Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Is there any connection between these two years in a row of #OscarSoWhite,“ the hundred or so repetitions of the ”N-word” in Tarantino’s latest N-word opus magnum, and republican right wing thinly-veiled politics of exclusion, fear, and racism? Any connection at all? Maybe so. Maybe not. One thing’s for certain though—the Oscars are an American institution.

You clean toilets for a living. Imagine getting suddenly transported to a distant planet, shown ancient halls glowing with a thousand candles, and a stone replica of you—carved a million years ago.

Did you ever kill ants using a magnifying glass when you were a kid? Ever wonder how hot that spotlight Katy Perry and Lady Gaga live under is? Big fame’s not fun. Surviving the limelight’s heat is big work.

Next on the Big Screen in November 2014...