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Patt Morrison notes in the Times today that while the Capitol stayed open until 5:30 p.m. on the day of the State of the Union speech, Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Kodak Theater will close six days before the Feb. 29 Oscars. Bus lines will be disrupted for an entire week.
Oscar season really must be here: Kirk Douglas wrote an op-ed piece in the LAT today remembering when he lost out in 1956 and assuring us all that, yes, just to be nominated is to be a winner. A companion piece by author William S. Kowinski asks why the Best Actress category continues, calling it an affirmattive action relic:
A writer is a writer, and an actor is an actor. Aren't these gender-designated categories just relics of a less-enlightened time? There are no separate categories based on race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual preference or any other element of diversity. Why not best performance by a Latino in a leading role?