Monday, July 25, 2011

Crushable

Crushable


Cartoonist Posts Open Letter to ‘South Park’ Creators Asking Them to Ridicule the Norwegian Bomber

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:50 AM PDT

Last week, a terrorist acting alone went on a bombing and shooting rampage in Norway, killing 76 people. As the country deals with the shock of the attack and slowly rebuilds, cartoonist and writer David Skaufjord is looking to America — specifically, to South Park and Book of Mormon creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. David posted his open letter to Reddit, imploring Trey and Matt to do what they do best: Rip apart a self-important asshole. It’s a fantastic letter, definitely worth reading.

I’m all for this. So far the bomber has been depicted only objectively by the media, which means his message gets disseminated just the way he wanted it to. Stripping him of his manifesto and Photoshopped images — and using the crazed character of Randy, as so many Redditors are suggesting — would reveal him for what he really is: A coward.

Of course, new South Park episodes won’t happen til October, when the bombing has faded into our memory and won’t be relevant anymore, so there’s a big chance that David’s plea will be seen but never acted upon.

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Cartoonist Posts Open Letter to ‘South Park’ Creators Asking Them to Ridicule the Norwegian Bomber

Snap This: The ‘Twilight’ Second Stringers Bring Breakfast to Fans Camped Out at Comic-Con

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:55 AM PDT

The Twilight fans who camped out all night for the series’ Comic-Con panel knew they were in for a treat the next day when they saw the cast speak about Breaking Dawn. What they didn’t expect was for the cast to show up early that morning with breakfast in tow! That’s Booboo Stewart, who plays excitable young werewolf Seth Clearwater, making sure Twihards stay energized with fruit. But where were the movie’s famous trio — Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner?

Maybe the SDCC coordinators were afraid that any sightings of the three would incite actual riots among the fans, and that it would be safer for them to stay just out of fans’ reach on the stage at the panel later. Maybe Booboo and the others got roped into it because they don’t have the same superstar status but are nonetheless attached to the films.

Ashley Greene and Nikki Reed, who play Edward’s “sisters” Alice and Rosalie, dragged themselves out of bed for the 6:15 a.m. surprise and seemed perfectly happy to sign photos and books for the group. Elizabeth Reaser, who plays Edward’s “mom” Esme Cullen, and Julia Jones, another werewolf named Leah, were also on-hand to distribute muffins and pose for photos.

I’m sure that the fans were excited beyond words to rub elbows with the Twilight stars, but it’s appearances like these where the big stars’ absence speaks volumes.

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Snap This: The ‘Twilight’ Second Stringers Bring Breakfast to Fans Camped Out at Comic-Con

Video: Mariah Carey In A Strange Mood On HSN

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:28 AM PDT

Mariah Carey appeared on the Home Shopping Network to shill her “collection” last night, and the results were nothing short of inspirational. Over the course of her manic two-hour appearance, she talked about how awful her pregnancy had been, tried out many different accents and dialects, and got all bossy with the camera people. Gawker‘s Matt Cherette edited it down into a four-minute highlight reel for our viewing pleasure. Of those highlights, here are some of my favorite parts:

-”I need a fragrant moment.”

-Every time she gets confused or irate re: the video cameras taping the show.

-”camoflaugian moment” (?!)

-On incubating twins: “You have to keep them in as long as possible, because it’s a sacrifice you make for them.”

-”There’s push gifts here, tell your baby father.”

-”It’s a real diamond necklace, it’s kind of pow…I wear it as a tiara as well.”

-”I didn’t know there was math involved.”

Oh, Mimi. Please don’t ever change.

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Video: Mariah Carey In A Strange Mood On HSN

True Blood Sex Recap: Getting Punished the Bad Way for Too Much Sex

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:17 AM PDT

The Stackhouse siblings are kind of messed up when it comes to sex. Jason had way too much of it—by his own estimation, that is. I'm not here to judge. And Sookie stayed a virgin until she met Bill, simply because it was too hard getting turned on while reading a guy's mind. (Imagine trying to feel sexy, while hearing, "I'm touching boobs! I'm touching boobs! I'm touching boobs!") Sunday night's episode of True Blood offered a nice balance between Sookie and Jason, but while the former's storyline is one of the few things I don't hate, Jason's "ghost daddy" plot continues to anger my blood.

Let's start with the positive, because I'm tired of using this space to crap on True Blood every week. (Just kidding. I will never tire of that!) Sookie and Eric continued their courtship, which was mostly interesting because Sookie got to play the sexually dominant role. That's right, Eric is little spoon. The role reversal wasn't exactly subtle, because this is a show that needs to hit us over the head with everything, but I did like seeing Eric cry tears of blood while Sookie held him. What can I say? I'm a romantic.

Really, though, it's a nice shift from the whole "I'munna eat you!" sexual aggression we see from most male vampires. I know Eric sans memories isn't ideal, but if that's what it takes for him to not be a total dick, I'm all for it. Like Sears, the Viking vampire has a softer side. Amnesia Eric is way more appealing to me than Torture Eric or Rampage Eric or even Malibu Dream House Eric. (If he drinks enough faerie blood, he can totally get a tan, y'all.)

That having been said, Sookie acted absurdly dense throughout the episode. Her defense of Eric basically amounts to, "I can change him!" Which is the same backwards logic many of us apply to our boorish mates, with inevitably disappointing results. Look, I get Eric's appeal. I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers or people, but there's something annoying about Sookie's insistence that he's not a bad guy. Of course he is a bad guy. He is one of the worst guys. If she just said, "He forgot that he likes to kill everything and is being sweet, so yeah, I'll play with his Swedish fish," I'd be a lot more forgiving. Don't act like he's the Edward to your Bella.

As for the other Stackhouse, I'm glad Jason is finally out of Hotshot, and it seemed as though True Blood was actually going to explore the consequences of his imprisonment and rape. Instead, the whole was mostly played for laughs, because, you know, what's more hilarious than sex against one's will? I will give the show a little credit for examining Jason's guilt. "Every bad thing that's ever happened to me is because of sex," he reflected. "Maybe God's punishing me for having too much sex." It showed that he was actually processing what happened. And blaming oneself is a common response in victims of sexual abuse, so good on True Blood for understanding that.

Bad on True Blood for everything else. The scene in which Jason and Hoyt talked about his time in Hotshot didn't have an ounce of sincerity: it really seems as though we're supposed to think about it as this gross thing that happened to Jason one time. And maybe I'm still a little pissed off from the True Blood panel at Comic-Con, in which Alan Ball identified Jason's gang rape as his favorite moment so far this season. No, wait, I'm definitely still pissed off about that.

Honestly, I think you can find humor in anything to a certain extent, but Jason's storyline this season has been a horrible, horrible violation reduced to a punchline for Ball. Jason should be suffering severe PTSD here. And maybe that's what his dream was supposed to represent, but it was clearly played for laughs. Jessica rode him while reciting bad porny dialogue, like, "I want you Jason. I want you inside of me. I want to taste you." Meanwhile, Hoyt commented on the proceedings, and eventually was on top of Jason himself. You know I'm angry when I'm railing against Jason and Hoyt in bed together.

OK, you get the idea. This show has done a terrible job of depicting rape, and I don't expect it to improve in the coming weeks.

Oh, one more thing I didn't hate: Portia trying to convince Bill that they should keep having sex. I love a woman who isn't afraid to mount her great-great-great-grandfather. Besides, she's right. It's not really that icky, and there's no reason for Bill to be such an uptight sourpuss. It reminds me of a line I heard in a weird incest porn once: "Might as well keep it in the family." Anyway, mull it over, prudes.

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True Blood Sex Recap: Getting Punished the Bad Way for Too Much Sex

5 Facts About the Bates Family from ’19 Kids and Counting’

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:48 AM PDT

Although the Duggar family members are the stars of the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, their friends and frequent visitors the Bates family have gotten some notoriety of their own from their regular appearances on the show. Some online fans have even been ‘shipping some of the Duggar and Bates kids as possible future marriages. So who are Gil and Kelly Bates and their kids, and what do you need to know about them?

They’re also conservative Christians who believe in big families.

Like the Duggars, the Bateses have a huge family. They currently have 18 kids and another one on the way, which would tie them with the Duggars. And while the Duggars have two sets of twins, there are no multiples in the Bates family. All of the kids are homeschooled and devote time to prayer and Bible study every day in addition to their schoolwork.

They live in Tennessee.

Several episodes of 19 Kids and Counting featured the Duggars going to Tennessee to visit the Bates family and help them remodel their house. Oh, and all of those people were sharing one bathroom.

Several of the kids are pursuing careers in the arts.

A few of the Bates kids have shown an interest in the arts and have been able to pursue creative projects. Son Lawson recently traveled to Arizona to make a “Christian Western” movie, and daughter Erin is an accomplished pianist who teaches classes and recently released her own CD. Because the Bateses do not believe in secular education, Erin turned down a college scholarship to study music.

They don’t believe in kissing or holding hands before marriage.

On 19 Kids and Counting, we watched part of the courting process between oldest son Josh Duggar and his now-wife Anna Duggar, and one of the rules was that the couple couldn’t have bodily contact before they got engaged. Though their first kiss was at the altar, they were able to hug and hold hands while they were engaged. Not so much for the Bateses, though – their son Zach is currently courting a girl named Sarah, and the couple has decided not to hold hands until they get married.

They don’t watch TV.

Although the Bateses have appeared on TV, they don’t watch it. They do own a TV that they use for watching videos, though. “In our home we often watch selected videos and DVDs that are wholesome and character building,” the family wrote on their blog.

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5 Facts About the Bates Family from ’19 Kids and Counting’

Poll: Who Makes a Better Snow White, Kristen Stewart or Lily Collins?

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:59 AM PDT

I know I said last week that Lily Collins is radiant as Snow White in Relativity Media’s The Brothers Grimm: Snow White, but then Universal followed up with first-look photos of their project Snow White and the Huntsman – including Kristen Stewart playing Snow as a knight-princess. In this new take on the fairy tale, the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) meant to kill Snow not only saves her life, but trains her to battle the Queen (Charlize Theron) for the throne.

Turning a traditional princess figure into a fighter is becoming a trend: The King Arthur reimagining starring Clive Owen and Ioan Gruffudd also featured Keira Knightley in a barely-there leather warrior woman outfit, jumping into battles with her bow and arrow; and Mia Wasikowska also put on a suit of armor to fight for Anne Hathaway‘s army in Tim Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland.

As gorgeous as Lily looks, I’ve always been a sucker for a good reimagining — so my vote is gonna have to go for Kristen with her sword and mysterious shield. (One site thinks the design is, curiously, the Tree of Gondor from The Lord of the Rings series.)

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Poll: Who Makes a Better Snow White, Kristen Stewart or Lily Collins?

Samantha Ronson’s Eulogy for Amy Winehouse

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:40 AM PDT

DJ Samantha Ronson, whose brother Mark Ronson produced Amy Winehouse‘s breakthrough album Back to Black, has taken to her blog to say goodbye to the singer, who died on Saturday. Though Samantha and Amy never met, Samantha had many things to say about the loss the music world experienced over the weekend. She started off by responding to a Twitter comment about how Amy’s drug overdose was nothing to be sad about:

"Why be sad for a loser junkie. Be sad for a person who has cancer who wants to live. Get off the bandwagon."

Someone just tweeted this at me in response to my post which said "I'm not sure how anyone with a soul can make jokes about the passing of one of the most talented artists this generation will see."

It still shocks me when i read things like that. Why do we "have" to ONLY be sad for people suffering from terminal diseases? Does that mean I shouldn't be sad when someone gets lung cancer after smoking 3 packs a day for 30 years? or AIDS from unprotected sex or IV drug use? Is there a guideline I can download off the internet somewhere that can tell me what/who I am allowed to show emotion over? I want to make EVERYONE happy.

But she switched from snark to sincerity when talking about Amy and her music:

I woke up to the news of Amy Winehouse's passing and I'm actually surprised at how sad I am. It is always sad when someone passes, whether it be too soon or not, but this feels different, to me. Sadly, her death does not come as a shock to most due to her public struggles with addiction, but still it's a shock to me. She almost seemed invincible to me, she always seemed to clean up just in time, until today.

I never had the privilege of meeting her, I had moved to LA when my brother was working with her.  My brother and I are close and I love being in the studio with him, so, had I been within range, I most certainly would have been annoying him daily. I, of course, since heard stories etc… how "rehab" came to be, and i saw her perform once at the highline ballroom in nyc and she was amazing. She just stood there and sang her heart out, no frills, just an amazing band and songs.

yup, those songs…. heartbreaking and honest. and i guess that's who she was. and i'm sad to know that there won't be anymore songs. so it shouldn't matter how she died… she's gone and will be missed by many.

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Samantha Ronson’s Eulogy for Amy Winehouse

Crush Links Sneak Peek At Vampire Diaries Season 3

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:38 AM PDT

  • Returning back to the United States might mean arrest for Randy Quaid. (Celeb Dirty Laundry)
  • Russell Brand remembers his good friend, Amy Winehouse, with this heartfelt tribute. (The Frisky)
  • The Hills star Kristin Cavallari and her fiance, Jay Cutler, have called it quits. (Hollywood Hiccups)
  • Zoë Kravitz and Penn Badgley were spotted at a movie premiere together. Could sparks be in the air or is it simply “friends with benefits”? (Lainey Gossip)
  • Kim Kardashian spent the weekend celebrating with her bachelorette party (and even crashed the bachelor party for her  husband-to-be). (Have U Heard)
  • Vampire Diaries producers spilled details of what’s to come for Elena and the other characters in season 3 [spoiler alert]. (BuzzFeed)

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Crush Links Sneak Peek At Vampire Diaries Season 3

Why Jill Zarin’s Daughter Ally Shapiro Really Left Sarah Lawrence College

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:27 AM PDT

On last week’s Real Housewives of New York season finale, Jill Zarin mentioned that her daughter Ally Shapiro, who is often featured on the show alongside Mom, had decided to transfer away from Sarah Lawrence College. Ally’s freshman year had been a storyline on the show, with Jill heading up to Westchester to visit her daughter and one painful episode where Jill took Ally shopping for school clothes and made some harsh comments about her weight and figure.

Why is Ally transferring schools? Though her mom didn’t get into details, several Sarah Lawrence students told Crushable about Ally’s freshman year. While having a reality-star parent might be cultural capital at other schools, SLC has a reputation for being artsy and anti-establishment, so Ally’s connection to Real Housewives was a minus, not a plus. “She was standoffish,” one student told Crushable. “She thought she was famous, and nobody cared.”

A second student offered up an additional detail, which is that Ally was hospitalized earlier this year for alcohol poisoning and had to have her stomach pumped. “They tried to cover it up,” the student said, “but we all knew it was her.” The incident was not discussed on Real Housewives, which is typical – other misdeeds by cast members’ kids, including an incident where Countess LuAnn de Lesseps‘ teenage daughter Victoria was reportedly kicked out of her exclusive prep school after making a YouTube video where she swore and used an ethnic slur, have also stayed off of the show.

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Why Jill Zarin’s Daughter Ally Shapiro Really Left Sarah Lawrence College

Dear Katy Perry, You Are Officially Trying Too Hard

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 04:58 PM PDT

Apparently worldwide musical domination and a marriage to Russell Brand just isn’t enough for Katy Perry. Like many pop stars, she has branched out into acting. Most of the time – Gwen Stefani‘s blink-or-you’ll-miss-it role in The Aviator, Faith Hill‘s don’t-even-blink-because-you-already-missed-it cameo in the Stepford Wives remake – these attempts at crossing over are ordinary at best and embarrassing at worst. And yet that doesn’t stop anyone from doing them.

Katy Perry originally tried to become famous as a Christian singer, under her real name Katy Hudson. When that didn’t work, she switched tacks, dipped herself in candy, and reinvented herself as a mainstream pop star. It worked, and she has a string of hit singles and a giant pile of money to show for it. But now she is branching out into movies. Katy’s first movie is The Smurfs, and she doesn’t even appear in it – she voices the animated Smurfette. But just because her face isn’t in the movie doesn’t mean that she isn’t going to take every advantage to remind everybody that she’s a big famous movie star now. Exhibit A: This picture.

Hey Katy, I know it’s been awhile since you were in high school, but there was this thing I had a major case of when I was about sixteen. It was called trytooharditis. And I think you have it. We know you’re in the movie. You’re at the premiere! Your name is on the poster! If I look up the movie on IMDB, your name is there. So the fact that you stretched out Smurfette’s body, ironed it onto a Latex dress like it’s a fucking shrinky dink or something, and wore it to the movie premiere? Overkill. And the blue shoes and the blue eyeshadow and blue earrings on top of that? I GET IT. YOU ARE IN THE SMURF MOVIE. DIAL IT DOWN ALREADY. Might I offer you a point of comparison?

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Dear Katy Perry, You Are Officially Trying Too Hard

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