ConDRAGulations: 2011 Oscars Wrap-Up

Image courtesy of Oscar.com

And that's a wrap!

After 3 awkward hours and 11 laborious minutes, the 83rd Annual Academy Awards came to a close, in what was one of the most boring telecasts in recent memory.

Let's do a quick wrap-up of the ceremony and wish a hearty Condragulations to all the winners and the Oscar Prediction Contest champion!

"And The Oscar Goes To..." 2011 Academy Award Predictions

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Y'all ready for this?

In a little over 24 hours, the Kodak Theater will be buzzing with the most elite of Hollywood's A-List as they gather for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco.

It's been a busy week here on Please Welcome Your Judges, with my Oscar prediction contest (which there is still time to enter) and breakdowns of my predictions for Writing and Animation, Acting in a Supporting Role, Acting in a Lead Role, Directing and Picture.

There's just one more thing to do—a complete list of my predictions in all 24 categories. Some are well-informed and obsessed over, others are mere shots in dark (hello, Live Action Short Film...). With any luck, this list will help me win my Oscar pool tomorrow night, and perhaps help you out, too.

2011 Oscar Predictions: Directing and Picture

Oscar Week continues here at Please Welcome Your Judges with my predictions in the two top categories (and, incidentally, the two categories worth the most in my Oscar prediction contest): Best Directing and Best Picture.

These two categories are the most co-dependent of any in the Academy Awards. Just because you won Sound Editing doesn't mean you are going to win Sound Mixing, just because you win Original Score doesn't mean you are going to Original Song, but chances are if you win Best Directing you are on your way to a Best Picture Oscar.

There are, of course, exceptions to this "rule"—nine in Oscar history to be exact. And three of those instances happened in the last decade (2000, 2002, 2005), so the argument could be made that we are moving into a more "split happy" era of Oscardom. You also have to consider the way these awards are now voted on by the Academy members: Best Directing goes to the person with the most votes, while Best Picture is calculated by preferential voting. I'd go into it, but it'd probably take another 2000 words or so—check out Sasha Stone's latest article on the matter.

So will there be a split this year? Check out my predictions...

2011 Oscar Predictions: Acting in a Lead Role

Tik tok on the clock, dear readers. The ballots are in and the 83rd Academy Awards are only 3 days away!

Every day this week, I'm breaking down the major categories and revealing my picks for the win. On Saturday, I'll post my full list of predictions for all 24 awards and on Sunday we will all watch and see how it plays out. If you haven't already, enter my Oscar prediction contest for the chance to win a DVD of a 2011 Oscar-winning movie.

Let's take a look at two of the most high profile categories: Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role...

Family Jules: Happy Valenbirthiversary!

Image courtesy of ABC

Have you ever mistaken a person for a raccoon? Me neither, but then again I've never watched a person crawl through a dog door only to get hosed down by a fire extinguisher.

Yes, an epic battle ensued last night on Modern Family and we learned about the importance of communication in a relationship. How cute. Take a look at the best moments of last night's episode AND a special Cougar Town treat for you to enjoy during the hiatus...

2011 Oscar Predictions: Acting in a Supporting Role

Yesterday, I launched Oscar Week here at Please Welcome Your Judges with an Oscar prediction contest and my predictions in Writing and Animation.

Now it's time to keep the prediction train a-goin' and take a look at the supporting actors and actresses. These tend to be interesting categories that honor nominees from films that would otherwise be absent from any Oscar race. And as we close in on Sunday, this crop represents one of the biggest question marks of the year—who will take Supporting Actress??

Keep reading and see who I think is Oscar-bound, who should be Oscar-bound and who was snubbed out of a nomination...

2011 Oscar Predictions: Writing and Animation

As we countdown to the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, I'll be breaking down my predictions in the nine "major" categories, starting today with the Writing and Animation categories.

Take a look at my predictions for Best Writing (Original Screenplay), Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) and Best Animated Feature Film...

2011 Oscar Contest: Enter Now!

Image courtesy of Oscar.com

The time has come—Oscar Week is finally here!

Predictions are flying, splits and sweeps are on everyone's minds and the red carpet is only 5 days away!

To celebrate Sunday's big event, I will be breaking down my predictions in the 9 "major" categories all week and posting my predictions for all 24 categories on Saturday.

In the meantime, dear readers, it's time for you to weigh in. There's even a prize at stake...

Magical Monday Moments: Cup of Life

Image courtesy of Swoonworthy.net

Dear readers, I took full advantage of this holiday weekend to get away to the deep white north of Essex Junction, Vermont. With the exception of watching Knight and Day (which was surprisingly fun), I shut myself off to the outside world, meaning I don't have much new to offer you for a Magical Monday Moment.

But how about a little flashback....?

The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business Premieres Sunday

Image courtesy of CBS

One of the worst moments of an season of The Amazing Race is when a favorite team gets knocked out or doesn't quite make it during the finale. The ones you cheered for all season, the ones who made that fatal error that was so easily avoidable—they've all faced the harsh cruelty of elimination at the hands of Phil Keoghan.

This Sunday, 11 teams return to race around the world and compete for $1,000,000 on The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.

Check out the full list of teams and a preview below...

Family Jules: No My God!

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An ex-boyfriend, a vengeful grandmother, an unprofessional princesses and a drugged out Colombian—the key ingredients to a great birthday party for little Lily!

Featuring guest stars Shelley Long as the whacked-out DeDe and Matt Dillon as a slick limo-driving home wrecker, last night's Modern Family had everything we love, including a cockney Fizbo.

Let's pass around the fuzzy navel wine coolers and take a look at the best moments from last night's episode...

Cougar Town: Writers vs. Actors, Episode 1

We're only a short way into Cougar Town's hiatus (the show returns on a special post-Dancing with the Stars time slot on Monday, April 18) and I already miss it terribly.

Luckily for us, the folks at Vulture have teamed up with the folks from Cougar Town to produce a web-series called Cougar Town: Writers vs. Actors. Grievances between the two parties are aired and resolved, and hilarity ensues.

Check out the first episode, about the horrible Season 2 haircut of Dan Byrd (who plays Travis), below:

Trailer Tuesdays: I Am Number Four

John is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed... he is Number Four.

I have to admit I wasn't jumping out of my seat when I saw the first trailer for I Am Number Four (directed by Disturbia's D.J. Caruso). In general, I tend to be underwhelmed by the movies that come out in the first few months of the year and this looked like a potential disappointing sci-fi bomb.




That all changed the night of the Super Bowl...

Happy Anna Howard Shaw Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers! I hope your day is full of chocolates, flowers and romantic glacier dates a la The Bachelorette.

Unless, of course, you are like our good friend Liz Lemon from 30 Rock, in which case I hope you are having a wonderful time celebrating Anna Howard Shaw Day in honor of the February 14th birthday of the famed American suffragette.




A happy Anna Howard Shaw Day to us all!

Magical Monday Moments: Project Top Chef Model

I think I've been incepted.

The folks at Atom.com have obviously seen into the inner workings of my mind, which is the only explanation for their latest video: Project Top Chef Model. Yes, an incredible (and, unfortunately, fictitious) show that combines all of my favorite reality show genres (well... except for dance) into one. Only on "Brabo."

Check out the "preview" below...

Lady Gaga, Gwyneth and Cee Lo: Grammy Performances

Images courtesy of CBS

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards aired live on CBS last night and awarded the "best" of the "best" in music. I'm not a huge Grammy fan—the sheer volume of categories overwhelms and confuses me and I'd much rather spend that time crossing off movies from my Oscar list (this weekend was Animal Kingdom and The Town).

That being said, every year there are a handful of Grammy performances that can't be missed (like last year's Lady Gaga and Elton John duet). So if, like me, you boycotted the Grammy's last night, check out these memorable spectacles...

Top Chef's Carla Hall on Jimmy Fallon

Image courtesy of NBC

Carla "Hootie Hoo" Hall is still duking it out to win Top Chef: All-Stars, and so far has won three Elimination Challenges. Not has she won fabulous vacations to Italy, Amsterdam and Tokyo, but her most recent victory secured her a segment on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon remaking her acclaimed chicken pot pie.

Check out the clip and then explain to me why she doesn't have her own show.

Lady Gaga Releases "Born This Way" Single

Image courtesy of LadyGaga.com

"Don't be a drag, just be a queen."

After months of anticipation, Lady Gaga has released the first single off her upcoming album Born This Way. The single, also titled "Born This Way," hit airwaves this morning and is, of course, incredibly addicting. Someone get me to a club so I can dance to this immediately.

Already this morning I've read a lot of people calling her a Madonna imitator and claiming this isn't nearly as good as the rest of her music. I understand the Madonna comparison (though I find it a bit tired at this point), but as for the rest of it? Guess what, folks. It came out only hours ago. I didn't really like "Bad Romance" until after several listens. Sometimes good music takes some time to process and sink in. Give it some time.

Take a listen and check out the lyrics after the jump...

Top Chef: All-Stars - Sizing Up the Remaining Cheftestants

Top Chef has long been one of the best reality shows on television—just ask the Emmy voters who finally awarded the show Best Reality Series after years and years of domination in that category by The Amazing Race. And this season, Top Chef: All-Stars, is no exception. In fact, it may be the best season in the series' history.

How fun has it been to watch our favorite cheftestants battle it out every week in an attempt to redeem themselves after failing in their own seasons? We know their personalities and their styles already—we just have to kick back and watch them go. And while a normal season usually takes 7-8 episodes to get to a "surprise elimination," we only had to wait until episode 2 for Season 6 favorite Jennifer Carroll to be shockingly asked to pack her knives.

I am enjoying this season so much, in fact, that I got together with my friends Elizabeth and Lilla last night for our own Quickfire Challenge! The task was to create a "signature appetizer," and you can see the delicious results on Elizabeth's blog. I obviously channeled the divine spirit of Carla with delicious comfort food and the ever-important ingredient: love. We declared a tie at the end, but I really won (just don't tell the girls).

Back in actual Top Chef-land, we are down to the Top 7 cheftestants—an elite, cutthroat group in which it's getting harder and harder to predict who will be the next eliminated. Take a look at who's left and what their chances are for making it all the way...

Family Jules: National Man of Mystery

Image courtesy of ABC

And so begins our journey through life without Cougar Town. Well, until mid-April, that is. I didn't tune in to Matthew Perry's Mr. Sunshine, but hope it treated the Cougar Town time slot with the love and respect it deserves.

Although the Cul De Sac Crew is on hiatus, our favorite modern family is thankfully still chugging along quite hilariously.

So before we get into a huge debate on the pronunciation of Ibiza (Ibitha?), let's take a look at the best moments from last night's Modern Family...

Super Bowl XLV Commercial Montage

We've already talked about the best commercial from last Sunday's Super Bowl and taken a closer look at the Glee Chevy commercial. So before Super Bowl XLV drifts off into the shadows of our hazy memories, let's take one last (I promise... last) look at the best, the worst and the mediocre commercials from the game.

Magical Monday Moments: See the USA in Your Chevrolet

I've already crowned the best commercial of last night's Super Bowl XLV, but today's Magical Monday Moment is courtesy of an amazing display of advertising by Glee and Chevrolet.

ConDRAGulations: Best Super Bowl Commercial 2011

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Last night, nearly 163 million people tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers battle it out with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV (that's 45 for you Roman numeral illiterate out there). And while many of those 163 million people are high-fiving and cheese-head-bumping over the Packers' glorious victory, here at Please Welcome Your Judges a different celebration is in order.

Family Jules: Bitch and Ditch

Image courtesy of ABC

I have a confession. Over the past few weeks, I have had this horrid recurring dream in which Cougar Town doesn't air new episodes for over two months. Unfortunately, unlike Jules' wood chipper nightmares, these dreams are actually a reality. Yes, it is with great sadness that Cougar Town leaves us for a network-sanctioned hiatus so that we may partake in the Matthew Perry/Allison Janney show Mr. Sunshine (or, as I will be calling it, the show starring Chandler and C.J. Cregg).

Never fear, dear readers, our beloved Cul De Sac Crew will return to us on a special night: Monday, April 18th following Dancing with the Stars. For those of you in the Boston area, that is also Patriots' Day Marathon Monday. Say it with me now: Best. Marathon Monday. Ever! It will then return to its normal home on Wednesday nights, thank goodness.

So before we say goodbye (for now)... let's take a look at the best of last night's episode.

Trailer Tuesdays: Drag Queens in Space

Season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race has been off to a whirlwind start: the return of Shangela, a violent and awkward lipsynch, fabulous new judge Michelle Visage. And, naturally, sci-fi movie shoots.

Last night, the queens were split into two teams to film trailers for the "upcoming" sci-fi movie franchise Drag Queens in Space, starring characters like Boobarella, Lady Tata and the evil Hermaphrodite.

Check out the hilariously campy results...