Something really bothers me when I hear it, no matter who it is who says it, even actors I love. I hate whey they say “my cast”. And “my crew”. Like, who the f-ck are you? Is it so hard to make reference to “our cast”, “our crew”? Maybe for them it’s not a problem. Maybe for them, the use of the possessive determiner, such specific language to denote that something BELONGS to them, wording with built-in hierarchy, maybe for them it’s not important, especially if they’re generous and gracious on set, not known to be up their own ass primadonnas. Julianne Margulies doesn’t have that reputation. Since I’m not an actor, I couldn’t stay how it comes off to other actors. But when I hear it, I bristle. Just me?

Anyway, sorry about the tangent. The universal point of interest here, of course, is that, as already noted leading up to last night, after the Producers’ Guild anointed The King’s Speech last week, and the Directors’ Guild did the same this weekend, and the SAGs followed last night, The Social Network is now on unsteady ground. This had already been pointed out weeks ago by faithful reader Ritchie P, my awards guru (and I shouted him out here, in this article) who noted that the full race picture doesn’t become clear until the Screen Actors Guild makes their call, and they did so with Crash over Brokeback Mountain a few years ago, forecasting the Academy’s eventual selection in 2006.

Ritchie pointed out last night, when I texted my praise for his prognostication prowess, that “critics”, and certainly not “fanboy critics”, are not “industry”. The critics boards were undoubtedly in favour of The Social Network. But the major swayers when it comes to the Oscars are the industry players. And we’ve seen them exercise their power at the PGAs, the DGAs, and now the SAGs. Ritchie noted that given the standing ovation The King’s Speech received last night, the other guilds will fall in line. He thinks this thing is over for TSN. I wouldn’t say it’s dead for TSN just yet. But if they want to stay alive, and they do, there is some work ahead. And they’re up against Harvey Weinstein. Just last week, most “experts” were still predicting The Social Network would take it. Now, they’ve almost all changed sides. But they don’t call it a campaign for nothing. Tell Justin Timberlake to wipe the smirk off his face and start caddying for Academy voters. That probably won’t work, but he’s desperate enough, non?

As for the show – goddamn that sh-t was budget, wasn’t it? The cues were off, the direction was for sh-t, the lighting was terrible, the stage looked like it was cobbled together from someone’s 50th anniversary party, and to kill time they actually aired a montage of famous people in commercials!?! Let’s hope then that those nameless, faceless, working without fame actors have really good benefits.

The fashion?

Not as spectacularly bad as the Golden Globes, though there were some suspect choices for sure. I expect we’ll be fighting again, so I look forward to your emails and tweets, but if by now you still don’t understand the amazing amazingness that is Paz de la Huerta, I fear we may never kiss and makeup.


Photos from AFP/Jason Merritt/Kevin Winter/Gettyimages.com