Crushable |
- Video: ‘Game of Thrones’ Superfan Sara Benincasa Has Not Actually Watched the Show
- Space Relations: How to be a Good Pet Owner While Being a Good Roommate
- The Daily WTF: Hanger Cat Is Hanging Out
- Danielle Staub Analyzes ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Season 3 Episode 6
- Virgin Viewing: ‘Singin’ In the Rain’
- 5 Facts About Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella
- Fan Fiction: Gwyneth Paltrow on Stripping
- Warmongering With ‘Game of Thrones’: Fire and Blood and the Season Finale
- ’9 Lives of Chloe King:’ 4 Awesome Things, 4 Not-So-Great Things, and One Other Thing
- 10 Questions I Want Answered in Greg Sestero’s Book About ‘The Room’
| Video: ‘Game of Thrones’ Superfan Sara Benincasa Has Not Actually Watched the Show Posted: 20 Jun 2011 11:20 AM PDT Comedian Sara Benincasa didn’t want to be left out of the obsession with Game of Thrones, which aired its first season finale last night on HBO. So even though she hasn’t seen any episodes or read any of the George R. R. Martin books, she is going to talk about how much she loves the show anyway. While I think this is hilarious, Sara still has the chance to bone up on her Thrones knowledge by reading all of Lucia Peters’ detailed recaps. Related posts: Post from: Crushable Video: ‘Game of Thrones’ Superfan Sara Benincasa Has Not Actually Watched the Show  |
| Space Relations: How to be a Good Pet Owner While Being a Good Roommate Posted: 20 Jun 2011 08:24 AM PDT
I think the thing that most pet owners don’t realize when they’re living with others is that people who don’t have pets have a reduction of “baggage.” Granted, most of my former roommates probably would have preferred that I own a dog rather than have a steady boyfriend (no pun intended), but the fact is, if you’re a person with pets, when you leave the house most of the time your pets stay behind. When you’re at work, your cat is lounging on your roommate’s bed, or pissing on the kitchen floor, or even just being adorable and keeping to itself, but it’s still always there. My first experience living with a roommate with a pet was when I moved from Georgia to New York with a friend/acquaintenance who I then shared an apartment with for five months until she moved back to Georgia. The day we packed up our U-Haul, she told me she needed to stop by her parents’ house to pick up “some ginger.” I was like, “Huh? You need to stop by your parents’ house to pick up a root vegetable?” But alas, I misunderstood, and Ginger was the name of her cat. At that moment I had a feeling we might have some issues. Not because I don’t love cats – I do!- but because she instantly started talking about her pet in a baby voice. When we got in the U-Haul she insisted that Ginger roam freely in the tiny compact space in the front of the van because Ginger “hated” being in the cat carrier. This resulted in Ginger walking across the dashboard throughout the 17-hour road trip. For the eight and a half hours that I drove, I was constantly craning my neck and maneuvering myself so that I could see the road around Ginger, and when we finally got to Brooklyn things only got worse. My roommate placed Ginger’s litter box in the kitchen just next to the stove, claiming that was the absolute best spot for Ginger to do her business. And for the next five months, every time my roommate wasn’t home but I was, Ginger meowed like somebody owed her a fuckin’ Fancy Feast. Needless to say, I wasn’t sad to see either of them go. My next experience with a roommate with pets came a couple of years later when my roommate and I had to fill a third bedroom. We interviewed several people, a few of whom had pets, none of whom seemed concerned that we might not actually want to live with their pets. It was kind of amusing. One girl told us that she and her boyfriend were splitting up, but that they shared a bulldog who would be living with her – and subsequently, us – for half of each month. It hadn’t occurred to me or my roommate that we might have a roommate with a custody battle on her hands, but regardless, we told her that our apartment was way too small for a bulldog, which it was. Everyone who talked about their pets had the exact opposite attitude of what I thought they would have. Instead of saying, “I hope it’s OK that I own four cats and am considering breeding hamsters,” they would say, “And my cat Mr. Fluffykins III is the sweetest! You guys are going to LOVE him.” Instead of inquiring about our possible allergies, we were told to get stoked for the new “man of the house.” It was surprising and strange. I’d always heard that people treated their pets like their children, but I just assumed that those people lived alone. We ended up asking a friend of a friend to move in. She had two cats, one of whom loathed humans more than I loathe rush hour traffic, and the other who was just as sweet as can be. They were older, which reduced the cuteness factor but upped the tolerance factor, and things were totally fine. Except for the fact that the sweet one had a penchant for sitting on every piece of fabric-covered furniture that I owned just before throwing up her breakfast. It became more and more difficult to sympathize because this was a practically daily occurrence. The first time I noticed it I told my squicked-out boyfriend that it “wasn’t that gross” and to “stop being silly” as I quickly grabbed some paper towels and cleaned it up. The 500th time I noticed it I told him that I was contemplating throwing the cat out the third floor window and to keep a look-out to make sure no one saw me do it. The problem was, I didn’t know how to approach her about it without sounding like a princess who didn’t want to touch vomit every day or a bitch who has an intolerance of sweet animals. The “adult” thing to do would have been to just clean it up without saying a word, but the frustrated, overworked side of me just got sick and tired of coming home to cat puke all over my favorite chair. It also got frustrating having to remember to close my door every time I left for work or popped into my bedroom to grab something because who knows what her cat would do if I accidentally left it open. I felt, once again, like I was sort of living my life around a roommate’s animals. So instead of cleaning up the puke each day like a nice, mature person, I would wait up to several hours for my roommate to come out of her room or get home from work to announce that her cat had puked again and could she clean it up because it’s been sitting there for HOURSSS. As much as I loved having her cats around, it became even more apparent to me that while pet owners think their pet is just the sweetest, bestest thing ever, their roommates have a hard time thinking and feeling the same. This was especially clear when her other cat started peeing in the corners of the bathroom, which not only smelled bad but forced us to keep the bathroom door closed at all times, as well. So I guess what I’m saying is, if you’re a person with pets, be aware of them. Acknowledge openly to your roommates that you understand that just because your pets are cute, they are a hassle to everyone who lives with them, even if you’re the only person technically responsible for them. I don’t expect anyone to lock their animals up in their bedroom, nor would I want someone to, but I think a modicum of sympathy should be expressed by pet owners from time to time because their roommates are putting up with two to three times more shit (literally) than they would be if they were living with someone who’s pet-free. If you live with roommates who love your pets, that’s great. But try not to ask them to walk your dog or feed your cats too much, because the chances of them wanting to do it are slim to none. Mr. Fluffykins III may be your “baby,” but to your roommates he’s just a shedding, meowing, poop machine. Now that I live with my boyfriend and no longer have roommates or their pets to consider, I own two cats. At least once a day one of them does something ridiculous and I think to myself, “At least I’m the only one who has to deal with it.” There’s something nice about knowing that I never exposed any of my roommates to 4AM cat fights or smelly litter boxes. That being said, I did opt to get a fish when I lived with the roommate with two cats, just to torture them a little. Related posts: Post from: Crushable Space Relations: How to be a Good Pet Owner While Being a Good Roommate  |
| The Daily WTF: Hanger Cat Is Hanging Out Posted: 20 Jun 2011 10:56 AM PDT |
| Danielle Staub Analyzes ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Season 3 Episode 6 Posted: 20 Jun 2011 10:28 AM PDT On this week’s episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey, we saw more of the ladies talking about sitting down, but not really doing it. Well, that’s not exactly true. Teresa and Joey met to discuss the status of their relationship, but it didn’t exactly help matters. Caroline made her first radio debut, and receieved a familiar-sounding call. But enough of my own analysis. Check out what Danielle Staub had to say about this week’s episode. Disclaimer: Okay, so Danielle didn't really write this post. But it doesn't it totally sound like she did? (Photos via Bravo) Related posts: Post from: Crushable Danielle Staub Analyzes ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Season 3 Episode 6  |
| Virgin Viewing: ‘Singin’ In the Rain’ Posted: 20 Jun 2011 10:30 AM PDT
It was a perfect pick for Virgin Viewing, since the only other musical I’ve watched for this feature was Mary Poppins. Although I’ve seen a few of the most famous dance sequences (wasn’t Gene Kelly looped into a Diet Coke commercial in the ’90s?), the majority of the movie was brand-new to me. Although I know Gene is supposed to be the big star/leading man, I have to admit that I preferred watching Donald O’Connor dance – perhaps it’s that his body is smaller and more compact or that he was more willing to make a fool of himself (make ‘em laugh, as they say). And perhaps because I’m tone deaf and spent a lot of my life wishing that I’d wake up one day able to sing and get the lead in the school musical, I really felt for Jean Hagen, the actress who played Lina Lamont. She was great and nailed the voice and mannerisms for the role, but I couldn’t help but feel for Lina. If the film were from her perspective, this would be a tragedy about a woman who falls out of favor with the man she thinks loves her and gets replaced by a newer, younger model. But since the winsome ingenue Kathy is supposed to be the one we root for, Lina’s story gets played for laughs. Because this is a musical, you have to take several things for granted, such as:
Once I accepted those things, I really enjoyed this movie. The dancing was great, the songs were great (if a bit ruined by the fact that I’d already seen A Clockwork Orange), and the pacing was quick and energetic. One of the only complaints I had were that people like Rita Moreno and Cyd Charisse didn’t get more screen time, but all movies should have the problem of having too many superbly talented performers to choose from. Overall, this is a pretty hard post for me to write: how creatively can you say “This was fun and I liked it”? So, yeah, it was fun and I liked it. Maybe next week I’ll watch The Dark Knight and complain about it again. Related posts: Post from: Crushable Virgin Viewing: ‘Singin’ In the Rain’  |
| 5 Facts About Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella Posted: 20 Jun 2011 10:06 AM PDT
She’s addicted to Angry Birds. Alyssa was reportedly playing Angry Birds backstage in between her time on stage. It’s official: everyone is addicted. She supports medical marijuana use. During the interview portion of the pageant, Alyssa was asked if she would support legalizing marijuana. Alyssa said that she supports use of medical marijuana, but thinks it should be banned otherwise. Guess that makes sense for a Californian. She’s a natural blonde. Although she was born a blonde, Alyssa started dyeing her hair red in her teens and never went back. The color totally works on her, so we think she made the right call. She’s a self-described geek. In the Q&A portion of the pageant, the women were asked to state an interesting fact about themselves. Alyssa’s was “I'm obsessed with the Tudor and Stuart era,” and then added that she’s a huge Game of Thrones fan. Too bad for her that the pageant was on the same time as the Thrones season finale! Alyssa also reportedly went to space camp as a kid and identifies herself as “a history geek.” She’s about to move to New York. As per tradition, Miss USA gets to live for free in an apartment in the Trump Tower in New York City (Trump owns the Miss Universe organization, which includes the Miss USA pageant). She’ll be rooming with Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe. That is a whole lot of pretty in one place. Related posts: Post from: Crushable 5 Facts About Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella  |
| Fan Fiction: Gwyneth Paltrow on Stripping Posted: 20 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT Hey now, looks like it’s not all overparenting and sanctimony for Gwyneth Paltrow: sometimes she also likes to have a good laugh at the expense of people less fortunate than her! Such was certainly the case yesterday, when Gwyn retweeted this missive from Samantha Ronson. Well, now that it’s all out in the open, what else is there to do but take a look back at Gwyneth’s old GOOP post about stripping? Strip! Eastern mystics have been saying it for years, and now Western health experts have finally begun to acknowledge the exercise benefits of stripping. Classes are cropping up nearly everywhere in the world — in places like London, New York, and even the Hamptons. Some women like to call this form of exercise simply, pole dancing, but I think incorporating all the classic elements of stripping really helps me reach the workout’s full body and mind potential. My beloved instructor, the world-famous exotic dancer the Duchess of Devonshire Misty-Jo Honeypot, encourages me to truly get myself into the mindset of a real stripper for our workouts. So I’ve chosen the persona of Penyth Gwaltrow, a young woman who’s dancing to put herself through a second MBA at Oxford University’s Said Business School. She’s rejected her father’s millions, determined to earn her own way by dancing at London’s most exclusive nightclubs. My dear friend Madonna will sometimes come over and pretend to be the jealous older stripper who’s past her prime, and our ensuing catfights will effectively burn another 300 calories. I have seven poles placed throughout my home, in case the urge to shake a tail feather or two should suddenly strike me while I’m in the billiard room, or in the foyer, or on the smaller deck off the main deck’s main deck. Most people like to strip to pre-recorded music, but I find that having a live band gets my heart rate up to a place where I’m reaping real cardio benefits. Sometimes I’ll invite my husband’s band, Coldplay, to set up in the living room. Once, Sir Elton John accompanied me with a stirring rendition of “Bennie and the Jets” that the London Review of Books called “momentous.” One of the most important elements of maximizing the workout potential of stripping is, of course, wearing the proper clothing. I’ve found that with the right kind of adhesive, the top portion of a Faberge Egg makes a really lovely pasty. Additionally, a nice way to put a twist on the classic clear-bottom platform heel is by using imported sea glass instead of plastic. And if we’re talking thongs, you’d be a fool to go with anything other than Victorian lace. I can’t overestimate the value of incorporating yoga poses into your exotic dancing. Once you can downward-facing dog while suspended in the air, you can downward-facing dog anywhere, like at the beach in Monaco or in the Oval Office. My dear friend Sting and I recently founded a charity where our employees go out into inner cities and teach strippers yoga, because even those less fortunate than us should be able to attain spiritual insight and tranquility. If, at the end of a 30-minute session, I’ve made $75,000 or more by stripping, I’ll consider my workout a success. (image via Joe Coscarelli) Related posts: Post from: Crushable Fan Fiction: Gwyneth Paltrow on Stripping  |
| Warmongering With ‘Game of Thrones’: Fire and Blood and the Season Finale Posted: 20 Jun 2011 09:18 AM PDT Last night, the first season of Game of Thrones finished up in an appropriately spectacular fashion. Forget everything you think you know. Shit’s about to get real. Ready? Aaaaaaand go! Related posts: Post from: Crushable Warmongering With ‘Game of Thrones’: Fire and Blood and the Season Finale  |
| ’9 Lives of Chloe King:’ 4 Awesome Things, 4 Not-So-Great Things, and One Other Thing Posted: 20 Jun 2011 09:08 AM PDT
Promo below. Altogether, I set up a score based on a nine point scale of the show’s awesomeness/not-so-great ratio. Awesome: Chloe Has An Actual Support System One thing with superhero/supernatural shows like Smallville, Teen Wolf, Merlin, etc., is that all the main characters seem to have a good support system. And Chloe gets her mother, who is played by Amy Pietz the woman who was cheating on her husband with Michael from The Office, and, while she doesn't seem to get worried enough about how late her daughter is going out (seriously, that homeless guy who tried to molest her was scary as hell—more on him later), she seems pretty mellow, even when Chloe asks her about her birth parents. Not-So-Great: The Reveal of Kin However, when it turns out that Chloe's part of an ancient race called the Mai, super-cat-people who were worshipped in Ancient Egypt, as Jasmine and Alek explain…in the most awkward and random way possible. As they suddenly appear to after Chloe dies, Alek mentions, "Oh you're from Ukraine, right?" So she was adopted from an orphanage in Ukraine—so what? Also, why bring it up during a fight sequence? Anyway, were her birth parents part of this race? How do Alek and Jasmine know this? What does it have to do with her being from Ukraine? Also, none of them actually look Ukrainian—no one has the combination of dark hair and very fair skin among them, so maybe it doesn't have to do with being from Ukraine? Not that all Ukrainians look like that—but none of them look like each other. Well, maybe Chloe looks like Alek, which is kind of creepy considering he tried to kiss her earlier. Basically, it's an awkward and disorganized reunion scene. Related posts: Post from: Crushable ’9 Lives of Chloe King:’ 4 Awesome Things, 4 Not-So-Great Things, and One Other Thing  |
| 10 Questions I Want Answered in Greg Sestero’s Book About ‘The Room’ Posted: 20 Jun 2011 08:55 AM PDT
Related posts: Post from: Crushable 10 Questions I Want Answered in Greg Sestero’s Book About ‘The Room’  |
This week, actress Debbie Reynolds 
Miss California Alyssa Campanella was 
The 9 Lives of Chloe King is a new summer show that airs Tuesdays at 9 on ABC Family. It stars Skyler Samuels (The Gates), who also has 
Dubbed by many “the best bad movie ever,” The Room is | You are subscribed to email updates from Crushable To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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