It’s a no-brainer, surely?

But what about measuring old George against these dashing young fellows?

I would say that George wins this one hands down, too. But why is that?

Well, think about it: George looks like he’s spent time, money and effort to achieve the classic effect of masculine elegance. The contrast between the black and the white is an exercise in tasteful simplicity, and the taut fit of the tailored jacket accents the masculine perception of his physique, avoiding the sense that he’s like a schoolboy raiding his father’s wardrobe for a grown-up jacket – any kind of jacket, so long as it looks like a man’s suit.

The other blokes? Handsome fellas, sure, but the only effect they manage to pull off is that of looking like a waiter on a cruise ship. It’s hard to put your finger on why that is, at first, but the tie is important, as are the style of the lapels on the jacket.

Wearing a long tie puts one in mind of an everyday suit, or of the standard guy who, behaving as it he is still in school, begrudgingly conforms to sartorial conventions just ‘enough’ to get away with it, at the same time hoping to preserve an air of individuality by establishing a rather careless attitude to those same conventions. And the boring, mundane air of the clothing is absolutely confirmed, in Casey Affleck’s case – and certainly in Gary Busey’s – by the choice of lapel: they are both wearing the notch lapel, the very same kind that you will have on your work suit. Which is, not so strangely, exactly the type of suit Gary Busey is wearing to achieve that rather underwhelming and thoroughly disheartening effect.

So, what’s the big deal about lapels, anyway? Funnily enough, this seems to be something George cares about, as he has been known in the past to sport a notch lapel on his dinner jacket. Putting aside speculation that maybe he, too, is not immune to nervousness about what other guys would think if he appeared to care too much about dressing properly for dinner, we can note that this picture (see link) provides confirmation of the very effect I’ve just been talking about. That’s right – not even ‘gorgeous George’ can avoid looking disappointing – like an out of place undertaker, even – when he breaks the timeless rules of black-tie.

And, that’s the point: black-tie is part of a tradition of men separating themselves from the style, the feel and the visual effect of the everyday. Which means that the collar of the jacket is not, and cannot be, like a standard suit. It must reflect its origins in a type of smoking jacket by sporting a shawl lapel, or else a peak lapel, which it shares with its forerunner in formal wear, the tail coat – still seen today on gentlemen wearing white-tie dress.

And the tie? If you’ve made the effort to kit yourself out in a classic jacket, one which deliberately distances itself from everyday wear, why would you go and ruin it all by wearing an everyday kind of tie?

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What else: You may have already known all of that. But what else do you know about this year’s Oscar nominees? Here at TC, we believe in teacher preparedness. Taking the short Oscar quiz may help you:
a) get up to speed on the nominees
b) increase the amount of insignificant trivia you already know
c) teach you something scandalous about James Franco
d) all of the above

In an attempt to make this a fair assessment, I’ve included some modifications for advanced students of the Oscars: click here or here for more sophisticated quizzes. They will not be graded on a curve so proceed at your own risk.

*This quiz was created based on common knowledge,  information from Wikipedia, Oscar.com, IMDb, and all of the other linked sources in this post.*

(1) Which of these feature films is NOT nominated for Best Picture?

a. The King’s Speech b. The Kids Are All Right c. Alice in Wonderland d. True Grit

(2) Which nominee for best picture was based on a book called Accidental Billionaire by Ben Mezrich?

a. The Fighter b. 127 Hours c. The Social Network d. Inception

(3) Which Oscar themed snack does NOT fit into this year’s party?

a. Blackened Swan b. True Corn Grits c. A Serious Mango d. The King’s Peach

(4) Which of the nominees for best actress in a leading role has never before this year been nominated for an Oscar? (The photo is not necessarily a clue.)

a. Michele Willliams b. Natalie Portman c. Annette Benning d. Jennifer Lawrence

(5) Which nominee for best documentary feature is inspired by the artist of this work?
a. Gasland
b. Exit Through the Gift Shop
c. Inside Job
d. Waste Land

(6) Which nominee for best actress in a supporting role is 14 years old?

a. Melissa Leo b. Hailee Steinfeld c. Jacki Weaver d. Amy Adams

(7) Which nominee for best actor in a leading role is from Queens, NY?

a. Jeff Bridges

b. James Franco

c. Jesse Eisenberg

d. Colin Firth

(8) Which crime has James Franco admitted to committing to as a teenager?

a. stealing cologne b. pyromania c. car jacking d. graffiti

(9) Toy Story 3 is the third animated film to be nominated for best picture. Which other two have also been nominated?

a. Beauty and the Beast and Up

b. The Lion King and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

c. WALL-E and Fantasia

d. Ice Age and Shrek

10) The Academy Awards ceremony has been postponed three times. Which is NOT one of the reasons for this?
a.1938 due to flooding

b.1968 due to the funeral of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

c.1981 due to the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan

d. 2003 due to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

answers:

(1) c. Alice in Wonderland is up for Art Direction, however.) (2) c. (3) c. A Serious Man(go) was nominated for 2 Oscars in 2009 4) d. (5) b. (6) b. (7) c. (8) a. (9) a. (10) d.

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