The glamour and gleam of the Academy Awards has always been something that has managed to get the ladies’ attention as an important post-New Year’s event. Preparations take place days in advance with invitations going out a week or two earlier. We think of the perfect signature martini and perhaps some finger foods; spending no less, and usually more than a good four hours (plus the two-hour Pre-Show on E!) with our closest girlfriends. Ok fine, I’ll admit that the big highlight is the Pre-Show. Who can resist the paparazzi flashing away and the entire who’s-got-who-on-their-arm frenzy? And still the best part is the endless parade involving one fabulous dress after another. Let’s face it – the Oscar’s rock. The Oscar’s, ladies, are our Superbowl…and Superbowl Sunday is the Oscar’s for the men in our lives.

Men look forward to the Superbowl from the end of the game the year before, and regardless of which team is playing, their insatiable need to watch is imminent. You can just see it in their eyes! Preparations begin weeks in advance, with mental preparations kicking off from New Year’s Day. If you see your boyfriend/husband/brother just laying there on the couch staring into space, you know he is thinking about some Superbowl party. Just as we are reinforcing each other’s annual resolutions of joining the gym, men appear to be in their own parallel football-dominated universe.

Let’s talk about Superbowl Sunday itself now or as it’s true name should be – the Day of Mass Inappropriate Scratching. Having been to numerous Superbowl parties, it is a day when calories don’t count. Tables are dressed with massive amounts of food in the shape of heroes, wings, chili, copious amounts of chips and dip, and of course, the Superbowl signature drink – beer. Men are dressed in their favorite jerseys, which unless they are a fan of one of the teams playing, is a jersey of a completely different team. Confusing, right? Last year my friend was wearing a green jersey so I assumed I should root for the green guys on TV but to my surprise, neither team had  green on. Why put on a New York Jets jersey when it is the Colts and Bears in the Superbowl? Beats me. Anyway, none of that stuff matters. It is the next five hours that really count (1 hour of Pre-Game and 3 hours of the actual game, followed by post-game wrap-up), and not the color of your jersey. So as it gets closer to game-time, men take their seat in the rearranged living room or in their favorite sports bar, anxiously waiting to watch the game on the largest and the highest definition television they can find.

The Academy Awards are similar. Although there are more teams than just two during the show, nonetheless, each play in the Superbowl is comparable to each trophy awarded. At least that’s what it seems like watching men fawn over every little play. Just like women wait anxiously for the misguided outfits to make an actress trip on stage, guys hold their breaths for a catch being fumbled or an interception. Also, much like the Oscar’s, the Superbowl is a time of bonding with close friends who share a common interest, whatever it may be – food, drinks, and discussing the play-by-play so to speak.

So ladies, I say grab that nacho in one hand, a beer in the other and join in on the festivities because the Superbowl is just as exciting, if not more than the Oscars…and we look cuter in those football jerseys anyways.

Cheers!