2006 Oscar Diary (Please note all times are Central Time)

5:00 p.m. Hanging out at the Red Carpet... actually pretty far from it, but a few of us are trying to see if we can find Isaac Mizrahi. We're taking bets on whether or not he will molest anyone.

6:29 p.m. I'm too far to really see anything but we've finally located Isaac and he is talking to Nicole Kidman. It appears that she is leaving unmolested. I guess we'll have to wait to get home to watch our TiVo's to really know.

6:40 p.m. Time to go grab some stuff to drink and food... and boy they don't skimp on the food. There's sandwiches, pasta and cookies, and every one is chugging Powerade and Full Throttle energy drinks to keep going from the very long day and the long night we have ahead.

7:00 p.m. At the press room now and the ceremony is beginning. They're are so many plasma screens all over it feels like I'm in a sports bar.

7:33 p.m. Somebody yells... "Mr. Clooney, back here"  (George has just won Best Supporting Actor for 'Syriana')

"Mr. Clooney?" says the very dapper, handsome and dreamy George Clooney. "You win an Oscar, and you're Mr. Clooney."

7:38 p.m. It is announced that Mr. Clooney needs to be back in his seat in five minutes. A Taiwanese reporter tries to squeeze in one more question. "Is this about Ang Lee?" Mr. Clooney asks, cutting to the chase. The reporter says it is. "I'll tell you right now. I don't like the guy," he deadpans. "I caught him stealing. So, you take that home and tell everyone."

8:37 p.m. When asked what are some potential baby names... could one be Oscar? Rachel Weisz says, "Oscar isn't amongst them."

8:48 p.m. The Penguin people are here... I want one of those
penguins... where did they get them... just like that someone asks if they got them from a carnival and the answer is no... They got them as good-luck charms from their distributor in Japan.

9:26 p.m. I feel sorry for Sound Mixing winner because they are all but ignored when a collective gasp goes around the press room when we hear that an Oscar has been bestowed to "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" by Three 6 Mafia

9:35 p.m "I don't know. It just occurred to me."  Robert Altman, on why he chose the Oscars to announce he'd had a heart transplant 10 or 11 years ago. But seriously, Altman says he was genuinely worried "nobody would hire me."

I come to learn that most people in Hollywood think he is very
courageous for admitting this. It seems that he is quite right
about the fear of getting hired because of the transplant.

9:45 p.m. "I was so, so, so, so, so surprised. This is such a
blessing." - Jordan Houston, aka Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia, aka
an Oscar winner for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."

When asked about the bleeping of "Pimp" during the telecast,
Houston keeps his cool and denies everything. "It wasn't us.
We changed our lyrics completely," he says. "My mom is watching. I don't want any cuss words."

In my opinion they are a breath of fresh air in the room. Not
since George... I mean Mr. Clooney... have I enjoyed listening to someone talk about their win.

10:24 p.m 'Crash' beats Brokeback for Best Picture. Big chatter.

10:27 p.m. Calm is restored to the room when Best Actress Reese Witherspoon arrives. She's a little giggly, but otherwise composed. Her excuse: "My mind is blank. I just found out my husband's movie won the big award."

10:36 p.m. The TV part is over over. 'Brokeback Mountain's' Ang Lee is back here to mark the Oscar win for Best Director. It looks like he's going through a bunch of emotions... sure he seems happy, but he sure seems a little dumbfounded. I don't think he expected to lose Best Picture.

When asked about the Oscar montage on gay cowboy movies throughout Hollywood history, Lee said he thought it was hilarious. "It was quite genius," he adds. 10:59 p.m. Philip Seymour Hoffman winner of Best Actor for 'Capote' recounts the moment when he accepted his Oscar and almost "lost control of his bowels."

11:08 p.m. Paul Haggis and the 'Crash' producing team show up and Haggis explains... "We're pretty f--king happy."

"I didn't believe it for a second," he add of the many who predicted 'Crash' was gaining on front-runner 'Brokeback Mountain' for Best Picture. "We're still shocked. It was lovely, really lovely."

11:21 p.m. A reporter points out that two of the night's Oscar winners Haggis and Clooney worked on 'The Facts of Life.' Haggis responds: "You know the secret hidden connection."

Damn...I knew this and I didn't blurt it out. Ah well it's over
and I still didn't get to ask a question... maybe next year.

Let's see what parties we can go to or at least hang out in front of and see who gets in and doesn't.

Shoot... I've got to catch a plane in a few hours too.

Read my Oscar wrap up: Click Here

Have some fun and see a classic video clip of
celebrities getting Punk'd on the Red Carpet:

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