Archive for the 'culturelux' Category

can you tell me how to get, how to get on sesame street?

Published by
Sarah
July 14, 2008 in culturelux. 17 Comments

one note before i start today’s post– for some reason, the comments on selina’s interview were disabled, so i had to fix them this morning. if you already read the interview, please feel free to go back and leave her a comment (or question)!

there are lots of reasons people want to be famous– the money, the attention, the sprawling mansions, the power, the chance to design yr own perfume/clothes/leggings, etc.

but in my opinion, all of those reasons pale in comparison to the BEST thing about being famous.

and that, my friends, is the opportunity to appear on “sesame street.”

every time i see a celebrity on sesame street, i am filled with both excitement (look! it’s natalie portman! hanging out with elmo!) and extreme jealousy (look! it’s natalie portman! hanging out with elmo, WHICH I WOULD KILL TO DO!!).

i guess my reaction makes sense, given that palling around with muppets has pretty much been my #1 goal since i was, oh, two years old.

today, i saw a video of yet another lucky celebrity appearing on what is probably the most revered show in all of television history.

this time, the celebrity guest was feist, and she paired up with some sesame street creatures to sing a monster-themed “1,2,3,4.”

ok, in spite of my jealousy, that was really, really awesome.

in fact, *every time* i see a muppet clip from “sesame street,” i get teary-eyed. it doesn’t matter if the skit is hilariously goofy or the characters are singing about how to answer the phone, i just get so EMOTIONAL. i guess i’ll always have an extremely tender spot in my heart for that show and all of the monsters that taught me how to count (even in spanish) and spell.

with that said, if i ever do become famous, i already know who i want to hang out with on sesame street.

he’s blue, furry and likes to have his tummy scratched.

grover has ALWAYS been my favorite, as evidenced by the ratty (i.e. MUCH LOVED) grover doll that still sits on a chair in my bedroom. sure, kermit is great, and miss piggy will always be fabulous, but there’s something so weirdly charming about grover. maybe it’s his voice or his flappy arms. or maybe it’s the way that he LOVES kids, and kids love him back.

when i was a little sarah, i *longed* to be one of the privileged few who got to hang out with grover, although back then, it was the kids that i most envied.

lucky, LUCKY children like chris:

and chelsea:

i mean, HOW PRECIOUS IS THAT?!!!!

can you IMAGINE how amazing it must be just to chillax with grover and talk about what words mean and how to respect yr neighbor? and then to end it all with a hug?

cos, out of everything, grover knew how to talk about love. which i can’t say for some humans.

this is probably my favorite grover conversation about love:

“hugs and kisses and warm feeling inside” = exactly.

grover, just so you know, if we ever hang out, i would like to discuss the following:

1) our favorite foods

2) how plants grow

3) using “please” and “thank you”

and of course, there would be hugs and tickling involved.

basically, it would be just like this:

see? wouldn’t that be fun? invite me over to play!!!

and now, pants world, tell me who YOU would like to hang out with on sesame street!

(here’s a list if you need a reminder)

p.s. the runner up to grover would most definitely be slimey the worm.

we could eat through all kinds of foods together!!!!

LINKS

BEST NEW REALITY SHOW ALERT: from g’s to gents. sweet cracker SANDWICH i cannot wait to watch wannabe gangstas drink tea and learn SAT words. it’s gonna be OFF THE CHAIN… i mean, absolutely scintillating.

thanks to ananka’s diary, i just found my favorite new website, weburbanist.com. check out some incredibly (awesome) geeky art and this FASCINATING list of abandoned cities. road/plane/boat trip, anyone

BATMAN OPENS THIS WEEK AAUUUGHH. which means i have a date with christian bale, holla! but, as jezebel points out, have you guys ever noticed how weird his accent (in real life) is? i mean, obviously i find it adorable but it is a bit on the jack kelly side. check him out on the today show.

these picture bandits are AMAZING.

hayao miyazaki has a new movie coming out, and apparently it’s about a little tadpole with a girl’s head. or something. all i know is, it’s gonna be THE CUTEST!!! also? japanese film reviews are about as entertaining as the films themselves.

dude, if you’re gonna scream, scream into this. (<– yes, that was a lame attempt at a wayne’s world reference)

a guide to american food, illustrated by babies

Published by
Sarah
July 3, 2008 in culturelux, tasty business and this post will conform to no category!. 9 Comments

the fabulous olivia posted a blog entry today about celebrating the fourth of july in the UK, and i was particularly intrigued by an event she mentioned which will be serving “american food.”

unfortunately, they did not actually provide a LIST of the food, which disappointed olivia (and me) dreadfully.

so since i like thinking, talking and writing about food, and since i’m feeling esp. patriotic after my fireworks post, i’ve decided to post today about american food.

uh, so, i found that picture when i did a google image search for hamburger, and it’s clearly a sign that i should populate this post with pictures of american food costumes, preferably for babies.

maybe at another point in the future i will write just about that particular costume, because i have questions like, “does this make you want to eat yr baby?” and “if you put lots of babies in this costume, could you then stack them?” and “would a turtle mistake the baby for another turtle?”

anyway!

first, because i am v. scholarly, i decided to do some internet research.

on the msnbc site, i found “10 foods that make america great,” which sounds suspiciously like the title of the elementary school history fair project of my dreams. hello BLUE RIBBON.

anyway, i will save you the time and annoyance of having to learn the history of these food items by listing them below, along with my own enriching comments as well as the baby food costume pictures, which i’m now thinking are really the point of this entry but it’s too late for me to change course.

1. clam chowder

well, ok, sure. i mean,  it doesn’t really come to mind when i think “american,” but it does have a sort of revolutionary war ring to it.

I KNOW, i know. that is definitely NOT a clam chowder costume. but it came up when i googled “clam chowder costume” and i just… wow.

2. pastrami

to be honest, i don’t think i really know what pastrami is. i suppose i could read about in the article but… meh. it seems like a new york thing, though, and therefore i’ll accept it.

there apparently isn’t much of a market for “pastrami costumes” but when i did the search, i found this picture, and i think spam is SUPER american, so i’m including it. that guy isn’t a baby, obviously, but he is v. happy about being spam.  also, for some reason, i’m getting a mime vibe.

3. shoefly pie

what is… no.

PEOPLE. everyone know it’s APPLE pie. i don’t even LIKE apple pie, but i feel the need to defend its status as the all american dessert.

speaking of no… WTF.

4. smithfield ham

ok, did someone’s grandmother write this article?! where is the MAC N CHEESE?

you guys, like i even had a choice about using this picture.

5. po-boys

now HERE’S an item i can get behind, being a louisiana girl and all. no, it’s not a sandwich, it’s a PO-BOY, which is a great illustration of american attitude. “no, it’s not kilometer, it’s a MILE. GAH.”

this picture popped up when i googled “po boy costume,” and i decided to post it. because it’s still a *food* costume, and the internet says it is somehow connected with  “po boy costume” so there.

6. fajitas

what?!! everyone knows fajitas are tex-mex, and “mex” stands for “mexico,” which is clearly a different country than america.

i SWEAR this came up on my fajita costume search. i swear.

7. chicago hot dogs

well, DUH msnbc. finally, something 100% USA red white and blue, no question. they may be full of mystery meat, but they’re cheap and can be mass produced. and americans believe in that.

finally! a costume that is the actual food i’m talking about! i’m beginning to grasp the serious dearth of food options in the baby costume world… this industry is in a sad state, my friends.

8. chile verde

you have got to be kidding me.

yeah, i know, it’s not verde. plus, it’s a little too anne geddes for me.

9. san francisco sourdough

why does san francisco get all of the attention here? i would’ve gone with wonderbread.

i know it sounds weird to say this after seeing all of the other images i’ve posted on this entry, but there’s just something… off about this costume. like, i think those arms were photoshopped on to the image. HEEBIE JEEBIES.

i guess i shouldn’t be surprised, cos i got that costume off a site that also features this photoshopped wonder:

YIKES.

10. olympia oysters

ok, you know what? if the food item doesn’t have a baby costume associated with it, it’s obviously NOT that great, nor is it that american, because people aren’t trying to make the most money possible out of it. so oysters, guess what. you’re NOT that big of a deal, cos babies don’t want to dress like you. there’s not even a clam costume for goodness sake.

POSH! PANTS! SMASH!

Published by
Sarah
June 5, 2008 in alamoing and culturelux. 10 Comments

last night, because i am a lucky girl, i got to see a sneak preview of the new “incredible hulk” movie!!!

i don’t know about you guys, but from the trailers, i thought this movie looked like it was gonna be WAY better than the one that came out a few years ago (which i did not see, since the preview gave me a glimpse of the craptacularness). and it was!! it was super fun!

i mean, it’s no “iron man,” but it does have a lot going for it. such as:

1) edward norton, who manges to be extremely hot while looking totally average. i have no idea how he does this, which i guess is part of his charm. but i think he should write a book so that other average-looking guys can benefit from his wisdom.

2) liv tyler, who is so so so so pretty. to me, she will always be an elf princess. or the girl from empire records. either way, she’s marvelous.

3) LOTS OF DESTRUCTION. dude, the hulk causes MASSIVE damage.

4) this one scene that i will not spoil for you but is SO AWESOME OMG.

the alamo hosted the preview, which of course featured a lot of extra bonuses. such as, TIM ROTH WAS THERE IN PERSON! and even though i don’t really sit around and think about tim roth ever, it was neat-o to see him inside of a theater that i frequent. caitlin pointed out that he looks really evil when he’s just being a nice guy. even when he’s smiling and joking around with an 8 year old, he looks like he’s about to gnaw the kid’s face off. which i guess is why he’s always cast as the villain.

there was also a HUGE STATUE of the hulk in the lobby.

note how well my outfit coordinates with the hulk’s ensemble, except in a more feminine, less torn way. yeah, i planned that. NERD ALERT.

another bonus? henri painted himself green.

HENRI! SMASH! BODY PAINT!

oh yes, he smeared green paint all over his entire body. and then ran around the lobby and the parking lot looking like a smaller, less bulging but no less fierce version of the hulk:

as you can guess, i did not allow him to touch me or my clothing in any way.

in spite of his girlfriend’s reaction, henri managed to inspire much amazement (people took pictures with him) and even awe, esp. from this little boy:

his face was frozen like that for literally a full two minutes. i couldn’t tell if he was going to run away or hug henri’s legs, thereby smearing green paint all over himself and becoming “mini-hulk.”

the theater even made green chips and salsa! tasty hulk business!

i think one of the reasons i enjoyed the movie so much is cos it made me EXCITED TO THE MAX about marvel’s whole vision. see, the CEO of marvel was also there (coolest job ever), and he talked in the Q&A about the master plan to launch all of the major characters and eventually do an ultimates movie (he said in 2011) which features all of them which will be THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. i’d heard rumors about this, but since i don’t read a ton of comic sites, i wasn’t sure if it was actually happening.

BUT IT IS!!!

i mean, you’ve got robert downey, jr. as tony stark, ed norton as the hulk, samuel l. jackson as nick fury… i know i’m geeking out here guys but that line-up WILL MELT MY PANTS OFF.

is anyone slated to play captain america yet? hmm. i wonder if i’ll have to start reading ain’t it cool. ha ha JUST KIDDING. that will never happen.

it makes me happy that hollywood is basically making all of my comic nerd dreams come true… the ultimates, the runaways movie… now i’m just waiting for the cinematic release of “fables.” would it be ok with everyone if hugh jackman played the big bad wolf, even if he’s already been wolverine? kthx!

anyway, watching ed norton get really angry and then transform into a mean green machine made me think about my own hulk moments. what makes me turn into a posh hulk pants?

1) road rage. i am probably one of the worst road ragers i know. i don’t give people the finger or tail them too closely, i just yell at them from the comfort and safety of thomas. and as much as i try not to get upset, I CAN’T HELP IT. it’s like there is radiation in my bloodstream, compelling me to do it. seriously, where is the scientific cure for THIS?!

2) flakiness. most of my friends know how much i HATE FLAKINESS. IT DRIVES ME BANANAS. and not in the hollaback girl kind of way. i think this stems from my planner pants nature, cos when i put effort into setting up an event or trip, i need people to COMMIT and then SHOW UP if they have committed! i am v. v. anal about this, and i can’t seem to help it…. nor do i really *want* to help it. maybe i need to start wearing a watch to monitor my heartbeat or try some ancient breathing techniques like bruce.

well, i could sit here and probably think of some other instigators, but then i might get angry, and i don’t particularly feel like shredding my cute outfit.

what about you guys? what catalyzes the hulk inside of you?

the good thing is that when i get mad, i don’t usually smash cars or buildings. i prefer to hit the gym or send a ranting email to a friend or, better yet, smash food… INTO MY MOUTH. POSH SMASH!!!!!

LINKS

check out this cupcake that looks like a hamburger, a.k.a. the best of both worlds! (thanks MSW for the link!).

yoni brenner gives us a glimpse of the memorials held at stonehenge (excerpt: “First: many complain that monument not look anything like Og. This true. When committee first conceive of memorial, we consider finding massive rock that resemble Og. But then we realize: Og really not a handsome man. In fact, Og sufficiently creepy-looking that convincing Og-rock pose health risk to pregnant women and elderly. So while on the one hand we committed to memory of Og, on the other hand there’s the pregnant women”).

you guys. look at this AMAZING waterslide in germany on j.’s blog. note to schlitterbahn: MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

sex and the city races: survival of the glammest

Published by
Sarah
May 28, 2008 in alamoing, culturelux and squee!. 14 Comments

check out this AWESOME sex & the city song henri found, i.e. the official theme song of the pre-show

as anyone with estrogen in their pants knows,

THE SEX & THE CITY MOVIE COMES OUT THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!! AIEEEEE!!!!!

mega, mega, MEGA squee.

of course, the alamo drafthouse is giving the movie the special treatment it deserves, and since it’s summer, that means… PRESHOW TIME!!!!

some of you may recall the preshows of yore, involving a kiddie pool filled with nacho cheese, a bathtub packed with ice and plates full of communion wafers. this summer will be no exception, esp. with movies like batman (OMGGG) and the hulk coming out.

but before we get all comic-y with superheroes, we had to get FABULOUS.

on monday, i gathered together the finest foxes in austin to participate in some contests inspired by the Glamorous Life. before the competitions could begin, however, we had to get TARTED UP. cos every girl knows you can’t survive in the lipstick jungle without yr fancy pants!

we headed to goodwill and savers and found some major finds. MAJOR finds, you guys. after a little make-up and accessorizing, we were READY FOR BATTLE.

when you look up “fierce” in wikipedia, you will now see this picture.

i’d like to point out that becky gave me that rhinestone cross as a funny “thank you” gift for officiating at her wedding, and i’ve been WAITING for the perfect moment to wear it. this was that moment.

so, let’s introduce our contestants.

amber is a formidable opponent with her sequined breastplate, which i do hope to see at beauty bar some time this summer. also? she already owned that hat. thankyouv.much.

erica, rocking her power “chanel” suit, is such a hoss, she would probably even intimidate samantha. note that the bling comes from her own private collection.

teresa is so extreme, she even tried on a matching neon halter top/pant set that was most likely donated by a nascar show girl (it even had “flame” monogrammed on the top). sadly, it didn’t quite fit, but i think this sophisticated evening gown proved to be a good bit of stategery, cloaking her cunning with elegance.

erica, also known as barbie, apparently came out of the womb in heels. when i found this out, i felt IMMENSE relief… FINALLY! now i understand why some girls can walk in heels like it’s a dr. scholl’s commercial while i hobble in pain for five minutes before throwing back on my flip-flops.

henri was the mastermind behind the filming, but he soon realized he didn’t need to do much directing. these girls were BORN to be stars.

the first competition was a high heel race between erica f. and teresa, and the tension between them was more intense than that time carrie tried to confront natasha at the restaurant. SPARKS FLEW (and not the romantic kind).

the ladies, of course, did some stretching before the race. because this was serious business.

i won’t reveal who won the race at this time, since i want you to be surprised when you see the pre-show, but i WILL say that it was a v. v. close call. there were no injuries sustained, since these women are professionals, but a shoe was tragically lost in the process.

the next contest was a cosmo drinking game, involving amber, myself, and two straws. the object of the game was to transfer the cosmo from the shaker to the glass, using only a straw, and the first glass filled to the top wins the contest.

before the race, amber and i totally got our straw faces on.

i’ll admit that moving liquid with only a straw and yr sucking ability is a challenge, but amber and i, of course, performed in an utterly cosmopolitan fashion, handling ourselves with grace and ease.

afterwards, we all drank a real cosmo, no straw, which is definitely my preferred method of handling beverages.

as for the third race… well… i’ll let you find out about that one later. suffice it to say, teresa and erica g. know how to, er, protect themselves.

i’ll post the videos after the movie comes out, so you can experience our FABULOUSNESS for yrselves and discover who would rule the lipstick jungle.

we had a total blast filming the races, and when henri showed us the finished product last night, our squeals of delight could be heard from a mile away. seriously. i’m surprised there was any testosterone left in henri’s body after he endured our squee.

I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW YOU THE VIDEOS!! ok but i will.

for now, just to get myself more amped up than i already am, i ask you: which character on the show do you most identify with?

(my apologies to those people who don’t watch the show. and wait, i’m NOT sorry! you should watch this show! even if you’re a boy! it’s hilarious and AWESOME and yeah, no apologies here)

i’m pretty sure i’m a charlotte.

(i tried to find a picture of her doing a shocked face, and this is the closest thing i could find)

a few of my friends have a theory that every women is a combination of carrie and another character on the show, and i definitely see some truth to that. but at the same time, i… kinda hate carrie. a lot. she’s so NEUROTIC and self-obsessed and she freaks out about EVERYTHING and she LOVES to show the world that she’s wearing a bra. woman! we (we being ladies) all wear bras. it’s not a fashion statement!

anyway

i often relate to charlotte, mainly cos she’s naive and super duper cheesy. charlotte is constantly proclaiming things like, “YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GET MARRIED!” or “YOU GUYS ARE TOTALLY FALLING IN LOVE!” which reminds me of my tendency to shriek, “I LOVE YOU GUYS!” during moments of squee. she also gets grossed out easily when samantha talks about sex/body stuff, which i can totally understand, cos hello, this conversation is happening over breakfast, and someone grossing me out when i’m trying to eat is truly an Unforgivable Sin. plus whenever i tell people that i “used to be as naive as charlotte,” they get this look in their eyes and ask, “used to be?” and i’m pretty sure that means i’m charlotte.

LINKS

speaking of SATC, check out the fashion from last night’s premiere!!

you guys. we are SO having a flavor tripping party. as soon as i can figure out what that berry is…

just cos i love previews, here are some trailers for a few movies i’m looking forward to this summer:

towelhead

he’s just not that into you (featuring, like, all of hollywood)

monster camp (watching this trailer totally reminded me of the role playing convention at rice… yowza)

american teen

rocker (featuring dwight schrute! in a hair metal band!!)

one day, the hobbits will be in charge

Published by
Sarah
May 14, 2008 in culturelux and poli not sci. 13 Comments

arcade fire: keep the car runnng

today’s gonna be one of those days when i ask you guys to give me yr opinions, not only cos i’m curious but because, as usual, i’m not sure of my own opinion.

earlier, jezebel linked to an article in the new york observer entitled “american cutie.” now, just yesterday, i was writing about cuteness, so i was immediately intrigued. but it was the subheading that really got me:

“The Rising Age of Obama May Look Twee, Naïve and Idealistic, But Like Gwyneth Paltrow, the Hobbits, Arcade Fire and Iron Man, It Shows a Scrappy New Generation That Has Learned to Fight”

wow. that’s a lot of things. a lot of things i LOVE!

so i read the article, which you can find here.

and you know, i’m not entirely sure what it’s about. i suspect that it’s actually not v. well-written, and it seems more like a rambling blog post (not that i would know what those look like) than some kind of editorial. but i can’t help but find it interesting, since tom mcgeveran, the author, throws out all kinds of things that attract me: mcsweeney’s, belle & sebastian, christina ricci, lord of the rings… and well, maybe that’s his point.

ok, i actually really don’t get his point. but here’s my attempt at presenting a passage that might capture it:

(note: the person speaking is win butler, from arcade fire)

***

“It’s finally our turn to have a great president,” he said, and at this point the crowd was going wild. “I’m sick of fine presidents and good presidents and mediocre presidents. I’m sick of Rutherford B. Hayes and James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce and Millard Fillmore. We got Barack Obama! Barack Obama, for crying out loud!”

In other words, Win Butler was going for the naïve moron vote. The crowd that was somehow equating Hillary Clinton and Millard Fillmore was not the Oxford Union debating society. But still, elevating Barack Obama beyond the stage of the Children’s Crusade was turning him into the Tough Twee candidate. Why Tough Twee? The crowd had the affect and information base of children, the idealism of the truly protected and insular—the province of child-voters since the beginning of the republic.

***

yeah, that probably didn’t explain much, did it? if i had to take a stab, i would say his point is that our generation has been twee-obsessed, twee meaning cuteness, innocence, the sweetness and playfulness of childhood. and yet now we’re become “tough twee,” for some reason that i don’t think he quite explains but maybe assumes that we’re old enough to feel like we should be political, like we can change things in this country. like we want to be taken seriously.

and mr. mcgeveran doesn’t want to take us seriously.

***

The Lord of the Rings trilogy hit the Twee nail on the head. A great battle is taking place, and by a series of unfortunate circumstances, the little Hobbits have gotten involved.

J.R.R. Tolkien described the race of tiny creatures he invented thusly: They are “unobtrusive.” They “love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-farmed countryside was their favorite haunt. They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill or a hand-loom, though they were skillful with tools.” They are “shy of the Big Folk.” Hobbits were Twee Pioneers. But at least they took on Sauron frontally and beat the crap out of him.

***

i will admit, i do feel a certain affinity with the hobbits. first of all, eating meals every hour of the day is pretty much the best idea i’ve ever heard (SECOND BREAKFAST, ANYONE?!). plus, i hate conflict. and their houses look so cozy! yay hobbits!

and it’s not like the hobbits were simple-minded, necessarily. they just had simple lifestyles.

even though i think we’re attracted to ideas of simplicity (farmer’s markets, etc.), i don’t think our generation has a simple lifestyle. it’s more materialistic, yes, but it’s also more complex. we are INUNDATED. we inundate ourselves. i gorge all day long on bands and celebrity gossip and books and the lives of my friends and yes, even world events, and none of that (ok, maybe the whole perez hilton thing) is empty. my preferences shape me, the world shapes my preferences, so then i shape the world? maybe?

then again, i do feel naive sometimes. but i’m young (ish?!!). that’s when you’re supposed to be naive, right?

and the only way to learn about things is to experience them… and i think people getting involved in the presidential race, feeling *excited* about it, can only be a good thing.

perhaps mr. mcgeveran doesn’t trust our input into the political process. i get the feeling that he believes we’re too educated about indie rock or irony or hipster fashion to have room for anything else, esp. things like foreign policy and our trade deficit.

that leads me to the main question that’s been on my brain (in spite of all of this rambling): what does our generation actually care about? what ARE our values? and how do they translate into politics, into the future of our country?

i know, i know, we aren’t all the same cos we were born in the late 70s-early 80s. i’m not trying to label anyone here. i’m just curious about the FORCE of “us.” where will our values take us in the future? what will the country look like when we’re no longer naive, twee little hobbits?

what will happen when we’re in charge?

LINKS

meet my new hero, the nancy drew of mac laptops!

you guys. check out my new favorite reality show. WOW.

if i ever have kids, i should probably move out of america first. why does our country hate maternity so much?

jonah hill is apparently gonna make a movie of “21 jumpstreet.” i will miss you, johnny depp, but this is an AWESOME idea.

fun food art! yay! i esp. loooove the broccoli poodle.

have you guys heard of “the night of a thousand stevies”? uh, awesome?!! guess where i’ll be a year from now?! with a lace shawl and sequined beret?!

cos we all need a little totoro in our lives

Published by
Sarah
May 13, 2008 in culturelux and squee!. 16 Comments

last night, henri and i watched “my neighbor totoro,” an animated Japanese film directed by hayao miyazaki, who also created “spirited away” (which is probably my favorite animated movie of all time).

if you’ve never seen totoro before, check out the trailer:

while it’s not nearly as complex as “spirited away” (or “princess monoke”), it’s a charming, whimsical little film that is FULL OF SQUEE. seriously, i haven’t squeed this much since i got to hold little emma lewis.

i mean, just LOOK at this picture.

first, that big gray animal is totoro. and he has an umbrella. and whiskers that move, esp. when he is perplexed.

second, notice the little girl (mei) IN A RAINCOAT AND RAINBOOTS!!!!!!!! SHE IS THE CUTEST!!! here is she again, sitting on totoro’s tummy.

honestly, i need nothing more in a film to make me happy. THIS IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED. however, it *would* be nice if i could have my own totoro to snuggle.

i swear, with this kind of squee sensitivity, i should’ve been born in japan. cos you know, they have a culture of cute! that is like, my favorite culture! esp. cos you can combine FOOD with cuteness.

exhibit a: a totoro bento box. tasty AND squee.

seriously though, every time i saw totoro or one of the little soot sprites– oh, you don’t know what a soot sprite is? here you go…

anyway, any time i saw them or little mei, i almost had a SEIZURE OF SQUEE. it helps that the facial expressions in the film are actually well drawn, even though they’re still a little extreme in that anime way sometimes. plus, dakota fanning and her little sister, elle, did the voices of the two sisters (for the american version), and they were marvelous! i highly recommend watching this clip about the voice overs in this movie, just so you can hear and see them working together:

i know, maybe you’re over dakota, but her AND her tiny little sister?!!! they are ADORABLE. GAH.

the funny thing is that, even though all of the voice-over actors are american, they still manage to sound strangely japanese in their delivery. and i don’t mean they have japanese accents, i mean they sound like japanese actors trying to sound american. i can’t really explain it, so henri and i made this short, complete ridiculous video for illustration purposes:

henri’s roar, by the way, is his imitation of totoro. if only he had whiskers…

anyway, not only did the movie make me squee, but it also made me think about the imaginary things i believed in when i was a child. not just, like, the tooth fairy (i was a huge fan), but also the more private, unique ideas in my head.

for example, when i was six or seven, i remember drawing a pirate treasure map of my backyard and marking an “X” in one corner to signify the buried treasure. and then, probably to my parent’s chagrin, i started digging in the general area of the X. because, even though i had *created* the treasure map, i believed that my chances of finding the buried treasure were still pretty good. esp. since this was my yard and no one else could dig in it. that makes sense, right? right.

i also had the sneaking suspicion that certain people could actually fly. they just didn’t want me to know.

i never had an imaginary friend, though. you’d think i would have been surrounded by them, since i was an only child. but i think i just named inanimate objects instead and made them my friends. ha ha ha, HOW SILLY.

what feats of the imagination did you guys enjoy as kids?

i guess, for me, that’s the main allure of the culture of cute. it’s esthetically appealing, of course, but more importantly, it reminds me of being a kid. and when you’re a kid, you see the magic in everything. all possibilities are possible, truly possible, and you are free to run wild with them, hand in hand with a giant, furry, impossibly puffy friend.

not to mention that fact that dust sprites make a dirty apartment seem a heck of a lot cuter.

LINKS

so the new kids are actually gonna have a reunion tour. i don’t know how i feel about this, but you can watch a video of their dance practice here. i have to say, it kinda puts me and erica to shame… so, i guess they still got the right stuff! (har HAAAR)

i still don’t get why SATC premiered in london rather than NYC, but you can see all of the fashion and glam care of jezebel.

audrey tatou is the new, gorgeous, perfect face of coco chanel.

did you know there’s a train station underneath the waldorf astoria?!

continuing the food history trend from yesterday, get a donut education (NOM NOM) from cakespy.

fraggle rock returns!! holla!

i hate tara, but i love amber

Published by
Sarah
May 5, 2008 in (extra)ordinary and culturelux. 19 Comments

this weekend, henri was invited to moderate a Q&A in houston with amber benson, the actress who played “tara” on buffy the vampire slayer. there was a “women in film” event at the rice media center, and she was there to promote her latest movie, “lovers, liars and lunatics,” which she wrote and directed (and acted in).

on one hand, i was pretty excited, cos hello, i was meeting someone who starred in THE BEST SHOW EVER MADE (ok, tied with felicity). on the other hand, well… i kind of *hate* tara. her character is so whiny and meh and I’M SORRY BUT NO ONE CAN REPLACE OZ. NO ONE. but she does have a lovely singing voice, so that’s something.

on the way to the media center, we stopped by sofia’s house to see her growing baby bump!

what’s up, little buttercup?!! everyone always talks about that “motherhood glow” but seriously, sofia is LUMINOUS. she’s thrilled about motherhood, so thrilled that she doesn’t realize there MIGHT be an alien in there. i’m serious. you can see it moving under her skin which is CREEPY. still, she’s so happy, and i’m really happy for her. go powersuite mama!

when we got to the media center and met amber, i realized that i wasn’t nervous at all. which is so cool! like, if had to meet keri russell, i would probably um… ok i just broke out into a sweat THINKING ABOUT IT. needless to say, i would probably give her cause for alarm. but meeting amber was nice and easy, and she and henri and i sat on the floor and ate sandwiches and talked about texas and bands and how sometimes internet fans are a little (or a lot) strange. she’s done all kinds of conventions, including a star trek one in germany (the image of german people speaking kling-on is pretty awesome).

we were supposed to go in and watch the screening, but she said she gets nervous about watching her own films, so we went to dietrich’s and got espresso instead. i did have a moment where i thought, “whoah. i’m having coffee in houston with amber benson!” but overall, it just felt like i was enjoying a sunny day with a new friend. yay!

after the movie was done, michelle, the organizer, introduced henri and amber, and the Q&A began. henri did a great job moderating the questions, and amber was totally funny and easy-going and articulate.

here’s a segment where she talks about financing her film by selling dolls of herself (as tara):

and here she talks about how she broke her leg with the help of her mom and a trashcan full of concrete:

see? she’s really great, yeah? and i think her breezy rapport with henri made the whole session fun and interesting and not a total yawnfest.

then it was time for her to sign stuff for people. here’s a shot of the gallery (look familiar, rice kids?); amber is sitting at the table in the back.

i can’t tell you how nice and cool amber was with every single person in that (long) line. i can’t imagine how draining it would be, to make conversation with total strangers. there was even one girl who drove in from the valley and asked amber to sign a ton of stuff and then asked her to sing a song and amber obliged all of her requests! wow. i have the feeling i would be a really bad celebrity.

henri and i decided to kill time by playing with the student art on display. we are reeeeally good at amusing ourselves, maybe you’ve noticed.

it’s fun to turn that picture sideways– try it by craning yr neck!

let me just say that it was really hard to keep a straight face in this picture. you know, cos skulls are hilarious!

i titled that picture, “just skulkin’ with my crew” on flickr cos i am a comic genius.

TALK TO THE HAND, henri.

i recreated this painting in all seriousness.

henri… did not. in fact, i think he got kinda fresh with the painted lady.

i told henri about the art show my senior year, which featured a portrait of me doing a crazy face by my friend marla. i showed him where the painting had hung, so he made me take a picture and re-create my crazy face. thus, my expression has nothing to do with that actual art piece of… lizards?… and is instead sort of an inside joke which i felt obligated to explain to you.

this is one of my favorites. i think henri looks like he’s in some sort of new wave 80s advertisement.

SHOUT. SHOUT. let it all OOOOUUUUT!

after henri and i had sufficiently molested all of the art, we went to dinner at benjy’s (tasty business!) with amber, michelle and a few other people who were part of the “women in film” thing. at one point, amber and i went to the bathroom together, where we hatched a plan to escape from the rest of the group. amber would pretend like she was tired so that she could be taken back to her hotel, and then henri and i would come and spirit her away!

but first, we had to go to this coffee place in the village called “black walnut” (how long has this been there?!) which has the most heinous menu i have ever seen.

as if comic sans wasn’t bad enough, they had to drop shadows on it?!!!!

we got out of there as quickly as possible, care of amber pretending to fall asleep at the table (ya’ll, she is a REALLY good actress). then it was time to take amber to where else but warren’s!

she instantly fell in love with our favorite divey bar, where no one would ask her for an autograph or try to talk to her about their latest “spec script” (i.e. fan fiction). note the look of happiness in her eyes:

we invited ray and juliet to meet up with us, and ray showed up dressed, in his words, as “an old cuban man.”

juliet pointed out later that henri was v. professional that night, due to amber’s presence. i think she forgot about the “straw” incident.

it’s impossible not to have a great time at warren’s, and by the end of the night, i felt like amber was a new friend rather than a visiting filmmaker/buffy celebrity. it made me feel all squee inside!

we took her up to matt and meredith’s apartment so she could sign meredith’s buffy collection as a surprise.

it says: “to meredith! i was at your awesome apartment! seriously, it’s true! heart, amber, ‘tara.’”

suffice it to say, meredith FREAKED OUT when she got home, which made me super happy.

even matt and meredith’s kitties got some amber love, esp. the cheat. i love this photo, cos it looks like amber is about to deliver swift justice to the cheat for one of his many evil machinations.

there’s part of me that still looks at those pictures and goes, “whoah. what is amber benson doing at matt and meredith’s apartment?” but the rest of me just sees her as amber, my new friend. CHEESY, I KNOW, i know. but i actually miss her! i want to send her a postcard and tell her that i like her!

of course, she probably gets lots of mail from creepy people, so maybe not.

i guess it just goes to show what a great actress amber is… cos even though i can’t stand tara, i am now a totally huge fan of amber.

LINKS

LOOK AT THIS SLEEPY BEAR! LOOOOK!!! HE IS THE CUTEST THING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN!! he is totally sleepy time tea.

dude. OFFICE PRANKS! oh meredith, i wish you still worked next door…

j. found this great site with notes from mom. nothing beats the notes my mom used to leave in my sesame street lunchbox, esp. on the first day of school. p.s. that site is run by some of the ladies from jezebel. holla!

speaking of jezebel, did you guys see this piece in the ny times?

i loooooved this book as a kid. who wouldn’t want to run away and live at the met?!

looks like i’m not the only one who covets the clothes on gossip girl.

how i became a texan (but not a kikker)

Published by
Sarah
April 29, 2008 in culturelux. 16 Comments

dolly parton: backwoods barbie

when my parents and i moved to houston in 1990, my dad *immediately* bought a bumper sticker that read, “i wasn’t born in texas, but i got here as quick as i could!” and slapped it on his truck. i, on the other hand, refused to be labeled as a texan, cos in junior high, being texan meant being a kikker. and for those of you who did not attend bleyl junior high, home of the fighting brahmas, the term kikker was derived from the local country station, KIKK, and described people who wore tight wrangler jeans and cowboy shirts (plus cowboy hats outside of school).

you guys, i came from louisiana. and while we did have country folk and cajuns, we did NOT have kikkers. and there i was, entering public school for the first time, trying to figure out what clothes to wear (i’d been wearing uniforms), desperately hoping to fit in and finding myself in classes with guys who put cases of bubble tape in their back pockets so that it would look like they were sporting chewing tobacco. cos that was COOL.

at the school dances, kris kross would be making me JUMP JUMP when, suddenly, “the dance” by garth brooks would being to play and the cafeteria would fill up with kikkers doing the two-step. as if junior high wasn’t terrifying enough.

thankfully, i survived bleyl without succumbing to the kikker trend, although i did lose one friend to the “suburban country” lifestyle. she stopped speaking to me in the hallway and later joined the drill team, so i guess it wasn’t a huge loss (no offense, katie. you were the only cool silvie).

many, many years later, i find myself in LOVE with texas. hello, i even own a pair of pink cowboy boots! i guess i even consider myself a texan, even though uh you will NEVER catch me in wrangler jeans or with a tin of chew (bubble tape, now that’s a different story). there’s lots of reasons to love living in this state (or, ok, maybe just austin), and i’ll illustrate TWO for you today.

first, the circle country club.

i’ve written about this place several times, but I JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH. this bar has it all: old cowboys, wrinkled ladies in tank tops, cigarette smoke, neon beer signs… heck, it’s basically just two trailers smashed together. where else can you go for karaoke and expect to meet this guy?

this guy and his DOG?!!!!!

the dog, btw, followed him around the bar and would then curl up at his feet every time he sang a song.  is this a louis lamour novel?!!!!!

whenever we perform at the circle CC, i get the feeling that no one else in the bar has ever heard these songs. although we do try to make choices based on the surroundings, like “black velvet.”

i love how this picture makes it look like amber and i are surrounded by adoring fans, just cos greg got on his knees by the stage and waved his hands.

we did have another fan, though. i think he thought we were singing about him!

henri and greg decided to go for a more “classic” number rather than straight up country. although, when you think about it, “total eclipse of the heart” has about as much angst as one of those “i lost my truck, i lost my wife, i lost my job” type of country songs.

here’s a video of their stunning performance:

another awesome thing about the circle CC is the dance floor!!! people, including total strangers, will get up and dance during yr karaoke song!! does that happen at other places?!! oh really? ok, well, does it look like THIS?!!!

check out henri, rocking out by himself in the background.

i like to think we put on a good show for the people of the CCC. or, at the v. least, they have something to talk about at the local diner the next day.

“johnny bobby, you would not BELIEVE the people that showed up last night at the country club. they did some song about good vibrations and kept hollerin’ ‘COME ON COME ON’ and bless my soul, they were a hoot. of course, them city folk are always a bit strange.”

another highlight of the CC are the duets. people are CRAZY for duets, and you can always find a partner, especially if you’re singing an old hymn or a johnny cash song.

greg managed to team up with not one but two customers of the CCC. that’s quite a feat, especially since he holds the microphone like a total pansy.

i love getting to know the “regulars” at the country club, including the guy below, who is kind of the manager/bouncer/guy who hits on underage girls. he’s got an AWESOME voice, check it out in the video after the picture.

the ladies in our group finished off the night with a rousing performance of “lady marmalade” and were rewarded with a round of wine coolers from the bar.

i posed for that picture, then threw away my wine cooler. cos i don’t care how much i love texas, wine coolers are gross.

henri and greg closed down the club with their stirring rendition of “more than words,” which i’m pretty sure even made the dude with the dog tear up.

the next day, erica and i met up with my parents in georgetown for one of the other things i love about texas: small town festivals!

this particular festival celebrates the red poppy, since apparently people in georgetown used to love opium or something. basically, it’s just an excuse to sell kettle corn, crafts and show off antique cars.

my dad looooves checking out old cars.

after looking at this jeep, he turned to me and exclaimed, “sarah! this jeep is older than me!” i couldn’t tell if he was excited about the jeep itself or just about being younger than something.

i decided to make everyone pose by their favorite car. here’s my impression of a country floozy waiting for a hot date to pick her up on the main drag:

mom is OBVIOUSLY a fan of red. VROOOM!!

erica chose this antique that reminded me of something in an old disney cartoon. like, the headlights would be the eyes and it would run on its tires and speak in a goofy voice and toot its horn whenever it sneezed.

besides cars, there were also puppies!!!!!

the animal shelter was sponsoring an adoption day, which meant there lots and lots of opportunities for cuddling and petting.

and what festival would be complete without a moonwalk? even better, a CASTLE MOONWALK?

my dad bought me this super cute wooden owl whistle, cos i went to rice, home of the fighting (read: studying) owls, and he has a secret plan to fill my house with owls by the year 2015 so that i will have to hire him as a caretaker and therefore save him from the boredom of retirement.

then i made mom and dad take a photo on this bench, cos i adore cheesy photo opportunities.

erica and i took one too, but we kinda covered up the flag. don’t let that fool you, though. we are total texas girls… BUT NOT KIKKERS. obviously.

i mean, where else can you stroll down the street and see this:

cowboy hat? check. handlebar mustache? check.

I LOVE TEXAS.*

*this does not mean i’ll be buying one of those bumper stickers though. sorry. there’s only so far a girl can go.

just call me docent deluxe

Published by
Sarah
April 23, 2008 in culturelux and tasty business. 14 Comments

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT

it’s wednesday, you guys know the deal!

so i’ve been taking this class about art museum education, and naturally it has led me to think about what kind of museums i like and which ones make me all zzzz.

today, while having class in the blanton (the art museum on campus), i found myself daydreaming about my fantasy museum… which would, of course, be the Museum of Baked Goods.

here’s an architectural rendering:

this museum would basically be the BEST MUSEUM in the entire world. like, even better than the tate modern.

first of all, the whole place would smell like baking bread, not cos we’d be burning yankee candles but cos there would be ACTUAL BREAD BAKING. basically, i’d like to take the mrs. baird’s factory (road trip ‘01 holla!) and find a way to fit it into one of the galleries. then you could learn about how bread is made and get to eat a slice (with butter!). v. v. educational AND tasty!

there would also be a gallery of pies– pies from around the world, cos culture is V. important. i would probably hire a consultant from house of pies just to make sure i had good representation. and yes the pie would be fresh and edible! i’d probably include some pie-making demonstrations on a daily basis.

but there wouldn’t just be food, there would also be art! paintings and drawings and sculptures of baked goods! it would be so beautiful! i think that shall be called the Thiebaud Wing of the museum.

i, of course, would give tours, which would include such activities as “decorate yr own cupcake” and “name that bread!” in order to reach out to the community, there would also be a monthly lectures series, including topics like “careers in baking in the twenty-first century” and “yeast: it sounds gross, but it’s awesome!” my dad would even be a guest speaker on “beer biscuits: safe for children.”

so, that’s my museum, and i hope you all become VIP members so you can get yr name inscribed on a stone cupcake.

now, tell me what YR fantasy museum would be…

my only request is that yr museum be open on mondays, cos is that annoying or what?

LINKS

pennsylvania primary fallout (with waffles).

i’m probably late on the train here, but have you guys seen the evil face baby? LOVE. (thanks, selina)

so matt sent me this cadbury creme egg commercial about eggs committing some kind of mass suicide. to be honest, it’s kiiiinda creepy.

how have i never seen the CUTE SHOW before? the opening credits include my favorite things: a rainbow, cucpakes, and a kitten with sunglasses!! i think i made this show in my dreams! anyway, check out the (short) episode about squishy face cats. PRECIOUS!

strange lights over phoenix? calling scully and mulder…

gah i love street art.

the role of a lifetime

Published by
Sarah
April 10, 2008 in culturelux. 23 Comments

today, i’d like to play one of my all time favorite celebrity games:

if hollywood made a movie about yr life, who should be cast in the lead role?

now, don’t be lazy and just pick a person who’s really hot or super awesome (seriously, guys, george clooney can’t play ALL of you). and also, try to stick with people who are alive. although, if yr personality happens to bear a resemblance to, say, mae west, go for it… and CALL ME WE HAVE TO HANG OUT.

you don’t, however, need to pick someone who is actually yr age, cos i think that narrows down the possibilities a bit too much. besides, you don’t know if they’re making this movie NOW or in ten years. but hollywood, if you’re paying attention, you REALLY need to get on the ball with this project. why are you wasting time re-making “magnum PI” when you could be producing films about all of the fascinating, supergreat people who frequent this blog? OCEANS OF MATERIAL, folks. OCEANS.

anyway

when i play this game, i try to think of someone who kinda looks like me AND seems like they could accurately portray my *dazzling* personality.

in terms of looks, i think the celebrity i’m most often compared to is rose mcgowan.

we both have big eyes and pale skin, but HELLO I WOULD NEVER DATE MARILYN MANSON. GROSS. still, i can see the resemblance.

i took the liberty of posting an older image of rose, cos i like her pre-plastic surgery face a lot better. sometimes, when random strangers say, “hey! did anyone ever tell you that you look just like rose mcgowan?” i want to reply, “uh, do you mean NOW… or before her, uh, ‘accident’?” cos hello, if they mean now, that’s kind of insulting.

anyway, the point is: sorry, rose, you’re not gonna make the cut.

so i spent all day mulling over auditions (i.e. movies i’ve seen) and checking out resumes (IMDB), and after serious consideration, i’ve decided to offer the part to sarah polley.

now, i realize there will be a lot of tears in beverly hills tonight, but once i explain my reasons, i think you’ll see that sarah is really the *only* person that could play such a complicated, dynamic role.

first, we do soooort of look alike. sarah is pale and has big eyes and sometimes her hair is strawberry blonde.

second, and perhaps most important, i have a history with sarah. we go way back in the business together.

it all began with ramona quimby…

i was one of the zillion girls who totally ADORED ramona quimby, not just cos she was always getting herself into ridiculous scrapes but ALSO cos she had red hair, just like me. it took a special actress to embody ramona’s endearing and zany nature, and sarah polley received my hard-sought seal of approval (made even more incredible by the fact that she DID NOT HAVE RED HAIR. WTF. but we *did* have the same haircut, so that sort of made it ok).

sarah then appeared in a show connected with another of my all time favorite redheads, anne shirley. you guys, this is MAJOR POINTS.

sigh. drew, i don’t *care* that you were in E.T. STOP CALLING ME! you simply CANNOT compete with avonlea.

even though the show didn’t have anne in it at all, i still loved it. i mean, who wouldn’t want to live on prince edward island and wear petticoats and get in trouble for having an overactive imagination?

the bottom line, as you can see, is that sarah and i pretty much grew up together. and i know they say you shouldn’t mix friends with business, but this is MY MOVIE (and a fictional one at that).

plus, according to the times, i can’t really help myself, since sarah and i are practically googlegängers. oooh man, there’s gonna be some crazy hijinks on the set! like, if someone says, “hey, sarah p.!” we will BOTH turn around! oh ha ha HA.

congratulations, sarah!!! (psst do i hear OSCAR BUZZ?)

so, guys, my decision is made. now it’s yr turn. who’s it gonna be?

if you need some advice, let me know. we can totes meet up at the ivy.

LINKS

dude. have you guys seen bjork’s new wanderlust video? uh, wow.

feministing celebrates pants!

oh man, i wish i had remembered this article when i wrote my hip hop entry. it’s practically ABOUT me, considering i am dancer, risking everything to battle on the streets…

this interview with karl lagerfeld is everything i hoped for and MORE. we can all only aspire to be this awesomely cray cray.

 

July 2008
M T W T F S S
« Jun    
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031