Big Birthday Lurve goes out today to everyone’s favorite prehistoric animated show, The Flintstones, which is celebrating its 50th birthday/anniversary this week. Modeled on the very popular TV series The Honeymooners, The Flintstones have been entertaining us for the last half-century. At the very least, hitting the 50 year mark warrants a hearty Yabba Dabba Do!
A half century ago, Fred and Wilma Flintstone and neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble put the mythical town of Bedrock on the map when “The Flintstones” cartoon aired on US television for the first time. The show, which parodied suburban life in the United States, was the longest running US animated sitcom to be aired during peak viewing hours on television until another cartoon family, the Simpsons, claimed the record in 1997. The series aired weekday evenings for 30 minutes on prime time television on the ABC network from 1960-1966, and NBC showed reruns on Saturday mornings from 1967-1970. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, The Flintstones’ had cartoon appeal for kids, while its satirical dialogue appealed to grown-ups. Its catchy theme song, called “Meet the Flintstones,” was only introduced in 1963, the cartoon series’ third season … On Thursday [September 30], it will be 50 years since the Flintstones and the Rubbles have dealt with the woes of the 20th century working class as they go about their daily lives in the town of Bedrock, around 10,000 BC. Fred and Barney work at the local rock quarry and live for when they clock out and can go home to their families, head to the bowling alley, drive-in movie or Water Buffalo lodge. Wilma and Betty reportedly worked as cigarette girls/waitresses before becoming suburban housewives and mothers. Wilma was believed to be the first cartoon character to be pregnant, and gave birth to a little girl named Pebbles. The Rubbles adopted a boy named Bamm Bamm shortly after Pebbles was born. Fred had a running battle with the family cat — a saber-tooth tiger which doesn’t want to stay outside for the night — and Dino, a baby dinosaur, replaces the typical modern American family’s dog. The series chronicled popular culture and spotlighted icons of the day — not of 10,000 BC but of the 1960s.
I’ve been a big fan of The Flintstones since I was very little … it’s crazy to think the show is 50 years old. Even Google is getting in on the fun … they’re paying tribute to the show today on their main page. I hope you’ll join me in wishing the show a hearty congrats … here’s to another 50+ years ahead!
Everything looks so much better in black and white, don’tcha think? And to be fair, every single magazine photo and/or promo ad photo is retouched to perfection … but, in all honesty, I like seeing Madonna in her natural state:
The woman is still fierce and fabulous even tho she isn’t — GASP — perfect. Actually, she looks pretty damn good in this last photo. Go on with your bad self, Maddy.
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino may dazzle the ladies with his amazing abs, but another area of his anatomy is much less impressive! In the Oct. 11 issue of Star, on sale now, one of his conquests dishes about her not-so-hot night with Dancing with the Stars and Jersey Shore star — complete with details about his, um, tiny manbits. “I wouldn’t even call it a one-night stand, because he only lasted a few minutes,” Florida club promoter Melody Eckerson tells Star about their tryst in the Jersey Shore cast’s Miami Beach party pad. Things started out normal enough and Melody admits she was even imagining what it would be like to be his girlfriend. But she got a huge surprise when the reality TV star dropped his pants and revealed — a very tiny Situation! “Let’s just say, I’m thinking of my pinky,” Melody tells Star.
Dang. It’s pretty brutal when a chick is willing to put a guy on blast like this in such a public way but, well, I guess these sorts of things are to be expected when someone like Mr. Sorrentino courts fame and fortune. Considering how much “play” he claims to enjoy, I suspect there may be other ladies out there with the same kind of story to share. I suppose it’s possible that The Situation works so hard on his ab muscles in an attempt to overcompensate for any other shortcomings he may have. Of course, it’s also possible that this story is pure fiction. HMMM … what do y’all think about The Situation‘s situation?
On Tuesday we got our first look at Seal‘s sexy new music video in a batch of promo images and today we get to see the final product. Here are a few screencaps from Seal‘s new music video for Secret:
Despite the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of Seal‘s music, there is a softness and a sensuality in this song that really makes it much more appealing than his usual fare. As you can see, Seal‘s beautiful supermodel wife Heidi Klum is featured in the video and the couple makes it very clear how much in love they are with one another — in a sexy and not at all gratuitous way. Watch the full Secret music video, after the jump …
This is a hot vid, y’all. I think you can actually see the love that these two share when they look into each other’s eyes. Great video, yeah?
After several years, several movies, and hundreds of traps, Jigsaw’s games will finally come to an end on October 29th when Lionsgate releases Kevin Greutert’s Saw 3D in theaters everywhere. Twisted Pictures producers confirmed that this is the final Saw, therefore what we have for you is something quite special … the final Saw 3D poster, which can also be considered the very last Saw poster ever. As epic as that sounds, the new one sheet mirrors that sentiment featuring the construction of a Statue of Liberty-sized Jigsaw. Mother-effin’-epic. Yeah!
The end is truly nigh … but how will it all end? Is this new motion poster a clue to what is in store in the SAW franchise finale? Check out the poster after the jump and judge for yourselves …
It seems to me that Jigsaw‘s big master-plan will come to final fruition in SAW 3D … and we’re just about a month away from seeing how it all ends. Are you excited? And concerning this poster, are you impressed? Considering that this is the last SAW poster ever, are you pleased with how it turned out?
I’d like to take this opportunity to send out lots of Birthday Lurve to my homie Mark who is celebrating his … well … let’s just say a big birthday today:
Mark has a bit of a rough year but very recently made some very positive steps forward toward a happier and healthier future. I know he is celebrating back home in Detroit today but I wanted to share his Happy Day with all y’all so you too can help him celebrate his birthday.
Tonight, I’ll be making my way to the Key Club in West Hollywood, CA to see Atari Teenage Riot perform LIVE on stage for the first time since I saw them back in 1999 at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit, MI:
I’ve been a HUGE fan of Digital Hardcore music as well as its innovator Alec Empire for many years now. I’m fully prepared to have my head and ear drums blown at tonight’s show. It should be a great night.
Lacey Chabert is 28, Jenna Elfman is 39, Fran Drescher is 53, Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) is 56 and Johnny Mathis is 75 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
In the wake of so many news reports of GLBT youth committing suicide due to bullying, oppression or abuse in recent weeks, musician Dave Navarro has penned an open letter to the GLBT community (with a focus on the younger members of that community) in an effort to try and lend his support. Read on for the full text of Dave‘s very touching and very important message:
Ok everybody, here is the deal. I cannot imagine what it's like growing up in a close minded environment and being gay, bi or tans-gender. I don't think any of us who aren't can possibly imagine. The strength and character it must take to stay true to yourself in such an unforgiving microcosm are qualities that a major portion of the world lacks… Sad, but true. It's just how it is at the moment. However, it's that very strength and character that gives the world hope for a new way of thinking and acceptance in the future and when one of our children gives in and gives up, it is not only a tragedy but a victory for those who fear diversity. DO NOT LET THEM WIN! I know how overwhelming the feelings can get and how small the reality can feel, but the bottom line is that this is but a drop in the bucket in terms of the magnitude of life. You can get through this. High school is full of plenty of bullies and fear based hate, as is the world. With any group of people comes a percentage of people who just don't get it and probably will never get it. That's OK. We all deal with this to an extent. The truth is that in High School, you are kind of stuck in the group you are a part of until graduation, but trust me… You can pick and choose who you associate with and there are plenty of like-minded people in the world that are understanding, accepting and loving. Sometimes, we just have to stick it out to meet them. The hard cold reality is that once you have chosen suicide, that's it. No going back. Sure, there is a public outcry and MAYBE the bullies feel remorse for a while, but it all dies down, life goes on, the bullies let the memory fade and get on with their lives. They learn to laugh, love, reach their goals and in many cases go on to have a full and productive life. Who loses? You do! Your family! Your friends! Other teens who need support in this area! Oh yeah… We all Lose! Now the world has one less mind that is open and different and unique and sensitive. Instead, we inherit the bullies, the fear, the set back… Our world has one less soul to help it evolve with a new level of clarity. Personally, I have seen a lot of darkness and tragedy that has felt insurmountable. The murder of my mother, my battle with drug addiction, the loss of friends and family. Utter depression and despair. Of course the thought of suicide has crossed my mind a time or two. Let me share this. THANK GOD I never took that action. The friends I have made, the experiences I have had, the laughter I have shared would have all been missed. In hindsight, some of my darkest moments now seem so small and insignificant that I am amazed I gave them so much power at the time. I am even able to laugh about it now. When I think back to the times I have considered ending it all I end up saying to myself, "What was I thinking?" To those of you contemplating such a course, please do us a favor. Seek counseling first. Find a network of people who have gone through what you are going through. Help others in even more turmoil than you. I am certain that you can find peace. As you know, our society and political climate is SO divided right now. We need your voice. The world at large needs your sheer existence in order to come to terms with itself and where we are going as a planet and species.
Dave wrote this letter and posted it on his official website HERE in the hopes that it would get picked up and shared around the world. It is my sincere hope that his words reach the hearts and minds of those who need to hear the support most. It is heartbreakingly tragic that young people feel the need to end their lives because of the torment they face from cowards and ignorant monsters (like, for example, 50 Cent who advocates gay men to kill themselves on his Twitter profile). I hope this open letter gets passed along from person to person as far and wide as possible. Thank you Dave for taking the time to share your words of support. Here’s hoping that those in need will find the strength required to endure and, most importantly, live on.
Courtney Love took a break from all the crazy to appear in an animated short film by Michael Mouris which he titled The Dark Night of the Soul. In the film, we see the animated evolution of C. Love from grungy rock n’ roll mess to Birkin bag carrying … well, mess. Here are a couple of promo photos which show how Courtney got animated for the film and some deets about the film itself:
“The Dark Night of the Soul,” the six-minute animated short created by Mouris, illustrates — literally — the singer’s evolution from kooky poster child of grunge to classy Birkin bag carrier. In just half a year and on a budget of five thousand dollars, Mouris’ animated portrayal of Love is spot on, down to the visuals and the madcap personality. Vocals from her latest album, “Nobody’s Daughter,” echo in the background and all locations are accurate, but the spoof wouldn’t be complete without “cameos” from Lagerfeld and Andre Leon Talley. “I don’t know if Karl has seen this,” Love said, “But it’s about him in so many ways.” To avoid looking too “cartoony,” Mouris said he always infuses his work with a sense of realism. “My process is called pixilation, which is animated with stop-motion, but uses real people instead of puppets,” he explained. “All of the images come from photographs. I hire actors to play the parts, photograph them in stop-motion and then I collage the photographs.” He likened his method to making a photo collage and then tracing over it.
The film is … interesting. You’ll have to see it for yourselves to see what I mean. Check it out in full, after the jump …
My guess is you have to be really loaded — like on a Courtney Love scale — for this short film to truly make sense. I gotta say, tho, kudos to Michael Mouris for his inventive animation style. I quite like the look of this short film … I bet it ain’t easy to make all that crazy look so artsy. What do y’all think of The Dark Night of the Soul?
Carey Mulligan is seen here on location for her latest film project in Los Angeles. The British actress, 25, was pictured on set with co-star, Canadian actor Ryan Gosling for their new movie, Drive today. The action-thriller is being produced by Universal Studios and will also star Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks. The film is based on the James Sallis novel about a Hollywood stunt driver (Gosling) who moonlights as a getaway car driver in heists. In the book, the stuntman's already-exciting existence gets jolted when he discovers that a contract has been put out on his life. Wall Street Star Mulligan, who won acclaim for An Education last year, will play the girlfriend of Gosling’s character. Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn is at the helm. Carey looked a little glum as she headed back to her trailer between shoots today, wearing a red top and patterned dress. Meanwhile, Gosling was looking a bit more cheerful, showing off his biceps in a white vest top.
Whooooooo, Ryan. I do love it so when he shows off his almost muscly arms, don’t you? Drive may or may not be the kind of movie that will get me to buy a movie ticket … but the fact that the film will provide hours of Ryan Gosling, well, there’s a good chance they’ll get my money when the film opens in theaters ;)
So … ok … these two haven’t been together for a full month yet but … do you think these two could really turn out to be the real deal? It’s very common knowledge that Olivier is a man with a wandering eye who never seems to be satisfied with just one woman so on his end, this might just be a fling. But Halle Berry is a grown woman and a mother … I can’t believe that she’s interested in just messin’ around for the sake of fun. While I’m still not convinced that these two are in love love I think they might actually be on the right track. If Olivier is ever going to settle down, I think it’s gonna take an amazing woman like Halle Berry to make it happen.
TMZ has learned … Lindsay Lohan is undergoing treatment at the famous Betty Ford Center, a legendary and respected alcohol and drug rehabilitation clinic in Rancho Mirage, California. Lindsay checked in Monday — and as we previously reported, the plan is for her to stay put in rehab at least until her probation violation hearing on October 22. It’s gonna run Lindsay a pretty penny too — according to their website, 30 days of inpatient care at BF runs $26,000. Betty Ford has treated scores of celebs — a short list of former patients includes, Keith Urban, Chevy Chase, Elizabeth Taylor, Gary Busey, Johnny Cash, Kelsey Grammer, David Hasselhoff, Mickey Mantle, Liza Minnelli, Ozzy Osbourne, and Anna Nicole Smith.
On the plus side, Lindsay‘s decision to seek treatment at Betty Ford seems like a positive move forward toward sobriety. She could’ve checked herself into the very posh Promises Rehab Center in Malibu, CA but instead decided to go out of sight and into a proven rehab program. BUT, as with any rehab treatment — no matter how good it is — if Lindsay isn’t serious about her sobriety, she won’t get anything from the program. Again … let’s keep a hopeful thought that L. Lo is really trying to clean up and save her own life. It doesn’t matter why she checked herself in to rehab, it’s just very important that she made the first step.
Mariah Carey, you had us worried. You roll through LAX in a wheelchair yesterday and automatically we start thinking the worst about you and your, um, condition. So what gives? This is what rep Cindi Berger is telling E! News: “Mariah twisted her ankle in Singapore and should have packed more sensible shoes, but she doesn’t have any. I’m sending her a pair of flats today.” Phew. We know it’s wrong to make assumptions based on some suspicious photos but it’s good to hear Carey is going to be OK. Mariah, here’s to a speedy recovery from that darn twisted ankle.
Now, of course, I have no reason to DISBELIEVE what Mimi‘s press rep says … but I do think it is very convenient that MC suffered a “fall” last weekend because if she were trying to hide another reason for needing a wheelchair, it is very easy to mask that reason by blaming a sprained ankle. But, I’m really not trying to play conspiracy theorist … mebbe just a little Devil’s Advocate. Whatever the case may be for the need of a wheelchair, I hope Mariah is doing well no matter what is going on.
Paris Hilton’s boyfriend was cited for hit-and-run last night … after he hit a photog with a Bentley and then just drove off. It all went down as paparazzi swarmed the car as Paris and Cy Waits left Boa in West Hollywood. The posse of paparazzi was all over the car, when suddenly Cy accelerated, knocking a photog down. The couple took off after the hit and the photog called the cops. Paramedics were also called and took the female photog to a local hospital. We’re told at some point later, Cy came back, sans Paris, and spoke with police. Law enforcement sources tell us Cy was cited for hit and run, then allowed to leave. And get this … sources say Paris is saying, “The pap is making up injuries.”
You’d think that the years that Paris Hilton has been courting the paparazzi would teach her how to handle situations like this … but, clearly, she don’t learn so quick. You know, it’s lucky that Paris wasn’t driving the car … can you imagine if she had been arrested? I understand that traffic citations don’t count in terms of her plea bargain but if she gets arrested — for anything at all — she immediately goes to jail in LV. Tsk Tsk. My guess is that Waits will end up getting some small fine for this accident … but the photographer who was injured may decide to sue for injuries. Alas, just another Wednesday night in Hollywood.
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