And the Oscar goes to…

Over the years, some very well known and glamorous people have leapt to their feet and taken the stage when hearing this familiar phrase.  Though most of us will never be in their situation, we can all identify with the excitement of being acknowledged for a job well done.  In the film industry, Oscar is the icon synonymous with excellence.

There are many stories floating around as to how Oscar got his name but one legend has it that Eleanor Lilleberg, a Norwegian-American, who was the Executive Secretary to Louis B. Mayer exclaimed when viewing the statuette, “It looks like King Oscar II!”  Before leaving for the day, she asked, “What should we do with Oscar?  Put him in the vault?” and the name stuck.

Oscar, today, is made of gold-plated britannium on a black metal base.  During World War II, with a desire to support the War effort, the statuettes were made of plaster, and later, traded in for gold ones when the War ended.  Oscar is 13½ inches tall and weighs 8½ pounds.  He is actually a knight designed in the art deco style, holding a crusader’s sword, while standing on a reel of film with five spokes.  Each of these spokes represents a branch of the Academy:  Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians.

America is in love with this, her favorite award show.  We love to see the clothes, we love to hear the interviews, and we love to speculate on who the winners will be, most certainly, “Best Actress”, “Best Actor” and “Best Picture”.

These Two Chums always look forward to Oscar night and have a tradition of getting together with a small group of friends, having wonderful eats, lots of laughs, and generally a fun time.

If you are planning on having an Oscar party, your invitations have probably been sent out by now.  If not, they do need to go out very soon.  It is customary to send out invitations three weeks before an event, thereby giving your friends enough time to get it on their calendars and look forward to being a part of  it.

Some fun things we have done are: dressing up as one of the characters in our favorite film of that year or as your favorite star of all time (in this photo, Jackie dressed as Shirley Temple, and Robin, as Marilyn Monroe); giving out ballots for each person in attendance to predict the winners, with a prize for the person who has the most correct answers;  rolling out a Red Carpet (which you can buy online) to the front door; and serving food inspired by your favorite movie throughout the evening.  Ethnic films are always good for inspiration for food e.g. the Godfather produced an Italian feast on Oscar night.

This year offers an abundance of great options.  For example, if The Help is your favorite film, you might serve fried chicken and chocolate pie.  The Descendants could dictate giving everyone leis and suggesting your guests come attired in muumuus and Hawaiian shirts.  Either Hugo or Midnight in Paris would allow for some Parisienne touches.  Use Eiffel Towers for table decorations and serve French specialties like Nutella crepes, coq au vin, and, of course, yummy, home made French bread.  If Moneyball was your favorite film, gloves, balls and bats could be your centerpiece and on your buffet hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and Crackerjacks would fit the bill.

Next week, closer to Oscar night, we will be showing you how you can set up your buffet table in an inviting, professional-looking way as well as giving you some fun recipes that we think your guest will surely enjoy.  Stay tuned!

Whatever you decide to do, just have fun.  When the hostess is relaxed and having fun, the guests most certainly are.  At the end of the evening, like the other Oscar recipients, you will know the satisfaction of a job well done when you hear, “And the Oscar goes to…,” ” you!” for having the best Oscar party ever!