The Olympics are back

... and so is Johnny's backside. Oh dear. Just because it's by Rodarte (also featured in The New Yorker recently) doesn't make it OK.

via NY Mag.

Muppets are everywhere

In a meta moment, I went searching desperately through the Boudoir* for this hilarious bit (30 Rock is a ripoff of the Muppet Show, discuss.), only to learn that I had merely posted it to Facebook, and not actually blogged it.

Hrumph.

Anyway, this is getting blogged. The Muppets meets Mad Men.

Inspired by the eyebrow-raising news that Sesame Street will parody Mad Men in its upcoming 40th anniversary season, we’ve decided to step in and do a little casting this morning.


Big Bird: Betty Draper

Spends most of the day surrounded by kids. Never strays too far from the nest. Cloaks low-level depression with forced, manic cheer.

Discuss? At the very least, click through. It's hilarious.

Flavorwire, via NY Mag

*which isn't hard - it's surprisingly tidy.

What he said, Part II

I've had a number of conversations over the past 18 months with some of my favourite women about this book, and now, thanks to GOOP, I've been introduced to what I'm sure is a healthy rejoinder.

"In Drink, Play, F@#k Bob Sullivan, a jilted husband, sets off to explore the world, experience a meaningful connection with the divine, and rediscover his passion. His travels lead him from his home in New York City to a drinking bender across Ireland, through the glitz and glamour that is Las Vegas, and to the hedonistic pleasure palaces of Thailand. After a lifetime of playing it safe, Mr. Sullivan finally follows his heart and lives out everyone's deepest fantasies. (...) Bob Sullivan has a lot to teach us about life. Let's just pray we have the wisdom to put aside our preconceptions and listen. Because what Bob Sullivan finds isn't at all what he expected."

Just like everything else, it's available at Amazon (also the source of the above blurb).

People, people who are ... people

TK posted this and said she couldn't pick which to highlight. I don't have that problem.

People Who Claim to Be Afraid of Clowns

These people (and they are numerous) are attempting to cultivate a cute quirk, but they are really just aping a cute quirk cultivated by thousands of cute-quirk-cultivators before them in a giant, gross, boring feedback loop. Yes, clowns can be mildly creepy. But come on. Among the many things that are scarier than clowns: fire, earthquakes, a guy with a knife, riding the bus, colon cancer, falling down the stairs (it could happen at any time!), rapists, people who just kind of look a little rapey and are standing too close to you in line at 7-Eleven, Marlo from The Wire, influenza, and scissors.

People Who Don't Watch TV

Symbolically not doing something for the sake of not doing it is almost never evidence of sophistication. It is evidence of not knowing what you're fucking talking about. Are we really still having this conversation? Television is a part of the cultural landscape at this point—a lot of it is good. A lot of it is bad, some of which is also good. You know, LIKE ALL THINGS MADE BY HUMANS? Obviously it is also a good idea to go outside once in a while. But the presence of a television in your home does not make that decision for you. You make it. Feel free to still go outside at any time.

(...)

People Who Studied Abroad in a Third-World Country

Congratulations.

(...)

People Who Are Pretty and Smart and Funny and Nice

You probably want to hate these people, but why bother? They are absolutely wonderful, and all we can do is deal with it and hope to be charming enough that they will some day mate with us so that our children can absorb some of their impossible magic.

(...)

People Who Don't Believe in Evolution but Love Antibiotics

Seriously? Either you believe in science or you don't. If you want to say sentences to me like "God made the earth 29 years ago out of Billy Graham's stool" or "Every time you take the morning-after pill, Satan has two orgasms," then go ahead and stay away from Dr. Syringey O'Medicine, MD, from here on out. Because you know that pill that made your strep throat go away? Science invented that. For you. Hey, why don't you just pray for God to take care of that root canal? I'll tell you why: Because God didn't go to dental school, because dental schools don't admit people who DON'T EXIST.

People Who Try to Pretend Like They Already Knew the Story About Jimmy Stewart Smuggling a Yeti Hand out of Nepal in His Wife's Underpants

What were they thinking? The worst of the Grammys

There was an absolute earth of good clothing this year at the Grammys. I mean, when we're looking to Carrie Underwood for Best dressed? Who hates Paula Abdul enough to let her out of the house looking like that?



Yes, I know, she's darling, she has a hit song, and she performed 9 months pregnant. Still, wtf?

Picking on Gwyneth

People generally love her or they hate her - I'm generally a fan, although I have my moments. But do we really need to list 12 reasons to hate?

(although this is a funny one ...

10. She is close friends with Madonna, and therefore seems untrustworthy, since anyone who is close with Madonna is also possibly not a human being but made of Quorn.

Remember the Quorn debate of 2006?

and this is a possibly true one, or at least an alternate perspective to the norm ...

12. Oh and there's this: "I love the English lifestyle, it's not as capitalistic as America. People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner. I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans.")

The list isn't wrong. And launching a lifestyle website that suggests you work, have a happy marriage, take care of your kids, cook, work out, and have time to read, all while looking like this, is bound to result in a little negative feedback. I just have better things to do than hate. This week.

I LEGO NY

I'm sure you've already seen this, but it is too good not to share again.

My fav:

If only we could explain this to the tourists ahead of time ...

... hold this thread as I walk away

And speaking of sweaters, there's never a bad time of year to revisit the holiday sweater phenom. A single pair for your enjoyment.

Previously in sweaters.

Design-a-Muppet

OMG OMG OMG!

OK, I don't seem to be able to save a photo of the one I designed, but how fun is this?


Muppets at FAO Schwarz

I miss Jim Henson...

But that doesn't mean I'm going to walk around in Muppet fur ...



The Sartorialist

Memories

Showmance:

When actors engage in a romance for the run of a show. Once the run is over so is the romance.
The term originated in the theater and moved to movies and scripted television and then reality television. The term has now moved to the populace to discribe any contrived romance.

Dude 1: I didn't know Anthony and Cicely were dating.
Dude 2: It's just a showmance, Cicely is just dating Anthony just to make Edgar jealous.

Dude 1: I didn't know Anthony and Cicely were dating.
Dude 2: They're not. It's just a showmance, Anthony is gay.

Urban Dictionary

Very

This is definitely FG-worthy.

The closer we get to the May 30th release of the “Sex and the City” movie, the more these promo pics keep popping up. They are presumably meant to spark our interest in what promises to be two hours of relentless shopping, dating and complaining. But we’re much more interested in the behind the scenes goss because this picture suggests it was no slumber party happy times on that set.

This forced group hug is:

• Very very uncomfortable. They look so disconnected and like they hate each other as much as the tabloids suggest. Would anyone be surprised if this picture turned out to be four separate images photoshopped together?
• Very ladies who lunch…on the blood of virgins and sacrificed lambs. They all have crazy eye!

Of course, we're still seeing the movie. We're just saying.

Text messages saved in my phone

Fierce was in the store! Same hair and very glam.

I'm out buying hair product. I'll have a look when I return.*

ohmygod on my flight home to ny? Ian Mckellen.

Keeping the right side free.

House elves.

is gambatte some sort of non-starchy carb? is it like Kavli?

almost home - are you pajamas or pakoras?

me call u - me also bring articles and prepositions.

I'm so tired I'm already tomorrow.

nrrenhnh?


Inspired by TK.

*from someone who's never, ever used hair product.

I McKellen, you McKellen, he McKellen, she McKellen

Wouldn't you like to be McKellen too?

On hearing the news that Sir Ian will return as Gandalf, NYMag writer Adam Sternbergh says:

We’re so generally in awe of Sir Ian that we propose a new verb: to McKellen.

McKellen (v)

Definition: When a distinguished actor sells out late in his/her career in a way that feels earned and great and non-reprehensible because he/she is awesome and totally deserves it.

Usage: Let’s say Dame Judi Dench accepted the role of Hippolyte, Wonder Woman’s mother in a Wonder Woman film. (Don’t get excited, fanboys, we’re just blue-skying here, though we now expect to see this rumor on Ain’t It Cool by Friday.) You can say, “Yes, I heard she’s McKellening the role.” Or, “She’s reportedly McKellening it over.” As for Sir Ian, we’re ecstatic to hear that he’ll once again be McKellening the white-bearded wizard.

Together forever

I love the Scottish Cowgirl.

Flickrolled

Colour your world

We all have a favourite colour, but this is a little much.

And to all a good night

I laughed, I cried ...

Shouts & Murmurs

Emoticons During Wartime

by Tom McNichol December 10, 2007

:-) No new attacks reported today.

:-( New attack reported today.

=|:-)= This e-mail is being monitored by Uncle Sam for your protection.

:-x I’d rather not say in an e-mail that’s being monitored for my protection.

:-w Our current leader speaks with forked tongue.

*:o) Our current leader is a bozo.

/:-=( Our current leader in some ways resembles Adolf Hitler, at least in his disregard for civil liberties during wartime.

:-o Uh-oh, what was that?

:-@ I hear screaming.

B) Now donning protective goggles.

.-) Good Sammy Davis, Jr., movie on tonight.

<|-) Yes, the current conflict resembles Vietnam.

+<:-) Pope to make appeal for peace.

(:3 No, I am the Walrus.

:(=) Interesting Jimmy Carter piece in today’s Times.

[:-) I’m listening to my iPod.

3:-o Bovine encephalitis attack!

:-)8 Latest George Will column still doesn’t get it.

@:-[-- New Osama bin Laden message released.

8-/ Local chemical attack causing blindness.

:-# Kiss your ass goodbye.

The New Yorker

Further holes in the space-time continuum

I know, you're wondering what happened the rest of the weekend, but I couldn't get it down before Shuesday and you get so cranky when I delay Shuesday ...

Shuesday: Skinnamarink - e - minky - mink

You've seen mink here before, and you've also seen this (arguably the NYU version of today's shoe, albeit two years ago) but I think this takes the cake. (I suspect that the standard warning about only ordering 3 pairs in a 30 day period is probably unnecessary when they only come in black and the only size available is 6B - which also means I won't be wearing them at The Blue Fairy's Annual Dinner Party.)

And it's a relief from the t-strap mania we seem to be experiencing this evening shoe season, sometimes even more unfortunately combined with a peep toe. Less, less is always more, for the love of the gods!

And it reminds me of one of my fav New Yorker cartoons, Gucci Gucci Gucci! Love Marisa Acocella Marchetto's work.