Rest In Peace, Mirjana Puhar

Incredibly tragic news out of the US this morning and I still don't really know what to say.

Mirjana Puhar, a contestant on the recent cycle of America's Next Top Model, was found dead in her home on Tuesday afternoon along with her 23 year-old boyfriend and 21 year-old housemate. They had been shot in what appears to be a drug-related incident.

She was 19.

As I type this, I'm watching cycle 21 here in Australia. Mirjana is still in the competition, flirting with her fellow contestant Denzel. She is carefree, young, beautiful. Since the news broke, her ANTM family has been posting their tributes on social media. ANTM may have shown Mirjana in a certain light (one word: ballbreaker) but the outpouring of grief from her judges and castmates shows that she was loved:

 

 

It just doesn't seem real that this stunning young girl, whose family had fled wartorn Serbia when she was 5 years old, is no longer with us.

Just so fucking sad.

Rest in peace Mirjana.

The Academy Awards, Keira Knightley and #AskHerMore

This morning, as I fed Liv and enjoyed a cup of tea, I switched on the TV to find a panel discussing the best & worst dressed from last night's Academy Awards.

The conversation soon turned to Keira Knightley, who had worn a Valentino gown that I personally found lovely on her, but others had not. To quote Jessica from Go Fug Yourself, "I HATE this. I hate the non-colour. I hate the writing. I hate how twee it is. I just want better for her."

Cast your eyes over the dress in question, and we shall continue...

The panel on the Today show weren't impressed either, the main reason seemingly: "She's pregnant! Why wouldn't she show off her beautiful bump! Let us see the bump! You're pregnant, flaunt it!" Etc, etc, et-freaking-c.

And on Keira's behalf, I got mad.

Sunday night was not about Keira's baby. It was about her work. Her performance in a film, that was so brilliant it earned her a nomination for one of - if not the most - prestigious awards in her field. So maybe, just perhaps, she wanted THAT to be the focus on Sunday night, hmm?

I've seen her be quite vocal in the past when asked what she has deemed to be gendered questions - things like "how do you balance your work and personal life?" I can't imagine that she would appreciate her Oscars night being diminished to solely being about her pregnancy.

I just wish that women could attend an event and be asked questions with substance about their profession, not their dresses or their dates or the occupancy of their uterus.

Which leads us ever-so-seamlessly into #AskHerMore!

Overall, the #AskHerMore movement had moderate success on Sunday night. In particular, Ryan Seacrest from E! received a lot of attention for his red carpet questions. According to red carpet coverage executive producer Gary Snegaroff, none of Seacrest's pre-prepared questions focused on fashion. When he did ask the stars who they were wearing, he made an effort to ask both men and women. However, he still came out with some clangers, such as asking Julianne Moore about Eddie Redmayne's freckles, asking 50 Shades star Dakota Johnson which props she took home, and asking The Theory of Everything nominee Felicity Jones about Stephen Hawking's flirtiness.

My personal favourite though, which sounds like a joke but is too good to make up, would have to be...

When interviewing Birdman actress and presenter Naomi Watts :: "We would like to talk about your frittata. What went into your choices of what to put into the frittata?"

YES. MORE EGG-BASED BREAKFAST QUERIES HOLLYWOOD, I BEG OF YOU.

Yeah, I think we've still got a ways to go.

#AskHerMoreBreakfastQuestions

mamamedia (kind of) liveblogs :: The 2015 Academy Awards

OK, so this is beginning about an hour and a half after the broadcast began. You can thank my darling devil baby for that. DON'T YOU KNOW THAT MAMA HAS AN AWARDS SHOW TO WATCH LIV?! Inconsiderate.

Here we go!

1:30: Why hello, Neil Patrick Harris, you handsome devil. From here on in, he will be referred to as NPH - much quicker.

1:35: ANNA KENDRICK ALERT. What a babe.

1:40: "This side of the room is the other 7 nominees...and American Sniper is Oprah. ...Because you're rich."

1:45: Best Supporting Actor. I backed J.K. Simmons, as did the rest of the world.

1:48: And the Oscar goes to...J.K! One point for me!

1:49: Aww, standing ovation for Simmons, I love that. How sweet.

1:57: Maroon 5 performing "Lost Stars" from the movie Begin Again, nominated for Best Song. It's fine, if a bit flat. That movie though? LOVED it. And I'm not a movie person, so that says a lot.

2:01: Jennifer Lopez presenting Best Costume Design...where have I seen her dress before?!? I swear, someone has worn that to an awards night previously. Hmm.

2:14: As Shirley Maclaine presents some of the nominees for Best Picture, there's a nice shot of Michael Keaton chomping away on his gum. Lovely.

2:18: I've said it before and I'll say it again: LEGO MOVIE WAS ROBBED. Anyway, this is an awesome performance of Everything Is Awesome, which is at least nominated for Best Song. Needless to say, Oprah was feeling it.

2:32: "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" by Glen Campbell, performed by Tim McGraw - TEARJERKER. Written for his family after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

2:36: NPH out on stage in socks & jocks. You've gotta admire his commitment to a bit. But...I mean...with that body...why wouldn't you, is what I'm saying.

2:40: "They are 4 women, and in accordance with California state law, Meryl Streep." A cracking zinger by Jared Leto presenting Best Supporting Actress. I, along with everyone else, backed Patricia Arquette.

2:43: And the Oscar goes to...Patricia Arquette! (YES I PICKED ANOTHER ONE)

2:45: Hey, I just received a shout out in Patricia's speech! (She thanked every woman who has ever given birth...I'm taking it.) She also got a hell of a response from the audience when she ended her speech calling for equality for women. YES GET IT PATRICIA.

2:50: DAMN YOU DONAGHY. Chloe Grace Moretz will always be Kaylie Hooper from
30 Rock to me. The best damn teen villain of all time.

2:56: Zoe Saldana looks criminally good for a woman who has recently birthed twins. Ugh. Just stop it.

3:07: "In Long Walk To Freedom, he liberated South Africa. In Zero Dark Thirty, she brought down Osama bin Laden. In A Million Ways To Die In The West, I pooped in a hat." - NPH.

3:10: OH GOD IN MEMORIAM SECTION SOMEONE GET ME TISSUES.

3:13: This tribute is visually stunning. Simply beautiful design.

3:21: Terrence Howard introducing Best Picture nominees...anyone else getting hints of Joey Tribbiani's toast at Monica & Chandler's wedding? "WHY, GOD, WHY, HOW COULD YOU TAKE THEM AWAY FROM ME?" Take it down a notch, Terry. This isn't an audition.

3:31: Idina Menzel & John Travolta presenting Best Original Song. Squeezing every last drop out of the Adele Dazeem fiasco.

3:34: And the Oscar goes to...GLORY! Yes! Well deserved, congrats to Common & John Legend.

3:36: Powerful speech by Common & John, and totally deserving of their standing ovation.

3:42: Lady Gaga performing a tribute to Sound Of Music...I'm so glad she's just singing now, she's so fucking talented, she doesn't need all the bells and whistles. AND - she is stunningly beautiful. Which you can fail to notice when she's wearing offal as outerwear.

3:46: JULIE. ANDREWS. Bow down bitches. She is aging magnificently. See, ladies of Hollywood, it is OK to age! You can do it!

4:03: The stunning Cate Blanchett out on stage to present Best Actor. Team Eddie!

4:07: And the Oscar goes to...Eddie Redmayne! Aww. He's so happy, it's adorable. I love seeing people unable to contain how freaking excited they are to be holding that little golden man.

4:11: Matthew McConaughey-hey-hey presenting Best Actress. Alright, alright, alright. I saw that the odds this morning were $1.01 for Julianne Moore to take it out...so, y'know, it's a pretty tight race here.

4:14: And the Oscar goes to Julianne, surprising absolutely no one.

4:23: "At the end, it's all about the movies." Sean Penn presenting the final award of the night, Best Picture. And the Oscar goes to...

4:25: ...Birdman! The cast & crew onstage look ecstatic, methinks they'll be hitting the bar hard tonight. Michael Keaton looks like he'd be an awesome drinking buddy. Plus,  you know that man's got some stories. I'd interrogate him for hours about his 30 Rock cameo alone.

And we're out! All done for another year, and overall, it was a very predictable year. Not to say that the winners weren't deserving - incredible performances, all round - but there were no surprises.

See you next awards season!

mamamedia predicts :: The 2015 Academy Awards

Continuing the grand tradition of making somewhat accurate award predictions! So it goes without saying: maybe don't take these tips to your bookies. 

BEST PICTURE

American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

mama's pick :: Oh God, there's too many choices...but I think it will be Boyhood or Theory Of Everything.

BEST DIRECTOR

Alejandro Innaritu - Birdman
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game

mama's pick :: I think Linklater has this one in the bag, however I find it a travesty that Ava DuVernay was not nominated.

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper - American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton - Birdman
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory Of Everything

mama's pick :: I love Eddie Redmayne, so I'm hoping he takes it home. His transformation into Stephen Hawking is just incredible. I mean, Hawking has said there were points in the film where he thought he was watching himself, what bigger endorsement is there than that?

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones - The Theory Of Everything
Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon - Wild

mama's pick :: Julianne is a lock for this. I can't see anyone else stealing the win from her.

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Robert Duvall - The Judge
Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
Edward Norton - Birdman
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons - Whiplash

mama's pick :: This is another category where I am pretty certain of the winner - J.K. has dominated this awards season, so I am left in no doubt that he'll take this home as well.

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Laura Dern - Wild
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Emma Stone - Birdman
Meryl Streep - Into The Woods

mama's pick :: Wow, they really are predictable this year...Patricia Arquette, easy peasy.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How To Train Your Dragon 2
Song Of The Sea
The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya

mama's pick :: LEGO MOVIE WAS ROBBED. ROBBED!!!!! Therefore, I abstain from the vote in protest. Hmph.

All in all, I think it's a very safe year, nominations wise. Women and minorities have been criminally underrepresented, which is a disappointment to say the least.

This year, the ceremony will be hosted by the divine Neil Patrick Harris. I can only imagine the opening number he has planned, I often re-watch his Tony and Emmy opening numbers when I'm in need of a pick-me-up, they are so much fun.

As always, the plan is to liveblog here at mamamedia, but life with an infant is unpredictable, so if I'm unable to blog, I will at least be tweeting along at @mamamedia_au.

For us Aussies, the Academy Awards are televised on Channel Nine live from 12:30pm Monday. See you then!

Lessons Learnt During Episode 12 Of The Block Triple Threat

I'm all caught up on last night's room reveals, so here we go...

When they say all contractors must be site inducted, they mean it :: Bec & George and Matt & Kim found themselves a man down last night, as Foreboy Dan kicked their curtain guy to the curb for failing to undergo the site safety induction prior to commencing work. PEOPLE. WORKPLACE SAFETY IS NOT A JOKE. I will never understand how contestants consistently disregard this. If that man had been injured on the job, or caused injury to a third party whilst on site, the courts would have a field day.

Leave the blue-green backed glass in Meriton apartments, where it belongs :: Charlotte & Josh chose colour-backed glass for their wardrobe doors, in the lovely bluish-green shade seen in many a serviced apartment. Charlotte expressed doubt over the colour as the doors were being installed and this was confirmed when the judges deemed them "dated" and "mean." I actually lived in a Meriton building with these exact doors and I must say - they function as excellent whiteboards.

The offending wardrobe doors, described as "mean" by judge Darren Palmer

Copycats never prosper :: During the week, as the bedrooms were coming together, I had thought that Tim & Anastasia's was looking very...familiar. It seemed that every piece they were selecting had been seen on a prior season of The Block. This was most evident in the painted bedhead, which was used to great effect by Simon & Shannon in their master suite last season. I wondered if the judges would comment on these choices...and boy, did they ever. Vogue Living editor Neale Whitaker remarked that there was nothing in the room that he hadn't seen before and that nothing felt bespoke. THANK YOU NEALE. I knew there was a reason I love that man. I worry that this couple is in over their head and hope that they can pull it together and find their style before long. 

There's "inspiration" and then there's...well...rip off. (LEFT: Tim & Anastasia, RIGHT: Simon & Shannon)

 

It's also not a good idea to try & get your friends camera time :: The judges were also confused by Tim & Anastasia's inclusion of a stuffed toy cat and photograph of a group of strangers. It turns out that the family in the photo are their neighbours, and the stuffed cat belongs to their little girl. Yeah...not a good move, dudes. Surely impressing the people that award you more money to renovate is more important than sneaking in winks to mates back home.

 

 

All in all, a disappointing week for the newbies, with the highest score a paltry 21.5. We haven't seen such low scores across the board for a looong time. Get it together kids!

This week sees the couples renovating their main bathrooms, which, as any Block fan would know, is guaranteed to deliver drama.

 

The Block Triple Threat airs tonight on Channel Nine at 7:30. Tweet along using #TheBlock, and follow us @mamamedia_au.

My Kitchen Rules :: The Drinking Game

So, because I am woefully behind on my TV watching, I have finally caught up on the new season of My Kitchen Rules. We're now into the sixth season of the show and it's showing no signs of slowing down. This season may also contain my favourite MKR contestant of all time: Ash Pollard. She is, to use her word, DI-VIIIINE.

Ash, with best friend Camilla

 

And since everything is better with a glass of red in hand - especially TV - I thought we'd put together a little drinking game. Better late than never!

PLEASE NOTE: mamamedia does actually encourage responsible drinking, so if you're on the verge of being sick or, y'know, dying, please stop. Also, if you're under legal drinking age, play along with juice or something.

DRINK ONCE IF...

...Robert tells a cowboy story

...Camilla speaks in French

...Shaz cackles

...Annie mentions her and Lloyd getting engaged / married (dude, run while you can)

...Celine imitates someone / uses an accent

...Robert mentions tennis (DID YOU KNOW HE WAS A TENNIS PLAYER?!?!)

...someone mentions Chris Hemsworth or makes a Thor reference

DRINK TWICE IF...

...a contestant mentions they've never cooked with this ingredient / technique before, but assumes that it will be fine

...a contestant expresses doubt over their food, yet serves it anyway

...a contestant questions whether something is raw and it turns out overcooked

...a contestant questions whether something is overcooked and it turns out raw

...a contestant professes confidence in their dish, as they have cooked it "a million times", and then proceed to cock it up

...Manu demands extra sauce

DRINK EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOUSE IF...

...the power of Ash's gaze causes glass to shatter and/or a contestant to burst into flames

As Manu likes to say, bon appetit.

mamamedia liveblogs :: The 2015 Grammy Awards

And we're off! 

12:00: AC/DC opening the show, they've still got it.

12:04: Dave Grohl & Lady Gaga spotted getting into it, always great to see the celebrities unafraid to dance along. 

12:06: OHHH they're glowing devil horns in the crowd! I just assumed they were glow sticks. Nice! 

12:08: First award of the night is Best New Talent, presented by Taylor Swift, in a gorgeous teal gown. 

12:10: And the Grammy goes to...Sam Smith! As expected really, but I would've loved for HAIM to win.

12:16: Anna Kendrick in a smashing lady tux introducing Ariana Grande's performance. Full disclosure: I am not a fan of Miss Grande. I don't have much time for anyone who insists on being shot from one side at all times. By all accounts, she's not particularly pleasant to deal with. Anyway, this performance is one big bowl of 'meh'.

12:20: Jessie J & Tom Jones performing together next. Jessie's dress appears to consist of black cottontails and some spiderwebs. 

12:23: Chrissy Teigen spotting! Love her hair, love her dress, love her chair dancing. Love love love.

12:24: And the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance goes to...Happy by Pharrell Williams!

12:25: ...what is Mrs Pharrell wearing? I'm not loving the formal jumpsuit. 

12:27: "I'm gonna moonwalk off this stage right now." That's not moonwalking Pharrell, that's just regular walking. 

12:32: Uh oh, we may be having issues with the feed here in Australia. 

12:34: Never mind, we're back. Miranda Lambert now performing. Not being a country music fan, I have nothing to add here. 

12:37: A Lifetime Achievement recognition goes to the Bee Gees. Whilst on stage, Barry is also presenting Best Pop Vocal Album. 

12:38: And the Grammy goes to...Sam Smith! Again, expected.  

12:44: "This man certainly believes in himself..." Understatement of the year when referring to Kanye. 

12:46: "Why is he singing with auto-tune?" "BECAUSE HE'S AN ARTIST." - conversation that just took place between my husband and I. 

12:49: Miley Cyrus & Nicki Minaj introducing the next performance by Madonna. This should be interesting. 

12:51: This is...awkward. All of it. The dancers seem blinded by their masks and Madge looks like she hasn't actually had a chance to rehearse with them. Also, my breasts are hurting just looking at her leotard. 

12:55: Best Rock Album presented by Josh Duhamel and...two of the Patriots. Could not tell you their names, alas. And the Grammy goes to...Morning Phase by Beck! 

1:03: Best R&B Performance goes to...Beyonce for Drunk In Love. Another expected winner. 

1:06: Ed Sheeran performing Thinking Out Loud with John Mayer, Questlove and...damn, missed the others. Sorry to the other musical guest/s!

1:12: SPOTTED: Nicole Kidman busting out some epic mom dance moves. 

1:26: Hozier performing Take Me To Church with special guest Annie Lennox. 

1:28: Take Me To Church has transitioned into I Put A Spell On You...and speaking of spells, what kind of witchcraft is Annie using? The woman is aging magnificently. 

1:32: Meghan Trainor & Nick Jonas presenting Best Country Album. And the Grammy goes to...Platinum by Miranda Lambert. 

1:35: A very theatrical reinterpretation if Happy by Pharrell. Dark. 

1:44: A message from President Obama regarding the Its On Us campaign to end violence against women. 

1:46: "Authentic love does not devalue another human being." A powerful speech by a domestic violence survivor. 

1:58: Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett performing Cheek To Cheek. Proving that  she doesn't need meat dresses or facial prosthetics to entertain, when she has as incredible a voice as she does. 

2:45: OK, baby is asleep, and we're back for Kanye, Rihanna & Paul McCartney's performance. Such an odd combination, but it works!

2:53: Sam Smith & Mary J Blige performing Stay With Me, as introduced by Taylor Swift - a self professed fangirl of Smith. 

3:00: The return of Prince & his cane! Here to present Album Of The Year. The Grammy goes to...Beck, for Morning Phase. 

3:01: STAGE INVASION BY KANYE YES.

3:04: Sia performance introduced by Shia LaBeouf with some sort of rambling poetry. Eccentric as always. 

3:10: Song Of The Year, presented by Enrique Iglesias. Hoping for a Sia win, for no other reason than sheer curiosity about how she would accept the award. 

3:11: And the Grammy goes to...Sam Smith, again. Ahh well, good on him. 

3:38: Baby woke up, had to take another break! Jamie Foxx & Stevie Wonder present Record Of The Year. To Sam Smith, again. 

3:39: "I'd like to thank the man who I fell in love with last year, and who inspired this album. Thank you for breaking my heart, because now I've got 4 Grammys!" - Sam is the new Adele. 

3:43: Gosh I hate applause in the In Memoriam segments. Please hold applause to the end people! It seems so insensitive that a songwriter or agent gets a polite smattering of applause, and a Robin Williams will receive whoops and cheers. 

3:48: Hit fast forward through Beyonce's performance. Sorry Beyhive. 

3:50: Ahh, Glory. Beautiful song, performed by beautiful men. Hoping for another Chrissy Teigen cry face cameo. 

3:53: WAIT WAIT WAIT - What the hell happened to the feed?!? After John & Common finished, it cut to Sam & Mary J Blige's performance again and then the credits rolled? Is that it? WHAT?

4:00: OK, so it appears that Glory was the closing performance. If that was mentioned in the intro, then I missed it. My bad! Still, it was a jarring end to the telecast at our end at least. 

So there you have it! Sam Smith easily the big winner tonight, as expected by most. A few surprises in there, and notably no gongs for Iggy Azalea...which I'm sure a few people are happy about.

In terms of the bajillion performances tonight, my favourite was easily Glory - the night definitely ended on a high. Simple and elegant, which is all you need when the song is so strong on its own. At the other end of the scale for me was Madonna. I still don't really know what that was, but I do know that I didn't like it. And unlike others, I'm not going to fawn all over it JUST because its Madonna. Hashtag sorry not sorry. 

That was fun! Meet back here for the Oscars? DEAL.