The demise of the necklace
I watched the Oscars last night for the same reason I usually do: the clothes.
I have less and less to say as time goes on about this particular tasteless attempt at extravaganza. And the seamless morphing of entertainment and politics represented by Michelle Obama’s remotely presenting the Oscar for Best Picture no longer has the capacity to surprise me in the least.
So I’ll just stick to the fashion (which of course is not irrelevant to the larger issues of culture and politics) and remark that almost all of the starlets (is that still proper word?) had donned their strapless gowns minus the necklaces that would have adorned the long bare stretch between cleavage and head. This creates an odd, unfinished, unglamorous look, as though their dresses were only just now being tried on for the very first time. In line with that, for quite a few, their hair looked about the way it must when they get out of bed in the morning.
Here’s an example (actually, one of the more attractive ones) of the Look from Jennifer Aniston:
I just don’t get it. But then, there are lots of things I just don’t get these days.
Oh, and one more thing: as a woman grows older, it seems she has a choice between looking old but normal and old but weird. The first comes from undisturbed aging, the second from the shoring-up efforts of cosmetic surgery.
[NOTE: If you think I’m exaggerating about the banning of the necklace, take a look at how few were in evidence.
And then there’s Jennifer Lawrence, who wore her necklace backwards.]
Sandra Bullock looked weird. She had work done and no expression at all due to the botox. What’s the point?
(Wait, I am a male, why do I care? 🙂 )
Holmes: I agree that she looked very odd. I was watching at a friend’s house on a hi-def TV and that accentuated the problem, whatever it was. To me she looked very severe. And that bone-straight hairdo doesn’t help. A little softness would have gone a long way.
I also think a lot of the problem with these women might be chronic starvation. They are all (or at least, most of them) on highly restrictive diets in order to maintain a high degree of thinness, which, as they age, must be more and more difficult.
The stars get and stay thin using drugs, legal and illegal and vomiting.
Reese Witherspoon looked normal. Worth pointing out.
Holmes: yes, kind of strange when the normal-looking ones are the exceptions.
Jennifer Lawrence looked lovely and still has some curves (at least compared to her size 0 colleagues).
I recall reading that Jennifer Anniston maintains her figure by spending most of her day doing yoga. Great job if you can get it, but a sad commentary on what it takes to be an “ideal beauty” in Hollywood.
The wife and watched for the first time in who-knows-when. We usually avoid Hollywood stuff, but we wanted to see how Argo did. It was a good way to waste a few hours on a Sunday night. But when Mrs. “Proud of my country for the first time” made a surprise appearance, I had to hit the mute button.
Regarding the dresses, there seemed an overabundance of strapless gowns. In some cases, I was wondering how the dresses managed to defy gravity and stay up. Some of the strapless affairs seems just a bit too big on top, creating an air pocket between the dress and the occupant. My wife commented that women in strapless gowns are always tugging them up. The woman who won best actress tugged at hers just before tripping up the stairs.
I’m not usually interested fashion, as a quick peek in my closet will prove, but there’s something very beautiful about a woman in a formal gown.
Well, necklaces would interrupt the flesh. It’s a race to see how much can be flaunted. Nothing new there, really, but it does get a little more brazen over time.
Those who did wear necklaces wore ones worth more than a French chateau. Jennifer Garner’s 2.5 million platinum and diamond set comes immediately to mind: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/fashion/lat-la-ig-jewelry-garner-wre0008399412-20130224,0,3695481.photo?track=rss
I guess if you can’t manage to score that kind of bling, then why bother with jewelry on the red carpet at all?
I watch mainly for the red carpet, and generally speaking I though most of the gowns had a classic, old Hollywood appeal this year. I saw a brief interview with Renee Zellweger and it struck me that she has had so much “work done” that I barely recognized her.
I had the same reaction to michelle’s appearance to present best picture. Didn’t really surprise me, but did they have to parade the military behind her? Why? my husband’s theory was that she might have been tapped to participate because Lincoln was expected to win. If that played a role, I have to chuckle that she had to announce Argo as the winner instead. Heh.
Finally, with the film Amour getting so much fawning attention (considering its revolting subject matter) I thought the following article was interesting. Apparently the plot (husband murders very ill elderly wife) is nearly identical to a Nazi film:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/churchofthemasses/2013/02/oscar-nominated-amour-is-based-on-a-nazi-film/
We haven’t watched the Oscars for at least 3 decades, but I did come across this link at the Daily Caller:
http://tinyurl.com/ans6j9s
Prediction: Nude Oscar brouhaha 2014 when Obamacare kicks in full force.
You know, Neo, if you like to look at fashion, perhaps you might be interested in the various uniform designs for school students in Japan?
Have to agree with those who made remarks about actresses starving themselves. It’s very sad when women have to fit into that image. Let’s see real women with curves!!
Liberals in general are people who can’t seem to accept the reality of the world. It’s why they think human aging and the planets unpredictable weather are terrible things that need to have something done about them.