THE INSITER

Top Ten Things Longer Than Kim Kardashian's Marriage

2011-11-01T21:41:00.001-04:00

The top twitter trending topic: It's the hashtag: #thingslongerthankimsmarriage. Watch and enjoy.

Things that lasted longer than Kim Kardashian's wedding

2011-10-31T22:08:00.003-04:00

Here's a link to the video of the top things list:

Things that lasted longer than Kim’s wedding: a college trimester, one season of one of the Kardashian’s many reality shows, the uprising Libya....need we go on? This phrase is the number one trending topic on Twitter. My favorite thing that lasted longer: the line for Halloween candy outside of Casey Anthony's house.

Happier times?

We had a feeling it wouldn’t last but 72 days? Really? The celebrity gossip stratosphere exploded today with news that the famous for being famous Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from basketball player Kris Humphries after their much publicized wedding that reportedly earned $18 million for the couple. Yeah they sold the film rights to E! Entertainment and the photo rights to People. We could overcome the fact that the wedding special was filled with product placement and their wedding was most likely paid for by various sponsors just for the publicity to be a part of the biggest wedding since the Royal Wedding. But they were really in love, right?

The quickie divorce has left us all assuming was all an orchestrated cash cow to make money off of Kim’s perpetual fifteen minutes of fame. I am willing to admit that I do like the Kardashians. I love their fashion sense, I am entertained by their willingness to put their lives out there with no holds barred, and admire their business savviness.

Five years ago, Kim Kardashian was relatively unknown by the public but she is now considered an A list celebrity to the dismay of some. The family empire took in $65 million last year and probably made more this year with the addition of their new clothing at Sears, Kris Jenner’s upcoming book “Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashian” which will be released (surpise, surprise) tomorrow, and the heavily sponsored wedding special.

The million dollar sham

The family seemed more “real” and grounded in the first season of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians". The girls wore jeans and tops, actually worked in their Calabasas store named Dash, did their own makeup and most shocking of all, you would sometimes see them on camera wearing no makeup. Since then their explosion of wealth and fame and penchant for glamour is quite evident when you watch the newer seasons. Their makeup and hair are always professionally done, sporting the latest designer clothes, only step into the stores for a publicity shot and their modest home from the first season has been replaced with a big mansion while the three sisters each have their own homes.

Happy Halloween: Filing for divorce papers

Upon the breaking divorce news, the majority of the people online said they knew it was coming but were surprised it ended so abruptly. The marriage was called a sham, publicity stunt and an arrangement. I must admit that while I do watch their show and like the girls, I was indeed skeptical of the marriage and thought it was another chapter in her “celebreality” life. The 4 hour wedding special just aired in 2 parts on October 9^th and 10^th making the union seem particularly short for those who watched it. As a matter of fact, it just aired yesterday. Today’s divorce filing was an icing on the cake for my suspicions.

I predict the public backlash over this is the beginning of the end of the Kardashians’ fifteen minutes of fame. Many of their fans will see the reality show for the scripted show it really is. The wasted time, money and coverage giving to this joke of a wedding will serve as a lesson. We were duped.

Will ABC's new drama "Revenge" suffer "Prison Break" fate?

2011-10-27T19:49:00.002-04:00

The cast of "Revenge"

ABC’s new drama “Revenge”, which airs on Wednesdays at 10pm, is about Amanda Clarke who takes on the false identity of Emily Thorne and moves to the Hamptons to exact revenge on the people responsible for destroying her family. As a little girl, her father was accused of treason and terrorism and sent to jail where he died.

While the initial premise is scandalous and very entertaining, I wonder how long can the show sustain before it suffers the fate of the former Fox TV show “Prison Break”? I enjoyed watching the first few episodes but I wondered what is going to happen to the show after they break out of prison? How long can keep this up? By the end of the second season, the main characters who escaped in the first season finale went to Panama where they were put back in prison. The original focus of the show had been resolved and the subsequent plots felt like a rehashing of what had once made it great.

“Revenge” makes me wonder how many shows she can go through while getting her revenge before she runs out of enemies. After the first season, the conspirators against her father should have met their fate but what will happen in the second season? Will the offspring of Madeline Stowe’s character come back to haunt Emily or will Emily decide to take out the whole Hamptons for their lifestyle of extravagance and devotion to the social hierarchy.

Another recent show whose plot revolved around a clear goal or premise and lost viewer ship or was cancelled after that goal was fulfilled was ABC’s “Flashforward”. The show that was based on a 1999 science-fiction novel of the same name had a brilliant first episode in which the entire world had a vision of their lives at a specific moment in time 6 months into the future on April 29, 2010.

The show then explored how people dealt with this revelation and searched for answers as to why or how this happened. Almost halfway into the season, the quality of the show suffered as it involved too many sub-plots, the audience learned that the characters were able to change their futures thus detracting the intrigue as it no longer mattered what their vision was as it may not happen the way they had foreseen it. There was one event that the characters did not envision in their future: its cancellation after the first season’s completion.

Now as we watch Emily delve deeper into a scandal that she is creating with the impending danger of falling in love, we can enjoy the drama unfold and just hope that it keeps our interest for next September.

First Ideeli Haul

2011-07-23T19:23:00.004-04:00

Here are the items that I received off the sample sale site Ideeli. I was very pleased with my purchase and all of the items were of good quality. Below are the pictures of the items as featured on the site and photos of the items as I received them along with my thoughts.

BCBGMAXAZRIA One Tiered Shoulder Layer Coral

KERSH Cargo Skinny Pant Khaki Green

ADIA KIBUR Ribbon Strand Necklace Ivory/Grey/Gold

OLIVE OLIVIA Strapless Drape Dress Coral


SEVEN7 Basic Knit Pant Black

Retail Price: $51. I paid $31. The necklace was very sturdy and relatively heavy (not flimsy at all). This can dress up a simple outfit.

Kersh Cargo Pants retail price: $48 I believe and I paid $22.

The khaki green cargo skinny pants were anorexic how skinny they were or maybe I just gained weight! So I would suggest ordering a size up. They do have spandex in them so hopefully they will stretch over time.

The Olive Olivia 100% silk dress cost me $28 while the original price was twice as much.

The best deal of all! This BCBG dress cost me only $37! Guess the original price....

$318!! Can you believe it? What a steal!

Seven7 black knit pants were $21. These fit true to size and were not too tight.

Original price $59!

I would highly recommend Ideeli for brand name clothing for less. Disclaimer: I am not being paid for this blog post and I paid for all of the items with my money.

Check out the Youtube video below for all the goods.

I'm addicted to sample sites! My Ideeli Review

2011-07-21T19:11:00.001-04:00

This is my detailed review on the Ideeli site. Disclaimer: I am not being paid for my review and the items were purchased with my money.

Two months ago, I was browsing Facebook when I noticed a page suggestion for Ideeli and that 2 of my friends liked it. I was on a quest for new fashion sites instead of the usual Forever 21 and signed up. Ideeli (www.ideeli.com) is a site that sells brand name and designer clothing at a discount. I love outlets and discount clothing stores such as TJ Maxx, Ross and Marshalls so this was a no brainer for me.

I later found out there were similar "sample sale sites" such as Hautelook, Gilt and Rue LaLa with Ideeli being the most affordable of the four depending on what you are looking for. I made my first purchase during Ideeli's red sale which is their clearance sale. The prices were unbelievable but the only drawback is the merchandise is limited so you have to hurry as items sell out quickly.

Membership is free but for some sites you can upgrade for a fee to receive certain privileges. As a first row member (paying member) on Ideeli, you get to buy from sales one hour earlier than everyone else. This is useful especially with red sales where you will find some items selling out or going "on hold" in seconds. You have two payment options for being a first row member: an annual plan where $83.88 is billed to your card once a year which works out to about $6.99 a month or a quarterly plan where you are billed $23.97 every 3 months which is about $7.99 a month. The quarterly plan is good for people who are not ready to commit to a new site for a year or just want to try it out.

I found the site very easy to browse through and when purchasing items, it saves your information so that future purchases are hassle free. New items go on sale everyday with the sales lasting anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. The hot sought after red sale happens about once a month normally on weekends with some of the best prices you will find anywhere online or in store. I bought a BCBG dress for $37 that would normally cost up to $300!

With sample sales, the shipping might be a bit slower than a regular site. I have found the shipping on Ideeli to be reasonably fast with items being received within a week or so for a red sale. They normally give you an estimate shipping time but it can take anywhere from 1-2 weeks.

Before I purchased from Ideeli, I googled the site to read some reviews and noticed one particular page that featured more negative reviews. The buyers were frustrated that they got one order late or was unable to buy something they wanted but my experience was completely different. It is important to remember that an unhappy person will most likely bash a company due to ONE bad experience or misunderstanding than a happy customer so the negative reviews can be misleading.

I will post a haul featuring pics of the items that I bought from both Ideeli and HauteLook so stay tuned.

Celebrity Apprentice Season 4 Episode 3 Recap

2011-03-21T10:51:00.000-04:00

What happened on this week's Celebrity Apprentice?

After last week's dismissal of Lisa Rinna, this season continues the trend of having the losing team's project manager automatically fired. Yes, the project manager is in charge but with all great ideas and effective leadership if your team is not productive, can all the blame be place on the leader?

This week's task is to promote Camping World who brought a few RVs right in the middle of Manhattan for each team to create displays for and market to consumers. With the track record that the losing project manager goes home, most of the competitors do not want that position citing that they do not know anything about camping. Both Nene Leakes and Lil' Jon stated that black people don't go camping. This is true. I never understood with all that modern technology has provided us, why people choose to go outside to get bit by bugs in the middle of the night.

Gary Busey is chosen as team leader for the men's group Backbone while supermodel Niki Taylor leads the women's team ASAP. My bet is already on Niki to be sent home unless the women can make a major victory.

Gary mismanages the team's funds and does not have any left over for deliveries. Mark McGrath gets them to deliver it for free (perhaps because it's for the Celebrity Apprentice). Jose Conseco is often seen sitting down in the RV and not participating. When Ivanka Trump visits the men's RV, Gary gives her some Dalai Lama type talk with spiritual quotes and ascronym. He gives her acronyms for LUCKY = Living Under Correct Knowledge Yearly and FREEDOM = Facing Real Exciting Energy Developing Outer Miracles. Ivanka gives him a blank stare. I hope Gary makes it to the end just to entertain us.

Nene and Star Jones have not come to blows as yet as hinted in their pre-season promotion for this season when Nene stated on the Wendy Williams show that she "wouldn't spit on Star if she were on fire". The pair is still cordial but Nene notes that Star can't help but act like she is project manager although she is not. Dionne Warwick does do much of anything and seems to have been smoking the same crack Whitney was (or still on because I'm not convinced that Whitney is clean). The produces knew what they were doing by putting two very outspoken Black women in the show: cat fight in the making.

On presentation day, Latoya Jackson outshines the rest of the pack and gives an outstanding and informative tour of the RV sounding like as seasoned sales person. Neither team really nails it but it was just a matter of picking who which team was the worst. In the boardroom when both teams are asked if they won, Niki does not sound confident in her team and said she's not sure. Donald says that is not a good sign. Star realizes Niki's mistake and says she is positive they won, Niki was a great project manager and there was no drama this time. But the men's team won.

So now the blame is put on Niki while Marlee Matlin calls Dionne out on not being a good teammate. It is hilarious watching her agree with her interpreter as people want to argue with the interpreter and he promptly states hey I'm just the interpreter. In the end, Niki is fired and she does not put up much of a fight.

Overall, I am getting tired of the losing project manager taking responsibility and getting fired. Can someone stand up for themselves and put their teammates out to dry?

The Lincoln Lawyer Verdict: Entertaining as charged

2011-03-21T00:55:00.002-04:00

The Lincoln Lawyer

Rating: 3 and 1/2 stars ***1/2

The trailers for Lincoln Lawyer did not appeal to me at first but after seeing that it had a 80% Rotten Tomatoes rating which is rare, I gave it a shot and I am glad I did. Matthew McConaughey is in top form playing the street smart lawyer Mick Haller which is a wise departure from his recent stints in romantic comedy that normally had him playing up to his bareback beach bum image.

Mick Haller is hired by Beverly Hills brat Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) to defend him in an assault case. Roulet could afford the top of the top lawyers but why did he choose Mick?

Ryan Phillippe, who rose to fame as a teen idol with such films as Cruel Intentions and I Know What You Did Last Summer, has a pretty boy face but there is something almost sinister about him and that works for him in this movie.

Also present is the always likable Marisa Tomei as Matthew's baby mama and a prosecutor. The two have an amicable relationship and she is sometimes his designated driver but the deal breaker for them is that she puts criminals behind bars and puts them on the streets.

The strong supporting cast also included William H. Macy (has he ever acted in a bad movie?), John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, Michael Pena, and Frances Fisher. I particularly like Matthew's relationship with his driver played by Laurence Mason.

The movie is driven by intelligent characters and smart dialogue. In an age where so many movies underestimate the IQ of its audience and inserting cliches and explosions to hold our attention, The Lincoln Lawyer engages us with an intriguing plot.

The court scene is one of my favorites of film where we as the audience have learned the truth but the illustration of how sneaky lawyers paint the picture of what "allegedly" happened. This is genius in making us realize how verdict that may not necessarily be right but is the just verdict as a result of the evidence presented to them.

While the flashy Limitless was number one at the box office due in part to its slick advertising with a Kanye West song placement to appeal to a younger crowd, I hope that by word of mouth The Lincoln Lawyer retains an audience.

Watch online instantly at:

Trip Diaries - Las Vegas

2011-03-12T10:11:00.003-05:00

Check out my report of my first trip to Las Vegas. I will be updating this daily as it is a lot to type at once. Stay tuned. Read it here: Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Final Days.

30 Day Movie Challenge

2011-03-11T19:48:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have heard about it on Facebook but I am participating in the 30 Day Movie Challenge. You can see my picks and join in the fun here: 30 Day Movie Challenge.

Basketball Wives Season 2 Finale: Evelyn vs. Tami

2011-03-10T00:28:00.001-05:00

For my weekly dose of reality trash TV, Basketball Wives gave me my fix.

I never liked the beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside Evelyn Lozada from the first season. She came across as superficial, catty and downright immature. She is in her thirties with a 17 year old daughter and she acts like as Royce said "a mean girl".

Newcomer Tami Roman who was only acquainted with producer and now regular cast member Shaunie O'Neal but she was "building friendships" with the other castmates during the course of the season. Tami seemed to be the realest to me although I do not quite understand her admiration and respect for Evelyn even before the secret was revealed.

At Jennifer's birthday dinner, Evelyn confessed that she had dated Tami's ex-husband, former basketball player Kenny Anderson, for 6 months back in 1999 and had sex with him twice while he was still married to Ms. Tami! She claimed she did not know what he was married at the time and never knew that Tami existed.

While that is understandable, these are the things that bothered me about the episode:

1. Exactly how many athletes has Evelyn dated? There was Kenny in 1999 then she was with Antoine Walker for ten years and now she is engaged to Chad Ochocinco. We only found out about Kenny because Tami was on the show but how many more are there? Does she just happen to hang out at all the athlete hot spots to meet these guys?

2. Did anyone spot the girl eating with Shaunie in the first scene with the shaved half of her head that was slicked down with gel? These are the women in this supposedly high class circle?

3. Jennifer needs new friends. Although I am not a fan of her husband Eric Williams and the way he treats her but he was right when he ridiculed her for having Evelyn as a friend and confidant. He said that he knew Evelyn before Jennifer making us wonder if he already knew about Kenny and perhaps some other underground moves.

4. Why is Gloria still featured on the show? If Shaunie is the producer and they are supposed enemies because Gloria's sister allegedly slept with Shaq (See article where Gloria's sister speaks out), then why does Shaunie still have her on the show? A staged beef for the camera?

5. This big season finale showdown between Evelyn and Tami was obviously egged on by the producers. Someone told Tami the secret when Evelyn was not ready to tell her and it just so happened that this was revealed in the season finale?

6. After the finale aired, TMZ reported that Evelyn felt betrayed by the show's producers saying that the relationship secret was not to be aired and they told it to Tami to provoke a fight. So ahhh Evelyn - you revealed this "secret" while cameras were rolling with a microphone as you star on a reality show and you are mad it got out? Media whore.

For those who do not watch, check out this edited video of the altercation featuring interview snippets of the cast members:

Adele second album "21" proves the music industry has it wrong

2011-03-01T20:25:00.002-05:00

On pace to top the Billboard 200 with projected first week sales from 275,000-300,000 copies (the biggest week since the Christmas season), Adele’s “21” arches its way from the sophomore slump usually associated with artists with critically acclaimed debut albums. I am happy for her success not only as an Adele fan but as a music fan who has watched the decline of quality and talent promoted by the music industry in the last ten years.

A true example of substance over style, she is not to be confused with Beyonce or Lady Gaga. No ass shaking, publicity stunts, or leotard here; she writes or co-writes all of her songs and performs with a live band and wait - no back up dancers, fancy lighting, revealing clothes or wind machine. Imagine that.

In the digital age when record sales are decreasing, record companies have an increasing roster of manufactured artists that appeal to a younger market to make that quick buck. They failed to realize that mature audiences tend to be more loyal to their favorite artists instead of outgrowing them and are the consumers with a higher disposable income.

The average sales week of a single today is several times higher than that of a whole album compared to ten years ago when albums outsold singles. Yes, most of the blame is due to music piracy but looking at recent big album sellers, one has to question if that is the only factor.

The recent success of former unknowns Susan Boyle and Jackie Evancho catapulted into fame by reality shows and whose albums charted at #1 and #2 ahead of Rihanna proves the music beats image. Taylor Swift has the fastest selling album in five years with a debut week that moved more than a million copies. Some have criticized her as a great songwriter with less than stellar vocals lacking a stage persona but her fans have shown that while acrobatic dances dazzle during a five minute performance, quality songs and lyrics dazzle at the cash register.

Onto Adele’s album: The eleven track disc was inspired by former flame and slightly influenced by country, roots and bluegrass which she gained interest while touring the US to promote her first album "19". Adele displays growth in her sound and lyrics with a voice that is better than ever managing to infuse her different genres without jeopardizing its pop integrity.

The opener and first single “Rolling in the Deep”. “Rumour Has It”, a cheeky story using he said she said to describe a tumultuous relationship. “Turning Tables” and “Someone Like You” are the most honest ballads I have heard in a long time while the bridge in “One and Only” is breathtaking. You can hear the country influence on “Don’t You Remember” and “One and Only” but it is not overwhelming for you non-country fans. I also enjoyed the harmonies on the bonus track remake of The Steeldrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been For Love”. Please note that bonus tracks vary depending on region. The weakest song on the album in my opinion is "Lovesong" which is a bit boring compared to the others and resembles a 90s K.D. Lang track but maybe it will grow on me.

Overall rating: 10/10. If you like real music, please buy Adele's album and show the record companies what the people want to hear.

* March 9th UPDATE* Adele's album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with sales of over 352,000 and held its top spot for a second week in a row with sales of 168,000 bringing its total over 520,000. It has become the biggest selling album of 2011 thus far. Hooray!

2011 Oscars Best and Worst Dressed, the Blah and Postworthy

2011-03-01T01:20:00.000-05:00

Forget about the most boring awards show ever! On to more important things...no it is not another revolution in the Middle East or why else would you be on this page? It is my fashion report of the 2011 Academy Awards.

Fortunately, the women took risks with their attire this year unlike the last few years when it looked like everyone was dressed by the same stylist. The red carpet trends were rich hues of blue mixed with sequins or luxurious satins, vibrant red, ballgown skirts, feathers, crystal mesh and the most popular of all: nudes.

All photos courtesy of wireimage.com

My picks for best dressed are:

Sandra Bullock

After the Courtney Love meets Michelle Williams frock she wore at the Golden Globes matched with ill-fitting bangs straight out of a Tim Burton movie, she rebounded with this gorgeous red gown that stated Oscar winner back on the markeet.

While matchy matchy can look too childish, she utilizes different shades and textures of red in her clutch and red lips that add the right amount of visual interest. Her hair is pulled back in a loose updo that softly frames her face. Thumbs up.

Mila Kunis

Not to be fooled with the boring fashion of Angelina Jolie, Mila brings it again opting for a beautiful soft lavendar instead of the emerald green that garnered so much attention at the Golden Globes. With just the right amount of sheer fabric to hint sexiness without being vulgar, she does sexy right. The lace on her breasts did resemble pasties from a distance but hey, I will let it slide.

Hilary Swank

Loved her look from the neck down. Hated the hair and she was lacking some nice drop earrings as she looked too bare and plain from the chest up.

Age Appropriate at its finest

Helen Mirren

Great look from head to toe but especially loving that gorgeous white hair! Her upright breasts put the twentysomethings to shame.

Worst Dressed

I won't spend too much time on these looks as the pictures tell a thousand words.

Cate Blanchett: Old tablecloth

Penelope Cruz: Tacky mall wear

Florence and the Machine: Didn't she wear this before?


Helena Bonham Carter: This is her style, she doesn't take fashion too seriously and she makes awards shows fun but it still doesn't look good.

Scarlett Johansson: Loved the back, hated the front and oh wait, the hair - sometimes a messy do is just that. Messy.

The Blah

Not good or bad just boring!

Natalie Portman: an improvement over her Golden Globes literal flower in bloom dress but a plain dress with matching shoes and purse is so blah.

Halle Berry: The dress itself is gorgeous but the color washed her out.

Anne Hathaway: Take notes from Sandra Bullock. Here is a case where matching red lips with your dress goes wrong.

Kim Kardashian and Kelly Osbourne: Kim K's plain black frock and Fashion Police's Kelly's grey dress with Amy Winehouse hair underwhelms.

Michelle Williams: Another case of actress washed out.

Reese Witherspoon: Reese, while the hair is the ish, your outfits are like your movies - safe and predictable.

Top Ten Things we learned from the 2011 Oscars

2011-02-28T00:48:00.001-05:00

Ricky Gervais - we love you! Apparently Robert Downey Jr. is okay with James Franco poking fun at his past addiction but not poor Ricky or is it that Ricky's jokes were so much funnier?
There is a reason why comedians have always hosted award ceremonies. "Young" and "hip" does not equal entertaining.
Jennifer Hudson: You look great now but fall into that Hollywood mold and lose another pound or else you will look like a bobblehead.
Men in drag worked in Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire, and most recently in the charming and witty Kinky Boots but tonight's show proved its punchline is not an automatic catch.
Hailee Steinfeld was robbed.
Kirk Douglas delivered one of the most memorable lines of the night to "The Fighter" best supporting actress winner Melissa Leo when he said she looks better in person.
The audience almost thought they were punked for the first hour when Billy Crystal walked out.
The Academy got it right: King's Speech >The Social Network.
Anyone else has the feeling the academy tends to favour roles that encompass physical transformation e.g. Natalie Portman in "Black Swan", Christian Bale in "The Fighter", Charlize Theron in "Monster"?
The E! channel's four hour long pre-award show which featured segments on Spanx, mini fashion shows, how to apply falsies and Ryan Seacrest was way more entertaining than the snooze fest that followed.

Join me tomorrow for my best and worst dressed.