It was a big night for Hollywood last night! And the biggest night it seemed for long-blonde/gray/white-haired hippie dudes. But NOT, as we had bet, for yoga pants. Come on, Jane Fonda. Of course, we’re kidding. Though we’d be willing to guess Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence was hiding some kind of yoga pants under that skirt (have a little trouble up the stairs? not such a kooky idea afterall!). And Halle Berry? That sparkly Star Trek getup totally converts to vinyasa wear, we know it. Look out, Betsey Johnson. At least Sally Field had a mind to give her tootsies a break. We’d have gone barefoot ourselves, but then that runs the risk of stepping on glass and hobbling a la Kristen Stewart. Then again, we don’t make movies and will probably never be at the Oscars. Whatevs.
While the stars of film still clung mostly to the conventions of tux and gown attire, we did get a hint of divine light, and not just from Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” number. Ang Lee won the Oscar for best director for Life of Pi and closed his acceptance speech with “Thank you, academy. Xièxiè. Namaste.”
That last bit meaning thank you in Mandarin Chinese and of course, the traditional Indian salutation we’re somewhat familiar with. OK sure he wasn’t saying it after a round of Surya Namaskar and a requisite 5-minute savasana, but it was a nice hint of indirectly yoga-related speak for the night of stars, inflated egos and booze. If you haven’t seen Life of Pi, it is a fantasy adventure following an Indian boy from Pondicherry as he explores spirituality and life. The movie is based on a 2001 novel by Yann Martel. Those who have read the book or seen the movie might agree it’s very yoga-ish.
Namaste, Ang Lee.
Here’s his full speech.
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Earlier…