Gimme Never Gets

KATY PERRY: Killer Queen - a new fragrance by Katy Perry

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Katy Perry's KatyCats will no doubt roar with delight for her new fragrance Killer Queen. I'll betcha anything it smells like:

Intentionally bedraggled hair buns
Pinterest
Candy floss
Lip gloss
Glitter
Lululemon sweats on the weekend
Milk chocolate
Sitting with your knees up to your chest wearing an enormous sweater that's pulled over your knees
Steaming latte
Gigantic LV bag over the shoulder
Several other bags carried by hand
One Direction
Total hotties
Stickers
Pink
A frilly thing
A one piece with flats
Bubbles
Cupcakes
And texts from your crush.

RIP Cory Monteith 1982 - 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 02:37:00 +0000

As we all know by now, Cory Monteith died Saturday. He was found in his room by staff at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

That's about 20 minutes away from where I live so I went by there today to take a look at a growing memorial to the actor. Since his death his fans have been leaving flowers, notes, photos and candles outside the hotel to express their grief and sadness. While there I took some photos...

I gotta say, I was very moved by what I saw there. There are many bouquets of beautiful flowers laid on the sidewalk just outside the hotel lobby. Some of the bouquets have cards and notes with handwritten messages to Monteith's family, friends and to his memory. There are many pictures of Cory and his girlfriend/costar Lea Michele accompanying the notes left by fans.

I spent some time at the memorial and read most of the cards and notes. They contain some very touching words and heartfelt sentiment from Monteith's fans. Then I stood back and took in the whole scene. I saw people come by to place flower bouquets and pay their respects. No surprise, reporters and camera men were on scene to cover the tragic death of this young guy.

As I stood there I thought about the times I've read or watched interviews with Cory Monteith. Not only did he seem like a totally decent guy, but I was always impressed with his openness about his nearly lifelong battle with addiction. From the age of 12, he said he used drugs and alcohol to cope with difficulty in his life. As he had spent much time in Vancouver, I understand he entered AA at a young age and worked hard to beat his addictions.

I thought about how much he must have suffered the twists and turns of addiction. I thought about what I know about that kind of suffering... how it has affected my friends, how it has invaded my family and caused death... just how it has affected my life and so many others. I thought about all these things.

I walked past Cory Monteith one evening, about a year and half ago. He was jaywalking on Davie Street and then stepped up onto the curb right beside where I was. Our eyes met for a second and I realized it was that guy I had watched so many times on Glee. That was it. No further interaction of any kind. I watched him walk down Davie toward Granville Street in the city's nightclub district. I remember immediately wondering if he was going out drinking or if he was still sober.

Although the city coroner hasn't yet issued a cause of death, there is so much speculation that his death was caused by an overdose. But I suppose it doesn't matter. What does matter though is that there has been the tragic loss of a young man's life, a very talented guy who sang and danced. And we've all done that in front of the bathroom mirror at one time or another, so maybe that's one reason why we related so easily to him.

My hope now is that anyone living with an addiction asks for the help they need to overcome it and regain good health. We have nothing without our health. That's what I've been thinking about for much of the day.

As I write this I'm listening to my Glee CD, "The Power of Madonna". It has recordings from the "Madonna" episode of Glee which I absolutely loved. I mean come on, Sue Sylvester's "Vogue" is sure to go down in ancient history as one of the best things ever!

And, of course, Cory Monteith in his duet mashup with Lea Michele performing Borderline/Open Your Heart. What a great, fun performance they did together. No wonder they fell in love!

In the words of ABBA, "Thank You for The Music", Cory Monteith.

Rest in peace and may time give the gift of healing to your family, friends and fans.

Sean Penn = H(e)RO

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:16:00 +0000

Haiti is still recovering from January 12, 2010 - the dark day on which 300,000 people there died in a devastating earthquake. In its wake, with the help of actor Sean Penn, came the HRO or Haitian Relief Organization.

Fast forward to now and you'll find Sean Penn spending a great deal of his time in Haiti. CBS's 'Person to Person' went to Haiti to profile Penn. It aired last Friday and I loved seeing him using compassion & determination to help Haitians rise from the rubble around them.

Sean Penn lives in Haiti "50% of the time" and his Haitian accommodation is described in the interview as a “plywood cubicle” inside a house with 15-20 of his HRO staff.

His room is a *really* small space - as wide as the arm span of Person to Person journalist, Charlie Rose.

Note the photo ID card hanging on the wall. I'd really like to try it on as I suspect it has magic powers and would automatically grant me access to a time machine set to reliving Madonna's mid-80s heyday. ;-)

That's Sean Penn is his little Haitian room. I can't even imagine how different it likely is from any other dwelling this well-paid actor has found for himself elsewhere. And is it just me or doesn't that autographed 2012 Pin-up calendar on the wall give his room a certain jail cell quality?

Of living in Haiti he says, "the roosters in Haiti don't wait for dawn and so for me the two most popular things are earplugs and Ambien."

I was aware of Sean Penn's involvement in the rebuilding of Haiti, but I didn't know why he is involved.

The story according to Penn goes something like this: his son Hopper suffered a traumatic brain injury. Fortunately he's doing okay today, but Sean Penn witnessed the pain his son was in, and the relief he felt from a morphine drip. Sean Penn wanted to bring a similar kind of relief to Haiti.

He says “civil war”-style medicine was being practiced following the quake. Here's an example: a patient was given an aspirin and then doctors would proceed with a medically-necessary amputation using with a hardware store hacksaw. Oy! Those are Penn's words, not mine.

So, he went about creating the Haitian Relief Organization, J/P HRO.

Sean Penn says, "When you look down a city block of devastation and you see the pain of people and the death, you feel like, 'I can fix this'. Then a chopper ride over the devastated area led him to see “it wasn't about fixing it anymore, it was about helping as much as you could.”

And that was part of the beginning for Sean Penn and his relief organization in Haiti.

When asked if his work in Haiti has given him a chance to exercise some muscles he may not have known he has: “It's all lessons of surfing... I know when I'm in the right position to catch a wave, and I know when I'm not. And I knew I was in a place where I could do something.”

He now has the official government title, Ambassador at Large for Haiti. His most visible public task in Haiti is clearing the rubble from Haiti's national palace.

Of the national palace Penn says, "as an outsider certainly it seemed to be a symbol not only of Haiti's past, but of the devastation, of the fracturedness of the country. So it was time for Haiti to have a real, new start."

A J/P HRO clinic, as seen above, is a very busy place. There is 10-15 babies a week born here. And every month over 8,000 patients are treated. The healthcare services are all free provided by J/P HRO. Penn's team has also created a school, launched a community centre and hired Haitians to build new homes.

Haiti's only golf course is now a temporary housing camp (seen below) for displaced earthquake survivors.

Sean Penn tells Charlie Rose that the HRO's main role is camp management and to advocate on behalf of the camp populations. The camps once had a population 60,000 people. But a great deal of them have been relocated and there is now just over 14,000 people there who still need a permanent home.

Amazing progress, eh? But 14,000 is still a huge number.

In the camp, Penn and Rose also spoke with this woman who was pulled from the rubble and told the TV crew: “I lost two of my children, a son and a daughter.”

So where does all the money come from to do what J/P HRO does?

Penn says, "I can tell you it's millions of dollars of my money. It's what I can do. Money is not even the answer to how to fix this place. Belief in it."

But he says he could be doing more if only there was more donor money.

"Where is the courageous company with any kind of social responsibility that is going to serve both the United States interest and the Haitian human interest by bringing investment to this country, with all its magic possibilities. Where are these companies? Shame on those who aren't giving it a go.”

As his work has progressed he says he's changed too. Sean Penn says Haitians have given him more than he's given them. “They've given me a real proximity to humility. I know what I have to do when I wake up in the morning. And I'm never bored.”

The teenage stoner Sean Penn portrayed in the classic 80s movie 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' is cool, but Sean Penn himself - for all his work in Haiti - is way cooler, don'tcha think?

Go ahead and throw in a comment down below, it'd be nice to know your thoughts about this.

All photos CBS

Kirk Cameron IS a Growing Pain... Right in the Ass!

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:25:00 +0000

Former working actor recites Biblical theory instead of dialogue

I can't believe I had such a huge crush on Kirk Cameron when I was a kid.

I used to glue myself to the TV to watch Growing Pains each week. After the episode was over, I'd walk down to Boots Drug Store and haunt the magazine rack for at least an hour, poring over every single teen publication with even a blurb about Kirk Cameron.

Then the years go by and POOF!.. he's a bigot!

Getting current, remember back in March when Cameron appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight and spewed a bunch of hatred and bullshit about gays and the effort to attain equal marriage rights?

Well, he's kind of at it again. Kirk Cameron now appears in a new video from the National Organization for Marriage. In the video, of course, he only refers to marriage in the context of a man and woman.

WATCH the evil unfold here: http://youtu.be/39WtiYcG9y0

It's amazing to me some of things he says in the video:

“...society and civlization is really held together by the glue of families ... this is where the next generation of human beings are incubated and nurtured and matured in homes, in families.”

“When a man and a woman come together and say 'I do'...”

“I want people to know that there is a way out of wilderness living. There's a way to get off the path that leads us toward seperateness and move us toward togetherness.”

Hey Kirk, what say YOU come out of wilderness living?
How about YOU get off the path of separateness?
Why don't YOU model a move toward togetherness?

He's so self-absorbed in his own narrow, bigotted definition of marriage, family and togetherness that he doesn't even realize that as he talks about those ideas, he's refusing to acknowledge that families are also made up of parents that are mom and dad, mom and mom, dad and dad.

Not to mention all the single parent families out there, with a gay or straight man or woman heading up a family structure that is loving, supportive and challenged everyday... just like any family.

One of the first gay bars I ever went to had a framed poster of Kirk Cameron from his teen idol days, hanging by the pool tables. It was a camp decor choice and quite funny.

That poster is long gone from that bar because smart, compassionate, tolerant people know that eventually, with his hatred and bigotry, he'll hang himself.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

REVIEW: An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer
November 6, 2011, Vancouver's Vogue Theatre

One wonders what it might be like to take one’s honeymoon on a West Coast tour. That’s kinda of what Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer are doing as the pretty much just-married couple landed in Vancouver for An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer at the Vogue Theatre.

One also wonders what exactly to expect from their stage show mixing the talents of a prolific author who inspires a Tumblr about his hair, with a piano-slaying, ukelele-playing singer/songwriter with painted eyebrows.

Anja Weber photo

Let’s just say there was a lot of love going on at the Vogue last night. The love flowed from the stage to the crowd. And that love flowed right back from an enthusiastic audience not shy to cheer and whistle all night long. Palmer labelled us a “fucking fantastic audience” so it must be true.

Neil and Amanda opened with a duet of “Makin’ Whoopie” (off her 2010 release Down Under), a great song to break in everyone to the fun that was to come over the next three hours (they played until about 11:35pm).

It’s plain to see the couple has a lot of fun performing together, letting the audience in on their infectious affection for one another. They have an endearing way of communicating and each seems so comfortable with both their pairing and individuality – they just laughed when Palmer lifted her dress and flashed us her panties. Neil’s response: “Posterity has seen your knickers. Again.” Hers: “When you call them knickers, it’s just not dirty.”

Anja Weber photo

After “Whoopie”, Neil Gaiman read three poems, including one called “Observe The Formalities”. And it went on like that for the whole show… some Neil, then some Amanda, then some more of them together – either singing or sitting in their Golden Girls-ish wicker chairs and answering fan questions like, “Dear Neil, is it hard for you to creatively express character types like pedophiles in your writing, why or why not?” (He answered “No”, by the way.)

Palmer rattled off her influences (Beatles, Beach Boys, Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper) and claimed to recently realize the need to acknowledge another… Judy Blume. With that came a piano song both funny and sad. I’ve never heard anyone sing about Deenie or Margaret’s conversations with God before. It was surprising to me and totally welcomed by the audience.

Anja Weber photo

She also offered a stirring tribute, on her little red ukelele, to Ashlie, a 20-year old-woman who died Saturday at Occupy Vancouver [Gaiman and Palmer had led a contingent of fans to the site earlier that afternoon, following their "ninja gig" at a Gastown shoe store]. When it ended, she said she didn’t know what was going to happen at the local protest site, but expressed her hope that we would go and help them.

On a totally different note, Palmer’s ukelele was also used to fuel “Gaga Palmer Madonna”, an urgent ditty on what defines pop art and whether pop artist Lady Gaga is a “friend or foe”. This song is worth finding on YouTube. It’s a clever, necessary reminder to just “like what you like” and to not take pop too seriously because there’s way more important stuff going on out there. But really, check out the song, it’s hilarious.

The opening act was The Jane Austen Argument, a boy/girl duo from Melbourne – she on the piano, he leading the vocals. Their first number was inspired by his parents who met while playing Dorothy and the Scarecrow in a production of Wizard of Oz. Their third and final song is their new single called “Holes” with lyrics written by Neil Gaiman. A good vibe from them at this, their very first ever gig in Canada. Hearing and seeing them for the first time, they struck me as sounding somewhat Rufus Wainwright-y from the brief, three-song set they performed.

An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer could potentially be retitled Occupy Love. Really. Gaiman & Palmer are seriously at the hip. But it’s pretty adorable and the crowd loved it. Palmer herself told the audience we’d gotten “16 times the amount of lovey-dovey bullshit” between her and Gaiman than any other city on their tour. She attributed it to our water. I attribute it to two inventive artists topping their game with a partnership that produces a rare energy they’re willing to share and enjoy not only with each other, but with their fans too.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:42:00 +0000

SANDRA BULLOCK DONATES
$1 MILLION TO JAPAN

Thereby demonstrating MASS Congeniality

Yesterday Sandra Bullock was photographed on the streets of Manhattan enjoying the first day of spring with her young son Louis, who is downright adorable to the max.

Photo by Marcel Thomas, FilmMagic

But before that - while we were all sleeping last week - Sandra Bullock went and did something amazing and heartfelt... she donated $1 million to Japan disaster relief! Here's the story as reported in the New York Daily News:

Sandra Bullock isn't turning a blind side to those in need in Japan.
The Oscar-winning actress donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami last week, her rep told the Daily News.
"The American Red Cross is extremely grateful for this generous support from Sandra Bullock and her family," the organization said in a statement Thursday. "This contribution is vitally important as the Red Cross works to provide critical assistance and essential relief items in this time of urgent need for so many people in Japan."
Bullock's hefty contribution is the largest known donation to the Red Cross since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake rattled Japan, which consequently triggered a horrifying tsunami and nuclear crisis.
This isn't the first time Bullock has made a generous donation. The actress, 46, gave $1 million to Doctors without Borders to aid earthquake victims in Haiti last year, and donated tens of thousands of dollars to a public school in New Orleans that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Isn't that just the best? I mean, I've done the text donation thing myself to try to help out Japan, but I don't got no one million dollars like Miss Congeniality over there. And to learn that this is not the first time she's been so giving, well, that just warms the cockles, n'est-ce pas?

I wonder if other rich 'n famous types have made donations to Japan, but we just don't know about it yet? I can think of ALOT of well-known others who appear to be in a financial position to be generous with Japan... that's right, Oprah, I'm looking at you. You too, Bill Gates.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:26:00 +0000

DRASTIC PLASTIC

Pete Burns in "Celebrity Plastic Surgery Gone Too Far?"

It's Thanksgiving in the good ol' USA and while Americans carve up the turkey, ABC News brings us celebrities who carve up their faces. And it ain't pretty.

ABC's Cynthia McFadden hosts "Primetime: Celebrity Plastic Surgery Gone Too Far?" and talks to Pete Burns the lead singer for Dead or Alive who hit fame in the mid-80's with the dance club classic "You Spin Me Round".

Burns is also well-known for changing his face over and over and over. Behold a few examples:

Of Pete's ever-changing face, he says, "People redecorate their homes every few years and I see this as no different. Changing my face is like buying a new sofa."

But those photos are quite a sight, n'est-ce pas?

Not sure why, but I am endlessly fascinated by Pete Burns. Something about his unique, ever-changing androgyny has just always totally captivated me. Plus, he's smart, has a powerful singing voice and produces great dance/pop music.

There have been some problems with Pete Burn's penchant for plastic surgery. He recently won a lucrative lawsuit against a London surgeon for botched procedures which left Pete with serious lip trauma...

Pete also says his doctors told him he'd have to have his lips amputated!

I do love Pete Burns, but it's safe to say that his formerly intriguing visage and image, pictured here...

...has become something difficult to understand or appreciate:

In 1989, Dead or Alive had a song called "Baby Don't Say Goodbye" which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart.

Pete Burns wrote the song with lyrics that perhaps foreshadow his plastic surgery path.

The song goes, "I guess you couldn't face the heavy responsibility of looking at my face".

Was Pete Burns singing it to himself?!

In addition to Pete Burns, tonight's show also features interviews with Heidi Montag and the insufferable Janice Dickenson.

And ya just gotta know that somewhere along the way this show will just HAVE to mention and show pictures of the unbelievable Jocelyn Wildenstein.

Celebrity Plastic Surgery Gone Too Far? airs tonight on ABC in Canada and the USA at 10pm ET. Here's the ABC News press release:

With candid and shocking revelations from some of America’s most famous celebrities, ABC News will air an hour-long special anchored by ABC News’ Cynthia McFadden, “Primetime: Celebrity Plastic Surgery Gone Too Far?” on Wednesday, November 24 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET.) on ABC. The program tells the inside story of how plastic surgery changed the world of celebrity forever -- and the price some of these stars have paid -- including the procedures, do’s and don’ts, and the real scoop of who has had what done to their bodies.

On “Primetime: Celebrity Plastic Surgery Gone Too Far?”:

    * “Nightline” Anchor Cynthia McFadden sits down with starlet Heidi Montag and reveals all on her radical revision last year, where she underwent at least 10 cosmetic procedures in a single day.

    * ABC News Correspondent Nick Watt speaks to Pete Burns, an electro-pop rockstar of the 1980’s and the striking, androgynous front man of British band Dead or Alive, who sees plastic surgery as an art form – and himself as the clay.

    * ABC News Correspondent Neal Karlinsky talks to Janice Dickinson, the knockout cover girl with just about every enhancement known to man who says “Everything about me is fake... and I’m perfect.”

    * ABC News Correspondent Chris Connelly looks at “redos” or revision operations where patients again turn to plastic surgery to correct botched jobs.

    * “Nightline’ Contributor Lisa Ling reports on the rising trend of teenagers getting plastic surgery. How young is too young?

Should be very interesting. Are you gonna wait til you're finished eating before you tune in?

All I know is the next TV show I wanna see is, "Celebrity Plastic Surgery Rehab".

Here are some resources to look at if you or someone you know suffers from Body Dysmorphic Disorder:

http://www.ementalhealth.ca/site/ottawa/index.php?m=12&ID=39

http://www.aboutourkids.org/families/disorders_treatments/az_disorder_guide/body_dysmorphic_disorder/support_resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 03:04:00 +0000

OPRAH'S FAVOURITE THINGS
Blood-chilling annual celebration of gluttony

Much ado lately about Oprah's favourite things, but do you know the sinister truth behind it?

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:02:00 +0000

ANNIE LENNOX SAYS GOOD MORNING, AMERICA
Here Comes The SING, Again

This morning on Good Morning America, the divine Annie Lennox returned to North American television screens to grace us with her angelic voice and to continue her admirable commitment to raising awareness of HIV and AIDS through her charity work.

Annie Lennox has long been involved in awareness-raising efforts around HIV/AIDS. In her own words, here’s why: “Several years ago I personally witnessed Nelson Mandela, standing in front of his former prison cell on Robben Island, addressing the world’s press. His message was that the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa was in fact, a genocide. Since that time I resolved to as much as I can to bring attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis."

Her appearance on GMA today included a short chat before she sang “Universal Child” which is a new composition she released last month on October 12.

She also talked about her brand new Christmas album called “A Christmas Cornucopia” released this week on November 15. Her inspiration behind it came from her time spent as a child when she sang in choirs and learned Christmas music at a very young age. This new album includes Annie’s very favourite songs from that time.

“I’ve known these songs, these carols all my life, I’ve sung them since I was little,” says the songwriter and singer of The Holly And The Ivy, Silent Night, The First Noel and other, less-widely-known songs such as Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant, and Lullay Lullay. “ They’re just in me. They’re a huge part of my life. So it’s not an arbitrary selection. Those relationships with those pieces of music were there intrinsically before I approached the recording.”

Annie also talked about a recent trip to Cape Town, South Africa to record with the African Children’s Choir which is featured on her Christmas album.

Annie’s short chat was followed by a beautiful live performance of “Universal Child”. I’m just amazed by her voice. I always have been actually. Sister sings like an angel! And 'Universal Child' is a gorgeous song, too.

Annie Lennox still looks friggin' amazing!. She’s aging very well and very gracefully. What else would we expect from Ms. Lennox? You can see that she is not “investing” in botox or anything like that. And guess what, everybody? She looks great!

Annie made a point of mentioning that all the income she earns from sales of “Universal Child” are paid to her charity, the Annie Lennox Foundation which raises money for projects supporting and educating women and children in Africa with HIV/AIDS. Now THAT’S the Christmas spirit, right?!

In 2007, Annie Lennox’s work was consolidated into the SING campaign. From the SING campaign website:The money raised by SING helps prevent the spread of HIV in South Africa. But the awareness that SING raises in countries all around the world is just as important. One of SING’s aims is to increase global action to support infected and affected women and children, especially in the UK.

Annie lobbies politicians, gives performances and interviews, and speaks at international events about HIV. She uses her unique voice to fight stigma and bring about change.

In 2010, Annie became an official UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, as well as an HIV Ambassador for London and a special envoy for CPA Scotland on HIV.

WHY IS IT CALLED ‘SING’?

When people get together to sing, they become encouraged and inspired. In the words of Nelson Mandela: “Let us use the universal language of music, to sing out our message around the world”. As one of the world’s most renowned singer songwriters, Annie Lennox decided to write an anthem that could be used as a symbol of unity and empowerment, and help spread the message to the world.

In the spring of 2007, she invited 23 of the most internationally acclaimed female artists to record their voices on “SING”. Watch the SING video:

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:23:00 +0000

THE 2010 GEMINI AWARDS
Gemini 25 gala hosted by Glee's Cory Monteith

Last night in Toronto, all the movers and shakers (and shmoozers & fakers?) of the Canadian television industry converged upon the Winter Garden Theatre for the 25th annual Gemini Awards (Gemini 25) celebrating the best of the past year in Canadian television.

As attendees arrived, it’s rather hilarious to note that “dozens of fans” lined the red carpet too. Ok, seriously… “dozens” of fans? Yup, that’s what the Canadian Press reported.

It’s just so funny to me, but I guess that’s Canada for ya. If this were an entertainment awards ceremony in LA, London or Mumbai I’m pretty sure there would be hundreds if not thousands of fans that would turn out for an event like this. But at least the fans at the Gemini's looked like they had fun interacting with Cory Monteith:

Then again, most of the programming on at least two of Canada’s three national TV networks offer American shows in the vast majority of time slots. Yes, I’m looking at you Global and CTV. The CBC isn't guiltless either thanks to their abundance of Ghost Whisperer reruns lately.

So, really then, why should there be any more than “dozens” of fans who show up to see Canadian TV talent that doesn’t get nearly the push and publicity that goes on in other international TV markets.

Gemini 25 was hosted by Cory Monteith, star of ‘Glee’, who was born in Calgary and raised on the west coast in Vancouver. As host, he had a relaxed, easy-going and fun, self-deprecating take on his being chosen to host the Gemini’s.

SIDEBAR: Global TV has a good chat session on their blog with Cory Monteith where he discusses his role as host of Canada’s Gemini Awards.

The first award of the night was for Best Host in a Sports Program. It went to Brian Williams for his coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. I have to agree, he was solid as always.

His win reminded me of a great bit he did on air with NBC’s Brian Williams during the 2010 Olympics which centred on the two national broadcasters from different countries who share the same name. It’s on YouTube, here.

Rick Mercer handed out the award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy to the cast of 22 Minutes. Mercer's segment included fun, clever references to the theme from that old Canadian TV stinker from the 80s, The Littlest Hobo.

Shall I digress for but a moment? Alrighty then, if you insist. Mercer's talk of The Littlest Hobo reminded me how in elementary school I lied to my friend Heather and told her my Dad was the executive producer of The Littlest Hobo. Ha! The reason I did it was because she showed me a photo of what she claimed was a secret room in her house. I guess I felt like I needed to measure up with something equally cool. Goddess knows why I thought “The Littlest Hobo” brought the cool factor. In the end, we both admitted our little white lies.

Back to the Gemini Awards, the trophies for supporting actors in a dramatic series went to Catherine Disher for The Border and to Cle Bennett for his role as a gangster on The Line. During his acceptance speech, Bennett spoke out to real-world gangsters and told his ‘gangsta brothers to put down the guns, take an acting class.’

The Gemini’s for leading actors in a dramatic role went to Caroline Cave for Cra$h & Burn and to Robert Carlyle for Stargate Universe who gave thanks to a fantastic production team and crew in Vancouver. I guess his win proves that you don’t have to be Canadian to win a Gemini, eh. Oddly it took me a second to realize where I know him from, since I don’t watch Stargate Universe. But of course we do all know Carlyle from the Trainspotting and The Full Monty movies to name just a couple of his previous well-known works.

The featured live performance of the night was given by Elvis Costello featuring Feist and Ron Sexsmith. I don't even know what song they did. It was boring.

Nina Dobrev, former star of Degrassi and current co-star on Vampire Diaries appeared at Gemini 25 – looking tres gorge, I might add – to present the Academy’s tribute to Degrassi for its amazing 30 years of storytelling.

There was a terrific video retrospective of Degrassi featuring ancient and recent footage from the show and interview clips with former cast members including Amanda Stepto who played Spike in the 80’s. Spike ruled, and her teenage pregnancy storyline was so ground-breaking at the time.

Somebody put the tribute up on YouTube. The audio quality ain’t the best, but it’s totally worth watching in case you didn’t catch it last night during the telecast awards ;-)

It struck me as kinda weird that Degrassi creator, Linda Schuyler, wasn’t invited up to the stage to receive their achievement award. It would’ve been nice to hear what she had to say about Degrassi.

Somewhere along the way, Grace Park showed up to present an award. She used to act regularly in Canada in such shows as The Border and Battlestar Galactica though is now on the American TV revival of "Hawaii Five-O", which of course co-stars the devastatingly yummy Scott Caan. The fact that she gets to see Scott Caan everyday automatically makes her a bitch ;-)

I kid, I kid. But do I wonder if she was sending a Carol Burnett-inspired message to her Mom by tugging on her ear like that!

CBC's Dragon’s Den was nominated last night and was also the focus of a pre-taped comedy bit featuring hosts of a slew of Canadian TV shows pitching their new business ideas to the Dragon's Den panel.

The bit featured hosts like Hana Gartner from the Fifth Estate; Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy from MTV’s The After Show, and Cheryl Hickey from Entertainment Tonight Canada. Among all their "ideas", there was one fun idea, labelled as the GAYHL (Gay Hockey League). It was of course pitched by Trevor Boris who I always thought was so funny on MuchMusic’s Video on Trial.

Speaking of comedy, the Gemini for Best Writing in a Comedy Series went to Less Than Kind which of course airs on HBO Canada. The show also won for Best Comedy Series.

Geri Hall from 22 Minutes appeared as a presenter. I’m sure she’s a lovely person, but can I just say that she has got to have the MOST annoying voice in the history of Canadian television. It’s worse than Casey from Mr. Dressup. In fact, Geri Hall’s voice even makes Kathy Griffin’s voice sound like angels playing harps beside gentle ocean surf while purring kittens make babies laugh softly.

The Gemini for Best Talk Series went to Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… I’m not surprised his show won. While accepting the award, Costello said he feels “quite Canadian”. He said when he goes out to “the shops” in Vancouver people of all ages tell him they like the show. David Furnish - who is Costello’s executive producer and Elton John’s husband - accepted the award on stage with Costello.

The Gemini Award winner for Best Dramatic Series was… The Tudors! Technically, it won for Season 3 although Season 4 is currently airing on the CBC.

As with all televised Canadian awards shows, when the camera pans the audience, I inevitably wonder, "who are all those people?" Behold...

There is a slew of "after-party" pics on the Gemini's facebook, like the one below, if you feel like gawking ;-)

My fave part of the Gemini's was the Top 25 Canadian TV Shows list over the past 25 years. It's on the web or you can just read it next:

Top 25 FAVE CANADIAN TV SHOW COUNTDOWN

25 The Newsroom

24 The New Music

23 Traders

22 The Nature of Things

21 Cod Co

20 DaVinci’s Inquest

19 Slings & Arrows

18 Made in Canada

17 Wayne and Shuster

16 This Hour Has 22 Minutes

15 North of 60

14 Rick Mercer Report

13 Kids In The Hall

12 Trailer Park Boys

11 Beachcombers

10 The Friendly Giant

9 Corner Gas

8 Being Erica

7 Due South

6 Holmes on Homes

5 Durham County

4 Anne of Green Gables (Megan Follows FTW!)

3 Mr. Dressup (Casey and Finnigan FTW! but I now think Casey looks really creepy with his orange yarn hair and huge red dots on his cheeks - kind of like Stuart on Mad TV)

2 Flashpoint

and the Number 1 fave TV show is...

1 Degrassi

I think Gemini 25 was best summed up by THIS prop and gesture from 22 Minutes' Shaun Majumder:

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:39:00 +0000

Here’s the story, Morning Glory
Nominee: Best Overacting in a Rom-Com

Me and my friend Sooz went to see the new Rachel McAdams movie, “Morning Glory”.

After seeing the trailer - and after having already seen almost every other major release currently in theatres - I thought 'Morning Glory' would be a fairly solid choice for spending a couple hours in the dark.

“Morning Glory” is the story of Becky Fuller, (over)played by Rachel McAdams. Becky is a TV Morning Show producer in New Jersey shooting for stars.

And by "stars", this movie means "The Today Show" since ‘Today’ is widely recognized as the top dog in American network morning shows.

As a matter of fact, 'Today’ is mentioned so often in “Morning Glory” that by the end of the film I was wondering if I was watching a Universal Pictures release since there was such unabashed cross-promotion in the script. (Turns out ‘Morning Glory’ is a Paramount Picture which, I think, is more closely associated with CBS TV properties).

In ‘Morning Glory’, Becky experiences an unexpected career change which places her in New York’s morning TV market. But it's not a change that gets her the ‘Today’ show. Instead, she joins the fictional IBS Network and its morning show, Daybreak.

As I watched, I wondered if the film's writers are aware that “IBS” stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

‘Daybreak’ is suffering terribly in the ratings and is on the verge of cancellation by the network. Enter plucky new-producer Becky, who offers more spunk than a Bel Ami on-location shoot in a Budapest back alley.

Becky turfs one of the two 'Daytime' anchors, both played very well by Diane Keaton and Modern Family’s Ty Burrell. I don’t wanna give *every*thing away, but suffice to say the anchor who gets fired conveniently makes room for Harrison Ford’s character, Mike Pomeroy, to fill the vacancy.

As you might expect, Becky is very challenged in her tough new position in the big city, especially by having to mediate an ego-war waged by Pomeroy and Keaton’s character, Colleen Peck.

Now, normally I really love Rachel McAdams. But I did not love Rachel McAdams in ‘Morning Glory’. Not saying I hated her, but I think she really overplayed Becky Fuller. To the point of charicature.

Think big smiles and an “aww shucks / can-do” attitude. Think bangs that CONSTANTLY fall over the eyes, get stuck in lipstick, and need to be blown up and out of the way while she looks up with an eye roll and a heavy sigh. Think continuous contrived clumsiness that only once actually feels spontaneous and makes you laugh.

Then there’s Harrison Ford. I’ve had a hard time liking him lately because anytime I happen to catch him getting interviewed on Letterman or something like that, he is seriously THEE MOST boring person ever.

But in ‘Morning Glory’ he also unfortunately overplays his character. Ford is Mike Pomeroy, a veteran journalist who is a scathing curmudgeon and just wants to be retired. He has zero patience for the admittedly light news format of network morning shows.

And boy-oh-boy when Mike Pomeroy shows his disdain, does he ever growl like a bear, or a dog, or a mafia don, or like whatever... every single time he recites a line. It’s just too much growling. Way too much growling. It's not acting, it’s just growling.

Diane Keaton on the other hand is quite a delight in the movie. Her character’s quirks are much more nuanced and believable, and often downright funny as in her scene as a sumo wrestler in a ratings stunt.

‘Morning Glory’ also co-stars Jeff Goldblum, John Pankow (who Sooz recognized from ‘Mad About You’) and the very yummy Patrick Wilson as Becky’s love interest.

Interestingly, 'Morning Glory' is produced by JJ Abrams (Alias, Cloverfield, Lost, Star Trek, etc.) which really freaks me out. Mind you, Rachel McAdams and Jennifer Garner are kinda doppelgangers so that explains that.

With 'Morning Glory' I guess I got what I paid for. A predictable romp through cookie-cutter romantic-comedy territory. That’s what Hollywood does – quite often – and often it’s done well, but only marginally well in this particular case.

'Morning Glory’ is a saccharine slice of Hollywood and that’s fine. I just wish the acting had not bothered me like a mosquito buzzing near my ear.

On the soundtrack side of things, the closing credits include a new Natasha Bedingfield song that sounded good. It’s called “Strip Me”.

The trailer for 'Morning Glory' is on YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:44:00 +0000

Madonna does Ellen

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Today’s Ellen Show featured a live interview via satellite with Madonna seated on a chair somewhere in New York City.

Once Ellen recovered from her own rather apparent shock and aww over how pop music's Botox Fox is lookin' these days...

...Madonna set an unusual tone for their chat by letting Ellen and the rest of us know that head lice are running rampant in Madge's home...

That's right. Head lice. Nice.

That aside, the main reason Madonna appeared on Ellen today was to talk about about bullying and teen suicide which seems to be occurring with frightening frequency lately in the U.S.

Many of the recent high-profile suicides have been committed by teenagers who were bullied for being gay.

Madonna spoke about her own feelings as a misfit while growing up. “I can totally relate to the idea of feeling isolated and alienated. I was incredibly, um, lonely as a child, as a teenager and I have to say I never felt like I fit in at school.”

These recent tragic suicides have brought Madonna around once again to acknowledging where much of her public support comes from. “The gay community has been incredibly supportive of me,” she said to Ellen. “I wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for the gay community.”

She told of how her gay ballet teacher took her under her wing and in doing so told her it was good and okay to be different.

Two of Madonna’s children – Lourdes, 14, and Rocco, 10 – have been part of recent conversations in the singer’s home regarding bullying.

"I also have a teenage daughter and I have ongoing discussions with her about this topic,” Madonna said.

Good to hear that Madonna believes she’s in a role that can make a difference with how kids feel about themselves and how kids treat other kids while growing up. “It starts in the home with parents and their relationship with children.”

I agree with Madonna’s opinion on what may bring out the bully in people. She said, “Usually when people are bullying somebody, they’re afraid of something. They’re afraid of the unknown, they’re afraid of something unfamiliar to them.”

Madonna also said something that I think the vast majority of gay people have known forever: “The concept that we are torturing teenagers because they’re gay is … like lynching black people or Hitler exterminating Jews.”

At the risk of being trite, she really bottom lined the best course of action for us all: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Near the end of their chat, Ellen asked Madonna what she’s working on these days. Her response was she’s now directing her second film (despite her unwavering tendency toward producing deadly box office poison) and is “editing it right now.”

As soon as that job is done, Madonna said “I gotta get my butt in the studio and make some more music."

Halle-Berry-Lujah! And while you’re at it, Madge, make another “Ray of Light” wouldya? That one is definitely worth repeating :)

As you'll see in the next pic, to close the interview Madonna announced her intention to revive Voguing and forced Ellen to learn it via satellite ;-)

After Madonna’s appearance, Ellen’s next guest was Kate Walsh from Private Practice. I have no interest in her or that show OR the fact that’s she’s now hawking a new fragrance called “Boyfriend”. I mean really, WhoTF cares that Kate Walsh has a fragrance? What's up with that, Kate? You're neither Sarah Jessica Parker nor Britney, bitch.

But what did interest me with Kate Walsh's appearance was that Ellen brought out four HOT topless dudes to help us viewers believe that this fragrance matters.

Each guy was scented differently - one with Kate's “Boyfriend”, the others with Ben-Gay and Jack Daniels and gross-smelling stuff like that - and Ellen had to sniff each guy to figure out which one was wearing the fragrance.

Cute fun ensued. Purely gratuitous, not to mention filled with hotness. Hope you enjoy these pics of pecs and such...

I wonder if the model in the next photo ever got bullied in school?

Weeeee :-) So anyway, the real point here is that I'm glad to see my Madge and my Ellen taking on a vitally important issue such as the awareness raising and prevention of bullying.

It is important that people with profile use it get people thinking about things that matter. This is literally life and death, so let's all do whatever can to help out the kids.

For resources on bullying and suicide, take a look at:

http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cp/res/bully-eng.aspx

http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids

http://www.dontfeedthebully.com

WATCH Madonna's conversation with Ellen

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:50:00 +0000

GLEE DOES VOGUE
The Power of Madonna

There are not enough superlatives in the world... behold Glee does Vogue:

"Somewhere in the English countryside, in a stately manor home, Madonna is WEEPING!"

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:54:00 +0000

DIXIE CARTER PASSES AWAY
Age 70

Dixie Carter has died and it is heartbreaking news for her fans, of which I am most certainly one. Her character, Julia Sugarbaker, on tv's Designing Women, is one of my favourite tv characters of all time. I find the news of her death incredibly saddening and I'd like to show my respect simply with this clip which is my favourite Dixie Carter performance:

Rest in peace, Dixie. You will be missed.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:07:00 +0000

REVIEW: KIRSTIE ALLEY'S BIG LIFE
Surreality TV's Next Big Hit?

Kirstie Alley's new tv series "Big Life" has premiered on A&E:

I watched it. The show was somewhat inneresting, mildly amusing, occasionally smirk-worthy... but really, the only thing I came away with after watching it was one important question...

In light of what I'll assume is a consistently hefty grocery budget, how on earth does a sporadically working actress have any money left over to pay for an assistant, a stylist and a handyman? And an apprentice assistant?

That's right, Kirstie Alley has an entire team behind her considerable behind. Meet them all here if you dare (care?)

It really does floor me that she has so many minions. Whatever. I do like to see people do well. So, let's consider this next photo of Kirstie Alley as the "before and after" photo to accompany her new TV show... left side represents premiere episode, right side equals finale.

Good luck, Kirstie - and may your new series be a lesson to everyone that it is never good to have something called "Fat Actress" as the most recognizable recent accomplishment on your resume. Or as the most recognizable recent reference point for those who remember your work before your weight issues outweighed your work.

P.S. Is it just me or is it weird that IMDb doesn't list "Big Life" as one of Kirstie Alley's projects?

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:40:00 +0000

MY TOP 10 POP SINGLES OF 2009
Confessions of a pop music junkie

Here's a list of my 2009 Top 10 pop songs - they’re club-ready and remix-friendly and just generally fantastic. Except for #6, this list of songs is comprised exclusively of female vocalists proving that the ladies sang some great tunes in 2009. Away we go:

10. Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson
STANDOUT LYRIC: “You can’t make it feel right when you know that it’s wrong”

Finally, a Kelly song I love again. This one brings me back to the good ol’ days (ie: 2004/2005) when singles from “Breakaway” were EVERYWHERE and for good reason… they were amazing. This single has allowed me to re-fall in love with Ms. Clarkson.

9. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – Zero
STANDOUT LYRIC: “Try and hit the spot, get to know it in the dark”

If Chrissie Hynde and Tori Amos had a love child, she would be Karen O, the singer in Yeah Yeah Yeah’s who kicks a helluva lot of ass. The first time I heard this song I was driving and turned up the radio nearly as loud as it would go.

8. Metric – Help I’m Alive
STANDOUT LYRIC: If you're still alive My regrets are few If my life is mine What shouldn't I do?

Hands down (mine) this is the best single by a Canadian act to make an impact in 2009. I realize it was released in the last week of December of 2008, but its impression was made through 2009 and that’s also when I heard it.
Something about this tune (if not the entire band) reminds me so much of Curve, a band I loved dearly back in the day (early 90’s).
Help I’m Alive contains moments of pop perfection and has balls the same size as any other rock song you put next to it.

7. Halo – Beyonce
STANDOUT LYRIC: Remember those walls I built / Well baby they’re tumbling down / And they didn’t even put up a fight / They didn’t even make a sound

In keeping with how much I was into remixes this year, I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it… which was one of the zillions of club remixes of it. Of course, I’ve also heard the regular album version and love it as well.
Halo is one of those songs that works very well with a beat or without because ultimately it’s all about the song itself and this song has goodness in spades – strong vocal arrangements, solid writing, perfect pop production, so much passion is embedded in every element of the song. To me it sounds like everyone who worked on it was equally in love with it.

6. I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
STANDOUT LYRIC: Jump off that sofa let’s get get UP

Now here’s a pop song that just couldn’t be any more ripe for a remix. But for me, none of the remixes I heard measured up to the album cut – that’s the best version of the song in my book.

This song is about nothing other than going out and having a great time, and sometimes we just need to sing along and dance our asses off to a catchy tune and forget the rest.

SIDEBAR: I also really got my groove on with BEP’s previous single, ‘Boom Boom Pow’ (which was made all the more enjoyable when you realize how huge that song was when POO-rez ST-ilton got his face boom-boom-pow'd by BEP’s manager… ah, good times).

Back to ‘I Gotta Feeling’, it was #1 for 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 – that’s amazing! That’s the 2nd longest period of time that a single has been #1 on the Hot 100. To be clear, there are other songs that have also been #1 for 14 weeks.

Incidentally, the first longest window of time for a song to be #1 on the Hot 100 is 16 weeks and that record is held by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men for ‘One Sweet Day’ (which I still, to this day, cannot believe was such a gigantic hit).

And believe it or not, ‘I Gotta Feeling’ is *still* hanging around on the Canadian Hot 100 pop music chart. It’s number 9 and if you tend to disbelieve that, as I do, the proof is right here

What say we relive that crazy but fun Oprah flashmob episode featuring BEP doing I Gotta Feeling:

5. Therapy – India.Arie
STANDOUT LYRIC: He puts his hand on my lower back / his face in my neck and says something to make me laugh / Makes me forget I was mad

While ‘Therapy’ as a song title pales next to India.Arie’s BEST song title EVER, “I Am Not My Hair”, ‘Therapy’ is a truly fabulous song and I believe this song is what sunshine sounds like. It’s a beautiful gem that deserves to get passed along for generations to come. 'Therapy' comes with a wonderful video:

4. Bad Romance – Lady Gaga
STANDOUT LYRIC: I want your love

No doubt, 2009 was the year of the Gaga. I do dig the Gaga quite a lot. But I have to get something off my implants: the truth is, I loathe this artist’s stage name. I just think it’s utterly and absolutely ridiculous. BUT… and that’s a big ‘but’, I’m very willing to overlook the name because her music, persona and politics are all damn hot.

And (most of) Gaga’s performances are smokin’ hot, too. While there’s been a couple of televised live performances which have left me wondering “wtf?” - such as the MTV Video Music Awards and the American Music Awards - there are a couple of others that have been fantastic like her performance of ‘Poker Face’ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and her live appearance on the MuchMusic Video Awards.

And aside from all of those, I did see Gaga live in concert in December 2009 and was stunned by how good she is and how fun she is to watch in concert – her live singing voice is strong and never falters, her costumes are epic and her obvious affection for her fans is plainly evident in her desire to talk to the audience at length during the show.

For me, any artist’s willingness to chat with the crowd goes a long way toward me loving the live concert experience. It’s precisely that reason which made me not have as much fun as I’d hoped at Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour because while she was slick, she performed like a well-programmed robot without much regard for the 60,000 actual people who paid handsomely to see her first ever show in Vancouver.

Back to Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, this song just rules. It’s great pop material, it’s ridiculously danceable and sing-along-to'able, and I love the octave in which she sings the verses.

Not only that, but the Bad Romance video will surely go down as one of the most innovative of the 00’s:

3. Battlefield – Jordin Sparks
STANDOUT LYRIC: Better go and get your armour

One of the main reasons I love this song is perfectly stated by Jordin Sparks herself in an interview: "What grabbed me at first actually was the fact it was so big. The melody starts off very soft but then it gets massive and kinda angsty.” You can read the rest of that particular interview here: http://www.digitalspy.com/music/interviews/a157414/jordin-sparks.html

The other reason I love this song is pretty much the same reason I’ve loved other Jordin Sparks singles. It’s her voice. Plain and simple. When Jordin belts it out, I’ve no doubt the Richter scale registers a result. Oh and btw, the Bimbo Jones remix of ‘Battlefield’ is ridiculously excellent and puts exactly the appropriate energy behind Sparks’s vocal. Voila la vid:

2. Bulletproof – La Roux
STANDOUT LYRIC: Tick tick tick tick on the watch and life's too short for me to stop, oh baby, your time is running out.

Anyone who knows me knows that sometimes it seems like I think we're all still living the 80s. And songs like this are the reason why. ‘Bulletproof’ pays an authentic kind of genre homage that you don’t hear very often – it’s true, accurate and just so fun. If you’ve ever liked the sound of Yaz, early Depeche Mode, or Erasure, then you’ll love La Roux.

Bulletproof debuted at #1 in the UK singles chart and, imho, is the best song on their debut album. Can’t figure out why it didn’t climb higher than 45 on the Canadian Hot 100, though. If you’re looking for the right remix of ‘Bulletproof’, without question it is the Tiborg Club Remix
Lastly, I love Eleanor Jackson’s androgyny which is on fine display in the ‘Bulletproof’ video:

1. When Love Takes Over – David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland
STANDOUT LYRIC: Cause I can feel it coming over me, I wouldn’t stop it if I could

The first time I heard this song was late one night in the Spring of 2009... I was laying in bed, trying to get to sleep. I fell fast in love with it. It gave me butterflies in my stomach!

Kelly Rowland’s vocal performance surely must be the very best of the year from any pop artist and she and David Guetta deserve a Grammy award for this amazing single.

Who knew how amazing Rowland’s voice all those years ago in Destiny’s Child or even in her previous solo work? Her ability to transform the words “Yeah”, “I’ll” and “Tonight” is just astonishing to me. She absolutely has the voice of an angel.

Me and my peeps pronounced When Love Takes Over as "The Song of the Summer"... and because I cannot *ever* seem get enough of it, it is also the song of the year for me.

The opening piano melody sounds A LOT like Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’, but it ain’t actually taken from that song.

As for remixes, when you consider it comes from David Guetta who is one of the top DJ’s working right now, I’m truly stunned that there isn’t a knock-‘em-dead remix of this song. It is a CLUB. EFFING. ANTHEM. Weird, eh? It’s also too bad the video isn’t as stellar as the recording itself, but it’ll have to do:

P.S. WhenTF did Kelly Rowland start looking like a young Donna Summer?

A FEW ADDED NOTES:
Of all these 10 artists, I got to see two of them live in 2009. Namely, Metric and Lady Gaga. I do wish I’d seen Beyonce and La Roux when they came to Vancouver, but La Roux was sold right the fuck out by the time I heard about it and I couldn’t get tickets no matter how hard I tried. As for Beyonce, I just totally missed the boat on that one.

2009 FAVE LONG-LOST REDISCOVERY: Mory Kante – Yeke Yeke (Afro Acid Remix)

2009 Special Mentions:
Kurd Maverick & Sam Obernik – Love Emergency
Jason DeRulo – Whatcha Say
Glee - for making me love two songs I previously disliked:
My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
Alicia Keys
Imogen Heap
And lastly, the music of MJ – I re-loved all his music this year.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:18:00 +0000

IT'S COMPLICATED
Yet it isn't... go see this movie!

Christmas Day 2009 is no different than any other year in terms having lots of tantalizing new movies on offer... the cinema beckons us as does ostentatiousness beckon the Haus of Gaga.

Equally, last night me and muh fam damily couldn’t resist the appeal of going out to see It’s Complicated the new film starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. The first thing I’ll say is I love, love, LOVED this movie. It’s really terrific.

It’s a comedy and a love story with a lot of heart, not to mention an objective to show how hearts and minds work, specifically the hearts and minds of those who are divorced.

It’s Complicated is the story of Jane and Jake Adler (Meryl Streep and Alex Baldwin, respectively) who have been divorced for 10 years after having been married for 19. They share two daughters and a son. Jane is single while Jake is married to Agnes, the much younger woman with whom he had an affair and for whom he left Kate.

The Adler family is brought together in New York City for Jane and Jake’s sons graduation from college. After bumping into each other in their hotel lounge, Jane and Jake get to talking, get to drinking and dancing, and - before anyone knows it - get to jumping into the sack together and embarking on an affair.

The family returns to their home town (a beautifully portrayed Santa Barbara, California) and thus begins the “complicated” path Jane and Jake find themselves on. Jake has realized he never fell out of love with his ex-wife and wants her back, while Jane is enjoying their revisit but isn’t so sure what it all means.

Meanwhile, an architect named Adam (played by Steve Martin who does well here with a fairly bland character), who is working on Jane’s home renovation project, takes a shine to her and they pursue some extra-curricular “activities” together, further complicating Jane's situation with Jake.

The performances in It’s Complicated are absolutely excellent. As always, Meryl Streep hits nothing but perfect notes as Kate.

Remember, this movie is a comedy and as Streep has proven time and time again (The Devil Wears Prada, Postcards From The Edge, Julie & Julia) she is as much a master of comedy performance as she is of serious drama (Kramer vs. Kramer, Doubt, Silkwood).

Not to mention that Meryl Streep can accurately and believably portray pretty much any accent she tries… one day I’d like to hear her do a thick Scottish brogue. I digress… Meryl Streep can do no wrong as an actor, in my eyes. And doesn’t it just seem like she’s been in about a zillion movies lately? A very prolific actor she is.

Her performance in It's Complicated as Jane Adler is the kind that is just a pure pleasure to watch. There’s nothing to prevent you from wanting to climb inside Jane’s life and experience it with her – the second guessing of the end of her marriage, the joy she derives from her post-divorce entrepreneurial success, the devotion to her kids, the authentic laughing fits among she and her gal pals… it’s all good because Meryl Streep is just such a natural performer and truly a pleasure to watch on the screen.

Alec Baldwin is also very fun in his role. Although his character Jake is a self-centred adulterer, he’s also an open book and totally willing to show his own genuine surprise, an authentic caught-off-guard quality about wanting his ex-wife back. Jake is flirtatious, mischievous and charming.

And together, dare I say it, Baldwin and Streep are sexy. It’s not often in Hollywood a woman who has just turned 60 is given a role where she can be as sexy as all get out, but like everything, Streep pulls it off without flaw.

All in all, I really loved It’s Complicated. I must admit, it was an interesting feeling to watch this movie – about a divorced woman and mother of three – with two of my siblings and our mother because our family too is the “product” of my parents divorce when us kids were very young. It was not at all uncomfortable for me to see this particular story play out on the movie screen. Mayhaps it just goes to show how easy it is for anyone to relate to and enjoy It’s Complicated. The movie is just plain great storytelling.

And on a related note, the movie made me recall how beautiful some parts of California are - such as Santa Barbara where this film’s story is situated. Kinda makes me wanna go back for a loooooong visit :)

The sole unfortunate quality of it though is that it shares the name of that horrible Denise Richards’ reality tv show “It’s Complicated” which inexplicably found a home on E! for two seasons. Thankfully it’s no longer airing here in the Great White North.

Last thing I wanna say about It's Complicated (the *film*) is that while I was watching it my mind occasionally flashed to another film, Something’s Gotta Give, because I kept noticing strong reminders of the storyline from that film – another one which I love and have seen several times.

Turns out that familiarity occurred for a reason which somehow escaped me in the marketing of It’s Complicated… it’s written and directed by Nancy Myers (also 60 years old) who not only is responsible for Something's Gotta Give (2003) but also other great films about likeable women and their relationships such as Private Benjamin (1980) and Baby Boom (1987).

It’s Complicated is actually very simple after all, simple to enjoy and simple to recommend as a must-see for this holiday season and beyond.

Here's the trailer to whet your appetite:

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:17:00 +0000

BRITTANY MURPHY DIES AT 32
Cardiac arrest is cause of death

A shock this morning as reports circulate of the death of actress Brittany Murphy, 32. TMZ has the still developing story of Murphy's early morning death today:

Brittany Murphy died early this morning after she went into full cardiac arrest and could not be revived, multiple sources tell TMZ. She was 32. A 911 call was made at 8:00 AM from a home in Los Angeles that is listed as belonging to her husband, Simon Monjack, the Los Angeles City Fire Department tells TMZ. We're told Murphy was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Murphy starred in such films as "Clueless," "8 Mile," and "Don't Say a Word." (tmz)

This is just really sad news today, and it certainly reinforces 2009 in my mind as a particularly notable year for entertainers who have lost their lives.

First time I saw Brittany Murphy was in the 90s classic "Clueless", but my favourite role she played was Alex in 8 Mile.

Aside from acting though, I friggin' LOVED "Faster Kill Pussycat", the club single she released a few years ago (2006, I think?) with Paul Oakenfold. Damn we used to rawk out to this one on the dancefloor... good times :)

This video clip of the song features clips from one of my all-time fave cult-films "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" directed by the great Russ Meyers.

Thank you Brittany for leaving behind something everyone can enjoy forever!

My heart goes out to her family and friends and loved ones... may Brittany Murphy be in peace.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:20:00 +0000

'Extract' some Hollywood goodness
Unless you hate good times, go see this movie

Somehow, I hadn't heard too much about the new movie EXTRACT until Jason Bateman was on Late Show with David Letterman last week.

He's the star of the movie and certainly was on Letterman's show to promote his latest film (release date: Fri Sept 4). Bateman is totally classic story-teller. See for yourself:

Back to EXTRACT, we went to see it on Labour Day and can I just start by saying that if you hate laughing, skip this movie.

Directed by Mike Judge (Beavis & Butthead, Office Space), EXTRACT is great big 'ol slice of fun at the movies the movies with countless laugh-your-head-off moments thanks to a script that practically sparkles with hilariously everyday dialogue enlivened by a nearly perfect cast of actors who all possess the ability to fire off their lines with just the right amount of bang.

Jason Bateman is Joel, owner of "Reynolds Extract" who is thirsty for relief of his sexual drought shared with his wife Suzie, played by the understated and still-underappreciated (she should be a household name by now) Kristen Wiig (currently of Saturday Night Live).

To make matters worse, a hot new temp (Family Guy's Mila Kunis) at Joel's office has him realizing he's starting to get a wandering eye.

Joel complains to his bartender-buddy Dean - played by Ben Affleck with longer, wavy-ish hair and a full-beard making him semi-unrecognizable - about his sexless marriage.

Dean concocts a ridiculous scheme to hire a gigolo he knows named Brad played perfectly by Vancouver's Dustin Milligan.

Brad's "V8-slap-to-the-forehead" dumbass-ness is a far cry from Milligan's 'Ethan' character on last year's first season of 90210.

And Milligan best be careful because his adroit pursuit of portraying an utter moron with convincing hilarity could pigeon hole him as the hot himbo going into the next decade. But I have a feeling he's too bright to let that happen (a recent article helped me draw that conclusion - to read it, go here).

Dean's scheme calls for Joel to "hire" Brad as the new pool cleaner, but actually he'll attempt to seduce Suzie. If he succeeds, and Suzie has an affair, then according to Dean, Joel will be in the perfect position to have his own affair with Cindy the hot temp. Thanks to a semi-unitentional ingestion of horse tranquilizer, Joel finds himself agreeing to go ahead with the scheme.

EXTRACT is very, very funny as it follows both the painful reality of a tanking marriage and is quite keenly balanced by a secondary story line involving Joel's company with its yappy employees who become disgruntled upon learing of Joel's plans to possibly sell his company.

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the EXTRACT trailer:

Even though I regularly watch Family Guy, I need to give myself a bit of a "V8 slap-to-the-forehead" because somehow... somehow... I just didn't realize until the end of the film that the gorgeous actress playing the hot temp Cindy was Mila Kunis who voices Meg Griffin on Family Guy.

It's just so hilarious to me that a character like Meg is voiced by such a lovely young lady. She's a great choice for EXTRACT.

Here she was, on the set of EXTRACT... love her T-shirt:

Jason Bateman continues his adroit ascent to becoming one of Hollywood's funniest leading men. From Arrested Development to State of Play to Extract, even just the past few years or so of his work shows us he is one damn funny guy.

And he's been consistently working with superb material to showcase his talent.

Looking back to Bateman's role as Derek on TV's Silver Spoons in the 80's, I do think now (and I thought it then) that he had an edge and a certain "Je ne SASS quoi" that has allowed him to appeal on TV and movie screens for quite a long time now. Tu d'accord?

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:41:00 +0000

PLEASE DO(n't) STOP THE MUSIC
Charo Say, Charo Saw, Charo Ma Coo Sa

It figures that the ONE year I would skip watching homophobe Jerry Lewis’ annual telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association would be the same year Charo appears to let us see her do her own special brand of justice to a great Rhianna song (which itself was made great by borrowing from one of Michael Jackson's greatest songs).

Have y’all seen this yet? I have no words…

Kootchy-kootchy-koo!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:44:00 +0000

HOCKEY IS #1 WITH CANADIANS
Summer's here, but ice is the focus

It makes no nevermind that a heat wave has been felt right across the land, and that very warm summer-style weather has been enjoyed a little earlier than usual this year. Nope, makes no difference at all because Canadians are still All. About. The. Hockey.

From the Canadian Press, here's the latest Top 10 TV ratings and, natch, the Stanley Cup finals top the list.

Here are the top 10 English television programs in Canada, with viewer numbers, for the week of May 25-31 according to BBM Nielsen Media Research:

1 Stanley Cup Finals (CBC, Saturday-Sunday)—1,803,000

2 So You Think You Can Dance 5 (CTV, Wednesday)—1,544,000

3 NHL Playoffs (CBC, Tuesday-Wednesday)—1,398,000

4 So You Think You Can Dance 5 (CTV, Thursday)—1,374,000

5 The Mentalist (CTV, Tuesday)—1,182,000

6 Bones (Global, Monday)—1,178,000

7 NCIS (Global, Tuesday)—1,127,000

8 Two and a Half Men (CTV, Monday)—1,122,000

9 Criminal Minds (CTV, Wednesday)—1,107,000

10 CTV Evening News (CTV, Monday-Friday)—1,097,000

As the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins prepare for a death battle today in the NHL, I'm sure the next time we see the Top 10 shows in Canada there will be ZERO change in what's on top.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:56:00 +0000

HAPPY WORLD OCEANS DAY
Wave of jubilation

As declared earlier this year by the United Nations, June 8 is World Oceans Day.

What are you doing to help keep oceans clean? If you litter, just knock it off. And don't butt out your cigarettes ANYWHERE other than an ashtray (or better yet, just don't smoke). Cigarette butts are the #1 most common litter item found on Canadian shorelines (followed by plastic bags and food wrappers).

If you use chemical cleaning products at home or work, stop it! Because when those products go down your drain, they go straight into the ocean and poison fragile marine environments and ecosystems. Human life depends on healthy oceans so do what you can to preserve ocean health.

I'm kinda thrilled that Canadians thought up the whole World Oceans Day thing. Here's what it's all about, from The Ocean Project:

The concept for World Oceans Day was proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then. Official designation by the U.N. is a significant step in conserving and protecting our world's ocean.

World Oceans Day provides an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea. The world's oceans:

*Generate most of the oxygen we breathe

*Help feed us

*Regulate our climate

*Clean the water we drink

*Offer us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines

*Provides limitless inspiration!

Yet for too long, human society has taken the world's ocean for granted. It's up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations. World Oceans Day allows us to:

Change perspective - encourage individuals to think about what the ocean means to them and what it has to offer all of us with hopes of conserving it for present and the future generations.

Learn - discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.

Change our ways - we are all connected to the ocean! By taking care of your backyard, you are acting as a caretaker of our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will greatly benefit our blue planet.

Celebrate - whether you live inland or on the coast we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean, and then organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.

Random Ocean Item: off the top of my head, the only song from the 80's I can think of that mentions the ocean is Ocean Blue by ABC. Go here to relive the joy that is ABC: Ocean Blue

Wondering what celebrities are up to help promote World Oceans Day? GO HERE for sexy evidence!

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:53:00 +0000

PRISON BREAK RETURNS (AGAIN? STILL?)
Is Wentworth Miller reason enough to tune in?

For anyone who is still a fan of Prison Break, TGIF is about to take on a whole new meaning.

Prison Break comes back to TV for a new season this Friday night (April 17) and will show on that night thereafter.

I'm hangin' in there, but just barely. After the extremely intriguing early days of this series, it all got to be a bit much when the focus turned to Panama.

Since then, I'm watching it mostly only because it's a case of "I've watched it this long, I may as well see how it ends".

And also because Wentworth Miller is, quite simply, a whole wide world of deee-lish!

That said, it's entirely possible that the following video is way more entertaining than Prison Break will be on Friday night:

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:30:00 +0000

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO DESERVE THIS?
Pet Shop Boys receive odd request from PETA

There's quite a hilarious story coming from the Pet Shop Boys today.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) sent a letter to Neil Tennant & Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys with a request they officially change their name to Rescue Shelter Boys.

Sounds like yet another in a long list of creative, guerilla tactics employed by PETA to get folks rethinking the ways humans interact with our friends from kingdom animalia.

But despite the urgency and significance of the PETA request, Pet Shop Boys didn't take long to ponder the unusual suggestion.

Check this out, it's from the BBC

Pop group Pet Shop Boys have revealed they have turned down a request by animal rights group Peta to rename themselves the Rescue Shelter Boys.

"Peta Europe has written to Pet Shop Boys with a request they are unable to agree to," reads a post on the band's official website.

But the band admits the request "raises an issue worth thinking about".

Peta's letter requests the name change because of the cruelty it alleges takes place in the pet trade.

If the band were to agree to the name change, it continues, it would "encourage your millions of fans to consider giving a home to an abandoned or unwanted animal from an animal shelter".

In her letter, Peta's special projects manager Yvonne Taylor admits that her request "may at first seem bizarre".

It goes on to list a series of criticisms against the way pet shops obtain, maintain and house their animals.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe were inspired to call themselves the Pet Shop Boys by friends who worked in a pet shop in west London.

Originally named West End, the electronic pop duo won a Brit award for their outstanding contribution to music earlier this year.

The group - whose hits include West End Girls, Heart and It's A Sin - released Yes, their 10th studio album, last month.

HA! Love it. PETA has a very unique way of getting attention. And I appreciate Pet Shop Boys decency in acknowledging the issue raised by PETA's query.

It'll never ever happen, but you gotta give props to PETA for having the cajones.

Bee-tee-double-u, have you heard/seen the new Pet Shop Boys single, Love Etc.? It's from their new album "Yes" and ya know, it's not too shabby at all.

noreply@blogger.com (Kentology) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:15:00 +0000

U-F-Ok
Monsters vs. Aliens = Good vs. Times

What better way to spend Thank Goddess It’s GOOD Friday than a matinee of Monsters vs. Aliens 3D.

I’ve been kinda dying to see this movie since it came out a couple weeks ago, so this afternoon Me and M-dub went down to the old Paramount to check it oot.

The film has a great cast which had me looking forward to the voice work; Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett & Hugh Laurie voice the four main characters. But it wasn’t until after the film that I also realized my lover Paul Rudd is in it, too! He voices Derek, a self-absorbed TV anchorman wedded to Susan at the film’s opening.

Monsters vs. Aliens follows the classic good vs. evil theme and is teeming with imaginative animated effects and clever dialogue. There’s quite a good amount of LOL-worthy scenes, especially Stephen Colbert’s synthesizer-playing U.S. president who gets down with his bad self in a hilarious music sequence set to Harold Faltermeyer’s gem Axel F.

Another great, funny scene is with the high school kids on a date, making out in the front seat of a car, the boy portrayed as a jock – a gymnast to be exact – with a personalized license plate which reads GYM-NASTY who would rather sing along to an old Journey tune on the radio than get hot n’ heavy with his girl.

Despite laughs and wit, me and M-dub later agreed that Monsters vs. Aliens is forgettable.

That sentiment doesn't result from a lack of enjoyment in watching this film. The movie is quite good, and it’s a whole lotta fun to watch while it’s on the screen in front of you (playing out in Intel’s gorgeous InTru3D technology).

But as soon as it's over, so is the feeling generated by watching it. Methinx it just kinda lacked some depth, some heart, some relatable elements that let you connect on an emotional level.

Movies like Shrek, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles… all those films live in my memory as among the greatest animated films I’ve ever seen. And it’s not just the pleasure of the creativity of those films I recall, but also the lasting feeling I have from having basically fallen in love with those films when I first watched them.

As for Monsters vs. Aliens, I can definitely say that my favourite character is B.O.B. voiced by Seth Rogen. B.O.B. is just so funny, so cute, so totally dumb... ya can't help but love him. He's described in the film as 'goop that somehow gained consciousness', a description portrayed perfectly hilarious by Seth Rogen.

We were interested to note in the end credits something I’ve never seen before... which was Dreamworks (the studio which produced the film) preferred processor is Intel. I think the credits also included that HP is the preferred hardware or something like that, but I could be wrong on the specifics of that one.

Overall, Monsters vs. Aliens is a good film and well-worth seeing, but for me it’s already come and gone and I’m on to the next one.

Which in this case I think will be “Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”, coming out this Fall. Seriously, this move looks GREAT! Check out the trailer:

Gimme Never Gets

KATY PERRY: Killer Queen - a new fragrance by Katy Perry

RIP Cory Monteith 1982 - 2013

Sean Penn = H(e)RO

Kirk Cameron IS a Growing Pain... Right in the Ass!

REVIEW: An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer November 6, 2011, Vancouver's Vogue Theatre

REVIEW: An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer
November 6, 2011, Vancouver's Vogue Theatre