Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru
As serious movie fans are aware, Oscar nominations were announced last week. It seems that the popular film, “Dreamgirls” didn’t received a nomination but two of it’s stars did. If you believe the press, Jennifer Hudson has the Best Supporting Actress statuette locked up. Everyone’s favorite dream girl has officially made it, proving that America loves a good underdog story. My nephew Wendell said it best, “The girl’s got chops, pipes and plenty of curves to go around.” Come to think of it, Wendell isn’t really all that eloquent but at least he’s enthusiastic. Jennifer’s co-star is Eddie Murphy and to everyone’s surprise, he’s the favorite to win Best Supporting Actor. Who knew the Nutty Professor could act?
Not everyone has the Oscar sewn up however and that means there is a lot of nail biting, knuckle cracking and hand wringing in Tinseltown. The stars are stressed out and we have all read reports of what happens when celebrities are under pressure. Just ask Russell Crow. To insure the safety of hotel employees and regular people everywhere, I suggest that the Academy send Star Stress Relievers to all the nominees. That way everyone will feel appreciated. Plus, it’s a fun way to calm frazzled Oscar nerves while reminding everyone, ‘it is an honor just to be nominated.” In fact, that would make a great inscription.
Well, I’m off to book my ticket for New York. The “Meet the Oscars, New York” exhibit opens in February and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to pose for a photo with Clark Gable’s Oscar. I think Shirley Jones summed up the experience of winning an Academy Award best, “After I won the Oscar, my salary doubled, my friends tripled, my children became more popular at school, my butcher made a pass at me, and my maid hit me up for a raise.”