MISC Celebrity Chat Thread

mijams222 · Dec 1, 2025

Clarence Boddicker said: ↑

Yes, I am aware. But also consider the possibility of groupthink in things like this. And outside PR campaigns/peer pressure.

It isn’t a coincidence that more often than not, the same people/projects win down the line at all the ceremonies each year.

You usually don’t see 4 different winners in one category at the BAFTA Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

There is very rarely any diversity of thought. It’s a colossal hivemind with a few surprises sprinkled in to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.

Movie studios and record companies have been buying awards for a century. This isn’t exactly new.

JETHRO TULL won the very first Hard Rock/Metal Grammy in 1989…..

….over METALLICA.

I mean, what?
Click to expand...

I'm even mad about the Metallica thing and I wasn't even born yet.

Clarence Boddicker · Dec 1, 2025

Guyute729 said: ↑

Can't speak to movies so much. But for the grammys I am a voting member. I'm a concert photographer and I've had pictures used in commercial releases so I get a vote as a creator. It's not "fixed" so much as it's a lot of collution and payoffs.

The way it works is every voter gets 16 votes. One vote for each of the 6 general categories, like album of the year. Then frim there you can pick 10 categories from 3 genres.

There are 2 rounds. First is nominating round. You can pick literally anything. You get bombarded for a month before voting with "for your consideration" packets. Your email will be flooded, and some even send physical gifts.

This is where collution happens. Record labels and production companies will come together to make sure all their people are voting for the same thing.

I'm a voter in Pop genre. Ever see an album nominated and was like wtf is this doing there? If you have an album with 13 tracks, each one written by a different writer. Different producers, artist collaborations, recorded in different locations with different engineers, a shit ton of studio musicians. You can literally have thousands of people involved, who will all get votes since they are on a commercial release. They all come together to vote for that.

In the first round since you can choose literally anything, and something like 80% of people either don't vote or only vote for themselves that alone can get you nominated.

That's how Jethro Tull even got nominated. That album had a million studio musicians

Take Beyonce Cowboy Carter last year. It was recorded at 14 different studios. There were 46 different engineers. There were 51 producers. There were 109 with song writing credits. There were 248 studio musicians. And it was released on 2 record labels. There was no way it wasn't getting nominated in every category they wanted to

Then there is round 2 where more colluding, but the payoffs come

Say you have an artist nominated that is on Columbia Records. They will go around to their whole roster telling people "if you vote for so and so we will give you some time to record at Electric Lady or The Hit Factory" which are recording studios that are next to impossible to get into. Or they will get Pharell to produce one of their songs. Or they will get you to open for a major act. The labels basically bride or threaten everyone on their roster who is not a top 20 talent to vote for who they say to vote for.

Then there is the people like me who they try to buy off. They don't outright say it, but it's pretty obvious.

Example. So if I'm contracted from somewhere to take picture, I get my fee which ranges from anywhere from $400 to $5000 per show. They buy my plane ticket, usually economy plus, pay for hotel, which is usually along the lines of a Holliday Inn. Then get $300 a day for meals and transportation.

If there is just a show I really want to go to then I freelance. Pay it all out of pocket, license the pics through wire and Getty and hope for the best. Usually I lose money on those.

But during voting season, every year I'll have at least one person nominated for something where the label will contract me for multiple shows, usually in major cities. Pay me more than my quote. Better airfare, better hotels, better access at the shows. I submit my pics and they are never used. There will always WAY more photographers there than normal cause they seem to do us in bulk. And we all get the same story about how awesome the artist is and how they are pulling for them to win the grammy. And how it will be so great to work with me in the future

I vote in the 6 general, pop, rock, and alternative. And every year I can tell with pretty much 100% accuracy who is going to win in all 16 of my categories just by how the record labels act

In 1989 the problem was Metallica was on Elektra records which had ZERO pull at the time. Was years before they hooked up with Warner. And worse Iggy Pop was also nominated on the same label so they split some votes. But Jethro Tull was on Chrysalis which had the power of Capital, Atlantic, Virgin, and Geffen behind them as global distributors. Jane's addition was an indie so had no chance. And AC/DC was on atlantic but had just moved to CBS and only keeping atlantic for European distribution so Atlantic wrote them off and put their weight Behind Jethro Tull

The voting really has nothing to do with quality. There are 100s of albums every year that blow the nominees away. It's nothing but collusion, bribes, and politics
Click to expand...

Crazyemerald · Dec 2, 2025

This is how Harvey Weinstein used to work, he had a whole machine around promoting his movies for awards, because it drove revenue and persuaded people to work on his projects (many of whom he exploited). This was why Private Ryan lost out

Keith David · Dec 2, 2025

Guyute729 said: ↑

Can't speak to movies so much. But for the grammys I am a voting member. I'm a concert photographer and I've had pictures used in commercial releases so I get a vote as a creator. It's not "fixed" so much as it's a lot of collution and payoffs.

The way it works is every voter gets 16 votes. One vote for each of the 6 general categories, like album of the year. Then frim there you can pick 10 categories from 3 genres.

There are 2 rounds. First is nominating round. You can pick literally anything. You get bombarded for a month before voting with "for your consideration" packets. Your email will be flooded, and some even send physical gifts.

This is where collution happens. Record labels and production companies will come together to make sure all their people are voting for the same thing.

I'm a voter in Pop genre. Ever see an album nominated and was like wtf is this doing there? If you have an album with 13 tracks, each one written by a different writer. Different producers, artist collaborations, recorded in different locations with different engineers, a shit ton of studio musicians. You can literally have thousands of people involved, who will all get votes since they are on a commercial release. They all come together to vote for that.

In the first round since you can choose literally anything, and something like 80% of people either don't vote or only vote for themselves that alone can get you nominated.

That's how Jethro Tull even got nominated. That album had a million studio musicians

Take Beyonce Cowboy Carter last year. It was recorded at 14 different studios. There were 46 different engineers. There were 51 producers. There were 109 with song writing credits. There were 248 studio musicians. And it was released on 2 record labels. There was no way it wasn't getting nominated in every category they wanted to

Then there is round 2 where more colluding, but the payoffs come

Say you have an artist nominated that is on Columbia Records. They will go around to their whole roster telling people "if you vote for so and so we will give you some time to record at Electric Lady or The Hit Factory" which are recording studios that are next to impossible to get into. Or they will get Pharell to produce one of their songs. Or they will get you to open for a major act. The labels basically bride or threaten everyone on their roster who is not a top 20 talent to vote for who they say to vote for.

Then there is the people like me who they try to buy off. They don't outright say it, but it's pretty obvious.

Example. So if I'm contracted from somewhere to take picture, I get my fee which ranges from anywhere from $400 to $5000 per show. They buy my plane ticket, usually economy plus, pay for hotel, which is usually along the lines of a Holliday Inn. Then get $300 a day for meals and transportation.

If there is just a show I really want to go to then I freelance. Pay it all out of pocket, license the pics through wire and Getty and hope for the best. Usually I lose money on those.

But during voting season, every year I'll have at least one person nominated for something where the label will contract me for multiple shows, usually in major cities. Pay me more than my quote. Better airfare, better hotels, better access at the shows. I submit my pics and they are never used. There will always WAY more photographers there than normal cause they seem to do us in bulk. And we all get the same story about how awesome the artist is and how they are pulling for them to win the grammy. And how it will be so great to work with me in the future

I vote in the 6 general, pop, rock, and alternative. And every year I can tell with pretty much 100% accuracy who is going to win in all 16 of my categories just by how the record labels act

In 1989 the problem was Metallica was on Elektra records which had ZERO pull at the time. Was years before they hooked up with Warner. And worse Iggy Pop was also nominated on the same label so they split some votes. But Jethro Tull was on Chrysalis which had the power of Capital, Atlantic, Virgin, and Geffen behind them as global distributors. Jane's addition was an indie so had no chance. And AC/DC was on atlantic but had just moved to CBS and only keeping atlantic for European distribution so Atlantic wrote them off and put their weight Behind Jethro Tull

The voting really has nothing to do with quality. There are 100s of albums every year that blow the nominees away. It's nothing but collusion, bribes, and politics
Click to expand...

Why go to all this trouble just for a silly little award statue? Do they really have THAT much value?

Clarence Boddicker · Dec 2, 2025

The cost of doing business with an Oscar/Emmy winner or a Grammy winner goes up dramatically for all involved, so yes.

Sameer1986 · Dec 4, 2025

Can someone help me find the name of this actress from a scene that I came across some time ago (hope I can ask this here)...I think this was a German film (or the actress was German) where a couple were having sex on a beach (dont know whether it was lakeside or seaside) the guy is black while the girl is white. If I remember correctly then the guy spits in the girl's mouth, finishes and then walks away leaving her there on the beach. This was the actress' nude debut (and i believe her only nude scene)...for the life of me I cant remember the name of the actress or come across the scene once again to find out the name of the film

SwanSong · Dec 6, 2025

Is anyone else that did a top 15 list having problems editing?

Xray · Dec 6, 2025

You need 1.5k posts to have the ability to edit your posts. Seems excessive but I didn't come up with that number.

Assgasm · Dec 6, 2025

Xray said: ↑

You need 1.5k posts to have the ability to edit your posts. Seems excessive but I didn't come up with that number.
Click to expand...

Before that, you can edit it as long as it's like, within the first 15 seconds or so.

Xray · Dec 6, 2025

Assgasm said: ↑

Before that, you can edit it as long as it's like, within the first 15 seconds or so.
Click to expand...

10 mins. But ask a mod and any of us will change it for you.

Faitmaker · Dec 6, 2025

Xray said: ↑

You need 1.5k posts to have the ability to edit your posts. Seems excessive but I didn't come up with that number.
Click to expand...

I don’t even understand why that restriction would be in place.

Faitmaker · Dec 6, 2025

Xray said: ↑

10 mins. But ask a mod and any of us will change it for you.
Click to expand...

Awesome!

https://forum.phun.org/threads/top-100-2025-edition.5843312/#post-19354241
#15. Sabrina Carpenter, please (don’t add the please, please)

amraith62 · Dec 13, 2025

Totally out of left field.... just saw a post on Hailee Steinfelds Insta that she's preggers. That was quick

RaiderCane · Dec 13, 2025

amraith62 said: ↑

Totally out of left field.... just saw a post on Hailee Steinfelds Insta that she's preggers. That was quick
Click to expand...

People were guessing she was following her last appearance wearing a very odd artsy dress. Touchdown Josh Allen, completed the deep throw

papasosaj · Dec 13, 2025

I saw somebody say that kid is already a better QB than anyone the Raiders have had in twenty years

Go Bills!

CaptTrim · Dec 13, 2025

RaiderCane said: ↑

completed the deep throw
Click to expand...

I see what you did there. Wink. Wink, Nudge. Nudge.

papasosaj said: ↑

I saw somebody say that kid is already a better QB than anyone the Raiders have had in twenty years
Click to expand...

Oh, wow! Shots fired.

talon5233 · Dec 18, 2025

RaiderCane said: ↑

People were guessing she was following her last appearance wearing a very odd artsy dress. Touchdown Josh Allen, completed the deep throw
Click to expand...

Would that make her the tight end or the wide receiver?

CaptTrim · Dec 25, 2025

The Top 100 2025 almost has 100 top 15s. I'm only looking at page 6, but I want to shout out the following members that don't post often with the hopes to encourage them in the future:

@SkinnyD107 - Hope you post with us more often

@Wolframpau0229 - That profile pic is epic. Lovely first post.

@ghfor Damn, you've been around for a while. No pressure though. Thanks for posting when you can.

@golf2live Full disclosure, I very much suck at golf. I assume you don't care, but thanks for posting.

@Collectorofthings - You also have a wonderful profile pic. Thanks for contributing to the list.

@Sepo - Olivia Rodrigo is always a great choice!

@DaniSchu - I know you don't post that often, but that's a legit list...

@iole - Love that you added pics.

Xray · Dec 31, 2025

Emma Kenny has an upcoming movie with Makenzie Vega (Alexa's younger sister) called "Growing up Gorman", but unfortunately, I doubt we'll see her massive knockers any time soon. There's another one where she will be a cartoon voice, so definitely not there either.

"Derek Gorman thinks he has a simple plan to get popular: to win the battle of the bands competition and Patricia O'Connell's heart. But sometimes life doesn't go as expected."

RaiderCane · Jan 1, 2026

Seeing as the year is almost over (or already over depending on your location), how about a thread to discuss, list or rank best scenes of the year? I know other places have already done so and thought it'd be cool to do so here, but I figured I'd broach the subject on a thread like this first and leave it up to a more powerful Phunner to start one if it's seen as a solid idea.

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MISC Celebrity Chat Thread

mijams222

Clarence Boddicker 15 Year Member

Crazyemerald

Keith David

Clarence Boddicker 15 Year Member

Sameer1986

SwanSong

Xray Staff Member ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 15 Year Member

Assgasm

Xray Staff Member ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 15 Year Member

Faitmaker

Faitmaker

amraith62 15 Year Member

RaiderCane ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ Sophies Blog and Sports

papasosaj

CaptTrim steely-eyed missile man ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 20 YEAR MEMBER! Phuntastic

talon5233

CaptTrim steely-eyed missile man ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 20 YEAR MEMBER! Phuntastic

Xray Staff Member ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 15 Year Member

RaiderCane ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ Sophies Blog and Sports

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MISC Celebrity Chat Thread

Clarence Boddicker 15 Year Member

Clarence Boddicker 15 Year Member

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