Oscar 2011 highlights

After months of predictably relentless anticipation, the Academy Awards were handed out last night  — in a lackluster show that some are calling the “worst Oscars ever.” There were few surprises: As expected, The King’s Speech nabbed the Best Picture prize, and Colin Firth and Natalie Portman took home trophies for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. Still, the internets were atwitter last night and this morning with some very strong voices. Here’s what’s buzzing about last night’s show:

1. The James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosting disaster

The Academy seemed to be psyched about their “young, hip” co-hosts for the 2011 awards show. In coming weeks they flooded the nation with witty 30 second spots including wardrobe malfunctions, promises of real-time Twitter updates and the two flashing their gorgeous mugs for any camera in a 30 mile radius. The hype, however, did not live up. The two hosts seemed to be “operating in alternate realities,” say Willa Paskin and Kyle Buchanan in New York. “Hathaway committed [to her hosting duties], and committed hard,” energetically singing, dancing, toothily smiling and woo-hooing. “Franco, meanwhile, went blank-slate, projecting nothing except expressions verging on outright disdain,” and left “Hathaway hanging in the wind.”

I concur, often times I saw James staring into space and wondered if he had been served a little too much bubbly and Mary Jane backstage. He was, after all, looking at the audience like they were items on the 99 cent menu at Taco Bell.

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