Working Draft 1, March 2, 2020
Going to the Oscars with Me
(my introduction is going to change a bit. I will be introducing Quentin Tarantino or Brad Pitt or David Rubin or maybe just David Rubin and then flow into Kevin Hart)
“Aaahhh, it’s good to be king!” says David Rubin, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For comedian Kevin Hart, hosting The Academy Awards was a dream. A dream for him that was almost fulfilled, but because of some controversy surrounding old tweets, his dream is still deferred. Even as a lover of movies, but especially going to the movie theater to watch a movie, I wasn’t really sure why hosting the Oscars was such a big deal to him. Stepping foot in the Dolby theater in Los Angeles, after having walked the infamous red carpet, I began to better understand the grandeur of standing on that stage and ushering in, not only the people in the live audience, but the millions of people at home watching on television, to the fantasy, the whimsy and the regalia that is Hollywood, the movies. I dare say the freaking Super Bowl of the film industry, but that just doesn’t seem to capture the majesty that is The Oscars. To receive an Oscar for your work in the film industry, certainly lets one know they have hit the grand mal of all achievements. Even to be nominated lends a certain boost to one’s ego, I am sure.
About three weeks prior to this spectacular event, I received a FaceTime call from my son, Scott. I have just picked a friend up from the hospital emergency room, having been rushed there by ambulance from her cousin’s funeral. Her final diagnosis was panic/anxiety attack and symptoms likely stemmed from a lack of food and water. The scary part was over, and we were headed to pick up her car. I was concerned about answering the call, I was driving, and I didn’t want my friend to think her situation was not important. I decided to pull over and answer the call. I’m glad I did, and so was she once we realized what the call was about.
“Mom, would you be interested in attending The Oscars with me? We have been invited.” Scott says.
I respond with a resounding “YES!! But what will I wear?”
He says, “Don’t worry I got you!”
I hang up with Scott and she and I both just start screaming “I’m going to the Oscars, I’m going to the Oscars!!”
I arrive in Los Angeles the evening before the big night. As much as I love my son and daughter and visiting them, I am not a lover of the city of angels. I have for so long had such high expectations of what it is like and it has yet to meet them. I expect sunshine, warm and beaches. Each time I have been, the beaches are beautiful, but it’s cold and rainy, leaving a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I am given an agenda of the next day’s adventure. On top of the list is a 9:30 am makeup call at Scott’s house. I am very excited about this, though I am a little concerned about it being so early in the day. The event isn’t until later that evening. Will the makeup last? Will there be a touch up session at some point? But I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth and roll with and keep those questions to myself.
I awaken the morning of the Oscars to quite the head banger rock concert over my head. It was raining cats and dogs and the wind was whipping quite a bit like Willow Smith’s hair in her video “I whip my hair back and forth”. I lay there wondering if would rain like this all day. It was just 2:15am.
Mandy arrives just as I am finishing my coffee. She has a rolling bag full of tools for “beating” faces. She sets up and we chat. I had the pleasure of meeting Mandy before when she did my makeup for my big debut on Access Hollywood surprising Scott for a Mother’s Day segment. A story for another time. Mandy did my make up while I asked her a bunch of questions about her work as we each sipped a Bloody Mary that Scott made us with Mario Lopez’s Casa Mexico brand tequila.
Mandy is a product of the foster care system and found makeup artistry by accident. At 26 she owned a business
Draft 2
Going to the Oscars with Me
Every year the Governor’s Ball takes place right after The Oscars, in the Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center. This year the celebration was held on February 9th. I was there, after having attended the 92nd Annual Academy Awards show, as a guest of Scott Evans, co-host of Access Hollywood and host of World of Dance. Once known as the party to attend, the Governor’s Ball is beginning to lose its flavor, as the notable Variety after party has sweetened and quenched the tastes of Hollywood’s celebrities. The Governor’s Ball has become more of a walk through, rather than the finishing touch for many A-List celebrities. I found myself in the middle of this beautiful affair with the exquisite, edible delights and decadent desserts prepared by Wolfgang Puck, giggling as the gentleman with whom Scott and I are chatting says, “Aaahhh, it’s good to be king!” A black-tie clad server shows up out of nowhere, takes his empty glass and replaces it with a new full one. This gentleman, a veteran casting director, who has won Primetime Emmys for casting “Big Little Lies” in 2017 and “Game Change” in 2012 and had been governor of the film Academy’s Casting Directors Branch for six years. David Rubin, the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was elected in August 2019. (variety) “The job of president was once viewed as primarily ceremonial. Previously held by luminaries like Frank Capra, Bette Davis and Gregory Peck, it is both unpaid and intended to be part time. The day-to-day management of the organization and its more than 300 employees falls to the chief executive, Dawn Hudson, whose four-year contract will expire next year. But the position of president has become much more public, and Mr. Rubin will have the unenviable task of dealing with crises when they arise.” (nytimes) Is he up for the tasks? Only time will tell. It was a pleasure chatting with him, but I am still amazed at being here.
The night before the event I arrive in Los Angeles. I am not a lover of the city of angels. Each time I have been, the beaches are beautiful, but it’s cold and rainy, leaving a bittersweet taste in my mouth. The next day’s adventure was to begin at 9:30 am with a makeup call at Scott’s house, which is sort of strange because the event wasn’t until later that evening.
The next morning is Oscars Sunday and there was quite the head banger rock concert happening over my head. It was raining cats and dogs and the wind was whipping quite a bit like Willow Smith’s hair in her “I whip my hair back and forth” video. I lay there wondering if would rain like this all day
Mandy arrives just as I am finishing my coffee with a rolling bag full of tools for “beating” faces. She sets up and we chat. I had the pleasure of meeting Mandy before when she did my makeup for my big debut on Access Hollywood surprising Scott for a Mother’s Day segment. A story for another time. As she did my make-up, we each sipped a Bloody Mary made with Mario Lopez’s, Casa Mexico brand tequila, He and Scott are friends and work together on Access.
Mandy Perez is a product of the foster care system and found makeup artistry by accident. At 26 she owned a business that lasted about 6 years and before closing it all together she went to school to learn how to professionally apply makeup. She learned glam makeup, as well as, theatrical and sci-fi applications. Before attending school to seriously pursue a career as a makeup artist, she played around in makeup and provided services to the drag queen community. She was able to secure her Union status making her qualified to provide services to the stars.
It takes a little while to get glamorized, because it’s roughly noon when makeup is done. It’s time to head to a “shoot”. Scott has to do an on-air interview before heading the hotel. Who knew I would be included? Meeting Sandy and DeAndre Arnold, the mother-son duo, who caught the attention of actress, Gabrielle Union, because his school was denying him the reward of walking in his high school graduation ceremony unless he cut his dreadlocks, was the highlight of the Oscar weekend. Gabrielle sent them to the Oscars as guests of writer and director Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver co-producer of Hair Love, an animated short film about ethnic hair. How fitting that it won the Oscar for that category. Talking with the Arnolds made me feel for them, especially as a mother. Matthew Cherry says, “You know, I see myself in the kid so much. You know, we both have locks. I remember being, you know, a teen who was coming into his own and, you know, just like how, you know, self-conscious that can be. And it just seemed like the least we could do to try to give them a little bit of joy in this kind of trying time.” (npr)
The issue of hair discrimination that continues to plague the Arnolds and others like them has required laws to be put in place to help stop this type of discrimination. Unbelievable that a law must be made so that people, African American people, can wear their natural hair and not be discriminated against. Banning ethnic hairstyles 'upholds this notion of white supremacy.' States pass laws to stop natural hair discrimination. Black people young, old and in between have been rejected from jobs, schools and other public places because of the texture and style of their hair. But that's changing. Several states and cities this year have passed or proposed laws banning policies that penalize people of color for wearing natural curls, dreadlocks, twists, braids and other hairstyles that embrace their cultural identity. Cincinnati outlaws discrimination based on natural hairstyles associated with race. California and New York were the first states to enact laws this summer forbidding race-based hair discrimination. New Jersey, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky as well as Cincinnati, Ohio, and Montgomery County, Maryland, have followed with proposed legislation. (usatoday)
Off to the iconic Roosevelt Hotel to dress for the Oscars. Several dresses were selected by the styling team and the Instagram fans helped decide which one to wear. Once the decision was made a small meal with several glasses of champagne occupied our wait time.
Finally, off to the Dolby Theater for an evening of magical splendor. The rain had indeed stopped, and the car whisked us away and dropped us at the door of the Dolby Theater.
Walking the red carpet is as thrilling as one might think. The elegance, the star-like feeling felt is real. Cameras flashing, names are being yelled out to look this way, or turn around. Smiles, “smolders” and poses are struck. Celebrities like actor, Brad Pitt are a mere 5 feet away, yes, he is that handsome. Chatting and laughing with “Hamilton” creator, Lin Manuel-Miranda. Brushing shoulders with Quentin Tarentino, no he didn’t give me a second glance. Hugging it out with Cynthia Erivo, yes, she really does have a killer body and so approachable.
Fantastic, electrifying and enchanting all at the same time. However, the red carpet is quite grim, deadly even historically. “Amy Henderson, historian emeritus at the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, explains that the Greek playwright Aeschylus claims the first written mention of a red carpet in "Agamemnon," dated 458 BC. Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, speaks of a "floor of crimson broideries to spread / For the King's path." She explains "Agamemnon goes away to fight (in the Trojan Wars) and leaves his wife Clytemnestra at home. He's away for a long time, and they both find significant others. When he comes back, he's in love with Cassandra and brings his concubine home with him. Despite her own infidelity, Clytemnestra is not amused. In her defense, there were mitigating factors: Agamemnon had made a deal with the gods, sacrificing their 15-year-old daughter so he could put the wind in his sails. She rolls out the crimson carpet to convince him to walk into his death," says Henderson. Accounts differ, but Clytemnestra either murders Agamemnon in the bath, or he's slain by her lover. She also kills Cassandra. "It's not a pretty story," Henderson adds. " (cnn) It continues to evolve throughout history making a change at the train depot in 1902 directing people boarding trains, largely used to direct first class ticket holders, the red carpet became a signifier of social status. “The first use of the red carpet by Hollywood was by theater magnate Sid Grauman. On Oct. 18, 1922, Grauman orchestrated the first Hollywood premiere. The film in question was "Robin Hood," and Grauman, owner of the newly minted Egyptian Theatre, was out to impress. After all, the movie had cost close to $1 million -- a staggering figure at the time.” The red carpet became routine for Hollywood premieres. (cnn)
For comedian Kevin Hart, hosting The Academy Awards was a dream. A dream that is deferred. Even as a lover of movies, especially going to the movie theater, I didn’t get why hosting the Oscars was such a big deal to him. Stepping foot in the Dolby theater in, having walked the red carpet, I began to better understand the grandeur of standing on that stage and ushering us all in to the fantasy, the whimsy and the regalia that is Hollywood, that is the movies. To be nominated for an academy award lends a certain boost to one’s ego, however according to many who have won, the win far outweighs the nomination.
Dancing the night away with Quest Love spinning the tunes at the Governor’s Ball, meeting the President of the Academy, being close to some A-List celebrities, all ingredients for an enchanting and magnificent night. Memories made and time well spent with my favorite male human on this planet. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Deandre Arnold Marvels Over Attending Oscars With “Hair Love”: It’s “Mind-Blowing.” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw6cYnsL01k. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.
CNN, Thomas Page. “Greek Tragedy and Railways: An Unexpected History of the Red Carpet.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/style/article/an-unexpected-history-of-the-red-carpet/index.html. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.
Oldham, Stuart, and Stuart Oldham. “David Rubin Elected President of the Motion Picture Academy.” Variety, 7 Aug. 2019, https://variety.com/2019/film/news/david-rubin-elected-president-of-the-film-academy-1203294914/.
“Oscars.Org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.” Oscars.Org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, https://www.oscars.org/. Accessed 21 February. 2020.
Ellis, Charisse Jones and Nicquel Terry. “Banning Ethnic Hairstyles ‘upholds This Notion of White Supremacy.’ States Pass Laws to Stop Natural Hair Discrimination.” USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/14/black-hair-laws-passed-stop-natural-hair-discrimination-across-us/3850402002/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2020.
Sperling, Nicole. “Film Academy Elects a Casting Director as Its New President.” The New York Times, 7 Aug. 2019. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/07/business/academy-david-rubin-president.html.
Red letters are things I may want to say instead
Working Draft 3, March 4, 2020
Going to the Oscars with Me
“Aaahhh, it’s good to be king!” says David Rubin, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and host of the Governor’s Ball. He made this comment because somebody, who was apparently monitoring his drink, shows up out of nowhere, takes the empty glass and replaces it with a new full one. Talk about attention to detail. The Governor’s Ball took place on February 9th in the Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center immediately following the 92nd Annual Academy Awards show known as “The Oscars”. Once known as the party to attend, it’s beginning to lose its flavor for the notable Variety after party. David Rubin, a veteran casting director, was elected as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in August 2019. He has won Primetime Emmys for casting “Big Little Lies” in 2017 “Game Change” in 2012, had been governor of the film Academy’s Casting Directors Branch for six years prior to being elected as president. (variety) (The Governor’s Ball takes place right after the broadcast of The Oscars in the Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center. This year it was February 9th and I was there.)
About three weeks prior to this spectacular event, I received a FaceTime call from my son, Scott. I have just picked a friend up from the hospital emergency room, having been rushed there by ambulance from her cousin’s funeral. Her final diagnosis was panic/anxiety attack and symptoms likely stemmed from a lack of food and water. The scary part was over, and we were headed to pick up her car. I was concerned about answering the call, I was driving, and I also didn’t want my friend to think her situation was not important. After her urging, I decided to pull over and answer the call. I’m glad I did, and so was she once we realized what the call was about. Scott invited me to be his plus one to the Oscars. “Mom, you’re going to the Oscars!”
“Mom, would you be interested in attending The Oscars with me? We have been invited.” Scott says.
I respond with a resounding “YES!! But what will I wear?”
He says, “Don’t worry I got you!”
I hang up with Scott and she and I both just start screaming “I’m going to the Oscars, I’m going to the Oscars!!” (will probably take this out once I have my consult with Prof)
The night before the big event I arrive in Los Angeles. I am not a lover of the city of angels. I have for so long had such high expectations of what it is like and it has yet to meet them. I expect sunshine, warm and beaches. Each time I have been, the beaches are beautiful, but it’s cold and rainy, leaving a bittersweet taste in my mouth. The next day’s adventure was to begin at 9:30 am with a makeup call at Scott’s house, which is sort of strange because the event wasn’t until later that evening. Will the makeup last? Will there be a touch up session at some point? But I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth and roll with and keep those questions to myself.
The morning of the Oscars there was quite the head banger rock concert happening over my head. outside It was raining cats and dogs and the wind was whipping quite a bit like Willow Smith’s hair in her “I whip my hair back and forth” video. I lay there wondering if would rain like this all day. It was just 2:15am.
Mandy arrives just as I am finishing my coffee. (with a) She has a rolling bag full of tools for “beating” faces. She sets up and we chat. I had the pleasure of meeting Mandy before when she did my makeup for my big debut on Access Hollywood surprising Scott for a Mother’s Day segment. A story for another time. Mandy did my make up while I asked her a bunch of questions about her work as we each sipped a Bloody Mary that Scott made us with Mario Lopez’s Casa Mexico brand tequila. ( I want to include this because it’s Mario Lopez tequila)
Mandy is a product of the foster care system and found makeup artistry by accident. At 26 she owned a business that lasted about 6 years and before closing it all together she went to school to learn how to professionally apply makeup. She learned glam makeup, as well as, theatrical and sci-fi applications. Before attending school to seriously pursue a career as a makeup artist, she played around in makeup and provided services to the drag queen community. She was able to secure her Union status making her qualified to provide services to the stars.
Meeting Sandy and DeAndre Arnold, the mother-son duo who caught the attention of Gabrielle Union when news of his school denying him the reward of walking in his high school graduation ceremony unless he cut his hair went viral, was the highlight of the Oscar weekend. She sent them to the Oscars to be the guests of writer and director Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver co-producer of Hair Love, an animated short film. How fitting that it would also win the Oscar for that category, given that it was about ethnic hair. Talking with them made me feel for them especially as a mother. The issue of hair discrimination that continues to plague them and many African-Americans today has required laws to be put in place to help stop this type of discrimination. An on air interview with them was conducted by Scott Evans of Access Hollywood and as an added bonus I was able to participate in the interview. (not exactly sure how to incorporate this) Once completed, off to the iconic Roosevelt Hotel to prepare for the Oscars.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/23/us/barbers-hill-isd-dreadlocks-deandre-arnold-trnd/index.html
Several dresses were selected by the styling team from which I was to choose. Fortunately, the Instagram fans helped decide which one to wear. Once the decision was made a small meal with several glasses of champagne occupied our wait time.
The time had finally come, off to the Dolby Theater for an evening of magical splendor. The rain had indeed stopped, and the car whisked us away. To my surprise there were many protestors along the path to the theater. What exactly they were protesting was unclear. There were several Trump fans carrying banners, which actually was a surprise in the liberal state of California and more specifically the liberal town of Los Angeles.
(Somewhere in here I want to talk about the history of the red carpet-pretty interesting…artifact-the red carpet)
Walking the red carpet is as thrilling as one might think. The elegance, the star-like feeling felt is real. Cameras are flashing. Names are being yelled out to look this way, turn around so we can see the back. Smiles, “smoulders” and poses are struck. It is fantastic, electrifying and enchanting all at the same time. However, the history of the red carpet is quite grim, deadly even.
“Amy Henderson, historian emeritus at the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, explains that the Greek playwright Aeschylus claims the first written mention of a red carpet in "Agamemnon," dated 458 BC. Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, speaks of a "floor of crimson broideries to spread / For the King's path." She explains "Agamemnon goes away to fight (in the Trojan Wars) and leaves his wife Clytemnestra at home. He's away for a long time, and they both find significant others. When he comes back, he's in love with Cassandra and brings his concubine home with him. Despite her own infidelity, Clytemnestra is not amused. In her defense, there were mitigating factors: Agamemnon had made a deal with the gods, sacrificing their 15-year-old daughter so he could put the wind in his sails. She rolls out the crimson carpet to convince him to walk into his death," says Henderson. Accounts differ, but Clytemnestra either murders Agamemnon in the bath, or he's slain by her lover. She also kills Cassandra. "It's not a pretty story," Henderson adds. " (cnn) It continues to evolve throughout history making a change at the train depot in 1902 directing people boarding trains, largely used to direct first class ticket holders, the red carpet became a signifier of social status. “The first use of the red carpet by Hollywood was by theater magnate Sid Grauman. On Oct. 18, 1922, Grauman orchestrated the first Hollywood premiere. The film in question was "Robin Hood," and Grauman, owner of the newly minted Egyptian Theatre, was out to impress. After all, the movie had cost close to $1 million -- a staggering figure at the time.” The red carpet became routine for Hollywood premieres. (cnn)
For comedian Kevin Hart, hosting The Academy Awards was a dream. A dream for him that was almost fulfilled, but because of some controversy surrounding old tweets, his dream is still deferred. Even as a lover of movies, but especially going to the movie theater to watch a movie, I wasn’t really sure why hosting the Oscars was such a big deal to him. Stepping foot in the Dolby theater in, after having walked the infamous red carpet, I began to better understand the grandeur of standing on that stage and ushering in, not only the people in the live audience, but the millions of people at home watching on television, to the fantasy, the whimsy and the regalia that is Hollywood, that is the movies. I dare say the freaking Super Bowl of the film industry, but that just doesn’t seem to capture the majesty that is The Oscars. Receiving an Oscar for your work in the film industry, certainly lets one know they have reached the pinnacle of all achievements. To be nominated for an academy award lends a certain boost to one’s ego, however according to many the win far outweighs the nomination. (unsure of the wording…think it is somehow cheapened)
Brad Pitt just 5 feet away, and yes he is that handsome. Chatting and laughing with Lin Manuel-Miranda, just a super nice guy. Brushing shoulders with Quentin Tarentino, no he didn’t give me a second glance. Hugging it out with Cynthia Erivo, yes, she really does have a killer body and so down to earth. Dancing the night away with Quest Love spinning the tunes at the Governor’s Ball. All ingredients to make for an enchanting and magnificent night. Memories made and time well spent with my favorite male human on this planet. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Deandre Arnold Marvels Over Attending Oscars With “Hair Love”: It’s “Mind-Blowing.” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw6cYnsL01k. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.
CNN, Thomas Page. “Greek Tragedy and Railways: An Unexpected History of the Red Carpet.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/style/article/an-unexpected-history-of-the-red-carpet/index.html. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.
Oldham, Stuart, and Stuart Oldham. “David Rubin Elected President of the Motion Picture Academy.” Variety, 7 Aug. 2019, https://variety.com/2019/film/news/david-rubin-elected-president-of-the-film-academy-1203294914/.
“Oscars.Org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.” Oscars.Org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, https://www.oscars.org/. Accessed 21 February. 2020.
“David Rubin Elected President of Film Academy.” The Hollywood Reporter, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/david-rubin-elected-president-film-academy-1229756. Accessed 4 Mar. 2020.
Ellis, Charisse Jones and Nicquel Terry. “Banning Ethnic Hairstyles ‘upholds This Notion of White Supremacy.’ States Pass Laws to Stop Natural Hair Discrimination.” USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/14/black-hair-laws-passed-stop-natural-hair-discrimination-across-us/3850402002/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2020.
Red letters are things I may want to say instead
Working Draft 2, March 4, 2020
Going to the Oscars with Me
“Aaahhh, it’s good to be king!” says David Rubin, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and host of the Governor’s Ball. He made this comment because somebody, who was apparently monitoring his drink, shows up out of nowhere, takes the empty glass and replaces it with a new full one. Talk about attention to detail. The Governor’s Ball took place on February 9th in the Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center immediately following the 92nd Annual Academy Awards show known as “The Oscars”. Once known as the party to attend, it’s beginning to lose its flavor for the notable Variety after party.
(The Governor’s Ball takes place right after the broadcast of The Oscars in the Ray Dolby Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center. This year it was February 9th and I was there.)
For comedian Kevin Hart, hosting The Academy Awards was a dream. A dream for him that was almost fulfilled, but because of some controversy surrounding old tweets, his dream is still deferred. Even as a lover of movies, but especially going to the movie theater to watch a movie, I wasn’t really sure why hosting the Oscars was such a big deal to him. Stepping foot in the Dolby theater in Los Angeles, after having walked the infamous red carpet, I began to better understand the grandeur of standing on that stage and ushering in, not only the people in the live audience, but the millions of people at home watching on television, to the fantasy, the whimsy and the regalia that is Hollywood, the movies. I dare say the freaking Super Bowl of the film industry, but that just doesn’t seem to capture the majesty that is The Oscars. To receive an Oscar for your work in the film industry, certainly lets one know they have hit the grand mal of all achievements. To be nominated for an academy award lends a certain boost to one’s ego, however according to many the win far outweighs the nomination.
About three weeks prior to this spectacular event, I received a FaceTime call from my son, Scott. I have just picked a friend up from the hospital emergency room, having been rushed there by ambulance from her cousin’s funeral. Her final diagnosis was panic/anxiety attack and symptoms likely stemmed from a lack of food and water. The scary part was over, and we were headed to pick up her car. I was concerned about answering the call, I was driving, and I didn’t want my friend to think her situation was not important. I decided to pull over and answer the call. I’m glad I did, and so was she once we realized what the call was about. Scott invited me to be his plus one to the Oscars. “Mom, you’re going to the Oscars!”
“Mom, would you be interested in attending The Oscars with me? We have been invited.” Scott says.
I respond with a resounding “YES!! But what will I wear?”
He says, “Don’t worry I got you!”
I hang up with Scott and she and I both just start screaming “I’m going to the Oscars, I’m going to the Oscars!!” (will probably take this out once I have my consult with Prof)
The night before the big event I arrive in Los Angeles. I am not a lover of the city of angels. I have for so long had such high expectations of what it is like and it has yet to meet them. I expect sunshine, warm and beaches. Each time I have been, the beaches are beautiful, but it’s cold and rainy, leaving a bittersweet taste in my mouth. The next day’s adventure was to begin at 9:30 am with a makeup call at Scott’s house, which is sort of strange because the event wasn’t until later that evening. Will the makeup last? Will there be a touch up session at some point? But I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth and roll with and keep those questions to myself.
The morning of the Oscars there was quite the head banger rock concert happening over my head. outside It was raining cats and dogs and the wind was whipping quite a bit like Willow Smith’s hair in her “I whip my hair back and forth” video. I lay there wondering if would rain like this all day. It was just 2:15am.
Mandy arrives just as I am finishing my coffee. (with a) She has a rolling bag full of tools for “beating” faces. She sets up and we chat. I had the pleasure of meeting Mandy before when she did my makeup for my big debut on Access Hollywood surprising Scott for a Mother’s Day segment. A story for another time. Mandy did my make up while I asked her a bunch of questions about her work as we each sipped a Bloody Mary that Scott made us with Mario Lopez’s Casa Mexico brand tequila. ( I want to include this because it’s Mario Lopez tequila)
Mandy is a product of the foster care system and found makeup artistry by accident. At 26 she owned a business that lasted about 6 years and before closing it all together she went to school to learn how to professionally apply makeup. She learned glam makeup, as well as, theatrical and sci-fi applications. Before attending school to seriously pursue a career as a makeup artist, she played around in makeup and provided services to the drag queen community.
Meeting Sandy and DeAndre Arnold, the mother-son duo who caught the attention of Gabrielle Union when news of his school denying him the reward of walking in his graduation ceremony unless he cut his hair went viral, was the highlight of the Oscar weekend. She sent them to the Oscars to be the guests of writer and director Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver co-producer of Hair Love, an animated short film. How fitting that it would also win the Oscar for that category, given that it was about ethnic hair.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/23/us/barbers-hill-isd-dreadlocks-deandre-arnold-trnd/index.html
(Somewhere in here I want to talk about the history of the red carpet-pretty interesting…)
Walking the red carpet is as thrilling as one might think. The elegance, the star-like feeling felt is real. Cameras are flashing. Names are being yelled out to look this way, turn around so we can see the back. Smiles, “smoulders” and poses are struck.
“Amy Henderson, historian emeritus at the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, explains that the Greek playwright Aeschylus claims the first written mention of a red carpet in "Agamemnon," dated 458 BC. Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, speaks of a "floor of crimson broideries to spread / For the King's path." (page-CNN)
Deandre Arnold Marvels Over Attending Oscars With “Hair Love”: It’s “Mind-Blowing.” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw6cYnsL01k. Accessed 9 Mar. 2020.
CNN, Thomas Page. “Greek Tragedy and Railways: An Unexpected History of the Red Carpet.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/style/article/an-unexpected-history-of-the-red-carpet/index.html. Accessed 9 Mar. 2020.