The Oscars

Ahhhhhh, my first Oscar Sunday since my travels and I'm back on the job. What's Oscar Sunday without me working?

I'd worked the Oscars for seven years prior to my trip to Argentina and there I was again on Sunday, burning the midnight oil. This time was different though: I wasn't at the Kodak with the rest of the reporters, I was at the Hollywood Reporter office; proofing blogs, cropping photos, setting up slideshows and doing whatever needed to be done.

The office was buzzing when I arrived at 3:30. In the past it had been me, myself, and I going to the ceremony, recording backstage sound, and reporting and sending audio from home or the office. Now I was the low woman on the totem pole. No one was really counting on me. I was backup. 'Twas fine with me. Didn't feel pressured.

My big job was putting together a slideshow of exec arrivals. The pictures were of mostly middle aged, white men and their younger dates. In some cases, as with Harvey Weinstein, the guests were wives (his wife Georgina Chapman is gorgeous and I'm sure would not be with fat mean Harvey if he was broke). Ex-wives were in force too (Sumner Redstone) as were plain 'ol dates. A couple of people brought their kids (Pixar's John Lasseter, a Disney exec) and there were, I think, two female execs with their husbands. One lady was black AND an exec. I was impressed.

The Hollywood Reporter bought everyone pizza and salad. Nearly the whole staff was working. At one point, one of the copyeditors and one of the reporters roared with laughter and one of the main editors told them to cut it out...didn't they have work to do? It's old school like that sometimes.

I dig the newspaper vibe. It is exciting beating deadlines and triple checking for accuracy and finding just the right picture to tell the story. It is a team effort. Someone drops the ball and everyone takes the heat. And this is the Oscars too, the biggest night of the year in the biz. If you're not working it, then you're not in it.