“So I’m performing ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by
Sherry Bassey.  I wanted to respect the original sound
being it’s from like the ‘70s and so I wanted to channel
her but also give just an essence of myself within it.”
– Doja Cat during a Vogue backstage video of her getting ready for the Oscars. 
You know how to respect something?  Know the name of the person
who originally sang the song.  Repeat after me…SHIRLEY BASSEY.

What do Whoopi Goldberg and the touring company of Hamilton have in common?  They won’t be appearing at The Kennedy Center.  Hamilton cancelled a 2026 Kennedy Center run due to “the recent purge by the Trump administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center.”  Whoopi, while not a Kennedy Center Honoree, does have the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.  She too has taken a stand.  “I have no plans to go back to the Kennedy Center until the Kennedy Center becomes what it was supposed to be – a welcome place for all artists no matter what your groove is.

Whoopi did, however, appear at the Oscars – and looked quite fabulous.  One part of the ceremony which got quite a bit of criticism was the unfocused and almost pointless tribute to James Bond.  It included such songstresses as Lisa, Raye and Doja Cat – who quite literally choked under pressure.  Referring to “Diamonds Are Forever”, she said, “The song is a classic, and I put a lot of work into it but the nerves got to me and a bitch hit some flats.”  That’s putting it mildly.  Intriguingly, the lady who originated the song, Dame Shirley Bassey, took to the stage at 88 years old and sang it in Monaco three days before the Oscars.  Why didn’t the Academy call her?  It should be noted that Bassey – who sang three Bond themes – appeared on the Academy Awards celebrating 50 years of Bond in 2013 with a show-stopping rendition of “Goldfinger”.  But I suspect nobody would have minded seeing her again!

Isabella Rossellini had a momentous night at the Oscars.  Her ensemble was chosen with care – including a gown in blue velvet in honor of the film of the same name’s director, David Lynch.  Her date was Blue Velvet co-star, Laura Dern.  Her earrings were worn to the 1975 Oscars when her mom, Ingrid Bergman, won.  Those earrings were a gift for Ingrid by her then-husband (and Isabella’s dad), Roberto Rossellini.  Classy.