The Oscar nominations are officially in, and Hollywood is left with plenty of snubs and surprises. YourTango's Rebecca Stokes joins Cheddar to break down all the biggest headlines from the announcement. "The Shape of Water" leads the pack with a near-record 13 nods.
As the annual culmination of the year in entertainment, the Oscars are primed to echo themes from the #MeToo and Time's Up movements. Stokes considers whether sexual misconduct allegations are to blame for James Franco's lack of a nomination for his role in "The Disaster Artist." Lots of movies with strong female characters and themes were recognized, including "Lady Bird," and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
Popular favorite "Get Out" received nominations in the best picture, actor, director, and original screenplay categories. Stokes says the recognition is a sign the backlash to 2016's #OscarSoWhite controversy is paying off. She also explains what the Academy is doing to ensure 2017's Best Picture mix-up never happens again.
The Chinese government brought the sitcom "Friends" back to its streaming services. However, it had instances of LGBTQ+ references left out, after the series had been banned on Chinese streaming platforms for years.
Season 13 "Shark Tank" contestant Tania Speaks secured a $400,000 deal for her Speaks Organic Skincare brand with "Shark" Mark Cuban while also being named one of the best pitches in the history of the show — all at 19 years old. Now 20, Speaks joined Cheddar News to talk about the skincare line, the clean beauty industry, and the moment that host Cuban was moved by her pitch. "I couldn't believe that he got emotional. I'm surprised I held back my tears that long," the young entrepreneur revealed. "It's just amazing for someone else to be inspired by your story, especially Mark Cuban himself."
The media giant formerly known as ViacomCBS has officially rebranded itself as Paramount Global with a focus on its streaming service, Paramount Plus. Naveen Chopra, chief financial officer at Paramount, joined Cheddar to discuss the company’s name change and streaming wars. "There are components of content licensing that we continue to do, either historical arrangements or opportunities to license content that don't really impinge on what we're trying to do with our owned and operated services and that continues to be an important ingredient in our broader financial model," he said. "But our number one priority is putting our best assets on Paramount Plus." Chopra also discussed theatrical release windows before feature films hit its service and the platform's subscription goals.
In efforts to help support black-owned brands. Ulta Beauty says it will make a commitment to not only give these brand shelf space but also help them navigate the ins and outs of growing a business. Last week, the beauty retailer announced in order to reach those goals, the company will spend $50 million on diversity and inclusion programs, including an accelerated program to mentor entrepreneurs of color. CEO of Ulta Beauty, Dave Kimbell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
