"And the Oscar goes to...That's My Boy!"

Well, it's time once again for the prestigious annual Hollywood circle jerk that we call the Oscars. (A.K.A. the only thing that makes me put off viewing The Walking Dead.) Yes, the stars have come out to shine! And preen, mug, bloviate, etc. Just who will take home the big prize this year? The story about a President desperately trying to do the right thing and secure his legacy (Zero Dark Thirty), the exploits of a couple of mental patients training for a dance contest (Django Unchained), or the extreme close ups of singing people pretending to be French (Amour)? Or maybe one of the other nominated films?

I have seen very few of the nominated films this year, so I largely can't comment on the merits of them. But the fact that The Avengers only got one paltry nom in a technical category - and not nods all across the board - reinforces my view that the Oscars are a sham. In my heart the film has already won the Oscar for Best Picture Ever Made. (Apologies to Highlander.) Also completely overlooked: Bernie, The Cabin in the Woods, and Blue Like Jazz. COME ON!

It wouldn't be the Oscars without a lot of chatter about red carpet fashion! Yeah, well, unless someone is wearing something goofy like a swan dress, I don't really care about all that. But I will say that I'm currently wearing a shirt by Anton "Piggly" Wiggly, pants by House of Simpsons, and slippers by Louis Dockers.

Per usual, I'll be live blogging the ceremony here in the comments section. I invite you to join in the snark and comment along. Feel free to talk smack about what movies and actors you hate (true story: not everyone likes Anne Hathaway), who you love, what a mess the telecast is, who you are wearing, your predictions, the most glaring snubs, etc. (I'll also post some exceptionally funny tweets that I come across during the night; do the same, if you want. Twitter was made for events like this.)

Bring on the glitz, glamor, and phoniness!