• New York Times, Friday, February 24, 2012 2:48 PM

If you think of handicapping/watching the Academy Awards this Sunday as a spectator sport, the New York Times -- especially its Carpetbagger blog -- is the place to catch up on a compendium of behind-the-scenes features.

Topics range from scene-stealing dogs like "The Artist"'s Uggie to the Oscar ballots of mostly mass-market "notables" like Martha Stewart, Al Roker and Tabitha Coffey (whose rise from contestant on hairdressing competition to featured "Bravolebrity"  we admit, somewhat shamefacedly, to have witnessed). We especially enjoyed reading the Oscar commentary of a slightly more highbrow notable, author Sarah Vowell, whose "only clear Oscar front-runner this year is 'The Iron Lady' for best makeup," writes Rachel Lee Harris.

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