Through the Opera Glasses - 50 - My Top Ten Oscar Gowns From The 2010 Red Carpet

'It's a wonderful night for Oscar! Oscar, Oscar! Who will win...?'

Last night's Oscar broadcast, another red carpet. My second favorite night of the year, after Christmas Eve. Besides all the film industry celebration, of which I can never get enough, besides all the sacrifice suddenly being worth it for the artists and craftspeople who heft the statuette in their hands, the red carpet event at the Oscars is my favorite thing of all.

Here are my personal favorite gowns from the 2010 walk towards the 82nd Academy Awards.


1 - My favorite: Penelope Cruz took my breath away in this dramatic, deep red Donna Karan creation.














2 - Sandra Bullock shimmered in this feminine velvet gown with exquisite lace, by Marchesa.














3 - Anna Kendrick glowed in this ultra-feminine frothy blush-pink gown by Elie Saab.














4 - Helen Mirren sparkled in this soft-gray Badgley Mishka gown.
















5 - Luciana Pedraza, wife of Crazy Heart producer Robert Duval, impressed me with this understated blush-pink slip gown.













6 - Jane Seymour radiated joie de vivre in her brilliant red, sculpted-bodice, strapless sheath.
















7 - Cameron Diaz gleams in golden Oscar de la Renta.
















8 - Amanda Seyfried entranced me with her sweeping white Armani Privé gown.














9 - Kate Winslet knocked me out with this elegant silver full-length sheath skirt and streamlined bodice from Yves Saint Laurent.














10 - Kathy Ireland wore this stretch-sequined sheath with fearless poise.














CLICK HERE to see my favorite Oscar gowns from 2009.

CLICK HERE to see my favorite Oscar gowns from 2008.

Janet says You could work the fashion talk shows, Julia - you had a lot of the same picks as the big guys!

Debby says I believe your favs were mine as well.

Susan Helene Gottfried says I missed the Oscars, so am glad to see a good recap of the dresses. Which are of course more important than the awards. :D

Through the Opera Glasses - 12 - Actors' Sexualization Versus Talent

When I work on my manuscripts, I often search out photos of actors whom I've 'cast' as my characters. It's quickly apparent that many actresses have highly sexualized photos available, whether or not their professional personas tend more toward intelligent film roles.

The same is not true for actors.

In a completely random search of the web, I was easily able to find these sexy shots of actresses whose work I really admire. With the exception of Meryl Streep! I had to really root around for the picture posted here.


Cate Blanchett















Jennifer Connelly















Julianne Moore
















Meryl Streep
















Emma Thompson















Kate Winslet










Actors are open to experience and exploration by nature, and many of these actresses and actors have appeared nude or partly nude for film roles. I wasn't looking for stills of those scenes - I was looking for photo shoots which portrayed actresses and actors as highly-sexualized.

As you can see, actors whom I regard as very talented and on the same level in their craft as the actresses above are not portrayed as sexily as their female counterparts. Here are the sexiest shots I could find for these actors:


Gael Garcia Bernal















Russell Crowe
















Johnny Depp
















Viggo Mortensen
















Clive Owen
















Mark Ruffalo













I've been wondering about this discrepancy for awhile now.

Do actresses still feel the need for validation through their physical appearance, regardless of their degree of talent?

Or do talented actresses have to be merely cerebral, or can't they be sexy, too?

Are incredibly attractive actors trying to downplay their sexuality? Do they equate sexiness with a perception that they won't be taken seriously?

What do you think?

Travis says that's a great word...sexualization.

Kelly theorizes that most women like the smoldering sexuality that is often found in the expression more than the amount of clothing found on (or off) men's bodies.

Anne warns that for actors being too good looking seems to limit their careers - they end up on soap operas.

Mike figures that actors and actresses define who they are by what they do. When they don't do it anymore, what are they?

Leanna reflects that, as an actress, the phenomenon of the dominant male gaze perpetuates a continually cyclical model and I am stuck in the midst of it.