Monday, February 6, 2012

Crushable

Crushable


Kyle Richards Continues To Be The Least Crazy Of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 10:55 AM PST

The second half of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion airs  tonight and if it’s anything like last week’s “let’s all attack Lisa” verbal assault, it’s going to be juicy. And by juicy I mean I hope it takes a turn for the Jersey and someone pulls someone’s hair. Preferably Camille Grammer’s hair, just because I can’t stand her smirk.

Amidst all the craziness of the past two seasons, Kyle Richards and her family have come to represent some kind of sanity. While that’s not exactly hard when you’re dealing with a show that includes celebrity divorce, suicide, alcoholism and insane amounts of money, Kyle Richards still pulls it off and is one of  the very few housewives who I would actually considering being friends with in real life.

(Of course, in this context, friends means someone you let sleep with your husband. That’s probably a standard part of friendship when you’re married to Mauricio Umansky.)

Kyle recently did an interview with Parade Magazine where she discussed the show, her marriage and what it’s like to grow up in Hollywood. Among her many sane quotes is this one about raising her family without help.

“I grew up in a town where everyone had so much and we always had nice things, but my mom was one of these women who liked to do everything herself. Even though we had housekeepers, she’d be right there with them and she would always do her own hair and makeup while all the other women were at salons. That was my role model growing up. It was always very important to my mom that we were down to earth. She made us clean our own rooms and wash our own cars. That’s how I was raised and that’s how I want my daughters to be raised. Plus, I enjoy it. I enjoy being with my kids. I don’t want someone else driving my children to school. I want to be there with them in the car having those conversations.”

A Real Housewife who knows the expression “down to earth” and knows how to use it correctly in a sentence! It’s almost like she’s a real, live person. Sure she can be judgmental and preachy, but she’s related to Kim Richards. That’s enough to make anyone learn how to develop a killer stink eye.

So while I didn’t love her behavior during the reunion last week, I still think she’s one of the most normal, and yes, down to earth housewives out there.

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Video: Justin Bieber Pranks His Fans For A Proactiv Commercial

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 10:52 AM PST

Having proven his scampiness by pulling pranks on fast food employees, Justin Bieber has since turned his devilish, twinkling eye on more lucrative hijincks: those performed for the purpose of promoting acne treatment Proactiv.

For this commercial, the Biebs hid behind the director’s booth and gave directions to unknowing teenage girls. Disguising his angelic voice with various bad accents, he asked the girls to “smile like you just lost your cat, but now you found him” and “hold the Proactiv up…higher…a little bit higher…great, a little higher.” When he came out to greet them, he was met with surprised squeals of delight. The girls had no idea it was their teen idol directing them the whole time! Are there any young girls left in this world who don’t wish Justin Bieber would dump Selena Gomez for them? If there are, they certainly don’t allow them on television.

(Via Popcrush)

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Video: SNL Sketch Weakly Defends Lana Del Rey

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 10:27 AM PST

This past weekend, Saturday Night Live issued a lukewarm defense of their now-infamous musical guest Lana Del Rey in the form of a sketch during “Weekend Update.” Mainly due to Kristen Wiig‘s weird impersonation of her, it was actually kind of funny, if not totally convincing.

When Seth Myers told “Lana” she’d performed two songs from her new album on the show three weeks ago, she replied, “That’s what I thought I did, Seth. But based on the public’s response, I must have instead clubbed a baby seal while singing the Taliban national anthem.”

Point made. Singing badly is far from the worst thing a person could do, and people should really calm down about it.

But then they made the mistake of following the red herring of Lana’s “authenticity” re: her name, pointing out that many popular artists take on fake names. I don’t think anyone dislikes her because of her name.(Personally, I dislike her because her music is repetitive and boring, and I find her lyrics somewhat dis-empowering.)

Then they tried to position her against musical guests past. “The music stage on Saturday Night Live is hallowed ground, and I failed to reach the high bar set by past guests like Bubba Sparxx, The Baja Men and Shaggy,” she said. I don’t think anyone is going to defend these artists’ place in the canon (well, maybe I will defend Shaggy a little) but at least they were/are entertaining. Which is, you know, a big part of an entertainer’s job.

Fake Lana Del Rey then addressed accusations of being “stiff, distant and weird” with the response “I am stiff, distant and weird,” which is fair enough; LDR has never claimed to be a great performer. The sketch ended on a victim-y note, attempting to shame people for “bullying” LDR. Because a highly paid performer who puts her stuff out there in hopes of massive fame and fortune is exactly the same as an odd kid who just wants to be left alone.

What did you think of SNL‘s defense of Ms. Del Rey? Feel free to sound off in the comments.

(Via Idolator)

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5 Facts About Pepsi Super Bowl Ad Star Melanie Amaro

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 10:09 AM PST

Melanie Amaro Pepsi Super Bowl ad Elton JohnIs it just me, or were there not that many amazing Super Bowl commercials yesterday? The clear frontrunner seemed to be the Pepsi ad starring Elton John as the tyrannical king judging whether court jesters could receive the sweet elixir in a blue can.

“But who was the upstart who challenges the king’s rule?” you might ask. For anyone who doesn’t watch reality singing competitions (like me), she’s a stranger. But her face has already been all over the television: It’s Melanie Amaro, the 19-year-old who won The X Factor in a surprise upset after she got eliminated and Simon Cowell brought her back.

In the commercial, King Elton keeps rejecting hopefuls who try and wow him with their singing ability in the hopes of scoring some Pepsi. I admit, when I first heard him intone what could become his new catchphrase, “No Pepsi for you,” I thought it was Seinfeld‘s Soup Nazi popping in for some extra cash.

Then up comes Melanie, looking like she came straight out of Your Highness or some equally silly medieval movie. Her rendition of Aretha Franklin‘s “Respect” was a bit dance-party for me, but it’s pretty damn effective. Here’s the commercial in full:

And here are the five facts we’ve compiled about Melanie.

1. Although she was born in Florida, she spent the first years of her life in the Virgin Islands because her parents couldn’t afford to take care of her. She says that the pain of only seeing her parents on school breaks and holidays was part of what pushed her to find an outlet through singing.

2. Her success is especially inspiring because there are so many reasons she “shouldn’t” have made it. We all know about Simon Cowell famously tracking her down at her home after he sent her home in the judges’ rounds because he realized what a mistake he’d made. But before then, Melanie was dealt a blow when she tried to audition at her local Fox affiliate for a “fast pass” to get on the show. They didn’t deem her worthy of going on, so she had to audition again, this time standing in line with thousands of people. Obviously she’s happy she did!

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The Parents Television Council Hates Their Own Children

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:46 AM PST

The Parents Television Council must be absolutely giddy as they watch the Super Bowl halftime show with their young children. Not because they’re spending quality time with their offspring, but because at any moment something “offensive” could flash across their screens, scarring their children for life and giving them a reason to live for one more day. And this year was no different than any other. M.I.A flipped off the camera for a millisecond, giving them more than enough motivation to have an outrage orgasm and write a letter to the media.

The PTC  says that NBC and the NFL should have prevented this from happening. Especially considering that they selected a group of  “performers who have based their careers on shock profanity and titillation.”

Well if the members of the PTC knew that these performers are known for shock profanity and titilation, shouldn’t they have turned the TV off during the Super Bowl halftime show? Wouldn’t it have been a great opportunity to get the kids dessert or make them change into their pajamas and brush their teeth? You know, normal good parent things to do.

It’s not like they thought Madonna was teaming up with Dora the Explorer and Raffi to do a wholesome song and dance and were blindsided by these scandalmakers.

Cee Lo ruined his own surprise performance by posting it on his website before the show  so everyone knew he was showing up. Keep in mind,  this was the guy who got famous by performing a song called “F*ck you.”

It’s the Super Bowl halftime show. Something will happen. If the PTC was truly worried about the children, they wouldn’t take the risk that their children would see anything offensive. Nor would they take something that’s barely offensive, blow it out of proportion and make it a talking point in front of their children for days to come. But I think it’s clear that they’re not worried about the children.

 

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The Most Romantic Movies Of Our Time

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:05 AM PST

What is it about romantic movies that have us dragging our friends and loved ones to the theaters, renting them off Netflix, and wearing out the DVDs with repeat viewings? These tales of star-crossed lovers — or best friends whose affection grows into something deeper — give us hope that we can have it, too. Not the kidnappings, letters from the grave, or time travel (though those would be fun), but the enduring, can’t-be-without-you love that powers each of the outlandish plots that we adore.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s a list of our picks for the Most Romantic Movies Of Our Time. For the most part, I tried to pick more recognizable romantic comedies and dramas from the ’90s and ’00s, but there are a few ’80s stragglers. (I promise they’re worth it.)

This post is sponsored by Sony's The Vow, in theaters February 10th. Watch the trailer here.

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How I Almost Hooked Up With My Fantasy Crush

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:20 AM PST

When I was in high school, I had a crush on this MTV guy. I’m not going to set off his Google alert, but suffice it to say he had glasses (oh, did he ever!) and seemed like the kind of nice Jewish boy I’d like to talk about literature and the news with while snuggling. After high school, I kind of forgot about him, but when a mutual friend offered to bring me to his birthday party a few years ago (’09), I took him up on the offer.

When I arrived, my crush was rather drunk, but still charming. I shyly introduced myself. He made a self-deprecating joke about how old and lame he was, which I appreciated. He wasn’t as cute as he’d been in my high school fantasies, but he was still cute. And he still had the glasses. After that, he told our mutual friend he was “interested” and we emailed back and forth a little bit, but he kept canceling on our plans because he was busy doing impressive TV stuff. Whatever. Eventually, I gave up and began dating someone else. (Someone who was very bad for me, and to whom I wasn’t speaking by the time SXSW 2010 rolled around). Several months went by.

It was around this time that I wrote a piece about Terry Richardson that ended up becoming somewhat infamous. Immediately after I wrote the piece, I went to Austin for SXSW, so its fallout did not hit me as hard as it might have. By the last night of the festival I’d shaken off most of my paranoia that people were staring at me and gotten down to the serious business of seeing how many free Dos Equis beers my friends and I could slam at the Vice party.

I felt someone grab me from behind. Suppressing the urge to punch blindly, I turned around. It was MTV guy.

“Hey Jamie,” he said. “I liked your piece on Terry Richardson.” I wanted to ask him what he had liked about it (was it my brave stand against fashion royalty or the fact that I got naked and performed a sex act in it?) but I didn’t. “Thanks!” I replied. He went on: “You’re not afraid to sell out yourself or anyone else. That’s real journalism.” Tell me more about how dubiously awesome I am, I thought, and he continued like he’d read my mind.

I don’t really remember what we talked about, but I remember thinking it was going pretty well. We were having what I hoped was witty banter and he kept bringing me drinks, and I was twirling my hair around my fingers and laughing at his jokes. I started doing that thing girls do sometimes where they accidentally let their boobs brush up against you. (If a girl does this, fellows, she’s serious about wanting the dick.) At one point he said he thought I was “trouble” because I’m a writer and might write about him, and I just kind of smiled and said that, yes, I have been known to do that.

Dude wasn’t at all like I thought he would be. He had the cocksure swagger you probably need to have to convince people to put you on TV, and a “masculine adult New Yorker with money” taste in things like food (fancy meats) and shirts (APC?). He wasn’t nearly as nebbishy as I’d hoped, but this kind of only made me want to sleep with him more, because he’d probably throw me around and not cry afterwards.

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Madonna-Bashing Blog ‘The Lady Gaga Project’ Is A Fake And Has Been Shut Down

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 08:51 AM PST

Lady Gaga Project blog is a fake and was shut downLast week, I stumbled upon an alleged Lady Gaga fansite that promised to pay “little monsters” (her fans) to post negative comments about Madonna‘s music, movies, and body on the internet. But over the weekend, one blogger revealed that The Lady Gaga Project is a fake.

Singer and blogger Super Amanda reached out to us because the people behind the project have been impersonating her; the original blog post thanks “Little Monster Super Amanda for suggesting we do this in the first place. PAWS UP!” (Most ironic is that she doesn’t even seem to be a huge fan of either performer; her blog is dedicated to British filmmaker Ken Russell.)

Super Amanda has spent the last few days taking legal action against the creators of the Lady Gaga Project blog, and she’s even put forward the fascinating theory that it’s a bunch of pro-Madonna fans who started this up. The whole explanation is on her blog, but we’ve excerpted it here. Her reasoning is that pro-Madonna fans wanted to make it look like Gaga’s people were trying to bring Madonna down, thus giving her more sympathy and support. That’s twisted.

As previously stated, I have a psychotic Madonna fan stalking me who can’t accept I dislike their talentless corporate icon. You can see a few of their sick comments in the recent threads below telling me to “kill myself”. They impersonate me on Salon, Huffington Post, Perez Hilton, Facebook, You Tube, IndieWire and many other websites. It has been going on for about a year or so. As a US Born , US citizen , I FULLY support their right to LEGALLY say whatever they want about me, mock me, lampoon me, call me names etc but falsely claiming I’m a “criminal” and impersonating me is ILLEGAL.

…It is such an obvious Crypto-madonna fan blog that it is a joke.  They are libellously claiming that I,  Super Amanda,  suggested they “offer money for negative madonna posts”.  A TOTAL LIE! The give away is that they are asking for Huffington Post comments. (Sorry, NO ONE under 30 wastes their time on Huffington Post).

…I am one of the only bloggers to criticize Madonna using their real name.

The site has since been shut down, and the Twitter account (@GagaProject2012) is no longer functional. Unfortunately, Gaga herself has not responded to this fan drama over Twitter. It’s come and gone without her seemingly being aware of it.

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Let’s Talk About David Beckham’s Sexy H&M Underwear Commercial

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 08:50 AM PST

For the first time in recent Super Bowl commercial history, women got to see a barely dressed man exploited on TV. And it wasn’t just any barely-dressed man, it was the insanely sexy soccer player David Beckham caressing himself in his H&M underwear. Although I saw it online last week, there was something a little more startling about seeing it on my TV.

As much as I want to cheer that women are finally getting the chance to ogle someone on TV while the men in the room look around awkwardly, I also feel like those kinds of advertising campaigns are moving us in the wrong direction.

Do we really want GoDaddy.com getting the  idea that the only way to speak to men and women is to throw ridiculously stupid and “sexy” commercials at us? Isn’t it enough that half the commercials that already air on TV are sexist and degrading?

Not to mention these “sexy for women” commercials lead to tweets like this one from Brendan Lowry:

So rather than leveling the playing field when it comes to showing everyone’s sex appeal on TV, it just raises the bar and  helps make it that much more okay to objectify women. God knows if women are allowed to almost see a guy’s package on TV, then it only make sense that men get to see a minute-long cleavage shot commercial advertising beer.

However there is good news amongst all this early morning sexism talk!

According to Forbes, we still have time to turn this around. Last night’s Super Bowl viewers preferred the funny commercials over the sexy commercials. So maybe, just maybe, the advertising community will see this and understand that when it comes to creating successful advertising, it’s okay if everyone wears clothes.

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