In this week’s handle with care, we are catching up on awards season. Also, Selena Gomez v. Hailey Bieber, the end of Succession, and my February favorites.
Awards season is moving and grooving, and we are now one week away from the Oscars. Voting ends tomorrow, and it’s been interesting to see the momentum growing for, or getting away from certain actors and films.
The Best Actor race looks like it’s between Austin Butler (Elvis) and Brendan Fraser (The Whale), but I feel that Fraser is a new favorite after his Critics’ Choice and Screen Actors Guild wins. Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) should win Best Actress. I better not see anyone else accepting that award! Yeoh has been rendered speechless for her recent wins at the SAG Awards, and Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Ke Huy Quan (EEAAO) seems to be a lock for Best Supporting Actor, and I hope Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) wins for Best Supporting Actress. If not Bassett, then Stephanie Hsu (EEAAO), who just received her first individual award win at yesterday’s Film Independent Spirit Awards.
The Fabelmans director Steven Spielberg is beloved in my house, so I would hate to see him go home empty-handed on Sunday. He won Best Director back in January at the Golden Globes, so he very much could win the Oscar. But The Daniels (EEAAO) have a really good chance, and I wouldn’t be mad if they won! Best Picture will be a toss-up, I think. After the GRAMMYs, I learned not to expect the frontrunner or favorite to win, because it could literally be something out of left field, like Avatar: The Way of Water. I will watch, and I will be scared!
My Oscars Big 5 Predictions
Best Picture: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Best Director: Steven Spielberg
Best Actor: Brendan Fraser
Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh
Best Screenplay: Everything Everywhere All At Once (Original) and Women Talking (Adapted)
Celebrity mess
The girls (Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber) are fighting (again).
I don’t want to care because it happens often now, but I am rooting for Gomez. So maybe I do care a lil!!!!!
The Last Great American Dynasty
HBO’s critically-acclaimed drama Succession is ending after four seasons. Creator Jesse Armstrong revealed in an interview with the New Yorker. Jeremy Strong, who plays Kendall Roy, had previously mentioned in a GQ profile that the upcoming fourth season might be the last.
I only want to talk about fashion in this section today, because there have been some fun looks recently!! Starting off with the Screen Actors Guild Awards from last week, I have four favorites.
Zendaya looked so beautiful in this custom pink gown from Valentino. Every red carpet needs Zendaya to show up and show out to keep it interesting, at this point. Quinta Brunson, creator of Abbott Elementary, looked gorgeous in a Jean-Louis Sabaji gown that reminds me of The Little Mermaid. Zendaya and Brunson work in perfect harmony with their respective stylists, Law Roach and Bryon Javar.
Ayo Edebiri’s checker-print dress by Emilia Wickstead was everything to me. I’m afraid of a drop-waist silhouette on myself, so I love when I see someone else wearing it. Kathryn Newton wore a pretty Carolina Herrera dress in a lilac color.
Finally, I have some miscellaneous favorites from different award shows to briefly talk about.
Zendaya’s custom Prada set for the NAACP Image Awards was inspired by a 1993 runway look. I love anything celestial, so I was all about it! British girl group FLO wore wine-colored, coordinated looks by Patrycja Pagas to the 2023 Brit Awards in early February. And I really enjoyed Florence Pugh’s BAFTA look, by Harris Reed for Nina Ricci. Her hair even mimics the tulle, and I think the micro-bangs look good on her.
My February favorites
I only have music favorites to share for February! As I mentioned at the end of my last newsletter, Niall Horan’s lead single off his upcoming album The Show is incredible. “Heaven” should get the attention that “Slow Hands” got in 2017, and more.
There were two albums that would have absolutely wrecked me (in a bad way) at different points last year had they been released then. First, Paramore’s album This Is Why is controlled spite, as showcased in one of their singles, “C’est Comme Ça,” which literally translates to “it is what it is” in French. The album sums up all my pandemic frustrations. I also feel like a lonely 14-year-old again, wearing a Paramore racerback tank top to school, with an ugly Brandy Melville cardigan and skinny jeans.
Gracie Abrams’ debut album Good Riddance has me in such a chokehold, I find it hard to listen to. I’m the type of music listener that will slide down the bathroom wall when I hear a lyric that says exactly how I feel, even if I don’t relate to something anymore.
I actually went to an album signing of hers last week, and in my brief time with her, I congratulated her on the album (out of habit as a journalist, I fear) and we talked about how excited we are for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. She’s opening for a date I’m going to, and I can’t wait to scream the bridge of “Will you cry?” and all the words to “Rockland.”
Thanks for reading!! I’m dying to talk about Love Island at some point, because what the helllllll was this season’s Casa Amor recoupling? And why was it the best episode of reality TV I’ve ever seen???
Hope you’re all having a nice weekend!