Fafi + MAC: French Graffiti Artist Goes Mainstream?

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

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.

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.

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.