We get it. We can barely keep up with the onslaught of information ourselves. That being said, it’s our mission to keep readers in the know, which is why we’ve combed through it all, distilled it to its essence, and dispensed it into easily digestible tidbits. Want to be the most knowledgeable culture savant in your group of friends? Then check back every Sunday for what you’ve missed in the world of celebrities and fashion.
Academy Award Nominations Are In
The 90th Academy Awards are a few weeks away, and several unexpected nominations have our anticipation piqued. Traditionally, films like Get Out and Lady Bird have been either snubbed or miscategorized, so the fact that both these groundbreaking films have earned a nomination for Best Picture is something of a (pleasant) surprise.
What’s more is that a Lebanese film was nominated for the first time. Ziad Doueri’s exciting courtroom thriller, The Insult, will go up against films from Sweden, Russia, Hungary, and Chile in the category of Foreign Language Film. Similarly, Last Men in Aleppo, a documentary that chronicles the work of the White Helmets in Syria, also made history by being the first Syrian film to ever be nominated for an Oscar. You can see the full list of nominations here.
Miroslava Duma and Ulyana Sergeenko Are Under Fire
After street-style star Miroslava Duma posted a photo of a note sent to her by Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko that read “To my n—-s in Paris” in reference to a song by Kanye West and Jay-Z, they faced immediate outrage. Duma, who has offered problematic opinions concerning race and gender before, was removed from her position at childrenswear company The Tot as part of the repercussions surrounding the backlash. She has since come forward with a lengthy formal apology, which ended with a pledge to “gain back people’s trust and respect”.
In contrast, Sergeenko was less sincere in her apology, excusing her actions by saying, “Kanye West is one of my most favourite musicians and NP is one of my most favourite songs. And yes, we call each other the N word sometimes when we want to believe that we are just as cool as they guys who sing it.”
Jessica Chastain Speaks Up
As one of the leaders of the #TimesUp movement, Jessica Chastain has been working to ensure equal pay among her coworkers. While women in Hollywood are typically paid far less than their male counterparts, women of color make even less. In 2011, Chastain starred alongside Octavia Spencer in The Help, so when the two sat down to discuss the potential of working together again on a holiday-themed film, they started talking about the gender-wage gap.
Chastain was horrified to learn how much less Spencer was making than herself, and swore to tie her pay to Spencer’s when brokering a deal with the studio. As she pledged, Chastain delivered, ensuring they both got equal pay. “I love that woman because she’s walking the walk and she’s actually talking the talk,” shared Spencer. Chastain’s efforts aren’t just a remarkable example of intersectional feminism at work, but a model for how all humans should behave.
