Hey, it’s the first ever Ten-Four Films Oscar Night Drinking Game! So, even if you’re enjoying the festivities tonight alone, you can take comfort in the fact that if you follow my rules exactly, by the end of the evening, you will be dead.
So come, my tan-faced children! Follow well in order! Have you your pitchers? Have you your lime-flavored Budweisers? O Pioneers!
Red Carpet Section:
1. If you find yourself watching any part of the red carpet section, finish your drink.
2. Yes, I know we just started. Finish it. Now pour another. Here we go.
3. Every time a camera cuts to a close-up of someone’s shoes/bracelet/necklace/sash/broach, take a drink. Stop only when you feel the tide of death upon you.
4. If you say aloud, “say, isn’t that guy/girl from that show?” and it turns out not to be, take two drinks.
5. If you say aloud, “oh, I don’t like that at all,” go read YouTube comments for six minutes.
6. If you say aloud, “boy, _____ is really the color this year,” quit drinking and devote yourself to a life of charity.
7. If you say aloud “ooh, I actually pinned that the other day,” drink until you can’t feel your legs. Then, find a sharp object and remove your legs.
Hosting/Presenting
1. Take a drink when Seth MacFarlane makes a joke about how he isn’t famous.
2. Take a drink whenever the camera cuts to an actor or actress not really laughing after MacFarlane’s made a joke at their expense.
3. Take two drinks if that actor or actress has a confused look on their face, as if desperately trying to place the name of the spray-tanned man on the stage mocking them.
4. Whenever Seth MacFarlane does an imitation of someone else, turn to your neighbor and attempt your own imitation of a famous person.
5. Take a drink if that imitation is not of “Cagney” and/or “Lacey.”
6. Keep drinking until your Cagney and Lacey imitations are better.
7. Whichever religion MacFarlane mocks first, join that religion.
8. Every time a presenter mentions Emmanuelle Riva’s age, consider the fragility of human life.
9. Every time a presenter mentions Quvenzhané Wallis’ age, reflect on the innocence of youth.
10. Every time a presenter mentions Quvenzhané Wallis in a way that makes it clear that they’ve practiced the pronunciation of it in their bathroom mirror for several days, make a resolution to learn a new language this year. Forget this resolution by sunrise.
11. Every time a presenter mentions a movie not released in the previous year, fix yourself a drink appropriate to the year of that movie’s release. You may have to stock your liquor cabinet beforehand. I have a moonshine guy if you need one.
12. Induce vomiting if an animated version of “Ted” or a “Family Guy” character appears to announce an award. You’re probably near alcohol poisoning at this point anyway. Let it all out. You’ll feel better in a minute. There you go.
Special Performances
1. If someone besides Adele sings a song, take a drink.
2. If someone besides Adele sings a song not from the past year, finish your drink.
3. If someone mentions a “revival” of movie musicals, travel to Los Angeles and kill them.
4. If MacFarlane starts singing at any point, see whether you can hold your breath the entire time. If you pass out before the song finishes, rewind the ceremony to the beginning and start again.
5. If Adele sings a song, take no drinks. Weep softly, cradling your glass, and think fondly of times that never were.
6. Travel to your nearest grocery store and buy all the Peeps. Consume them before you get back to your car. You don't need a reason. You know you want to.
Speeches
1. Take a drink if a speech starts with “wow!”
2. Take a drink if a winner mentions more than 8 people in any speech.
3. Take a drink if someone not nominated has received more than one reaction shot during the ceremony (as a quick cheat sheet, George Clooney is nominated as producer for Argo, while Meryl Streep is not nominated at all). Exception: if the person receiving multiple reaction shots is the spouse of the winner and the winner is telling that person how much he/she loves them and that this is all for them.
4. If a spouse of the winner receives multiple reactions shots while the winner is telling that person how much he/she loves them and that this is all for them, finish your drink. (Thought you were going to get off easy for a minute, didn’t you? Not likely)
5. Every time someone mentions a relative who in not in attendance, trade glasses with your neighbor.
6. Every time someone mentions a relative who in not in attendance because they are dead, trade glasses with your neighbor, then finish their drink.
7. Every time Anne Hathaway mentions someone she admires, take a drink.
8. If Anne Hathaway mentions another other actresses nominated in her category, finish your drink.
9. If Anne Hathaway mentions all of the other actresses in her category, the person in the room who can name the fewest Shakespearian plays must finish all the other drinks in the room.
10. If you didn’t get that joke, you are not allowed to watch the Oscars tonight until you’ve finished reading three books.
11. No, you don’t get to pick the books. I get to pick the books. Also, take another drink.
12. You may come to hate Anne Hathaway by the end of her speech. But, if someone at your party makes a catty statement disparaging Hathaway, slap them forcefully into silence. That young lady is above your disdain.
13. After any shot of Quentin Tarantino laughing, do ten pushups.
Show Closing
1. For every second the ceremony runs over, eat that many jelly beans, including black ones.
2. Tally up your Oscar Predictions scorecard, then grab a pair of scissors. Calculate the percentage you got right. That’s the amount of hair you’re allowed to keep.
Hope you all have fun at the ceremony this year! I’ll see you all again next year, or as soon as about 40% of my hair grows back.