Tatum O’Neal was arrested on drug charges in her Manhattan apartment Sunday night. New York City Police said they had found bags of cocaine and crack cocaine in the 44 year old actress’s possession at the time of the arrest. Police Reports indicate O’Neal initiallly told NYPD Officers that she was doing research for an upcoming film part. Also arrested was 33 year old Allen Garcia who is believed possibly to be O’Neal’s dealer.

Tatum O’Neal was the youngest actress in the history of the Academy Awards to win an Oscar, having taken home the prize for Best Supporting Actress for “Paper Moon” in which she co-starred with her father Ryan O’Neal when she was 10 years old. Since then she has appeared in such films as “The Bad News Bears”, “International Velvet” and “Basquiat” along with numerous television appearances including “Sex and the City”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Rescue Me”.

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On Monday I blogged about 5 songs that had helped shape Civil Rights Movement, and were sung during the rallies, sit ins, marches, arrests and beatings. These songs, often spirituals adapted during or after slavery, had no authors, but belonged to everyone. They were a civil rights soundtrack made of the people, for the people, and by the people. But what about the original songs that were written, composed, performed, and recorded to capture the injustice and racism that made the Civil Rights Movement so urgent? They may be written by songwriters, and not by the people. But they were certainly written for the people. These next songs are 5 of the countless ballads whose poignant lyrics and moving melodies raised awareness, called for action, and helped create that the Civil Rights Movement.

1. Old Man River (1927) was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1927 musical Show Boat and is sung by the character Joe, a black dockworker. But it was Paul Robeson who immortalized the song in the 1936 film version of Show Boat directed by James Whale. Paul Robeson, the singer, actor, athlete, trained lawyer and activist performed the song on countless occasions in recitals all over the world. But he would sing his own version, with his own lyrics which made the character of Joe more empowered and dignified. For example, instead of saying “Tote that barge! Lift that bale! Git a little drunk, An’ you land in jail,” Robeson sang “Tote that barge and lift dat bale! You show a little grit and You lands in jail.” And Robeson replaced “Ah gits weary. An’ sick of tryin’; Ah’m tired of livin, an skeered of dyin. But Ol’ Man River, he jes’ keeps rolling along!” with “But I keeps laffin, Instead of cryin, I must keep fightin; until I’m dyin. And Ol Man River, he’ll just keep rollin’ along!” Although the film was extremely popular, the 1936 version was taken out of circulation because of the black list against Paul Robeson until it debuted on cable television in 1983. Both Show Boat, which was the first integrated musical, and the song Old Man River highlight taboo subjects like passing for white, interracial relationships, and the tragedy of racism.

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One more Oscar note before I put the 80th Academy Awards to bed when it comes to blogging. Yesterday everyone was ripping on the Oscars, calling the show boring, flat and complaining that it isn’t a show for real movie lovers. Well duh! It’s a 3+ hour awards show that’s recognizing the best in Hollywood. So of course you get a show that’s long, not too controversial and the movies that win are the best of the best of the mainstream. I’m always surprised when people get angry about this. Of course the films nominated aren’t really the best films of the year (although I thought the Academy did pretty good this year, There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton and No Country For Old Men, are actually really really good). Of course the host, in this case Jon Stewart, is kind of lame (although I thought he did a really good subtle job myself). What do you expect for a show being broadcast on a major network to tons and tons of people?

So why do I watch and why should you watch the show? Why am I always excited about it? My answers are below:

1. Back in the day really good films were nominated and did win - check out past nominees and winners from the 70’s or the 60’s or the 5o’s etc.. They were amazing films, and I guess each year I watch in hopes that things will again start to shift in American cinema, back to a time where blockbusters and the weekend box office didn’t rule the day. This year saw The Coen brothers winning a lot of awards and you know what Joel and Ethan Coen are really good filmmakers. I would argue that No Country is definitely not their best, but who knows, my guess is that more Americans will be inclined to give Barton Fink and Miller’s Crossing a look now.

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When Spain’s Javier Bardem won the Academy Award for Best Supporting actor for his role in the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men, he responded by saying

Mamá, esto es para ti. Esto es para tus abuelos, para tus padres, Rafael y Matilde. Esto es para los cómicos de España que han traído la dignidad y el orgullo a nuestro oficio. Esto es para España. Y esto es para todos vosotros

which means

Mom, this is for you. This is for your grandparents, for your parents, Rafael and Matilde. This is for the Comics of Spain who brought so much pride and dignity to our profession. This is for Spain. This is for all of you.

OK. But what does that mean?

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Part of the fun of watching the Oscars every year is listening to the speeches and hoping for words of wisdom, inspiration and of course words that make us laugh from some of most talented folks in the industry.

Below are my Top 5 Oscar Speeches from last night that made the 3+ hour show worth it.

1. Daniel Day-Lewis winning Best Actor for There Will Be Blood : It should be said that I have long been a fan of Daniel Day-Lewis, but that aside, his acceptable speech last night had all the elements - he started off with a simple joke, inspired us with his carefully crafted tribute to the great Paul Thomas Anderson, and then touched our hearts with the thanks he gave his co-stars and his family - all the while keeping calm and not rambling.

And that’s the closest I’ll ever come to getting a knighthood, so thank you.

My deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town. I’m looking at this gorgeous thing you’ve given me and I’m thinking back to the first devilish whisper of an idea that came to him and everything since and it seems to me that this sprang like a golden sapling out of the mad, beautiful head of Paul Thomas Anderson.

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Some post-writers strike sentiments lingered as Hollywood celebrated the 80th Annual Academy Awards last night. Variety reports that many like NBC prexy Jeff Zucker, acknowledged the celebratory feel caused by the Oscars happening and the strike ending saying “I think everybody was ready for a party, and to enjoy the chance to come and to have a grand time.”

Others still had left-over thoughts from the recent strike events such as best actor nominee George Clooney who repeated his strong wish that the Screen Actors Guild help the rank and file in his union stay employed by starting talks as soon as possible. “There’s no resolution yet,” he said. “We’re talking to all parties. We’re hoping to avoid a strike.”

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has teamed up with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Seventh Generation, the nation’s number one natural products manufacturer, to give tonight’s golden gala a greener glow. Seventh Generation’s donating paper towels, toilet paper, and facial tissues made from 100% recycled paper “to stock everything from event stations to the rest rooms at the Kodak Theater,”  according to newsobserver.com.

Seventh Generation’s also donating a whole case of its famous All-Purpose Cleaner, which the clean-up crew will presumably use to mop up all the residual sweat, tears and champagne spilled by tonight’s winners and losers. May I have the non-chlorine-bleached post-consumer recycled envelope, please? Who knows, maybe next year, even the carpet will go green.

Learn more about Seventh Generation’s commitment to providing safe and environmentally responsible household products at seventhgeneration.com.

While most folks are buzzing about who will win at the Oscars, some Hollywood favorites already received honors this weekend at the Film Independent’s Spirit Awards.

Over the last two decades the casual Spirit Awards has become one of the hottest events in Hollywood. Honoring films that are independent and low-budget, eligible films must be at least 70 minutes in length and cost of the completed film, including post-production, has to be less than $20 million. Hosted by Rainn Wilson of “The Office”, this years show aired live yesterday on Independent Film Channel and again last night on AMC.

“Juno” cleaned up at the ceremony winning for best feature film, best actress honors for Ellen Page and best first screenplay for Diablo Cody. Page and Cody are also nominated for Oscars, along with director Jason Reitman.

“I’m Not There”, one of Heath Ledger’s last films won two honors.

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Since the Academy Awards coincide with Black History Month, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight the top 10 black actors who have won Oscars for Best Actor/Actress in a Leading Role. So Hollywood–which harbors, aids and abets, politically-correct, identity-politics-spouting, hand-out giving, limousine liberals–can finally shut up about the so-called “racism” and all the other fake “isms” they claim exist and need to be addressed. Here’s the list of black Academy Award Winners for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Leading Role, in chronological order.

1. 1963: Sidney Poitier wins for his role as Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field, becoming the first African-American actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.

1964-2000: Lots of white winners.

2. 2001: Denzel Washington wins for his role as civil rights luminary and martyr Malcolm X in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, wins for his role as Rubin Carter, the real life legendary boxer, convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, who overcomes the racist criminal justice system, police corruption and brutality, and proves his innocence through his persuasive and passionate autobiography in Hurricane, for his role as the corrupt, criminal, violent, lecherous cop, Alonzo Harris, in Training Day.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Several topics really stood out this week, including the Oscars as social advocacy inspiration, civil rights and Black History Month, and lots of hot news on entertainment going Green. Check out our most popular posts of the week on these subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Happy Belated “Freedom to Marry” Week!

Rosa and Raymond Parks: Valiant Valentine #5

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Nicole:

Top 10 Oscar Picks to Inspire Social Action

Cornel West: Black Thoughts On Black History Month

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Giulia:

H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS”

Ed Begley Jr. Goes Green

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Gina:

Top 10 Best Picture Winners That Inspire

Remixing “Chicago 10″

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Kerry:

How To Set the World On Fire Without Burning Out

Eco-Brokers Cater to Green Homebuyers