First of all, I am tired of people calling the Oscars, “The Gay Super Bowl.” The Oscars predate the Super Bowl so if anything the Super Bowl should be called “The Hetero Oscars,” but I digress.
Recently, awards show have lost some of their luster since highlight clips are posted on Facebook the following day. However, there is still something fun about watching awards shows live with friends. So grab some wine, food and friends because this year has a lot of reasons to tune in.
1. The Red Carpet
The biggest drama takes place before the show even starts. That’s right, I’m talking about the red carpet. Judging what the attendees wear has become a national pastime and inevitably, there will be at least three fashion faux pas for each celeb who gets it right. Let the bitchery begin!
2. Political Speeches
Ever since Meryl Streep made waves with her Golden Globes speech, acceptance speeches with some sort of political undertones are expected. Whether you agree with what is being said or not, any politically charged speech will get news coverage the following day, as wells as tweets from Trump.
3. Awkward Reactions From the Audience
The highlight of this awards season was Winona Ryder’s facial journey at the last Golden Globes. Hands done. Some of the best moments come from stars when they don’t even know they are on camera.
4. The Host
Oscar hosts are notoriously a mixed bag (remember that year Anne Hathaway and James Franco co-hosted… eesh). This year, Jimmy Kimmel will be leading the show and he seems to be a safe pick. Maybe he will make celebs read mean tweets, or do a Lie Witness News segment, or maybe, his nemesis Matt Damon will show up to ruin the show. Either way, it will surely be filled with humor.
5. Moonlight Could Win Best Picture
Based on how pre-Academy Awards — the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, SAG Awards — have shaken out, Moonlight holds a strong chance of taking home the coveted Best Picture Award over frontrunner La La Land. Why is that important you ask? It’s win would be unprecedented and important because the movie portrays the plight of a homosexual man of color, and this would be the first time the Academy has recognized a film with those themes. And after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite took off, maybe this is the year the Academy will recognize diversity in films.
6. Ryan Gosling
‘Nuff said.