Ugh.. on The Daily Show make community organizing, idiots, crack and Appalachia this fun!
Friday, October 31, 2008
"Where's the Crack?"
Happy Halloween!
I want to apologize to my dear readers for the lack of posting this week. To be honest, my brain has been fried courtesy of the Election, work freak outs, personal ailments, friend problems and sadness. And this has all led to an overall BLOCKAGE for even this chatty of Chatterboxes. I am at the point where I would like to just turn off my brain, cuddle up in bed and watch marathons of “Golden Girls” and “Roseanne”. I am not on a pity train here, but hoping some of you can empathize and understand and possibly even feel the same way. But hopefully tonight’s festivities will pull me out of my slump.
Today is Halloween, which is one of my favorite days of the years. It could be my arrested development or my once upon dream of being an actress, but I adore dressing up. 
I love wearing costumes and usually am quite diligent in my costume creation. Last year, I was Tippi Hedren from “The Birds”, see here and so far this is hands down my favorite costume ever!!!. And last Halloween was bizarre because I ran into David Cross, dressed as Tobias Funke from “Arrested Development” in his never nude/blue stage. It was amazing and I still kick myself for not having any of my drunk friends capturing me and him chatting it up at Galapagos. Anywhos, this year it’s Tinkerbell, because apparently I have a thing for blonde characters who surround themselves in green and shady characters. Hopefully all of you will enjoy your Halloween, whatever you are up to! Make sure you are safe and excited and please send in photos!
And I pinky swear in my quest for internet dominance, this site will up and at ‘em next week. There are things in the works down the line, but you’ll have to wait till November to find out about them.
Again, Happy Halloween!!! And vote early if you can!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday Box Office Movie ReCap - The Tweens stand alone!
Let’s keep this short and sweet, since I am not particular about any of the movies on the list, nor has my lazy ass seen them. This weekend, and as no surprise to anyone, Disney’s High School Musical 3: Senior Year blew away the competition and pulled in $42 Million putting it at the number one spot at the box office this weekend. This major amount also has the first time to big screen cable giant tween sensation setting the record for the highest grossing weekend for a musical ever! The anticipated success of this movie finally coming to the big screens was accentuated by smart marketing efforts and lull in tween comedies at the box office. The weekend success also confirmed that Zac Efron pulls some weight in Hollywood and pulls in dollars at the box office, the remake of “Footloose” starring Efron is reportedly on its way! In a close second was the fifth installment in the horror franchise that is SAW, which had the torture porn classic Saw V bringing in $30 Million dollars the weekend before Halloween. Max Payne, last week’s number one, kept strong with a third place finish and another $7 Million to add to their till. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” is still holding weight, coming in fourth overall and the new Irish-cop drama “Pride & Glory” came in fifth with a little over $6 Million.
Here is the rest of the Box Office Top ten, courtesy of Box Office Mojo.
1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year - $42 million
2. Saw V - $30 million
3. Max Payne - $7.6 million
4. Beverly Hills Chihuahua - $6.9 million
5. Pride & Glory - $6.3 million
6. The Secret Life of Bees - $6.1 million
7. W. - $5.1 million
8. Eagle Eye - $5 million
9. Body of Lies - $4.1 million
10. Quarantine - $2.6 million
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Spielster is Under the Weather
I can barely type this, let alone the other goodies I have for you. Hopefully, I can post The Monday Movie Box Office Recap and some stuff later on.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Daily Rounds...
SNL gets it right....
Last night, Will Ferrell stopped by the last prime-time “Saturday Night Live” of the election cycle to reprise his wonderful impression of our sitting President George W. Bush. Honestly, the dude is the best W. that I have seen! Anyways, Ferrell’s W. visited with Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin and gave her some advice for “important job”. Some mockery oh John McCain, Dick Cheney and others followed. Here’s the video so you can see the faux awkwardness between Bush and the new Republican candidates.
And word is that Maya Rudolph will be reuniting with her onetime fellow cast mates to embody Michelle Obama this weekend on “SNL”, which will be hosted by the insanely hot John Hamm from “Mad Men”. Rudolph will also be appearing in probably the show’s last “Bronx Beat” with Amy Poehler who is set to depart from the show after the election in preparation for the birth of her first child.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Jane's Addiction To Reunite Once Again....
The original lineup of Jane’s Addiction will be reuniting once again this evening to play a ten song set at a downtown LA bar, La Cita. Rumors of this evening’s show have been floating around for weeks. The band’s original foursome reuniting briefly earlier this year to play the NME Awards, but before that it was 1991 the last time Eric Avery joined his fellow band mates on stage. Eric Avery, bassist of Jane’s and Dave Navarro, guitarist of Jane’s, have been waxing nostalgic about an extended reunion since the NME awards back in April on their respective blogs and Navarro even gave away a few tickets for tonight’s gig on his. Avery has revealed a bit more on his blog, confirming the performance, admitting that this has been in the works for awhile, as well as declaring the future of Jane’s to be promising.
As a self-determined Jane’s Addiction fanatic, to see the original lineup of this band would be mind blowing, especially in a 400 person capacity venue. So all you lucky devils checking out the band tonight, feel free to upload everything to YouTube tomorrow for us suckers on the East Coast. And for you all you fellow Jane’s fans, start praying there will be an announcement any day for a tour.
In other, Spielster musical obsession news, Morrissey confirmed that he will be penning his autobiography and soon. It will not come out before his next studio album, scheduled for a February 2009 release, but it appears that Moz will be laying down all the good facts since there has been so much speculation about the singer throughout his popularity. I can not wait to read this!
A bit personal....
So I’m done. Two weeks out from the election and I think my brain will literally fry if I discuss McCain’s non-existent plans to take back the gov’t from the gov’t with one more undecided voter. I have immersed myself into the election cycle this year, which I promised my boyfriend and myself not to do this time around, and I am literally spent. My mind is blank when it comes to all other topics and I am fearful of what this country will become if Obama and Biden do not win this go around. I remember back when I was in college during the 2000 election and being so fearful of a Bush administration. I was convinced that something terrible would happen to America if this man were to take office. And boy was I right. As a New Yorker, who was able to experience 9/11 on a different level than most Americans, it was demoralizing for the RNC to have their convention here in 2004 and basically become giddy with discussions of that monumental day in 2001. I was angry at Bloomberg for allowing them to come here and revel in the destruction they had watched happening. When Election Day came and went, with no clear cut winner that night, I became distraught. And when finally John Kerry gave in, fully knowing he could not win this one, I got mad! I was mad at Americans for not being brave enough to break away from the fear game and vote Bush out. I was mad at John Kerry caving and giving in and not standing up for himself and better yet, us. And I was mad at myself, thinking that there was more that I could have done to get John Kerry elected. The anger didn’t subside after awhile either and I found myself disbelieving anything that was uttered by the Bush Administration.
When Hurricane Katrina came around, my hope in the American public and our government ceased to exist. I had the opportunity earlier this year to visit New Orleans and Baton Rouge for the wedding of close friends, who grew up down there. Shocking is not the word to describe the conditions down there. There were still damaged and condemned homes. Signs of the natural disaster were everywhere. And I saw full families, almost villages, living underneath train trestles and underpasses on mattresses and in tents because their homes were no more. Parts of the city were still empty, with debris and sadness lying all around. And I could not believe that this was “the home of the brave”. While it’s hard to understand sometimes the inner workings of government, I just could not believe we had failed so many of our citizens on this one. The cynicism that lies around the American public today is beyond sad and without something positive happening soon, our hope could be gone. When it was confirmed that Barack Obama and John McCain would be our Presidential candidates, I was hoping that the race would be about progress, hope, change and in all honesty, bringing back this country from the brink of sadness. This idea was turned on its head when McCain began switching out his campaign to negative attack ads, as opposed to exposing Americans to anything positive the man has done in his thirty years in gov’t. I was blindsided by most of decisions and turned off by his behavior. And I realized “they” got to him. The same people who shit on him in 2000, and shit on Kerry in 2004, were using McCain. He was no longer a Maverick standing up against his party, but merely using the same fear tactics Bush used in 2004, but this time attacking his opponent as being not American enough. His appointment of Gov. Palin was the nail in the coffin for McCain with me and my friends. The fact that he chose someone so close minded, judgemental, and lacking in experience was shocking to me, but that he used it to grab Hillary Clinton supporters was even more offensive. While I can respect Gov. Palin for the job she has done in Alaska, she is not ready for the world stage, which you need to be when applying for the number two spot in the country. And before I go on and on and on about something earlier in the post I said I was done with, I was just want to remark on how much positivety there has been on the other side. Beyond the landmark primary race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Democrats for once have hope on their side. They were not acting as the lesser than two evils, but as the real choice for progress. And while the Republicans apparently shy away from progress, this country can not survive without it. It is what has brought us our Freedom, our Stregnth and our Liberty. It is what put us on the map as the impressive place that we are, where you can grow up a child of a single mother, and find yourself 30 years later running for the most important position within the nation. Our advancements in technology and science is what catapulted us to be the biggest and baddest and our faith in our fellow Americans is what gave us strength through the hard times. While I feel defeated and fearful for the next few days, so fearful I can’t even muster up a blog about Project Runway, I have to remember that there are men and women who came before me and Obama and Clinton, who paved the way for progress in this country. And I believe, with all my heard, that come November 4th, they will be able to be proud of this nation once again. I want us to be that shining light once again and I am certain that with the appropriate chance come January 20, 2009, we can make it. And if you are like me and fearful and conflicted and just want everything to be over with, please look at this and remember that sometimes hope means just that: HOPE.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sarah Palin Spent $150,000 On a Whole New Wardrobe.
Hey remember when Ann Coulter and her other Republican friends got all up in arms over John Edwards getting a $400 haircut? Oh good, me too! So it's odd that I didn't hear the same patriots shouting things today like "Off with her...St. Johns coat!" when it was released that since the conventions the Republican National Committee has spent $150,000 on Gov. Palin's wardrobe and makeup, as well as clothes for her family. Wow! That is some big bucks for a Washington outsider who wants you to know she is your average "Hockey Mom", just a real American. And ironically this information is on the heels of her dismissal of the major fund raising effort that drew in $150 Million for the Obama/Biden campaign as shocking to throw around "such a large figure during such a trying financial time". And as expected, the Republican pundits are of course questioning why we are making a big deal about this. But why did the RNC see it fit to dress up Gov. Palin in the way that they did, basically making her Cindy McCain 2.0? How come she couldn't have kept her Alaskan mom/outdoorsy attire? Why did she have to be made over for the Repugs? And if you don't know why its beyond offensive day in and day out to hear the hypocritical BS come out from the right and thrown at the Democrats, well then you need your head checked. But if the alarming decision to have some guy who was once the orchestrator behind robocalls AGAINST McCain in 2000, is even more telling. But if that doesn't turn you off from the "pro-America" team, maybe the video below will.
No? How about this gem?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sarah Palin stops by SNL...and Amy Poehler wins...
Yeah yeah Sarah Palin did a few jokes during her guest appearance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend and she locked arms with Alec Baldwin and neither of the two spontaneously combusted. Apparently, she was nice, courteous and open to poking fun at herself, qualities anyone in the public eye can surely benefit from. I can't say if she is actually funny because they didn't give her much to work with on the show, even though she was on camera three times. I do wish that there was more interaction with Tina Fey, although Ms. Fey might have asked for it that way, and want Tina wants Lorne grants. As Alec Baldwin pointed out in his round up for HuffPo, this is a parody sketch comedy show, not Meet The Press, so there was only so much they can do and I am sure a lot of things were gone over with a fine toothed comb. SNL did manage did manage to score its highest ratings in fourteen years with Palin's guest appearance on Oct. 18th, the highest viewer turnout since Nancy Kerrigan stopped by after the Tonya Harding incident. And while the show was its usual bore, the real hilarity came, as it has been for weeks, during Weekend Update. This season, as SNL usually does, is strongest around the political commentary. And while some see it as skewering of Palin or Hillary Clinton, I see it as supporting its strongest comedians, the women cast members. Sarah Palin stepped up to the plate, but it was truly Amy Poehler who hit a home run, per usual, with the "Palin Rap". ENJOY!
While many have dissected what this means for the McCain/Palin ticket, I was more interested in why likability somehow means electability in America? Of course after appearing on SNL many people decided they like Gov. Palin more today than they did yesterday. But because she can laugh at a joke and read correctly from a teleprompter, that should grant her access to the second most important position within our nation? This is what I do not get about the Republicans or half of the American voters out there. We already voted in a President we would like to have beer with and we are now in two wars and a looming depression. I had no doubt Palin wouldn't fail on SNL, but in America's eyes whenever Palin doesn't fail, she wins. I would assume that since America has grown accustomed to pathetic leaders who just barely make sense when speaking and fuck up 75% of the time as adequate enough that this somehow gives Palin even more traction. But lets remember that someone must succeed to win and in regards to her performance on Saturday, there was no success there for Palin. There was some success for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. And now the big question for SNL is what Lorne will do without his artillery of funny ladies by his side.
Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama for President...
The big political news this weekend wasn’t that Sarah Palin was able to bob her hands up and down while Amy Poehler rapped on SNL, but that General Colin Powell, a former Secretary of State for George W. Bush and possible running mate for Sen. John McCain, has officially endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President on Sunday’s edition of Meet The Press.
For those of you not fully understanding of what this means, let me put it to you in the most clear cut way. A lifelong Republican and highly decorated veteran and longtime advisor to the GOP, Powell has worked within the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush throughout the Gulf War and most recently was Secretary of State during Bush’s first term. He has been a possible Presidential candidate many times, in 1996, 2000 and 2008, and was believed to be a running mate for John McCain once he secured his party’s nomination earlier this year. The man is not only one of our most respected leaders, but most recently he was widely touted as a maverick after dispelling the myth of WMDs before the invasion of Iraq and unfortunately while too late in the game, spoke out against Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003. It is surprising that Powell would not only deviate from his party, but would oppose the election of his long time friend, John McCain, for President. Monday, Barack Obama has said that he would appreciate Gen. Powell to become an advisor within his administration and that an official position would be available if Powell would be so interested.
What’s more significant in this whole endorsement was the plethora of reasons Powell gave for SUPPORTING Obama. He stated that the candidate being elected would not only be “electrifying” for the American public, but that the Senator from Illinois was a candidate for a new age and a new direction. This endorsement came on the heels of the news that Barack Obama and Joe Biden raised $150 Million in support of their campaign in September alone, which is now the largest pull for any political campaign and it more than doubled his last record fund raising month of August. The overall momentum of the campaign has shifted and Obama’s fund raising efforts are being lauded as transitional for all political campaigns in the future, with the public’s money truly supporting their candidate and the methods that were used to gain the additional funds.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Monday Box Office Recap - Max Payne comes in at number one....
So this weekend proved once again American audiences wouldn’t know a good movie if it bit them on the nose. Sorry America, I don’t want to blame you for the doldrums your in with the economy in the shitter and the election taking as long as the 100 years war at this point, but Max Payne in the top spot at this weekend’s box office? AS a friend said on Friday “I just saw the number one movie this weekend” and then explained how bad the movie was. I mean it could have been worse, it could have been the Chihuahua movie at number one again, but really people? Anyways, as I already stated, Max Payne Max Payne, the action flick based on the video game of the same name came in at number one this weekend at the box office. At least Mark Wahlberg can boast about being a movie star again. Beverly Hills Chihuahua was robbed of its number one spot and with an $11.2 Million draw, came in second this weekend. I bet those puppies and Jamie Lee Curits are planning a sequel to this movie as we speak. And in third place was The Secret Life of Bees, a family favoritebased on the book, which was a New York Times Bestseller after its release in 2002. The movie starring Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Dakota Fanning, is becoming the new favorite of women moviegoers and Hollywood, specifically Steven Spielberg and Will Smith, producers of the film about sisters in the 1960’s, are looking at this as a case study for changing the template of box office successes. Sadly, even at the box office, George W. Bush is a lame duck. Yep, Oliver Stone’s revealing documentary into Bush’s life, W., came in fourth place, hopefully meaning most Americans would like to forget the guy who is our current leader and move onto whoever will take his place. I can’t wait to see the movie because as much as I do not agree with the man’s policy, dude knows how to make me laugh. And finally, in fifth is weekend, is the Shi LeBeouf blockbuster Eagle Eye.
Here is the rest of the Box Office Top ten, courtesy of Box Office Mojo.
1. Max Payne - $18 million
2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua - $11.2 million
3. The Secret Life of Bees - $11 million
4. W. - $10.5 million
5. Eagle Eye - $7.3 million
6. Body of Lies - $6.9 million
7. Quarantine - $6.3 million
8. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - $3.9 million
9. Sex Drive - $3.6 million
10. Nights in Rodanthe - $2.7 million
Friday, October 17, 2008
TV on The Radio...How I love thee.....
How do I love TV on the Radio? Let me count the ways. The inspiring band just finished up three sold out nights at the Masonic Temple in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and I was luck enough to experience it in person. The Brooklyn based band, who released their Dear Science LP last month, is known for their live performances, so I was excited when we scored tickets to see them a few times during their stint at the Temple. TVOTR is possibly one of my favorite bands of all time and most definitely listened to way too much in my house recently. They have an uncanny ability to bridge rock, dance and artsy music and tones into one very harmonious package. Their new album mixes dancey and funky, like “Dancing Choose” and “Golden Age”, with quieter and softer sounds of the band, like “DLZ” and “Halfway Home”. Tunde Adebimpe, the charismatic front man and Kyp Malone, the guitarist/vovalist, riled the crowd up with assistance from Gerard Smith, keyboardist/bassist and fellow Purchase alum, guitarist and producer Dave Sitek and the incredibly talented drummer, Jaleel Bunton. Though the set list remained mostly the same for all three nights, they did move the songs around a bit and I think last night, Thursday, had to be the best performance out of all of them. While they played many songs of the new dance and sing along friendly album, they continue to pull out their hits “Satellite” and “Wrong Way”. This go around they had a backing band in addition to their lovely friend Katrina from Celebration, who provides a few back up vocals and their own full instrumental arrangement. The crowd was awesome all of the nights, dancing up a storm and proving that good music nowadays can be appreciated by all. As a fan, I was beyond impressed by the performance level from TVOTR and their increasing musicality. The band not only manages to let you know they are good what they do, but that they love doing it as well, which is a rarity nowadays. They are able to have the toughest dudes singing along to the smoothest Prince like grooves. I for one am excited by a mature dancey band bringing it back to New York City. I was getting so used to dashing off to Fort Greene and watching them play well into the night, that I am not sure I will know what to do with myself. Please do yourselves a favor and check out this band before they get too big. (More pics to follow)
Here is a live performance from September outside the David Letterman show:
Project Runway Finale Recap - You Don't Know What You've Got Til It's Gone
So if I wasn’t so drunk with excitement and Budweisers from two nights straight of dancing and singing along to TV on the Radio (more on that later), I’m not sure I would have made it all the way through the snooze fest that was the final episode of Project Runway on Bravo. The show moved slowly while watching the final three ladies finish up their collections, which for Korto that meant producing TWO NEW garments, their model search, that was filled with many reality TV models and finally presenting their collections to the audience at Bryant Park. So with this quiet season and even quieter finale, let’s get straight to the goodies: the final collections at the tents.
The behind the scenes madness that usually is the precursor to the runway shows was all but non-existent this time around except for the last minute ditching of celebrity judge duty by Jennifer Lopez. Tim Gunn happily stepped in, announced his impartiality and took a seat next to Nina, Michael and Heidi. One of the greatest moments wasKenley, who upon finding out that Gunn would be a judge, said “Maybe I should have adjusted my attitude”. So now onto the clothes…
Let’s be honest, this go around might have been the only time that I knew within a second of the first garment coming down the runway, which designer was the architect behind it. 
Kenley, who did not take Tim’s criticism in losing one piece the judges commented on last week presented first. She quickly got teary eyed while introducing her collection and thanking her family. Her shapes were severe, her fabrics were hand painted and the collection overall was colorful and was so very Kenley. There were three items I loved: the green top/black skirt combination, the hand painted floral dress and the black/fuchsia 50’s prom dress meets 80’s Madonna . Most of the other looks looked less refined and not very expensive. While the collection had a common theme, there was not a true sense of cohesion. And to be honest, I was expecting Kenley to really knock it out of the park with her 40’s flair, but unfortunately I thought a good portion of the collection fell flat. 
Korto was next and she introduced herself, her point of view and her collection with determination and she also thanked her family. Right off the bat, I love the first few pieces of her collection, which were composed of what looked like saturated linen in greens, khakis, oranges and blues. The two issues I had with her collection were that most pieces looked overworked and through television, the fabric looked stiff and uncomfortable. There was more cohesion within her collection than that of Kenley’s but it could simply be that her look is very strong and original. Overall, there were a few pieces I liked, but the collection, much like Kenley’s, didn’t have that luxurious look I believe you need to deliver at Bryant Park. 
And then there was Leanne, who came out simply thanked her family and explained her determination to get there. From when the first piece came down the runway, I was entranced with her collection. Her pieces were light and airy, yet incredibly architectural. The pallet was fresh and I could imagine myself, after losing about 15 pounds, in almost all of the pieces. Not sure if it was excessive drinking that I had done earlier that night, but I felt this could have been one of the strongest final collections ever in the show’s history. The look and feel behind the pieces was a wonderful mix of modern style, feminine shaped and strong details. And I want the long strapless light blue dress to wear on my wedding day. So Leanne feel free to forward that to me c/o of The Spielster.
Here are the best looks from Kenley:
Here are the best looks from Korto:
Here are the best looks from Leanne:
Anyways when it came to judging, it was more than obvious that Leanne was the one to beat. In regards to Kenley, they felt a few of her pieces were reminiscent of other designers’ garments, which honestly I didn’t get, Overall, they felt she had a strong style, but needed to learn more about the industry to excel within it. She was auf’d. Then it was Korto’s turn. While they loved the inspiration behind her collection and the colors of her pieces, they felt she has a heavy habit of overworking her garments and stripping them of their beauty. They also felt that while the overall look of the collection had a bit of similarity to it, there was not a concentrated cohesion to it. She was auf’d. Leanne was voted the winner because of her ability to present a full and satisfying collection. Her collection was the strongest, had cohesionand was truly a new voice in fashion. Michael wanted to make sure she was more than a one petal pony, but the rest of the judges agreed her pieces were the winners. She was able to present the audience with various pieces from gowns to mini dresses to halter tops to sailor pants and it was all intertwined flawlessly. Leanne Marshall definitely deserved to win in my book.
All in all, it was a lackluster season and I don’t think it was because of a lack of talent. I feel stronger people went home too early in the season, like Kellie, Wes and Daniel and others, like Suede and Blayne, were given way too much rope to hang this season on. I wish that Bravo had put aside some of the bitterness it was obviously harboring for the show moving to Lifetime, if that ever happens, and put together its strongest Project Runway ever! This season was drama less for a reason. It felt like every designer was there for a reason and I truly believe that lackluster ratings and even more lackluster challenges are something Bravo executives should be ashamed of. I am proud of the final three and believe that they all such a distinct vision of their collections and the voices behind them that the runway show was a success. I just wish Bravo had taken notice of it. And now I guess I will just count the crow’s feet around my eyes until Top Chef comes back.
Next week in honor of Project Runway and its fifth season, I will be doing a daily countdown of favorites: all-time designs, best characters, best feuds, best final collections, and overall the top three designers to be on the show. Dear readers, I would love to hear any suggestion. Drop them in the comments or email them to me.
More on Project Runway:
Thursday, October 16, 2008
NO POSTS TODAY....Sorry..
I know I know...there was a presidential debate last night, the finale of Project Runway and I saw my first night of TV on the Radio at the Masonic Temple. Which is why capturing all of it with the full detail you need will have to wait till tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will chat all about one of the best bands ever, a very boring finale episode of Project Runway, but the best collection to have won to date, the fight continuing between Obama and McCain, the leading ladies of funny and Halloween ideas!
Enjoy.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
NO..not Brian Kinney!!!!!
No no no no!!!!! TMZ is reporting that the lovely, talented and completely underutilized Gale Harold from “Queer as Folk” fame was critically injured yesterday during a motorcycle accident. While there are conflicting reports on how serious the injuries are, we do not that Harold is in the ICU unit of USC Medical Center. The actor’s rep said that they are hoping for a full recovery.
Let it be known that if Gale Harold, one of the most beautiful men ever, does not fully recover, I will be curled up on my bed, crying, eating ice cream and watching a “Queer of Folk” marathon. Harold is currently working on “Desperate Housewives”, playing Teri Hatcher’s boyfriend Jackson. Honestly, why Gale out of all the crappy cast members on this stinky turd of a show had to get fucked up is beyond me. Ugh, while I quietly cry in my cubicle at the idea of no Brian Kinney, please watch the video below and understand the beautifulness of Gale Harold.
Bye Bye Samantha Parkington.....
There are few things that meant as much to me as my American Girl dolls when I was little. As a young girl who was raised in the late 80’s and early 90’s, it was almost a requirement to have received one of the American Girl dolls. I remember making the hard decision, and it was tough, as to which Girl would fit my personality best and essentially which one would become my large Christmas present when I was ten years old. My friend Joanna had already received Samantha earlier that year for her 10th birthday, so after much debate, I decided to go with Kirsten, a Swedish immigrant, who was raised in Minnesota during the 1800’s. As a girl of Scandinavian descent, I felt that her story was the closest to mine, which was the original reason I chose her. The following year I was so intrigued by the story of Molly, a young girl dealing with some interesting struggles during World War II that I begged and pleaded with my mother to get her as a present that Christmas. Why the trip down American Girl lane? Well earlier this week American Girl and Mattel announced that they would be retiring Samantha Parkington, an original doll from the company’s inception in 1986. This news seriously broke my 27 year-old heart for various reasons. Obviously, it’s always weird to realize that a doll that was so fresh and interesting to you when you were a kid has racked up enough time in the passing years to become something worthy of retiring. It’s also sad that while this might only be around one doll, odds are other dolls will be retired soon, meaning maybe no more Kirsten or Molly. But overall the saddest thing about the story is the weight that these dolls and “their stories” carried with my friends and I and how other little girls will be missing out.
While many can look at American Girl dolls as overpriced and a true sign of our object crazy culture, I look at these dolls and their stories a bit differently. Sometimes kids need things tangible to learn and I believe that these dolls are the perfect examples of this. Many girls could be dissuaded to learn and become engrossed in history, because let’s be honest, it’s not a subject that covers a lot of women. Most of the stories in history books are about the struggle of men and the course they took, especially when it comes to that of American history. Also, if you are like me, you retain more information when it is presented in a personal way than if it was just spouted out as fact. The great thing about the dolls, their books and collections, was that it gave me an insider’s look at different generations of Americans and the struggles they went through. Samantha Parkington, was an orphan who moved in with her wealthy grandmother and told the story of growing up a little girl in 1904. Kirsten presented the difficulties that came with being an immigrant and a pioneer in the 1800’s and Molly gave a real life look into what it was like for our grandparents growing up during World War II. It was with their back stories that I learned about celebrating St. Lucia Day, the depression, adoption, and the overall struggles of Americans that came before the flashy 21st century. While other dolls have followed in their paths, it wasn’t the doll and clothes that made so many little girls fascinated with American Girls, but it was the story behind these girls. 
Earlier this year, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, which was the first major studio movie based on of the “lives” of an American Girls doll, came to the big screens and it energized a lot of little girls. American Girls in recent years started making various models of dolls that looked more like you, with many nationalities and races and hair colors to choose from, but these dolls lacked back stories. I want to make sure that children maintain an interest in reading and learning about those who came before them and I honestly think that Samantha, Kirsten and Molly helped so many of us learn things we might not have ever checked into. My hope is that Samantha was retired so a new doll, maybe celebrating the lives of young girls in 1960’s & 1970’s, can become available and get kids today energized in history. Samantha’s books will still be available and maybe her early retirement could make little ones even more interested in her backs story. But to American Girls’ credit, they are asking friends of Samantha to visit their site and share memories of Ms. Parkington. I personally will be discussing my first tea party that I had with Samantha devotees about 16 years ago. What’s your favorite American Girl story?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
"I Learned if from watching...Gossip Girl?"
So I might be the only pop culture geek who doesn’t watch Gossip Girl. Now don’t get me a wrong, I actually like the show, a lot! It’s reminiscent of old nighttime soaps, ya know like Dallas and Dynasty, but with better stylists, background music and much hipper people. I also enjoy the fact that the show is based on life in New York and is actually filmed 50% of the time around the block from my house so its great to see how the set and prop stylists trick out my local coffee shops and bars to make them appear chi chi enough for these kids. But unfortunately, the program is on some time Monday evenings, when I am getting my MSNBC fix, so I have only been able to check it out sporadically. So although I like the show, I haven’t been able to watch any episode in sequence, which is the way I prefer my serialized dramas. (Don’t worry GG fans, I have gone and put the First Season on my Netflix que). Anyways, what I do know about the show is that it’s the hottest thing since sliced bread for the under-25 set and stars some of the true next generation of Hollywood It boys and girls. Which is why I was so excited about the following PSA, starring GG’s biggest stars and cutest couple, Penn Badgley, who I love, and Blake Lively just did in support of MoveOn.org. In the “mock PSA”, they urge young adults and well, their fan base to discuss the ramifications of a McCain/Palin administration in an adorable “this is your brain on drugs” sort of way. To see young Hollywood actors using their clout for progressive politics and backing up their information with knowledge is really impressive and a great breath of fresh air in regards to the young celebrity crowd. And while there are a few blogs out there already balking at the fact that Obama doesn’t need anymore “hip” help, I can’t see the harm in pushing teenagers and kids to discuss politics with their parents during this insanely important election. Check out the video below:
Source: HuffPo
Monday, October 13, 2008
As McHale would say, THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO SAY.
Sometimes The Soup showcases some bad Tyra moments or unbearable Dr. 90210 for their clip of the week, but only in a great while are we lucky enough to have some of the most disturbing images burned into our brains forever. This past Friday's episode managed to scar my childhood all over again. And as Joel would say, there is nothing left to say.
Thank You Vh1 for reminding me there is other things out there other than politics....
So last night, VH1 was able to help me out of the election/recession/I hate my job/house/etc depression I have been going through in October. The lovelies at VH1 programming saw fit to provide me with an “I Love Money” Reunion show and the season premieres of the skank fest “Charm School: Rock of Love” edition and cheese fest “The Pickup Artist”. I know that I should not be watching this G-List of reality celebrity whores battling it out for anything, but I am not that embarrassed to admit that I have a problem. A problem that VH1 is always taking advantage of. So at the “I Love Money” Reunion, tempers flared, the word whore was shouted way too many times to count, Heather, the classy stripper fought with many women and I wanted to know how Destiney was doing. Even thought Hoopz won the final challenge and walked away with $250 K, it seemed the true focus was on Megan. Honestly it became an episode of Maury, with girls just screaming over each other for screaming sake and only saying "You just jealous! No I'm not!". Anyways, the reunion showcased a bunch of newly thin skanks screaming at each other about who is skankier - which I love.
And luckily for us, skanks were the theme last night with Vh1's newest installment of "Charm School" the Rock of Love version. In the first fifteen minutes, there were two physical altercations and a contestant so drunk, she fell asleep in a potted plant. So Sharon Osbourne, the den mother and decider of charm this go around got rid of Ms. Sleep in Potted Plants.
More thorough recaps will be coming each week with a joint stint at HangTheTV! And finally, Pick Up Artist, which is a sham if I ever saw it, brings a bunch of loser dudes and has an even bigger loser, who affectionately calls himself Mystery, help them on their quest to gain self-esteem and notches in their bed post. Last night, they makeover said losers and half of the dudes got FACIAL PIERCINGS. And the dude giving the makeovers wears goggles, in 2008, and not while swimming. 1996 called and asked for its douchebags back.
Anyways, please please please numb the pain of the embittered and long election cycle with a Sunday night in, watching VH1. You will thank me.
Monday Movie Box Office ReCap - The Dog is still number one!
So last weekend’s box office winner could have been just a fluke and I wouldn’t have to go WHAT??? once I found out Beverly Hills Chihuahua came in number one this weekend as well. Yes, the movie that I affectionately described as Look Who’s Talking meets Legally Blonde has retained its hold on the number one spot at the box office for another week. So far, the flick as grossed more than $50 Million. I get that there aren’t any other kids’ movies out right now and I know they all had off for holidays and such, but really? I mean America let’s see if this can pull in these kind of numbers every weekend. We should try and see if it can upset The Dark Knight and its amazing pull at the box office this year. Quarantine, a thriller starring no one of importance, came in second with just under $15 Million and Body of Lies, the Ridley Scott movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe pulled in $13 Million, bringing into the third spot. The low numbers on this can just continue to prove to Hollywood that the American audience is not jazzed up about seeing any movie depicted war time situations, specifically Iraq. Eagle Eye, which is still pulling strong numbers, came in at fourth place, with teen flick Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist bringing in $6.5 Million and having it come in at fifth place for its second week.
Here is the rest of the Box Office Top ten, courtesy of Box Office Mojo.
1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua - $17.5 million
2. Quarantine - $14.2 million
3. Body of Lies - $13.1million
4. Eagle Eye - $11 million
5. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - $6.5 million
6. The Express - $4.7 million
7. Nights in Rodanthe - $4.6 million
8. Appaloosa - $3.34 million
9. The Duchess - $3.32 million
10. City of Ember - $3.2 million
Friday, October 10, 2008
Register to Vote Deadline - TODAY!!!!
This will be the last discussion of politics and this year's election until tomorrow when I get so mad about something John McCain said I am ready to spit bullets.
Anyways, I want to remind all of you that not only is this election important, but getting your voice heard within it is too! So please, if you haven't already, get your ass registered to vote. And make sure to tune into the final debate between Barack Obama and John McCain on October 15th.
For political/election coverage, here are the best sites:
Betty White and I need to be BFF already....
For anyone who has known me more than five minutes, you will know the deep and unfaltering love I have for Ms. Betty White. She is definitely one of the all around funniest ladies in entertainment. White is also in her 80s, has a raunchy sense of humor and has one of the best set of gams in show business. So I love the fact that she is always visiting Craig Ferguson and laying the funny down on the Late Late Show. The clip below cements the fact in my head that Betty and I need to be best friends. Seriously though, Betty tells Ferguson that she knows Sarah Palin is "one crazy bitch". Please begin your weekend the right way and watch this clip.
NBC strikes out with US version of "Kath & Kim"
The unfunny atrocity that was Kath & Kim last night just perpetuates my fear about the upcoming Americanization of AbFab. I had heard the echoed poor reviews for the program, but I thought I would give it a chance, since I remember how much I couldn’t stand watching original episodes of The Office and now it will be a favorite comedy of mine forever. But there is a major difference between comedy growing pains, which affects even the best show, and something being unfunny. I have to say that this show was just not funny. It wasn’t like I was missing the joke, it was that it wasn’t actually there for anyone to get. And I can not imagine what watching this show would be like if I was an actual fan of the original. The show, which centers around a mother and her bratty "trophy wife" wannabe daughter, had really no redeemable quality or an actual plot I would be interested in. The characters were not just unlikable, but more annoying and forgettable than any I have seen recently. I couldn't understand if they were actually vacant or stupid, or just being that ironically. Either way, I was completely baffled how this poop got a green light. Anyways, I know NBC will give a few more weeks to really stink and then pull it, but I will not be bothering checking this out again.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Project Runway Recap - Episode 12 - And then there were three.....
Oh Project Runway, why do you make me so angry? Last week I was defending the judges’ actions with keeping all four designers until Fashion Week and now I think they made a big mistake kicking off Jerrell. Now don’t get me wrong, his dresses were weird, not cohesive and over the top in a dated way, but since he won the “final challenge” last week, I think it’s kind of crummy that there was no immunity for the man. While I love the finale episodes of this show probably more than the program as a whole, I was just bored by last night’s episode. First, we got to see the designers at their homes in the interim between their departure from NYC and return for Bryant Park. I usually love this part because you get a true sense of where they came from, their aesthetic and really what their overall thoughts behind design are. I mean this is the part of the show that made me LIKE Wendy Pepper, so you know how good it is usually. And who can forget when we got to meet all of Chloe’s bazillion sisters and hear about her journey to America. Yes, I know not everyone has some amazing story about where they came from, but yesterday’s episode even bored me when Korto was discussing her family having to flee Africa because of the Civil War. I don’t know, but I just think all involved parties really phoned it in while editing this show. An interesting point brought up by Tanner at Entertainment Weekly was that all of the designers introduced Tim to a family member, friend, boyfriend, i.e. somebody important to them other than Kenley. She discussed everything with Tim alone in a small Brooklyn apartment and explained that her grandmother, who she was quite close with and had recently passed away, was a calendar girl in 1940’s, so we can only assume this is truly the inspiration for her designs. I just thought it was awfully sad to see this girl, blocks away from one of the busiest enclaves of young hipsterhood in NYC, alone and crying. 
Anyways, Jerrell story was compelling enough and I just really got a sense of his family and support and their rise above struggle, but again I thought could have been presented in a much more moving way. Leanne’s was typically normal and simple, exactly what I assumed it would be. And Korto’s story should have been incredibly inspirational, but again I am not sure what happened there other my feeling of time constraints really stopped them from getting overly involved in anyone’s story or even collection. Is this just me or was it much shorter than most other “meet and greet” sessions with Tim?
Anyways, let’s get to the fashion!!!!! And to back up a bit, before any of the designers left to go home, they were asked to redeem themselves from the final challenge and create a wedding dress that speaks for them and their design aesthetic. Once they returned to NYC and were to battle it out to figure out which three of the four designers will be legitimately presenting their designs at Fashion Week, they were asked to create a bridesmaid dress to go with their wedding gown and present those to the judges. They were all whining and complaining, but only someone who had never seen the show before would not have seen this or something equally trying coming around the corner. 
Leanne’s wedding dress was spectacular and simply put breathtaking. Her accompanying bridesmaid dress was equally beautiful, simple and the two went perfectly together. Those two dresses I think expressed Leanne’s point of view to a T and I can fully imagine the beautiful pieces she will put forward on the runway. After seeing those two dresses, I can’t believe the judges didn’t just award her the prize right away. Kenley’s fun feather/taffeta wedding dress is fun and playful and what I can assume is right at home with the rest of her collection. Michael Kors believed it looked exactly like an Alexander McQueen dress, but I have seen the dress done tons of times within ballet, so I don’t believe Kenley was ripping him off. Korto’s and Jerrell’s dresses were, to be nice, messes. I didn’t hate Jerrell’s, and I think it actually carried a lot of his aesthetic. It was over the top, but I think if he had edited it just a bit more, he would have been in the final three. Both the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses felt romantic and whimsical, but heavy. 
I am not sure if it was the exaggerated bust or over the top accessorizing, but it didn’t feel expensive. And Korto’s dresses were, well horrible. I didn’t really see her in either of them other than the “ethnic” necklaces and excessive pleating on the wedding dress. The colors were beyond bland and seemed way to drab for anyone to wear on a special day. The wedding gown was overworked and heavy feeling throughout and the bridesmaid dress looked like a faded dress bought off the rack. It was a hot mess and the decision on who stayed and who was auf’d was obviously not only from those two dresses because Korto would have deserved to get the boot. 
I am mad that Jerrell was kicked off, but I think Korto has such an interesting and strong style that the judges would have been crazy to kick her off at this point. But if her two dresses were any indication of what’s to come, it’s obvious someone suffered from some design blockage when they returned home. Or it could just be that gowns/dresses are simply not her strong suit. I will add in photos but the stinky butts at Bravo didn’t even put up full and standard photos of the runway, so all we have is the photographs from the final runway show. And as I have done with the last two contestants given the heave ho, I checked Jerrell’s finale collection from the Bryant Park show and I can definitely tell that it’s his collection, which is a positive. But this boy needs to learn to edit himself. A lot of the pieces are great, but overly embellished, overdosing on detail and seem dark and dreary for a Spring Collection. I know there will be a lot of people angered that Jerrell was kicked out before Kenley, but I think this race really only has one person left in it – Leanne.
What did you think of last night’s elimination?
Here is some more Project Runway goodies:
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Sweetie, Darling, Abort Abort Abort this idea!
At some point, Hollywood is just going to kill me with all these remakes and recasts of once upon a time funny. The latest to send my head spinning and getting me closer to an aneurysm is the in development redo of on my favorite things ever to have been created, Absolutely Fabulous. Apparently, “hip and savvy” Fox Network is developing the American update of the near perfect comedy about one has-been, Patsy and her best friend who never was, Edina and their path into middle age, along with fashion tidbits, alcoholism, 60’s pop stars and the studious daughter of the never was, Saffy. Now honestly, I was aghast when I heard this news because the original is so perfect and so British and just all around not very easily replaceable. While Jennifer Saunders, the star (Edina) and brainchild behind the original, is involved in some way, as are the creators behind another favorite of mine, Arrested Development, I don’t see this show doing well.
They are moving the situation to Los Angeles, naturally, and I am sure will go way over the top with the alcoholism, wannabe and overall cougarness. The genius of the original was that it proper in a tacky way, which I don’t think an American show can tackle well enough. And we all know what Fox does to smart and out there comedies. If this anything like “Cybil” or “High Society”, I will be beyond mad. To calm me down and look at greatness, here is a great scene.
Also, the entire series is now available on DVD in a complete collection.
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