281 - Fair Game
We return to the work of Naomi Watts this week for a discussion on 2010's Fair Game. Costarring with Sean Penn for the third time in a decade, Watts starred as outed CIA agent Valerie Plame with the film detailing the leaking of Plame's identity amidst her husband Joseph C. Wilson's criticisms of the Bush administration. With Doug Liman taking the director's chair after a series of action films, the film is a surprisingly sober recounting of the Plame story and one of Hollywood's better offerings deconstructing that era of American culture. But despite launching the film at Cannes and Watts' solid performance, the film became yet another disappointment among the many political dramas of the period.
This week, we talk about the career of Liman, including the fraught production of The Bourne Identity. We also discuss Watts' period between her two Oscar nominations, the general landscape of Bush era politics and how few films successfully unpacked it well, and the relative box office disappointment of Edge of Tomorrow.
Topics also include Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, Bush administration names like "Scooter," and the National Board of Review's Freedom of Expression award.
The 2010 Academy Awards
The 2010 Cannes Film Festival
The National Board of Review Freedom of Expression Award
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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz denounced the Grammy Awards as "evil" after Sam Smith and Kim Petras performed a Satan-themed set at the ceremony Sunday night.
The pair made music history at the event with Petra becoming the first trans woman to win in the best pop duo/group performance category and Smith, the first non-binary artist.
But not everyone was impressed. "This…is…evil," commented Cruz, a Republican, of the performance in a tweet Sunday.
He was responding to a clip of Smith's performance posted by conservative podcaster Liz Wheeler, who commented "demons are teaching your kids to worship Satan. I could throw up."
In their hell-themed performance of their duet 'Unholy,' Smith wore a devil-horned top hat and Petras performed in a cage while the singers were surrounded by red-robed worshippers.
The performance drew fury from some conservatives, who in recent years have rallied around so-called "culture wars" themes, including transgender rights, and restricting teaching of LGBTQ issues and race in classrooms.
In the press room following the performance, Petras elaborated on the performance: "I think a lot of people, honestly, have kind of labeled what I stand for and what Sam stands for as religiously not cool."
"I personally grew up wondering about religion and wanting to be a part of it, but then slowly realizing it doesn't want me to be a part of it. So it's a take on not being able to choose religion and not being able to live the way that people might want you to live, because, you know, as a trans person, I'm kind of already not wanted in religion."
Grammy's host Trevor Noah made light of the expected backlash by pretending to be on the phone to his mother after the performance, saying: "No, mom, it wasn't the actual devil... Yeah, you did warn me about Hollywood."
In 2021, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's Grammy Awards performance of their single 'WAP,' attracted conservative fury.
Cruz is an evangelical Christian, and evangelical voters are among his core supporters.
Smith is among pop's foremost provocateurs, and has stirred controversy with the video to their new song, 'I'm not Here to Make Friends.'
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VMA 2023 Nominees
Video of the Year
Doja Cat - "Attention"
Miley Cyrus - "Flowers"
Nicki Minaj - "Super Freaky Girl"
Olivia Rodrigo - "Vampire"
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - "Unholy"
SZA - "Kill Bill"
Taylor Swift - "Anti-Hero"
Artist of the Year
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Karol G
Nicki Minaj
Shakira
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
Miley Cyrus - "Flowers"
Olivia Rodrigo - "Vampire"
Rema & Selena Gomez - "Calm Down"
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - "Unholy"
Steve Lacy - "Bad Habit"
SZA - "Kill Bill"
Taylor Swift - "Anti-Hero"
Best New Artist
GloRilla
Ice Spice
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
PUSH Performance of the Year
August 2022: Saucy Santana - "Booty"
September 2022: Stephen Sanchez - "Until I Found You"
October 2022: JVKE - "golden hour"
November 2022: Flo Milli - "Conceited"
December 2022: Reneé Rapp - "Colorado"
January 2023: Sam Ryder - "All The Way Over"
February 2023: Armani White - "GOATED"
March 2023: Fletcher - "Becky's So Hot"
April 2023: Tomorrow X Together - "Sugar Rush Ride"
May 2023: Ice Spice - "Princess Diana"
June 2023: FLO - "Losing You"
July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith - "That Part"
Best Collaboration
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - "I'm Good (Blue)"
Post Malone & Doja Cat - "I Like You (A Happier Song)"
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami - "Gotta Move On"
KAROL G & Shakira - "TQG"
Metro Boomin ft. The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Diddy - "Creepin' (Remix)"
Rema & Selena Gomez - "Calm Down"
Best Latin
Anitta - "Funk Rave"
Bad Bunny - "Where She Goes"
Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma - "Ella Baila Sola"
Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny - "un x100to"
Karol G & Shakira - "TQG"
Rosalía - "Despechá"
Shakira - "Acróstico"
Best Pop
Demi Lovato - "Swine"
Dua Lipa - "Dance the Night"
Ed Sheeran - "Eyes Closed"
Miley Cyrus - "Flowers"
Olivia Rodrigo - "Vampire"
P!NK - "Trustfall"
Taylor Swift - "Anti-Hero"
Best Hip-Hop
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami - "Gotta Move On"
DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby - "STAYING ALIVE"
GloRilla & Cardi B - "Tomorrow 2"
Lil Uzi Vert - "Just Wanna Rock"
Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX - "Kant Nobody"
Metro Boomin ft. Future - "Superhero (Heroes and Villains)"
Nicki Minaj - "Super Freaky Girl"
Best R&B
Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye - "Stay"
Chlöe ft. Chris Brown - "How Does It Feel"
Metro Boomin ft. The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Diddy - "Creepin' (Remix)"
SZA - "Shirt"
Toosii - "Favorite Song"
Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj - "Love In The Way"
Best Alternative
Blink-182 - "Edging"
Boygenius - "The Film"
Fall Out Boy - "Hold Me Like a Grudge"
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste - "Candy Necklace"
Paramore - "This Is Why"
Thirty Seconds To Mars - "Stuck"
Best Rock
Foo Fighters - "The Teacher"
Linkin Park - "Lost (Original Version)"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Tippa My Tongue"
Måneskin - "The Loneliest"
Metallica - "Lux Æterna"
Muse - "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween"
Best K-Pop
Aespa - "Girls"
Blackpink - "Pink Venom"
Fiffty Fifty - "Cupid"
Seventeen - "Super"
Stray Kids - "S-Class"
Tomorrow X Together - "Sugar Rush Ride"
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr - "Rush"
Burna Boy - "It's Plenty"
Davido ft. Musa Keys - "Unavailable"
Fireboy DML & Asake - "Bandana"
Libianca - "People"
Rema & Selena Gomez - "Calm Down"
Wizkid ft. Ayra Starr - "2 Sugar"
Video for Good
Alicia Keys - "If I Ain't Got You (Orchestral)"
Bad Bunny - "El Apagón - Aquí Vive Gente"
Demi Lovato - "Swine"
Dove Cameron - "Breakfast"
Imagine Dragons - "Crushed"
Maluma - "La Reina"
Best Direction
Doja Cat - "Attention"
Drake - "Falling Back"
Kendrick Lamar - "Count Me Out"
Megan Thee Stallion - "Her"
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - "Unholy"
SZA - "Kill Bill"
Taylor Swift - "Anti-Hero"
Best Cinematography
Adele - "I Drink Wine"
Ed Sheeran - "Eyes Closed"
Janelle Monae - "Lipstick Lover"
Kendrick Lamar - "Count Me Out"
Miley Cyrus - "Flowers"
Olivia Rodrigo - "Vampire"
Taylor Swift - "Anti-Hero"
Best Visual Effects
Fall Out Boy - "Love From the Other Side"
Harry Styles - "Music for a Sushi Restaurant"
Melanie Martinez - "Void"
Nicki Minaj - "Super Freaky Girl"
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - "Unholy"
Taylor Swift - "Anti-Hero"
Best Choreography
Blackpink - "Pink Venom"
Dua Lipa - "Dance the Night"
Jonas Brothers - "Waffle House"
Megan Thee Stallion - "Her"
Panic! at the Disco - "Middle of a Breakup"
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - "Unholy"
Best Art Direction
Boygenius - "The Film"
Blackpink - "Pink Venom"
Doja Cat - "Attention"
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste - "Candy Necklace"
Megan Thee Stallion - "Her"
SZA - "Shirt"
Best Editing
Blackpink - "Pink Venom"
Kendrick Lamar - "Rich Spirit"
Miley Cyrus - "River"
Olivia Rodrigo - "Vampire"
SZA - "Kill Bill"
Taylor Swift - "Anti-Hero"
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