreciate the recap. Yay for OMITB! So happy for them. Selena looked stunning. Too bad the Martins couldn't be there.

I too want to hang out the Shrinking table, all of them seem like they would be a blast.

Glad Adrien Brody didn't win, hadn't heard the details about AI, yeesh. Though with that potential shake up in Best Actor, I'd much rather see Coleman pull out an upset and get the win, fingers crossed for the Oscars. Wouldn't be upset with Ralph Fiennes either. Saw Conclave this weekend and thought it was great (though why is Isabella Rossellini nominated, she had like four lines).

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I don't want Brody to win but is it his fault if the producers use AI in post production? I also assume Cynthia and Ariana had some sound help for their singing just because you can't belt and do special effects.

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Agree with everything you say. I don’t want him to win for other reasons, this was just the first time I heard about the AI thing.

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It's not his fault and I think it's highly possible he's mad about it -- but he's also not technically doing the accent if AI did it for him. I don't think actors are going to want to award a performance where one of the most difficult parts that a person used to have to do all by himself were enhanced by computer. Cynthia and Ariana, on the other hand, ARE singing, they're just lip-syncing to a previous recording of themselves when they record the scenes with the FX. No one expects everything to be LIVE; in the past, if Brody's accent was bad, they'd fix it with ADR or just live with it. - J

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I THINK (having read too much about it) that the AI was only used to touch up the vowels in his VOs in actual Hungarian, not for his accented English, which honestly doesn't seem like it has that much bearing on his performance. And yet, I understand the backlash!

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It’s because it’s a slippery slope, I think. It was only the Hungarian vowels but where do we draw the line? Just have him redo it! -H

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I think the issue was that they determined he COULDN'T, because Hungarian is one of those languages that you basically can't speak perfectly non-natively. So they used recordings of the editor and smoothed/ adjusted it with the "AI" vocal tech (I'm not actually sure what variety of "AI" it was- I have a post-supe friend who was like "this is a bad argument, this is not the tech they should be fighting over" so idk).

I can't stand Brody AND I think it's a slippery slope AND I think this is more an indictment of the director than anything else (like, genuinely, what percentage of your audience do you think is going to be familiar enough with the nuances of Hungarian pronunciation that this matters??).

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Sweden's population is only a tad larger than that of Hungary, and I'm still salty about Milchick's pronunciation of "gråkappan" on last week's "Severance," LOL. However, if Brody was playing a Swede in that movie (just using it as an example since it's my native language), I think I could have suspended my disbelief if he wasn't speaking with a perfect accent. It is a slippery slope!!

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They didn’t actually lip sync in Wicked — those were live vocals! -H

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It isn’t his fault BUT to some degree it also isn’t his performance to be awarded anymore. But you’re right that it’s a very slippery slope to police — does sweetening songs count, etc. I don’t count ADR because you’re still matching the actors’ words to picture; changing HOW they deliver the words is a worry to me.

Also apparently you can belt and do special effects because Wicked was mostly live vocals captured on set: https://playbill.com/article/how-sound-mixer-simon-hayes-captured-the-wicked-movies-live-singing

-H

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Kudos then to the Wicked crew for dancing and singing as well as they did

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I assume Isabella is getting the Judi Dench nomination. Her part was small, but one of the most memorable things about the movie, plus she has a lifetime of excellent work, including some iconic roles, but has never gotten awards recognition. I just watched Big Night, and she is wonderful in it (and luminous- has any other woman ever been as beautiful?).

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Her mother?

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I wish that someone last night had all of Jane’s speech but I’m sure I’ll find it today. (I didn’t want to give a look on X but I’m sure I can find it.) Seems like a good night all around if only sometimes messy.

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On YouTube. You will want to March afterwards. Whatever the opposite of doddering is, that is Jane. Bracing. She is bracing. And has zero effs to give.

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It was so good--I had tears in my eyes! And I just realized that the Tom Joad reference was because of her dad.

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She does know how to make a reference count. Even if I dislike that book/movie it is something to appreciate.

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I'm so glad Demi won the SAG and I'll be rooting for her at the Oscars. I remember when she was Jackie Templeton on "General Hospital"! (I wouldn't mind if Fernanda Torres won.) And, of course, I remember when Martin Short was Ed Grimley, and Jean Smart was Charlene. As a Gen Xer, I just want the TV people who raised me to win.

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I loved Charlene!

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Everyone was SO high! Not just weed, it was a very shroomy broadcast. A good half of Fran Drecher's speech was LA fake guru gibberish.

Yes, Timothee, you SHOULD have attended the rehearsal.

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To be fair, Eckhart Tolle (it’s TOLE-AY, Fran!) is pretty amazing. BUT, I don’t think Fran had the right audience, in person or at large, to talk about the Ego and the more esoteric aspects of life and living, though I completely get why, after the devastation of the fires, people would be leaning in the direction of finding meaning and purpose, etc.

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I would like a venerable Hollywood actor, like Denzel or Meryl or Tom Hanks, to take Timothée for coffee before the Oscars. Tell him that yes, it is okay to want it, and good for you for being honest about it. But also remember to be grateful to all who made this possible, and to thank as many people as you can. Although the thanks might sound tedious to the audience, they matter to the people you work with and as important, the people you will be working with as your career progresses.

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I think he thanked his mom? Or was that Kieran?

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He thanked his mother. She was his date.

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He thanked his mom and his costars. FWIW, he did seem honestly surprised to be up there. Hi speech came off as earnest to me, not arrogant.

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It did! I thought he did well with it. No one ever remembers to thank everyone when they’re nervous and surprised. -H

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It seems so nerve-wracking to give a 30-second speech. Did y'all see Kerry Washington at the NAACPs? After her film won, she went out on stage again to say she forgot to thank Tyler Perry. Then the audience said she did thank Tyler Perry. I would have a brain fart like that!

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Did you see the thing recently where it turns out Kathy Bates had been stressed for like THIRTY YEARS that she didn't thank her Mom when she won for Misery BUT SHE ACTUALLY DID THANK HER!?! - J

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What a great recap! This kind of breakdown perspective/insight/angle is exactly the reason I follow you two. The perfect combination of insider info and serious fan.

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Having run a small awards event where the AV went totally awry, I was really feeling for the sound folks last night. There's nothing worse than something falling apart publicly.

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I’m very happy for Marty and OMITB.

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I'm in patent (not trademark) law, but from what I can tell from the USPTO Trademark search, there's a dead/cancelled trademark to Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. for GLAM CAM and a live/registered trademark for VIDEO GLAM CAM KIT to Iconic Living, LLC 😊

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Thank you for doing this deep dive for us!!! -J

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Wow. Can we spotlight this comment??

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I'm not an IP lawyer but similarly went to the USPTO website as the intersection of pop culture and law is like a dog whistle for me lol. Interestingly, there are a few live trademarks for Glambot, which confuses me because Glam Cam is obviously a superior name. Your move, Heather and Jessica.

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A little uneven but overall I thought quite a successful show! I LOVED the montages and it didn't last a million years.

Regardless of what happens next week, an incredible awards campaign from Timmy. From College Game Day, to SNL, to this speech -- which, whatever you thought about it, was INTERESTING -- he has played this about as well as he could have (ex. I def do not think it's an accident that he brought his mom, an Actor's Equity member, to SAG when Kylie's been popping up at all the other shows). I still think Adrien Brody has the edge because there are so many international Academy members, but it's more fun to have it be a little up in the air!

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Agree on Timmy. Lainey has been saying that he's campaigning just as hard but not in the "traditional" way--e.g., doing SNL vs the normal talk shows, being out and getting papped, etc. And I thought Lainey's take on his speech was spot on. This is a quote from today's LaineyGossip that I totally agree with:

"This is how you acknowledge that you’re the baby among the grownups but that you shouldn’t be treated like a baby. Thanking his mother, Nicole, was also a convenient reminder that given her work with artists’ equity in New York, he comes from union people, he was raised in a home that deeply appreciates actors and performers and sticks up for their rights. But as he made very clear, he’s not interested in making himself smaller just because he’s younger. It’s youthful confidence without arrogance. Bravado but make it respectful. Timmy boldly declared his ambition, that he aspires to greatness, that he’s in pursuit of it – and it’s a delicate balance to maintain because those who seek it obviously think they’re capable of it; and yet he manages to do this without conceit. In fact, while pointing to the rafters, Timmy actually sounded… humble."

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Did Bowen Yang bring his sister? The woman with glasses next to him? Best brother ever if so.

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Just one note before I go off to read that Oscars piece- the Oscars voting ALSO closed after the AI revelation- that window was something like the 12-18th of Feb! I think there's ALL KINDS of timing weirdnesses this year (I could swear that last year Oscars voting was open for a couple days AFTER the SAGS aired) and we might be in for some surprises. My bets are that Brody doesn't win (fingers crossed- I actually think he's terrific in the Brutalist, but, puppy-dandling at Pasadena Humane notwithstanding, find him generally insufferable) and the Conclave snakes the biggie.

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I think Anora is going to take it, too. And Mikey Madison. So, that's probably not what will happen, because I always lose my office Oscar pool!

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I think there was just enough time left in Oscars voting after Anora won big for the delayed awards shows for a mini-backlash, tbh. And while Madison makes that movie, the Oscars *generally* seem to prefer "brave" nudity over "sexy" nudity, so I suspect Demi still has the edge.

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She's also been working for decades, has had deep personal and career struggles, and is having a bit of a comeback moment. The Academy seems to like giving awards to folks like that lately. Whereas most people have no clue who Mikey Madison even is or if they do, only know her from the new Scream movies. I only know her from the one season of Better Things that I watched.

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Yeah, I think Madison would have a MUCH better shot in Supporting, I feel like Actress almost never goes to the ingenue.

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Giggly high Harrison Ford was delightful, more of that please! Anderson & Duchovny seemed like they barely knew where they were, so that was kind of embarrassing.

I love how genuinely shocked Selena Gomez was when OMITB won, that was a really sweet moment. I'm also shocked that they won, I was expecting The Bear to keep right on steamrolling over everyone. It's just too bad Martin Short couldn't be there to give an acceptance speech over Jeremy Allen White finally losing something. And yes, I am that petty.

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