Simply Golden

Normally, I don't get very excited about the Academy Awards. Of course, I enjoy seeing all the celebs' gorgeous dresses and all the men looking dapper in their suits but typically the Oscars are a long, boring affair that I could care less about. Here's a few reasons why:
-They start too late and take WAY too long.
-All the movies are "critically acclaimed" pieces that real people don't actually see (usually).
-The winners' speeches are ridiculously long and boring.
-I just don't care.

However, this year is different because of two major factors:
Factor A) The hosts -- James Franco and Anne Hathaway. They're both young, attractive and likable actors, and I am truly looking forward to seeing them host Hollywood's biggest night. For those reasons, I think the Academy's selection of the two actors was superb. And of course, having them as hosts will bring in a slew of young viewers who wouldn't normally watch the Oscars -- like me!
Factor B) The movies -- For the first time ever, I have seen three of the movies nominated for Best Picture. The King's Speech (Simply superb, Colin Firth better win that Oscar), The Social Network (It was so much more than just "The Facebook movie" and also, Andrew Garfield is REALLY attractive) and of course, Toy Story 3 (best. movie. ever.) I genuinely care about the biggest award of the night because I want one of the three movies that I've seen and fallen in love with to win. And while I haven't seen Black Swan (and never plan to) or 127 Hours, I care about those movies because I like the actors who star in them (Natalie Portman and James Franco respectively). Granted, I like Natalie Portman because I loved No Strings Attached and I like James Franco because he's gorgeous, but hey, I'm still rooting for them.

I know that the Oscars don't have a lot to do with Pittsburgh, but I didn't title this post Far Away from the Burgh because one of the Best Picture nominees has a big connection to the Burgh. The hiker portrayed by James Franco in 127 Hours is Carnegie Mellon graduate Aron Ralston. He will give the commencement speech at the university's graduation ceremony on May 15. That's another reason to root for James Franco and 127 Hours! Look for more posts about the Burgh later this week, and until then enjoy all of the Oscar hoopla!

Left: James Franco and Right: Aron Ralston (Yes, I managed to get two pictures of James Franco in one post.)

P.S. Check out collegehumor.com's hilarious article "Honest Movie Titles: Oscars 2011." My personal favorite is their Toy Story 3 title. So. True.