Miss N-tertainment: Post-Oscar Shine

It’s been a crazy couple of days – as I knew it would be. I still feel the need to say that though. I also still can’t believe the Oscars have come and gone. I know by now you would know the winners – and I don’t have to list them here – so I will instead reflect on my time in Hollywood.

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The Oscars themselves are a creation of dedication, attention to detail and glorious star-power. So many big names come out – even if they themselves are not nominated (hello, Zac Effron?) I loved seeing how things are behind the scenes: the hours of preparation, the stressing on the part of the producers (I like being reminded that it’s not just me who over-worries almost everything!) and the last-minute wardrobe malfunctions (apparently Mo’Nique and Amanda Seyfried both had one).

Thousands of journalists come to this Oscar stage – and that’s not just counting those who live in LA (and there are a great deal of them here!). As a lone journo, I kept getting asked “where’s your crew?” and I’d point to my huge bag and say with glee: “here!” But what you soon learn is that you need to find your place and find your own story among all the others. The South African presence at this year’s Oscars for me, was greater than the three-hour (and a bit more) ceremony itself. It went beyond that – before, and after.

That said, I loved the genuine moments at the Oscars. The tears Sandra Bullock cried. The child-like cheers Jeff Bridges gave. The outlandishness of Mo’Nique backstage when she told the press officer just how she wanted to do the Question-and-Answer-session. Oh, and Sarah Jessica Parker’s dress – it was my best (Charlize’s was my worst).

I hope that this is only the beginning – or I should say, the middle because Tsotsi and indeed, Yesterday, first got the ball rolling with their nominations, as did Charlize with her win – and that South Africa’s presence at the Oscars only grows and grows. And I hope that we can soon have another good reason to shout: Viva South Africa, viva!