The 88th Oscars, #JUSTICEFORFLINT, duck confit and more
What we're reading...The 88th Annual Academy Awards aired live last night, with the winners including Spotlight for Best Picture, Brie Larson for Best Leading Actress, and Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Leading Actor (after a long, long, long wait). This year's awards had been in the headlines for weeks before their airtime with the resurfacing of last year's #OscarsSoWhite.The ceremony included tongue-in-cheek nods to the lack of diversity (sometimes laudable, sometimes cringe-worthy), like Chris Rock's opening monologue, Angela Bassett's honoring of (Jack) Black History Month, and a montage of scenes from nominated films recut with black actors. Amid these more comedic takes at the ceremony's lack of representation (which received mixed reviews), Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs also spoke to the need for diversity and accurate representation of today's world in the Oscars nominee pool.The ceremony also acknowledged other relevant social issues of today; Lady Gaga's performance, Joe Biden's call for an end to rape culture, DiCaprio's stand for environmental justice, and Sam Smith's nod to the lack of queer representation in Hollywood all spoke to major problems currently plaguing society.Creed director Ryan Coogler hosted his own event, #JUSTICEFORFLINT, during the Oscars as his activist coalition, Blackout for Human Rights, decided to hold the benefit (which featured names like Ava DuVernay and Janelle Monáe) on the last weekend of Black History Month.On a completely unrelated note, Sam Sifton's suggestions on What to Cook This Week feature "easy" dishes like Big Country Salad, "healthy" dishes like Stir-Fried Cabbage, Tofu, and Red Pepper, and "totally reasonable on a college budget and kitchen" dishes like Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew. (Duck Confit, anyone?)What we're listening to...Soundcloud user Dubs_Swagu has mashed together alternative rock band Weezer and rap legend Kanye West to create Yeezer, a mashed up medley of lyrical collage and minimal confusion.[embed]https://soundcloud.com/dubs_swagu/the-buddy-holly-workout-plan[/embed]What we're downloading...The app Myidol, a "3D avatar creator," which has reached #1 app status in 56 countries, turns your selfie into a three dimensional virtual avatar complete with customizable hair, features, and clothing. It's perfect for anyone who's thinking about dying their hair that perfect blue but just isn't quite sure how it will look.Meanwhile, on an app you (probably) already have, Snapchat just updated to include a face swapping feature which has produced results with varying degrees of success. Friends to face swap with, not included.What we're clicking on...Nihilist Arby's, the twitter about nothing but maybe Arby's, brings you a daily dose of philosophy and roast beef smothered in what I assume is cheese.Make Donald Drumpf Again! is a Chrome extension that replaces all instances of the word "Trump" with "Drumpf." Not only will it take over everything from your Google searches to the NYTimes, they it's also featured on hats, which would look great on you at say, the Drumpf Plaza Hotel and Casino.What we're watching...The official video to the first single off Lawrence's upcoming album, Breakfast, is a web-cam-chat-turned-big-band-jam-session-turned-live-action-animation extravaganza.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwxZi_ZK0mw&app=desktop[/embed]This edition of The Hollywood Reporter's Roundtable series features celebrity comedic actresses (including Black-ish's Tracee Ellis Ross '94) discussing the industry, fanbases, comedy itself and more in an open-forum discussion.[embed]http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETKNKbi3KhY[/embed]In Last Week Tonight, John Oliver finally addresses Donald Trump as the "back mole of America" that "has been around far too long and would be unwise to ignore."[embed]https://www.facebook.com/LastWeekTonight/videos/851020811693596/?hc_location=ufi[/embed]