That's What She Said

Girl Power?

2008-07-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

I KISSED A GIRL - KATY PERRY (MUSIC VIDEO)
Uploaded by spidey502

Three cheers for Katy Perry for providing faux-lesbians an anthem they can scream at the top of their lungs while chugging questionable jungle-juice at their local, shady frat party.

Whatever, I guess "I Kissed a Girl" isn't completely annoying, and, in a weird way, is doing more good than bad. In an almost perverse way, I feel like the LGBT community can only benefit from a top-40 single that encourages experimentation -- ultimately normalizing such interactions.

True, most aren't exactly thinking about social progression when they're listening to this song at their local watering hole. Still, I'd argue that singing along to lyrics that proclaims "I kissed a girl and I liked it," coupled with recent speculation that Lindsay Lohan is dating DJ Samantha Ronson, and, yes, even the MTV's vile show, "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila," can only aid in Middle-America's acceptance of lesbians.

Yes, there was Jill Sobule's minor radio-hit of the same title ("I Kissed a Girl") in 1995, and Ellen DeGeneres admitted that, yep, she's gay on the cover of TIME magazine in 1997, but that almost seems like, well, a whole generation ago.

So, where are today's young lesbians in the media? And the irony of it all, especially in a time when gay/lesbian men and women have more options than they did in the mid/late-nineties?

OK, so maybe I am giving the song too much credit. But, as it trivial as the aforementioned examples may seem, if they help generate conversation, then that's one more step toward in eliminating ignorance in this country.

Chicks with ink.

2008-06-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Last night Anna D. Shapiro became the second woman in over 68 years to win a Tony Award for best direction of a play, "August: Osage County." While that's amazing and all, I especially love that she didn't cover up the rose tattoo on her right arm for an event that's notoriously conservative, to say the least. Obviously I don't know if she did this deliberately or if this was a choice driven by the forecast (its been unbearably hot in the city the past week), nevertheless I'm glad this taboo about women with visible ink seems to be dissipating. Clearly getting tattoos that are prominently displayed does not mean your professional life is doomed (which is, as ridiculous as it sounds, a fairly popular misconception still perpetuated). So, yeah, my plans for a half-sleeve are still intact...sorry, Mom!

I want Judy Blume to adopt me

2008-04-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Man, I need to pick up a copy of "Forever" and re-read it again.

The fact that her "banned" books (written in the 70s) still resonate with young girls even today is awesome. Kudos to Judy Blume for sticking it to the man.

Top Hat on Top Chef Contestant...

2008-04-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

Chef hats have always made me giggle. And how could they not? But Top Chef: Chicago contestant Spike takes it to a whole other level. He seems to sport a different kind of (equally bad) hat in every episode. At first, I thought he was desperately trying to be all cool and suave, or trying to hide a bald spot, by rocking a fedora titled ever-so-carefully to the side.

But on tonight's episode, I realized he was just a hat-wearing tool. During his interviews he wore this atrocious basket-weaved, blue-trimmed baseball hat. I guess its his way of sticking out amongst the other contestants but ugh, all I could think about was Ricky Lizalde from Project Runway Season 4 with all those god-awful hats that never left his head. Yeah, we all remember that he cried at the drop of a dime, but how could we forget his mesh-covered, dominatrix hats?! Ricky even had the nerve to create a whole line of these hats for his "Sew Not Over" (Bravo challenge) collection.

Dear future Bravo show contestants, nix the hats, you'll just end up looking silly.

Twista pulling a fast one on me?

2008-04-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

So, rapper Twista held the Guiness World Record for being the fastest rapper in 1992, but he never quite impressed me. I didn't even know he was still recording, but apparently he has an album, "Mobstability II: Nation Business, dropping this year. But I heard the first single "Give it up" (featuring Pharrell) and I might have to eat my words. OK, I'm a little late (it was released last summer) but damn, it's so catchy that it deserves a mention.

Pharrell not only sings the hook but also produced it, so naturally it's tasty ear-candy. But beyond that, it features an arrangement of percussions ranging from bongos to cowbells (I repeat, cowbells! "Gotta have more cowbell!"), creating a instant dance hit (even though it only peaked at 88 on the Billboard charts).

Still, the video is worth watching, too.

I'll even forgive its blatant objectification of woman as yummy food because Pharrell gets a lot of camera time, and I don't mind objectifying him.

Squeezing it for all it's worth.

2008-04-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

I like most anything that is lemon/lime-flavored. Just add a splash of either citrus fruit, and whatever you're eating/drinking is that much better. Take for instance a bottle of Corona beer. Despite it being Mexico's unofficial beer, (and by default I should have a loyalty to it) I hated it. But I think I felt this way because I forgot to slip in the requisite lime slice in my first bottle. I didn't think it would make a difference, but, oh, was I wrong. A Corona without a lime is like Project Runway without Bravo (oops, I guess it's little too late for that), it just doesn't work.

Anyway, just because it works for Corona, I doubt it has the same magic for other beers. But Bud Light seems to think so. They're releasing a lime-infused Bud Light next month and I just saw the commercial for it. Normally, their commercials don't phase me but it grabbed my attention when I heard the song in the background, and it was none other than Santogold's "Creator."

Surprisingly, the commercial is no where to be found on the Web but I know what I heard. It was just like the time I heard M.I.A.'s "Galang" as the backdrop music for the Honda Civic SI back in 2006.

Oh yes, it seems to me that Santogold is definitely taking career advice from M.I.A. If this continues Santogold will be the newest "it" girl in the indie/electro/nu-wave world faster than you can stomach that Bud Light Lime.

Fashion Faux-Heel

2008-04-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

I guess you could call me a girly-girl. I like makeup, clothes, and most anything pink. But, before you gag at my confession, my girly-ness comes to a screeching halt when it concerns high heels. I wish I could wear heels nonchalantly, but every step I take in any shoes with a heel higher than 2.5 inches is just unbearable (I have nearly flat feet).

Anyway, somebody once told me that designer shoes are supposed to be more comfortable because they're better quality. But since I don't have $400-plus to shell out on a pair of Louboutin's, I can't actually test this theory. Still, Carrie Bradshaw (pardon my outdated Sex and the City reference) wore Manolo Blahnik four-inched heels everywhere in New York City, so, it just has to true, no?

But something tells me that there's no way that these $32,000 pair of five-and-half inched heels (pictured below), designed by Briton Antonio Berdai, are anything but painful. I don't even know how you could even walk in them, but celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow own a pair and plan to make it work.

And these aren't the only pair of ridiculous heels I've seen on the catwalk, either. Remember Marc Jacobs' "backward" heel (from his Fall 2007 show) that had people scratching their heads in confusion? I didn't think I would see them off the runway but then actress Sophia Bush proved me wrong:

OK, maybe I shouldn't completely discount heels. After all, this study that claims heels increase your sex drive. I guess beauty doesn't always equal pain.

The Hills are Alive with Idiocy

2008-04-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last night on MTV's "The Hills," we were all expecting another throw-down when, gasp, Stephanie Pratt walked into Lauren Conrad's "computer class." Stephanie pushed her "loyalty" to brother, Spencer, and ex-fiancee, Heidi Montag, aside and made nice with her rival-by-association, Lauren. All it took was a simple "sorry" for Lauren and Stephanie to become BFFs (Stephanie even shows up to Lauren's birthday party next week).

Now, I agree it's petty and childish for you to hate someone just because x,y, and z hates them, but something tells me that Lauren just made a deal with the devil.

Read the rest of this post over here at BlogColony!

The musical, Avenue Q said it the best: "The Internet is for porn!"

2008-03-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

Judy Blume is a one dirty, old lady. I loved her books as a kid, and it wasn't because they were particularly well-written, but because the characters always seemed to "explore" their sexuality by the end of the book. I remember carefully reading, and re-reading, the chapter in "Forever" (one of ALA's 100 banned books) when Katherine and Michael finally "made love."

As a kid in elementary school this was as graphic as porn could get for me, and it was great. I've never been into porn movies/videos (unless they're hilarious like "Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle." Go watch it, so that we can compare notes!), so sites like X-Tube and Red-Tube don't really appeal to me. I like to use my imagination.

So, when I discovered Literotica a few years ago, I thought I could re-live my Judy Blume days, but to my disappointment all of the "stories" are poorly-written, and usually suck (no pun intended). I thought the Internet had failed me... until now.

I was reading Jezebel (I swear I'm not that much of a Gawker Media whore) when I learned about Slut Machine, the alter-ego, I suppose, of writer Tracie Egan. While she does fine work at her day job writing posts for Jezebel, she shines on her side project "One D at a Time," where she makes no apologies about her sexual prowess. Most posts are about her trial and tribulations in the bedroom (though locations are subject to change). And what I think makes her site different from the oversaturation of similar sites is her ability to actually write well, but still remain insanely hilarious.

Another blog worth a double-click is College Callgirl. I have yet to learn the identity of the woman behind this blog but I guess that doesn't really matter. "Cofessions of College Callgirl" chronicles her career as a lady of the night. She recently wrote that she was going to deviate from just writing about sex, but just check out her back entries and you'll be hooked.

Finally, there's Baby Sinead. Baby Sinead is really Sinead McCarthy, a under-aged aspiring pornstar/photographer, with a juxtaposing fresh-faced innocence. Her revealing, stream-of-conscious blog often include NSFW pictures, so you probably shouldn't check it out if you're at work or the library. I mean it wouldn't be good if it wasn't a little forbidden, am I right?

Here's something sweet... but not really.

2008-03-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

A friend told me recently that I've been kind of hateful in my recent posts. So, I thought I'd write about something that's inherently sweet, CANDY.

If you haven't been paying attention to the increasingly weird commercials for all the candy products out there (I think Skittles and Sour Patch Kids take the cake), Skittles are releasing a Chocolate Mix version of their delectable, little edible pieces of rainbows.

Now, these are not to be confused with their all chocolate version that were discontinued in 2001, the new Chocolate Mix includes flavors like s'mores and brownie batter. And I love chocolate but if I wanted hard-shelled chocolate candy, I would turn to the one and only, M&Ms, not Skittles!

OK, I haven't actually bought a pack of the new Skittles chocolate mix, so I can't really discuss if they're actually gross or not. Still, this whole thing led me to think of other bastardization of classic candies that I have actually tasted, and subsequently spit out.

Allow me to take you down memory lane:

1) Hershey's Cookies n Cream: This Dalmatian-spotted white-chocolate bar actually tastes like chalk. I think eating this weened me off white chocolate forever.

2) Twix's Peanut Butter: Substitute the caramel for peanut butter and you basically got a Reese's peanut butter, uh, stick?

3) Starburst's Berries & Creme Fruit Chews: I usually love any variation of Starburst but these taste like yogurt packed into a square. But every kid loves yogurt, right? Oh wait, they don't? Fail.

4) Reese's Peanut Butter & Banana Creme: Inspired by Elvis Presley's favorite snack (grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches), I was actually pretty excited to try these. While I thought they were yummy, everyone else in my internship (including an editor who ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches EVERY DAY) thought they were gross. Different strokes for different folks?

5) Snickers Charged: OK, I never actually tasted this because it just sounds so gross. I realize chocolate contains some caffeine but I rather get my fix via liquid form.

OK, so this post wasn't exactly sweet, but I'm more of a sour girl anyway.

P.S. Dear Skittles, bring back Sour Skittles, please!

Half of what you say is meaningless... Juuuulia.

2008-03-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

I read Gawker religiously. Every time I go online, I need a hit of Gawker. Yeah, it has gone downhill in the past year but I can't handle the withdrawal I go through when I don't read it for a few days.

Anyway, it was through Gawker that I learned about Julia Allison. Julia, who? I realize that if you don't check Gawker as compulsively as I do, you may not know about this woman with two first names.

OK, let's start from the beginning. First of all, her real name is Julia Baugher, and she's a Georgetown University alumna where she was the sex columnist for its newspaper, the Hoya. After graduating, she dropped the last name, packed up and moved to NYC where she became a columnist for the free newspaper, AMNY (yeah, I read it for the horoscope, too.) She was just another faceless, albeit very pretty faceless, writer in this jungle of a city when she was photographed with politician Harold Ford at some event.

Tongues started wagging, and Julia Allison has somehow managed to wrangle herself a plethora of job titles, including editor-at-large for Star magazine, weekly columnist at Time Out New York, talking-head for CNN, FoxNews, etc. Now, much to the dismay of most Gawker readers, Bravo (possibly NBC) is giving Julia Allison and two of her girlfriends (Megan Asha and Mary Rambin) their very own show. Cameras will follow the trio as they attempt to start an Internet company, and gallivant throughout NYC and beyond.

The whole thing is quite funny. In a thankless profession like journalism, writers are barely in the limelight -- always the bridesmaid, never the bride type of deal. But, it seems like Julia Allison is changing this one shameless self-promotion at a time. People have called her a real-life Carrie Bradshaw and while the two do share similarities, I think there's one big difference, Carrie(or rather the writers for Sex and the City) could actually write.

OK, so Julia Allison's easy on the eyes, there's no denying that, but something tells me it wasn't her hard-hitting journalism on dating for TONY or her thought-provoking comments about Britney Spears on FoxNews that got her to the top. Maybe I'm a little bitter (I did drink some haterade earlier today) but people like Julia Allison leave me a bit disillusioned about my impending future as a journalist.

I mean, kudos to her for leading such a charmed life and never having to pick up the tab, but her journalistic career is a load of crock. It disturbs me to even call her a "journalist," because what she is doing isn't even in the same realm as yellow journalism... oh wait, I guess that's what she is doing. Either way, I really hope Andy Warhol was right, and she's down to her last minute.

Magazines Sell Out. No, Not like That.

2008-03-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

Radar magazine announced recently that Spencer Pratt, Lauren Conrad's arch nemesis on MTV's reality-drama The Hills, will write an advice column for the monthly entitled, "Yo Spencer!"

Starting next month, Pratt will dispense his profound wisdom about things like how to deal with girls who like threesomes and deodorant-challenged co-workers... serious issues, you know.

I mean this bro is definitely qualified to dispense advice; after all, he is a renaissance man. Over the last year not only did he manage to destroy friendships left and right, he also had time to manage ex-fiancee Heidi Montag's "singing" career, direct the disastrous music video for her first single "Higher," he's an aspiring rapper... aw, hell, there's no sugar-coating it, he's a walking punch-line.

OK, I get it, Radar isn't actually serious; they must be in on the joke... right?

I mean, despite folding and resurrecting a few times over the last ten years, Radar has some dignity left, no?

Anyway, I guess I'm less upset that Spencer continues to get undeserved publicity (hell, I don't help by watching The Hills religiously) as I am about the fact that he landed a job in the very industry that I am struggling to break into.

And he wasn't the first one on the hills to catch a "lucky" break in the magazine biz either. Who could forget Lauren Conrad's laughable interview with teenVogue's Lisa Love.

Here's how it went down:

Lisa Love: Can you write?

Lauren: Can I... Yeah...

Lisa Love: You can? Good?

Lauren: Well, I enjoy writing.

Granted she was interviewing for a fashion internship but really? REALLY?! That interview would never cut it.

Yup, it seems like four years of j-school means jack because you don't really need to know how to write to get your name on a masthead anymore. Forget a diploma and clips, nowadays all you need is a good audition tape to break into the print world.

Who could forget the SOAPnet's reality show, The Fashionista Diaries, where six contestants competed for jobs in the fashion/beauty industry -- two of which duked it out for a staff position at a woman's magazine (first Jane before it folded, and then, conveniently enough, COSMOgirl!).

By the end of the show, COSMOgirl! extended a position to contestant, Rachel Jacoby where she remains as a freelance assistant beauty editor. I can't really hate on Rachel, though, she's educated and, gasp, could actually write.

Still, for someone to treat your "dream job" as part of the prize on a reality/game show is to turn what was once a "respectable" career into a novelty item, and that... that's damn near insulting.

And it doesn't look like this trend will die anytime soon. Tyra Banks is collaborating with the CW network to create a reality show in which a group of "fashionistas" compete for a shot at becoming a assistant editor at a fashion magazine. The yet-to-be-named show is still casting and will begin production this spring.

Great, just what I needed come graduation time this May, more competition for an already depleting market. So... they're still casting, you say...

Educated Guesses, Not Just for Pregnancy Tests Anymore

2008-02-29T18:55:00.000-08:00

Maxim's David Peisner gave the Black Crowes' upcoming album, "Warpaint," a bad review. He went on to give it a rating of two-and-a-half out of five stars (read the actual review here).

That's all fine and dandy, that's what reviewers are supposed to do: praise the good, and condemn the bad. Just one little problem: Peisner couldn't have possibly listened to the album because the Crowes' record label never made copies available for reviews!

When the Crowe's manager called out Maxim for this error, Maxim stood by their review and called it "an educated guess preview."

Now, the Crowes have a right to be livid because the album was unfairly judged and it may be the best thing they've produced since their genius multi-platinum debut, "Shake Your Money Maker" back in 1990. In fact, Rolling Stone gave "Warpaint" four-and-a-half stars out of five (which I'm sure writer, Alan Light, actually listened to.)

But let's be honest, had it not been for this whole fiasco, many wouldn't even know that the Crowes are still recording. Today, Chris Robinson is mainly recognized as actress Kate Hudson's ex-husband than the lead singer of one of the best bands of the '90s. So, as the saying goes, all press is good press, right?

Not exactly, while the publicity surrounding Maxim's review might actually generate sales for "Warpaint," it will probably hurt Maxim's journalistic integrity.

All right, fair enough, Maxim isn't exactly the beacon of prize-winning journalism, but this still affects the public's perception of journalism.

In fact, this isn't the first time Maxim has done this "educated guess preview" review. Rapper, Nas, has come forward with his claim that Maxim prematurely reviewed his album, "N***er," (which drops April 22, 2008) also giving it a dismal two-and-a-half stars out of five.

Though Nas has brushed it off, saying he'd prefer a review from Playboy, I don't think readers will react so nonchalantly.

Readers still trust journalists to inform them but with slip-ups like this, journalists are losing all of their credibility, which is detrimental to an already flailing medium.

Maxim's editorial director, James Kaminsky, has since apologized to Nas (the Crowes are still waiting), but it seems to me that it's too little, too late.

Teyana Taylor voguing, coincidence?

2008-02-28T13:07:00.001-08:00

Teyana Taylor, best known for her stint on MTV's My Super Sweet 16, made an appearance on TRL to promote her new music video, "Google Me" (she's Pharrell's protege and her album, "A Planet Called Harlem" drops this spring.)

During the interview, she revealed that she was trying to bring voguing back, which was popular in 1993 after Madonna released her single, "Vogue." Teyana then demonstrated "voguing," and ended with a "suicide" dip (where she falls to the floor on her back with her legs in a half-split.) Shwam!

Voguing has been around for quite some time now, even before Madonna introduced it to middle-America back in the 20th century. It's huge in the gay community, to the point where there are actual competitions against different "houses." It's a really intricate sub-culture with a lot of history, and I think it's kind of offensive for this kid (Teyana) to take it upon herself to try to "bring it back."

But what's even more interesting is the rumor surrounding Teyana's own sexuality. Gee willikers, Teyana, this explains how you executed an almost perfect dip! You nearly got a "10, 10, 10" from me.

But when MTV VJ Damian asked her if she was currently dating anyone, she said she was only interested in dating her skateboard. Hmmm, still very suspicious.

Just don't eat it when you're riding on the carpet, if you catch my drift, miss thing.

The French and the Devil

2008-02-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

I usually dislike most award shows. Still, I was one of the 32 million people (the lowest-rated since 1990) to watch the Oscar's last night.

What can I say? I was completely drugged up on cough syrup and needed to watch something that would be the visual equivalent of a lullaby.

But, somehow, I managed to stay awake through the four-hour telecast and caught a couple of note-worthy moments:

1) Marion Cotillard: The French-actress won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of French singer, Edith Piaf in the biopic, La Vie En Rose. She looked completely shocked and gave the most endearing acceptance speech in her broken English.

I have never seen the movie (or most movies nominated for that matter) so I can't really say if I think she "deserved" the award. But, I always root for the underdog. Plus, I love when people are genuinely grateful/shocked/honored when they win awards (think Amy Winehouse at this year's Grammy's); it just tugs at my heart strings.

Anyway, check out Marion's acceptance speech and allow yourself to fall in love with her, too:

oscars 2008 - marion cotillard meilleure actrice
Uploaded by SnipSnik-Production

Also, she looked absolutely stunning in her Gaultier gown!

2) Diablo Cody: The former, "unlikely" stripper won in the Best Original Screenplay category for her indie runaway-hit, Juno.

I wasn't a big fan of her outfit: a leopard-print Dior number and gold flats she wore in lieu of the million dollar heels Stuart Weitzman designed especially for her. The dress was just a shapeless sack and the shoes gave her cankles.

But, she's Diablo, and I'll forgive her because she just seems so damn cool anyway.

Also, I love that she didn't even try to hide the pin-up girl tattoo on her arm. She's unapologetic and has such a devil-may-care (pun intended) attitude that I envy.

Seriously, I want to be her, or at least be her BFF.

How many freckles can you count?

2008-02-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

It's a bit ironic that New York's Spring Fashion issue features actress Lindsay Lohan wearing nothing more than a few strategically placed cloth-flowers and transparent scarves over her naked body.

But, I guess it isn't so ironic that "bad girl" Lohan was handpicked by photographer Bert Stern to re-create ever-so infamous Marilyn Monroe's last photoshoot (check out one of the original photos of Marilyn, below.)

And the similarities don't end there. The article (written by Amanda Fortini) suggests other eerie things the two artificial-blonds share:
"Forty-six years later, Stern has revisited his classic shots with Lindsay Lohan, another actress whose prodigious fame is not quite commensurate with her professional achievements... Without putting too fine a point on it, you might say Lohan has, like Monroe, a knack for courting the tabloids and tripping up her career."

Lindsay gushes about her obsession with Marilyn Monroe throughout the article and says it was important, "to bring [the book "The Complete Last Sitting" that featured Monroe's entire photoshoot] back to life.”

Back to life, eh? Hey, Lindsay, Marilyn Monroe died six weeks after this shoot... I'm just saying; anybody want to start a pool?

P.S. Click to see Lindsay's (NSFW) shoot.

Wash your mouth out

2008-02-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait to be an old lady. I'm not looking forward to having my tits graze my knees or anything else that's inevitable with old age, but what I am looking forward to is being able to say and do whatever the hell I please. No apologies.

Seriously, anything you say as an older person is fair game because people are A) too scared to say anything to you because you remind them of their grandma, B) you're a cute old lady and anything you say sounds sweet and endearing, C) you're Dr. Ruth, or anybody from the Golden Girls.

This week, Jane Fonda -- a political activist, actress, and 80s fitness guru -- appeared on the the Today show to promote, "The Vagina Monologues " and said the word "cunt." Granted it was the name of a monologue but, you know what, it was still awesome. People went crazy about it because oh, my god, "cunt" is, like, such a dirty word. But kudos to her! Why are we still so afraid of some words? That's one thing I miss about living in Europe. It was just so liberating to not be confined by all of the regulations we have for American television. Anyway, watch Jane get the FCC's panties all up in a bunch with the following clip:

Some time ago Diane I-wear-gloves-to-every-red-carpet Keaton uttered "fucking" on Good Morning America when she was promoting that god-awful movie, Mad Money. Oops? But, like Fonda, she almost had a free pass because she's Diane Keaton! She's been around the block for some 30-odd years and, though it might raise some eyebrows, messing up like this isn't exactly career-suicide for her. Had it been a young starlet, her publicist would have to work on overdrive to remedy such a slip-up.

So, the lesson we learn here is that, when you reach that age, you really can say whatever you want, and it doesn't matter, because you only have a few years left anyway!

Thank god for live TV. C U Next Tuesday middle America!

Sew Done

2008-02-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

Tonight's episode of Bravo's Project Runway will result in the *gasp* final three designers who get to show their collection at New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Bryant Park. Except, well, as we already know, all five designers actually got to "show" at The Tents. Yeah, yeah, this is a tactic the producers use to maintain secrecy around the final three but by allowing the five designers to show, they've only managed to cheapen one of the show's high-points.

OK, so the show has been going down a "cheap," or rather tacky, path this entire season (prom dresses, ick; WWE Divas, double ick.) Yeah, even though Tim Gunn proclaimed that this was the most talented cast to date, it was also the most boring. Honestly, I cannot remember the names of half of the cast. So, Carmen Webber (Carmen like the opera, Webber like the baller) is still ingrained in my mind (damn you, you giant tranny!) but most everyone else who got auf'd in the beginning of the season never seemed to register in my brain.

And you could just see the producers of the show trying so hard to stir up some drama with their incessant "group" challenges. You would think there would be an all out war at least once! But no.

Now, the boys over at Project Rungay theorize that it may be because most of the designers were pretty established in the industry already. They had reputations to protect and nobody wants to be remembered as the villain of the show. Yeah, that makes some sense, but honestly, I rather see raw-talent and quick-tongues than watch demure kittens playing with yarn. It's boring, and it's reality-show suicide.

So, Bravo, take Tim's advice for next season, and for the love of fashion, make it work!
SPOILER ALERT.

Here are my favorite looks from each designer in the following order (going down):

Jillian Lewis, Sweet P Vaughn, Christian Siriano, Rami Kashou, Chris March

Celebuspawns

2008-02-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of late-great Kurt Cobain and the sometimes rock-star/actress (but always erratic) Courtney Love, will be the new face for Chanel in 2008. She will also be featured in a fashion spread for Harper's Bazaar this March.

Despite having such (in)famous parents, 15- year-old Frances Bean has lead a pretty low-key life. She seems really sweet and modest, too.

"These people are fascinated by me, but I haven't done anything," she says. "If you're a big Nirvana fan, a big Hole fan, then I understand why you would want to get to know me, but I'm not my parents... People need to wait until I've done something valid with my life."

I predict that we will be hearing more about her in the upcoming years.

Here are some other celebrity offspring worth taking note of:

Zoe Kravitz: The 19-year-old daughter of "The Cosby Show" alum, Lisa Bonet, and bonafide DILF, rocker Lenny Kravitz is taking her chances as an actress. She had small roles in two film in 2007 ("The Brave One" and "No Reservations") and is slated to appear in two more films this year. The spitting image of her gorgeous mom, Lisa Bonet, Zoe has dabbled in modeling, too. She is currently dating "3:10 to Yuma" star, Ben Foster who is eight years her senior. Though she is enrolled at SUNY Purchase, something tells me she might forgo college and strike while the iron is hot.

Rumer Willis: Rumer, 19, is actors, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore eldest daughter, and plans on following her parent's footsteps with her own career in acting. She was slated to be the Miss Golden Globe (the girl who hands the award to the winner) this year but lost the opportunity when the award show was canceled. Still, her career doesn't appear to be stalling -- she is starring two upcoming films, "From Within" and "I Know What Boys Like," and is a red-carpet staple. Yet, her career seems to be eclipsed by constant fodder in the blogsphere about her, um, unique looks. Regardless, it doesn't seem like Rumer is going anywhere anytime soon.

Evan Ross: Evan is singing legend and overall diva, Diana Ross's son. Unlike his famous mama (sorry, Diana, "The Wiz" was a joke), Evan is trying his luck in acting, and 2008 looks like it is going to be his year. He is starring in SIX films this year. I would keep your eyes and ears opened for him.

Heatherette back on the map?

2008-02-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

Last night's episode of Bravo's Project Runway featured guest judges Richie Rich and Traver Rains -- better known as flamboyant-design duo, Heatherette. A couple of weeks ago the pair also showed up to lend their designs for a catwalk challenge on Bravo's Make Me a Supermodel. Honestly, I had almost forgotten they existed, which is kind of weird considering my withstanding love/hate relationship with the fashion house.

In 1999, tongues started wagging in the fashion world about Heatherette's in-your-face-Barbie-fantasy-world-meets-Lisa Frank's-wet-dream clothing line, and I fell in love.

I also fell hard for the designers: there was Richie Rich who looks like Amanda Lepore as a drag-king and Traver Rains who totally milks the whole "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" schtick. I just love when designers look fun themselves (think Galliano, Jeremy Scott, etc.)!

Anyway, I wanted to own anything, ANYTHING that Heatherette put their crazy stamp on. But, while I'm still drawn to most anything pink, I got Heatherette out of my system around the same time I washed my temporary pink hair-dye out. And it all seemed to come to a screeching halt when I saw a Heatherette shirt emblazoned with a unicorn at a Burlington Coat Factory in. upstate. New. York.

And it seemed like their star was fading around the same time, too. Still, while I'm not a Heatherette fan-girl anymore, I'm glad that they're still around, having fun, retaining that magic that made them special in the first place. Check out Kim Kardashian, Jenna Jameson and, but of course, Amanda Lepore walking their spring 2008 Ready to Wear show. Guess they still have enough juice to pull in the celebrity cameos!

While that's all fine and dandy, I was most excited to learn that Heatherette is collaborating with M.A.C. for a limited-edition collection out March 27! (Check the promo picture on the left. So much pink, yum!) Maybe I didn't get Heatherette entirely out of my system? Thank you, Bravo.

P.S. I can't lie, when I saw Richie Rich on 34th street one summer day, I totally squealed. But like a true New Yorker, I acted aloof.

I believe in Santogold

2008-02-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

When both Rolling Stone and Spin magazine listed Santogold as one of their top artists to watch in 2008, I just had to check her out. And, boy, did they get it right this time!

When Philadephia-bred Santi White's gig as punk/ska band Stiffed's singer went kaput after releasing just two albums, she moved onto a solo project -- this time, as Santogold.

Even before releasing her first single ("Creator") last month, Santogold had some high-profile fans -- Icelandic pop star Bjork even hand-picked her to open up her Madison Square Garden show last Sept. She also toured on Sri Lankan-native M.I.A.'s British tour, who just happens to be her friend and fellow Brooklyn-transplant.Which is interesting enough, considering many are likening Santogold's music to M.I.A. And, while the similarities are there -- they both collaborated with producers DJ Diplo (with M.I.A. in more ways than one) and Switch -- Santogold still holds her own ground.

Her sound blends her rhymes over reggae, ska, and electro to create some truly catchy gems.

Santogold will drop her debut album later this year. Until then, this should hold you over:

Ya, dig?

Celebrity Rehab

2008-02-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

Going to rehab is a rite of passage in Hollywood. Nicole, Lindsay, Britney have all made trips to rehab for one reason or another (alcoholism, drugs, etc.) at one point in their careers. And while we all predicted that would happen eventually to these notorious party-girls, I was shocked to learn actress Eva Mendes (We Own the Night, Ghost Rider) checked into rehab.

Totally didn't see that one coming.

According to USmagazine.com, Eva is getting treatment for her substance abuse in cushy, "exclusive" rehabilitation facility, Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah (the same place Lindsay Lohan and Mary-Kate Olson completed treatment programs.)

So what exactly goes on at these rehab centers?
Do they even work? Hey Lindsay, how 'bout it?

Well, I was genuinely interested in seeing how this whole thing went down, so when Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew premiered on Vh1's Celebreality line-up earlier this year I made sure I watched.

Just one minor problem, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew turned out to be the most depressing show in the entire world.

The first episode introduces us to the celebrity patients. And the "biggest" star is Daniel Baldwin but honestly, I can't recall this Baldwin brother starring in anything worth noting, sry2say. Two of the other "stars" were former contestants on other Vh1 shows (re: Chyna and Brigitte Nielson.) The other patients are so Z-list, they're not even worth mentioning.

Oh wait, there were two that definitely took me on a trip down memory lane:
Shifty from Crazytown ("'Come my lady, come, come my lady,' and share my crack pipe") and Jamiee Foxworth (Judy Winslow loves ganga, and dabbles in porn), sadly brought me back to my childhood.

Anyway, I don't know what I was expecting, but I sure wasn't prepared to see Grease's bad-ass Kenickie (Jeff Conaway) reduced to a wheelchair or, worse yet, convulsing while trying to detox.

I get it -- it's rehab; it's not supposed to be all rainbows and sugarplums. But it just got a little too service-y for me, and that's way out of left field for the Celebreality genre.

These are the people who are responsible for shows like "Rock of Love," "Flavor of Love," and "I Love New York," where bad behavior is definitely encouraged. And (guess what?) copious amounts of liquor and an open bar are always, always present in the hopes people will drink one too many. The producers know that the show is only going to be that much more entertaining.

Think back to Rock of Love's first season's "Don't threaten me with a good time! "Tiffany (pictured right.) She was drunk out of her mind on the few episodes she did appear on and she was reality TV gold!

But of course, liquor, nor any other vice, is not on Celebrity Rehab's menu. Subsequently, there's no real bad behavior (unless you count Kenickie's fights with his girlfriend Vicki who looks a lot like Anna Nicole's Hillbilly cousin, Shelly. y/n?)

And the show ends up being a little too kumbaya for the Vh1 audience (re: me.)

So, in theory, Celebrity Rehab should work. It has "star" power and it has built-in drama, but it doesn't. It's actually boring and it just fails.

Though, on the plus side, Dr. Drew is the poor-man's version of CNN's delectable anchor, Anderson Cooper, and that might be reason enough to watch the show for a few more episodes.yes, please!

Amy, Amy, Amy

2008-01-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Last week on Bravo's Project Runway, Ricky won the Levi's denim challenge with the dress pictured above. Now, I could get into a rant about my distaste for Ricky (how the hell is he still in the game is beyond me), but I'll refrain because this post is not about that, instead it's about his styling choices for his model, which judge Michael Kors likened to none other than Amy Winehouse.

"I love Amy Winehouse and honestly, you must, too," Kors said to Ricky, whose model donned, what else, a bee-hive pomp and black cat-eye makeup.

Even though Amy's usually blasted by the media (whether it be about her drug problems, her turbulent marriage, or her fashion choices), designers seem to be keen on her. And Kors is not the only designer who "loves" her.

German-born designer, Karl Lagerfeld drew inspiration from Ms. Winehouse's look for Chanel's pre-fall Maison d'Art show in London.

At a little more than two minutes into the clip (above) Lagerfeld himself appears and raves about Amy as his muse. Even going as far as to compare her to 1950s/60s sex kitten Brigitte Bardot.

Lagerfeld goes on to describe Amy as, "the greatest talent coming out of England... for the moment."

Check out more designers below who appear to have taken a cue from Amy for their Spring 2008 ready-to-wear lines: (Photographs courtesy of style.com)

Chado Ralph Rucci

John Galliano

Givenchy

But if do you plan on copying Amy, at least refrain from the crack pipe.

He goes by the name of Lupe Fiasco

2008-01-25T17:36:00.000-08:00

Last spring when I was studying in Madrid, I missed SU's Block Party. I didn't really miss it, per se, because really, Ciara and Lupe Fiasco? Eh, let's just say that I wasn't exactly drowning my sorrows with chupitos (re: shots) over that one. Lupe was still touring for his "Food & Liquor" album, and though I loved his first single, "Kick Push," I hate to say that I was disappointed by the rest of the album.

So, when I heard the first single, "Superstar"off of his sophomore effort, "The Cool," I was pleasantly surprised. Since the album was released in December, they played his album a lot at my work, and I fell in love with whole album -- and that's a lot of love, considering there are 20(!) songs on the track list.

I'll admit the album is a bit ADD because every track is so distinctive from one another, that you'll find yourself wondering if it's possible that you're listening to a different album with each song. But no, Lupe being the genius that he is, managed to pack this smorgasbord into one album. And that's what I love about it.

Lupe goes from spitting rhymes at rapid fire speed (think Twista; remember him? Me, neither) on his song "Go Go Gadget Flow," proclaiming his resurgence in the hip hop scene, to "Paris, Tokyo" where he raps in a slow, sing-song pace about the guilt he feels for leaving his mom behind while he's touring the world (aw!).

Seriously, though, if you want to take a break from listening to hip hop/rap songs about Applebottom jeans and fur boots, check Lupe out. In fact, I'll do you one better, you can check out my favorite songs here:

Now you have no excuse.

Fafi + MAC: French Graffiti Artist Goes Mainstream?

2008-01-24T23:47:00.000-08:00

MAC Cosmetics is coming out with a new line of products imprinted with the French graffiti artist Fafi's signature tags and drawings. Her sketches of gamine girls in adorable, dominatrix-like outfits cover sticks of lipstick, makeup bags, eyeshadow palettes and lip glosses. It's brilliant -- we all want cute things and we all love MAC, so it's a match made in heaven!

But I worry that this will be Fafi's final push into the mainstream -- I've already had to suffer through her limited-to-Japan-and-France clothing line and her illustrated covers of XLR8R, and I want her all to myself! We've all seen Shepard Fairey's downward spiral with his graffiti/propaganda empire, Obey...he's now doing corporate work for companies like BMW. The idea that Fafi's drawings will be seen by teenage girls in malls across America really disgusts me, but I guess that's not stopping me from forking $45 over for eyeshadow at the MAC counter.

Flashing Lights

2008-01-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

I hate Kanye West. OK, I don't hate him but his arrogance annoys me... A LOT. But, I cannot deny, Kanye always manages to deliver.

His latest effort, Graduation, is not my favorite album, but "Flashing Lights" (featuring R&B singer, Dwele) is definitely my favorite Kanye song. Kanye's smart rhymes ("like Katrina with no FEMA/ like Martin with no Gina," (anybody who can seamlessly reference current events and early 90s sitcom, Martin, is OK by me)) mixed with Dwele's soulful delivery of the chorus equal another hit for Kanye.

If you haven't heard it yet, do yourself a favor and download it here
or just listen to it here

I guess I'm not the only fan of this song. Canadian artist, Colin Munroe samples "Flashing Lights" on his song, "I Want Those Flashing Lights."

Colin does it justice. What do you think?

only the good die young.

2008-01-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon at his apartment in Manhattan by his masseuse and housekeeper. According to news reports, sleeping pills were found at his bedside; his death is being treated as a possible suicide. Gawker.com posted a video of Heath in a body-bag, exiting the apartment building on a gurney. He was 28 years old.

I had a fair-weathered crush on Heath when I was in junior high school, and saw him in 10 Things I Hate About You. He was the flavor the week during the teen film explosion, and I'm sure I replaced him with another, "love of my life," soon after. But unlike the Freddie Prinze Jr.'s of the time, Heath turned his career around and began to gain respect as a serious actor. His role as Ennis in Brokeback Mountain earned him an Oscar nomination, and he recently wrapped up his role as The Joker in the upcoming, much hyped-up, The Dark Knight.

Heath's star was definitely rising, and despite rumors of his struggle to keep clean, his death came as a complete shock. Regardless, it's always tragic when someone so young goes before their time.

Allow me to introduce myself.

2008-01-22T16:13:00.000-08:00

Pop-tarte is an all inclusive blog that will review/critique/love/hate/praise/rant about everything and anything that is pop culture... so, won't you please, follow me down the rabbit hole.