Jennifer Aniston hired professional Oscar campaign strategist Lisa Taback

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First of all, we need to discuss the fact that Jennifer Aniston has hired an Oscar strategist. I heard this rumor a few weeks ago, but the Gold Derby says it’s for real. The Oscar strategist is named Lisa Taback, and Taback has previously worked on the Oscar campaigns for The King’s Speech and The Artist. I wonder how long Aniston has been working with Taback? My guess is for the last month, and I would guess that Aniston has contracted Taback until mid-January at least (when the Oscar nominations come out), with an option for another month if Aniston does get nominated for an Oscar. Which… it’s increasingly looking like that’s going to happen. The Gold Derby has Aniston’s chances at an Oscar nom from a long-shot to “very likely.”

The reason I think Aniston has been working with an Oscar-campaigning professional for a month or more is because Aniston managed to kick-start her campaign into high gear almost instantly once Cinelou pulled together a distribution arm JUST FOR CAKE. That happened in late October. Jennifer then spent all of November making all of the Oscar-campaign moves, giving interviews to trade papers, being extra friendly with the press, hosting screenings and Q&A sessions and a lot more. So, was it worth it? It depends on how much Jennifer is willing to spend to get an Oscar nomination (a number probably in the high six-figures).

Meanwhile, I guess the Oscar strategist had an idea to put Jennifer on another national syndicated show other than The Ellen Show. So Jennifer appeared on… The Dr. Oz Show. You can see the videos here. She managed to get through the interview without talking about poop!! Shocking.

Even one of Hollywood’s sweethearts can’t stay upbeat all the time. Jennifer Aniston recently revealed during The Dr. Oz Show that she became quite grumpy when she stopped exercising in order to get into character for the upcoming Golden Globe-nominated drama Cake.

“It’s interesting when you stop exercising. It really was interesting how my serotonin levels went down. My stamina was shot. I was cranky. I was irritable,” Aniston, 45, said on a pre-taped episode. “I’m usually really not any of those things. I found myself short. I was hungry like crazy.”

As previously reported, the Friends alum often went without makeup and stopped working out for two months to play Claire Simmons, a woman who suffers chronic pain after a car accident. But for Aniston, not looking like her red carpet self wasn’t the downfall of not hitting the gym.

“You realize exercise is just so important to our soul,” she explained to Dr. Oz. “Not just being able to fit into skinny jeans, to your state of mind, your soul, all of that. I surrendered into it. I actually didn’t fight it. I didn’t think oh this is horrible. It was such a part of what I enjoyed about mining this character.”

One thing that has become awful (off set!) is her lack of sleep. Aniston came prepared to The Dr. Oz Show with a list of questions about her night habits, even asking if she was “going to die young” because of it.

“I have so many questions for you by the way. I have a hard time sleeping. Sleep is a tough one for me. My brain, the committee in my head, if I wake up at three in the morning I just start having conversations and they won’t shut up and then I can’t get back to sleep,” Justin Theroux’s fiancee said. “I do have three animals and a human being in the bed, so there are all these distractions. I got an app on my phone that allows you to sort of track your sleep rhythms. I don’t really quite ever get into the deep, deep, deep sleep.”

[From Us Weekly]

I didn’t realize she had sleep problems – that might explain A LOT. Aniston drinks (from what we’ve seen), and the booze might be contributing to her sleep problems, or her sleep problems may explain why she drinks. It’s a chicken-and-egg thing. What came first, the sleep problems or the alcohol and pot? I used to like a stiff drink at night because I thought it would help me sleep. And it did, for a time, except you can’t keep doing that night after night. And I had a rough adjustment when I stopped, and yes, there were some bad nights when my sleep pattern got all messed up. But your body adjusts. Nowadays, I don’t drink alcohol and I try not to have any caffeine after 5 pm and I’ve never slept so well. Aniston should try it.

Oh, and I don’t really have any shade for what Aniston says about working out. I’ve noticed something similar when my workouts have been sidelined by injury or illness too – my energy level is so different, I was anxious and sad. It turns out that I’ve gotten addicted to those exercise endorphins.

PS… Jennifer won “Best Actress” at the People Magazine Awards last night. She didn’t walk the red carpet, but she posed a lot inside. I’m assuming the People Awards are a lot like the People’s Choice.

Photos courtesy of Getty, Fame/Flynet.

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264 Responses to “Jennifer Aniston hired professional Oscar campaign strategist Lisa Taback”

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  1. MelissaManifesto says:

    If you have to campaign so much for something you don’t deserve it. An Oscar Campaign Strategist? This is the most pretentious expression I’ve heard. It’s great to be rewarded for your work, but this is getting into Hathaway territory for me.

    • SpookySpooks says:

      Anne deserved her Oscar.
      Amd they all campaign, even more than Jennifer. Colin Firth also had a strategist, no?

      • MelissaManifesto says:

        Since Jennifer was presented in this subject, I only mentioned her. It coul;d very well applied with other campaigners. Everyone has their opinions, but full frontal Oscar campaigns annoy me.

      • Mellie says:

        Don’t let any of them fool you…they all campaign like crazy, this isn’t another award to any of them, not even Meryl.

      • Gea says:

        Hathaway can be very annoying but one thing is for sure, she is talented and her Oscar is well deserved. As for Jen, where she will still be without her PR team. I wonder if she is still able to make any decisions on any level including,personal without input from her trusted team. As for Cake, I saw at and hmmm, her acting reminded me of her role in Good girl. That was the only time I saw her trying to expend her acting ability. Jen playing Claire, fail on so many levels over and over again. In my eyes, her acting plus make down in Cqke are not Oscar worthily.

      • FLORC says:

        Aniston just doesn’t deserve that Oscar.
        Hathaway got annoying, but she had a great body of work. Her role in Rachel Getting Married was amazing. I often disagree with for what role the Oscar gets them a win, but she deserved it overall.

        Aniston has a career of terrible films or being carried by good actors while she plays a variation of 1 character. She makes 1 movie that breaks away from it and there’s (self made) buzz. She needs to do more. She hasn’t proven anything. Well, maybe that she’s got great pr people.

      • Bobbisue says:

        Don’t forget Melissa Leo from The Fighter! That actress notoriously campaigned her behind off; zero scruples or shame in doing it. She was good but grating IMO. Being from that area of Mass, I found her performance cloying. Anyway, her relentlessness paid off. They ALL do it.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I agree, Mellie, they all campaign. As we saw with Hathaway, sometimes that campaigning can rub the public the wrong way. I think it makes sense that if someone is going to do it, that they consult experts on how best to approach it.

        And honestly, I think it is a worthy investment for her business. If she wants to get better roles coming her way, she needs to make the most out of it when she does films like Cake. Each role is a step towards the next role.

      • Ashley says:

        Anne was in 1/10 of a film. Essentially all she did was sing a song while crying (I can do a really good rendition in the shower). She did not deserve an award for THAT. Although I will say she is incredibly talented and not irritating at all in movies.

      • muggles says:

        The thing with Aniston’s ‘campaign,’ is there’s no there there. When hathaway or bullock campaign its because the movie releases and THEN everyone is raving about their performance being great and oscar worthy. Aniston’s movie is embargo’d and there’s been no consensus about this performance. So how’d she get there? Her pr and oscar strategist, cold hard cash and lots of smoke and mirrors. This strategist is earning her dough as is Aniston’s power pr flack because there aren’t even a lot of reviews for this movie. The ones that exist from the festival where it mafe not even a ripple, say the movie is bad or meh while she is meh to good. The only consensus are articles reporting on the so called buzz but strangely enough no significant number of reviews to support it, the onky thing ive seen are these constantly repeated references to a ‘standing ovation’ at TIFF festival inserted into articles which give the reader the false impression that TIFF is like Cannes when it isn’t. All the audiences at TIFF stand up for the cast after the film who are seated in the balcony and introduced whether the film is good or awful. It’s canadians being respectful and thanking them for showing up. This whole campaign of hers is fraudulent. But it’s working. Hollywood is now ‘citizens united’ (owned and bribed by agencies and corporations) just like politics…more than its ever been.

      • Alice says:

        The “body of work” thing is what they give the “Lifetime Achievement” Oscar for. Past roles really shouldn’t play into whether or not the current role under consideration wins or not.

        And really, the only difference here is WHO hired the Oscar strategist. Frankly, good for her. It will curious to see if next year, rather than relying on a studio to do it for them (and having to submit to someone else’s decision on it), there aren’t other actors / actresses who take it into their own hands as well.

      • fritanga says:

        I loathe AnnE Hathaway, but she did have a decent performance behind her relentless Oscar campaign. Aniston, not so much. I know she’s guilting people into voting for her for awards for her “body of work,” but as that work has been so bad by and large, I’m surprised she has the nerve.

        Still, this is the way Hollywood works: all awards shows are popularity contests fueled by constant PR barrages of gifts, parties, interviews, appearances, etc. Whoever does the best job of it wins. Nothing to do with the actual pesky film performances.

    • Godwina says:

      Which is why the Oscars and the other awards became utterly moot about 20 years ago (if they weren’t already). Surely no one remains under the illusion that it’s actually merit-based? Weinstein and “The Envelop Please” and all that?

      Like many, I enjoy awards season for the gowns. But this film buff scoffs at the rest. And if Anniston wins anything I will hurl.

      /high horse

      • Luca76 says:

        I think it’s always been this way in fact there are more rules about what you can and can’t do now than then ever. I really, really hope Julianne Moore wins the Oscar though it would be such a shame if she lost out to Aniston.

      • serena says:

        ah! This! Totally right! Even though sometimes people who really deserved it, won it, but usually they just shut out so many people while nominating always the same.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I don’t know if the Oscars are moot. They certainly impact a film’s marketability and profit.

        Whether they are the definitive answer on best performances? I think that is always going to be subjective. Certain films, regardless of the performance quality, will impact viewers more than others. Comparing performances is so hard because they are all running on different tracks over different obstacles.

      • Lucy Bauer says:

        I agree completely. I’m upset that it looks likely that she’ll be nominated and if she wins, ugh. So undeserving. Her films have been terrible and she does one different role and thinks she deserves an award? These awards mean less and less each year and her win would end it for me for good, I think. I mean Silver Linings Playbook for Best Picture? Julia Roberts? Sandra Bullock? And, now maybe Jennifer Aniston. It’s laughable to say, “Oscar nominated actress, Jennifer Aniston.” Bahahaha!

      • crazydaisy says:

        moot? i think you mean irrelevant, maybe?

        moot/mo͞ot/ (adjective):
        subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty, and typically not admitting of a final decision.

      • Lucrezia says:

        Moot has two meanings. The second is: “having little or no practical relevance”. So Godwina’s usage was fine.

        That said, I’m with Tiffany … an Oscar (or even just a nomination) still impacts marketing and profit, so it’s not exactly irrelevant.

    • Jenni says:

      Don’t be naive. Everybody does that.

      • FLORC says:

        Jenni
        You’re wrong and shouldn’t generalize. You’re more likely to be called out.
        There are quite a few actors that won the Oscar while openly refusing to campaign. It seems as long as they didn’t openly call out the Academy for what is a silly and outdated award that means less than it did they have a chance still.
        Mo’Nique is 1 ott. She won and avoided interviews and film festivals for Precious. She let her acting speak for itself which is something more actors should do.

      • marieclaire says:

        She isn’t wrong. They all do it, and just because the actors openly refused to campaign doesn’t mean that the studio which released the film didn’t campaign aggressively. These studios spend a tremendous amount of money trying to garner nominations in order to collect awards, increase word of mouth and in the end, increase box office. I feel confident saying that a majority of awards were won on account of campaigns and their strategists (either internal or consultant).

    • CK says:

      Everybody campaigns. You have to. To feasibly expect hundreds of busy nominators to coalesce around just 5 of the hundreds of performances each year is ludicrous. You can’t reasonably expect people to see your work if you don’t send them screeners or give them some reason to see it over the hundreds of other. More importantly, if people didn’t campaign, independent films and smaller performances would just suffer. Sure, Aniston is the beneficiary this year, but last year Blanchett won for a smaller film that would have been overlooked if she didn’t get out there and work for it.

      • Mellie says:

        Everyone may want to smack the crap out of me, but I watched 100 Years a Slave last year and the Dallas Buyers Club and believe me I love MM, love everything he does, but he must have worked it good because Chiwetelu Ejiofor clearly deserved the Oscar…clearly in my book and everyone I spoke with that watched both movies agreed and trust me, I have nothing against MM. I love his acting skills and his sweet little family. And honestly, I wasn’t that impressed with Lupita Nyong’o either, she had a very small part, she was great, but she didn’t carry the movie like Fassbender and Ejiofor did…but she was the new fresh face. I really think the older lady from Nebraska, June Squibb should have won, she was hilarious in that movie. It’s just all a farce really…the whole awards thing. It’s sad.

      • Lilliputian says:

        Nah. There is no realm in which Matthew Mcwhatever > Lupita Nyongo.

      • Charlie says:

        As much as I love Lupita, we only saw one performance by her. How do you know she’s better than Matthew?

      • fritanga says:

        You’re forgetting that Blanchett is a terrific actress. Aniston is, at best, a middling comedienne who does the same role over and over. Blanchett was in a small Woody Allen film, yes – but she was great in it. Aniston thinks that wearing no makeup and acting glum in an indie is Oscar-worthy. Speaks volumes about her, actually.

    • Mixtape says:

      Eh…so what? Hollywood is an industry, and businesses in all industries court industry awards in order to build reputation and drum up more business. My company’s PR team submits my name every year for certain awards in my industry (even the ones given out like candy); it doesn’t mean I’m vain or care any less about my job.

    • Zwella Ingrid says:

      I guess I am naïve and sheltered. I had no idea that anyone had to plot, spend money, and campaign to get an Oscar. Silly me, I thought it was based on talent.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        In LA, there are “for your consideration” ads on Billboards, buses, magazines, trade papers, etc. People in all TV and film entertainment guilds (WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, PGA, etc) get bombarded with screeners “for your consideration”. One year, they sent out dvd players with encrypted dvds that were compatible with each other.

        This is not a new thing. TONS of money is spent every year during award season.

    • Nerdista says:

      That’s like believing every person in jail is guilty.

  2. Lilacflowers says:

    On Christmas Day, Jennifer’s publicist will announce that she has eloped with Benedict Cumberbatch, securing Oscar nods for both of them.

    • Jem says:

      Actually there is a report circulating that she married Thereaux.

      • Jem says:

        What convenient timing for a wedding People cover….

      • Jem says:

        Oh… never mind. Didn’t happen. My bad…

      • Janet says:

        There is also a report circulating that he dumped her. See how that works?

      • Jem says:

        Oh, reaalllly? Dish!

        ….God, I’m such a gossip wh*re.

      • FLORC says:

        Rumors that even TMZ is giving the side eye to is Aniston’s close friends are avoiding going to relatives and friends for holidays incase she invites them to a “holiday party” and throws a surprise wedding.
        Harvey called them out saying it’s 1. selfish if true. 2. just 1 of the many wedding rumors. 3. Only Handler has avoided traveling for the holidays. Jen will milk this as long as possible. Simple truth.

    • Lilacflowers says:

      She dumped him so she could elope with Benedict.

  3. Lb says:

    Gross. The whole Oscars thing is gross. I’m learning to appreciate that Jaoquin Phoenix, and the like, mostly abstain.

    • Sunny says:

      Joaquin is so so talented… I wish he would play the hollywood game a little bit more.

      I have no hate for Jen’s huge campaign, she is working really hard. I just don’t think she is a strong dramatic actress and I would rather see some great performances nominated rather than whatever Aniston gave in Cake. I mean, if they are desperate to fill a 5th spot, how about Patricia Arquette for Lead in Boyhood instead of supporting? Or Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night? How how about the lead actress from the Polish film Ida?

      Just not Jen whose friends are pushing this nomination instead of any semblance of talent. Come on voters!

      • I think it would’ve been cool if she had campaigned for a comedic film that she did.

        And now that I’m thinking about it, her entire campaign is hinging on the fact that she went make up free (which isn’t true), and gained 10-15 lbs to play a woman with chronic pain. It’s only been since this month that she’s been talking more and more about wearing a back brace, or how she talked to a few people she knew about chronic pain. That’s kinda sad.

        I mean, I don’t hate her for her game, it’s just so odd that she’s running an Oscar campaign the first time she steps outside her safety box in acting. And it’s HER. She’s not doing it for a studio. But I guess this’ll make sure ‘Cake’ will get seen by a wider audience…hopefully. I’m wondering what she’s gonna do next year.

    • kitty duke says:

      Preach. Joaquin is the best.

    • CK says:

      Honestly, I usually take Joaquin’s Oscar game complaining with a huge grain of salt. He’s far enough in his career, with enough acclaim and a fandom/liking in the academy circles, and that put him in contention whenever he has a film out. He doesn’t need to campaign (overtly) to get his films seen. His films also tend to be pushed hard by their studios. His career would not be affected by an Oscar win at all. He’s still going to get roles season after season. So when he complains about playing the game, my typical reaction is “Dude, your Joaquin F***ing Phoenix, you don’t need to and by abundantly making it clear that you aren’t, you kind of sort of are.”

  4. Dolce crema says:

    Cute dress, is that an electrical cord behind her?

  5. Delueth says:

    I bet I’ll be in the minority but I have no problem with hiring this consultant. She was a serious underdog up until this point because she wasnt backed by some studio or king of campaigns Harvey Weinstein. And in the ideal these campaigns are steered by the studio. Shes helping herself. Being proactive and investing in herself. A nomination alone in Jens hands could open up many new doors because she is very good at leveraging. Her whole post-Friends career has been about very savvy leveraging afterall.

    • perplexed says:

      I agree. I guess if the other ones benefit from having Harvey Weinstein get their awards, I don’t see why the other actors couldn’t hire Oscar strategists. The whole thing is a weird business and not really based on the principle of actually awarding for talent, but ever since Gwyneth won her Oscar and everyone talked about what Harvey Weinstein did to get the statue for her, I figure everybody else is doing what they need to do to work around the system created for them.

      • Loopy says:

        Weinstein apart from owning a powerful studio, what role does he play in his movies winning oscars,he seems to have a reputation of being aggressive. He sounds like he owns hollywood which is not fair.

      • LAK says:

        Loopy: perhaps you should google Harvey and Oscar campaigning to understand what Harvey does to win those awards for his films.

        It’s too long and detailed to summarise here, but in a nutshell, he is proactive on all fronts. Not just front of camera where we can see his films/FYC, but also behind the scenes. There are loads of anecdotes on the internet where someone has spilled the beans about his methods.

        In a nutshell, he campaigns over and above what other people do. Not simply interviews and Q&As, He finds the voters and schmoozes them, whatever city they are in. He doesn’t restrict the schmoozing to film related events. He brings in whatever means possible.

        As an example, the year he was pushing SILVERLININGS, he persuaded DIOR to partner with him for a party during fashion week, flew several voters to it who ‘accidentally’ met JLaw and Brad Cooper. One voter wrote about it and said meeting JLaw and being charmed by her at the party is what persuaded him to vote in her favour. No mention of whether voter had watched the film.

        There are the aggressive methods such as sending a screener to voters’ homes and calling immediately it’s been delivered to check it was received, it was watched, and pressing advantage Harvey’s considerations.

        There are the gifts cough bribes cough to the voters to meet and greet the various FYCs, like that aforementioned DIOR party.

        Keeping the FYCs front and centre with interviews everywhere – see Ben Cumberbatch right now.

        It’s a very aggressive and expensive charm offensive in which his FYCs are pushed to the Oscar.

        The studios used to be lazy in their campaigning, doing the bare minimum, but now they copy his strategy. Jen Aniston here is also copying his strategy.

        One thing you have to remember is that despite his reputation and visibility, he doesn’t actually have the money to mount the type of marketing campaign that regular films have during the rest of the year. He uses the award season as a marketing tool for his films such that even of they don’t win anything, they get visibility via the awards shows because a nomination brings free publicity.

      • MP says:

        I heard this Lisa used to work for Harvey. Did Jen poach Cumby’s strategist?

      • LAK says:

        Loopy: no he is not. He is simply the most visible. His initial company, Miramax, was sold to Disney a decade ago, but it was a minor studio rather than a major one.

        His company, The Weinstein Company, is a producer and distributor, but it’s not a studio.

        Believe it or not, he is an indie producer. That’s his niche. Together with his brother, they built up Miramax from scratch and used different methods to the ones that were the norm to wrestle the market from the studios. He *is* aggressive, but he has had to be.

        As so many indie producers deal with him directly, and he isn’t afraid to look outside the box for films, you hear more about him than other CEOs of other companies in Hollywood.

        Marketing a film is ridiculously expensive. Very few indie producers can afford it. Even one with the might of a Harvey. It’s cheaper to pay for an oscar campaign than to market a film in the normal way to achieve the level of saturation that awards achieve. The studios have deep pockets, deepened by their summer blockbusters. They can afford to market world wide the way they do for their smaller films.

        I don’t know whether you noticed a small detail in the initial press release of Jen Aniston’s nomination campaign. They said they’d only release the film in small release in time for award season which I thought was smart because I bet none of us (or them) will watch her film, but as a result of this oscar campaign, everyone is aware of the film. Should they approach distributors, it’s going to have many more theatres willing to take it because the public is now very aware that it is available and possibly oscar worthy.

        MP: yes. She worked for Harvey.

      • littlestar says:

        LAK: That info is some of the juiciest real Hollywood insider info I’ve read in a long time!!! Thank you for sharing. It makes complete sense now why Weinstein pushes Oscar campaigning so hard! I had no idea it was cheaper to market a movie way rather than the “standard” marketing a company does.

      • fritanga says:

        Again – I may hate Paltrow, but she’s a decent dramatic actress. Aniston is not. That’s the difference.

        Weinstein might have bought Paltrow her Oscar, but her performance in Shakespeare in Love was good. Hard campaigning isn’t quite so venal if the performance it’s pushing is decent.

      • rudy says:

        Harvey started the whole Buy The Oscar Campaign with Goopy in Shakespeare In Love. Emily Watson was amazing in HIllary And Jackie. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth.

    • H says:

      Yup. I enjoy the Oscars not because I particularly love filmmaking – I don’t watch movies much at all actually anymore, I prefer television for audio-visual storytelling – but because I enjoy heightened celebrity culture and the strivers that populate it. Jennifer Aniston in the race makes everything a lot more interesting. I don’t think anyone thinks she is going to win, but a nomination itself would be very valuable to her career moving forward.

      • Loopy says:

        Wow thanks Lak but isn’t he the biggest studio head in hollywood why would they not have money for marketing?

      • Lilliputian says:

        Loopy Harvey is NOT the “biggest studio head in Hollywood”. Thats just part of his mythology. He is the king of indies though. He focuses on small smart films that have potential for mass appeal and then he peddles them as small smart award films. The resulting buzz then sells the movie in the process. The actors are so beholden to him for getting their actor peers to validate them with awards that he becomes the producer everybody wants to work with. Its really not very complicated.

      • Zwella Ingrid says:

        Thanks for the explanation Lak. That makes it more palatable to have my balloon of innocence about Oscar campaigning busted. If you view it from the standpoint that it is more of a marketing tool than an individual actor’s shameless vanity, it makes sense for them to do it.

      • LAK says:

        Zwella Ingrid: sadly, there is shameless vanity too. I personally feel AnnE was completely shameless vanity. The minute she uploaded a picture or was it video of her shaved head from the film set whilst they were shooting together with a leak about how she lost all that weight, that she was going for the oscar using the tried and true ‘ugly transformation’ method. That’s when her campaign started. And it was very much a campaign in which she teleported how much *she* deserved to win over all the others.

      • fritanga says:

        How is it going to help her career? She’s 45 or 46, and if at that age you don’t have the talent of Streep, or Mirren, or even Julianne Moore or any number of middle-aged British actresses, you’re dead in the water in Hollywood. Aniston can’t play ditsy romantic comedy leads anymore, and it’s obvious she doesn’t really want to play moms in comedies, so what’s left? An attempt to get an [undeserved] Oscar nomination, and a return to television. That’s it.

      • Sam says:

        @Lak enjoy your insight & knowledge but small correction re. Anne and Les Mis on set photos; she couldn’t have uploaded anything as she had no online presence at the time, she had no Instagram (only got a recent account for her ASL challenge), FB or even Twitter account. Universal or the prod companies released or leaked them. And the studio had a large hand in leaking stuff and promoting her that awards season as it coincided with the film’s release and generated a lot of publicity.

        She was hardly the first to use the “I got ugly and skinny” method for a campaign (see McBongo and others); an awards campaign by nature teleports ‘my performance was better and more deserving’ otherwise its not a working campaign. Don’t get me wrong her stuff was OTT, but she had the best performance and deserved her Oscar. And If she or others went overboard well – look how it succeeds: Aniston’s current surge is a prime jaw-dropping example.

        And it’s worth noting that Anne, Aniston and Paltrow (another personal ‘promoter’) all share the omnipotent Stephen Huvane as a pr rep.

    • T.C. says:

      Please, Aniston is no one’s underdog. She is one of the most famous women in the world. You know who is a true underdog Gugu Mbatha-Raw who was truly fantastic in BELLE. Excellent acting AND her film made pretty good money for a small Indie with low visibility. I bet Aniston’s film won’t make as much money as Belle. Mbatha-Raw is a little know woman of color and wasn portrayed as an ugly woman or being beaten which is the only way WOC can be nominated.

      • LAK says:

        BELLE was always going to be overlooked simply because everyone is fatigued by the subject matter. After DJANGO and 12YAS, no one cares about it. That’s what happens when multiple films on the same subject are released so close together.

        Another film that suffered for similar reasons was INFAMOUS which was another biopic about Truman Capote. Everyone agreed it was far superior and Toby Jones a much better Truman than CAPOTE which was released months earlier and garnered an oscar for Philip C Hoffman as Truman.

        It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the first film or couple of films on the same subject out of the gate wins.

        On the subject of slavery, DJANGO got the money, 12YAS got the awards, so what’s left for BELLE? And who cares at this point. In another few years, someone will make film about Slavery and it will do well because audiences will have had a breather.

  6. Maya says:

    OMG – she desperately wants this Oscar doesn’t she?

    So much that she is bribing, begging and going down on her knees (her own words) for nominations.

    She is also using the 3 things she is known for – Friends, Brad Pitt & hair/body. She used Lisa Kudrow, then cleverly added that she is good friends with Gwyneth Palthrow (automatically making people talk about their mutual link to Brad and how he supposedly cheated on Jennifer) and lastly its her body.

    She is the queen of vanity and her good girl image is everything to her.

    If she really believed in herself and her talents – she will never bribe nor beg for nominations, nor will she continue to namedrop people to show how liked she is in Hollywood nor will she constantly make sure the Jolie-Pitts are dragged into her promotions to gain publicity and sympathy.

    I don’t mind people hustling but it can be done in a classy way and with some pride.

    PA: has anyone else noticed that Jennifer makes sure it her group of people/CAA friends who always interviews her, presents her with awards etc? She never gets interviewed by a real journalist and without prior approval.

    • Goats on ththe Roof says:

      I get that you’re a diehard AJ fan, but your comment is more than a little ridiculous. They ALL campaign–every single one of them. Unlike some of the others trying to get nominated this awards season, Jennifer doesn’t have a major studio backing her. She’s doing what it takes to make it happen on her own. What you call desperation, I call drive and commitment to promoting her project. I’m not going to slam her for looking out for her own interests.

      • Jem says:

        Yeah, they all do it. You could say she’s playing cleaner than Angie’s typical game, in fact.

      • Abbott says:

        Thing is, her movie is crap. They all campaign but most of them deserve to be a part of the conversation. She doesn’t for this role, TBH. She’s straight up buying her way into the award circuit.

      • Jem says:

        Well, you’ve got a point… She is a truly awful actress and the only buzz her movie is getting is bad. I wonder if the only reason Oscar voters would be interested in her is because of the potential TV audience she would draw, if she were nominated-? I guess I’m wrestling with “if it’s so easy to buy your way into it, why haven’t a bunch of other sh*tty actors bought one”?

        Oh, wait…

      • @Abbott
        That’s why I side eye her a little. I mean, sure the Oscar campaigning by itself is very obvious, and MEH. But no one wanted this movie. That’s a big red flag to me. Especially since the guy at Deadline who praised it when it was at TIFF basically was saying she was good in it because it was a different kind of performance for Jennifer. And then, three lines down was saying that if no one picked up Paul Bettany’s Shelter, it was because it was Jennifer Connolly’s most raw, out there, edgy film role since Requiem For A Dream.

        And even with the so-so reviews–if the movie had been picked up at TIFF, instead of being distributed nationally, and then Jennifer/the producers having to pay to distribute it in the US–then I wouldn’t really have a problem with her campaigning all that much (beyond the fact that I don’t think she can act). But it’s just SO transparent. I mean, I don’t think Anne deserved to win last year either, but I think she’s a lot better actress than Jennifer–Jennifer outright ruins a movie for me, I don’t mind Anne’s work.

      • Goats on ththe Roof says:

        @Abbott, I haven’t seen Cake (and I don’t particularly intend to), but insulting one women for actions we would praise in another because she simply isn’t as well-liked doesn’t sit well with me. I refuse to be party to it.

      • Lilacflowers says:

        Question: if this movie is so fabulous, why aren’t the other actors and actresses in it out there supporting it? There are other people in it, aren’t there?

        None of my local cinemas, not the big corporate chains or the tiny art houses or even the museums with film programs, plan to show this film. Ever.

      • Amcn says:

        And there is apparently an embargo on reviews? When are they actually going to let reviews out?

      • @LilacFlowers
        Good point. I did wonder where all of the other actors were–I mean, I get a few of them might be busy (like Anna Kendrick with Into The Woods), but the majority of them, especially Meryl Streep’s daughter (Mamie, I think) should be able to go to a few screenings of the film that’s been put on. Especially since they’ve been mostly in LA and New York.

        But yeah–I wasn’t impressed with the trailer. When I get bored, I watch a lot of trailers–majority of them Indie movie trailers. It looked exactly like that–very formulaic as well. The only thing ‘memorable’ about the trailer is that it’s Jennifer Aniston NOT being all cute and perky.

      • The Original G says:

        It’s just business. I’m not a fan, but I can’t fault her for going to work to promote herself and this film.

      • DJ says:

        Abbott, how do you know her movie is crap? Have you seen it?

      • Abbott says:

        DJ, yes.

      • Grant says:

        I saw it too, and I thought it was a solid film. I was really impressed by Aniston’s performance. So haters gonna hate.

      • FLORC says:

        LilacFlowers (love the name!)
        Great point.
        The Rotten Tomato reviews are not in favor of the film. If it has a good rating the reviewer makes it no secret they are an aniston fan. Praising her for Cake and her many other roles. If not a good review you get to the meat and bones of the film. And Anna Kendrik is the shining light performance wise. I think Aniston fans are more happy that she’s getting her name tossed around with award buzz.

        Some unbias reviews call it ok, but nothing that will do well. And they pose this question…
        If you go into watch Cake without knowing Aniston or any drama/news that follows would you enjoy it? Would you be watching to see if “Rachel” can branch out? Would you wonder how this woman gets acting jobs?
        I thought that was a fair point.

      • @FLORC
        Yes, that’s exactly how I felt when I saw the trailer. The only thing that makes the trailer stand out is the fact that it’s Jennifer. And she’s not happy, perky, sassy (or whatever other adjectives that describe her in her films)……it didn’t look outright horrible, but it didn’t look very good either. And for me, mediocre/boring is worse than a movie having awful acting, because at least there’s something to laugh at.

    • Belle Epoch says:

      And…. Aniston and Oz? Together? That’s enough bullsh*t in one room to break the time/space continuum.

    • DJ says:

      Maya, “Going down on her knees” simply means… PRAYER. Why twist it?

      • doofus says:

        she mentions it (“her own words”) in every post on the subject.

        it’s an easy way to imply she’s giving sexual favors for votes.

      • DJ says:

        Yes, I heard her say it the first time, but the image you want everyone to see, did not cross my mind. I knew exactly what she was talking about. funny how that works!

  7. DenG says:

    That’s strange about the sleep problems. Aniston has shared her Healthy Habits many, many times (don’t put junk in your body drink plenty of water, exercise, and get at least 8 hours of sleep) so I’m surprised she doesn’t actually get that restful sleep. Waking up to pee a lot?

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      She also might be entering peri-menopause at her age. I was always a great sleeper until then, and I started experiencing exactly what she’s talking about. Awake at 3:00 and can’t go back to sleep. It took several years, but it did get better, and now that I’m past menopause, I sleep fairly well again. It was a difficult thing to go through, though. I was tired all the time and so frustrated.

      • Pandy says:

        That’s what I was goi g to respond as well. Peri or menopause. The exhaustion is brutal. I bet Dr Oz didn’t mention that to her lol.

    • Esmom says:

      Maybe. Or also anxiety. I’ve battled anxiety on and off my whole life and one of my main red flags that it might be flaring up is I suddenly find myself awake in the middle of the night, just like she described. Then when the anxiety is under control, the insomnia disappears again.

      I think blaming her “drinking” for her insomnia is just an excuse to bring it up, kind of a low blow. I know tons of people who drink, some like utter fishes, and they don’t complain about sleep issues.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Oh, I’m so sorry about the anxiety. I have taken medication for depression for a long time, and sometimes they stop working and you have to switch. A few of them have given me a terrible side-effect of really intense anxiety, and it was so awful. I spent the whole day just trying to cope with it, minute by minute. I feel such sympathy for people who deal with that. I hope you’re feeling better and have found something that works for you. I hate to think of you going through that – you’re such a great person.

      • AntiSocialButterfly says:

        I agree about anxiety disrupting sleep. If you use anything for anxiety management or are considering it, might I suggest buspirone. Good stuff, non-addictive ( as opposed to benzos). Improved my sleep quality so much I don’t even wake up because of knee arthritis anymore.

        Alcohol does affect REM sleep, though.

      • Esmom says:

        GNAT, thank you for the kind words. I’m glad your depression is under control. I’m doing just fine, thanks, and have been for about 15 years since I first sought treatment. Along with periodic therapy, I take antidepressants for the anxiety, on and off, so I know of what you speak, lol. I go through the same thing, meds stop working. Or the serotonon starts to build up to the point where I feel utterly exhausted all the time. It’s an ongoing journey to get the balance just right. Luckily I have a great doc who seems to know when to back off, when to try something new, etc.
        ASB, Right now a tiny dose of Effexor seems to be doing the trick (knock on wood!).

      • Sister Carrie says:

        *Esmom*
        I don’t know if you’ve used Effexor before, but if you haven’t, please know that one of the side effects is that it is physically addictive and your body will go through some horrific withdrawal symptoms once you stop. Had I known this 20 years ago, I never would have started, as I am now unable to stop taking it. I have attempted to wean myself off (under medical supervision) but I can’t stand more than a day of brain buzzes, nausea, and vertigo. (I don’t mean to sound so negative–believe me, I appreciate the strides made in treating mental health via medicine)

      • Esmom says:

        Sister Carrie, I know, thank you. I was on a higher dose 10 years ago and went through the worst withdrawal ever — about 5 days of agony where my husband had to take over doing everything — and vowed never to take it again. The dose I take now is really tiny, just a fraction of what I’d taken previously, and does not seem to cause withdrawal, as I’ve been on and off it with zero issues. I appreciate the warning — I have warned others myself! And if you do want to stop it, I’m proof that it is possible. Best of luck!

      • Sister Carrie says:

        *Esmom*
        Wow, I am impressed! Unfortunately, I don’t have a partner to help with the day-to-day stuff I need to do while I’m trying to stop. I have tried during vacation time, then I’m all like, to hell with this–! I hope that this low dosage works for you. (i’m currently on the lowest possible dosage, but if I am even late taking it, I get the buzz brain zaps.)
        Thanks for the encouragement!

      • Alice says:

        I had a friend (sadly now passed away) who was an insomniac, anxiety related due to the nature of his job, which was with the UN and dealing with humanitarian crisises. Poor guy’s brain was constantly on the go, as you can imagine when you’re the one in charge of making sure that tens or hundreds of thousands of people don’t starve to death. He actually found that smoking a joint (or rather a few puffs of one) before going to bed helped him sleep.

    • muggles says:

      Not sleeping is a well known symptom of menopause and perimenopause.

    • Gia says:

      Esmom I didn’t even pick up on the link to drinking, when they said “drink plenty of water” I assumed that was why DenG said maybe Jen is peeing a lot. I think some on here are overly defensive of Ms Aniston and read things like snark that aren’t there.
      Re withdrawals, I know from personal experience that Zoloft is physically addictive, too. The withdrawals for it are horrendous; heart palpitations (feels like my heart is lurching from one side of the chest to the other), dizziness, nausea etc. Truly horrible.

  8. Amcn says:

    I think she is trying to save her career, which is just floundering with bad movies that are not making money. If she gets an award she gets a second life so it’s worth it to pay a fortune. I don’t care about awards or JA so I couldn’t care less but I can commiserate about sleep. My sleep has been so f’d up since my first pregnancy. I miss a solid 8 hours like you wouldn’t believe. And if I can’t run 5 times a week you don’t want to know me. Wow. So much in common with Aniston I make myself want to puke.

    • manatee says:

      Saving her career of course but so she can’t behave like a teenager. It’s so hard to take her as a serious and mature woman. Compared to her Shailene Woodley must be a real old soul full of wisdom

      • Amcn says:

        I watched the Millers and hated it and half of the Breakup and hated it and always hated Friends so I’m not a fan of her acting. Or fart joke comedies either. I agree with her lack of depth or maturity. But I get that it appeals to some people.

    • Luca76 says:

      I think you are right an Oscar would give her career a boost.

      • Janet says:

        Would it?

        Two words: Hilary Swank.

        Two more: Helen Hunt.

      • Jem says:

        Goopy Paltrow pretty much hit her film peak with Shakespeare in Love, too. It didn’t really do much for her career, other than give her something else to be smug about until she dies.

      • Amcn says:

        @janet
        The game doesn’t end after Oscars for JA. She has kept herself relevant for 15 years after friends with her game. She will take the game to a new level with an Oscar nom. She will be selling it and will probably get more dramatic roles. If you think she has been in our face a lot before an Oscar, just wait.

      • Janet says:

        Amcn, the bottom line is she has to make movies people will pay to see. Her most recent movies haven’t done well at all. An Oscar nom or even a gold statuette looks nice on the living room mantel, but if it doesn’t parlay into increased revenue for the studio she might as well use it for a doorstop. Hilary Swank won two of them and what’s she been doing for the last ten years?

      • Grant says:

        Getting an Oscar nomination definitely translates into getting better scripts though.

      • noway says:

        I agree I don’t think an Oscar helps most women. There are a handful of women it helps, but not a lot. Plus her body of work really isn’t that good. This would be an anomaly, and just reading these posts a lot of people think she just campaigned for it. Still unless she goes back to tv, how many Horrible Bosses can she make?

    • I think you’re right too. She’s already got SAG and GG nominations, so I’d think that the majority of people who don’t pay attention to this stuff would think that her performance is amazing, and that she’s turning over a new leaf i.e. going into dramatic films. Which she might do–we don’t know. But I’m starting to think it was a reaction to two of her films not getting anywhere, and ‘Cake’ nearly getting the boot, if there hadn’t been a technicality.

      But geez, Jennifer’s got good game, can’t be a hater on that 😉

      • Amcn says:

        Definitely, 2 big flops and her last hit she played a stripper who stripped. Can’t do that forever. Cake is on its way to the garbage heap if she doesn’t get some attention. She’s got incredible game and she plays it with such unashamed gusto. Their is no sheepishness or embarrassment, just determination.

  9. Josephine says:

    I have an issue with anyone who thinks that a single drama + no make-up means they need to be in the running for an Oscar. Who knows – maybe she is actually good in this movie, although I personally found the trailer cringe-worthy. But I feel like her campaign is premised on the false idea that she has been working so hard and deserves this oscar, and she is just another in a long line of mediocre actresses. The whole Oscar thing is so tacky now.

    • Amcn says:

      Then give one to AJ’s chicken pox video. A lot more people saw that than Cake. But seriously, so sick of the lack of makeup being a selling point for women getting awards. It devalues women’s ability and talent leads the way to opinions like Sorkins. No man is getting an Oscar for being brave enough to be ugly.

  10. Loopy says:

    Please tell me the likes of Elizabeth Taylor didn’t need to do such.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      Yes, what happened to just voting for the best performance and/or film? Or did that never really exist?

      • Esmom says:

        Good question. We were all so naive, I’m guessing!

      • Belle Epoch says:

        GNAT that’s what I want to know. I remember reading a long time ago about some actor handing out fancy watches to get attention for some award, and it backfired. People were disgusted by the overt attempt at bribery. (Unfortunately I can’t remember who/which award if was!) Some people will praise JA for her “hustle” and for “playing the game.” Too bad it IS a game. If you can pay to get “Oscar nominated actor” before your name, does it really mean anything?

      • H says:

        It was always political. Awards always are, in any field. See All About Eve, which is from 1950 and in part about the thirst and the hustle you see in Oscar campaigns today. Does it mean anything? Yes, absolutely. Being able to hustle your way into an Oscar nomination means that you have a lot of juice in Hollywood. It’s a sign that Aniston has value as a celebrity to the public and has many friends within the industry.

      • Janet says:

        When Goldie Hawn won for “Cactus Flower” eyes were rolling all over Hollywood.

    • perplexed says:

      For some reason, I think they would have had to. Studios tightly controlled their actors’ publicity back then so I wouldn’t be shocked if the studios also had to hustle for the actors’ nominations. It’s a business that seems to work that way.

      • Jem says:

        I think you’ve nailed it. They ALL do it, and always have – actors, directors, producers, and writers – in one form or another. Begs the question: who started the Oscars to begin with? Wasn’t it a studio, like MGM? Wasn’t it for the express purpose of promoting thier movies?

      • LAK says:

        JEN: not quite. On the one hand the awards *were* created by Louis B Mayer of MGM studios, on the other he also helped create the Academy to regulate labour disputes within the industry and to promote the industry as a whole. The first awards were announced and handed out 3mths ahead of the actual ceremony. The ceremony itself was simply a private dinner. The awards were handed out to multiple studios and nominees.

      • Kate says:

        Well, don’t be shocked, because it takes 1.7 million dollar just to play a 1.5 minute “for your consideration” ad for the voters and the studio pays for it all.

    • H says:

      Yes she did, actually. Famously so. Liz Taylor won her first Oscar for BUtterfield 8, which is notorious as one of the worst films to win a major Oscar. Like, it’s worse than Cake. Liz won her Oscar for that not because of the quality of her performance, but as a show of sympathy because she nearly died of a tracheotomy. Even Taylor herself later said of the movie, “I say it stinks.”

      No shade at all to Liz. She was a great actress and her second Oscar for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was well deserved. But she’s a prime example of successful Oscar hustling, not a counter-argument.

      • LAK says:

        I remember reading about LIz Taylor’s oscar and how it was awarded simply because she nearly died. LOL

  11. Emma - the JP Lover says:

    I’m still waiting for someone to post a ‘required’ 7-day scheduled release date for “Cake” in a theater prior to December 31, 2014 in order to make Jennifer Aniston eligible for an Oscar nomination.

  12. notpretentious says:

    Personally, I think the sleep problem is symptomatic of women in their mid to late forties. I have that same problem and my doctor told me I was perimenopausal. Benadryl is my friend.

    • Jem says:

      I’m in the throes of the Change myself (started at 44, I’m 48 and it’s not over yet God help me I’m ready for the looney bin) and I swear I’m having EVERY symptom out there but that one. Truth is, and I may jinx myself here: I’ve always been able to drop and nap anytime, anywhere, and yes I understand I should be very thankful for that because insomnia SUX.

      If Jen is going through it, the weed def helps

    • Sheri says:

      I remember when Brad Pitt was on a night talk show and told stories about her sleep-walking. Sounds like she’s had sleep issues a long time.

  13. bammer says:

    Yet Michael Fassbender was dragged through the mud for refusing to engage in desperate antics like this.

    • perplexed says:

      Yeah, he came to mind when I was reading about Aniston. Didn’t the actress from Precious also get slammed? (although It think she won anyway). I think you’ll get criticized either way.

      • bammer says:

        Yes, that was Mo’nique. When she won she said,”I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics.”

      • LAK says:

        Monique was helped a great deal by Oprah. Monique may not have been campaigning, but you can bet Oprah (the exec producer on that film) was. Oprah has never stinted from campaigning for her films whether she’s acting in them or producing them.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @LAK, who wrote: “Monique was helped a great deal by Oprah. Monique may not have been campaigning, but you can bet Oprah (the exec producer on that film) was. Oprah has never stinted from campaigning for her films whether she’s acting in them or producing them.”

        I don’t remember anyone campaigning for Mo’nique. I remember people campaigning for Gabourey Sidibe, who was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar … but not Mo’nique. That was a true, pleasant surprise when she won. 🙂

      • LAK says:

        Emma – the JP Lover: LOL that you think no one campaigned for Monique. Oprah worked very hard behind the scenes to make sure the film and as many people as possible were nominated etc.

        The producers done put out ‘For your consideration’ ads for fun and giggles. The very fact that people kept talking about Monique’s refusal to campaign for the award was a campaign in itself.

        BTW: this isn’t a slam against Monique. I think she deserved that award, but don’t be fooled that there was no campaign to get it to her.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @LAK, who wrote: “Emma – the JP Lover: LOL that you think no one campaigned for Monique. Oprah worked very hard behind the scenes to make sure the film and as many people as possible were nominated etc. ”

        Now I’m curious … how do you know Oprah worked very hard behind the scenes for Mo’nique?

    • ClaireB says:

      YES ! Thank you ! What’s one actually supposed to do?

    • bonsai mountain says:

      I was thinking of him too! Fool man. Aiming for dignity and standards and for what? Now Jen Aniston is going to have an Oscar before him! Sacrilege…makes me want to spit…

    • j says:

      um fassbender did Oscar campaign before hard and didn’t get a nom, which is why he opted out for 12YAS.

      nothing wrong with it, if it weren’t for campaigns, id never get to see half these films where i live

  14. Abbott says:

    The People Magazine Awards was more embarassing than People’s Choice. No nominations, held in an IKEA warehouse, and the awards were straight up bought by the celebs’ publicists. It was mortifying to watch (which means I loved every second).

    • Abbott, you should’ve seen the look on my face when I saw there was a People’s Magazine Awards…..wtf? I couldn’t believe, for one minute, that actual celebrities, with careers and things actually agreed to go to that. I was expecting the Kardashians to be the most famous ones there…

    • Jem says:

      What’s next, The National Geographic Peoples Best Movie Stuff Awards Thingy – ?

      • Tuberu says:

        The “Costco Shopper’s Guide Super Duper Awesome Movie Awards” has a pretty swaggy, gift bag for the nominees. It has a 4000 count box of tampons and a pallet of lumber.

      • Gia says:

        How about The Award Awards?

        Or Walmart Shoppers’ DVD Awards.

        I wonder if they’ll ever create YouTube Awards.

    • ennie says:

      I had not seen this: People’s MAGAZINE awards??? if the rumours are true, then the awards should be going to Huvane too, as he is in direct contact to them and must be one of the mag’s biggest sponsors.
      And the award goes to…. Huvane!!

  15. Adrien says:

    Next, Jennifer Aniston will hire the North Korean Sony hackers to sabotage Unbreakable, Malificent.

  16. Lilacflowers says:

    I live in constant pain due to cancer surgery. I plan to go to work today without make-up. I probably won’t wear any tomorrow either. Hand me my Oscar!

    • vauvert says:

      Oh @Lilacflowers, that is horrible. I have seen your posts about your health before and never commented on them bc I have always had trouble knowing the right thing to say, (too many people have said idiotic things to me), but I do wish you the best. In my world that is pain free days… (I have been on heavy duty pain meds for years for a chronic illness)
      I too have gone make-up free, hair color gone to pot, and dressed occasionally like a lunatic… Oh and if I say so myself, I can act:-) ask any of the execs I ever had to sit in a meeting with, pretending like their harebrained ideas were actually doable, then working to convince them that an alternate, more human plan was something g they came up with on the spot. I want an Oscar too!! Quick, hire me a strategist!

    • vauvert says:

      But can we do it without a professional consultant or talk shows is the question??
      I think a week ago I was willing to respect her efforts because, hey, that is the game you need to play. I may dislike her as an actress or person but I am all for ambition and working hard to get what you want.
      But… Two things put me off here. First, the movie looks crummy and just because she was decent in it does not mean she deserves an Oscar after years of turning in mediocre romcoms in which she kept playing herself. Second, being hungry for it is one thing but she has now reached Cumber levels of promotion. Dr Oz?? Give me a break…. At least he has the excuse of having delivered excellent performances in multiple things. (And just like that, look, I high jacked the thread to my ex-favorite otter.) Ha!

  17. ennie says:

    If “others” are called famewh*res” and desperate for promoting their films, please define this.

  18. minx says:

    She might be nominated for an Oscar but she won’t win; Julianne Moore is overdue. And then what? More movies that are variations on Cake? That no-makeup schtick only works once for someone with her limited range.

    • perplexed says:

      I don’t think she’ll win but after Sandra Bullock won for The Blind Side, I don’t find it weird that Aniston could get a nomination. Some of the winners in recent years have been kind of odd. (I don’t even think Sandra Bullock is a terrible actress or anything — I just think the performance for The Blind Side wasn’t worthy of a nomination or a win.)

      And now that Jonah Hill has been nominated, I figure everybody else might as well get a nomination too. I wonder if Channing Tatum will get one — anything is possible! If Aniston had gotten a nomination during the year Meryl Streep was nominated for Sophie’s Choice, I could see why everybody might be up in arms. But now? There are a lot of actors at her level now getting nominations. Oscar nominee Johah Hill still makes me do a double-take.

      • Esmom says:

        I agree, Jonah Hill helped lower the bar, big time.

      • I’ve only seen a few movies with Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, and Sandra–none of them really impress me, or make me get excited when I hear they have movies coming out. I’m still pissed about Wolf of Wallstreet. A disgusting movie.

  19. Talie says:

    She may even win. Taback is a genius and Julianne Moore hasn’t done jack — also she hasn’t won as many Critics Awards as you I would’ve thought.

    • sunny says:

      Moore won at Cannes this year. And Cannes IS the biggest film festival.

      • Talie says:

        Cannes means nothing to Oscar. By that logic Kirsten Dunst should’ve won for Melancholia.

      • sunny says:

        I think it does mean something to Oscar. Maybe they wouldn’t let her win her award trying to avoid having the same winners. Inside Lewyn Davis was a piece of art and very appreciated at many film festivals but never really mentioned at the Oscars last year. Now Moore won best actress at Venice, Berlin and Cannes. If she doesn’t get the appreciation this year, Oscar is proving how tasteless they are to the whole world.

  20. lou says:

    Except she did not get nominated for a Peoples Choice award. If she gets nominated for Oscar I will have to definitely reevaluate how I feel about them. They were my last hope for Hollywood. If she gets nominated I will be disappointed in the Oscar voters If she wins I will never watch again.

  21. Jayna says:

    When she was married to Brad she talked about her sleep problems.

  22. Tippy says:

    She’s in it to win it!!

    These types of opportunities don’t come along every day and a couple of hundred grand is a small price to pay to ensure that all her bases are covered. Since a Best Actress Oscar nomination is already a virtual certainty, hiring an Oscar Consultant has been money well spent.

    Warner Bros has always been the the international distributor for Cake as well as 5 other future Cinelou productions. Cinelou simply accelerated an existing business decision to launch their own domestic distribution arm.

    Jennifer has suffered from sleep disorders, including sleep-walking, for many years.

    • H says:

      The nomination would not be a certainty without Tabeck, trust. JA created this opportunity herself out of very little. It’s smart of her. Her career is becoming very stale with the rom-coms, and the pregnancy angle she’s been working for 15+ years is about to run out the clock. She needed a new way to approach her career and this Oscar nomination will bring a lot of other scripts her way. I really wish she’d created a meaty comedy role for herself and campaigned on that. It’s a tougher road but better suited to her talents. She’s quite funny, and comedy is harder than drama.

      • M says:

        “She’s quite funny, and comedy is harder than drama.” Nope. Both are difficult. But it makes no difference to her, because I always see the same performance. She’s always the same in the comedies. Always playing herrself, sorry.

      • Grant says:

        Nope. Comedy is definitely harder than drama. Plenty of established actors and actresses have attested to this.

  23. Kim1 says:

    So does she get some of her money back if she doesn’t get an Oscar nominee? Doesn’t win any major awards?
    Regarding People Magazine awards I just learned there are no nominees just a winner.At least the People Choice Awards pretends there’s a competition.

  24. Mar says:

    What’s funny is I never liked her ways until right now. She wants it. She wants to be taken seriously. She’s not ashamed of wanting it. She’s finally not fake to me. Many actors want it and campaign for it yet have a demeanor that it’s not important but at least she’s acting like it is. Kudos to her.

  25. Ginger says:

    I’m the same age as Jen and I can say that I have had trouble sleeping as I’ve gotten older. I’ve had to cut out all caffeine by 3 pm and now sugar as well. I find if I walk for at least 20 minutes a day (and that also has to be early in the day) and I stick to my diet restrictions with the caffeine and sugar then I sleep just fine. It’s also a good idea not to have too much water before bed or you will have to seek the bathroom in the night and probably not get back to sleep. However, if Jen suffers from anxiety or insomnia these things may not work for her exclusively. If she’s using alcohol as a crutch then it definitely would make things worse. All of that alcohol converts to sugar and then your body wants to get up and spaz out. And judging by her age, if she’s in or near menopause then the insomnia worsens for most Women. Hopefully Doctor Oz was able to point her in the right direction because I find insomnia to be the worst!

  26. serena says:

    I like Jennifer since Friends and I kind of enjoyed some of her movies too. But getting an Oscar nomination just for going make-up free and not going to the gym…REALLY??
    I know it’s not the first time things like that happened (the industry love actresses ‘going ugly’ for a role) but it’s not right. As much as I like her, she’s not Oscar material. Julianne Moore is. The comparison is simply so huge, I’m bewildered.

  27. Janet says:

    “You realize exercise is just so important to our soul,” she explained to Dr. Oz. “Not just being able to fit into skinny jeans, to your state of mind, your soul, all of that.”

    Well dang, I just went from size 6 skinny jeans to size 8 skinny jeans with no demonstrable trauma. I just put them on, zipped them up, said “Lookin’ good”, and that was that. Then again, my hair and my body aren’t the two most important things in my life.

    • Kim1 says:

      You ARE traumatized you are just in denial.Just wait until you get a gray hair…
      Does anyone have a link to an interview in which JA talks about “acting” in Cake?.Not wardrobe or hair and makeup but character development, researching role,etc.
      I have an uncle who took his life after years of chronic pain following a serious car accident.He became dependant on prescription medications( pain,anxiety, sleeping,etc).

      • Janet says:

        LOL I’ve got a head full of gray hair and guess what? I love it. If you got it, flaunt it, and I’m flaunting the hell out of it.

      • Vampi says:

        I have an inch wide gray patch in my bang area. (I’m 46) People ask me if I did it on purpose because apparently that’s”in”?
        I kind of like it. My mom had one too and called it a “worry patch” courtesy of her children….. I’m thinking she was right. Lol!

      • Gia says:

        Lol, I went gray in my late 20s. 🙁 Have been dyeing my hair ever since.

    • Grant says:

      Um, exercise IS important to the soul. If I don’t get to the gym at least four times a week, I get stabby.

  28. kri says:

    well, well. Malibu Skipper came to the game all suited up to play hard, instead of drinking Yummy Rummy in Cabo. Girl wants it bad. She has finally interested me, if only to watch this campaign unfold.

  29. Candy Sandy says:

    ….she exposed more then she wanted: the organ clock in chinese medicine says: waking up at night untill 3.00am: Liver issues, from 03 -05 am the small intestine: both is detoxing!!! And if you’re waking up and can’t sleep anymore: thats it’s heavy stuff and something is really really wrong!

  30. The Original G says:

    She stopped doing yoga? Is that legal in California?

    When do we get the stoies about how her figure bounced back from her radical physical transformation into a normal woman?

  31. perplexed says:

    If you’re willing to campaign I figure studio heads would look more favourably on you as a team player. So for that reason alone I don’t fault her for hiring a strategist or whoever. I figure George Clooney has the kind of career he does because he’s a good networker, not because he’s the most talented man out there (not that I think he’s untalented, mind you. I just think it makes a big difference to your career if you’re not surly about your promotional duties like….Wes Bentley? or somebody). Aniston may not be the best actress, but if she’s a pleasant enough personality to work with (i.e no temper tantrums on set or whatever) and she’s willing to put in the work to play by Hollywood’s rules (i.e campaign, network, do promotional work) I can kind of see the parallel to what us regular peasants have to do to work through a system to get somewhere.

    I’m a little surprised people would be naive enough to think anybody gets to where they are only because of principles or because they’re highly gifted, not because of the other kind of work you have to put in to get noticed in any career that relies on communication. Even the gifted people like Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet have to hustle.

    I didn’t fault Anne Hathaway for campaigning — it was just more the actual persona she had on (which seemed different from previous years) while campaigning that I found kind of grating, or rather, kind of funny. But I had no issues with her actually putting on a campaign. Even with the annoying personality she put on I felt she was doing what she needed to or what was expected of her as a team player who has to do promotional duties and what not to keep her film in the spotlight. So far I don’t actually find Aniston’s personality annoying…or at least not annoying in the way Hathaway’s or Portman’s personalities were during their campaigns. So maybe that’s why her campaigning doesn’t bother me either. It’s more an actor’s personality or persona (ie. George Clooney’s at times) that will get to me than actually having the audacity to put on a campaign (which seems to be a job requirement for being an actor).

  32. sunny says:

    I don’t know. Mia Wasikowska is a pretty amazing actress too. I just hope Oscars to be more about the art. It was so embarrassing when George Clooney won for best supporting.

  33. Sister Carrie says:

    Sigh. To live in a world where an Oscar campaign strategist is an actual JOB. A job, I am sure, that makes a hell of a lot more money than being a HS English teacher. To think what I could have been, if only I had known!

  34. How much for an Oscar says:

    Well seeing as Slate PR, headed by Jen’s personal PR hack Huvane was a backer of the newly created People Magazine Awards, I’m not surprised she got the movie performer of the year award. When I heard that this new award show was thrown together in the past month and Jen was appearing AND her PR firm was in charge of media and publicity for the event and originally listed as a co-sponsor of the event, I just knew it was all part of a set up to be a Jen’s push for an Oscar campaign. Google it. Slate was the contact for all info on this event.

    • Emma - the JP Lover says:

      @How Much for an Oscar, who wrote: “When I heard that this new award show was thrown together in the past month and Jen was appearing AND her PR firm was in charge of media and publicity for the event and originally listed as a co-sponsor of the event, I just knew it was all part of a set up to be a Jen’s push for an Oscar campaign. Google it. Slate was the contact for all info on this event.”

      Say what? Really??

    • Amcn says:

      I feel dirty even reading this. She created her own awards show so she could give herself her first ever award for acting? Poor Jen.

    • vauvert says:

      OMG. She created a distribution company to distribute the movie because coming out of TIFF nobody bought it. Now she created a freakin award so she could win it and create buzz. Desperate much???
      I don’t even care if she wins anymore, it’s too pathetic. Will just stay away from any movie of hers… I still doubt she will be offered better roles going forward- she may fool the masses but the people in the biz will know exactly how she got the ‘awards” and “nominations”.

      • perplexed says:

        I tend to think creating one’s own distribution company (if I’m understanding what that actually is correctly) is rather smart.

        Okay, the awards thing sounds stupid, but the company angle tends to parallel what people say about how you should create your own opportunities if no one else gives them to you. That sounds practical to me (like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck writing their own script when no one would give them any acting jobs).

      • vauvert says:

        I am totally for creating your own opportunities… But I don’t think that this situation compares to Ben and Matt writing a script at all. They still had to get the movie produced and distributed and actually have theatres willing to show it… Which obviously happened quite successfully for all involved.
        For an established, supposedly A list actress to be in the so called “performance of her life that is Oscar worthy” and not find a single distributor pick up the movie – that tells you a lot about how good the movie is and how much of an attraction Aniston is too. She cannot carry a movie by herself, the only times she did that was in romcoms that have grown increasingly stale with time. No idea how well her Horrible Bosses movies did, I don’t enjoy that kind of fare, but to have to fake sell your movie to yourself is pretty sad. And she still has no release date, right? Curious how many theatres will actually run it…
        If I am misunderstanding something, can the film industry connoisseurs please correct me?

      • perplexed says:

        I think they all fake sell their movies, though (if those Sony e-mails are to be believed about what a stinker “The Interview” was supposed to be). I don’t see how what she is doing is any different from Harvey Weinstein or everybody working inside of a movie corporation. And very few stars can actually carry a movie. They all rely on buzz to be perceived a certain way to get their foot in the door. And in the end they’re creating products, not works of art that will sit for free in a gallery (or whatever odd comparison it was that Taylor Swift made when talking about her music). So to that end they commodify, commodify, commodify. To talk about Hollywood as if any of them are “earning” what they do for a living through some systematic composition of artistry we can actually qualify seems laughable to me. Most of them rely on smoke and mirrors and word of mouth and hype like every other business industry.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @Perplexed, who wrote: “I don’t see how what she is doing is any different from Harvey Weinstein or everybody working inside of a movie corporation.”

        You really don’t see the difference? Let’s break this down. Harvey Weinstein works for a film once it’s been picked up for distribution, scheduled for a theater run, has a compelling story, ploy, or performance and he thinks it has a shot during Awards season. If the film fails to attract interest at Film Festivals or Distribution premieres he sends that film to immediate DVD distribution or Cable on Demand to try and recoup a portion of what the Studio loss in development/production.

        No one wanted “Cake” at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Producers of “Cake,” one of whom is Jennifer Aniston, formed a Distribution company for the sole purpose of distributing “Cake” for one week in December so Jennifer Aniston could qualify for an Oscar nomination. Let me say that again … Jennifer Aniston formed a Distribution company to distribute her own film. If that film had been good or compelling a Distributor would have picked it up in Toronto. The fact that someone did not pick it up is significant.

      • perplexed says:

        But I don’t have a problem with someone actually creating their own company to sell their product. That to me doesn’t strike me as odd in an of itself. Your’e either hustling for Company A (someone else’s) or hustling for Company B (the one you created). If she had to hack a bunch of computers to get people to show her film, well, yeah, that would be weird. But starting a company actually seems like a clever thing to do — like someone self-publishing their own blog or whatever when they’re looking for someone to read their material. Sounds practical. The notion of having to “earn” someone’s desire to distribute one’s film strikes me as relative. I have no idea if Aniston’s film is good but until Kim Jong Un got all up in everybody’s faces, The Interview was thought to be completely stupid and offensive according to Sony, but the movie had complete distribution in the works. From reading the Sony e-mails, it doesn’t seem like there’s an actual measure of artistry that determines whether a film is worthy of distribution. Other factors seem to come into play, although I’m not even sure if bankability plays as big of a factor as we thought. I’m having a hard time believing James Franco is any more bankable than Aniston.

  35. Sullivan says:

    I’m torn. I don’t think Aniston is a talented actress. I’m enjoying the Oscar Hustle gossip, though. If she won it would be a travesty, but it’s been fun watching her jump through the hoops.

  36. Paige says:

    Hey they all campaign for an Oscar. It’s annoying but it’s really nerve wrecking when the role they are campaigning for isn’t that great, it’s average, and not Oscar worthy.

  37. Jordan says:

    I can’t criticize her if she did hire someone.

    A) They all do it. I remember Melissa Leo campaigned shamelessly and it worked.

    B) This is looking like what might be her best performance ever. She’s riding the wave and I can’t blame her for seeing where it takes her. Now if by some miracle she does get nominated or even (gasp) win and then goes back to shitty, show her tits comedies, then I will bash her with no restraint, lol.

    • perplexed says:

      Was she the one who took out a huge tacky ad in some kind of trade magazine? I prefer the hiring an Oscar strategist route….keeps you from slipping up and posting a hilariously awful pic of yourself that executives can make fun of. For sure, I’d hire one, because left to my own devices who knows what stupidity I could get up to in my desire for the award.

      • Jordan says:

        HA!! Yes, she (ML) had huge full page ads in all the trade papers with “For your consideration” . I remember rolling my eyes every time I was in a waiting room with magazines because they were all over. But it worked.

    • Kate says:

      Melissa Leo won despite her stupid ad. She was always gonna win, that’s why people were shocked that she would hurt her chances by going “rogue”.

      • perplexed says:

        I wonder if an Oscar strategist could have gotten her to get a better photographer for her ads.

  38. HoustonGrl says:

    She just not.that.good. Get over it Jenn! You still made your millions! This woman must have a huge ego.

  39. TedTheodoreLogan says:

    Most of them do this. Why single out Aniston? I think it’s good she actually hired someone who knows what they are doing to be honest. She was really good in Cake and I hope the attention received helps her land more dramatic work instead of terrible romantic comedies.

  40. St says:

    If Aniston will be nominated for Oscar because she went ugly for a role and campaigned hard for it then it will be the end for Oscars. They gave it to Halle Berry for no reason. Jonah Hill has 2 nominations for no reason. Every year they give it or nominate actors for going fat, very thin or playing disabled or mentally ill people….

    Enough. For me Oscars (and awards shows in general) died when they were giving Matthew McConaughey all awards last year. For simply getting very thin and it was movie about gays and aids. When McConaughey was playing himself as usual. For the first time in 10 years I didn’t watch last Oscars. I simply didn’t care anymore.

    If they will nominate Aniston then I will probably not watch too. Oscars lost their relevance. It’s not prestige anymore. I don’t respect Oscars anymore. Next they will nominate Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and then it will be time for Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus.

    • perplexed says:

      I doubt she’d win. Not because of limited acting ability, but because of age. The Oscar actress race generally tends to skew young. That’s probably why I don’t get why people are freaking out about a possible Aniston win. The chances of it happening seem like a long shot to me simply because the Academy likes rewarding young women (i.e Jennifer Lawrence). Everyone is talking about Julianne Moore being a lock for the win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a young actress comes in and takes it from her. Meanwhile, in the Best Actor race you have to be over 40 to win. For everyone who asks why Leonardo DiCaprio hasn’t won yet, I’d say….look at his age. He hasn’t hit the age yet where an actor usually gets rewarded with a statue. Adrien Brody is the only young guy (29 when he won) that I can think of to win the Best Actor statue.

    • MAC says:

      great expression!!

    • Karen says:

      Agree. I will lose all respect for the Oscars if she is nominated and other more deserving actresses are pushed out because she paid her way, let’s face it no one has seen Cake, I have seen some of the clips and she doesn’t blow me away. Roberts and Bullock won because they are huge stars and generate tons of money for studios, I have never seen Halle Berry’s movie so cannot comment if she deserved it or voters thought it would be cool to have her win due to her mixed race. The only reviews of Cake are from TIFF. Where are the new ones? Her publicity team really has control of the media. It is disgraceful.

      It is true that Weinstein has been doing it for years. He had so many publicity events for The Kings Speech that Colin Firth was exhausted by the time Oscars rolled along. Instyle Mag parties, Chopard parties-non-stop.

      If in fact if she does win, I will be the first to sign a petition that Academy members create rules for potential nominees. Limitation on spending for parties and gathering for movies submitting consideration for nomination. Film must be in theaters for x weeks. Can’t just pop out a movie for 1 week in December. Can’t stop actors from appearing on talk shows. Control over distribution of Oscar videos sent to members. My husband has even received bootlegs of these videos. I am not blaming Jennifer-the entire system is corrupt and encourages mediocrity instead of quality.

    • Whatevermang says:

      Have any of you watched the film? Aniston gives an amazing performance actually. At least I thought so. Seems most of the posters here just don’t like her and because of it won’t accept she’s actually good at something else other than comedy (finally).

      And I don’t quite follow why people are upset about how hard she’s campaigning. Because of her 20 years as a comedic actress she’s aware that many people don’t take her seriously. So, it makes sense she gets out there and screen her work.

      As I recall, Melissa Leo campaigned hard for The Fighter. Were people as upset then?

      Also, Bradley Cooper has his buddies doing his work. Why are we constantly singling out women and not the men?

      • Sal says:

        I don’t think this is about hating on some particular actress.
        Movies like Cake getting an Oscar nomination is a rare event. Juno was nominated, Little Miss Sunshine got nominated too but they were legitimately proven good films.
        Now I see the critics review of Cake, I don’t see any equivalent quality those movies had gotten before. And Jennifer Aniston, who was not much of a proven dramatic actress, is getting high praise for being something she was not for last 10 years but still doesn’t look that strong.

        Jim Carrey was a known comedic actor but he also did iconic the films like Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.
        He won 2 Golden Globe awards but never once was nominated for Oscar.
        I don’t think Aniston should be looked down on for being a famous comedic actress, but I also think one should not get special treatment for the same reason.

      • perplexed says:

        I don’t think she’s getting special treatment (or at least not anymore special treatment than everybody else has gotten). I think she’s working within the system created (i.e hustle like you mean it) , and sometimes that approach works and sometimes it does (until the nominations have been announced we won’t know yet). But to say that she’s doing anything different promotion-wise than anybody else has, other than maybe Michael Fassbender, seems odd to me.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @Whatevermang, who wrote: “Have any of you watched the film?”

        Has the film actually been released? Because I thought the film had only been ‘screened’ thus far. If you really did see it, where and how long has it been in theaters?

        @Whatevermang, who wrote: “As I recall, Melissa Leo campaigned hard for The Fighter. Were people as upset then?”

        No, because Melissa Leo is a great dramatic actress and has delivered excellent dramatic performances in film and on TV (just check her out in “Homicide: Life on the Street”). Jennifer Aniston isn’t in her league. Moreover, Anne Hathaway killed it in “Rachel Getting Married” (her first Best Actress Oscar nomination for a great performance in a good film) and proved that she could deliver a great dramatic performance.

      • perplexed says:

        I don’t think people had an issue with Melissa Leo campaigning (since everyone does that), but I think people laughed at Melissa Leo’s ads because they did look pretty dumb. The execution was cheesy.

  41. Sean says:

    Acting lessons might have been cheaper

  42. kitty duke says:

    I grew up in the 70s, avidly loving films, filmmakers and film history. It’s been a lifetime of slow disillusionment about the business.

    As for JA, she should have stuck with TV. And with comedy.

  43. Caz says:

    Aniston is irrelevant & not worthy of an Oscar.

  44. Sue says:

    Aniston talked about being an insomniac a long time ago. I remember it on Oprah, maybe even 10 or so years ago? Oprah asked “what would fans be suprised to know about you? ” and her answer was “That I don’t sleep.”
    She went on saying something to the effect of being unable to turn her mind off.
    For some people it’s a lifelong challenge to sleep.

    • Vampi says:

      Yep for me.
      I have NEVER been able to turn my mind off. Ever. My usual pattern is 48 (or more) hours awake…10 hours asleep. Rinse and repeat. My WHOLE life! It’s just how I have always been. I didn’t mind it at all when I was younger but now I hate it! Lately I have had bouts of 72 hours awake followed by 12 hours asleep. It’s maddening…it makes me cranky and lazy.
      I’m too old for this now and would go see a doctor but…alas…money. *sighs*
      (I also just KNOW I am in pre-menopause which probably accounts for the new 72 hour bouts!)

  45. Gia says:

    So much for her being so ‘surprised’, and humbled and flattered by her current nominations. Oh, how did this happen to me? I am so flattered! She is really and I mean really thirsty and desperate for an Oscar nomination and win.

  46. obsidian says:

    Wow! If Aniston can pull this off and buy herself an Oscar then anyone in Hollywood with money can too! JLO or Cameron Diaz for 2016 Oscars? Why not? If this trend continues, winning a BAFTA will have more prestige than winning an Oscar.

    • obsidian says:

      Five Oscar Campaign Tactics Consultants Swear Works:

      http://www.vulture.com/2013/02/five-oscar-tactics-hollywood-swears-will-work.html

      Hmm, It seems Aniston is following these tactics for her campaign.

    • perplexed says:

      This might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually think J-Lo probably could have hustled her way to an Oscar nomination at some point in her career if she hadn’t tried to be a triple-threat with the music career. I’m sure the new “Booty” video will assure that no one will ever want to give her a nomination, but at some point in her career she was considered, at the very least, not a laughing-stock as an actress….

      Cameron Diaz has also taken on serious roles where she has been good, but she seems to prefer a comedic career…

    • Janet Planet says:

      Winning a BAFTA always had more prestige than winning an Oscar. The Academy Award is Hollywood and thus not really much at all. Does anyone actually believe these are the best films made in the U.S. each year? Seriously?

  47. lenje says:

    Why is this surprising? I’m not even an American, don’t live in there at the moment, but I remember a few years ago filmmakers from my country complained about not having the fund to show the movie to the people who might help the movie getting shortlisted, let alone nominated. And this is a movie who already received a number of awards in other movie competitions/festivals, world wide.

  48. Carrie says:

    This is why awards don’t mean anything anymore. You can buy them just like anything else, if you have the money to throw around.

    • perplexed says:

      I think The Golden Globes were always laughed at for being the type of award you could buy (i.e Pia Zadora), but somehow along the way they did seem to gain relevancy. I don’t know if these awards ever were awarded on merit, but we were more naive before the internet.

  49. BlueeJay says:

    These posts make Scott Rudin’s posts look tame in comparison. In fact many people on this site have posted remarks about how awful he is then posted worse things then what he said. That my dear friends is called hypocrisy. But oh well – Jen does appear to be having the last laugh right now. So with this said – anyone here seen Cake?

    • SoSweet says:

      Yes. My friend lent me his screener. The film is pretty bad and Jennifer’s performance isn’t all that great … actually propels the film inthe wrong direction IMO. You have to wonder who at SAG thought differently? No wonder the producers and Aniston are waiting to the last possible minute to do the theatrical qualifier and unembargo.

      BTW “Still Alice” is tied up in the SONY mess and Julianne’s publicist is Huvane/SLATE so she is ******!

  50. Trashaddict says:

    They really ought to award Oscars about 5 years out, that way you could see if the movie really played well over time. Historically some pretty lackluster films have won for seemingly no particular reason. But that wouldn’t feed into the marketing, oh well. If she really wants to campaign, more power to her but it’s all about “me, me, me, my sleep, my exercise, blah blah blah”. So I know there are J.A. fans on this site. Does she ever discuss anything more substantial?

    • BlueeJay says:

      Not usually – she doesn’t disclose what she donates to, her family (brothers, father, etc). Generally she keeps it superficial – on purpose. Quite an interesting strategist. Some in Hollywood tell and document everything (Kim K, Blake Lively, Angelina Jolie etc.), others tell nothing (Scar Jo, Cate Blanchatt, etc.) and others do superficial talk so you think you know them and can talk alot about them but don’t really know anything (Jennifer, Sandra Bullock, etc)

      • Krystal says:

        Actually we don’t know anything about all the women you named. Celebs will only let you know so much. Even someone like Kim. K. doesn’t reveal everything. They only let people know what they want them to know Kim K, Angelina, Jennifer, Sandra, Blake etc. However,to act like we know anything about these people personal lives yeah right. People will make their assumptions on what they think they know, fans and people that don’t like them.

  51. Kay V says:

    Ugh! Why is CB so preoccupied & seemingly bothered by JA’s career strategy? It seems terribly naive to think she is the only one in the industry that has taken steps to better her career & seek recognition for her accomplishments.

    • Krystal says:

      It’s the same for any actress or actor on here that uses PR strategies during award seasons. I doubt anyone is picking on Jennifer, when it was the same for Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck and all the others that hustled for an Oscar.

      • perplexed says:

        I think critiquing the actual strategy is fine.. but acting like somehow the Oscars will lose all of their meaning this particular year just because she’s campaigning sounds kind of …niave? The Oscars have never really had much meaning in actually awarding the best performance (and how one even would be able to objectively assess that, I’m not even sure. How does one really know that a performance in ballet shoes is better than a performance in a wheelchair?. I think the women’s category is usually easier to judge, because generally young women under 35 get nominated and they still have room to grow because of youth, but once you get to the best actor category, it gets dicey! I don’t know how to tell if Daniel Day Lewis really is better than Michael Fassbender.)

    • Carb says:

      Very true. It’s a big industry with a lot of machinery, maybe due to the simple fact that Oscar noms and wins bring a lot of money to the film/actor/etc.

      I’ve been following the Oscars since I was a kid and it’s just like reality TV. Not based on real talent and enough disagreeable as well as agreeable wins to keep the masses interested. The glamour and the dresses also keep you interested.

      And they’ll do a breakthrough winner every now and then to make it dramatic, or throw in an “ethnic” winner to stir things up. But it’s great win really great actors and talent really get recognised. For some reason Melissa Leo just popped into my head. She’s about 1000 times the actor Aniston is and her win probably didn’t have big money behind it.

  52. Carb says:

    I get a great night’s sleep because I love carbs. Eat your (complex) carbs for dinner and you’ll sleep easy. Maybe that’s Jennifer’s problem; I don’t think she eats much carbs.

  53. O-)(-O says:

    Apparently Taback started to promote movies for Oscar recognition because she wanted more independent movies to get rewards. That’s not a bad motive to have. Yeah, they all campaign, no surprise here.

  54. rudy says:

    The year Hollywood stole the Best Picture Oscar from Brokeback Mountain I stopped caring who won. I just like to watch the spectacle.