Treading Water in the Employment Dance

I read these words recently: Having a job is a privilege.

I repeat them to myself every day.

I lost my job at Fox Home Entertainment two years ago in October. I was shocked yet equally unsurprised. Fox had periodically laid off a few people here and there since I had started in 2007. I never felt secure, even when I started with a three-year contract. I had not recovered from the real life-altering jolt of being laid off from NBC Universal in October 2006 after 13 years. Honestly, I don’t know if I ever will recover from that job loss. I had thought I was a lifer there. Having a job is a privilege.

I feel like I’ve hit a survivor milestone in these two years. I have collected unemployment, free-lanced, started my own business, sold items on eBay and Amazon and applied for “real” jobs. I’ve become a professional water-treader, of sorts. Unlike the California landscape, sometimes the water level of a professional water-treader can get precariously high. And I'm not the only one. I know several people who were laid off around this time who are doing the same juggling routine.

I’ve always been a loyal employee, staying at my jobs at least five years. I always had corporate jobs with benefits (that I never thought much about at the time.) I’ve been fortunate enough to have a temp assignment at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment for the past year. I get monthly assignments and find out a few days before the end of the month if I will be extended. This creates a tremendous amount of anxiety until I get that ping in my email. This perpetual limbo keeps me afloat, yet hinders me from moving forward. I am constantly reminded of my temp status, both in the work I do and the monthly health benefits I pay out-of-pocket (now I know how people who lease their Mercedes feel.) Having a job is a privilege. Boy, do I know.

Lay-offs are now pending at Warner Bros. and a whole new batch of dedicated employees will have their lives irrevocably altered. They'll get severance packages and unemployment benefits to soften the blow, but the jobs they were so good at for so many years will be gone. They too will eventually join the treading water world of the unemployed and underemployed. My heart goes out to them. 

Many of you know that I’m a big proponent of LinkedIn and often coach people on their profiles. I always warn people to be careful about updating their jobs in the experience section as it often sends out an unwanted “Congratulate Lynne on her new job!” notice. I’m glad it doesn’t send out “Lynne’s celebrating her two-year anniversary at Unemployed!”

Maybe I should add “Drought resistant” to my skills and expertise list on LinkedIn. Would you endorse me?

September is the New January

Did you notice that Hell just froze over? That the cows came home? And the Fat Lady Sang? I know, it was all my doing. You see, I started an exercise program and stuck to it for its duration, and I owe it all to...September!

September is the new January. Just like January, when you're so over the holidays, you can't eat or drink another bite and you're ready to wipe the slate clean, September gives us the same shiny new, optimistic feeling. Gone are the excesses of summer barbecues and weddings, laying around doing nothing (if you are so fortunate), watching endless Little League games (grown-up LL games are apparently called The Dodgers, FYI). It's time again for a little structure and discipline to kick in.

After a brief family visit in August to Disneyland, I realized how pathetically out of shape I was. I have been going to a weekly "bootcamp" class on Saturdays for years, but that was pretty much all I did all week. My summer schedule also meant I skipped some of those workouts too. Walking around Disneyland for 10 hours will separate the fit from the flab-ulous. First, there were the pictures taken at unflattering angles while holding 1000 calorie cupcakes (The Bumblebee Lemon Cupcake at the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Frontierland is diet-busting worthy). Then there were the 14,000 steps logged in. I whimpered at the thought of walking back to my car.

My current freelance job at Warner Bros. has me sitting for eight hours. Our building is slightly off campus, so our eating options are downstairs in the cafeteria, next door at Claim Jumper where everything is over 2000 calories or a seven minute walk across the street to the WB Commissary. 90% of the time, I opt for downstairs because it is most convenient.

Late in August, while catching up on my daily industry news on WB's home page "Behind the Shield," I noticed a fitness class being offered. Usually the fitness classes are not featured and they are free to members of the gym, which I was not. This one was called FUNctional FITness and it was meeting M-F from 6-7pm for 20 sessions starting Sept 8. I had to pay for it and join the gym.

I emailed the instructor and asked, "Would you recommend this class for a sedentary slug with bad knees?" He responded back immediately, "Absolutely! Everyone has to start somewhere." I felt encouraged. So I took the bold move and did something I have a very hard time doing--I committed. Even though I've been too lazy to walk across the street for a year, I was suddenly going to take a class five nights a week for four weeks (I knew I was going to miss four of them already). I joined the gym for three months not even knowing if I would still be employed that long (for now I'm there till 10/31).

I had to take an endurance test with the adorable and perfectly fit instructor to show him how inflexible, unbalanced and un-muscley I was. He continued to be very nice and encouraging. I asked him how the other 3 classmates were and he diplomatically replied, "Well, there are no Olympians."

And so we began. My biggest fear is being "the one that holds up class" but I was pleasantly surprised to see my classmates and I were all pretty much on the same level. We stretched, moved our bodies and threw balls around. I got through it with little discomfort, but enough effort to make me grunt. I went back the next day and the next. All in all I did 16 of the 20 classes, which is 16 hours less of me sitting in a chair. I realized I COULD exercise every day and I felt a LOT better about myself. My fantasy of losing 10 lbs. in the process did not happen, but I still have hope that some day that will kick in too.

Now, when I get home and head to my Lazy-Boy I don't feel quite so guilty. Beside, my second favorite thing about September has started – the new Fall TV Season! What are you watching?

And the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series Goes to...

I have a cool perk from my old job at NBC. I am a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS)  and I get to vote for Emmy programs as a member of the Television Executives branch. Each year I get dozens of TV screeners on my doorstep. As a print professional, my first thrill is with the packaging. I still have a Food Network lunch pail and an American Idol 45 from the days when presentation was important.

Now, most networks send utilitarian packaging. Regardless of the outer package, I am thrilled that they still send DVDs. My intentions are always pure in April when they begin to arrive. I plan to watch them all. Quickly, the screeners become akin to Lucy and Ethel at the chocolate factory--there's no way to keep up! I wonder if the TV critics even can. I end up relying on my friends and co-workers to help me decide what to vote for.

The way the Emmy voting process works is this http://emmys.org/news/awards-news/infographic-how-primetime-emmy-won: In June, 17,000+ of us fill out ballots to nominate 10 shows per category (Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, Variety Show, etc.) There are some categories like Children's programming that I don't even fill out. Others like Unstructured Reality Program (Kardashians, Real Housewives, Duck Dynasty, etc.) I could not bring myself to vote for. After the nominations are announced, you can sign up as a Blue Ribbon Panel judge for two categories. You can't judge the main categories more than two years in a row. This year I chose Short Format Nonfiction and Comedies.

For Short Format Nonfiction Program, we only had to judge if the piece was worthy of an Emmy. I said yes to 30 for 30 Shorts about Arthur Ashe and I Was There: Boston Marathon Bombings. 30 for 30 won.

For Outstanding Comedy Series you are sent two episodes of the nominated series: Orange is the New Black, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Louie, Veep and Silicon Valley. I think this is a flaw in the Emmy voting process. There should be more nominations and the panels should have to watch the WHOLE series. Of these series, I had watched one in its entirety already, had another on my DVR but had only seen a few episodes and had not watched any of the others.

I watched them in this order and here's what I thought:
Orange is the New Black: I love this series and it's the one I had already seen. As much as I love it, I have a hard time considering it a COMEDY.
The Big Bang Theory: I know lots of people love this show and I wanted to be one of them. I just couldn't stomach the laugh track.
Louie: Very likeable, but I don't think these episodes were the best of the season.
Modern Family: A favorite that I have fallen behind in watching. Reminded me of why I love it. Solid A-B-C story lines, great cast. Definitely worthy of winning for the fifth time.
Silicon Valley: Surprising. Had not hard many people talk about it. Made me want to watch more episodes, possibly too much of an inside joke to appeal to many,
Veep: Another surprise. I don't get HBO so I had not seen this series before. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons and Sufe Bradshaw are absolutely perfect in this cast. The dialogue and acting are so quick and on point it's like watching an Argentinian Tango. It's as irreverent as can be, yet with a mushy heartfelt core.
My Emmy vote, just edging out Modern Family went to VEEP. Who would you vote for? I'll be watching Monday night. Join me on Twitter @pinkypulse #Emmys!

The Real Bloggers of BlogHer

The first business card I made for PinkyonthePulse.com had my title listed as Lynne Gullo, Blogger. Perhaps, I was a bit optimistic. I always "fancied" myself as a writer, even though my brother Jim is the professional writer in the family. I "fancied" myself as a guitar player too. While I did play guitar in a Go-Go's cover band, our lifespan was very short and after many years of lessons I never really improved. There were golf lessons with similar results. So far I have had the sense not to have business cards made with "Musician" or "Golfer" on them. 

Blogging has been my self-imposed drought lately. Every month I vow to get more words on the page and end up like a college student pulling an all-nighter to get my paper written before the stroke of midnight. Hence my July 31 post date.

So in the spirit of BlogHer, a recent conference held in San Jose (I did not attend), I'm going to share with you some blogs by women who are doing it right. These are women I met through my American Idol #IdolTweethearts experience who are active bloggers. They are the real pros and I continue to learn tons from them. You really should check out and follow these ladies. They are both terrific and prolific! 

Stacey Nerdin  
http://www.thesceniclife.com
Twitter: @staceynerdin
Blogger, reader, pop culture junkie. Content Marketer for small agency. Mom of 5 (Kinder to college). Lover of iPhone, naps, and my DVR. But especially naps.

Mary Burt-Godwin 
http://www.mamamaryshow.com
Twitter: @mamamaryshow 
Host Vlogger & Blogger, Ask the Mom panelist @Fox5SanDiego, columnist for @TodaysMama, Author of DeadDadsClub.com

Elizabeth Esther
Site: www.elizabethesther.com
Twitter: @elizabethesther

Blogger, Author of "Girl at the End of the World" (published March 2014), Mother of 5, Unabashed bookworm, lover of rescue dogs, rainy days & long walks by the ocean. Heart healer. ENFP.

Elizabeth Traub

www.elizabethtraub.com

Twitter: @elizabethtraub

Chatty,wife,mom of 5, Brand Strategist, Social Producer & Marketing Direction.Taking your offline marketing campaign & building online. #SavvySocialTip

Emily Hill

Site: http://www.isthisreallymylife.com/

Twitter: @Emihill

Social media-loving, Diet Coke-drinking, triathlon-racing, dessert-eating, copywriting mother of four. And I do it all in heels.

Kellie McAnulty

Site: www.herthoughtsaboutit.com

Twitter: @razorbackgirl

Social Media/ Graphic Designer. Loves husband/music/Razorbacks/Mike Trout/NYY/ARod/Cowboys!

Meg Hodson

Site: http://www.happykidsincblog.com

Twitter: @happykidsinc

Writer, Blogger, Social Media Maven/Addict/Marketer, Event Marketer. There's no H in wine

Nina Radetich

Site: www.ninaradetich.com

Twitter: @ninarvegas

Former News Anchor/Founder of NR New Media, a Social Media Marketing Agency in Las Vegas/Wife/Mom/Former Triathlete/Coffee Addict/Fitness Fanatic

Theresa Santoro

Site: www.TheFineArtofParenting.com

Twitter: @Parentingtip2go

Parenting Expert, Child & Family Advocate, Supporter of Education & the Arts

Jessica Benton
www.ThatTechChick.com
Twitter: @ThatTechChick
Blogger addicted to all things tech & beauty. Also a mom, wife, and more! And yesy, I tweet about it all!

Then there's me:

Lynne Gullo

Site: www.pinkyonthepulse.com

Twitter: @pinkypulse

Ink.Paper.Tweet. Blog. Print and Pop Culture professional turned Social Media Consultant. LinkedIn, Twitter, #SocialTV, Fun!

Happy Blogging!

Happy Social Media Day!

So what should we celebrate today? I have made some lovely new friends through social media. I've always said my favorite part of Facebook was finding my grade school classmates whom I shared 2nd -7th grade with. I had a fun time with American Idol. I've enjoyed 90% of what you have posted on Facebook. I can't get enough of funny animal videos. No matter how many times you ask, I will not play Candy Crush.

I've had to defend social media a lot. There are a lot of mean-spirited people on social. For every dozen of them, there are a hundred uplifting, inspiring, entertaining wonderful people. I wish I had watched the Oprah episode where Ashton Kutcher taught her how to use Twitter. As Pinky on the Pulse, I pride myself on jumping on the bandwagon, even if 100 million people were ahead of me. I'm still finding my way in social media as a profession. I like to joke that social media is like Seinfeld. It's really about nothing and I enjoy nothing very much. I'm good at nothing!

Have I run out of things to say? You betcha. I just signed up for a beta publishing site on Hootsuite that will say things for me because I cannot think of enough things to say. Certainly this is not new in social Media. Content is King or Queen or a Ninja, something like that. The 100 million people ahead  of me already said the good stuff, although I am taking credit for the words: "Tweetchless: lack of anything to tweet about." and "Lamecation: planning a vacation to an unlikely location." I like being able to write nearly anything I want without the proper use of commas. Social media must be an English teacher's worst nightmare. I apologize if you are grinding your teeth as you read this. If it's any consolation it really bugs me when people use they're, their and there wrong.

So Happy Social Media Day to You! Thanks for being part of my world.

And the Winner is...Well, Maybe

I have a thing about rooting for the underdog. I attribute some of this to being a Libra (10/17) and those dang Scales of Justice. I always see both sides of the story and usually skew towards the unbalanced choice.

So it's even more appropriate that American Idol would choose me as one of 18 women to get a special sneak peek behind-the-scenes look at Season 13 in December, that I would become one of the branded "Idol Tweethearts" and that I would stick with it all season. Friends and family expressed concern, "What's up with Lynne and her constant chatter about American Idol?" Most shared my enthusiasm, yet my stream was sprinkled with disparaging comments "I gave up after Hollywood Week!" and "I miss the dance routines!" Nobody has actually admitted to missing the awkward dance routines, but  there's still hope for the finale!

One thing I honestly miss are the Ford commercials. I always thought Ford was brilliant for shooting a custom spot each week with the remaining contestants. They were smart and fun. I prayed all season that Ford would call the Idol Tweethearts to shoot our own spot. We are smart and fun too! Plus, I would look great in a Ford Escape Hybrid. My other fantasy was a JLo L'Oreal makeover. Or a can of Diet Coke. I am not greedy.

Supporting American Idol this season has been challenging. Even the best combination of judges to date – Harry Connick, Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban – couldn't get the traction they deserved. Being nice isn't enough. If I could pinpoint one weakness it would be in the audition process. A large percentage of contestants played acoustic guitars in their city auditions. They were comfortable performing in a small room in front of the three judges, but this comfort did not expand as the size of the venue did. And don't get me started about the buses in Hollywood Week: bad idea, mean spirited and a blatant waste of money.

It's no secret that my favorite, Savion Wright, was cut during Hollywood Week. I blubbered in my lazyboy. My fellow Tweethearts who had gone to a post Hollywood Week Bootcamp had not spilled the beans no matter how often I asked about him. I know they were equally disappointed. I kept hoping it was a secret plot twist and he would return under a new Fake Elimination 2014 rule. I will continue to hope until the finale.

Here we are on the cusp of choosing a Hunger Games, I mean, Season 13 winner. Every week I have felt it was any one's title to win and it still is. Caleb Johnson and Jena Irene (note to self every week: Geena) would have to be the Vegas odds-on favorites with their arena filling voices. Johnson's full lung rock vocals have brought down the house every week, but he needs to filter that voice off-stage. Jena Irene matches him decibel for decibel and will have a career no matter how the show ends. There is also the soulful Alex Preston whose quirky charm like his choice of pants does not quite extend far enough.

My underdog pick to win S13 is ... Jess Meuse.

Jess Meuse has impressed me the most throughout the season. She was a standout in the early auditions, but mostly for all the wrong reasons. Usually originals during audition rounds make me cringe, but her "Blue-Eyed Lie" was catchy and proved to be marketable when she sang it again during Top 8 week. Behind-the-scenes drama during Hollywood Week was a near disaster with Meuse having difficulty in two groups, then being reamed by a stage mom. She had a deep hole to climb out of in my opinion, but week after week she has filled that gap.

Her gravelly vocals, reminiscent of one my favs, Stevie Nicks (hear Meuse's take on "Rhiannon") and gracious manner when receiving criticism have won me over. She is clearly grateful to be there each week. She is serious about her career choice and has been posting videos on YouTube for four years. She needs to grow a lot more in her stage presence, but I remind myself that Carrie Underwood was pretty reserved on this stage as well and she got over it quite well.

For a winner counterpoint, see fellow IdolTweetheart Emily Hill's pick here. There's a Diet Coke at stake!

Join @idolTweethearts on Twitter every Thursday at 4pmPT/7pmET at #IdolPreParty, You could win a t-shirt!

The Making of a Movie Mogul

Maybe watching the opening scenes of American Beauty with my 81 year-old mother and 13 year-old nephew wasn't the best decision. My nephew Joe has become a cinephile recently and is constantly grilling his parents and me on Academy Award Best Picture winners and AFI's Top 100 list.

Joe: Aunt Lynne, do you think Raging Bull is the 4th best movie of all time?
Me: No.
Joe: Can I watch Goodfellas (No. 92)?
Me: No.
Joe: What is _________ (Name any movie) about?
Me: I don't remember.
Joe: Can I watch Goodfellas?
Me: Still No.
Joe: Did you understand 2001: A Space Odyssey?
Everyone, ever: No

I went through my own DVD collection and gave him this classic 4-pack: Casablanca (#3), Gigi, Mrs. Miniver and An American in Paris. I also threw in American Graffiti (#62), The Dark Knight and Napoleon Dynamite to keep my fun aunt status.

Mind you, this grilling has been going on for months with his parents. I have only been subjected to it in spurts. So when I arrived for my Easter visit, Goodfellas, American Beauty and The Graduate had already been cleared parentally. We watched the end of The Graduate, one of my favs. He thought it was okay. His mom and I keep suggesting Swiss Family Robinson, but alas, it does not rank highly on many lists.

Cut to Grandma's living room and Joe has American Beauty (Best Picture, 1999) cued up. I remember it as a dull, sad movie with rose petals. It opens with Kevin Spacey in the shower starting his day "off."

Joe & I simultaneously: "Um, maybe we should watch something else."
Grandma: "I can't see or hear a thing!"

This makes me remember the time I took my mom to see Love Actually. I loved it so much the first time that I took her to see it, totally forgetting about one of the story lines involving the cute couple of fluffers.

Mom: "What are they doing?"
Me: "Never mind!"

We end up watching Stand By Me (1986), shockingly rated R, which the three of us enjoy.  Next up will be Goodfellas. It's just a little gangster movie, right? Kind of the fun version of The Godfather (#2 and already viewed)? I did get him to see Frozen earlier this year, so maybe he'll be able to see the violence and decadence and just "Let It Go!"

Does a list of "bests" by trusted sources like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, American Film Institute or the late Roger Ebert make a film okay to watch? How can Stand By Me and The Wolf of Wall Street both be rated R? My brother thinks I'm being a prude. Maybe I just never recovered from watching a certain Ally McBeal episode in front of my mother and stepfather.

I reminded Joe that the AFI list is a "Lifetime" tally and doesn't need to be viewed by June 1st. While not everything is appropriate viewing even with a rank or award attached to it, I appreciate this new interest of his over any video game. I remind him that it's great to be a movie enthusiast, not a movie snob and probably not a good idea to compare yourself to Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver, #52), ever. For the record, I stand firmly on not letting the 13 year-old see A Clockwork Orange (#70) and The Wolf of Wall Street. Not on my watch anyway! What are your guidelines?

What's the Point? Shopping!

Last week I heard Coco Jones from shopkick speak at thinkLA's Mobile Breakfast and if someone named Coco speaks about shopping, my ears perk up. I dutifully downloaded the free shopkick app as she spoke.

Mobile and shopping is a marriage made in heaven and Jones, Head of Brand Partnerships for the shopkick App told us how mobile technology will take in-store experiences to another level. Shopkick is a mobile companion that “informs, rewards and delights” by utilizing iBeacon, an indoor positioning system utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that wakes up the consumer’s phone and provides an augmented reality experience. 84% of shoppers use smartphones in stores and 73% research before shopping.

“Shopkick takes something as ordinary as shopping and makes it extraordinary,” said Jones. “The digital overlay of an iBeacon app makes the store your store. The App captures when they enter the store, influences and drives purchases with a redemption reward. The path to purchase is a circuitous loyalty loop.”

One week later, I have 179 "kicks" or points earned towards my desired reward, a $5 Starbucks card that will cost me 1250+ points. What's the point, I ask myself? Today I ran around Target like I was on a scavenger hunt to get about 150 of my points. I got 45 easy ones for walking in the door. But then I had to find particular items and scan the barcode for another 25 points each. After about 10 minutes of this, I was annoyed.

A year ago I was in love with Viggle, another free app that rewarded you for watching television. Unlike Get Glue, you got real gift cards, not stickers. I logged into shows, watched the promo ads for extra points and accumulated rewards pretty quickly. That is until Viggle changed their fake monetary  system. Suddenly, my $5 Starbucks card went from 5000 points to 12,000 points. Then Viggle degraded further IMO by offering their own merchandise (35,000 points for a Viggle t-shirt, really?)

I loved my Fresh 'N Easy store around the corner and their weekly $5 or $10 coupons, plus my rewards card. Since the business was sold I can understand the sudden shift in lack of coupons. But now I find it nearly impossible to use the points I've accumulated.

Sometimes the reward just isn't worth the work, you know what I mean? Has anyone had a favorable rewards/points experience with an app? Do tell!

Does (Screen) Size Matter for Oscar?

I'm still finishing my Academy Awards homework, getting ready for the Oscars on Sunday, my favorite holiday of the year. It occurred to me today that I have viewed many Oscar nominees in multiple formats: at the Arclight Sherman Oaks with optimal sound and visual technology at work, on a mid-size screen at a multiplex, on my 47" Samsung HDTV, on my 27" Sony Flatscreen with multiple dog-barking interruptions and on the back seat of a Virgin America flight monitor with $3 headphones. I believe these multiple viewing experiences have a direct correlation on the impact of the movie. They may even sway my votes and make me lose my Oscar pool!

I saw American Hustle and Gravity at the Arclight. Gravity made me hold my breath as I felt immersed with Sandra Bullock in her completely dark sphere. Hi, George. Bye, George. I didn't know the international space stations were up there like rest areas on the interstate. Last Space Station in this Galaxy 75,000 miles!

I thoroughly enjoyed American Hustle, from the 70's soundtrack and hair curlers to the family portraits on Carmine and Dolly Polito's wall. Christian Bale was unrecognizable underneath all that polyester and hair glue. I thought Amy Adams was mesmerizing as she slid between characters and groovy outfits. I wonder if I had watched that one at home or on a plane if I would have thought I was watching a Baretta marathon though.

Captain Phillips translated well to my HDTV. I was riveted to the screen. Very glad I read the true account of what happened in the final hours by Mark Owen in No Easy Day. Just another day on the job for the extraordinary Navy Seals, pulling off a miracle with jaw-dropping precision.

12 Years a Slave is a history lesson we should all witness. Heart-wrenching performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o made me flinch and feel deep shame for humanity. I was equally fascinated by the performances of Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson as those roles could not have been easy to live with. I watched this at home. I think I would have been much more deeply impacted if I saw it in the theatre and it would have been a sure Best Picture pick for me.

The Wolf of Wall Street was so much fun! I watched this one at home too. I had been warned before viewing about how long it was and how often the F word was used. Neither of those bothered me.There were just so many comparisons running through my head during this one— Leo in The Great Gatsby, Michael Douglas in Wall Street, Sharon Stone in Casino, Ray Liotta in Goodfellas. I don't know which scene I rewound more: Leonado DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey at lunch or Jonah Hill at the pool party. I love a good Men Behaving Badly moment...or ten thousand. I was intrigued by the debauchery and wondered about the parents of all the girls in those scenes. I imagined them at their book clubs exclaiming. "My daughter got a role in the Martin Scorsese film! She's the BLUE CHIP Hooker, not the Nasdaq or Pink Sheet Hooker." Disclaimer: I watched this alone. Had I been with my mother or nearly anyone else I would have been MORTIFIED. Had I seen this on a big screen I would have had to pick my jaw off the floor before exiting the theatre.

I saw Frozen at the McMinnville Multiplex with my 13 and 4 year-old nephews. I was babysitting for the first time and desperate to keep them occupied. I didn't know much about the movie except that there was a funny snowman in it. I started to panic after the first hour when it was all about the princesses. Then I heard Idina Menzel's voice and Olaf came back. Whew! They didn't love it as much as I did, but we made it through. Another Disney sleeper I saw in McMinnville was Saving Mr. Banks. I was amazed that they made a movie out of this B story. I loved the 60s details in this period piece and the 13 year-old enjoyed it too.

I watched Nebraska on my 27" TV and it suited this B/W film just fine. It was like watching a home movie about someone else's dysfunctional family problems. Sure, it was slow as molasses and I dozed and rewound a lot, but it had so many resonating moments. Driving for miles to visit someone only to just say hello in the driveway or sitting around watching TV with relatives when you really don't have anything to say. And you KNOW that's exactly what would happen to you if people learned you won the lottery!

My last screen experience was watching Blue Jasmine on Virgin America. I don't usually watch films on flights because I tend to fall asleep immediately while taxiing. I think I missed a lot of the nuances of Cate Blanchett's performance on this small screen. Maybe she just didn't seem that crazy to me!

How much do you think your viewing experience affects the impact a film has on you? Is it fair to judge the Oscar-worthy films on multiple platforms?

A few days left to cram in some films before the big day Sunday. I'll be tweeting for The Insider like I did for the Grammys. Follow me on Twitter @pinkypulse #Insider #Oscars

Channeling the Power of Women, from Oprah to the Number 101

 Happy Birthday to Oprah Winfrey who turned 60 today!

Have you listened to the wonderful speech Oprah Winfrey gave in December upon accepting The Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment breakfast? 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/oprah-winfreys-motivational-speech-at-665409

Very fitting for such a powerful woman to receive this award from Lansing, the groundbreaking most powerful woman in Hollywood, who at age 35 became the first female President of 20^th Century Fox. Winfrey defines Power as “Strength over time. Strength x Strength x Strength = Power.”

“Your real power lies in the opportunity that you have in this moment in time to use your life for something that really matters,” Winfrey said. “The common denominator in human experience is validation. Did you hear me? Did what I say mean anything to you?” She quoted Joseph Campbell, who said, “The privilege of a lifetime is to be who you are.” Winfrey said, “The real privilege is to use who you are to elevate the higher good of everyone else.”

100 Women have not let their gender get in the way of their career path as they were recently named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2013 Women in Entertainment Power 100 List. 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/hollywood-reporters-2013-women-entertainment-power-100-664497

I wonder how they felt about their position on the list, whether they went up or down, that many of their ages were listed, what they decided to wear for their power shot. How many of these women have been called names behind their backs as they rose through the still male dominated entertainment industry? How many helped other women along the way? Hey Number 101, don't feel bad. Oprah says she has been all over the list from #1 to OFF.

What percentage of “power” positions do the top 100 Women represent? If Geena Davis’s calculations were correct, I would say 17%.

I recently got to hear actor* Geena Davis speak at Warner Bros. about her own Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Davis, best known for her roles in iconic female buddy movies Thelma and Louise and A League of Their Own, calls herself an *actor, defined by Merriam-Webster as “a person who acts.”

She says she developed a heightened sense of awareness of how women are portrayed in media after those two roles and her own experiences watching

G-rated movies with her young daughter. She started to study the disparity and discovered that for every one female-speaking character in family-rated films

(G, PG and PG-13), there were roughly 3 male characters; crowd scenes rarely showed more than 17% women and that 3:1 ratio hasn’t changed since 1946! Oh, and the #1 occupation of females in family movies? Royalty. Even I don’t see those opportunities on LinkedIn!

Davis isn’t on a crusade, she just wants to even out the playing field in a non-threatening to men way so that Forensic Scientist isn’t the only new female occupation.

Read about Geena Davis’ Two Easy Steps to Make Hollywood Less Sexist:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/geena-davis-two-easy-steps-664573

Her organization at www.seejane.org has a simple message: “If She Can See It, She Can Be It.”

No matter what number we fall on a list we all have the opportunity and the duty to lead those around us on a path as a positive role model!

#OprahWinfrey #TheHollywoodReporter #WomenInEntertainment #GeenaDavis