tuckergurl

The Same Old Thing

A funny quote from the Times about award season. The Times has gotten snarkier lately. I think they are hiring younger writers:

As the awards season lumbers toward the Oscars, you can almost envision what might happen when the Academy Awards are finally given out on Feb. 25. Forest Whitaker will fumble for words and mumble; Eddie Murphy will robotically deliver his list of industry thanks; Jennifer Hudson will work in a hokey use of the word “dream”; and Helen Mirren will pay tribute to the actual queen.

I actually am not sure Eddie Murphy is going to win the Academy Award. I'm not sure why I think this but I do. Jennifer Hudson and Helen Mirren, yeah, that's all locked up!

So excited ...

for the new Norah Jones. I just like her. Plus, she's really weird. Whenever you read interviews with her, you see what a freak she is. I love it!

The fact that she is 27 is kind of insane. Man, youngsters!

Blipster?

There is even a new word for black fans of indie rock: “blipster,” which was added to UrbanDictionary .com last summer, defined as “a person who is black and also can be stereotyped by appearance, musical taste, and/or social scene as a hipster.”

There is an article in The New York Times called Truly Indie Fans. I always find the articles that the Time do on "trends in contemporary culture" interesting. They are always a bit slight but still provocative in their own way. There are parts of me that are a part of this community (the part that listens to Bloc Party and TV on the Radio) and then there is a part of that is not (I'm so not a skateboarder and I am pretty straight laced.)

The part of the article that deal specifically with the isolation that the musicians face:

Damon Locks, a Chicago-based publicist and singer in a hardcore band called the Eternals, said he is frequently mistaken for “one of the other three black guys” in the city’s rock-music scene. “We joke about it,” he said. “We’ve been thinking about getting together and starting a band called Black People.”

Bilpster though? I'm not sure how I feel about that word. I think someone needs to find a new one.

Live Wildly (with heart!)

Live Wildly (with heart!)
Originally uploaded by Kymberlee della Luce.

I just adore this collage/photo. I found it on flickr. It is not mine. It is from someone I do not know.

random blog meaderings ...

I took today off and had so many things I wanted to do. I think I overestimated what I can do in a day. Good thing I have a lot of vacation time.

Supposedly I am a bit less crazy and am now only seeing my LP once a week instead of twice. (I probably never told you all that I was seeing him 2X but I'm not ashamed of it. It just never came up.) It really is a transition. I have grown dependent on him in a way that I was surprised about. I am not used to being dependent on people. This is something I have to work on. I sort of expect things with people to end. I expect them to sort of disappear at a certain point. It's not good.

I really liked Pan's Labyrinth. I thought it was moving and beautiful. It completely surprised me. I was ready to think it was overrated. Sometimes, I like being wrong.

Last weekend I spent alot of time with some friends from out of town. I miss them both. I have a great time with the both of them and really feel myself around them. I am glad to have them in my life.

I do not know if I have mentioned this but Logo is one of my favorite channels. Roundtrip Ticket featured Montreal and Austin, two places I am going to in February and March. I am so excited!

My monthly friend has come to visit me and I feel not so great these past few days. You either get what I mean or you don't.

I am not a big fan of debate.

When it comes to love, I don't know if I am shallow or afraid. I am sure I am both.

We have a festival at work and we watched the first batch of films. People are in a lot of pain over the war. A lot of pain. This is self explanatory but there is something different about watching a bunch of short pieces that were made from people's little hands.

I am addicted to The Sundance Channel's coverage of The Sundance Film Festival on YouTube. It's like I'm there only I'm not cold or waiting in line or getting annoyed at people.

"My name is Jon Stewart and I tell dumb jokes for money." This quote comes from Wordplay. I am having fun rewatching this.

I am worried that I have lost my earnestness. This scares me for some reason.

I think I am smart but not as smart as I'd like to be.

I want to be down to earth but whenever I stay in a nice hotel for work, I just feel good. I like suites, even the lackluster ones. Oh and I love room service.

Ryan Gosling got nominated for an Academy Award for Half Neslon. He will not win but I am just happy that this film is getting some love.

I am also happy that several African-Americans are nominated and it is not tokenism. These are people who deserve to be nominated, who would have been nominated if they were white. It makes me happy. Forest has this locked up!

I heard Chris Gardner speak at a conference and was so inspired by him. I thought The Pursuit of Happyness was OK but was more interested in Chris' story. I am a sucker for the inspiring, true story. Gardner is a great, funny, moving speaker. He is such a hard worker. Man he made me feel like a slacker.

Please Fox, I know that you are mad at the person who is uploading episodes of 24 but please leave the gal who is uploading Prison Break episodes alone. She is a nice girl. A kind soul.

Oh Grey's!

I love the Golden Globes because celebrities get all liquored up and say stupid things.

Today I am sure Isaiah Washington hates them for the same reason.

For those who do not know, Isaiah being drunk and well, stupid, brought up the whole contraversy around him calling T.R. Knight a "faggot". The press asked him to talk about it and he denied ever saying it. Everyone affiliated with Grey's says that he said it so I guess that it was just drunken wishful thinking when he denied it. When he denied it, he was rather glib and used the word again!! Geez.

In the wise words of a friend, "Why can't people just hook up with inappropriate people like I do when I get drunk? I only hurt myself."

Well, the Grey's cast is not taking this behavior lying down. Katherine Heigel said to Access Hollywood, "I'm going to be really honest right now. [Isaiah] needs to just not speak in public. Period. That did not need to be said, I’m not OK with it. Drawing attention to it and saying the word again is just unnecessary."

T.R. Knight gave his first interview to Ellen and he really was a class act about the whole thing. He could be a lot more angry about this and he is handling it well. But the whole thing did force him to come out. It's not that he was closeted but it just was not the way he would have done it.

Can you imagine someone you work with very closely for long, long hours referring to you as a xxxx -- whatever word is the most horrible prejudiced one for you --- to your peers? I have tried to imagine a situation where this is not that bad and I can not think of one. I mean, I was not there and this is all from gossip site but still ...

One of my fave TV writers, Michael Ausiello was up in arms about it. He was in the press room when it happened. Here is what he said in his column:

I certainly was there, and I have the internal scars to prove it. It was by far the ugliest, most uncomfortable press-room moment I have ever experienced. And judging by the shell-shocked faces on the cast — particularly T.R. Knight and Patrick Dempsey, who have been class acts throughout this entire ordeal — it was a new low for them, too. And what's ironic about the whole thing is that in Washington's attempt to clear his name, he came off as an out-of-control homophobe who throws the f-word around like it's candy. (He's also playing fast and loose with the truth. Did he call T.R. a f----t to his face? No. Did he refer to him as one behind his back? Yes. T.R. says so himself on today's Ellen DeGeneres Show.) His continued employment on a show that wears its diversity as a badge of honor is the height of hypocrisy. If ABC wants to be remotely true to the principles Shonda Rhimes so eloquently espouses through the show, it has to do the right thing and fire Washington. Anything else at this point is simply unacceptable.

But where does that leave Grey's? GLAAD has issued a statement and many other organizations will follow. Shonda has a situation on her hands. It could have fallen under the radar if Isaiah had not made the same mistake again. Now people want to fire him and I can not say that I blame them. It saddens me really. Homophobia is just not acceptable period. I am interested in seeing how this plays out. How do you guys feel? Should he be fired?

Obama For President!

I felt all special because my buddy, Barack Obama sent me a personal email saying that he was launching an exploratory committee for a presidental run. It turns out he sent this email to all of his "friends" on his mailing list but I will take any personal attention I can get.

So it's official! Obama is running for president. Yes, he only said that he was creating an exploratory committee but we all know that no committee is going to tell him not to run. This is his time and not even Hillary Clinton is going to stand in his way. Salon has a great article about this announcement. (I stole this cartoon from there.) This quote was particulary inciteful:

What is history-making is the life story of the handsome 45-year-old man facing the camera. Little more than two years removed from the Illinois state Senate, Obama -- the Hawaii-born and Ivy League-educated son of a Kenyan economist -- is the first African-American ever to embark on a serious quest for the White House. Unlike Colin Powell, who bobbed near the top of the polls in 1995 before bowing out of the Republican presidential race, Obama has the confidence to act on his ambitions rather than becoming sidelined by indecisiveness. Unlike Jesse Jackson with his epochal primary and caucus victories in the 1980s, Obama is not a protest candidate dissed and dismissed by party insiders, but a mainstream contender with a plausible route to the nomination and the White House.

I 100% agree with this statement. Jesse Jackson was never a candidate that people took seriously. Yes, he has the history as a civil rights activist but he was not someone that all of the US (even rednecks) could get behind. Alan Keys ... don't get me started on that one. I do not think that Colin Powell was going to run but it would have been interesting to see how that would have turned out.

I am working on this campaign in some way. Believe it! It is so hard to believe that this is happening so soon but I do think that this is the time for him to run. People really want a change and I think he has a great shot! Many more blog entries to come about this ...

My Favorite Part of the Globes

How hot is he! I loved this speech. It was hysterical.

March is going to be a very good month.

For the following reasons:

1. I will be seeing Miranda July perform at The Kitchen. I am so intrigued by her new show and also her creative process. Apparently there will be some "audience participation". Whatever that means.

2. My short film, The Birthday Girl, will be showing at The Harlem Stage on Screen Festival (formerly The Harlem Film Festival). It is a curated festival and I am so glad to be a part of it. The film will screen on Saturday, March 10th. (I'll let you all know as the date approaches.) This film has not gotten as much love as I would have liked but I have no real control over what people are going to like. I let go of that with this film. I am really happy with it and grew so much as a director while I made it. I got an email with all of the information in it last night and got so excited! I so rarely get to be a director in this kind of setting. I am always a producer which is fine but not my only goal. Plus, I am excited that the cast gets to see the film on the big screen one more time!

3. At work, a film that I worked on is going to be at a really big festival in March. I guess it's not public yet so I can not say anything but you'll hear a lot about it from me the MOMENT I can talk about it. This festival is one that I have wanted to go to for years in a city I have wanted to go to for years. We are all really excited about it especially because we all love this film and wanted a great premiere for it. (You know how I hate the vague mentions on blogs but I had to say something about it. It is why my March is going to be cool. You could probably figure it out.)

I am going through a good phase at work and creatively. I always focus on things that I do not have and figured this was an opportunity to be happy with all of the greatness. Let's hope that with global warming, there isn't a blizzard in March.

See, back to my old tricks.

March is going to be a very good month.

Notes On A Scandal

I do not have too much deep analysis on this movie. It is a complete mind f***. As Beebs said, I think I got a great ab workout with this flick. Dame Judi Dench was amazing as usual. She is twisted and yet I some how felt really sorry for her. I think I need to read the book. There is some great voiceover that I know was taken directly from it and I need to see for myself. Cate Blanchett was great as usual. Plus, she is so pretty.

The next few flicks to see:
-Children of Men (because I have heard a wide, wide range of things)
-Pan's Labyrinth (because although it is not the kind of movie I usually see, people really seem to love it)
-Stomp the Yard (as previously mentioned)

By the way, I am watching Valley Girl right now and I love it! It is cheesy, just as I remember it. I remember seeing it with my Mom. She left early and smoked cigarettes outside during the whole thing. She said it was the worst thing she had ever seen. She later revised that comment and said that The Breakfast Club was the worst film she had ever seen. She did not know the brilliance of these flicks!

VH1 Classic has been playing great 80s films. Last night, it was Flashdance!

I have to confess that ...

I sort of want to see Stomp the Yard. I have no clue why. I do have a crush on Columbus Short. That I will admit. But man, this movie looks cheesy. And yet I can not help it.

I just had to say something.

I feel better.