and the oscar goes to -- "the artist." [ cheers and applause ] >> good morning. silence is golden. the artist wins five academy awards including best picture, best actor and best director. meryl streep takes best actress, her first oscar in 20 years. and octavia spencer and christopher plummer honored for their supporting roles. we have it for you today from los angeles, monday, february we have it for you today from los angeles, monday, february 27, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to a special edition of "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer in new york city. ann curry and al roker are in los angeles with a complete wrap-up of the oscars. ann, i think in los angeles it's a felony to steal an oscar. >> it definitely is. i didn't steal it. >> borrowed. >> i can't believe that mark bridges who won this for the artist loaned it to me because i'm not to be trusted. i might run home for it. "the artist" is the first to win hollywood's top prize since 1929. we'll talk to the men and women behind the film including best actor jean dujardin and we'll have other big winners as well. we love that scene from the

movie. >> absolutely. everybody talking about the return of billy crystal as host. first time in eight years. we'll tell you how his return is being received. of course, we'll talk about all the hot looks on the red carpet. matt, ann was very impressed by angelina jolie's stance. >> she had a beautiful stance last night, so i wore a dress with a slit. >> you're working it. i did see angelina standing that way in the paper. and, al, you should stop that now. also, sacha baron cohen showed up from "the dictator" and things got a little bit out of hand when he was interviewed by ryan seacrest. more on that coming up as well. ann? >> we begin with highlights from the 84th academy awards. it was a fabulous night in hollywood. in fact it feels like it hasn't quite ended. ♪

>> an evening to celebrate cinema full of bright color and moving acceptance speeches but the biggest winner of the night, a small black and white picture with no talking at all. >> "the artist." >> thank you from the bottom of my heart. to you members of the academy. >> the french film's homage to hollywood's silent era took home best picture, best director and best actor for star jean dujardin. >> i rolove your country. >> i love you! >> the other award went to a familiar face. >> i knew i was gay though. at the weddings i would be staring at husbands and not the wives. >> christopher plummer won his first oscar, best supporting actor in "the beginners".

>> you're only two years older than i am, where have you been all my life? >> i hope i can do it for another ten years. >> reporter: billy crystal got laughs but his performance received mixed reviews from critics. >> george, let's make pasta! maybe it will rain! say "i'm batman." >> in perhaps the tightest contest for best actress -- >> meryl streep, "the iron lady." >> the oscar went to meryl streep for her role in "the iron lady." >> when they called my name i had this feeling i could hear half of america going, "oh, no, oh, come on, why her again"? >> it seems like she's nominated

every year but streep hadn't won since 1982. >> thank you, all of you, departed and here for this inexplicably wonderful career. thank you so much. thank you. >> but the biggest ovation of the night may have gone to octavia spencer who had to be helped on stage after winning best supporting actress for "the help." >> thank you, academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room. thank you! i love you. i'm sorry. >> i still love you, matt lauer, ann curry and here's what's happening in your neck of the woods, al roker. >> it was really a fun night and it was so great, matt, to see octavia spencer. it was a real moment when she was up on stage. it was fun to watch billy crystal. what did you think, matt? >> that made me feel good to see

the opening montage and his song in the beginning. i love having him back. probably two or three people should host on a rotating basis and he clearly is one of the men. >> very funny guy made an interesting joke about watching during the recession all the rich people, people all dressed up for the oscars. he was a delight. you're right. it was very comforting. we'll have much more on the oscars coming up including the hottest fashion and hair friends on the red carpet. back to you for more serious news from new york. >> absolutely. now to afghanistan and the rise in violence sparked by the burning of korans by american troops there. there was a fresh attack outside an airport on the heels of the murders of two military adviser inside an afghan government compound. attiya abawi is in kabul.

good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a car bomb killed nine afghans today. there are also possible reports of a poisoning at a u.s. base. the military said they are investigating but no one was injured. this follows seven days of unrelenting anger. it's been a week of rage, frustration and bloodshed and the anger shows no signs of letting up. just this morning a suicide bomber struck the airport and base in eastern afghanistan. four americans and more than 30 afghans have been killed since u.s. soldiers accidentally burned korans and other religious materials last week. despite repeated apologies from u.s. and nato officials the situation is very tense. president karzai tried to diffuse the anger saying our emotions for shown all over the country. it is time to return to calm and keep i. karzai offered

condolences to the families of the americans who were slain buftz chaos. last thursday 25-year-old joshua born and 22-year-old timothy conrad, jr., were killed by an afghan soldier who turned his weapon on them. on saturday two high ranking u.s. military officers were killed inside their offices in the heavily fortified interior ministry. their killer is still on the loose. >> there is no place necessarily inside afghanistan that's safe for anybody. i don't think a great deal of progress has been made in places it needs to be made. >> the latest cran burning follows insults that intensified public outrage toward the u.s. including the intentional burning of a koran by a pastor in florida and the video of u.s. marines urinating on the corpses of taliban fighters. the u.s. ambassador believes the anger will eventually settle. he told cnn the mission is still

necessary. >> this is not the time to decide that we're done here. we've got to redouble our efforts. we've got to create a situation in which al qaeda is not coming back. >> reporter: last night the pentagon said a planned visit this week by afghan's defense ministers has been postponed as they try to end the violence. the anti-american and western sentiment is at an all-time high within after standard of practice and has many foreigners living on edge. matt? >> atia, thank you very much. here at home the gop presidential race is facing what could be a critical turning point. mitt romney and rick santorum are battling it out on the campaign trail on the eve of the key contests in michigan and arizona. nbc's peter alexander is in rockford, michigan, with the latest there. good morning to you. >> hey, matt. good morning. mitt romney and rick santorum will be crossing michigan today

to nail down votes ahead of tomorrow's pivotal primary. a senior adviser for the campaign says they feel like they are on a good track now. down in the polls two weeks ago. now they are slightly ahead according to most polls. meanwhile, santorum has been going after romney claiming he's not conservative enough to deserve the nomination hoping voters will help him turn the race on its ear. >> let's take the first step to a better future on tuesday. >> reporter: down to the wire. >> you can change this race, right here in michigan. >> reporter: rick santorum and mitt romney are mixing it up in michigan. with his poll numbers slipping santorum is appealing to social conservatives insisting this john f. kennedy speech to protestant ministers. >> i believe in america for the separation of church and state is absolute. >> reporter: makes him sick. >> i don't believe in a separation of church and state. to say people of faith have no place in the public square, that

makes you throw up. >> reporter: santorum claims college campuses are places of liberal indoctrination. >> president obama said he wants everybody in america to go to college. what a snob. he wants to remake you in his image. >> reporter: but jan brewer endorsed romney on "meet the press." >> i think he would serve america the best of all the candidates. >> reporter: meanwhile the daytona 500 was delayed by rain and mitt romney played up the auto industry. >> this plays up things i like best -- cars and sport. >> reporter: but when asked if he follows the sport. >> not as closely as some of the most ardent fans but i have some great friends that are nascar team owners. >> reporter: that made him seem out of touch. >> i drive a mustang and a pickup truck. ann drives a couple of cadillacs

actually. >> reporter: he was seen scoping out the 26 car sponsored by the santorum campaign. santorum hopes his car pulls off a win. >> hang back as long as you can, let the folks in front of you crash and burn, move up at the end and try to win the race. >> reporter: campaign sources tell nbc news rick santorum will begin receiving secret service protection. today mitt romney already has secret service protection. >> peter, thank you very much. let's check on the top stories. natalie is at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. welcome back. >> thank you. >> in the news the compound where osama bin laden lived from 2005 until his death is in are you able. pakistani authorities destroyed the house. demolition crews worked throughout the weekend to take

down the house, a symbol of pakistan's association with the terror chief. officials didn't explain why they destroyed the house at this point in time. a train from niagara falls to toronto canada has derailed killing at least three and injuring 40 others. 75 passengers were on the six-carriage train when it went off the rails. the incident is under investigation. the cause of the derailment isn't known. an assassination attempt on vladimir putin has been foiled. a joint operation by ukrainian and russian intelligence caught the would be assassins and discovered their links to terrorists. this is according to russian television. the report comes days before elections that putin hopes will return him to the office of president for a six-year term. the federal trial over the bp oil spill, the worst offshore oil disaster in our nation's history, has been delayed. proceedings were scheduled to

begin today but bp will get another week to try to come to a settlement deal. penalties could run into the billions if bp is found grossly negligent in the spill when the "deepwater horizon" hig exploded. 11 people were killed and miles of coastline doused in millions of gallons of oil. courtney is at the new york stock exchange. what will we watch this week? >> economists surveyed are growing optimistic for 2012. improved sentiments in employment, new housing construction, business spending and economic outlook. however those rising energy prices could curtail the optimism. according to the lundberg survey the national average for a price of gas increased 18 cents in just the last two weeks to $3.69. drivers in denver are paying $3.07 on average.

san diego drivers forking over $4.24 for a gallon of gas. natalie? >> thank you, courtney. for the first time in daytona 500's history race day was rained out. it was postponed from sunday until today at noon but could see another delay as puddles well up on the international speedway in florida and another storm is looming. 7:15 now. back to matt. better safe than sorry. slick track for sure. >> thank you, natalie. let's go to los angeles for a check of the weather from mr. roker. i heard some complaining it was chilly on the red carpet last night. >> it was a little brisk, but the fashion was so hot nobody minded. the good news is we've got

good morning. clear and cold on this monday morning. tom kierein with you in storm center 4. right now it's down into the 20s throughout most of the region, including west virginia, virginia and maryland, except right near washington, it is right near the freezing mark. a little bit above freezing at reagan national and near the waters. later today climbing into the 60s with lots of sun. then tonight we'll be down to near 30 by dawn on

and that's your latest weather. ann? >> thank you, al. we are so happy to be joined by the men and the women from the movie "the artist." the best director, best actor, berenice bejo, penelope ann miller, thomas langman and harvey winestein all joining us as well as the best score winner and best costume designer, mark bridges. congratulations to you all! [ cheers and applause ] >> you have to tell us how you have been celebrating. you said you were the happiest director in the world. what have you been doing all night? >> we're french. we have been drinking. >> there was a rumor that some of the frenchmen who worked on the movie have been jumping in pools. >> our producer jumped into a

coffee cup. >> he's got what? >> coffee. >> oh, he dropped coffee, i see. >> what i'm wondering is what does it feel like to have won five oscars for a movie that even said you were crazy to make, michele? >> can you answer that question? >> we feel great. it's just amazing. really thrilling. this is the highest recognition we could hope. and it happened. it's crazy. yeah! >> jean, what was your emotion? what did you feel when you heard your name? >> i was over the moon. i was out of my body. >> you were out of your body? that must have been an experience.

>> yes, it's a new experience. >> you were yelling at the end of your speech in french. >> yes. >> what were you saying? >> no, no, it's very correct. it's me saying, unbelievable, thank you very much. >> i love you all. >> o okay. >> thank you, my friends. >> everything pg-13. i made you blush by asking the question. let me through this next question to you. for two years no one would listen to you. they wouldn't give you money. you had to mortgage your own assets. what does it say to you -- this big win -- about the value of taking a risk for what you believe in despite what everyone is saying? >> it's amazing. sometimes he calls me the most stupid producer in the world. now with this in my hand i don't feel stupid at all.

>> you're brilliant! >> you can be stupid and have an oscar. >> oh, dear. >> he's smart! >> harvey, this is a movie a lot of americans will consider anew. they hadn't maybe convinced themselves to see a silent film. what's your message to anyone all over the world who has not seen the movie because they don't want to sit through a black and white silent movie. >> this is the million to one movie that had impossible odds and overcame it. you can do what you dream. that's what michelle, thomas, berenice and the team have done. we're going to expand this to main stream and open it in 2000 theaters on friday. it's in close to a thousand theaters now. the movie will ride a great success. >> in taking a risk in making the movie it really says something. this is your second one. you had "the king's speech" last

year. congratulations to you. >> i like to choose interesting subjects -- a stuttering king and a black and white silent movie. i should have my head analyzed. >> martin, you wrote a paper about black and white films, right? >> a book report in 6th grade, silent actors, silent movie actors. i have loved it all my life. i was going to show that to you. so i have always loved it as a kid. as i mentioned in my speech. it just happened tonight. >> very wonderful. your first nomination and win. james, you were not out partying last night, i can see -- >> i was. i was. >> you were the one in the pool. >> the two of you have been campaigning hard for the movie. you didn't believe it would have the legs until you saw it on

screen, right? >> until i saw it. actually michele explained what was going to happen but i don't think i heard him until i saw it with an audience. >> i saw it in telluride in front of an audience. it was tremendous. the reaction was really overwhelming. i think we realized we had something really unique and beautiful. >> you really do. we have just run out of time. congratulations to you as well. congratulations! well done! cheers. [ cheers and applause ] >> you were fantastic in this movie. we love you. much more just ahead including the hottest looks and trends from oscar's red carpet, the hits, the misses, very important questions this morning. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, a warning to parents before you let your kids travel to mexico for spring break. we'll tell you about that after your local news. [ female announcer ] ready for a taste of what's hot?

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creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. 7:26 on this monday, the 27th of february, after a windy weekend, it is shaping up to be a nice spring day in the middle of winter. >> mercifully that wind died down yesterday, and under a clear sky overnight it's gotten cold. just past dawn, right now temperatures are in the 20s throughout much of the region, near 30 closer to washington, mid 30s right near the waters and later today into the low and mid 60s. so quite a warm-up, lots of sunshine. then tomorrow, some sun in the morning, clouding up in the afternoon after a cold start into the upper 50s. then some rain likely on wednesday and chilly, into the weekend could get more rain on saturday. saturday. we'll check our monday

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♪ 7:30 now on this monday morning, the 27th of february 2012. stars from brad pitt and angelina jolie to penelope cruz and gwyneth paltrow were decked out. who shined the brightest? we have it covered for you coming up in this half hour. i'm ann curry in los angeles on the morning after the oscars. matt is back home in studio 1a. hey, matt, good morning. a sleepy one for us here. >> hang in there, ann. on a different note the spring break season is heating up. in the coming weeks tens of thousands of u.s. college students will head to parties in

various locations. a lot of them will head south of the border. how safe is mexico? it's a country that's been in the headlines for violence a lot lately. coming up, a young man will share a cautionary tale. >> all right. and also coming up on a lighter note we'll tell you what ryan seacrest is saying about this uncomfortable moment with the dictator during the oscar preshow. >> that looked like the moment where you laugh because it's sacha baron cohen, but i'm not sure ryan was thrilled standing there with ashes all over him. >> right. but it looked like he handled it pretty well. maybe a lesser person might have gotten angry. he handled it pretty well. sacha is unpredictable. >> let's begin with actors in the best dressed at goir at the oscars. avril graham is with us from

bazaar magazine and will is here from "essence" magazine. you must have woke up this morning and say, matt lauer is doing the segment? what went wrong? unless i see stars in uggs and snuggies, i think they look good. what did you think? >> everybody did a great job. it was about hollywood glamour. >> let's jump to the ones you like the most. avril, you liked gwyneth paltrow. >> i did one of the 365 head swivels when i saw her come out. she looked amazing. it could have been a designer that just popped up out of the woodwork. it was custom tom ford. the idea that you can wear white and not look bridal and as a blond white can be difficult to pull out. she was front cover worthy gorgeous. >> one thing that struck me is almost nodulery. >> no. just a big beautiful cuff. what i love is that it was simple, elegant and rich.

she was tweeting on her way saying i'm on my way, wearing tom ford and everyone was waiting to see the outfit. >> let's talk about angelina jolie. she always gets attention. what do you think? >> angelina got it right. the italia versace, her thigh out. look at that leg. she looked modern and sexy. she looked like a star. >> with versace you can have all the bells and whistles, it can be gorgeous, metallic, whatever. she wore dark with an unusual silhouette. she was working it. minimal jewelry and a great red lip. >> what do you think of jessica chastain? >> i think she was one of the top winners wearing mcqueen. she's been hit and miss. a younger girl with a gorgeous swath of red hair. she wore a fabulous couture mcqueen. very difficult to pull off.

very regal. it's what we have seen on the runways, lots of black and gold. befitting a royal queen. i loved it. >> one of the nice moments of the night was octavia spencer winning best supporting actress as she stood on stage and as you walked her walk what did you think of of the dress? >> octavia is a winner. the dress suits her shape, full of bling and sparkle. but it's really beautiful. the draping is amazing. she stayed with tadashi throughout the season and looks like a win sprm she's not one of the traditional stick figure characters in hollywood. >> no. that's the beauty of it. this is how you wear curvy full-size fashion beautifully. >> it looked fabulous as she was presenting the award -- as she got her award last night from the back. she looked amazing. >> we have to do some of the misses and i don't like this

part much. melissa mccarthy? >> we're not being mean. with this one i feel it was just a little bit too much fabric. the sleeves were a little bit of an after thought. i personally would not have put her in the dress. it was just too billowy and wasn't this season's shape. >> the color was not great with her skin. the jewelled neckline and belt cut her body in strange ways. if you put her next to octavia spencer you would get a lesson in how to dress for a curvy woman. >> what about maya are yrudolph? >> it was a little bit space age. not the most flattering dress i have seen her wear. for me it was a thumbs down. it wasn't a winning look for me. >> i didn't love it. she's so beautiful. it made her look older. it aged her. it looked better on stage than on the red carpet, but not my favorite dress. >> i'm going to switch ahead and

move down to emma stone. i saw her on a couple of occasions on the red carpet. then presenting an award. what did you think of the dress? >> i thought for a younger girl -- and we love emma stone. it was a little bit too grown-up. it had echoes of other looks. >> i thought she looked beautiful. >> the big bow thing was a little bit too older woman. it wasn't my favorite look for her. i would have loved to see her look more modern and younger. >> i loved it. i thought it was fresh. you know, to wear red on the red carpet is challenging. but i think she got it right with the color and the bow was fun. >> let's do a montage. you liked michelle williams. >> in louis vuitton, fabulous. she played marilyn monroe but didn't go for the cliched super siren look.

demure, with the short hair, fab. >> viola davis. >> how brilliant to wear natural hair, a huge statement. she looked gorgeous in the green vera wang. >> the color was great. >> avril, glenn close. >> the "albert nobbs" man-woman thing, she pulled it off. it was good for glenn. i love thad dark, olive green. >> thank you for pulling me through this without laughing. that's nice of you. thank you so much. coming up, the biggest trends from the red carpet. for now, a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by the american cancer society, the officially sponsor of birthdays. >> winter isn't over yet. we have a big storm getting itself together, pushing to the

east over the next 48 hours. right now in the central rockies it will make its way good morning. bright and sunny. a cold start to this monday. tom kierein with you in storm center 4. right now we're in the 20s to near 30 degrees throughout much of west virginia, maryland and virginia. closer to washington it is in the mid 30s now. in fairfax, montgomery, arlington and prince george's counties and the district of columbia. later today, a rapid warm-up, ought to make it to the low to mid 60s by afternoon. lots of sun. increasing clouds tomorrow and cooler. rain and chilly for wednesday, maybe more rain saturday.

and that's your latest weather. ann? >> now to a real life drama tied to "desperate house woowivehous" nicollette sheridan claims she was wrongfully terminated in 2009 and now her case heads to court. kristen dahlgren joins us from los angeles. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. as one of the legal experts said it, 12 jurors about to see a real life tv drama unfolding right before their eyes. >> oh! i forgot you were in there. >> reporter: as sexy schemer edie brit on "desperate housewives." >> do you know someone else my age with a body like this. >> reporter: she was no stranger to rivalry and revenge. >> ow! don't psychoanalyze me, you simp! >> reporter: this week the mud slinging is in a los angeles courthouse where sheridan is suing mark cherry, the creator

of the program along with abc and touchstone television. sheridan claims she was wrongfully terminated after an on-set scuffle with cherry. she alleges during the show's fifth season cherry slapped her head. in these court documents sheridan claims she was emotionally injured, humiliated and stunned by cherry's sudden physical violence. he's denied hitting sheridan and insists plans to kill her character were in place for some time but the actress claims only after she complained did her role come to an electrifying end. >> of course there was a gunshot wound. >> reporter: in the courthouse it could look like a "desperate housewives" reunion. teri hatcher, marcia cross, felicity huffman and eva longoria are on the witness list. the four have defended cherry. >> he's funny and sweet and really probably could not harm a fly. >> reporter: the judge has already dismissed sheridan's

sexual harassment claim but her case contends networks don't kill off lead characters. the testimony could center on where she fell in the hierarchy. >> she wasn't one of the original housewives. she was added. if you look back in the history of these shows, dallas and melrose place and everything else, they are always killing people off. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, mark cherry and touchstone television say, we believe our case is strong on its merits. lawyers for sheridan told us nicolette looks ford to having a jury decide the case. as the case heads to the courtroom the judge has urged the two sides to settle. perhaps one final plot twist in the real life drama. >> once the people and players see the whites of the eyes of the jury rors aors realize this real decision with risk to both sides there may be a last minute

checkbook writing at the table. >> nobody blinking yet. the latest word is that it will move forward this morning. it's a civil case. so nicollette sheridan only needs a simple majority in order to win it. as for this being the last season of "desperate housewives" and the questions about whether neck let sheridan could appear in the final episode despite of all of this, she was asked and said, so far she's heard nothing about that. >> kristen dahlgren, thank you so much. still ahead, much more on the oscars, but coming up next, a warning to parents of college students planning a spring break trip to cancun right after this.

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so if you've got pain... get up to 16 hours of pain relief with thermacare. we're back at 7:45. tens of thousands of college students will be taking off for spring break in the coming weeks. one of the most popular destinations the mexico, but with drug violence on the rise the state department has issued a travel warning.

janet shamlian is in cancun this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. the beaches are beautiful here. it feels carefree but the ft is we are not far from the ongoing violence of the mexican drug war. starting this week and for about the next six weeks or so american college students will be streaming here for spring break. this morning one young man's story exposes the potential dark side of a usually laid back week ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> reporter: with sun kissed beaches, oversized drinks and bikinis cancun is the gold standard for american college student this is time of year. tens of thousands will party here over the next six weeks. two years ago zeke was among them, joining friends for a final fling before starting law school. you had no concerns whatsoever that it wasn't safe. >> not at all. everyone does it. how can it hurt someone?

>> reporter: yet what happened hours after zeke arrived would do just that. after a night at the clubs, zeke fell asleep on a lounger near the hotel pool. he remembers nothing of what happened next but his parents can't forget the phone call. zeke was found near the pool, a doctor told them, bloody, unconscious with multiple skull fractures. he was on a ventilator and near death. >> you can't believe it. everything becomes surreal from that point on. you're living in a nightmare. >> reporter: for weeks zeke was in a coma. for months he couldn't walk or talk. law school was put on hold for relearning the basics. >> i was certainly brain damaged. it was like i was sort of a small child. >> reporter: to this day zeke's case is unsolved. no suspects, no idea what happened. cancun police tell nbc news the hotel never reported the crime. there are surveillance cameras where zeke was beaten. the hotel told his parents there was no video of the attack. >> the camera wasn't

functioning. >> reporter: do you believe that? >> no. do you? >> reporter: zeke's mom believed the hotel feared losing business. the barcelo told nbc news it had no comment on the case. the area has not been immune to drug violence consuming mexico, but the director of the cancun tourist police says the zone is heavily patrolled and safe. as for zeke, the left side of his face is paralyzed, no hearing in his left ear but he's now in law school. >> to an american it's sort of surreal that something could happen like it did to me and basically no one cares. the hotel doesn't care. the police don't care and there was no real justice. >> reporter: a young man's cautionary tale as dawn breaks on another spring vacation season south of the border. mexican authorities say cases like zeke's are unusual in

cancun and the tourist heavy beaches are exempt from the travel warning. but 14 mexican states are included. among them, the big travel destination of puerta vallarta where just last week 22 american cruise ship passengers were robbed at gun point. back to you. >> janet shamlian in mexico this morning. thank you very much. up next, much more of the highlights from last night's oscars right after this. [ indistinct conversations ]

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[ deep breath ] ♪ 1, 2, 3, 4 ♪ [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] vicks dayquil. defeats 5 cold & flu symptoms. ♪ we're back with some of our favorite moments of the 84th academy awards. hey, you two. what was your favorite moment? did you stay up and watch? >> i didn't stay up the whole time. >> i stayed up until 10:00. >> a lot of people felt good for meryl streep but i was surprised she had not won since the 1980s. it seems like she wins all the time. >> it's because she gets nominated so much. everybody had that sense and her speech was terrific. it was gracious. she sort of implied -- or said outright it's going to be the

last time she's up there which we all know isn't true. >> i thought octavia spencer was great as well. >> she was so heart felt. i was moved by how real and emotional she was. >> what did you think of the dictator on the red carpet? what a moment with ryan seacrest. >> you were on the red carpet. did you see it first hand? >> i saw him go through. i didn't see him dump ashes on ryan but he tweeted he's having a pancake party at his house. i guess it was really pancake mix. >> he didn't look happy, ryan. >> he handled it like a pro, no question about it. >> he had a smile but deep down he was seething. you could tell. >> more trends from the red carpet after your local news. so, you guys grew up together. yes, since third grade...

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good morning. i'm joe krebs at 7:56. we have a bit after cold start to this week. here's tom kierein. >> with the sunshine, temperatures are getting above freezing in much of the region right now, into the 30s fairfax, arlington, montgomery, prince george's county. later today into the low and mid 60s. delightful day with lots of sunshine. then tomorrow some sun in the morning, then cold, warming into the 50s with increasing clouds. looks like rain likely with chilly temperatures on wednesday. could get some more rain on saturday. thanks, tom. we'll take a

good morning. as you travel the inner loop of the beltway, you're very slow at little river turnpike. these delays start around the i-95 interchange, continue to the dulles toll road. you're at about 19 miles per hour. if you're traveling on i-66 as well, very slow at suddenley road, stop and go making your way to the beltway. not seeing accidents but eastbound you're at 32 miles per hour. taking about 19 minutes to get from fairfax county parkway to the capital beltway. we'll have another news update in 25 minutes but now we're going to go back to the "today" show after we

we're back now. 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 27th day of february, 2012. we've got a keeper of a day here in new york city. sunny skies, temperatures going up into the mid 50s today. we're starting out at 41 degrees. these people are loving it. out on the plaza feeling lonely. i'm matt lauer. we have ann curry and al roker out soaking up the oscar after glow in los angeles. good morning, guys. >> hey, good morning. we're missing you, too, matt. welcome back from vacation. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. from here we'll have more of the dazzling looks on the red carpet

from the dresses to the hair to the jewelry. we'll tell you the hottest trends from head to toe coming up. >> and also we have a remarkable woman enjoying the return to hollywood. delores hart heft acting in the 1960s to become a nun. she was back on the red carpet last night as the focus of an oscar-nominated documentary about her extraordinary life. ann accompanied her and even got in the limo with her. >> it was exciting. it was the second time i believe she's been and the last time she was on her way to the oscars was 52 years ago. >> she was a presenter. she was a young starlet. it was so nice. she had she didn't have to worry anybody would copy her outfit this time. >> also we'll talk about some of the new programs that are going to make your next trip a whole lot easier, even less expensive. these are great ideas for travellers. we'll get to those. first let's go inside to natalie

at the news desk with the headlines of the morning. natalie, good morning. >> good morning, everyone. the taliban says a suicide car bombing that killed at least nine people today at a military airport in afghanistan was another act of revenge for the unintentional burning of korans at a nato air base last week. with one day before the arizona and michigan primaries, rick santorum is appealing to conservatives saying he does not believe in the absolute separation of church and state and calling president obama a snob. mitt romney meanwhile played up his own love of michigan's auto industry at the daytona 500 but may have sounded out of touch when he boasted some of his friends are nascar team owners. there is a excelling reason to file your taxes early this year. someone else could beat you to your refund. pete williams explains how the scam works. >> reporter: bart cohen, a retired miami police officer

only recently got his tax refund, not from this year -- from last year. expecting a $4,000 refund he was stunned to discover someone else beat him to it. >> it's a huge nightmare that you can't believe is happening. >> reporter: the crime of stealing someone's identity oh th to get a tax refund from the irs has exploded from 48,000 case as year ago to 260,000 cases now. they are putting more trip wires in like name and address mismatches but they say it is hard to separate honest record changes from dishonest ones. >> millions of taxpayers move every year. millions of taxpayers have children. millions of taxpayers change jobs. we have to go through the process of validating are you really who you say you are? >> reporter: the irs is hoping to check returns against w-2 pay forms more quickly, something it doesn't do now until after refund checks go out.

so how to protect yourself? the experts stress safeguarding your social security number above all. >> never answer it on a website no matter how many times it asks you. protect it like it's money because it is. >> reporter: the most important tip, file early so you get your refund before someone else does. pete williams, nbc news, washington. >> now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round up of what has you talking online. the oscar night flash of thigh has fans searching for more of angelina jolie. angie's right leg has its own twitter feed and thousands of followers. j. lo's revealing oscar gown has some fans saying they glimpsed a hint of a wardrobe malfunction. and kevin mcguire is battling leukemia. his sister launched a facebook page urging taylor swift to be her brother's prom date.

taylor said she couldn't make the dance but invited him to the academy of country music award this is spring. this video has oprah winfrey fans tweeting their surprise. kimmel pretends to pitch new ideas including one changing oprah's book club into a fight club. another has oprah repossessing some of the favorite things she gave away. it's now 8:05. now to al with a check of the weather from hollywood. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by advil. make the switch to advil now. >> oprah's dark side. i like it. let's see what's going on. pick city of the day, as we always do at this time of day. los angeles, california, nbc 4. showers developing. going to be windy with a temperature of 58 degrees for the high. as we look to the satellite, we've got a big storm system developing in southern california making it across the

good morning. sunny and cold on this monday morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. right now getting above freezing throughout much of the region. just in the low and mid 30s fairfax, arlington, montgomery, prince george's county. near 40 in washington and by the bay. it may make it into the low and mid 60s throughout much of the region with lots of sunshine. clear night, near 30 by dawn tomorrow, increasing clouds tuesday. chilly rain likely on wednesday. and that's your latest weather, ann. >> al, thank you. coming up next, the hottest style, hair and accessory trends from the oscars red carpet. that's right after this.

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today at the oscars. what fashion trends stood out on the red carpet? jeannie -- i need more coffee -- is a digital correspondent for upcoming reality competition series fashion star and donna roberts rothy from marie claire. good morning. >> good morning. >> thumbs up, thumbs down overall last night? oh! >> i'm a meh, too. >> are you kidding me? why? >> i was just very excited to look forward to the oscars because we fashion experts look forward to it. it is the super bowl of fashion. it really is. >> but? >> i felt like the stars didn't really go there. >> you know, they're supposed to save the best looks for last. they have the golden globes, the s.a.g.s, they are supposed to save the best for last. some did. >> we saw a lot of neutral colors, white, blush, nude.

rooney mara wore a beautiful, light dress. you liked it. >> i love it! >> givenchy, chic, fashion forward, striking, very her. >> absolutely. i want anybody out there who doesn't understand the dress to understand this is fashion. rooney herself is a very interesting person. the detailing of the dress at the bust line, it has a fish tail that gives an alluring look. that's the great thing about rooney. she's not trying to be in a pretty dress. she wants to wibe interesting a she nails it. >> octavia spencer chose a light frock. >> she's a great lesson in how to dress curves. >> she was very assuming because tadashi koji has been her designer and she brought out the bang for the very end.

the star shape showed off her curves. >> gwyneth paltrow. >> the cape was a risk that paid off. she looked stunning in it. i saw the dress last week in london. >> you should have gotten it! >> tom said, this is my favorite for the red carpet. there she is. >> i love that she was able to change it a little bit by removing the cape. it was effortless for the presenting. she now how to keep the detailing simple to let the dress stand out. we don't just judge the dress. we judge the overall look. accessories, hair and makeup. >> big word "judge." you're judging cameron diaz's look. >> oh! why are you going there? >> i'm going to speak first. >> oh. i'm going to get the bad news out. we're judging again the overall look. cameron diaz, i'd die for her

knockout body. the dress was very simple. therefore, the rest of her should have been played up a bit more. i know she got dressed up with gwyneth. >> he doshe does the natural, dishevelled. >> but be honest. >> she's an athletic girl. >> fashion point and counter point. now to silhouettes, colors and embellishments. they are all over the map. jessica chastain. i thought it was kind of beautiful. regal looking. >> the mcqueen. the gold thread in it was 24 carat gold inspired by nature. this was an example of a girl who didn't quite hit it before on the red carpet but nailed it. >> natalie portman in polka-dots. >> to die for! i think the fact that it was vintage, first of all.

it was dior and it was faint polka-dots but this was natalie's chance to bring it together in a classic way. every woman need it is "pretty woman" moment with the necklace. you picture the richard gere snap box. >> this dress is 60 years old. >> also, the side sweep in hair was a big trend. we're not seeing it in natalie, well, kind of. >> i could do it. but here's the thing. a side sweep is challenging to wear. you have to keep very poised because it's just intricate bobby pins. poise and elegance is structured in order to maintain the look. otherwise you have strands falling out. it's a key style to have. >> what about jewelry? >> it was notable almost by the

absence. there was a lot of money on the red carpet for sure. millions of dollars in jewelry. however it was minimal. simple, short necklaces. i liked it. it was definitely a moment. >> adding to the understatement, more silver than gold. >> a lot of jewelry was in the dresses. the embellishment was a big moment and the jewelry was less so. >> you're saying positive things about the outfits. why weren't you wowed? michelle williams? >> we weren't upset. it was just -- i think also because we were at fashion week and saw the fresh dresses off the runway together for the style network. we knew what was present for the picking but we didn't see. we were wowed more by the runways than by the oscars. >> i agree. >> you two obviously have more to talk about here. i will let you go at it. >> thank you.

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[ male announcer ] get the venture card at capitalone.com and earn double miles on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? cover for me. i have an audition. oh there's tons. french presses, espresso tampers, filters. it can get really complicated. not nearly as complicated as shipping it though. i mean shipping is a hassle. not with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits it ships, anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. that is easy. best news i've heard all day! i'm soooo amped! i mean not amped. excited. well, sort of amped. really kind of in between. have you ever thought about decaf? do you think that would help? yeah. priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $5.15, only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. we are back at 8:20. this morning, new tricks to make your next trip easier. airlines are making big changes. travel expert claire newell,

author of "travel best bets, an insider's guide to taking the best trips ever" joins me. >> thanks for having me. >> there is something called precheck. i like the sound of this. >> it's really good. only four airports now in the pilot program. you don't have to take your coat off, computer out of the bag, money out of your pockets. you basically just walk through. >> how do i qualify and why isn't this going to hurt security at the airports? >> it's quite a test program. only for what's called trusted travellers who are already prescreened by transport security agents. >> so you fill out a lengthy application. >> absolutely. >> they do a good background check and they can be secure that you will stay good. >> you would hope so, absolutely. >> the one thing is the other people who are lucky enough to do it are cherry-picked people who are road warriors.

super elite for five airlines. >> there will still be random security checks. >> right. >> so they will not always speed through the lines. >> nobody is guaranteed. the process is all encompassing. you have to go to a website. go to google and put in "goes." that's the easiest way to put in the application. you need the pictures, passport, prove you're a lawful citizen. then you go in for a meeting with them. it's tough. not just with one customs and border control agent, multiple. >> can i do it if i'm traveling with kids? >> you can. my kids are already trusted travellers. well worth it. it's about $100 but the best money you can spend. you will see all of these people in line-ups going through security and there is a special line for trusted travellers. >> there is something called social seating that some airlines are dabbling in.

what is it? >> dabbling in. klm is the big airline doing this. it's in the very small stages. only two flights at the moment. but once you have booked on a flight and you look at the seat map, you can upload your profile off linkedin or facebook and someone can look at it and pick you as their seat mate. >> you have a person sitting next to you that could share your interests but you cannot reject someone. >> you need to go into your seat map, look at who they are and if you really don't want them you can actually move seats up to two days prior. or go back to the anonymous way and just pick a different seat completely. >> is there a social category for the do not even attempt to talk to me if i have my headset on people? >> i'm with you. i want to watch a movie, have a nap. >> you can say, i like to fly quietly. >> you would like air new

zealand. they have a program where if there is an empty seat -- for $50 or $60 you can book an empty seat if it's not full and you get refunded if someone has to sit there. i would pay to have no one beside me. >> speaking of paying, the airline lounges are a convene vens for people who travel frequently. and now they are not just for vips. >> it used to be for business and first class you didn't have access to the lounges. much more available now. you can pay between 25 and 40. the average person spends about $20 at the airport on food, magazines and that sort of thing. in the lounge it's included. the fees are $25 to $40. >> priority pass.com? >> it's the best value. 600 airport lounges around the world. $99 a year. that's a steal if you are a road warrior traveller. >> just remind people, new laws

make sure when you book a flight all the fees and taxes are included in the price of the ticket. >> this is a new law the government put in place that everything has to be included. easier for consumers to know what they are paying and you can put a 24-hour hold on a flight without paying. >> i like that one, too. claire, thank you very much. appreciate it. when we come back, the red carpet return of a woman who gave up acting years ago after your local news.

8:26 is your time now on this monday, february 27, 2012. let's take a live look outside right now, a beautiful day ahead. it is a chilly start, 39 degrees but warming up. tom kierein's in the storm center with the latest. >> good morning. right now with the sunshine temperatures are getting above freezing much of the region. reagan national now is around 40 degrees. it is into the mid and upper 30s throughout much of the area. we ought to make it into the low and mid 60s by mid afternoon, a lot of sun, increasing clouds and cooler weather tomorrow. chilly rain likely on wednesday. drying out again on thursday and friday. then over the weekend could get more rain on saturday. >> tom, thank you.

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two of your right lanes and you are slow as you make your way north on route 29. also crossing on new york avenue, heading into the city right at south dakota 2, right lanes are

tonight on access hollywood, our oscar spectacular. everybody watches the same show, but no one sees it the way we do. >> feels good. >> this is great. >> tonight. 8:30 now on this monday morning, the 27th of february 2012 as we say hello to all the fine people lining rockefeller plaza on this back-to-work monday morning. meantime i'm ann curry alongside al roker in los angeles. matt and natalie are joining us from new york. guys, coming up from here, delores hart was a budding star

in the 1950s acting alongside the likes of elvis presley and anthony quinn. she walked away from hollywood to become a benedictine nun. her life is the subject of a film short and she returned to the red carpet for the first time in 52 years wearing her habit. she wanted a photograph with her iphone of the limousine. >> that's terrific. octavia spencer, as you know, picked up her first academy award last night for her supporting role in "the help." i would like to think that along the way one of the highlights of her weekend was the conversation and glass of champagne we shared as she geared up for the oscars. with we're going to have that as well. >> matt, back to you. >> we have star power here as well. >> we do. you know the dr. seuss classic "the lorax" is soon to be an animated adventure on the big

screen. ed helm is here and he's just now reading the book for the first time. just kidding. >> also, speaking of star power can we bring in megan hilty, one of the stars of "smash," nice to see you. >> you, too. >> i'm confused. help me out. >> uh-oh. >> we now know your character, ivy, got the role of marilyn monroe. where does that leave us in terms of drama? >> i'm marliilyn for now. as someone who's gone through the process of doing musicals from the ground up. just because you start it doesn't mean you can keep your job. >> they can snatch it away from you? >> it adds to the drama. >> how sit playing ivy the actress and also marilyn monroe? >> it's great. makes it less daunting. it's not me playing marilyn. it's ivy lynn.

so i can hide a little bit. but i'm doing research. marilyn is fascinating. i like to read about her and watch her on youtube and get her voice in my head. >> second you said as someone who's gone through it before you were on "wicked," "9 to 5" on br broadway. how close to reality is this? >> it's close. there are so many people involved in the project that come from this world it gives it an authentic flavor you wouldn't otherwise get to have. >> nick jonas stars in the episode tonight. >> he's fantastic. he plays like a child star. someone who became famous early and now has all this money and doesn't know what to do with it. eileen, played by angelica houston, essentially has to beg for money from a 20-year-old which is great. so we woo him tonight. it's a great show. >> i'm hooked.

>> we want to remind everyone. megan can be seen tonight on "smash" at 10:00, 9:00 central time on nbc. nice to see you. >> you, too. >> let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker out in los angeles. >> all right. thanks so much, matt. let's look at the week

good morning. just now getting above freezing throughout much of the region as we look at temperatures. now it is near 40 in washington, near the mid and upper 30s now in prince george's and montgomery, arlington and fairfax counties and throughout the region, we'll have it continue to climb, actually may hid the low to mid 60s. higher temperatures should be through north central virginia. little bit cooler to the north. and we'll have lots of sun, increasing clouds tomorrow, chilly rain likely on wednesday. then mild again thursday. don't forget. keep track of your weather all day. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt, natalie? >> all right, al. >> thank you. still to come this morning, the former starlet who returned to the oscars last night more than four decades after leaving hollywood to become a nun. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪

welcome back to los angeles. now to a woman who wasn't hard to spot at the oscars. she was the one wearing a nun's habit as she walked down the red carpet. her story is remarkable. ♪ you're the only one who can make my dreams come true ♪ >> reporter: few stars rose higher than elvis presley. sharing scream time with him was as close to heaven as a 1950s actress could get. >> i'll try anything. >> reporter: billed as the next grace kelly, delores hart starred in ten movies including "king creole" and "loving you," even delivering the king his first on-screen kiss. forgive me, but is elvis presley a good kisser? >> i would say he was very good. >> reporter: despite standing on

the brink of stardom she waved good-bye to hollywood for a greater passion. ♪ >> if you're a good lover you take your relationship to the max. >> reporter: delores was in love with god and her relationship with him led her to the convent. last night a film about her life "god is the bigger elvis" led her to the oscars. what are you looking forward to the most? >> winning. >> reporter: you can't tell me you haven't side at least one prayer. >> possibly god isn't interested at all. >> reporter: how will you celebrate? >> maybe my assistant and i will get some yogurt. >> reporter: the film portrays her life and sacrifice as a nun including the heart break of leaving behind a fiance, don robinson. >> i was engaged to be married.

i said, don, every love relationship doesn't have to end at the altar. he said something i won't say here. >> reporter: you would have to go to confession? >> no, i wouldn't. it would just insult all your viewers because they wouldn't think a nun would say those things. >> reporter: incredibly, the two never stopped seeing each other. >> don came every christmas, easter to visit me. >> reporter: his love never ended. >> it never ended. >> reporter: did you love him? >> i did. i still do. >> reporter: though she has no regrets about leaving hollywood, she's enjoying the return to show biz. her fellow nuns have given her specific instructions for what to do at the oscars. >> i am supposed to see george clooney. i'm supposed to ask him all different questions and if i go home without these answers, it may be even worse if i go home without them than without the oscar.

>> really? >> reporter: late in the afternoon it's time to get ready. one thing, mother, at least no one will be wearing the same outfit. >> i don't think so. not this year anyway. >> reporter: delores's story line defies even hollywood's imagination. from hollywood star to nun to the oscars. >> it's such a precious gift. don't miss it. >> reporter: with the red carpet waiting, she's a star again, celebrated for her time on screen with her heart given to heaven. they didn't win the oscar but they are now going to -- you can now see the documentary on television because "god is bigger than elvis" is debuting thursday, april 5, on hbo. coming up next, ed helms on why he fought for his role in "the

lorax." first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back at 8:43 with one of the stars of dr. seuss's "the lorax." the lorax is the guardian of the forest so all heck breaks loose when a young entrepreneur voiced by ed helms starts chopping down trees to make what's called a sneed. >> you chopped down my trees to make that piece of garbage? >> garbage? oh, no. you don't get it. this is a revolutionary product that will change the world as we know it. it has a million uses. it's a swim suit. whoa, mud tracks on the floor by un inviinvited guests, well it

in hanley for that. >> and ed helms joins us in the dr. seuss fantasy land. >> this is impressive. >> you really wanted the role. why? >> i actually didn't want this role exactly. i just wanted to be in this movie. because the book was so special to our family when i was a kid. for some reason this particular book was a family favorite. when i heard illumination would make the money i said, i will do anything. >> a grip. >> i just wanted to tell my nieces and nephews and all my future kids i was in this. >> this is your first animated film. i was going to ask you how challenging and difficult it is to do. then i watched the oscars last night and chris rock came out and said, this is the easiest way to make money in history.

do you agree with him? >> well, no. it's incredibly difficult. it takes enormous skill and talent. compared to making a normal live action movie it's preposterously easy. the time commitment is minimal. you go into a studio. the nice part is you can wear nothing if you want. you can be -- i was naked. >> now i'm visualizing this. i'm not sure i want to go there. you're voicing the wunsler naked. >> not true. >> it would be surprising if people don't know "the lorax" because it's a great book but it is -- >> it's kind of the -- he's kind of the villain but he's not a bad guy. he's an entrepreneur who gets carried away and goes down the way of greed and avarice.

>> you say he's not bad. he's naive more than a villain. >> like all of us he's vulnerable to these things but he's not an evil guy. >> dr. seuss has sparked controversy because lou dobbs weighed in to say this is about a woodland creature who speaks for the trees and fights rampant industrialism and says the lorax is an example of the president's liberal friends in hollywood target targeting a younger demographic using movies to sell their agenda to children. go! >> i'm so excited that barack obama, who is my best friend, got us going on this. because we are going to indoctrinate a lot of people. if this goes well. lou, come on! what are you talking about? he couldn't have seen the movie yet either. >> or read the book. >> it's about a good guy who

gets greedy. these are unimpeachable values like be responsible to your world. >> here's what dr. seuss said. by the way, the guy sold about a billion books worldwide. he said, the lorax doesn't say lumbering is immoral. i live in a house of wood. it's anti-pollution, anti-greed. >> boom. there you go. >> he said after that, boom! there you go. >> boom. >> let's talk about "hangover 3." lots of rumblings that it's going. what can they do to you they haven't already done? >> right. speaking of children's movies. i don't know what's happening with this. i hope we are. there is a lot of positive energy. the movies are so many moving parts. we'll see what happens. i'm hopeful.

>> season 7 of "the office" now being shot. >> eight. how dare you? >> pardon me m, lou. are you enjoying your time on the show? >> it's the greatest. it's the greatest cast, crew, staff you could ever hope to work with. we have a blast. couple more weeks left in this season. >> and much deserved time off. ed, great to see you. "the lorax" is from our sister company universal pictures and it opens nationwide on friday. nice to have you here. >> thank you very much. >> up next, al catches up with oscar winner octavia spencer, first, this is "today" on nbc. [ clanking ] think we should have bought pre-assembled furniture? [ telephone ringing ] wait.

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welcome back to los angeles. octavia spencer may still be out partying after winning for her role in "the help," al. >> i got a chance to spend time with her as octavia geared up for the big night. we talked about her unforgettable role and how it changed her life personally and professionally. >> marker, a camera, c camera. >> wow. i have never seen that before. this is hollywood. we have never had that. that's how we know you're big now. >> we have a clapper.

>> you have a clapper to start this interview. my life has changed just hanging around you. how has your life changed? >> my life is still pretty much the same. >> no! >> well, my career is very different. >> yes. >> but my life, i have to have a simple life. i have to be able to have a day where i read and close my mind to the world. i'm pretty busy careerwise, thank the lord. >> how has it changed? >> it's weird. you walk into a room and before nobody knew you. you walk into the room and it's like -- i'm like, who are they smiling at? me? >> what did you put in here that makes it taste so good? >> that good vanilla from mexico. and something else real special. >> there are people who have said, wow, you're portraying a domestic. yet the fact is there is no less dignity in what these people did

and the roles they played in this country. >> well, al, here's what i have to say for people who just sort of discount what domestics do. you're a dad. do you not cook for your dad? do you not make them make their bed, brush their teeth, all the things domestics do, provide them with unconditional love. if we discount what these women did even though it's for someone else's kids in addition to their own we are discounting our mothers, fathers, grandparents, those who provide that type of love every day. >> i was going through my research. i read in an article and correct me if i'm wrong that one of the splurges you have talked about -- > >> boob lift? people are like, you're giving too much information. no. i love my body. i'm trying to get to an even more healthier weight and i'm not trying to be a thin mint. i want to be a thick chocolate

mint. i also want to be sexy in my own eyes. i'm going to get my boobs stapled to my shoulder so by the time i'm 70 they will drop to where they need to be. >> wow. >> lot of information. >> wow. and wow. fantastic. so now when you walk in a room, if they are -- ta-da! >> ta-da. >> so next year when i see you at the golden globes -- >> the golden globes will be golden. >> and tomorrow we're wearing -- >> spanx for sure. >> and to the spanx. >> and a way cool bra. >> and to the bra. >> bowe're talking boobs, bra, d spanx. t.m.i., octavia. >> to you. >> to you. oh, man.

that's good stuff. i'm going to have one more sip, al. >> go right ahead. >> okay, maybe one more. >> okay. >> even it out. >> okay, okay. i tell you what. that's delicious. >> where is the crapplapper wheu need it? >> yes! >> we love her. she's so talented. it was so fun to watch it. >> i can't believe you went with the boob lift question. >> wow. tell us about your evening. where did you watch the awards. all that sort of thing. it was at a local watering hole knocking back a couple, watching on television. >> with what, members of "the lion king". >> it was a bar. >> with the hyenas.

>> how about you, mr. vanity fair party? >> i was hanging out at the elton john party. >> good job out there, guys. hurry home. we look forward to seeing you. we'll be right back after your local news. consumers today have a legitimate concern about the chicken they eat.

they want to know more about how they were raised, what they were fed. we spend a lot of time on the feed because a chicken is what it eats. [ jim ] this seal verifies we feed my fresh all-natural chickens an all-vegetarian diet including corn, soybeans, and marigolds. we actually ask the usda to come check us. we have never fed steroids or hormones and never will. no blood meal, no meat and bone meal. yuck. no animal by-products. it means when you put my chicken on the table, you know where it came from.

good morning. on the red line, still seeing delays. if you are taking 29 southbound at musgrove road, accident in the right shoulder labor ne as as the left shoulder lane. delays continue back to blackburn.

"the artist." we are back with more of "today" on a monday morning, the 27th day of february to 12. all about the oscars this morning. "the artist," the silent movie made a big noise at the academy awards last night taking home five statues including best picture, best director and best actor for that man right there jean dujardin who described the experience to ann this morning as an out of body experience. why not? meanwhile out on the plaza in new york i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. out in los angeles covering the

awards, ann and al. hey, folks. >> it's been a major whirlwind here. pretty fun, i think. you had fun because you were on the red carpet. >> that's right. goit to hang out -- the interesting thing seeing all the hits and some of the misses. got a chance to chat up some of the stars on their way into the ceremony. you will get to see all the preaward red carpet highlights and fashion hits and misses and the hottest head to toe trends. then, of course, we have the partying but none of the hangover. after the awards were handed out, i hit the party circuit, continually stalking the a-listers. tough job. somebody had to do it. we'll show you -- at least it was fun for me. i'm not sure about them. >> i'm sure they enjoyed that. >> being stalked by al roker. >> i'm sure it was great. >> some people loved billy crystal, the throwback to old hollywood. others thought maybe it was

safe. and some of the advertising, the commercials. we'll look at that with donny deutsch in a little bit. >> just ahead, natalie has a look at the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. a school shooting this morning in northeastern ohio led to a massive police search and had worried parents flocking to shardin high school near cleveland. at least two students were wounded and medevaced to the hospital. also the police had at least one suspect in custody. the compound where osama bin laden lived from 2005 until his death is in rubble this morning. pakistani authorities destroyed the house where the al qaeda leader was killed in a raid by u.s. commandos last may. a train carrying passengers from niagara falls to toronto, canada, has derailed, killing at least three people and injuring others. the incident is under

investigation and the cause of the derailment is not yet known. military action film "act of valor" won the weekend box office with $24.7 million. tyler perry's good deeds came in second and "journey 2" was third. the long search for the world's shortest man is over. the man from nepal stands just 21 and a half inches tall, an inch shorter than the reigning champ. at 72 he's the oldest man to hold the title. he has five brothers of average height but he's the one who gets his name in the guinness book of world records. wow. now three minutes past the hour. back out to al with a check of the weather in hollywood. >> all right, thanks so much, natalie. the weather was perfect on the red carpet. it's going to change

good morning. bright sun and a blue sky right now around the region. we're climbing into the 40s, right now it is 44 at reagan national and it is going to continue to climb. in fact, we may make it all the way into the low and mid 60s by later this afternoon with lots of sun. near 30 by dawn tomorrow, but another mild afternoon, not as warm as today with increasing clouds on tuesday. chilly rain likely on wednesday. drying out thursday and friday, maybe more rain saturday.

now to "today at the oscars." i got an up close look at the high fashion that shines as brightly as the stars. ♪ >> well, hi. air kiss! >> air kiss! >> aww. two of hollywood's best picture nominees celebrate old hollywood. it seems a lot of the dresses were celebrating that era just as much. how excited are you? >> on a scale of 10, 12. >> i'm all hollywood glamour. ♪

>> oscar night. >> is it? >> it is. ♪ >> i'm wearing marchesa. that's a lie. >> armani. >> who are you wearing tonight? >> i don't know. >> it would seem hollywood royalty was fashionably late but for brad and angelina they are always looking great. >> are you having fun? >> it's great fun. i don't know if i will get this experience again. >> who got it right and who didn't? here with their own take, lisa

rinna whose clothing lineback i sold on kwvs and jonathan antin. you have been up all night so let's get to it. you said penelope cruz slayed you. >> i hadn't seen her walk the red carpet. i saw her walk out and she did hollywood glam gorgeous. she never gets it wrong. >> she looked outrageous. the pin-under hair style with the finger waves was very classic retro chic. >> stunning. >> how about meryl streep? >> i thought meryl streep brought it. yay! >> what's this? little hand clapping. >> she brought it. i loved the gold. she looked like the oscar. she was really pretty. >> i thought she looked great. >> oh, come on. >> two oscars, seven globes, a bazillion nominations, she can't look bad. the hair could have been better

you bu i don't want to say it. >> you just did, uh but that's okay. >> i'm sorry. >> everybody's going on about gwyneth paltrow. >> why? >> good! >> oh, the dress. that tom ford dress was divine. >> but a rubber band in the back of her hair? the ponytail? you have to wrap hair around the band. >> i'm not looking at the hair. i'm looking at the body. >> i'm looking at the hair. well, i might be looking at the body while i do the hair. >> i loved that chic jacket. who can wear white tight like that? >> i'm surprised tom didn't say something about the hair. >> tom ford? he weighs in on the hair? >> yeah! >> i loved it. >> couples, george and stacy or brad and angelina. >> george and stacy. i'm a big brangelina fan. but really, stacy in the dress. >> as hot as it gets. if there was a female oscar, that would be it. >> oscarette.

>> that's just about the best dress, i think. >> amazing considering she grew up in a tree with elves that bake cookies, she's done well. back to angelina. she was talking about the leg sticking out. >> angelina is beautiful, but her hair just looked -- >> wild. i felt like the look was wild. >> they have the same hairdo. they look the same. you don't know which one's brad and which one's angelina. >> i have to tell you, i know which is which. >> so do i. i don't think they can do it wrong. >> she's not wearing a goatee. >> i know. but the hair. get a blow dry, something. >> but that leg out. it's hard, even though you have a slit you don't have to pop the leg out. i would pop mine out. >> i didn't say there was anything wrong with the leg.

>> jonathan, would you pop your leg out? >> nothing wrong with the leg. >> hair, your favorite. >> i loved -- >> shailene woodley? >> michelle williams? >> michelle williams? >> stunning. >> she grew her hair a centimeter, thank god. now she looks like a little boy instead of an old man. i'm so bored of the short hair. >> how about rooney mara? >> great hair. beautiful bangs. >> seriously? >> oh, yeah. >> it's hard. that's hard, baby. >> how about the dress? >> get hard-core. >> i liked the white. she uses black a lot. this thing on the boob, i'm not sure. it's a shelf. >> girl with the hair, it's all good. >> i don't know.

>> it's nice. she has a place to carry things. >> j. lo. >> what is that? >> everyone is talking about j. lo. >> okay. did you see -- >> it was gorgeous. very bob mackie. >> people say there was a wardrobe malfunction. >> she was showing a little -- >> did you see it? >> it's a shadow. >> i'm sure she had little hoo-hoos on. >> there is a difference between a shadow and -- >> we all have nipples, it's good. >> we do, that's right. we went from a fashion show to a biology lesson. >> right. try to get it back on track here. >> j. lo looked great. >> fantastic. >> i loved when cameron and j. lo came out and they were doing their thing, turned around and gave us the tush shot in those dresses. >> cameron with the messy bob, i don't know. >> i'm talking about the turnsh

tush es. didier cuche -- did you like them? >> how about the bodies? >> one of the best ones in hollywood and one of the best biggest ones in hollywood. >> i wasn't doing it like that but they looked good together. >> how about berenice bejo. >> great hair! >> what? >> oh, yeah. whimsical corn rows. right? >> she was almost bald. she looked so good in "the artist" and winged it all up and twisted it all. >> no! >> no. >> it was like a cornrow, story book. >> do you like the red? >> i don't know. but she looked great. >> jessica chastain. >> no, no. messy, unkempt. >> that dress came up too high. it was mcqueen who is a genius. >> swing and a miss. >> melissa mccarthy. >> she looked good. i thought her hair looked all

right. >> finally, octavia spencer. >> gorgeous. >> great. >> she rocked the house. >> she's queen in the tadashi dress. thumbs up. >> great. >> all right. jonathan and lisa, thank you so much. up next, tens of millions of folks watching last night. did this year's awards show stack up? from the host to the entertainment to the ads we'll look at the hits and misses. later on, i got a chance to hob-nob with some of the hoi palloi. first, these messages. ♪ [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference.

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two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better. the 84th annual academy awards saw the much anticipated return of billy crystal and old hollywood. >> from the hosts to the ads and everything in between did the show live up to the hype? donny deutsch joins us. >> hey, guys. >> on friday we talked about the brand of oscar and how it's taken a little bit of a ding in the last couple of years. trying to make the oscars fresh but at the same time dealing with the old tradition of hollywood. billy crystal there as host, doing a good job. >> the whole show missed. be honest. every year we watch it. by 11:15 we get angry. why did i sit through this three hours? and i will do it next year. there was not one vintage shot of any of the old awards shows. i want to see david niven with

the streaker. barbra streisand with "funny girl." they missed all of that. what makes the grammys work is i can watch rihanna and paul mccartney with my kids and it comes together. in the awards show they haven't found a way to bring the generations together. >> it's an interesting observation. some people thought it was staid and not relevant or current. you say it didn't pay homage to the old hollywood. >> it's not just putting younger and older people. it's celebrating the ma jes ti. i could have done a two hour clip show of the oscars that would have been more interesting. instead of actors in taped pieces going, blah, blah. let's talk about the journey. celebrate the pageantry. they missed it. billy crystal, lovely guy. just not there. >> was it too safe for you? >> he just -- you looked at him and -- >> it felt off. >> they had the right people

presenting. only the hollywood a-listers which was great. but there is something about in this economic time and billy made a joke. about the self congratulation is getting old. and it used to be we'd see the celebrities who we didn't see often. we are so over celebritized, it's no big whoop anymore. it's not that relevant. i can't believe i'll say it. message for next year, cut it down a half hour. maybe we don't have to see -- >> cut it down an hour. >> we don't care about sound mixing. these are great people. but as far as watching it, i would actually -- >> you have to get through it. >> do what the golden globes do. give out awards for comedy and acting and drama so you get eight oactor awards. >> there's a producer in it.

>> here are your hosts. eddie murphy and robin williams. combined. somebody has to be brave on this thing. institutions sometimes don't work in the old model. you have to reinvent them. they missed. >> let's talk about the ads. it was an opportunity for advertisers. you had some you liked and some you didn't. jc penney rolled out a new ad campaign through several different commercials with ellen degeneres. >> sure. >> why so many coupons? this is ridiculous. was it always this way? hi. pair of jeans for five cents. i have a coupon. whoa, everybody. just getting coupons. coupons. >> oh. >> a lot of production value. >> before we get to that it was interesting. advertisers are walking away from it. you didn't see big commercials made specifically for it.

they understand the numbers are going down. not that big of a deal anymore. i praised jc penney because they are walking away from, you know, saying we don't do sales anymore. we've got it as consumers. now tell me what you are. you can't say, we don't do sales. congratulations. we got it. to me, taking ellen was a great choice. we talked about it also. i applaud jc penney for staying with her. put her to better use. >> couple other ads. the lucy one and the my fair lady one. diet coke was a good effort you said. >> yes. >> appealing to what goes on behind the scenes in movie productions. everybody drinking diet coke. good effort but not great. >> they missed a great opportunity. saluting the makeup people, the grips and the people who are behind the scenes but show me clips of those. i would like to see a makeup person working on a celebrity. i want to see the real stuff not

the dramtzation. good concept but not executed in an exciting way. >> you say the kraft mac & cheese ad was the sleeper. ♪ >> hey. come on. >> what? i've been skivving mac and cheese for 75 years. >> i'm only 45. >> i have another family. >> what? >> what? >> especially with kraft which you expect very traditional. for an old guy to say, oh, by the way, i have another family was just very charming. madison avenue spoke by saying we don't care about the oscars anymore. oscars, you need a do over. let's talk turkey. i'm available. >> donny deutsch -- >> he's always available. >> that's not true!

want to go back to the tell straiter? >> no, no. the telestraiter is done forever. donny deutsch, thank you. coming up, al has some of the most exclusive oscar parties. our invites were lost in the mail. >> we couldn't handle it. al has the highlights. first, these messages. [ shivering ] sorry. sore knee. blast of cold feels nice. why don't you use bengay zero degrees? it's the one you store in the freezer. gives that instant cold sensation. that's chilly. same medicated pain reliever used by physical therapists. and it lasts for hours. [ sigh of relief ] [ short breath ] [ longer breath ] [ short breath ] [ male announcer ] new bengay zero degrees. freeze and move on. have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste.

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we'll tell you why it's okay to have a little me time. >> absolutely. and al had tickets to the hottest parties in town. we'll show you how the stars let their hairs down -- and al, too -- after your local news. [ female announcer ] sometimes a good deal turns out to be not such a good deal. but new bounty gives you value you can see. in this lab demo, one sheet of new bounty leaves this surface cleaner than two sheets of the leading ordinary brand. so you can clean this mess with half as many sheets. bounty has trap and lock technology to soak up big spills and lock them in. why use more when you can use less? bring it with new bounty. ♪ my heart skips a beat ♪ my heart is playing tricks on me ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing new special k granola bars. ♪ i can't break through with 4 grams of protein. and 4 grams of fiber. finally, a granola bar that makes your heart skip a beat.

a snack that loves you back. what will you gain when you lose? ♪ ...skips a beat 9:26 is your time now on this monday, february 27, 2012. good morning. let's check in with storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein for a look at your forecast for today. a nice little warm-up on the way, tom. >> yeah, it is beginning to warm up right now around the region. temperatures are hitting the 40s. 44 now at reagan national. continuing to climb. in fact, we may make it into the low and mid 60s by mid afternoon. we'll have a lot of sun. then tonight, mostly clear by later in the evening after a few clouds early evening. increasing clouds on tuesday, highs in the 50s. chilly rain likely on wednesday. then thursday and friday, sunshine returns. then over the weekend maybe some more rain on saturday. tom, thank you.

good morning. taking the outer loop of the beltway as you approach wisconsin avenue. you have an accident taking away two of your right lanes.

are you able to pass on the left. inner loop in virginia still seeing just a little bit under speed. at about 31 miles per hour. more news, weather and

made pretty good time. let the party begin. ♪ >> i hit the red carpet early in the evening. then i sashayed into parties into the wee hours of the night. show you how the stars were living it up in a moment. hey, guys. >> how much sleep did you get; al? >> well, you guys have done this? >> yeah. >> not much. >> well worth it though. >> more like a little power nap. absolutely. not complaining. believe me, i'm not complaining. >> we're excited to see your red

carpet story, al. we miss you. >> we do. we wish we were there partying with you. meanwhile, coming up we'll be talking about mom guilt. al would say dad guilt as well. whether you worry you are smothering your kids or not spending enough time for them or feel bad for needing to get away from it all sometimes, we have advice on how to handle the guilt. >> and something you could feel guilty about. a hearty meal but well worth it. we'll make a beef brisket bread soup casserole. great way to use up day old bread and leftovers. >> smells amazing upstairs. first, al, we should get a check of the weather. >> man, i can smell that from here. >> are you sure about that? >> i think so. we'll look at the week ahead. here's what we've got. early part of the week will be much cooler than norma

good morning. sunny and cool. we're now climbing into the 40s around the region. tom kierein, storm center 4. right now it is at 44 at reagan national. later today continuing to climb and may hit the mid 60s across parts of northern virginia and around the district in and around 60 or so in points north and lots of sun. then tomorrow a cold start, near 30 with some sunshine. then increasing clouds with highs in the 50s. chilly rain is likely on wednesday. thursday, friday, some sun back. could get more rain over the weekend on saturday. guys, we are roasting a beef

brisket right back there. >> you could do a fireside chat there, al. >> i love it. so cozy. we'll check in with al in a minute where he rubbed shoulders with the hollywood elite at the a-list parties. >> we'll get it from al coming up. cer ] this is not a prescription. this is mary. who thinks it might be time to listen to her heart. so she talked to her walgreens pharmacist who gave her a free blood pressure test and showed her how easy it is to do it herself at home. get a free blood pressure test any day in february at any walgreens pharmacy or take care clinic location. and we'll donate $1 to the american heart association as part of the walgreens way to well commitment. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. [ facilitator ] what do you smell? takes me outdoors. sort of a crisp, fresh feeling. [ facilitator ] go ahead and take your blindfold off. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] the febreze set & refresh. breathe happy for 30 days, guaranteed.

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the academy awards after parties. >> our own al roker hob-nobed with a-list celebs. >> that's right. with oscar statues in hand, some of the brightest stars of the big screen let loose at some of the most exclusive bashes at tinseltown and i got to check out the fun. ♪ >> reporter: not all of the hollywood heat was on the red carpet sunday night. some of hollywood and music's biggest names were on the white carpet raising money for aids at sir elton john's oscar viewing party. >> why this one? >> reporter: yeah. >> it's the best. it's a great combination of the music world and the movie world. it's kind of where it's at. >> the cause is so important to all of us. >> al, where are you? i saw you last night and you haven't been seen since. where have you been? >> reporter: oh, man.

elton, i'll be right there. just wait. ♪ >> reporter: made good time. let the party begin. hi, how are you? nice to see you. where's my man elton? why do you think people respond so much to this event? >> think they have a good time. we get a lot of returnees every year. i'm lucky to be a famous person who can get publicity when i do things like this and lucky we have been successful because of the reputation of the foundation. ♪ >> every now and then a girl has to come out of the tomboy clothes. >> reporter: don't come out too much. >> and love the feathers. >> reporter: well, your feathers look nicely fluffed. >> thank you. >> reporter: is that leather or -- >> no, no. it's like what a slicker is made out of. >> reporter: so you're water proof now.

>> i am. >> reporter: as far as your pick for best picture? >> if i had the awards show everyone nominated get it is award. >> reporter: everybody gets a miley. >> like a statue like this. they should change it up. >> reporter: we came, we saw. now time to go. we left the elton john party and now we are here ativan ti fair. -- at vanity fair. >> you are a touchstone here. you came to see me before the globes and i won a globe. you come to see me before the oscars and i won an oscar. thank you so much. >> i wasn't going to talk to anyone. how do you say no to al roker. >> you have a kiss here. >> but not from you. >> not yet. >> reporter: ooh! >> i like my job. >> look at this. look at the concession to the oscars. this is where nbc's budget is

now. al had to pay for this out of his own pocket. >> reporter: where did you watch the oscars? >> on the couch. at home. >> reporter: wow! >> but we were fully made up. >> reporter: what did you think of billy? >> he was good. you know, you can't go wrong with billy. >> reporter: where did you watch the oscars? >> we didn't. >> reporter: you didn't? >> no, no. >> reporter: were there surprises tonight? >> well, you never know who's going to win. >> well, i thought we lived in the future. >> reporter: you have been making the wrong moves. >> i'm sitting there talking. >> we invented a foreign film category to prevent these sweeps from occurring. >> i was surprised meryl streep won. that's a crazy sentence to say. >> it was a special moment to read meryl streep's name. >> reporter: you're going into the vanity fair party.

>> i'm excited. i have to get in there. >> reporter: go! what can you expect in there? >> i hope they have in-and-out cheeseburgers again. i'm starving. >> reporter: you know about parties. what do you expect? >> it's the vanity fair party. we go to this one and then guy and madonna's house. >> reporter: ooh, all right! >> i'm walking on water. this guy is keeping me buoyant. i'm thrilled. >> reporter: congratulations. when will it sink in? >> on thursday when i'm flying to new orleans. i'm like, oh, my god! i won an oscar! >> i think octavia is still partying tonight, guys. >> she's the sweet heart of the "today" show. >> she is. and you have been a lucky charm for her, al. >> reporter: people are always after me lucky charms. i'll take full responsibility. >> any time you can pull out the

little lep rechaun, we love it. >> good job this year. [ laughter ] >> i don't know, al. >> come back, al, we miss you. it's falling apart without you. >> you and donny deutsch clearly need to hang out. al? hello? >> you're doing quite well without me. >> i thought he fell asleep. >> coming up -- >> great work, al. thank you so much. >> how to deal with mommy guilt whether your kids are toddler or so teens. we'll return after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] dry, itchy skin. a long term struggle needs long term relief. eucerin calming creme. used every day, its triple ingredient formula is clinically proven to relieve dry, itchy skin, with 92% of people reporting improved overall skin condition over time. eucerin calming creme. and the gentle cleansing formula of calming body wash.

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>> good morning. >> women actually feel more guilt than men do because we tend to be more intern personally sensitive. >> we're plugged into how others feel. we're more nurturing. so we'll feel a little bit more guilty because we take more responsibility for how our relationships feel and look. >> one thing we feel a lot of guilt over is wanting more me time. we give everybody a little bit of ourselves but never give back to ourselves. >> we have an idea that being a good mom is giving everything you have to your child. giving all of your time. really that's not the case. of course you want to give time to your child but you can't give anything if you don't nurture yourself first. >> true. >> take time in minutes, hours, days, a weekend on a regular basis because a happy mom has a better chance of being a good mom. >> that's true. another one we are guilty about is not wanting sex.

>> yes. >> we feel guilty for not giving to our partners because at the end of the day we're tired of dealing with the kids. >> it's true. >> what's the advice. >> there is a level of exhaustion and it doesn't feel sexy after you take care of the kids to transition. the best way is to be honest with your partner so your partner doesn't feel rejected. like you're not sec hally attracted to him anymore. and sometimes follow the yes. if you do it -- >> say yes, make it happen. >> really -- >> you get caught up in the moment. >> that takes care of itself. >> next is yelling at the kids. happens when we get frustrated and we feel guilty. >> i know. >> what's not to feel guilty about? >> the truth is frustration happens in real life. sometimes yelling at your child is the right response at that time. it's not necessarily so bad for your child to yell at them and set limits. we have spoken about this a lot. >> yes. >> if you feel you are yelling more because you're at your

wit's end rather than your child is doing something wrong take that timeout, count to ten. do some deep breathing and rethink about the best approach. >> step away from the situation. >> yeah. >> the last one we feel guilty about, working moms, is we spend too much time at work, and not enough time with the kids. >> the tide is changing here. care.com did a poll and found women are feeling less guilty about working because they feel it makes them more creative as parents, and better workers. >> and a good role model for the kids to see. >> exactly. >> realize you are contributing to the family and you're serving as a good role model. >> you say be willing to let things go. >> moms can be very hard on themselves. they focus on just what they are doing wrong. you don't want to do that. see the bigger picture. if you feel you are doing something wrong change it. we're growing, right? we're always getting better.

move on. >> another quick piece of advice is more realistic expectations, setting them for ourselves and talking to other mothers helps a lot, venting a bit. >> right. we internalize the idea of perfection. it's really unfair to ourselves. nobody's perfect. connect with other moms. you realize how normal some feelings and reactions are. that can be a tremendous support system. >> we are all in the same boat. >> we are. >> for more information on how to handle mom guilt head to today.com. up next, a great way to turn your leftover sunday dinner into a hearty monday meal. first, this is "today" on nbc. hey guys, breakfast! ♪ [ female announcer ] if whole grain isn't

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this morning in "today's kitchen step by step beef brisket casserole. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> first, a little bit of

congratulations. you were nominated for a james beard award. >> thank you very much. really appreciate it. >> not your first time, i might add. >> no. three times now. we're hopeful. >> best of luck to you. >> thank you. >> tell us about the dish we are making. >> all right. here we have a braised brisket. it's going to turn into a bread stew. this can be a meal in itself and then turn it into bread soup later. >> you browned the meet aat andn add vegetables to the pan? >> we have leeks, onions, carrots and different herbs. the main thing is number one the beef. this beef is being raised at bethlehem valley, the farm we use. they arelso growing grapes for the wine. >> great. >> what grows together goes together. >> one-stop shopping. so you have the vegetables and you have orange zest? >> if you could add the orange there. >> a little bit of zest and orange juice in there. >> we'll add the red wine.

sorry to put you to work. >> go for it. >> the whole thing? >> about halfway. >> okay. >> i'll add in the herbs now. >> that seems about right. throw a little bit extra in there. >> a little bit to drink later. all right. i'll add the brisket. >> okay. >> the rule of thumb is to get a piece that fits the pan so you have enough liquid but not so much you don't get the flavor. >> gotcha. >> if you could pour in the stock. >> this is pork stock? >> it is. >> why do you choose this as opposed to another kind of stock? >> we have a lot of pork in the midwest. but the pigs' feet, honestly at the end of the day gives it a nice gel. you can use chicken or beef. i just really like that. >> how long do we let it go? >> it goes into a 350 degree

oven for three and a half, four hours. check it periodically. >> we have about a minute left. >> cool. this is the bread soup. the leftover meat, this can be a pot roast, really just about anything. it can be beef, lamb, vegetables from stew. >> you do a layer. and then toasted day old bread. >> hi, how are you. thank you for having me. >> great. >> the olives from the braise. just scatter that around and fontina cheese. >> you can layer it up as much or as little as you want. >> and then the juice on top. all over the top. >> how long do we cook it? >> that goes into the oven about 350 to 400 for half hour, 45 minutes. >> this is what it looks like. >> chef, thank you so much.

good morning, everyone. 9:57 is the time. monday, february 27th. i'm barbara harrison. let's find out about the weather, go straight to tom kierein in storm center 4. >> another unusually mild day developing. right now as we approach 10:00, temperatures are near 50 degrees. right to you 48 at reagan national. it will continue to climb to around 60 or so locally but then just to our south it may climb

to the mid 60s. and then the 50s tomorrow win creased clouds, maybe chilly rain on wednesday. thursday into friday dries out. maybe rain saturday. good morning. taking the outer loop of the beltway and making your way to wisconsin avenue, that accident's now just in the right shoulder lane but you're still slow as you make your way past university boulevard. travel speed about 33 miles per hour. if you're traveling on 395, no issues in this area. northbound you're at 46 miles per hour. just a bit under speed. tomorrow is national pancake day and coming up on "news4 midday," we're going to show you th [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. mom, we're dying. no you're not, you're just hungry. make some totino's pizza rolls. we don't have any! front...

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the remote control car is finally here. well now she's just, playing with us. oh. [ horn honks ] captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. you're so glad you're starting out your week with us. it's fun day monday, february 27th, the day after the big oscar bash last night. >> who's leery eyed? stayed up longer than i usually do. >> i think the thing went to 11:30, three hours and ten minutes. it was a long show. don't you think? >> every year we say the same thing. it was too long. >> it really was. >> longer than most broadway shows.

loved it but too long. >> overall? >> first of all, i temper everything with this. i'm a huge billy crystal fan. i love him. i love him as an artist and as a person. >> yep. >> i just thought the show was sort of snootsville. and i don't blame him for that because he does what is produced for him, and i'm sure he has a hand in what is chosen. but i don't know. the fact there are nine -- nine movies that were nominated, for one thing, it's too many. >> a lot. >> we can't keep track of them. i think the medley, the telecast, the award show, we stopped caring when we don't care about the lesser awards. >> yeah. >> we zone out. that's why it feels so long. if you saw nicholas nickelby on broadway, it was eight hours long and you didn't care because -- >> the technical awards, nothing against the cinematography and editing --

>> great awards. but they don't appeal to a mass audience. no one really cares. sad but true. the tonys learned this years ago. the lesser categories, they have a separate telecast for them. i think if somebody would have the guts to do it, if they did an unbelievable two-hour -- >> two. voting for two. >> from 8:00 to 10:00 or 9:00 to 11:00 and not got rid of but only to start off the bat with the major awards and give them time to give an acceptance speech. >> the thing that bothered me, when octavia spencer got up there, and this was her big moment, this is happening, her day, she gets up to give her speech, she's teary eyed -- >> hardly get up the stage. >> she's giving her speech and it felt like a minute and she's sobbing, everyone's watching, gets a standing "o," and all of a sudden she gets the wrap. she's a rule follower. so she's hurrying it up. >> the people with the lesser categories gave long speeches.

they should outlaw this. i'm going to read my speech now. they should outlaw. if you want to do it on the side of your arm or something, but don't let -- if you care enough to give a speech, prepare it. because everybody tunes out. >> what bothered me was this was early in the night. why are you rushing her? we're not close to the deadline. there are long bits and -- >> they have to leave time for cirque du soleil which had nothing to do with anything, but i enjoyed it. they're very talented. love them. but i wanted it to work and a lot of it just didn't. i hope they bring billy back again, because i don't think it was his fault. he is adorable. he's best when he's spontaneous. >> doing his own thing. >> something happens and immediately makes a remark and that little -- >> yeah. >> my bad, you know. he's adorable. i love him. >> remember, viola davis was the

front-runner. won the s.a.g. and all that. i guess if she's going to get beaten by anybody it should be the finest actor in the country. >> both of them gave beautiful nuanced performances. but when you look at the degree of difficulty factor, i don't think there's an actress on the face of the earth that could have played margaret thatcher but merril. >> meryl streep. >> and vaiiolviola, as wonderfu she is, somebody else could have made that their own. same makeup man for 37 years. she thanked him, he thanked her. there's a trust factor. >> i don't know if you saw this, if you were watching "e" br the oscars, they do the red carpet. not a bigger pro than ryan seacrest. >> flawless. >> the dictator, sacha baron cohen, getting a lot of buzz and he's got an urn.

anyway, he dumps it all over ryan seacrest to have his moment. he did get his moment. >> at somebody else's expense, as usual. >> and ryan, you could tell, you know, he likes to look good, and that wasn't great. >> ryan is a complete and total, consummate professional. and he handled that beautifully as anybody could. i just thought, you know what, the best way to get attention in this world is by your talent, not by that kind of thing. >> like reality show. >> yeah. >> let's talk about the -- >> not fair. >> wasn't fair to ryan at all. he had a lot more interviews to do. >> it all became about getting the stuff off of him as opposed to -- let him do his job. >> yeah. that was weird. oscar fashions, your favorite dress of the entire night was? >> i thought it was a dull night for fashion, as well. i mean, i love all that. even when people take great risks, you appreciate the fact they took a big -- i didn't see a lot of risk taking last night. >> one of them -- >> i watched the red carpet from first thing.

first person i saw, i hope i'm saying her name right was milla jovovich. i thought it was a home run out of the ballpark. her hair matched the dress. it was old hollywood glamour and yet it was as modern as it could be. >> she was beautiful. >> she was my mila from last year. that made me think the whole next three hours would be amazing and they weren't. >> i loved, and it was very simple and i liked her whole look, i loved penelope cruz. >> a drop-dead movie star. >> there was something about her dress. i know she did her hair in the old kind of '40s way, but i like the actress and i usually love when they get up there, but she was great. we also had our viewers, i guess, and this is from bobbie thomas, they weighed in with their favorites. >> sure. who won that one? >> let's see. who won our favorites? let's go through some of bobbie's favorites.

joe, are you here? >> anyway, somebody likes stuff. >> angelina's pose -- gwyneth paltrow was one of bobbie's favorites. >> regal. she looked beautiful. that is the pose of the night. i don't understand it. if there's any person on the planet who does not need to pose, it's angelina jolie. we see her coming, we -- she has our attention, drop-dead gorgeous. >> she had her leg -- that got a lot of attention. >> i understand that on the red carpet because it's all about the pose. but when you go up there to present, she got up there to present and did it, just went up to the podium and went -- and started talking, like -- a little lower, you guys? because it's about the leg. yeah. and then she kept talking. i'm going, i wopd fer that's comfortable? she's got amazing legs. >> there it is. angelina and brad.

we have a limbed control room today because there's a lot going on, a lot of updating and things. the side pony was apparently another big trend. that was because -- i'm not sure who started that, but that was big. that was kind of a side sweep there. >> he came in with an oscar. didn't have to win any. >> sweep here there. >> side sweep. >> her hair was all down. i think it's kind of similar to your side sweep we had, i don't know, on friday? kind of looks similar to that, by the way. >> i am such a trendsetter, because that was friday. >> miss piggy. >> never looked lovelier. >> a side pony. >> only two sopgs nominated for best song. >> why didn't they play those? >> they did a little bit. i missed it when celine dion would come on and sing. >> our friends and fansed a their own oscar parties.

friends from mace book, victoria smith did her own thing. >> year after year after year, she gets all dressed up. >> a little champagne. here's another one of a woman -- oh, look at the baby in front of the tv dressed up with the pearls. and then here's -- >> oh, my gosh. you know what? people have fun. they really do. >> they know. >> did any awards really surprise you? i was surprised how many "hugo" got. >> "hugo" nailed it. >> i haven't seen that yet. i tried to watch it at home because they sent us, you know, for your consideration, but because it's a 3d film, it wasn't -- i need to go see it in a theater. that's the way you're supposed to see a movie like that. >> i want to give a shoutout to peter alexander's sister. sara and i did this thing called spin for sight, and peter alexander's sister has this debilitating disease called usher syndrome type 3. you lose your vision and your

hearing simultaneously. anyway, we had a bunch of people -- >> look at you. >> sara -- there we go. >> anyway, it was a spin class full. it was people were soaking wet. we raised a lot of money for his sister's cause. >> isn't that jay behind you? >> jay knows how to play. >> just came back from palm beach early to do that for pe r peter. >> a lot of fun. should we do favorite things? >> you know what, we were out in california a couple weeks ago, and she had some meetings, i did, too, and of course we always see cody when we go out there. we went for the first time to an adorable place for breakfast. and it is this place called jack and joe's. >> okay. >> and you go in, and a lot of people waiting to get in. it's just charming. and you can see tons of kids from colleges are there and stuff. just a beautiful vibe. i met the owner, and his name is mark, and his wife. and everywhere were pictures of

his bulldog, pudge elvis. apparently there's this incredible video of pudge -- they tried to set the "guinness book of world records" with different -- as many dogs surfing. there's punl doing his water-skiing thing. he's a bulldog, as you can see. that's how they first taught him how to surf. >> oh my gosh. >> but then lay thai later tried to win the guinne"guinness book world records" by how many dogs could pile on one. but what i learned, mark's the kind of guy, he comes around and talks to you and you get to know him. this beautiful family, he told me this story of pudge -- fudge -- pudge elvis was his daughter's dog. and unfortunately, his daughter got a fever one night and went into the hospital and four hours later passed away. >> oh, my gosh. >> and so this beautiful little dog goes all the time into the room to look -- but i just wanted to say that my new favorite thing out in california

is this family. and if you want to hear more of their story, go to jacksandjoes.com and more of the videos. that guy. he's the cutest thing in the world. >> mine is a little less significant, but if you have an iphone and you're sick of the battery dying, and i know you are, because they die so quickly. >> yes. >> here's the cure. it's called the mofie. this little guy snaps on and gives you almost more than like three-quarters of a day of battery. >> why didn't they make it with it to begin with so it doesn't run out of gas like it does? >> kind of expensive, 80 bucks. >> that's why. >> but i have to tell you it lasts all day long. >> that's great, but -- >> and then some. >> they should incorporate it into the next one so people don't have to pay twice for something. >> hi, guys. i'm trying to redo my apartment and i'm obsessed with esse, and

i found this artist called j.m.jart studio. she did a series because her daughter is blind, she's a self-taught painter and this is braille for face. she has all kinds of different words and paintings. i was so moved. it was about $270, but when you think about original art and what you buy in stores, i was so touched that i could actually afford it. and it's just so moving to kind of have that in code in a sense on my wall. peaceful. >> speaking of something movi moving -- >> we might have to save it. >> we'll talk about "everyone has a story" tomorrow. it's a great one this thursday. >> we'll talk to christine roush tomorrow. sorry, christine. >> we have a lot coming up. the oscars aren't the only thing people are buzzing about. ♪ eggland's best eggs. -the best in nutrition... -just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e and b12. a good source of vitamin b2.

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but there was a lot more going on than just the oscars. maureen o'connor joins us. look adorable today. >> you do. all right, maureen. beyonce and baby blue were out and about, right? >> their first public appearance, although you can't see blue that well, all wrapped up. >> in a blanky. >> we think there's a baby in there. the first time since beyonce put pictures on tumbler. the first time they have brought her out in public. >> she looks great, by the way. looks like she lost a lot of her baby weight already. >> she looks really good. >> 7 weeks old now, right? >> pretty quick. but they've been out without the baby. he's the co-owner of the nets so, they went to a basketball game. this is the first time she went out to lunch with the baby. >> sweet. taylor swift is one to do good things. >> i love this story. >> did it again. tell us what she's done. >> kevin mcguire, 18-year-old from southern jersey, has been

fighting leukemia for years now. his sister started a campaign to get taylor swift to be his date to the senior prom. as it happened, she was, like, should she go? she wasn't able to go to the prom, but said i'll one up you, be my date to the american music awards. >> first of all, incredibly smart. but knowing her a little like we do, that's exactly what we would think she would do. >> he said yes. it's in april. so, you know, pending whatever he needs at the time. but he says he's really excited and told a local newspaper that's even better than the prom. >> there you go. >> she tweeted it to him. that's how he found out. she put it on facebook. >> probably write a song about it. >> you're right. >> justin bieber. >> by the way, he was adorable last night, so natural and such a natural actor, i thought. >> absolutely.

so he and selena, there's been a lot of excitement because he gave her a diamond ring for valentine's day. a lot of people are saying is it an engagement ring? she said, no, it's a friendship ring, in the shape of a "j," which we would assume is justin. she's 19. got her first tattoo. >> everyone's getting them. >> people thought it was a heart. it was right on her handle and they thought she got a tattoo for bieber. later she said no, it was actually just a music note and it's for her -- >> every time i see angelina jolie and all the tattoos, it takes hours to cover that stuff up. >> 20% of people have tattoos. one-fifth, one in five. >> and many of them later have them removed, which is far more painful than to get them. not like i know. i just hear. >> all right. >> we have to run, but thank you. >> i know.

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it is time to meet our newest "fan of the week." >> miss sara is here to tell us who it is and where he or she is headed. >> drum roll, please. our winner this week is liz morrison from scottsdale, arizona, who watches on kpnx channel 12. liz's daughters submitted her for "fan of the week" because she lin left-hands to all you say, inspired by your style and always runs out to buy your favorite things. she said why text? kathie lee doesn't. >> i actually do. >> she loves to work out with her grandchildren.

her daughters are thankful you bring their mom so much happiness, relaxation and laughter and makes a great day to sit down with wine and watch her two best friends. >> reading material. >> we are going to be sending her -- first of all, congratulate you and your daughters for being loyal fans, to st. lucia. three nights at the body holiday, daily meals, some of the property activities and one daily spa treatment each for two people, roundtrip air fare for two also provided. >> why can't hoda and i and you go? >> we have to sign up. >> gorgeous. >> want to be eligible, go to klgandhoda.com. we might pick you next time. >> still coming up, al roker and all of oscar's memorable moments. >> and then down the red carpet for a look at the gowns. and no, not marilyn monroe, but she plays her on tv. a great actress, megan hill ti. . is monday...

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it's undoubtedly hollywood's biggest nights of the year and also one of the longest. >> if you had trouble holding on until the awards wrapped up, our man al roker is out in l.a. >> hey, al. >> with the most unforgettable moments. he has a beautiful picture in the "daily news" today looking good. >> thank you. >> have you had any rest at all or no? been up all night? >> well, first, i don't want to sound like i'm complaining because, you know, it's a great night, it's a lot of fun. you get to hang out with a lot of nice people. i'll sleep on the plane. >> it is a long night. you worked the red carpet, though, right? >> did the red carpet, did elton john's party and then the "vanity fair" party.

>> what stood out to you on the red carpet, al? >> you know what, it was kind of quiet. >> mm-hmm. >> yes. >> people were a little subdued, and then brad and angelina showed up like with only 15 minutes to go. the carpet was -- we were all starting to wrap up and all of a sudden brad and angelina showed up. >> mm-hmm. >> so we were hanging out a little bit longer. but there was a certain solemnity to the evening. >> a lot of people didn't come with dates. a few people showed up with their moms, kind of cute. >> and rooney mara brought her mother and her sister. >> that's right. she did. brad pitt brought his mom and dad. jonah hill brought his mom. i think that's kind of neat. i remember last year, russell brand brought his mom. >> and jessica chastain brought her grandma, which was darling. >> i think that's really sweet. takes some of the pressure off

you. if you don't have a date, what the heck, bring mom. >> tell us about the sacha baron cohen. >> in high school, you're a loser you bring your mom. on the oscars, it makes you look like a hero. >> real human being. >> yes. >> tell us about that sacha baron cohen moment. i know it's got tons of play and maybe people are sick of it, but what do you think? >> you know, i think, first of all, i think the whole -- oh, will he, won't he show up as general the general, i think that was a ploy between the academy and sacha baron cohen. it got great publicity. i don't think ryan seacrest was expecting it. i knew he thought something was going to happen. i don't think he was expecting that. he didn't look -- i mean, he's a pro. ryan's a pro. but he looked a little -- just a little -- >> yes, he did. >> he sure did. >> what about billy crystal? i mean, it was fun to see him back. i was trying to google something of his from last night and it brought up something from 2004. he looked, you know, the same looking back.

>> well, you know, look, some people complained that, oh, you know, there was nothing cutting edge. you didn't -- you don't want cutting edge with billy crystal. that's why you bring billy crystal in. you bring him back, because you tried doing the other stuff, it bombed. >> yes. >> and you know what, i mean, it's tried, it's true, it's funny. you know, i thought he did a great job. some of the montages -- the one they did on the long lost focus group on the "wizard of oz" i thought was hysterical. >> i thought that was great. >> who did you think -- because you have a much better advantage in seeing them in person, who just radiated just beautifully on the red carpet? >> i think -- i think octavia spencer. she radiated joy and was just was so happy. i think -- i think, you know, meryl streep looked terrific, like a real movie star. >> yeah. she is. >> i thought that was terrific.

you know, and of course george clooney and stacy keibler i think fantastic. look, i think it's great. and jean dujardin, i mean, he just looks like a movie star. amazing. >> how about the cirque du soleil performance? how did that go over? >> well, they always freak me out anyway, so i wasn't quite sure. i think people were split. i think some people loved it, over people were, like, what's going on here. >> yeah. all right, al. well, thank you. >> get some rest on the way home. we'll see you here tomorrow. >> i appreciate it. i really liked your enthusiastic responses. "yeah. uh-huh." >> we're looking at things on the monitor. >> were you guys up all night? what was going on? >> yeah. all night. all night. and we look fabulous. love you! >> bye. >> is he still talking? all right. up next, what's up hoda woman? >> we look at those who dazzled and those who didn't.

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we're back on this fun day monday with more of today and oscars fashion hits and misses. "the artist"s might have taken the top hop nors for the best picture, but it's the best dressed that shine for weeks following the awards. >> from "fashion star," and howard is "in style" magazine's fashion director. hey, kids. >> hi, guys. >> good morning. >> you look fantastic this morning. >> aren't you sweet. anyway. what kind of trends did you see on the red carpet today? >> well, i would think -- >> ladies first. >> thank you, how. thank you. i saw a lot of nude-toned dresses, lots of nudes. and i saw a lot of side-swept hair, a lot of up-dos, and i saw very lightly statement jewelry. >> but no necklaces.

i mean, if you have to say, if a woman was strapless, used to use the big necklace. those are gone. but there wasn't an overall trend. there was an incredible amount of diversity in terms of what people wore. and, in fact, there were probably for just different designers on the red carpet than ever before. >> this is true. i liked seeing the differences. >> there was diversity. >> let's talk about j. lo. it caused controversy because what may have been a shelling or peeking out. >> the dress -- i don't love the dress, and on somebody else i probably would have gagged. but the thing is that's exactly how people want j. lo to look. >> i agree with how. i call it the j. lo whoa. if the she doesn't give us a big whoa, we won't be wowed. >> everybody would be disappointed. >> she brings this type of red carpet power even on "idol." >> she knows how to pose, know what is she's doing. nobody's fool. >> somebody from her camp said there was nothing showing, and

you know what i'm talking act, when she was up on stage. what did you think? >> i think -- if an aerio la had to come out -- i'm kidding. you know what? here's thing. >> i'm staying away from this one. >> i'm going to bring it out because obviously we know j. lo is full of class. she never wants the attention brought in that type of way. everybody to be out there and understand that if something happened, even it suggests it, understand it was an accident. at the end of the day she looked beautiful and meant to just project that. >> she is a beautiful woman and she has a classy stardom, not like rooney mara, a cool girl. she's a glamour girl, not a cool girl. >> poor cameron is standing right there and all we're doing is talking about j. lo. >> gwyneth paltrow's dress got a lot of attention. >> i liked it. very classy. >> my favorite. >> and i hear it was chilly so

it was nice to have that cape over her. >> but it was also wonderful -- what it reminded me of when tom was at the height of gucci in the '90s and did that white collection, it was so elegant, chic, and simple. it's a dress no one's seen on a red carpet before. you couldn't miss it no matter where she was. >> mm-hmm. >> the minute how and i ran into each other backstage, we were gushing over gwyneth's dress because it was so signature. but here's it will -- i appreciated that gwyneth pulled this ensemble together. she did her hair very clean back in a ponytail and just very statement pieces of jewelry that were very sleek and clean. so nothing overpowered the silhouette of the dress. >> everybody's talking about how beautifully ok trivia was dressed for a full-figured lady. hugged her beautifully. >>, you know, she and viola davis both. i think al had it right when he said they both just radiated

joy. also, just a sense of -- such a sense of pride as a woman in who they are, and i think it's something that women watching this show can relate to in such a great way, because it's not about being that glamour girl, about being j. lo. you can still be a personal best. just not a size 2. >> for any woman who is full figured, tadashi shoji has taken care of her for every red carpet. >> he's made major points. she's looked sensational throughout the entire awards season. >> thank you! you could call her a "smash" hit. megan hilty is here. >> how cute she is. [ female announcer ] pillsbury presents:

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♪ >> that's the talented broadway turned tv star megan hilty in the new nbc musical drama called "smash." >> megan plays ivy lynn, a porn star -- no. wins the coveted part of marilyn monroe and a new musical face. glad to have you back. >> thanks for having me. >> you're well into -- this is like the teens in terms of the episodes. >> yeah. we're wrapping it up. >> you just hit i guess last week a very steamy, sultry episode. >> yeah. and i was in the center of it. >> you loved it. you didn't get into show business to not stand out, so to speak. so you end up in the sack with your director. >> yeah. >> everybody does. >> it wasn't just a casting couch thing, though. as the season goes on, you'll

see it's a real relationship that's building, and it's -- >> at first it wasn't. >> yes, well, maybe just a little bit. >> make excuses for it. >> there are real feelings there. >> you've done a ton of work on broadway stuff, but being in that kind of intimate situation, even though you're just acting, how was that? you seemed almost -- almost nude it seemed. >> yeah. no. there was -- i was wearing sweat pants. i mean, yeah, i draw the line somewhere. but it was very -- i felt very vulnerable. but i was in very good hands. jack davenport is such a gentleman and he's done those kinds of scenes a million times. >> it's not the guy you're doing the scene with that's the problem. it's all the guys standing around going -- oh. >> they're a great crew. no. we have the greatest crew and they were all really supportive and really -- they knew it was a delicate situation. >> kath, you've seen her a lot

on broadway. >> yeah. >> glenda the good witch. >> wonderful playing the dolly parton role in "9 to 5." adorable in that. >> thank you. >> this is like your dream job all wrapped up together. >> it's everything i've ever wanted to do in one job. i get to represent the broadway community on television. so a real honor. >> now, right now you have the marilyn monroe part. but something tells me, because i know the world of broadway, it's a very tenuous grasp you have on that role. >> yes. i can tell you from personal experience doing these workshops and readings, just because you have it in the beginning doesn't mean you'll necessarily have it in the end or next week. >> you can do all the work and it goes straight to broadway with somebody else. >> yes. >> are you learning a lot about tv doing this? such a different animal for you. >> i am. my old job was doing the same thing every night but making it new. now i really try something new every day. it's like a little adventure. >> what a way to grow as a performer. >> absolutely. >> we're so happy for you. >> in real life, no time for a

personal life. >> all right, sweetie. catch megan tonight on "smash" at 10:00, 9:00 central on nbc. >> up next, does it matter if you're counting calories?

time for "today weighs in" and the answers to your e-mail questions about everything from gluten allergies to the truth about women and soy. >> madeleine bergstrom is here to help you figure it out. >> hey, madeleine. >> how you doing? >> we have some questions. the first one from mher in

san francisco, california. she writes how do i know if i have food sensitivities or food allergies? should guy gluten free, dairy free? can i simply go and get a test? >> these are big buzzwords now and part of it comes from the health food stores, things that say gluten free, dairy free, egg free. very few people have true food allergies. your bod si senses some food component is harmful and tries to fight it off. trouble breathing, bad rashes. >> you don't know what it is. >> exactly. most people have some type of sensitivity or intolerance, and that's with stomach upset, a few hours after you eat it. the only way you can identify it as you said is to eliminate it. write it down and try and make these associations. oftentimes kids will get this. >> gluten sensitivity -- >> there is. that's something good to go for if it's a family history or anytime you have wheat products you start to get stomach upset.

many people have a little bit of intolerance. think about lactose intolerance. >> how to you manage it? i take that probiotic and i don't do any dairy at all. >> eliminating helps. some people could have maybe one serving a day. what about you? >> i drink that lactaid milk. >> sort of predigested. there are ways around it. >> it just builds phlegm and then you can't speak and can't sing. and how attractive would that be if i couldn't sing? >> next. >> jennifer from wichita, kansas. when studies say eating broccoli or drinking tea will prevent cancer, how much do we have to eat or drink? >> if only they were true. having a varied die set what nature intends. there are laboratory studies. in a test tube you can find things in broccoli, green tea, black tea that can help promote

good health on a cellular level, keep your cells running happily. the issue is how much of that in daily life. translate it, it doesn't mean eat broccoli but you can smoke and drink and not exercise and you'll have a healthy life. it's balance. keep a colorful plate. common sense can rule. but it can't offset things you're not doing. >> soy is a big thing. we have a minute. okay. a big thing. i thought, didn't you -- eat everything soy. and all of a sudden we're hearing it's not good for you. >> especially for breast cancer. >> soy from association studies in asia, low breast cancer rates, no complaints of menopause, a very good thing as a plant protein. the negative side is it acts as a weak estrogen and if you're sensitive to that, if you have breast cancer or are a survivor, you don't want extra estrogen. that can be a negative. talk to your doctor have you have these risk factors. in moderation, it's great. heart healthy plan. >> who's better than you?

>> nobody. >> coming up tomorrow, the ups and downs of being a teenager. >> and hoda's three friends stop by. bobbie has "tuesday's trends." >> have a great day.