Well, that was an eventful Oscars. Now I know all everyone wants to talk about is that slap, but come one people, that is not what the Oscars are all about. So let’s instead celebrate the moments at the 94th Academy Awards that made history.

The First Openly Queer Women of Color to Win an Oscar

(Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images )

Ariana DeBose became the first woman of color from the LGBTQA+ community to win an Oscar. The star of West Side Story she spoke of her identity as a queer Puerto Rican women. “Now you see why Anita sings ‘I want to be in America,’ because even in this world we live in, dreams do come true and that is a heartening thing right now.” she said.  She concluded her speech by saying “You see an openly queer woman of color who found her strength in life through art.”

First ‘character’ to win best supporting actress twice

The 2022 Oscars marked the first time an Oscar was awarded to the best supporting actress winner for playing the same character as a previous winner. In 1962, Rita Moreno won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Anita in the original film adaptation of West Side Story, exactly 60 years later, Ariana DeBose has won best supporting actress for playing the same role in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation.

First Oscar win for a male deaf actor

Troy Kotsur, star of CODA is the first male deaf performer to win an Oscar. His CODA costar, Marlee Matlin, was the first Deaf actor to win an Oscar back in 1987, receiving the Best Actress award for Children of a Lesser God. It is only the second time a deaf performer has won an Academy Award for acting. In his moving acceptance speech Troy signed “This is dedicated to the Deaf community, the CODA community and the disabled community. This is our moment.”

First streaming service to win and Oscar for Best Film

Apple TV+ just became the first streaming service to receive an Oscar for best film, winning for Coda. There was tough competition from Netflix with both The Power of The Dog and Don’t Look Up nominated, Apple’s first time win really is a big achievement for the streaming service especially considering how many Netflix movies have been nominated for best picture in the past like Roma, The Irishman and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

First Oscar for Sir Kenneth Branagh

Sir Kenneth Branagh has been nominated for Academy Awards across seven different categories during his career, including best actor –  that itself is an Oscars record, but until this year he had always come away empty-handed. This year he finally took home a statue, winning Best Original Screenplay for Belfast.

The first back-to-back win by female directors

The Oscar for Best director went to Jane Campion, for her gritty Western, The Power of the Dog. This win comes just one year after Chloe Zhao won in the same category for her film Nomadland. This is the first time there has been a back to back win by two women directors in this category since the Oscars began in 1929. A truly big step for female directors. This is Campion’s 2nd nomination, her first was in 1994 for The Piano. Jane Campion is now the third female in Academy Awards History to be named Best Director, after Chloe Zhao in 2021 and Kathryn Bigelow in 2010 (The Hurt Locker).

Riz Ahmed becomes the First Asian & Muslim to win an Oscar for a live action movie.

Riz Ahmed became the first actor of Asian and Muslim background to win an Oscar for ‘best-live action short film’ on Sunday for his part in The Long Goodbye. This is a win for all Asians and Muslims around the world to see one of their own win such a prestigious award on an international stage! “This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace,” Riz Ahmed said in his acceptance speech. 

The post History Made at the 2022 Oscars appeared first on ChoKoLAAte Blog.

What if she doesn’t want to get married? So what?

What if she doesn’t want to be a mother? It’s her decision.

What if she wants to be a mother alone? She doesn’t need anybody else.

What if she choses education over having a family? Why doesn’t she deserve a good education?

What if she chooses to love a woman? She’s better off.

What if she decides, she’s not a she anymore? It’s their life.

Why must women stick to the stereotypes and labels that society is constantly holding them down with? What is it about this world that makes people so afraid to see a woman succeed? And someone tell me why almost every person out there believes that a woman’s only road to happiness begins with marriage and ends with a child? 

We live in the 21st century, it’s time to open your eyes, more importantly, it’s time to open the eyes of those who came before us, and the women of the next generation. It is our duty to show the young girls who are just like us that they have a choice, unlike the one’s our parents were never given. Back then if you told your mother “Hey ma, btw I’m never going to get married or have kids”, she’d drag you to a priest or find you a matchmaker, but like I said, we’re lucky to be living in time when things have somewhat eased up. At least now, you can decide for yourself how you wanna live your life, and who you want to live it with. 

Yes, things are still difficult, it’s true, we are constantly labelled only as mother, caregiver, homemaker, etc, but no one asks, what do we want? Sri Lankan women live with the constant fear that no matter what they do they will be never be good enough for their families, so some become the perfect Sri Lankan family, then there are those Sri Lankan families that at the simple mention at one of the above will have you excommunicated, and then there are those lucky few whose families will love and accept them no matter what. It is because of the messed up mindsets that society has that people tend to think that women fending for themself or being educated or being a single mother or loving who they chose is wrong. That’s why it is our job to make sure the next generation doesn’t know the criticisms or the stereotypes or the nagging that we face. Then again in Sri Lanka, nagging from relatives will never stop. 

Change the narrative, change the way people think, and change the way people view and define women. 

The post Break The Stereotype or Become The Stereotype appeared first on ChoKoLAAte Blog.

by Shamindri De Sayrah

When I’m scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, I come across a wide variety of clothing brands. Photoshoots featuring models wearing all the latest collections. But what I rarely come across from most clothing stores, especially big branded stores in Sri Lanka, is plus sized models, or really any different shaped models on their Social Media pages. As someone who is a size XL, you can imagine how upset it constantly makes me to see that people like myself are almost never pictured on social media by the very brands that I buy clothes from. 

Seeing a person who is a similar size to you, pictured as a model, wearing the very clothes you want to buy can be something very powerful especially for young women and men who can be very impressionable. However if you constantly see someone who is only thin, or for a guy, only muscular modelling clothes you want to buy, you might find yourself wondering, “will it even fit me?”, or why you don’t look that way and soon your self confidence will be shot. If stores truly cared about their customers, and not just the way something looks online, they would take the initiative to feature more plus sized and more diverse models. This can send a powerful message to both genders. 

Why is it that certain stores don’t even carry XL or XXL? There have been so many instances where I have seen a gorgeous garment, asked a sales assistant for a size 16 and they look me up and down like “uhh that’s not gonna fit”, well I can try. I for one have a love for jumpsuits and there is a certain store I absolutely love going to, and I’ll admit I own a cupboard full of their jumpsuits and dresses, but that’s because this store makes me feel so comfortable despite my size, they always have big clothing and even though they may not have diverse models (yet), their clothing makes me feel confident.

 I for one have seen and bought from certain stores and onlines stores that perfectly portray every aspect of body image and cater to every size from small and petite to big and beautiful. Their collections inspire body positivity and confidence as well. Most importantly, they inspire change. Which is what every store should aim to do. Because at the end of the day it’s not just about what you buy, it’s about how you feel when you wear and buy it.

The post Is Plus Sized clothing just a PR stunt for some? appeared first on ChoKoLAAte Blog.

January 20^th 2022. That was the day I was officially seizure free for 1 year, for the first time in my life, I had gone an entire year without ending up in an emergency room. Although for the first time in a long time, things were going well for me healthwise and mentally, it was a long and tough road to get here. February 14^th 2022 is International Epilepsy day and this article goes out to anyone out there struggling with the same illness, or anyone who has a loved one who goes through it.

I was diagnosed in 2005, unlike most cases, my epilepsy was brought on by Japanese Encephalitis. I was not born with it. I was constantly in and out of hospital. I was on medication from the start.

For years I took my medicines regularly and was stable, I still believed that this condition could not be cured. Imagine that, my mom constantly having to tell me I could not be cured everytime a younger me would ask if I could get brain surgery. Things were not easy for my family because of my condition, but they are my pillars of strength.

In 2019 I consulted a new doctor who told me that the doctors who had been treating me up until then, were wrong, I could be cured, they had been giving me the wrong doses of medication. This made things very hard for me, the medication had affected my memory, my school career my weight and my other physical weaknesses when I was younger. When I started working it still affected my memory, but I have a better grasp on things. I am not allowed to go anywhere on my own, which is okay, because every day my parents must live with the fear of something happening to me.

What most people don’t see is how Epilepsy has affected my mental health. Later on in life my epilepsy also started to cause depression. That was when things got bad. As I got older I would start to feel numb about a lot of things, it wasn’t until my new doctor that I learned that my epilepsy was connected to my mental health and that was what would cause my bouts of depression and anger. This opened my eyes a lot. At the same time it made me realize I cant cure one because I have the other. So that sucks.

Things that have helped me are the things I am passionate about. The things I love such as TV, Movies and music have been a great comfort to me and helped me a lot over the years. But most importantly it’s my family and friends that help me the most and keep me going. My friends are always there for me to talk to, and my family is there by my side each and every step of my journey.

Years ago, after having an aura and managing to control it myself I realized I needed to be my own anchor and take control of my epilepsy. Now whenever I get a feeling, I remind myself I am in control. Certain things can trigger a seizure such as flashing lights, exertion, getting stressed or overly emotional, getting too tired and as my mom likes to remind me, not taking my medicine regularly, and the worst part is you can have a seizure when you least expect it. I have had one at school, at a friend’s house, at a party, at work, while out with friends and once, at an Ed Sheeran concert. So no matter where I go, I always have the constant feeling looming at the back of my mind, no matter where I am or who I’m with I’ll be thinking “Will I have a seizure?”

Now in 2022 I am doing much better; I am on different doses of different medications which has been helping to control my seizures. I have learned to accept my epilepsy and I work towards the day I never have to take medication again.

These are a few things you can do to support someone who has epilepsy:

• Learn about epilepsy.
• Learn seizure first aid.
• Sometimes they just want to talk
• Ask what you can do to help.
• Just be there for them after a seizure has occurred, they’ll need the support
• They could be going through a mental health crisis so it’s best to check in on the

This is what you can do when a loved one is having a seizure:

• Lay the person down on his or her side
• Place a cushion under the person’s head
• Loosen the person’s clothing, especially around the neck
• Clear the area around the person of anything hard or sharp to prevent injury.
• Check for a medical ID bracelet for special instructions
• Monitor the person’s vital signs
• Time the seizure
• Keep yourself and others calm
• Stay with the person until emergency personnel arrive
• You should NOT try to restrain the person, place anything in the person’s mouth, or try to move the person.

Always remember, someone’s illness does not define them. I am more than my seizures. You are too.

The post Shamindri De Sayrah: More Than Seizures appeared first on ChoKoLAAte Blog.

January was a great start to the year of television, Superman & Lois returned with an intense second season, meanwhile Peacemaker made his debut in his solo series, Rue came back with more drama in Euphoria season 2, speaking of drama the Pearsons returned for one final season, with This Is Us season 6 and we learned How I Met Your Father, was actually not that bad. But get ready for more as we dive into season 2, I mean February and see what this month has in store.

“Pam & Tommy” | Premieres February 2nd

This is the one that’s got all the Sebastian Stan’s dying with anticipation. Following the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s relationship, going back to their whirlwind romance that started with them marrying after only knowing each other for 96 hours in 1995. With Lily James starring as the iconic Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stan as the tattooed drummer, these two make this 8 episode mini-series one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

“Reacher” | Premieres on February 4th

Based on the books by Lee Child. Jack Reacher was arrested for murder and now the police need his help. Starring Alan Ritchson, Malcolm Goodwin and Willa Fitzgerald.

The Girl Before | Premieres on February 10th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQCQgth8baA

This thrilling romance follows a woman who falls for an architect and gets an eerie premonition about his house, when she finds out that another woman died there. Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Stanley and Ben Hardy.

“Inventing Anna” | Premieres on February 11th

Based on a true story. A journalist with a lot to prove investigates the case of Anna Delvey, the Instagram-legendary German heiress who stole the hearts of New York’s social scene – and stole their money as well. Starring Julia Garner, Anna Chlumsky and Laverne Cox.

“Bel-Air” | Premieres on February 13th

Cue the Prince of Bel Air theme song, and lets do this! There once was a series called the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, now here in 2022 we’re about to witness a dramatic retelling of this beloved sitcom with a modern take, following Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. Starring Jabari Banks.

“From” | Premieres on February 20th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiZ44mR-c48

FROM unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town in middle America that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest; including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down. From the creator of the hit series LOST and starring Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Eion Bailey.

The post 6 New Shows To Look Out For In February 2022 appeared first on ChoKoLAAte Blog.

by Shamindri De Sayrah

What is it that makes someone hate on someone they don’t even know, so much and repeatedly, online? That makes them press send on such hateful, insulting and sometimes downright destructful things be it in the comment section or in the privacy of your messages. In my opinion it’s the mindsets people have grown up with. “We only hate what we don’t understand.”

I for one have been through Cyber Bullying more than once, and have learned from it each time. I am a massive entertainment fanatic, who absolutely loves movies and TV, being a certain size people think it’s wrong of me to do certain things and dress a certain way. However, despite what people think, I am a cosplayer. I first started cosplaying as Supergirl in 2015 at Lanka Comic Con. the second time I cosplayed Supergirl was in 2017, although what I didn’t know was behind my back there were people laughing at my cosplay because I had been turned into a meme.

I soon found out thanks to my friends, a picture of my cosplay had been used in different insulting memes that said stuff like “Super Big Girl” and more. My friends, my geek community and my family soon rushed to my defense, reporting pictures, taking them down and as new ones popped up doing it all over again. I could not have fought that battle without them. At the end of the day that entire experience gave me so much strength and confidence. However as strong as I became, that didn’t change the fact that some of those words still stayed with me, and no matter how much confidence I had in myself, that one incident shook my self esteem. Despite everything, I am thankful for the experience because it toughened me up for what came next.

Throughout the years there were a few comments online about my different cosplays but the next main instance of Cyber Bullying in my life was when I cosplayed Black Widow for a special project I did for the Black Widow movie, I had cosplayed this character before and got a few mean comments years ago, however in 2021 after sharing the recreated posters I had made on Facebook, I faced a lot of backlash and a lot of hate from both local and international trolls.

I received a lot of hate comments and there were a number of trolls laughing at my cosplay, sharing my post, commenting and laughing more, because to them I was not the right size to do it. But to me it wasn’t about being the right size, it was about my love for the character, my passion for cosplay and wanting to pay tribute to a character I love.

People refuse to accept change, we were raised to believe that Fat is bad and thin is good, that dark is bad and light is good, we were raised in a society that believed that there were only two genders and that there were only two sexualities, but this is the 21st century, times are evolving and so should we.

To anyone out there who has been or is being cyberbullied, just remember don’t care about what other people think of you, the only thing that matters is what you think of yourself, and I know it can be a long journey to get to that place, but all you have to do is take their words and turn them into armor.

The post When Cyberbullying Meets Cosplay: A Fangirl’s Story appeared first on ChoKoLAAte Blog.