NBC Today Show’s Meredith Vieira Apologizes for Post Oscar Comments
March 10, 2010
NBC “Today Show” co-host, Meredith Vieira made comments during Monday’s post Academy Awards coverage that generated a substantial number of complaints. During a celebratory interview with the cast of the multi-award winning movie, The Hurt Locker, Vieira jokingly made reference to a past hug between actors Anthony Mackie and Jeremy Renner at the time the film was nominated.
VIEIRA: “You hugged him pretty tight, I must say, in the moment. There was a lot of man lovin’ goin’ on last night. Do I have reason to be worried?”
Anthony Mackie then offered a heartfelt response, completely disarming the idea that there may be a problem with two men embracing.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Vieira has a long track record of supporting our community so the remarks did come as a surprise. GLAAD also heard from multiple constituents who were offended by what she said. That’s when we got on the phone with Vieira to voice concerns and ask her to address the issue. We had a very productive conversation and in the end we walked away knowing her heart is in the right place and she had no intention of causing harm for LGBT people.
She even sent along a statement of explanation and an apology which she asked GLAAD to distribute:
“During an interview with the cast of the hurt locker on Monday, I turned to actor Anthony Mackie and made a joke about “man hugging” in reference to a hug he and fellow actor Jeremy Renner had shared a few weeks earlier on our air. It was meant to be lighthearted, but some were offended by what they believed to be a homophobic comment. That was never my intent, but that doesn’t matter. Words are extremely powerful and should never be chosen lightly, even in a lighthearted moment. I apologize to any and all that I offended. My support of the gay and lesbian community is longstanding and well documented. It has not and will never waver.”
GLAAD thanks Meredith Vieira for listening to concerns, addressing this issue sincerely and for using this moment to educate the public on how words can hurt. We continue to value her as an ally and a friend.
Related Posts:Precious Wins Two Academy Awards; Sandra Bullock Says “We Are All Deserving of Love”
March 8, 2010
At the 82nd Annual Academy Awards last night, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire walked away with two golden trophies. The film’s out director Lee Daniels was nominated for Best Director, but lost to The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first woman ever to win that award. However, Mo’Nique won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Precious and Geoffrey Flecther won for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock
Colin Firth was nominated for his heartbreaking role as a gay man mourning his longtime lover in A Single Man, but the Best Actor award ultimately went to Jeff Bridges. Tom Ford, the noted fashion designer and openly gay director of A Single Man, was also on hand at the ceremony to present the award for Best Costume Design with Sarah Jessica Parker.
One of the evening’s much talked about moments was Sandra Bullock’s acceptance speech. Bullock won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in The Blind Side. In her acceptance speech, Bullock thanks her mother for “reminding her daughters that there’s no race, no religion, no class system, no color, nothing, no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else. We are all deserving of love.”
GLAAD thanks Sandra Bullock for including this poignant message in her speech. Her words no doubt further endeared her to thousands of LGBT fans and their families. Click here to view her speech.
Nominated alongside Bullock was Precious‘ Gabourey Sidibe, who will be introducing the Youth Pride Chorus this Saturday at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York. For information on how to purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/21/ny
Related Posts:What to Watch: This Weekend (March 5-7)
March 5, 2010
Don’t miss the biggest night for this year’s best films, as Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin host the 82nd Academy Awards!
Friday, March 5
9:00 pm Shameless, Sundance (1 hr) NEW
Mandy helps Joseph in the search for his birth mother. Also features gay son Ian, Ian’s bisexual mother, Monica, her ex-girlfriend, Norma, and Mickey, the gay son of a local gangster.
9:00 pm Caprica, SyFy (1 hr) NEW
Clarice befriends Amanda with ulterior motives, while Keon and Lacy meet the person who is causing stress for Clarice. Also, Joseph hunts for Tamara, and Daniel is made an offer that is hard to refuse. Features gay mobster, Sam Adama.
10:00 pm Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Starz (1 hr) NEW
The battle for freedom continues for gay gladiator and bodyguard Barca and his enslaved lover, Pietros. Will their love be enough to pull them through? Meanwhile, Spartacus is forced to embrace his new champion status.
————————————————————————
Saturday, March 6
Survivors' Anya encounters new visitors this week.
9:00 pm Survivors, BBC America (1 hr) NEW
Anya, a doctor who loses her girlfriend as a result of a worldwide epidemic, encounters new visitors, while Al is booted from Samantha’s community. Meanwhile, Abby searches for her son after discovering that there is a group of teenagers hiding out in a nearby mansion.
11:00 pm The Wanda Sykes Show, Fox (1 hr) NEW
Move over Leno! The queen of funny is taking over with her own late night talk show! Don’t miss Wanda comment on everything from news, politics, sports, and pop culture mixed with field pieces, comedy segments, and panel discussions.
————————————————————————
Sunday, March 7
8:00 pm Amazing Race 16, CBS (1 hr)
With lesbian couple Carol and Brandy finishing in third last week, the eight remaining pairs head to Germany to follow the early days leading to the Beatles’ stardom.
8:30 pm The 82nd Academy Awards, ABC (3 hrs) NEW
Don’t miss this year’s Academy Awards, hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Root for all of your favorite LGBT films, including Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, which is up for best picture and directed by openly gay Lee Daniels. Also, don’t miss as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Carson Kressley announces the winner of the “Behind the Dress” designer competition during the pre-show!
Will Out Director Lee Daniels Take Home the Best Picture Oscar for Precious?
9:00 pm Big Love, HBO (1 hr) SEASON FINALE
In this season finale, news of a Kansas scandal makes the Hendricksons re-evaluate their plans to tell the truth about their family, and Margene thinks about her relationship with Ana. Meanwhile, Jerry and Tommy have a new threat at the casino. Will a distraught Alby get some closure this season?
Colin Firth Honored for A Single Man at 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival
February 12, 2010
Academy Award nominee Colin Firth will be honored with the Outstanding Performance of the Year Award for his role in Tom Ford’s A Single Man in a special ceremony tomorrow at the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
In the film, Firth plays George Falconer, a gay British professor in 1962 who is struggling to find meaning in his life following the death of his longtime partner (Matthew Goode) in a car accident. In Firth’s most heart-wrenching scene, he receives the phone call informing him of his partner’s death and is told that the funeral is for “family only” and he may not attend.
In addition to this award and his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, this role has also earned Firth recognition the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Broadcast Film Critics Association, to name a few.
“Colin Firth grabs on to the best role of his career in ‘A Single Man’ forcing us to have another look at his incredible list of films up to this point,” commented SBIFF executive director Roger Durling in a statement. “He’s one of the most enduring performers working in cinema today, and we’re so thrilled that we’re honoring this most deserving actor at the peak of his game.”
The Outstanding Performance of the Year Award will be presented to Firth tomorrow at the historic Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA. For information on how to purchase tickets, please visit the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s official website.
Related Posts:GLAAD Congratulates Precious, A Single Man on Academy Award Nominations
February 2, 2010
This morning in Los Angeles, previous Academy Award nominee Anne Hathaway joined Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak to announce the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. The LGBT-inclusive films Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire and A Single Man received a combined 7 Academy Award nominations. Lee Daniels, honored for his work on Precious, became the first openly gay African American director to receive a nomination. GLAAD congratulates the creative teams and casts behind these films.
Precious director Lee Daniels (2nd from left) and star Gabourey Sidibe (2nd from right) joined GLAAD at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Actor Colin Firth received a nomination for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his turn as George Falconer, a gay man mourning his longtime love, in A Single Man.
Precious is among the leading Academy Award nominees in major categories with 6 nominations:
- Best Motion Picture of the Year
- Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role – Gabourey Sidibe
- Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Mo’Nique
- Achievement in Directing – Lee Daniels
- Best Adapted Screenplay – Geoffrey Fletcher
- Achievement in Film Editing – Joe Klotz
In the film Precious, actress Paula Patton portrays out lesbian teacher Ms. Rain whose emotional support assists and inspires the film’s protagonist. In the film, viewers meet Ms. Rain’s partner and hear of the rejection that the loving couple face from their families.
Daniels and Sibide appeared on a panel during GLAAD’s programming at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival where they spoke on the theme of “being an outsider.” Video from the panel is available here: http://glaadblog.org/2009/01/21/feel-like-an-outsider/.
Both films are also nominated for Outstanding Film – Wide Release at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards. The GLAAD Media Awards, a benchmark for the media industry, recognize and honor media for outstanding images of the LGBT community and complement GLAAD’s work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans.
Click here to read GLAAD’s official release on the Academy Award nominations.
You have just over a month to decide how to vote in your office pools! The 82nd Annual Academy Awards air LIVE on ABC, March 7 at 5:00 PM PST/8:00 PM EST.
Related Posts:Dolly Parton Advocates for Marriage Equality on The Joy Behar Show
January 19, 2010
Country legend and gay icon Dolly Parton appeared on The Joy Behar Show on Friday, openly advocating for marriage equality and addressing her large gay fan base. Behar asked why Parton has such an large gay following, to which Parton responded,“I think it’s because they know that I’m different too,” and said, “they just appreciate that I love everybody for who they are. We’re not supposed to try to change people…”
Behar moved on to ask if Parton supports marriage equality. “I always say, ‘Sure, why can’t they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us.”
Behar later questioned what Parton’s take was on anti-gay pastor Joel Osteen, saying “I don’t think that if he was a religious person, he would be judging people.”
Dolly Parton wrote and performed the song “Travelin’ Thru” for the 2005 film Transamerica, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. GLAAD applauds Parton for her unyielding support to the LGBT community by fearlessly paving the road to marriage equality.
Watch video below:
GLAAD Issues Statement to TMZ Regarding Mickey Rourke’s Tirade
October 9, 2009
Earlier today, TMZ alerted GLAAD to a video on their site of Academy Award nominated actor Mickey Rourke lamenting being unable to use the F-word freely. He proceeds to use the offensive anti-gay slur numerous times.
GLAAD issued a statement to TMZ today in response to their post showing Rourke repeatedly using and defending the F-word. Rourke is a part of a small list of celebrities who see the word as harmless. GLAAD does not agree. President Jarrett Barrios said:
“This is a slur that, regardless of what Mickey Rourke has convinced himself that it means, is often the last word that gay people, and gay youth in particular, hear before they’re bullied, harassed or assaulted.
Rourke is showing himself to be painfully ignorant of how this vulgar, abusive slur feeds a climate of anti-gay hatred, intolerance and violence.
Related Posts:Rourke either needs to figure this out, or media needs to stop giving him a platform for promoting these kinds of slurs.”
Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock Opens Tomorrow Nationwide
August 27, 2009
Taking Woodstock, the latest film from director Ang Lee and screenwriter James Schamus, opens tomorrow in wide release. GLAAD’s Entertainment Media team screened the film and is pleased to report that Taking Woodstock follows in the LGBT-inclusive vein of Lee’s previous work.
Demetri Martin (l.) and Liev Schreiber (r.) in "Taking Woodstock"
The film tells the real life story of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin), a key figure in organizing 1969’s monumental Woodstock Festival. Elliot, who is gay, had been active in post-Stonewall riots in New York before returning to his parent’s home Bethel, NY. Through a series of events, Tiber helps bring Woodstock to Bethel where he meets thousands of colorful characters.
Among these is Vilma (Liev Schreiber), a transgender woman who is an acquaintance of Elliot’s ex-boyfriend and offers to work security. Though a few jokes are made, Vilma is not played for laughs and easily becomes one of the most likable characters in Taking Woodstock. Indeed, she develops a close friendship with Elliot’s elderly Jewish father that is quite touching. Elliot also finds romance among the visitors in town for three days of peace and music.
Lee, the director of gay cinema classics such as The Wedding Banquet and Brokeback Mountain (for which he won an Academy Award), and Schamus, a GLAAD Media Award Special Honoree in 2008, have again delivered a film that does an excellent job of portraying LGBT stories. Be sure to check it out this weekend in a theater near you.
Related Posts:Brokeback Mountain Shirts on Display at Gene Autry Museum
August 20, 2009
GLAAD was present last week at the Autry National Center as the historical cultural institution held a ceremony to induct “the shirts” from Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain into the Center’s collection of movie memorabilia that symbolize the American West. The shirts will be on display in the Gene Autry Imagination Gallery at the Center.
Gregory Hinton addresses the crowd with the iconic shirts in the background.
The intertwined shirts, worn by Jake Gyllenhaal’s character Jack and Heath Ledger’s Ennis, were an unforgettable part of the film. At the film’s heartbreaking end, Ennis embraces them as a symbol of loss and he and Jack’s lasting love for each other. In a speech at the induction ceremony, Tom Gregory, a noted film memorabilia collector who acquired the Brokeback Mountain shirts in a charity auction and generously loaned them to the Autry National Center, called the shirts, “our generation’s Ruby slippers” a reference to Dorothy’s fabled shoes in The Wizard of Oz. Brokeback Mountain was a cultural phenomenon when it was released in 2005, winning Outstanding Film-Wide Release at the 2006 GLAAD Media Awards and the 2006 Academy Award for Directing, Original Music and Original Screenplay.
In a news release issued from the Autry National Center, the Center noted, “The iconic shirts are at the center of the Contemporary Westerns case in order to highlight Brokeback Mountain’s significance in keeping the Western genre alive and thriving in the new millennium, and also to spotlight the LGBT community’s struggle for safety and inclusion in the rural, Western communities from where many originate yet often feel forced to abandon.”
The shirts will be featured alongside Western film memorabilia from films that define the genre, like Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, director John Ford and John Wayne’s Stagecoach, Young Guns and Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles. Jeffrey Richardson, the Center’s Assistant Curator of Film and Popular Culture remarked that for younger audiences, Brokeback Mountain is the first Western they have ever seen. This means that for those audiences, the presence of LGBT characters and the Western are indelibly linked, imbedding our stories into the fabric of the culture of the American West.
Heath Ledger as Ennis in Brokeback Mountain
The Autry National Center is visited by thousands and hosts student groups from around the country. It is named for Gene Autry, the writer of legendary songs “Back in the Saddle Again” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” who was dubbed the “singing cowboy” in the 1930s and appeared in over 93 films and recorded over 650 songs before his death in 1998. Jackie Autry, his widow and Chairman of the Autry Center, was on hand to celebrate the occasion. Also present were members of the International Gay Rodeo Association, comprised of regions from around the world, who promote the LGBT country western lifestyle.
Last week’s induction ceremony was the brainchild of author and filmmaker, Gregory Hinton. It was Hinton who tracked down Tom Gregory in January, 2009 to inquire about the shirts. With Hinton’s persistence and dedication, he persuaded both Gregory and the Center’s Staff to bring the shirts to the Center for display.
In the wake of enthusiasm about the event, the Center along with Hinton, are planning upcoming panels on media images of gays in the West. Throughout the rest of the year, GLAAD will provide programming support for future panels designed to raise the profile of gays in the historic West and contemporary Western culture and ask provoking questions like one Hinton posed at the ceremony, “Where are the Ennis and Jacks of today?”
Related Posts:Oh What a Night!
February 23, 2009
So many great moments took place tonight during the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Relive the night with a little rundown of the evening, provided by glaadBLOG.
First up was Penelope Cruz, winning Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a woman involved with both a man and a woman in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Next came Best Original Screenplay, awarded to Dustin Lance Black for Milk. (Be sure to read his moving acceptance speech here.)
An hour and a half into the ceremony, we were treated to a hilarious spot featuring James Franco and Seth Rogan watching a series of films that came out in 2008. While they both thought The Reader and Doubt were uproariously funny, a tender scene from Milk (Sean Penn and James Franco himself sharing an intimate kiss) got the two guys misty-eyed, and James even put an arm around Seth to be closer to him. Too funny!
Finally, Sean Penn was awarded Best Actor, calling the Academy, “You Commie homo-loving sons of guns!” He went on to address the protesters outside the Kodak Theatre. “I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”
Take THAT! (Read his entire speech here.)
Congratulations to everyone involved. Though Milk didn’t win all eight of the awards it was nominated for, we are still very happy that such great LGBT-inclusive projects were honored throughout the evening.
Fun fact: Tonight’s awards were produced by GLAAD Media Award honoree Bill Condon.
Sean Penn Wins the Big Prize
February 23, 2009
Though it seemed Mickey Rourke was a shoo-in for Best Actor, Sean Penn took home the Oscar for his portrayal of slain gay politician Harvey Milk. In his acceptance speech, we are delighted he pulled no political punches. We are proud to present the speech in its entirety.
You Commie homo-loving sons of guns! I did not expect this, but I — and I want to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me. Often. But I — I am touched by the appreciation and I hoped for it enough that I scribbled down — so I have the names in case you were Commie homo-loving suns of guns. And so I, I wanted you to thank my best friend Sato Masuzawa. My circle of longtime support, Mara, Brian, Barry and Bob. The great Cleve Jones. Our wonderful writer, Lance Black. Producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks. And particularly, as all us actors know, our director either has the patience, talent and restraint to grant us a voice, or they don’t, and it goes from the beginning of the meeting to through the cutting room, and there is no finer hands to be in than Gus Van Sant.
Finally, for those — two last finallys — For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, and, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.
And there are these last two things. I’m very, very proud to live in a country that’s willing to elect an elegant man President. And a country, who for all its toughness, creates courageous artists, and this is in great due respect to all the nominees. But courageous artists who, despite a sensitivity, that sometimes has brought enormous challenge. Mickey Rourke rises again, and he’s my brother. Thank you all very much.
GLAAD Applauds Oscar Wins for Milk, Vicky Cristina
February 23, 2009
GLAAD congratulates the creative teams and casts of Milk and Vicky Cristina Barcelona which received three Oscars at the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Milk was nominated in eight categories and received the Oscar for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY for writer Dustin Lance Black, and PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE, to Sean Penn for his role as Harvey Milk. Vicky Cristina Barcelona was nominated and won for PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE, for star Penelope Cruz, who plays Maria Elena, a woman who has a relationship with Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) and Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem).
“GLAAD applauds those who have brought the important story of Milk to so many millions of people, and congratulates Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn for their well-deserved Oscar wins,” said Neil G. Giuliano, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). “They are to be commended for telling a story that has the power to inform future generations about the history of our community and our struggles for equality. Through Sean Penn’s own connection with the character, he was able to give audiences the opportunity to learn more about Harvey Milk’s lasting influence on our movement and our community.”
““The success of Milk has tremendous impact in creating awareness, understanding and acceptance during a time when our community continues to face opposition in our pursuit of equality,” added Giuliano. “The images of our community that these and other LGBT inclusive films bring to audiences around the country help people embrace the LGBT community with understanding and acceptance.” According to Harris Interactive’s recent Pulse of Equality survey commissioned by GLAAD, nearly 20 percent of Americans say their feelings toward gay and lesbian people have become more favorable over the past five years. Respondents whose views have become more favorable cited seeing gay or lesbian characters in movies (29%) as a contributing factor.
In openly gay writer Dustin Lance Black’s moving acceptance speech he called for LGBT equality: “If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches or by the government or by their families that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours.” During Sean Penn’s acceptance speech he also called attention to LGBT equality. “I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone,” Penn said. Transcripts of both speeches are online at glaadBLOG.
Both Milk and Vicky Cristina Barcelona are nominated for Outstanding Film – Wide Release at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, which honor media for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community. The 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in New York on March 28, 2009 at the Marriott Marquis; in Los Angeles on April 18 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE; and in San Francisco on May 9 at the Hilton San Francisco.
Dustin Lance Black’s Moving Acceptance Speech
February 22, 2009
Milk’s screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black, just gave the most incredible acceptance speech after being awarded Best Original Screenplay tonight at the Academy Awards. glaadBLOG is proud to present it here in its entirety.
Oh my God. This was, um. This was not an easy film to make. First off, I have to thank Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg and all the real-life people who shared their stories with me. And, um, Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco, and our entire cast, my producers, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, everyone at Groundswell and Focus, for taking on the challenge of telling this life-saving story. When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas to California and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life, it gave me the hope to one day live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married.
(He chokes up, audience begins to applaud.)
I want to thank my mom who has always loved me for who I am, even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches or by the government or by their families that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours. (Wild applause from the audience.) Thank you, thank you, and thank you God for giving us Harvey Milk.
But why read when you can watch? Good as You has the video. (Thanks for posting!)
Also, Think Progress –
And here is Oscars.com exclusive “Thank You Cam” with Dustin Lance Black:
OSCAR WATCH: Who Supports Marriage Equality?
February 22, 2009
As promised, we’re on the hunt for who will be wearing white knots at the Academy Awards today, symbolizing their support of marriage equality. Emile Hirsch (of Milk fame) was the first to walk the carpet sporting the white knot, around 2:30 pm PST.
3:54 pm — Josh Brolin (also from Milk, nominated for his portrayal of Harvey Milk’s assassin, Dan White) has a white knot firmly pinned to his lapel.
3:56 pm — Gus Van Sant (Oscar-nominated director of Milk) is also spotted with a white knot.
4:09 pm — Milk’s nominated composer Danny Elfman is the first Milk man to be spotted without a white knot. Hmmm.
4:14 pm – Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) just arrived. Apparently, she promised to wear a white knot, and yet I see no knot in sight. Perhaps her ivory dress is one giant white knot?
4:17 pm – James Franco is in attendance. He won for his role in Milk last night at the Independent Spirit Awards, but I see no knot.
4:18 pm — Sean Penn just pulled up in his limo. No knot. Sigh.
4:21 pm — Got another look at Anne Hathaway. She’s clutching the hand of an older gentleman, who is proudly wearing a white knot! Annie, please accept our apologies for doubting your commitment to the community. If you aren’t going to wear the knot, we’re happy you made your date do so.
4:30 pm — E!’s Ryan Seacrest interviews white-knot-clad nominee Josh Brolin. He says, “I think Harvey Milk was an inspiration — a massive inspiration. Had he stayed alive, had he not been killed, I think a lot of people would have lived through the AIDS crisis, a lot more people than who died. You know, there’s not a lot of heroes anymore, and he was one of the great last heroes that we had in this country.”
4:44 pm — We were hoping that Brad Pitt would be wearing a knot to the Oscars, as he was one of the biggest supporters in the No on 8 campaign, but alas, the nominee is knotless tonight.
5:16 pm — Looks like the interviews are winding down, so we’ll sign off for now. Maybe a surprise presenter will come out with a white knot added to his or her outfit… One can hope! Marriage equality for all!
UPDATE, 6:02 pm: Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black proudly displayed his knot onscreen!
Congratulations, James and Dustin!
February 22, 2009
Yes, we’re on a first-name basis with the men behind Milk, because we’re thrilled to announce that both James Franco and Dustin Lance Black took home statuettes tonight at the Independent Spirit Awards.
Franco was given the honor of Best Supporting Male, while Black was awarded Best First Screenplay.
This doesn’t mean that Milk was the only LGBT-inclusive project honored. Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a film involving a love triangle, was given two awards as well: Best Screenplay (Woody Allen) and Best Supporting Female (Penelope Cruz).
Synecdoche, New York, which features a minor but poignant lesbian character, was also lauded tonight with the awards of Best First Feature, as well as the 2nd annual Robert Altman Award, given to one film’s director (Charlie Kaufman), casting director (Jeanne McCarthy), and ensemble cast.
Unfortunately, Milk was not given awards for all of its nominations. Sean Penn was up for Best Male Lead while Harris Savides was nommed for Best Cinematography. The Wrestler took both categories.
Milk is up for eight Academy Awards, which take place tomorrow night. Be sure to tune into ABC and keep your fingers crossed!
