Random Saturday Afternoon Tunes

Renee and I were chatting on Gchat yesterday and in the middle of our perfectly nice, most likely hilarious conversation, I linked to a video for a song I have been listening to on a loop for days. I get that way; I find a band or a particular song that I really, really like and for days, I cannot listen to it enough and when I am not listening to it, it's still running through my head until I can't help myself but to listen to it again. It goes on like this, for days, until I have exhausted the song and swear that I cannot listen to it anymore and then I move onto the next song that intoxicates me to this degree.

I have been on quite the Sara Barielles kick. I've been listening to her album, "Careful Confessions" while I work day in and day out, but the one song that I love the most by her is from her most-recent album, "Kaleidoscope Heart" and that song is...

Barack Obama Was a Guest on The View and Sarah Palin is Pissed

Barack Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to ever appear on a morning talk show. Of course, he did not appear on just any morning talk show, like perhaps the oh so respected and adored Fox and Friends; no, he went on to chat with the ladies of The View, which is watched by none other than...wait for it...other ladies! Or so said conservative columnist S.E. Cupp when word got out earlier this week that he would be appearing on the show. Cupp also speculated in her column that his appearance on the show would either be "a momentous occasion worthy of celebration or the end of civilization as we know it."

But that really doesn't encompass much of what the media has had to say about his appearance on the show. MSNBC's Dylan Rattigan said, "Which of these lovely ladies -- each other them lovelier than the next -- will actually ask the president a difficult or challenging question?" Now, as someone who does not watch The View regularly and doesn't like it very much, as I have previously stated (and yes, I know I just wrote about The View the other day but give me a break), everyone knows that you're not going to get one political point of view from that show and not the other; well, not as long as resident Republican Elisabeth Hasselbeck is on the show at least. The View is not merely some fluffy morning talk show where women can sit around, giggle and ask their male co-hosts for help with the big words in their notes because that's how a network chooses to portray women, you know, kind of like that aforementioned "respected and adored" Fox and Friends. The co-hosts of The View all bring a unique perspective to the table and those points of view clash with the unique thought processes of the other co-hosts--The View's ratings depend on it.

I suppose Dylan Rattigan had not tuned into an episode of the show before deciding to write something on the topic of their show just because the president would be on it. I can also assume that he did not look over the transcript from the episode where John McCain was their guest during the 2008 presidential election, because if he had, he would have seen that Joy Behar called him out on lying about Barack Obama during his campaign and wouldn't let him backpedal out of the conversation.

But you know who is the most pissed off about Obama's appearance on The View? Why, Sarah Palin, of course!

Big Brother Season 12: Eviction Night The Floater Fiasco

Holly and I once again risked brain cells and watch Big Brother last night. Of course Holly's jinx carried through and we lost one of the few decent people in the house.  Of course she is unwilling to take the blame but somehow she has not taken her mojo out on Enzo who really needs to go.  Last night was all about drama but that is to be expected when you are watching Big Brother. Rachel was Rachel and who knew that Kristen had it in her.  I think that on Sunday we will probably being some serious confrontation between those two.  Of course Holly and I will again sacrifice our brain cells so that we can give you our snarky brilliant commentary. Without any further ado here are our thoughts.

Big Brother Season 12: The Genie-Themed Power of Veto Competition

Last night's episode of Big Brother picked up with Andrew and Kathy on the block, having been put there in the last episode by new HoH Matt. We got to see Kathy scramble and plead to Matt about not wanting to go home, Andrew try to form an alliance with Brendon and Rachel and best of all, Enzo, Rachel, Brendon, Matt, Lane, Kathy and Andrew dressed like genies as they played a guessing game for the power of veto.

Attention Lesbians! You're Really Not Gay, there's Just a Shortage of Men

I don't watch The View. I used to, but only because I wanted to see who would yell at Elisabeth Hasselbeck first for some close-minded, bigoted, or naive comment she would make--and she always makes them. In fact, if you search for The View on YouTube, pretty much the only videos that come up are of Elisabeth Hasselbeck making comments that will make you want to bash your head against a wall repeatedly or they're of the guests shunning Elisabeth or telling her off themselves before waiting for Joy or Whoopi to do it. I don't need to watch The View anymore because now, if Elisabeth makes an idiotic comment on the show, give it a few hours and a clip of it will start circulating around the internet.

That is precisely what happened with a clip from a recent episode of The View, which appeared on The Advocate. Whoopi Goldberg brings up the topic of more lesbians coming out later in life, "even after decades of heterosexuality" and asks the other three women at the table why this happening.

Disability and Erasure on TLC

Last night I sat down to watch "The Little Couple" on TLC, which as the title infers is a about little people who are newlyweds.  When I fist started watching this show I really liked it, until I thought about the wealth and the Whiteness of the show.  The wife is a doctor and the husband is a business man.  There can be no doubt that this couple is very comfortable in their lives, despite dealing with the challenges that come with being disabled people. TLC also airs "Little People Big World," which is about a family of little people.  Three of their kids are averaged sized and only one is little. The Roloffs are another rich White, little people family.

Disability is not something that you see often in the media, let alone reality television, and so I am sure that TLC believes that it is setting a model of what good disability coverage looks like.  The problem with their selection is that there is no diversity in their coverage.  There are plenty of differently abled people who are living in poverty because they cannot work and disability checks do not go very far.  I know in the province where I live, the monthly allotment is 989  dollars for a single adult per month.   If I were forced to live on that amount a month, I would be impoverished. While I do believe that it is good to show that differently abled people are capable of doing many things, I don't believe that there is any shame in realizing that there are plenty of people who simply cannot function in the work model that society has structured.  If I could lie down and sleep whenever I wanted, or stand stretch when I wanted, and take days off at a time when the pain got too much, or it was raining, or the weather became to cold, I could certainly hold down a conventional job, but what employer today would accept the conditions that I need to function?

What to Expect from Season 2 of Glee -- Creator and Cast Reveal Secrets at Comic Con

Fans of the hit Fox show Glee waited for hours at Comic Con last Sunday to hear from the creator of the show, Ryan Murphy, as well as from the cast members, where they answered questions on what viewers can expect to see throughout season two. Surprisingly, they gave a good amount of the upcoming plot's details away, some really exciting (an episode that will pay tribute to The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and others, kind of dull and even unnecessary.

Ryan Murphy said that the theme of the second season of Glee is 'Do you have what it takes to win?' and will pick up at the beginning of a new school year. After the New Directions glee club came in third place at Regionals, they will enter back into school as even bigger losers than they were before.

Is he serious? They have to start all the way at the very bottom of the high school popularity totem pole again? All of their embarrassment, awkwardness, hard work and camaraderie from the first season seems almost pointless with how low these kids will be at the start of this school year. I wonder what Sue Sylvester would even be able to do to bring the spirits of these kids (and their glee club coach Will Schuester, of course) down any further than they will be at the start of this season. However, I'm sure these kids will indeed "have what it takes to win." I mean, they have to, right? Unless Ryan Murphy was one of those guys in high school who picked on the "weird" kids and is really just driving the nail into the coffin and out of the other side with Glee. Maybe he has ulterior motives! Nevertheless, "climbing up from the embarrassing abyss" will surely provide enough content and complexity to fill a good amount of the upcoming season.

The Gates: Repercussions

I have to say thank goodness for time shifting or "The Gates" certainly would have lost out to AMC's "Mad Men".  I really don't know what ABC is thinking running this show while "True Blood" is on, and then putting it up against "Mad Men".  Are they trying to make sure it does not make it out of the first season?

As you recall, last episode Dylan revealed himself to Nick when he murdered, Teressa.  Nick is plagued by the thought of the danger that he put his family in and is terrified of Dylan.  It seems to me, what this incident really points out is that Nick is a control freak --  big surprise considering that he is a cop.  Nick demands to know what happened to Teressa's body, as Dylan tries desperately to make him realize that they need to relax and cover for each other because a lot is at stake.  When Nick continues to press, Dylan answers him with, "I am going to make this easy for you: holy water, it doesn't effect me it never has; that was the Vatican pure machine working overtime furthermore, I don't sleep in a coffin, and I can see my reflection in the mirror, garlic on the other hand, well that does effect me but then heartburn would do that to someone."  That has to go down as line of the night.

Jane Austen's Fight Club

I saw this video yesterday and since, have watched it probably six times and I still can't get enough of it. So, because I love it so much and feel the urge to watch it repeatedly, I thought I would share the love with all of you.

People, welcome to Jane Austen's Fight Club. No corsets, no hatpins and no crying.

Now It's "Twisted" For A&E

So, how many of you are old enough to remember this guy?

Yes, it's Dee Snider, front man for "Twisted Sister".  Are you having a massive eighties flashback? It truly is the thing that nightmares are made of.  Unfortunately for us all, it is one that we are not going to wake up from. On July 27th A&E is going to premiere a reality show featuring none other than Dee Snider and his family.  If that sounds familiar to you it should.  I blame the Osbournes.  The fucking prince of darkness is responsible for this spate of rock stars believing what we want to know the intricacies of their lives. 

In addition to Snider, Growing Up Twisted's cast will also include his wife Suzette, a clothing designer and makeup artist, as well as their four children -- Jesse, a 27-year-old aspiring rock musician, husband and father; Shane, a 22-year-old resident comic; Cody, a 20-year-old aspiring filmmaker; and Cheyenne, a 13-year-old billed as daddy's little girl.

Snider family highlights featured on the reality series will include a baptism where a song opens up wounds between father and son; a playful sparring match that has devastating consequences; the inappropriate behavior of a local store clerk that brings the Snider men together in a show of solidarity; and a concert where Dee performs with his offspring.

I really do believe that Arts and Entertainment is a misnomer.  This is the network that airs "Dog the Bounty Hunter", "Gene Simmons Family Jewels,"  "Intervention," "Hoarders," and endless repeats of "Law and Order".  It seems to thrive on one hot mess after another.  I suppose when this idea was pitched, network execs thought fuck it we have no credibility anyway, why not try it. Furthermore, since they had no compunction about putting Duane Chapman (Dog the Bounty Hunter) back on the air after his racist tirade, they clearly could not respond with a supposed moral objection could they?  A company that gives a weekly platform to a known racist certainly cannot be concerned with the quality of programming that they are airing.

Mad Men Season Opener

At the end of the show, I was not really sure whether to do a re-cap or simply say what I thought.  The latter won out, and so you will now be treated to my scattered thoughts. The very first line in the show is a question: "Who is Don Draper"?  I think this aptly sums up the show.  Who is this man that we have been watching for years? We know that he is a father, a functional alcoholic, a lecher, works in advertising and is a sexist.  None of these qualities are in the least bit endearing and yet, "Mad Men" is a hit; people are watching. 

From the very beginning, Don, Roger and Pete's treatment of Jack Hammond, the disabled veteran who wrote a story on Don for Advertising Age, reminded the viewer that in the "Mad Men" world, only able bodied, White, heterosexual men of class privilege matter. Pete thanked him for his service in Korea but Don, and Roger complained about his disabled body. They felt that they weren't being respected because the Advertising Age sent a  reporter who is disabled.  I know that we are talking about 1964, but I think that it is worth mentioning that we have not moved far from the disableism displayed by those two. 

This episode is basically about Don adapting to his new life as a single man.  We can see that the absence of Betty and the kids really has not changed anything for him.  He has a new maid, who basically fulfills his requirement that women service him.  When he wants sex her hires a hooker.  What is interesting in this scene is that he encourages her to smack him several times across the face. This is the first time we have seen Don enjoy some sort of kink, though I believe that this more about his desire to be punished, because he is aware of his wrong doings, than it has with being a real sexual turn on. 

Big Brother Season 12: Surfboard HoH Competition and Nomination Ceremony

On last night's episode of Big Brother, we got to see the outcome of the surfboard HoH competition where all of the house guests were perched on surfboards that moved while cold water poured down on them periodically. We found out who the new HoH is and then we saw everyone scramble to plead their case so they wouldn't be put up on the block.

All in all, it was a pretty boring episode. The only mildly entertaining part of the entire hour was the new food for the have-nots (baby food and bok choy) which is still better than sauerkraut. But in my world, anything in better than sauerkraut.

So as it stands now, there's a new HoH, there are two new people up on the block and the have-nots are eating baby food and bok choy--but Andrew is happy because at least baby food is kosher.

Taylor Momsen Divulges Her Vibrator is Her Best Friend, the World Gasps in Horror

Gossip Girl star and pop singer Taylor Momsen recently sat down for an interview with Disorder magazine and naturally, the topic of her love life came up. When asked if she was single by interviewer Taylor Glasby, Momsen said that she wasn't into guys, paused, and then added she isn't gay, just bored with men and her best friend is her vibrator.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Momsen's response. It's actually refreshing to hear a 16 year old young woman unapologetically announce to the world (or anyone who reads this interview anyway,) that she doesn't need or even want a guy in her life right now; that her relationship status really has no bearing over who she is. This quote from Momsen could have actually been used to empower other young women and to not let their self worth be defined by their relationship status. But no, instead pretty much everyone is outraged by her vibrator.

Yes, Taylor Momsen is 16 years old and yes, she just admitted that she has a vibrator. Oh no, the horror! I mean, I can't think of anything worse than a 16 year old young woman getting herself off! Except if I think about a 16 year old young woman engaging in promiscuous and/or unprotected sex, contracting an STI or getting pregnant and becoming a mother at 16 years old. Yeah, come to think of it, that would definitely be worse than vibrating plastic--or whatever material Taylor Momsen's vibrator is made out of.

Big Brother Season 12: Eviction Night

Well everyone, because we are so determined to torture ourselves, and believe me it is torture, we watched another episode of Big Brother.  Holly managed to keep her Enzo obsessing down last night but I think it because he didn't give her the meow meow to go all weak in the knees. We both decided that Rachel is turning into a werido stalker chick, even if she manages not to call other women bitches.  I do think that Holly and I could give Brittany and Monet listens on how to speak your mind without being a sexist jerk.  Yeah, we do snarky right.  I know you are just dying to know what Holly and I really thought so put your seatbelt on and enjoy the ride.

Mad Men Returns

The Sunday after what seems like a very long hiatus, "Mad Men" will return to the air.  When we last left the series, my favorite character - Sal had been fired for refusing to sleep with Lee Gardner Jr.  Betty was on a plane to get a quickie divorce from Don.  The ad company had broken up, with Joan, Don, Peggy, Bert, and Pete leaving to start a new company.  The huge message that last season left us with is new beginning.

It seems fitting when we consider that the show takes place in the tumultuous 60's.  This is a very different kind of angst that we are used to seeing when the media decides to center anything in the 60's.  There is barely any mention of the civil rights movement, and people of colour are nearly invisible on the show.  With the exception of the Drapers maid, there are in fact no repeat characters, and she is only on the very peripheral of their lives. 

I get that this show is supposed to be about White suburban angst, but would it really be the destruction of the drama to actually give more than lip service to the civil rights movement?   There seems to be this false idea that Blacks and Whites never interacted and this is not the case.  Even if there were not many friendships between the two groups, there were certainly social interactions.  I think the lack of attention to this in the show, is because the writers and directors aren't sure how to accomplish this and still keep Whiteness as the center of attention. And seeing as how Whiteness isn't exactly dying for media representation, broadening the story would not only make it more accurate, but more inclusive.  You, know that little buzz word that we try so hard to pretend so hard that we the media portrays, when in reality every station is practically WET (White entertainment television).  Oh I know, it's not really racist, just normal.

Big Brother Season 12: Sexism, Slut Shaming and the Power of Veto

Looking back on last night's episode of Big Brother, all I can really say about it is that it's a blur. It was a veto night. Britney and Monet had been put up on the block by Rachel (and Brendan because they can do nothing without the other) and the challenge for power of veto was for the Big Brother house guests to be locked into a guillotine-like contraption and have to stay there for one hour without going over the amount of time. Some people were counting minutes and adding up to an hour in their heads, others figured out how many seconds were in an hour and started counting. Britney won the power of veto and saved herself, leaving Monet on the block and Rachel having to nominate another house guest for eviction.

Check out what Renee and I had to say during last night's episode of Big Brother and check back tomorrow for a recap and some snarky thoughts on tonight's episode.

Dos Equis - The Most Interesting Man in the World

It seems that every time I turn on the television, there is a commercial for Dos Equis.  Clearly, on some level the advertising has done something right, because it caught my attention -- and I am actually taking my precious time to write about it. Recasting masculinity has become very popular and it seems to be a trend that really went into high gear with the Old Spice commercials; however, Dos Equis is memorable because it fails.  Unlike Old Spice, Dos Equis is not making light of male stereotypes, it is reaffirming them.

Mark Your Calendars -- Project Runway Season 8 Premieres July 29 on Lifetime

When I first told Renee that the eighth season of Project Runway would premiere next Thursday and that I was really excited about it, she told me she had no idea how I could put myself through such torture. Honestly, I can't help it. Yes, I am very much aware that the fashion industry is one fat-shaming circus that just won't leave town. I know that it is incredibly sexist, I know that they promote unrealistic and unhealthy body image and I know what those images can and are doing to young girls and women who come into contact with them. I also know that the mantra of the fashion industry when it comes to models is that you can never be too tall or too thin. This is not lost on me by any means.

But the clothes! At the start of the season we get to see the horrendous, poofy, over-stated dresses that make us think the designer who made the eyesore being passed off as a garment was drunk or had taken a hit of acid and couldn't step away from the sewing machine. We get to see the designers be whittled down to fewer and fewer and we get to see some pretty amazing clothes throughout the show--Seth Aaron, I'm talking to you buddy! And PS, if you're reading this or ever stumble upon it, please make me one of those fabulous coats. Please. And who doesn't like seeing panicked designers that look like they may throw up at any minute--hopefully all over the garment they just spent almost every waking moment throughout the past two days making? That is called quality entertainment, folks. The reality television-lover in me cannot get enough.

So not only am I filled with glee approaching the premiere of the eighth season of Project Runway, and not only will I be watching it, I will also be writing about it here!

The Gates: The Enemy Within

Hello Vampire lovers, Sunday brought a new episode of ABC's The Gates and so I figured since we have so many lovers of the un-dead reading this blog, that we could chat about it. If enough interest is raised in following this series, I could make it a regular feature.

The episode centered around a father daughter dance.  Okay, perhaps my womanism is showing here, but those dances just creep me the hell out.  A dress up date with daddy, sort of screamed purity ball to me, even though that was not specifically said in the series. I think it probably creeped me out in large part because I know that "The Gates" is a closed community.

At the very beginning of the show we learn that wolves were out running and encountered a hunter, which they were forced to kill.  When confronted by coach Ross about their activities, the teenage pack of wolves purposefully does not mention the dead hunter.  Unfortunately for them, the hunters wife files a missing person report and the police begin to investigate the disappearance.  Coach Ross, moves the body and kicks Marcus off of the team for jeopardizing their anonymity.  I have to say, that I was impressed with a Black werewolf, but I am even more impressed with the fact that he is the alpha wolf. 

So, Nick admits to Laura that he killed the man on purpose.  Of course it was justified because he was a rapist and he would have walked free.  She stands their shocked and assures him they will get through it.   This is meant to cement in the mind of the viewer that the police chief is a good man, but all I could see was yet another corrupt cop willing to twist the rules.  I could not help but think of all the men and women who have had their lives ruined by some lying cop, because ze thought that ze had the right to play judge, jury and executioner. This did not in least bit endear Nick to me.

Humourless Womanist Bashes Disney Princesses

Since the release of the Snow White, Disney's Princesses have been one hot mess after another.  I will admit that "The Little Mermaid," does have one of my favourite Disney songs of all time "Under the Sea."  But from the crab that plays magical negro, to Ariel believing that a man is worth giving up who are, "The Little Mermaid" fails on many levels. Granted, many years have passed since its original release, but because it is a Disney product, it will continue to be watched by girls for generations to come.  This is particularly why we cannot stop looking at the messages that it sends.   Many people defend Disney movies saying that they come from a particular era, but how can that excuse be given to "The Little Mermaid," when it was released in 1989? I do believe by then that Disney animators had to have heard about a little thing called feminism.  I won't say womanism, because a company so involved in harmful tropes that it didn't create an African American princess until 2009, clearly isn't interested in little girls of colour.  They did after all think that it was appropriate to make Princess Tiana a maid, until Blacks made a stink, but I digress.  We were talking about "The Little Mermaid" right?  Honestly, with all of the disasters that Disney has created, it is hard to keep them separated.

Big Brother Season 12: A Predictable Nomination Night

When last we left Big Brother, Rachel had won head of household. I think that at this point, Holly and I really could care less who wins, simply because these people are atrocious.  It's like CBS went around looking for the most ridiculous,vain, self-centered people they could find and then threw them into a house.  Watching the show is almost like being a deer caught in the headlights-- you want to look away -- but just can't for some reason.  Do you see what we suffer to bring you our snarky commentary dear readers?  Never let it be said that this is not a labour of love.   Big Brother gives new meaning to the term endless summer nights. Without further ado, here are our thoughts on last nights episode.

Lindsay Lohan's Photoshoot and Cover for August 2010 Issue of German GQ

I know, you are sick of hearing about Lindsay Lohan. She is practically everywhere you look anymore and you can't wait until she starts serving her 90 days in jail come July 20th because you just may be able to get a reprieve from the incessant "Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in jail" stories being plastered all over the media. I bet you also don't want to hear about her new lawyer or how she recently checked herself into an in-patient rehab facility (to hopefully get out of aforementioned 90 day jail sentence?) that just so happens to have been founded by her new lawyer.

I know, I get it. So we're not going to talk about that anymore. Instead, let's talk about this young woman's recent work. Yes, work. You know, something she actually wants the media to pay attention to and for people to see. Something she can be proud to put her stamp of approval on. That will be a nice change of pace in the Lindsay Lohan media frenzy.

The August 2010 issue of German GQ will have Lindsay Lohan on the cover (pictured above), wearing a pretty retro, pinup-style floral two-piece bathing suit. She doesn't look amazing or anything like that, especially since her hair kind of freaks me out a little and I would love it if the woman would please go back to either her gorgeous red hair color or a nice, healthy chestnut brown. The blond does not work, I'm sorry.

Not only is Lindsay Lohan on the cover of the magazine, she will also appear in a spread that was photographed by Ellen von Unwerth. I have to say people, the video of the photoshoot is awesome.

Big Brother Season 12: The Identity of the Saboteur and a New HoH

After three episodes of letting the unnamed saboteur run rampant around the Big Brother house, the identity of the person whose goal was to cause havoc among the house and cast members was revealed. Surprisingly, it was an actual shock to Renee and I. It turned out being someone we both would have never guessed.

We also had some crazy Rachel "don't try stealing my man!" drama, which was very reminiscent of adolescents who run around asking if the object of their affection "like likes" them and then calling them your boyfriend and getting into fights that just make you think "What are you doing!?" Lastly, there is a new Head of Household in the Big Brother house. Hint: It probably means two people will be seen swapping spit a lot more, and in their very own room, for the length this person remains HoH.

Take a look at what me and Renee had to say about last night's episode of Big Brother and also be sure to check back on Monday for another chat on Sunday's episode.

Your NSFW Vampire Lovin'

You may already know that Renee has a thing for vampires, if you couldn't tell from her recent post on Twilight Eclipse or the fact that she has an extensive list of True Blood posts on Womanist Musings. Yes, she has a thing. She is one of those people who just cannot, for the life of her, get enough of the vampire world. And by "those people" I mean the people out there with a pulse, because oh my goodness the world is vampire-obsessed right now!

Regardless of someone's gender or age, seemingly everyone is enthralled with vampires and can't get enough of them. Middle-aged women are sharing the Twilight love with their tween daughters and sporting "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" t-shirts. I'm blaming Stephenie Meyer and her creation of the Twilight franchise. She started it and now, because of her, we not only have Twilight, but we also have True Blood, Vampire Diaries, The Gates, and any other vampire-centric forms of entertainment. Yes, you read that right--Blame. Because you see, I am not one of those people. I have no idea if I'm a "Team Edward" or a "Team Jacob" kind of woman because when it comes to vampires, my heart is stone. It's impenetrable. In fact, I dare you to bring a vampire book, television show, or movie to my attention and actually get me to enjoy it even just a little bit.

But I must admit, there is a small thing that I am absolutely head-over-heels in love with that has stemmed from our vampire-crazed culture. A small thing that has awakened so much more inside of me--quite literally, in fact. I'm talking about the Vamp dildo.

Big Brother Season 12 : The First Veto

Years ago I stopped watching "Big Brother," but when we started this media blog, Holly roped me right back in.  This episode Holly and I spent quite a bit of time talking about everyone's least favorite house guest, Enzo. We have not developed a special love for this man he is just so reminiscent of a stank fart on a hot summers day,you simply cannot ignore him. Well at least that is my excuse Holly however may have found true love.

Last night the house guests played for the first veto. This is a competition for the right to be able to remove someone who has been nominated for eviction. As much as CBS tried to make it suspense filled, I think the scheming between the house guests was far more interesting.  At any rate, without further ado, here is the conversation Holly (secret Enzo lover) and I had about last nights episode.

Ever Wonder Why Jude Law Is Not A Singer?

Well now you know don't you.  I do however think, that it is very cool to see him outside of the roles he plays, having fun and just being one of the guys.

Old Spice The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

I first saw the following commercial, right after the super bowl; in Canada, we get different commercials. At any rate, with the exception of the ending line, "Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady," I have to admit that it cracks me up.


Very few companies have really caught on to how important social media is.  Southwest had to learn the hard way when they kicked Kevin Smith off a plane and he unleashed his rage on twitter.  The story quickly went viral and South West was unable to control the spin. Can you imagine how the person running the South Wes twitter feed must have been freaking out?  The good thing about social media, is that people decide what story becomes popular and they have the chance to influence the news.  This is particularly why conservatives are continually seeking to put limitations on the internet.  Social media is the will of the people.

Traditional news sources have tried to discredit social media and bloggers, but the more entrenched in this position that they become, the more people are to seek other forms of news.  Now that we have hand held devices to constantly connect us with the internet, we are hyper aware of the world, because we can connect  24-7. It has been suggested that the internet has killed the written word, because newspapers and magazines are going belly-up; however, never has the written word become such a source of information to so many.  The internet is not killing the written word, it is has just become harder to capitalize on it.

Book Review: Put on Your Crown by Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah is a fabulously respected, savvy businesswoman. She is an Oscar-nominated actress, a Grammy winner, a Cover Girl, and a self-made entrepreneur. She has been an inspiration to many women and young girls throughout the years as she has proven time and again that you can become a successful woman without compromising yourself or your standards in order to fit into some magic mold society insists you must fit into.

Queen Latifah has been a positive role model when it comes to body image and body acceptance. That in itself was the reason why I was excited to read her newest book, Put on Your Crown. The book, she says, is "a wake-up call to empowerment", written predominantly for young women after noticing the severe lack of self esteem held by young women, which she believes is an epidemic throughout the US. She wrote this book for those young women who need to know that as you learn and grow from the experiences of your past, you can use them to turn yourself into a strong, confident woman.

Put on Your Crown is not a typical self help book. It is not a book of pages upon pages of bullet points on how to miraculously find self confidence and start treating yourself like a queen. It is not written in a tone that screams "I’m a professional and I have all the answers, so listen to me and your life will become awesome!" While it could be classified as a self help book, the premise of Put on Your Crown has to do with moments in our lives that essentially make us who we are and how to take those moments and, regardless of how devastating or surreal, use them to better our lives and appreciate what we have in our lives.

Queen Latifah shares pivotal moments in her own life that fall under one of eight topics, which she has set up as chapters throughout her book. The moments range from the way her parents had treated her and her brother the same without leaving one of them left out, to the openness of her family and their unwavering support throughout her life, to finding out who her true friends were after she had become a celebrity, to the times she worked herself too hard and had burnt out when she was trying to launch her recording studio and then again when she had to appear for photographs and interviews, to becoming very wealthy and suddenly finding out she had gone completely broke, to going to see her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and to the sudden and tragic death of her brother. These moments, as well as many others that have shaped Queen Latifah into the woman she stands proud as today, are listed under the categories of success, beauty, money, love, fear, loss, strength and joy.

Foodie Culture has run Amok on the Food Network

I watch a fair bit of the food channel because I love to cook, but I cannot help but notice the way in which foodie culture is very much an indication of class privilege.  When I learned that Gwyneth Paltrow is releasing a new cookbook next year, it simply drove me right over the edge.   Apparently some of the ingredients include Himalayan salt and real Vermont maple syrup (which obviously cannot compare to Canadian maple syrup) Where exactly is the home cook to procure such ingredients?  Even more importantly, how are the working poor supposed to indulge in these so-called comfort meals? What the hell is so wrong with table salt? Oh I get it, we have to keep ridiculously over priced grocers in business.  In reference to her book, Paltrow says,"It doesn't have to be complicated," and she's right, from a glance at Goop, her website, the choice is eat like Paltrow or pay rent for some families.

The Food Network's newest show is "Chef Vs City",  once again we find the same model being prioritized. Two professional chefs: Aarón Sanchez (Centrico and Paladar in NYC) and Chris Cosentino (Incanto and Boccalone in SF) take on local foodies in a competition designed to look like "The Amazing Race", gotta say that I miss Phil though.  They huff and puff their way through challenges only someone with an experienced pallet could complete, thus eliminating people that are poor and working class.  I suppose that you could argue that poor people don't earn enough to have cable, thereby excluding them from the viewing audience, but a failure to consider them really amounts to classist erasure.

Food is a resource that we all need to survive, but many items have become luxury ingredients, making it impossible for the working poor to ever consume.  We have moved a great distance from the time that lobster was only considered fit for consumption by criminals.  Today, if you order lobster in a fine dining restaurant, you can expect to pay through the nose for it.   Even Food and Wine Magazine, which supposedly prides itself on accessibility, is so pretentious that it often renders itself irrelevant to the everyday reader. Baked Eggs with Spinach, Asparagus, and Prosciutto anyone?

Huge: A Potential Step in the Right Direction for Body Acceptance but Not Without Its Faults

When I had first heard about the new ABC Family drama series Huge, I was skeptical. Okay, I was more than skeptical; I could have been considered as being downright cynical merely after seeing the first impression of the show ABC Family decided to give its potential audience by choosing to show Nikki Blonsky standing on a deck in a blue bathing suit looking like the most embarrassed girl to be seen wearing a bathing suit on the planet.

This is ABC Family we're talking about here; the same network that brings you weekly doses of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, a show that in fact showed the bare bones of something that could be good and something that could in fact reach teens at a time when they may have needed it most. The network, however, traded in what could have been an important hour of television to over-represent traditional, unwaveringly pro-life, conservative Christian characters and completely slut shame the only character with a true grasp on safe sex and the mindset that abortion is perhaps not the most horrible option for a young woman still in her early years of high school. That, combined with the, in my opinion, ill-thought-out promotional poster for Huge, is what made me so cynically skeptical of the new show.

After Huge premiered, I started seeing it pop up all over the fatosphere, within the feminist blogging circles and on self-esteem expert Jess Weiner's blog, who also hosts a weekly discussion of the show complete with leading questions to think about on her website. All of the reviews of this show were very positive, so I decided I should give it a chance.

Huge takes place at a summer weight loss camp for teens. If the idea of this show was to bring up the fact that in our culture anyone bigger than a size 4 is considered overweight and how ridiculous that is, it could have been set anywhere. It could have taken place in a regular school in some unnamed suburban town; the fact that it takes place at a weight loss camp drives home the fact that these people are overweight and they need to lose weight does resemble something mildly offensive.

The Mel Gibson Tapes Have Been Released

Trigger Warning for violence and racism



I suppose now there is no doubt, the man has come unhinged.   Thank goodness she made his rant public because that is probably her greatest protection against this man.

Twilight Eclipse, The Ultimate Mormon Vampire Love Story

You cannot discuss movies or books and ignore the phenomenon that Twilight has become.  For the record, I have read all four books and have seen all of the movies (no, I don't want your pity). What kind of media site would this be without the obligatory Twilight post?  Before we get into it, let me say this from the very start: if you have not read the books or seen the movies, please be quiet.  Nothing is more irritating than someone shooting off their mouth about something they know nothing about, or being forced to listen as someone pontificates based in someone else's opinion.  Too many people are quick to jump on the I hate Twilight bandwagon, because it is the cool thing to do. Sure, Meyer  loves purple more than Barney, and Mr.Thesaurus probably wept with every stroke of her keyboard, but that does not mean that there isn't something valuable in all of this.
 
Eclipse begins with Edward trying to convince Bella to marry him.  Based on the destruction of her parents relationship, she believes that marriage right after leaving high school is not a good idea. We'll call this score one for the personality-less Bella.  She is right, rushing into marriage is not a good thing and the fact that two out of three marriages end in divorce bears witness to this.  Even as Edward is trying to persuade her to go down the aisle, he is keeping a secret from her.  Victoria, the vampire that we met in the first installment of the Twilight series has not give up on killing Bella to revenge the second death of her mate James.  The vampires and werewolves are hunting her to no avail.

Of course, it is Jacob, her friend with an obsessive type love for Bella that finally tells her the truth.  Though Jacob tries to act as her protector, his insistence in forcing himself upon her, despite her repeated insistence that she only wants him as a friend, is troubling to say the least.   Some would say that this sends a negative message to young girls, but I think that young women are clearly able to see this for what it is -- especially when his attempts to force a kiss on Bella ends with her punching him.  Yeah, yeah, I know she breaks her hand -- but let's remember, she punched a freaking werewolf in the face, what did she think was going to happen?  One of things that irritates me about Twilight critics, is that when it is convenient they forget that they are dealing with mythical creatures of unimaginable strength. I also think that it is worth noting, that when Edward rushes to threaten Jacob regarding his violation of Bella he says, "let me give you a clue, wait for her to say the words."  This of course is a message that anti-Twilight people ignore, because it asserts that women's bodies cannot be manhandled at will -- and we simply cannot acknowledge that young girls are not necessarily being warped by all of the negative connotations. You cannot have it both ways -- either you accept that there are positive messages in Twilight and admit that the story is more complex than it seems, or you don't trust young girls and women to work their way through fantasy to find a compromise that makes them happy.

Big Brother Season 12: The Saboteur Mystery and the Great Sticky Caramel Mess

The second episode of Big Brother aired last night. As you know from our previous chat, Renee has seen a few seasons of the show while I had never seen it before the current season, so please excuse all of the questions and the "ZOMG I'M SO SHOCKED THIS IS HAPPENING!" statements from me during last night's chat. The one thing a Big Brother veteran and a newbie have in common, in this case, is our inability to stop our eyes from rolling into the back of our heads while watching the reality show, which is a lot of you seem to like a lot.

So last Thursday's episode was the first episode of the season and we were told that there was a saboteur in the house--someone whose goal was to not win Big Brother, but to make it to the halfway mark where they will then win some serious cash, all for causing havoc throughout the Big Brother house and making life in the house pretty much unbearable for everyone there. The saboteur's first strike was placing a lock on the house refrigerator, but the winning team of last night's challenge got to take the lock off of the refrigerator and eat, finally.

Oh, the challenge? Yeah, it consisted of people from each of three teams racing each other through a vat of disgustingly thick, disgusting caramel and into a huge pool of popcorn in the search for teeth. The team to find all of the teeth to complete the mouth they were sticking said teeth onto wins.

Check out what our thoughts were while watching last night's episode of Big Brother and don't forget, we're chatting about Big Brother 12 three times a week!

Lady Gaga's Bad Romance Computer Generated Eyes Spark Potentially Dangerous and Pretty Ridiculous Trend

Lady Gaga can't do anything or, more specifically wear anything, without the masses thinking that they can pick up a few pointers from the so-called trendsetting pop singer and jump on the "I'm so original because I can dress and look like Lady Gaga" bandwagon.

Lady Gaga is said to be constantly shocking, constantly keeping the masses who pay attention on their toes, and if you ask a numbered few, she is constantly ridiculous. The woman cannot even go to a business meeting without being seen walking the New York City streets wearing something that would more appropriately be seen on a stage at a burlesque show. But she is very well-marketed and that is why people are always paying attention to Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga's music video for Bad Romance is not new, but there is a trend taken directly from the video that has countless women picking up contact lenses that do nothing but make your eyes look bigger. The circle contact lens covers part of the white area of the eyes and replaces it with a small, darker ring that extends further than where the iris normally ends. After placing the contact lens in your eye, it will give you a larger and "childlike" looking eye, leaving you looking like an Anime character.

These contacts are widely known in places like Korea, where they are used as fashion accessories, but the trend is gaining in popularity among other countries, specifically the US. However, they are not as easy to come by since it is illegal in the US to purchase contact lenses without a prescription. But Anime fanatics and people who desperately want to look like a character from a music video will not be denied! There are many forums dedicated to where people are purchasing the lenses, predominantly online, from companies that will ship to the US regardless of the fact that in doing so they are committing a crime.

There are also many YouTube tutorials showing you how to use these lenses and how to do your makeup to look like a version of Lady Gaga from the bathtub scene of the Bad Romance video. The most popular of tutorials has received nearly 10 million views and it's kind of troubling to me.

Big Brother Season 12 We're Watching

For 12 years every summer, CBS locks a group of strangers into a house, and they fight to see who will be the last one remaining.  It leads of course to weeks of drama, as the house guests lie, scheme, and cheat. Five hundred thousand dollars is enough to make some people lose all sense of self.  At any rate, since Holly and I are complete reality television addicts, we have decided to share our thoughts with you on each episode. The following is a copy of the gchat we had while watching the show.  Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section, because we certainly weren't shy when we turned our eye to "Big Brother."

Eat Pray Love: In Theaters August 13th

The excitement is definitely building for Eat Pray Love, the movie adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's 2006 bestselling memoir, starring Julia Roberts, which will be released in theaters on August 13th.

It's pretty much impossible to have not heard of Eat Pray Love, which was a New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller for over 155 weeks and currently has over five million copies in print. Gilbert's memoir is a coming-of-age story that follows the woman from when she moves in with her husband and they begin trying to have a child, only to realize that what she really wants for her life is not a husband or a child, but that passion she used to have for her life back. After a particularly painful divorce, she embarks on a year-long journey where she plans to infuse passion and a true zest for life into what has become her existence and travels to Italy, India and Indonesia.

Ever since I saw the first 30-second teaser trailer for Eat Pray Love, I was hooked. I wanted to know this woman's story since I had not read the book when it was effortlessly climbing the Bestsellers List and I guess that's what a movie adaptation does to the people it reaches. Within days of seeing a 30-second trailer for a particularly aesthetically pleasing movie, I bought the book, which I will be sharing my thoughts about here as we approach the release date of the movie.

In the meantime, take a look at the full-length trailer after the jump.

Hot in Cleveland is NOT so Hot

I spent 90 minutes of my life watching the first three episodes of "Hot in Cleveland" because it stars Betty White (fan girl, OMG lurves her moment) Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick.  How often do you see an all woman cast on television these days? I had to give it a chance just based in girl solidarity.  Clearly this is a talented cast, so what I really want to know, is why did the writers try so desperately hard to make these women funny using tired old and worn out lines? 

They had the amazing talent of Betty White and what did they do - turn her into Sophia from the "Golden Girls".  Don't get me wrong, I LURVE "The Golden Girls" but re-creating this character amongst a bunch of decidedly shallow female friends does not work.  You cannot do "Golden Girls" for the forty somethings okay.  It does not work, especially when the whole premise of thing soooo contrived.

Get this, four friends are living out their all girl bucket list to fly to Paris when their plane has issues and they are forced to land in Cleveland.  They discover that men in Cleveland hold them to different standards then men in L.A. and that is enough for these shallow characters to decide to move to Cleveland.  Move over Drew Carey shallow women have invaded your hometown with utterly contrived nonsense. Betty White is acerbic caretaker of the house that they rent and she pops in to drop badly timed one liners.

It seems to me that this hot mess was created to cash in on the fact that Betty White is hotter than ever since the write in campaign to get her to host SNL.  Just because people love Betty White, does not mean that you should cast  her in  a rotten updated version of "The Golden Girls" to make a quick buck.  In short, thank you for not being a friend.  I have now saved you ninety minutes of your life, no applause necessary.

H/T Gus on the thank you for not being a friend line.

Bristol Palin's Vacant and Kind of Creepy Appearance on The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Bristol Palin made a cameo appearance on the ABC Family show The Secret Life of the American Teenager this past Sunday.

Usually, when I see Bristol Palin making waves in the media I tend to ignore it. I read a headline, see a pretty ridiculous picture of her smiling or looking like she's going through some sort of Medieval torture and I keep on moving. I tend to write her off and look for something a little more newsworthy than Bristol Palin, the pure definition of an elitist, pampered princess trying to give advice to young women and teens who are in situations she could not fathom outside of her comfy cozy home with her support system in Wasilla, Alaska. But a cameo appearance of Bristol Palin on The Secret Life of the American Teenager kind of made sense when I first encountered media rumblings about it. I mean, she is pretty much the most famous teen mother, at the moment anyway, and the show is about teen pregnancy, teen motherhood and typically just teens and their endless tangled web of relationships. This is the type of thing Bristol Palin gets paid $30,000 a pop to talk about so this should have been a good fit, right?

Instead of "Violet Tendencies", Mindy Cohen Should Go Back To The Facts of Life

You ever come across a movie trailer that just makes you go WTF?  When I saw  the trailer for "Violet Tendencies,"  the new flick starring Mindy Cohen from "The Facts of Life", I just sat there with my mouth hanging open, feeling like I had been hit by a mack truck. It takes a lot of effort to get that many harmful tropes in one movie, let alone a two minute preview.   I think what bothers me the most about this movie is that some fool will think that it is progressive because it has gay characters -- and there is even sexual contact between gay men.  "Violet Tendencies" is an example of how to get it wrong -- not right.

Cosmopolitan August 2010: Repackaged Sex Tips and the Photoshopped Head of Britney Spears

Britney Spears is front-and-center on the August 2010 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine due out this week.

With just one quick glance over the hot pink with yellow text eyesore of a cover, we know we can surely expect a lot from this issue. A lot of sex that is. In true Cosmo fashion, we are sold the idea of needing to read their baseless articles of regurgitated information all about sex in order to do it right because, as we learn from the text toward the top left, 2,000 men have revealed exclusively to Cosmo what they want you (you women!) to stop doing in bed. Got it? You suck in bed, read Cosmo and you'll be cured.

In the world of Cosmo, there are 50 "quick tricks" that will make you feel sexier instantly. Upon further inspection, there is also a little something for women who "inhale" pizza and want to know how to not gain weight after pigging out. One most ask themselves if one ties into the other. In normal person world, pigging out and then utilizing a little trick to ensure you don't gain weight is called bulimia and we really don't need articles feeding completely unhealthy and damaging ideas such as this to women and young people.

But oh, there is more! This is Cosmo we're talking about here! They have so much filler being mistaken for actual content it will make your head spin.

It's Only Fifteen Pounds Christina Hendricks

Hendricks made a great splash in Josh Whedon's "Firefly" as Saffron, but I only became aware of her as the street smart, hard working Joan Holloway on AMC's "Mad Men".  Across the feminist blogoverse she has been declared a breathe of fresh air, as much for her acting, as breaking the model of the size two woman on television that is smart and has a sex life.   The last fat woman I saw having regular sex on television was Roseanne, and Hendricks is no Roseanne.  Anyway, Christina Hendricks has once again set the blogworld off on a stream of  happy happy joy joy, after the comment that she made in the July/August Issue of Health magazine regarding body image became public:

I guess my mom raised me right. She was very celebratory of her body.  I never once heard her say, 'I feel fat.'  Back when I was modeling, the first time I went to Italy I was having cappuccinos everyday, and I gained 15 pounds.  And I felt gorgeous!  I would take my clothes off in front of the mirror and be like, Oh, I look like a woman. And I felt beautiful, and I never tried to lose it, 'cause I loved it." 

First, let me start off by saying that it is really nice to hear a woman say good things about her body and expressing self love.  In the media, too often we hear women complain that they are too fat -- or that their boobs are to flat-- or even that the one barely visible wrinkle on their face is causing them anxiety.  If no visible fault is obvious, the patriarchal run media has no problem creating one to ensure that women are eternally fixated on their physical appearance.