Oscars for Dummies (or Bored People)

For those of you who were dragged to Oscar-watching parties tonight, who are sitting in Frist, or your res college, or a friend’s room reading this on your phone and seriously contemplating either a.) the best way to make an inconspicuous escape or b.) how to prevent yourself from pulling out all of your hair, there may yet be a way to salvage the night.While your friends are trying to second-guess what’s inside those award-announcing envelopes, show them how involved you can get by spicing up the Oscars with some of the following themed activities brought to you by Film.com.Swan SearchAt the beginning of the night, choose someone to “go Black Swan,” and have other viewers guess who the swan is as the night unfolds.Test Your True GritSlap on an eye-patch and try such classics as “pin the tail on the outlaw” or “water pistol quick draw” (but beware of assassins among your ranks…).Stuttering OvationChug a few Red Bulls and compete to give King George VI’s war speech (see The King’s Speech for helpful hints). This one comes with the added benefit of making your post-Oscars night a lot more productive.Trash-Talk Champ Challenge a friend to a trash-talk-off, à la The Fighter.So kick back, relax, and enjoy the show. And hey, you might even find yourself getting into it. Either way, make sure you stick it out to the end to find out which of these 10 statements the Academy wants to make.