At its mythical best, entertainment reporting involves dressing up for parties, receiving messengered envelopes with Governors Ball tickets, and schmoozing celebs over a glass of champagne. While red-carpet reporting has its perks, it does not always live up to that fantasy.

"While some reporters get the same luxuries as stars, like extravagant gift bags and tickets to sit inside the Oscars, that is more the exception than the rule," says celebrity-media expert Vanessa Diaz, who interviewed more than 50 entertainment journalists for her anthropology research at the University of Michigan. "The reality is we're talking about a job where you stand outside for hours, often in the cold since most events are at night, hoping that at least one A-list celebrity actually shows up and then talks to you."

Beyond the spray tans and teeth whitening, real-life Hollywood reporters reveal what work is really like when your office is an Oscar afterparty.

Celebrities are not always polite, and they

Jennifer Aniston shone on the Oscars red carpet, where she emphasized her sun-kissed beauty with hair and makeup, and won rave reviews for the playful braid that framed her face. Her style team, consisting of hairstylist Chris McMillan and Angela Levin, shared some suggestions to achieve her golden girl look. "She is the quintessential California glamour girl," Levin said.

1. Levin prepped Aniston's skin with moisturizer and Chanel Lift Lumiere foundation in Beige, according to BellaSugar.

2. The real secret to the look comes with the cheeks, though. Instead of blush, she created a natural glow that resembled a day out in the sun with tubes of lipstick. She blended Coco Red lipstick and Chanel Sheer Brilliance in Sunkissed and then added a powder bronzer.

3. Keep the outdoor glow going with a bronze eyeshadow. Levin used Lorac's Serenity.

4. Get Jennifer Aniston's smile (or at least something similar) with a slick of Chanel Aqualumiere

Photo by Fox Searchlight/Dreamworks/Paramount Pictures

Lately, saying "The Artist" will win best picture is like predicting that Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee. A safe bet. But is there upset potential? We gathered our expert crew to chime in. For our final Yahoo! Roundtable of the 2012 Oscar season, I welcome my colleagues Jonathan Crow, Matthew Whitfield, as well as actress-director Jordan Bayne, THR film reporter Tim Appelo, critic Caryn James, and Oscar guru Nathaniel Rogers.

Photo by DreamWorks/Columbia/Weinstein Company

Just in case you caught Oscar fever late this year and are looking catch up on all the nominated films out there, here's a guide on how to see them:

Photo: Everett Collection/Getty Images

Look up Dolores Hart on IMDB -- and prepare to be wowed. Hart, a Hollywood brat discovered while attending Marymount College, starred opposite Elvis in "Loving You" (1957). George Cukor directed her and Anna Magnani in "Wild is the Wind" (1957). The future prioress starred in the cult favorite "Where the Boys Are" (1960) -- and even played a nun in Michael Curtiz's "Francis of Assisi" (1961). And then, in 1963, at age 24 on the verge of marriage and following the premiere of her final feature, "Come Fly With Me," this leading lady who had been compared to Grace Kelly and kissed "the King" on screen, entered the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut.

Yes, the Hollywood star gave up the spotlight for God. According to the Oscar-nominated documentary short, "God is the Bigger Elvis," Hart discovered an inner peace and contentment in the cloister that had been absent on stage and screen, and in her engagement to California businessman Don Robinson. Hart has confessed it's tough explaining the change in vocation, but has described it as:  "Falling in love. One falls in love with the Lord." Now, the feisty 73-year-old Prioress, Mother Dolores Hart, will not only attend the Oscars this weekend, she voted for them.  She's the only nun currently a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

What do Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), Steve Guttenberg, and Cheech Marin all have in common? According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, they're members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Membership gives these three minor actors from the '80s a say on who receives the prized Oscar statuettes. Here are more surprising facts about Oscar voting.

1. Membership is exclusive and (mostly) a secret. There are 5,765 voting members of the academy, whose membership can range to about 6,500. A Los Angeles Times study of 89% of the voters found that the majority are white and male. How they're chosen: The academy sends out a limited number of invitations once a year. Candidates are proposed and voted on by current members. The Oscar website explains that membership is "limited to those who have achieved distinction in the arts and sciences of motion pictures." (See: Steve Guttenberg.)

Join us Sunday for full coverage of the 2012 Oscars, starting with the red carpet arrivals at 6pm ET/3pm PT and continuing through the show. Escorting you through the evening will Yahoo! editor Vera H-C Chan, Yahoo! editor Jason Sickles, and some special guests, including Daniel Musto of the upcoming "Fashion Star" on NBC.

Your escorts:

• Vera H-C Chan, fresh from tracking cultural and news trends for the Yahoo! Year in Review and hosting Yahoo!'s Golden Globes live blog;
• Jason Sickles, who has covered everything from hurricanes to the Super Bowl, which pretty much prepares him for liveblogging celebrity madness;
• Daniel Musto is a leading Hollywood wardrobe stylist. He is currently the on-camera stylist

Joan Rivers and her daughter, Melissa, are used to sharing space on the show that brings them together as roommates, "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best," and used to sharing opinions on the show that takes them to the red carpet, "Fashion Police." In preparation for the Oscars, the duo who invented the phrase "Who are you wearing?" open up about their best memories as well as the ones that make them cringe with regret.

[ Photos: Most embarrassing roles of Oscar stars ]