SELF Magazine celebrated their 4th annual Women Doing Good Awards the other night at the IAC Building in NYC. The star-studded event included the inspirational and amazingly talented Jennifer Hudson with adorable son David Otunga Jr., Christina Hendricks, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, Lisa Ling and three amazing hometown heroes that were all honored.
Each year, SELF Magazine sets out to find inspiring women who are making a difference in the world, whether it is globally, nationally or in their communities for the Women Doing Good Awards.
Scene and heard at the Event:
Host, Hoda Kotb gave the audience some good news in her welcome speech. She got a call from the hospital while she was getting ready for the event and was told by her doctor that she is now 100% cancer free. She put on her favorite song LMAFO’s Party Rock Anthem and did what she loves best, dance.
2. Jennifer Hudson:
a. “If we are not trying to make a difference, then what’s the point?”
b. “I liked school a lot. One I liked the fashion and getting ready to get back into the fall and get ready to dress up for school—the first day of school outfit. Things like that. And then just being in school and being around-I like people. I like to be out and about and I love to learn. I love to progress.—to have progress and to see change. That’s what school gives you know so I was definitely a school girl.”
Christina Hendricks:
a. “I’m taking a make a wish foundation child to the Emmys on Sunday. That’s his wish. So I’m excited to grant that. He’s 16, he’s from Texas. He’s gonna have a good date. I get to meet him Saturday, we’re gonna go half lunch with his family and meet him, and brooks brothers is going to give him a tuxedo and we’re going to get him really set up, its gonna be fun
b. “I’m very curious to see these other 60s shows. I’ve seen the pilots for both of them. It’s so interesting. It’s the, it’s the first time there’s sort of been a, 60s show since we’ve and we’ve been, we’re already on our fifth season. So it’ll be interesting to see.
c. Christina on the 4th season: “Absolutely, we all connect, we’re really nervous the first day. And we’re all, Omigod are you nervous? we sort freak out like it’s like the first day of school. And then we go in, and then we’re all in our characters, we look like our characters and we’re back in business and it feels good to be back. It’s our family.
HODA KOTB
a. So many magazines are like, “your fat”, “look at…your eyebrows are weird”, “you need to color your hair more”. Self is one of those magazines that makes you feel good. Don’t you hate opening a magazine going “eww..I hate..” you know? You just don’t like yourself. This magazine is full of real women, it’s..it’s..it’s my kind of magazine. I mean, I really enjoy it.
5. Jessica Seinfeld: on her next book—It’s for people who have given up on the idea of ever being able to cook. It’s for people who are just like ‘You know what? I never learned, I never want to learn, I hate it, it’s just beyond what I’m capable of. And so, I have so many friends from my entire life who have just been so personally and professionally successful in so many different, weird, strange and amazing ways, but they all do not know how to cook. And so my working title and it’s not the real title yet, because I haven’t even researched it is ‘Cooking For Geniuses’, as opposed to cooking for dummies because it’s about how everyone has bypassed this very important way of taking care of themselves. Its more economical, its healthier and it’s doable. I’m so excited for all my friends. I’m writing it for a bunch of different friends and they know who they are.”
LISA LING
a. “Secret society was born after I had a miscarriage. And I found that after it happened I felt very alone. And later I started talking to my friends about it and so many of them had had miscarriages but they don’t share it, they haven’t been public about it so I thought I’d create a place where woman can find community in each other. There are women who come and share on our Web site things that they’ve never even shared with their closest friends and family. Members so now they have this anonymous community in which they can do so.