On a recent episode of Stuff Mom Never Told You, Cristen and I discussed the scarcity of female directors. It’s sure to be an issue on people’s minds this Sunday, when Kathryn Bigelow of “The Hurt Locker” could potentially become the first woman to win the Academy Award for directing.

Regardless of which director you’re rooting for to take the prize, the Oscars are a great time to throw a party. You may have noticed that I think any major televised event is a good excuse for a party, given that I wrote about Super Bowl parties last month. And if you read that blog post about Super Bowl parties, good news. The instructions for the Oscar party are more or less the same. The biggest difference is attire; for an Oscar party, I suggest digging out an old prom dress and asking attendees a million times which designer they’re wearing.

As with a Super Bowl party, there should be lots of betting, but this time, you’ll be betting on who’s going to walk away with the big prizes. You could also bet on how many times an awards recipient will cry or how many times the orchestra will have to play off a long-winded celeb. If you get tired of wagers, or if you have an attendee with a gambling problem, then use the commercial breaks to make dramatic acceptance speeches.

Now, you could use the same menu I outlined for the Super Bowl party for your Oscar party. After all, the Super Bowl snacks I selected are guaranteed party-pleasers. But if you want to get really crazy, you could offer food that lines up with this year’s 10 Best Picture nominees. I used TLC Cooking to come up with this sample menu:

Avatar + Blueberry-Pear Tart = Avatart (bonus: the tart will be blue)

The Blind Side + 5 Best Barbecue Side Dishes = The Blind Side Dish Extravaganza (note: don’t forget the barbecue)

District 9 + Trick or Treat Ice Cream Sandwiches = Districk or Treat Ice Cream Sandwiches

An Education + Deviled Eggs = An Eggducation

The Hurt Locker + Herbed Stuffed Tomatoes = The Herbed Locker Stuffed with Tomatoes

Inglorious Basterds + Grilled Chicken with Chili Beer Baste = Inglorious Basted Chicken

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’by Sapphire + this adorable School-of-Fish Cake =  Precious School-of-Fish Cake, Based on Marine Life

A Serious Man + Spicy Cheesy Pepper Steak = A Seriously Spicy Cheesy Pepper Steak, Man.

Up + 24 Cupcake Recipes = cUPcakes

Up in the Air + Lemon-Tossed Linguine = Up in the Air-tossed Linguine

Now, this is just a start. Feel free to use food items inspired by the picture, such as airline snacks like nuts or pretzels for “Up in the Air.” You could whip up a few Julia Child recipes, since Meryl Streep is nominated for playing the famous chef. Or, just pop a whole lot of popcorn and offer up classic movie theater snacks.

Other ideas for an award-worthy menu? Any predictions to win? Share them in the comments.