Including a hilarious nod to a streaker from the '70s!

The 2024 Oscar ceremony included a few notable firsts‚ take a look back through the years at some other firsts.

The Oscars played it safe with a return engagement of Jimmy Kimmel as the master of ceremonies for the 96th Academy Awards. The jokes were plentiful‚ although a few were in questionable taste (such as the ones about Robert Downey Jr.’s male member and his past drug use). Although the evening was not devoid of politics — with protesters against the ongoing conflict in Gaza outside the Dolby Theater causing a five minute delay to the start of the ceremony; Jonathan Glazer‚ director of The Zone of Interest‚ decrying the current violence in the Middle East when accepting the film’s award for Best International Feature; and prominent attendees sporting red pins supporting a Gaza ceasefire — overt political moments were minimal with one notable exception: Near the end of the broadcast‚ Kimmel announced that he had received a message from former President Donald Trump on Truth Social. “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars‚” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not‚ and never can be. Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up‚ but cheap‚ ABC ‘talent‚’ George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger‚ stronger‚ and more glamorous.” Trump then slammed the show‚ saying: Also a really bad politically correct show tonight‚ and for years — Disjointed‚ boring‚ and very unfair. Why don’t they just give the Oscars to those that deserve them. Maybe that way their audience and TV ratings will come back from the depths. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Kimmel quipped: “Thank you President Trump…. I’m surprised you’re still watching. Isn’t it past your jail time?” Trump deserves credit for this brilliant public-relations move. While the crowd laughed at Kimmel’s “jail time” comment‚ they were likely impressed with Trump’s ability to insert himself into the evening. No doubt his opponent in the 2024 presidential race was already sleeping. As predicted‚ Oppenheimer was the night’s big winner. Nominated for 13 awards‚ Christopher Nolan’s film about J. Robert Oppenheimer‚ the American scientist instrumental in the creation of the atomic bomb‚ received seven Oscars‚ including Best Picture‚ Best Director‚ Best Actor for Cillian Murphy‚ and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. Oppenheimer‚ which has earned over $957 million at the box office‚ was additionally recognized for its original score‚ cinematography‚ and editing. Emma Stone walked away with the Best Actress award for her role in Poor Things‚ and Best Supporting Actress went to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers. Robert Downey Jr’s acceptance speech represented one of the evening’s most poignant moments: I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy — in that order. I’d like to thank my veterinarian — I meant wife‚ Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here…. Here’s my little secret. I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris [Nolan] knew it. Emma [Thomas] made sure that she surrounded me with one of the great casts and crews of all time — Emily [Blunt]‚ Cillian [Murphy]‚ Matt Damon…. It was fantastic. And I stand here before you a better man because of it. You know‚ what we do is meaningful‚ and the stuff that we decide to make is important. Although Stone‚ the 2017 Best Actress Oscar winner for La La Land‚ was widely praised for her portrayal of Poor Things’ Bella Baxter‚ a created woman with a child’s mentality. Oscar prognosticators were predicting that the award would go to Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon‚ as such a win would have been the first for a Native American. In her acceptance speech‚ Stone paid tribute to the movie-making process. “It’s about a team that came together to make something greater than the sum of its parts‚” she said. “And that is the best part about making movies: … all of us together. And I am so deeply honored to share this with every cast member‚ with every crew member‚ with every single person who poured their love and their care and their brilliance into the making of this film.” (RELATED: The Oscars Unwittingly Celebrate Sexual Morality With Poor Things) Stone’s gracious acceptance speech was complicated by a wardrobe malfunction. “My dress is broken. I think it happened during ‘I’m Just Ken‚’” Stone said‚ making a reference to her La La Land co-star Ryan Gosling’s over-the-top performance of his Barbie character’s signature song‚ in which the audience joined. Although Barbie‚ the top-grossing film of 2023 at over $1.4 billion in box office revenue‚ earned eight nominations‚ the film took home only one Oscar‚ Best Original Song‚ for Billie Eilish’s “What I Was Made For.” The song’s composers‚ Billie Eilish‚ 22‚ and her brother‚ Finneas O’Connell‚ 26‚ are the youngest people in history to have won two Oscars. The duo received their first Oscar in 2022 for the title song of the James Bond movie No Time to Die. The Academy’s exclusion of director Greta Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie from the Best Director and Best Actress nominations sparked a feminist backlash in the buildup to the awards ceremony. To that end‚ Kimmel opened his monologue claiming that Gerwig should have been nominated for Best Director and praising Robbie‚ who‚ in addition to playing the title role‚ was instrumental in the production of the film. (RELATED: Barbie Snubbed as Ken Set to Perform at Oscars) Although viewership for the Oscars has declined significantly since its most recent apex in 2000‚ when over 46.3 million people tuned in‚ recent stats have been encouraging‚ with 18.7 million viewers in 2023‚ an 8 percent increase over 2022‚ which saw 16.62 million. There continues to be subset of the population who looks forward to the Oscars with Super Bowl–level anticipation‚ an observation of which Trump is keenly aware. The Academy is celebrating its 96th year because its awards still have tremendous perceived value within the industry and to the movie-watching public‚ as is evidenced by the plethora of published works about Hollywood’s “biggest night‚” such as Michael Schulman’s marvelous book Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold‚ Sweat‚ and Tears. And if the Academy continues the practice of starting the Oscars an hour earlier‚ more people may tune in come 2025. The post Let’s Make the Oscars Great Again: Trump Invades the Academy Awards appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Many decades ago‚ when I was a kid‚ I found the Oscars exciting. It was a time when people went to the movies more than they do now‚ and when the movies that got nominated for Oscars were‚ to a remarkable extent‚ the same movies that you were actually likely to have seen during the year. These days‚ of course‚ when the number of genuinely meritorious movies has shriveled while the number of garish award ceremonies for movies has grown and grown‚ the hullabaloo over the Oscars‚ or over any of these things‚ seems silly‚ obscene‚ irrelevant‚ and artificial. Meanwhile‚ more and more evidence has emerged that the whole American film industry is hopelessly in the grip of the kind of people who were eager enough to satisfy the gross appetites of Harvey Weinstein and to clamber onto Jeffrey Epstein’s jet for a trip to his evil island. READ MORE: Let’s Make the Oscars Great Again: Trump Invades the Academy Awards Yet even in 2024 — when‚ of all the movies nominated for anything‚ I’ve seen only three (Oppenheimer‚ Napoleon‚ and Maestro)‚ to sit on your couch in Norway and tune into a Danish TV channel to watch this glitzy spectacle is to be reminded that‚ to a lot of people‚ not just in the U.S. but all over the world‚ this annual foolishness actually matters. Hollywood matters. Whatever else may have happened during the previous year to enhance or diminish America’s international standing‚ the Oscars are still‚ for viewers around the planet‚ a cultural event that‚ once again‚ reaffirms America’s role as the unrivaled No. 1 manufacturer of the world’s popular culture. And that role is the sole reason why my 7-year-old Norwegian nephew understands every single word I say in English. (READ MORE from Bruce Bawer: Napoleon: Full of Sound and Fury — But Signifying What?) This year’s telecast began with the red-carpet frivolity‚ during which one of the bubbleheaded presenters informed us that the ceremonies were being held on “the traditional lands of the Tongva people.” Funny‚ I didn’t see any Tongva people on the red carpet — perhaps their invitations were lost in the mail. I read that this year’s Oscars goodie bag‚ presented to nominees in the acting and directing categories‚ is worth $170‚000 and includes “a three-night stay at a luxury Swiss chalet for 10 people worth $50‚000‚” “a seven-day wellness retreat to Golden Door in San Marcos‚ California‚” and “three nights in a private villa at Saint-Barth Paradise in the Caribbean‚” plus various skincare products‚ kitchen appliances‚ designer pillows‚ and “handmade vegan chocolate‚” among much else. What delicious items‚ I wondered‚ is the Academy sending to the Tongva people‚ who these days number about 1‚700? Surely that traditional-land acknowledgment wasn’t just an empty gesture? In any event‚ that Tongva business was just the beginning of the usual parade of bubbleheaded showbiz politics. During the last moments of the red-carpet segment‚ the actor Mark Ruffalo — who is one of the most vapid‚ far-left clowns in Tinseltown (and who is known for having called Kyle Rittenhouse a murderer) — announced‚ apropos of Gaza‚ “We need to stop killing children!” In his monologue‚ Jimmy Kimmel — who vies with Stephen Colbert for the title of late-night host who’s most fully in the tank for the Democratic Party — mocked the GOP rebuttal to Joe Biden’s State of the Union address (of course‚ he didn’t joke about that history-making trainwreck of a speech itself); celebrated the fact that Lily Gladstone‚ star of Killers of the Flower Moon‚ is the first Native American to be nominated for Best Actress; and exalted Hollywood as “at its heart … a union town.” Right. Kimmel is the anti–Ricky Gervais‚ sucking up to the stars instead of discovering the real humor in this gaudy three-and-a-half-hour display of narcissism. (RELATED: It’s Globe-fficial: Hollywood Has Lost Its Sense of Humor) It was nice to see 92-year-old Rita Moreno looking so terrific — but it was cloying to experience the grotesquely hyperbolic praise with which she nominated Honduran-American America Ferrera for Best Supporting Actress: “America‚ from one woman to another‚ congratulations on your tour de force.” The winner of that trophy turned out to be Da’Vine Joy Randolph‚ who was raised in privilege (she attended Temple‚ Yale‚ the British American Drama Academy‚ and Oxford) but who‚ listening to her acceptance speech‚ you’d think had climbed up to stardom from the grubbiest of gutters. “For so long I’ve always wanted to be different‚” she said in a trembling voice‚ “and now I realize I just need to be myself.” She proceeded to spew a boatload of nonsense about being black. It’s a shame to witness the disgorging of all this toxic crap that’s been stuffed into so many otherwise worthy people’s heads ever since Barack Obama became president. On it went. A naked guy presented the award for Best Costume Design. (Infantile.) People in Native American costumes — who‚ like the woman who turned down Marlon Brando’s Godfather Oscar back in 1973‚ may or may not have been authentic Indians — performed some horrible music. Accepting the award for Best International Film for The Zone of Interest‚ a movie about Auschwitz‚ Jonathan Glazer seemed to celebrate Hamas as a “resistance” group — thereby implying a parallel between the Nazi Holocaust and the current Israeli actions in Gaza. During the gushy tributes paid to acting nominees by former winners of the same prizes‚ we were told that one actor’s performance was “extraordinary and transformative‚” that another actor is “simply a wonderful human being‚” that yet another actor “elevated the craft‚” that one nominated actress had provided viewers with an “intense sensory experience‚” and so on. The self-celebration never ended. When Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito came out to present the award for Best Visual Effects‚ they got a standing ovation. So did Ryan Gosling when he finished singing — if that’s the word for it — “I’m Just Ken‚” which may be the most insipid Oscar-nominated song ever. (Oddly‚ though‚ there was no standing ovation for Steven Spielberg when he stepped onstage to present the award for Best Director.) Just before the presentation of the Best Picture award‚ Kimmel read aloud an unflattering — and absolutely true — comment about his mediocre hosting skills that had just been posted by Donald Trump on Truth Social. In response‚ Kimmel quipped witlessly: “Isn’t it past your jail time?” And when they cut to the audience‚ everyone in sight was cheering‚ as if Kimmel’s line was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. Honestly‚ what more do we need to know about these awful people?  The post Watching the Oscars: Silly‚ Obscene‚ Irrelevant‚ and Artificial appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Corregidor is a small island. At just over two square miles‚ it’s shaped like a thought bubble in the mouth of Manila Bay. It may be a tiny dot in the ocean‚ but it’s also a well-positioned dot. Nothing gets in or out of the Philippines without Corregidor’s tacit approval. That made the tiny island and its extensive network of underground tunnels‚ a key possession for both the Americans and their Japanese opponents in the Philippines in 1941 and 1942. (READ MORE: Pinnacle of Patriotism: Remembering Lafayette’s Tour of America) Island warfare is an odd and deadly thing. It’s much easier to hold on to two square miles surrounded by the ocean than to hold on to a city on the mainland. That means the fighting is more brutal‚ the warfare more total‚ and the death toll much higher per square mile. So when the Japanese forces began dropping bombs on the island in December 1941‚ Gen. Douglas MacArthur‚ the stubborn and sometimes controversial American commander in the Philippines knew it was going to be a blood bath‚ and he wanted to be right in the middle of it. By February‚ the Americans were on half-rations and knew it was a losing battle‚ but they weren’t about to go down without a fight. MacArthur would have gone down with them‚ and Roosevelt‚ who didn’t like MacArthur would have let him. Years of experience in Asia and his public figure made the general an invaluable asset‚ so he was ordered to take command to abandon the Philippines and take command of American forces in Australia. (READ MORE: Joe Biden Is No Dwight D. Eisenhower) MacArthur hasn’t gone down in history as a man who liked to follow orders. Abandoning his men was the last thing he wanted to do. He threatened his resignation‚ promising to enlist in the Philippine Army as a volunteer. He was eventually convinced that the plan was impractical‚ so he decided to organize a hair-brained escape. MacArthur enlisted the help of a cocky navy man‚ Lieutenant John Bulkeley‚ to leave the island on patrol torpedo (PT) boats. On the night of March 11‚ the Army general climbed aboard and set off into the stormy Sulu Sea. (READ MORE from Aubrey Gulick: The Old Man and the Sea: An Allegory or No?) When he finally made it to Australia‚ he discovered his forces were in no condition to take on the encroaching Japanese‚ but that didn’t stop him from telling the press that he had every intention of returning to the Philippines as a savior. In 1945‚ MacArthur finally managed to recapture Corregidor. Just one-third of the men he had left behind were still alive. “I’m a little late‚” he told them‚ “but we finally came.” This article originally appeared on Aubrey’s Substack‚ Pilgrim’s Way‚ on March 11‚ 2024. The post Remembering Corregidor: ‘I Shall Return’ appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Coleslaw is hardly an American dish alone. Many world cuisines have made their unique mark on this cabbage dish. Here are some of the ones you must try.

Here's the lowdown on just what makes the Popeyes Flounder Fish Sandwich stand out‚ including a firsthand review of the item during its limited 2024 release.

Who was Nuclear Blast Records’ managing director Marcus Hammer talking about when he said: “It’s an honor to renew this partnership to continue writing music history. We’re more than proud to carry on the collaboration with this exceptionally gifted group of musicians?” A. Accept B. Nightwish C. Anthrax D. In Flames Answer: Nightwish‚ who have been with Nuclear Blast since ’04‚ have signed a new multi-album deal with the German record label. Nuclear Blast was founded in 1987. Originally releasing Hardcore Punk‚ the label moved on to issuing albums by Thrash Metal‚ Melodic Death Metal‚ Grindcore and Industrial Metal acts‚ The post Nuclear Blast Records Artist Trivia Question appeared first on RockinTown.

311 has announced a summer ’24 “Unity Tour” with special guests Awolnation and Neon Trees. 311 achieved breakthrough success with their ’95 triple platinum self-title album‚ which reached #12 on the Billboard 200. “Transistor” (’97) went platinum while “Soundsystem” (’99) and “From Chaos” (’01) both went gold. The band’s most recent studio album‚ ’19’s Voyager‚” peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200. “Unity Tour” Dates: July 20 – Cincinnati‚ OH – Hard Rock Cincinnati Outdoor ArenaJuly 21 – Chicago‚ IL – The Salt ShedJuly 23 – Indianapolis‚ IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State ParkJuly 24 – Huber Heights‚ OH – Rose Music Center at The HeightsJuly 26 – Interlochen‚ MI – Kresge AuditoriumJuly 27 – Sterling Heights‚ MI – Michigan Lottery AmphitheatreJuly 28 – Cleveland‚ OH – Jacobs PavilionJuly 31 – Niagara Falls‚ ON – OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino ResortAugust 3 – Bridgeport‚ CT – Hartford HealthCare AmphitheaterAugust 4 – Columbia‚ MD – Merriweather Post PavilionAugust 6 – Gilford‚ NH – BankNH PavilionAugust 7 – Boston‚ MA – Leader Bank PavilionAugust 9 – Outer Banks‚ NC – Roanoke Island Festival ParkAugust 10 – Raleigh‚ NC – Red Hat AmphitheaterAugust 11 – Charlotte‚ NC – Skyla Credit Union AmphitheatreAugust 13 – North Charleston‚ SC – Firefly DistilleryAugust 14 – Atlanta‚ GA – Coca-Cola RoxyAugust 15 – Albertville‚ AL – Sand Mountain AmphitheaterAugust 17 – St. Augustine‚ FL – The Saint Augustine AmphitheatreAugust 18 – Tampa‚ FL – Hard Rock Event CenterAugust 20 – Houston‚ TX – 713 Music HallAugust 21 – Austin‚ TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo ParkAugust 24 – Phoenix‚ AZ – Arizona Financial TheatreAugust 25 – San Diego‚ CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air TheatreAugust 27 – Costa Mesa‚ CA – Pacific AmphitheatreAugust 29 – Bend‚ OR – Hayden Homes AmphitheaterAugust 30 – Troutdale‚ OR – McMenamins EdgefieldAugust 31 – Redmond‚ WA – Marymoor Park 311 formed in ’88. The post 311’s “Unity Tour” appeared first on RockinTown.