Discussions / Live Q&A’s

It was a surprise, as I noted in my list of Golden Globe surprises. I only half-watched the first season, but I didn't see anything to convince me that it deserved that spot more than Louie or Parks and Rec or Happy Endings.

I meant to post on this and got sidetracked. I agree wholeheartedly.

For those who missed it, Matt Lauer asked Anne Hathaway about a widely circulated photo of her, uh, private area that got passed around online. She could not have responded with more class and poise. I would post video of the interview but it's giving me fits and sucking up too much chat time. But it's worth watching.

It is. It's like a peace treaty, in enjoyable indie-film form.

Hmmm ... well, in the interview I linked to in the midday mix, he does say that no one's ever loved him and that at least one of his marriages may have been a sham.

So, yeah, that would be harsh to read if I were Robin Wright. And it also seems hard to fathom. They were married for a really long time, there must have been some love there at one point.

Aw, that's sweet. Same to you.

It's a challenging film, and I don't mean to sound condescending when I say that. I appreciated the artistry of it, but, like you, it's not like I immediately wanted to watch again. And there are Paul Thomas Anderson I have felt that way about.

I still thought it was well-done. The audit scene in particular was amazing, largely because of the performances but also because it was calibrated just right from an editing standpoint.

I included it as a snub because I expected Hooper to be in there. However, I honestly can't argue with the five directors they chose.

And having seen "The Hobbit," I really don't think it was snubbed.

That's true, I guess. I just assumed he was talking about Robin Wright because it's more recent and their marriage lasted much longer. It would have caused more emotional issues that would still be festering.

I once went on a trip and forgot to pack bras. (I was 23 and a moron and wore my bathing suit on the plane.)

But the bottom half? Nope. I usually remember to cover myself there.

A lot of woman go the commando route. I wouldn't do it personally and I don't fully understand it either. HOWEVER, I also don't think that justifies photographing someone's crotch and selling the photo to a bunch of outlets that will publish close-ups of said exposed crotch. It's just wrong.

Wow, I did not even notice that. I can't see that inside the chat tool. Will check it out.

I didn't throw a party or anything, but I was pleased to see it. It's happy news, and happy news should be appreciated when possible. There's too much negative always on its heels, as we've seen with that story alone in the past week. The story of the nurse killing herself is just a terrible, unfortunate shame.

This story says that $30 million was raised in ticket sales. I am not sure the Robin Hood Foundation has said how much was raised via donations during the show.

I saw bits and pieces of it last night, but the whole thing awaits on my DVR. I saw Michael Stipe, who I just wanted to hug. And I saw Sandler, who butchered "Hallelujah" so badly that even Brian Williams was practically apologizing to Leonard Cohen on the air.

But the point is: charity. So hopefully some people actually were donating money when they were on the phone with Whoopi Goldberg.

As I noted earlier, he did not. But he say he's never been truly loved, or something to that effect. Or at least that he hasn't felt that he was.

Sometimes designers do loan dresses, other times the stars own them. I hadn't even thought about the possibility of accidentally acquiring a commando gown.

Great. Something else to feel gross and germy about.

I'm not a huge Palin fan. But I also don't think we should be so judgmental about Bristol being married or not.

Criticize them for trying too hard to stay in the spotlight. That's totally valid. But we can't blame the Palins for being judgmental and conservative if we then turn around and call out their kids for being divorced or unmarried or whatever.

Which maybe you didn't mean to do at all. I've just seen other people do that, though, so I am taking this opportunity to say: don't become the thing you're criticizing.

As for Track on DWTS, I'm going to say no. They need more exciting contestants next season because interest definitely dropped during all that all-star business.

You know, that's a good point. As much as people bust on the Foreign Press, the nominations sometimes do shine a light on films and actors who normally are ignored but deserve to be seen.

I liked "Salmon Fishing" just fine but didn't love it. I was happy to see Rachel Weisz nominated, though, because I thought her performance in "Deep Blue Sea" was basically what I wanted from "Anna Karenina" and did not get: real, complicated emotion from a woman caught between two men.

Thanks for making this point.

Listen, you're in the legal profession so you know this stuff better than I do. I thought the judge decided to revoke, but is holding a subsequent hearing to determine a punishment. In other words, a violation occurred but the consequences of that are not known.

To be fair, Lindsay Lohan's legal situations are really, really complicated. I remember having a 15-minute conversation with Sarah Anne Hughes once as we tried to sort it all out. You really need powerpoint, flow charts, various colored highlighters...

There are a few worth seeing. "Django Unchained" certainly is, as is "Zero Dark Thirty." I'd say "Les Miz" is, too, unless you're just not into the musical or the concept of it. If that's the case, skip it because it will drive you nuts.

Another film I recommend: "The Intouchables." It came out earlier this year but I watched it during my recent end-of-year marathon and thought it was just lovely. Omar Sy is just awesome in it.

You do, honestly. It's a mess.

If you can find one this season that only lasts two hours, God bless you. Everything seems to be three hours this year. Or maybe that's just because I saw The Hobbit and Django in one day.

Finding one that will suit the whole family is hard, especially since I'm not sure what the age range is. If you don't have any young kids in the mix and just want something fun, smart and likely to be enjoyed by everyone, go with Skyfall. If you need something that's also kid appropriate, do Rise of the Guardians. I was surprised by how much I liked it. The animation is really stunning.

Ha. Yes, the Weisz version is not helped by the fact that the shark one is what pops up if you try to search for it.

The Globe nominated one is on Netflix, actually.

Oh sorry, I misunderstood your question.

I think people really like the royal couple. For those old enough to remember Charles and Diana, it's like that fairy tale again, except it's clearer -- or at least seems to be clearer -- that there's real love there. And I think the idea of seeing Diana's first grandchild is poignant for people as well.

As to why we care so much about British royalty, well, we might need a whole separate chat on that subject.

Paul Farhi wrote a really interesting piece about this very thing. It's amazing how culturally segregated we still are, at a time when we have more access to information and art and music than ever before. I fully admit that I didn't know who Rivera was either until this happened, which is a shame.

I suspect more people will seek out her music. That often happens when a famous artist dies. Whether she'll become a posthumous star I don't know, but I am certain more people know who she is now and will probably discover her as a result of the sad end of her life.

It actually was one of the success stories of the past summer because it was relatively low budget but made a healthy profit. Hollywood underestimates older audiences, but they turned out for that one.

I found it entertaining. Plus I can watch Dench and Smith in almost anything. It was a bit slight but I enjoyed it.

The ocean on Christmas Day sounds pretty great to me.

On that note: I must adjourn.

If you happen to be in Minneapolis right now, please know that I will be on WCCO shortly to discuss the Golden Globes. Turn on your radio if you're so inclined.

And please join me at this time next week for what I promise you is going to be a very special, not-to-be missed Celebritology chat. (I am only half-kidding.)

Hope to talk with you then.