Being Sick Sucks.

I almost never get sick, but currently have a mild fever and my whole body HURTS. Waaah, waaah, waaah. So I'm posting this montage I found of "Arrested Development" clips because it makes life hurt a little less.



Send Tylenol!

Quick Shout-Out to New Orleans

Speaking of Gustav, the word is that all levels of government have learned vital lessons from Katrina, and evacuations and preparations are far more organized, minimizing the likelihood of the horrors of that hurricane. Be safe, NOLA folks, and we're keeping you in our thoughts here, and may your homes and loved ones be spared harm.

Michael Moore, Kindly STFU

From swamppolitics.com (they've got the video as well):

'BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Get this: Michael Moore, the filmmaker, had this to say about the onslaught of Hurricane Gustav on the eve of the Republican National Convention.

"I was just thinking, this Gustav is proof that there is a God in Heaven.'' Moore said with a chuckle in a televised interview.

"That it would actually be on its way to New Orleans for Day one of the Republican convention up in the twin cities at the top of the Mississippi River,'' Moore said, in an interview with MSMBC's Keith Olbermann, on Countdown.'

My jaw dropped reading this. This is exactly what Jerry Falwell said about Katrina, that New Orleans was being punished by God. And now Moore is saying the same thing from the other side? Wishing mass destruction on an already-devastated area to support your political views... this is okay, exactly how? Becoming your enemy does not defeat your enemy; it makes you a big ol' jerky hypocrite.

Well, he did catch himself long enough to say that, well, of course he doesn't actually want anyone to get hurt:

'Moore quickly sobered up and added: "Certainly, I hope nobody gets hurt. I hope everybody's taking cover....

"Let's hope things get better.'''

What a guy!

Separated at Birth: Christian Bale and Kermit the Frog!

Ferdalump from OhNoTheyDidn't put together this incredible photo list of Christian and Kermit looking like long-lost twins! Haaaaa. It just goes on and on! Click the link for more hilarity.



Thanks to Dlisted for posting this!

The Cho Show!

I'm not that big on "reality" shows, but Margaret Cho's new show on VH1 is really funny. I love her posse, especially her assistant, the very diminutive Selene Luna. I've always loved Margaret for saying what she really thinks, even if it's controversial or gets her in trouble.

Personally, I was so excited to finally "meet" her parents, especially her mom, who she's been imitating for years.

I was going to put up the Supertrailer from VH1, but it's streaming media, which makes me want to throw things. So here's a teeny 1-minute peek at the first ep!

David Duchovny in Rehab for Sex Addiction!

Sex addiction is actually a serious problem, so I'm only going to make light of it long enough to say: DAMN!!!

I sincerely hope that the Duch gets the help he needs, and that things will be well with his family.

(Still... DAMN!!!)

Friday Fun!

This hilarious video for Wylde Bunch's "She's Nuts" features Liam Kyle Sullivan and Meghan Perry. Meghan Perry is one of the comedians who appears in Liam's videos and she is a freaking riot - she's got the CRAZA eyes!


And this video of Liam's just kills me - "Purple Man: Revenge of the Cheerleader," which stars, well, Purple Man and the Cheerleader, also characters in Liam's videos:



Enjoy!

Project Runway Ep.7 Part III

STELLAAA!!! Whyyy???



When this was first shown in muslin, it was looking promising - and even when Tim expressed hesitation, I was thinking "let StellaBella do her thang." But in making the decision to step outside the box and do something different, she lost who she is as a designer and turned out a totally incoherent outfit. I love the vest, hate the skirt, hate both of them worn together. Until now she's been doing a good job balancing her aesthetic with the demands of the challenges; this went too far over into not-Stella.


Terri's look is hot hot HOT!



Girl used all kinds of materials and turned out a well-crafted, wearable, and stylish look. You'd definitely have to be tall and slender enough to wear those pants, though. Once again, I don't know why Terri didn't get recognition for this. She's the Susan Lucci of Project Runway!


Blayne, oh, Blayne...



What in the whatthehell is going on with the fit up top? Eeek. And the skirt... sadly, as I could have told him if he'd had the psychic foresight to call me personally and ask, that skirt looked like a car-wash flapper-sheet thing on the runway. The very first second I saw it from a distance, I thought, "Oooh!" and then... "Ohhhh, oh no." It looked like it would be really annoying and heavy to wear, as well. I don't hate the pieces of mirror, or at least I wouldn't if the top actually fit.


And last but not least, Joe:



This immediately reminded me of his Olympics design; there's a similar sporty motif going on. This is really more of a uniform look, but I like it for what it is. He used the materials well, the logo is cute (brother likes logos, doesn't he?), and while it's a little too literal for my tastes, it's pretty funky.


Heidi calls off the list of "safe" designers: Terri (whaaat? Come ON, judges!), Suede, Joe and Kenley, leaving Jerrell, Blayne, Korto, Leanne, Stella and Keith onstage.

Some words for Jerrell's outfit: "amazing," "intricate," "interesting," "wearable." Duchess Kors pronounces the styling "over-the-top, but appropriate." Jerrell is in!

Laura points out the poor fit of Blayne's dress. Kors calls it "a car wash skirt." (Score one for me!). Zoe mentions more than once that she wishes the skirt had ended at the knee (which would have indeed helped). Heidi says - and I quote - that breaking a mirror is "seven years' no sex." Wow, those Germans are fucking hardcore, eh? Blayne is in, to suffer another tan-less week!

Laura is complimentary in a sort of non-commital way to Korto's coat. Zoe says she wants to walk out the door with it. You and me both, Rachel! Duchess calls it "restrained drama." Korto is in!

The judges all swoon, and rightly so, over Leanne's dress. Kors says things like "fabulous silhouette, interesting but chic," and notes how well it's crafted. Zoe is "blown away" and says she can see Leanne going straight to Paris with that dress. Wooo! Not only is Leanne in; she WINS!

That leaves the final two: Stella and Keith. Please don't let them send Stella home; this is a perfect learning experience for her as a way to find her boundaries as a designer. The judges don't have much to say except that they didn't understand it; the pieces didn't go together; Kors says it's "a little random." Unfortunately, he's not wrong.

However, Keith digs it for himself when he starts blahblahblahing the judges with excuses again. He complains about the criticism he received for last week's Sad Chicken dress, and Kors essentially tells him to suck it up, this is fashion and you have to have a thick skin. Laura tells him she saw "no concept, no ideas," and Keith tells her that she should see his other stuff. Yeah, Keith, I'm pretty sure every designer on the show ever has wished they could bail out of a bad garment by showing their portfolio, but if they could, there wouldn't be a freaking show. Your outfit sucked and was boring, and the judges agree, and Keith is OUT.

Sadly, he's really really upset about the auf-ing, literally in tears. He wanted a way to GTFO of Utah and had hoped this would be the way. Ah, that sucks. He says that this outfit that got him auf'ed "isn't me; it's not my aesthetic." That's an awful shame, but at the same time, most of this stuff isn't anyone's aesthetic - how well you do on this show depends on how well you can pull stuff out of your arse in a day and a half. Just because this show isn't for you, Keith, doesn't mean you can't still be successful at designing toilet-paper dresses for sad chickens. Aw, crap, I can't be mean to him now that he's cried, damn it! I hated his stupid clothes, though. Ah well, good luck, Keith, and see you at the Reunion!

Project Runway Ep. 7, Part II

It's Runway Day!



Blayne manages to leave Atlas with nary a whisper of "licious." Is the nightmare finally over? We can only wait and see!

Back in the workroom, Tim does the Brand Placement Blahblahblah and sends in the models for their final fitting and to get them to hair & makeup. Everyone's freaking out trying to finish. Keith instructs his model to "watch the breathing" - not a good sign. Jerrell is having his model get a crazy futuristic unicorn 'do that looks awesome. Leanne is stuffing muslin under the structured bumps in her dress to keep them in place (smart move!).

Then - Drama! Keith had clearly instructed his model not to sit down in the dress, and she claims "they made me sit" - uh, yeah, right. If the hair person needed her at a certain level, they should have stood up on something, or had her kneel up on the floor. Well, she sat down, and she tore the seam in the front of the dress. I really feel bad for Keith here - he's so stressed by his near-elimination last week that he's already wound way up, and now with literally 5 minutes until the Runway, his dress is ripped and there isn't time to really fix it.

On to the Runway, where the gorgeous Laura Bennett, dressed in red, is filling in for Nina Garcia, who's off putting cyanide in Ann Slowey's chamomile tea or something. The actual Guest Judge is Rachel Zoe (pronounced "zoh," not "zoh-ee"), who I feel like I'm supposed to know, but I don't. She has a show called "The Rachel Zoe Project" on Bravo and I haven't even seen it! I'm such a bad fashion ho. Anyway, she's up for it and ends up being a great judge.

I scribbled my notes pretty furiously, so I might end up recapping the designs out of the order they walked. Ah, who gives a crap? Let's get to the clothing!

Jerrell's model walked first, in a very fitted, indeed futuristic-looking top-and-skirt design:

He used resin interior molding to trim the top. The skirt's a little too short imo, but it's a solid, chic, innovative look.

Keith - The only thing I wrote in my notes: "Boring!"

And it was. Sadly, even if the model hadn't ripped the skirt, this would have been a dud. His goal was to make an outfit that didn't look at all like it'd come from a car. Unfortunately, Keith, it looks kinda like Talbot's. Talbot's that an angry cat got to.

Korto's swing coat came out AMAZING!

I needn't have worried about how it initially looked on the model. It looked fantastic, not at all like anything made from seatbelts. Beautiful work, and innovative. That hem is a little huh, but what the hell, it's seatbelts.

Kenley made a skirt, top, and some sort of tutu-style peplum that she hand-decorated with a black marker. I can't decide whether I like it or hate it, actually.

Huh. I like the skirt, but that peplum thing is just weird.

Leanne - WOW indeed. This sort of dress isn't my style at all, but this is just fab:

I normally hate garments that give women bizarre bumpy shapes, but I can't deny the innovation and the impeccable workmanship. The detailing on the top is made from looped seatbelts, but you'd never know. The more I see of this girl, the more I like her ideas! She's come a long way from the Peter Pan Loopy Loops from the second ep.

Suede - the same. freaking. silhouette. Again.

But it's not a bad entry for this particular challenge. The top is a much better idea than the mirror-tiling mess he initially tried; he cut up a floor mat (tooootally wackadoodle, dude) and I like the way he did that, though it's a little raggedy-looking right at the top. The skirt is bright and fun and vibrant and moved well on the runway.

Next: The rest of the designs!

Random Complaint

Every single time I go to log in to Photobucket, there's a fucking picture of Parasite Hilton on their main page. Is there nowhere to hide from Wonky??? Gah!

Tim Gunn Disapproves of Katie's Jeans

Photo via People Online

My homeboy Tim Gunn is on the record about Katie Holmes' tight-rolling. If anyone can get through to her, it's you, Tim!

“Katie Holmes has become so much more sophisticated in so many ways, but I think she’s in a dip right now. I can’t explain it... She ascended from this tomboyish waif look to an incredible sexy sophisticate. We realize how much style she’s capable of. I don’t get it.”

Neither do we, Tim, neither do we. I think "Guide to Style" needs to pay La Holmes a visit, non?

Project Runway Ep7: The Fashion that Drives You, Part I

This week, the designers are greeted by Heidi on the runway wearing some sort of heinous ruffled referee-looking thing. Because the models weren't used - again - last week, Joe has his pick between Daniel's and Kelli's models, or can keep his own. He keeps his model. Heidi gives the designers a rooftop address to find out about their challenge, and tells them to hit the road.

Blayne de Soleil is certain that this challenge will be "exclusive... rooftop-style." Uh, okay? Korto wonders if they're going to someone's penthouse... Mariah Carey perhaps? Oh god I hope not. As it happens, their destination is the roof of a parking garage. They giggle like scared little kids in the elevator, until the doors open to reveal a line of Saturns (of course), and Tim.

Tim introduces Chris Webb, who is the Lead Color Designer for Saturn. He says that 85% of the materials used to make these Saturn Hybrids are recyclable, so the designers will be recycling Saturn materials to make an innovative dress. Each car is stuffed with materials used to make the cars, and each designer gets a crappy-looking cart - you know those "old lady" carts with two wheels you bring to the grocery store? - and about four seconds to madly scavenge materials from their chosen car. There are loads of seatbelts and bits of interior trim being chucked around. Terri has trouble moving her cart once it's full and piled with stuff. Suede, in interview, says he grabbed some floor mats for a top and that's "wackadoodle." That word is officially dead to me, Suede.

Back in the workroom, Tim scolds the designers for disappointing the judges in the last Innovation challenge - the grocery store challenge - and says he wants real innovation. The designers immediately start wrestling with the unfamiliar, unwieldy materials. Kenley smashes a headlight assembly on the floor to break the lamp out, and claps and giggles with delight when it breaks. Do I sense a hidden destructive streak in our Vintage Girl? Joe holds up a carburetor and asks if anyone wants to trade it for a headlight.

Jerrell feels very confident and is talking about a "futuristic bustier." Leanne is making some sort of crazy structured corset-bodice thingy. Stella decides that she doesn't want to do the expected "leathuh," that she wants to step outside the box and do something totally different, using seatbelts to make a tiered skirt. There's lots of hammering and ripping and grumbling around the workroom. Suede lets us know that "Suede has cuts, Suede has blisters... It's blood for fashion and I'm bleedin' it!" Oh god, someone just kill me. Then he launches into some story about his father giving him his uncle's Buick or some shit. Stella has a pointy leather hat with long sides and puts it on Blayne, who then does a Darth Vader impression. I have to admit, when Blayne's not being a douche he can be pretty adorable.

The models are sent in - and NOOOO, Shannone, Kenley's model, has dropped out of the competition, for reasons unstated. Shannone was the best model this season! Kenley, of course, takes it really hard, but she's kind of a bitch and kind of unprofessional to Germaine, the model brought back to replace Shannone. Yes, it's hours of extra work to re-fit a garment for a new model, but she makes Germaine feel like it's her fault that she's got this issue now. Girl, Germaine is doing your ass a favor by walking in your garment, ok? So suck it up. Referring to your new model as "flat and boxy" is not nice.

Korto has woven a coat out of seatbelts that has potential, but at the moment makes her model look like a Sumo wrestler wearing a picnic basket. Kenley snarks about everyone using seatbelts. God, just shut up. Blayne is having issues with the sewing machines and the seatbelts, and for the first time he genuinely seems frustrated. He's designed a "flowy" dress, but Blayne? Seatbelts ain't "flowy," they're flappy. Dun-dun-dunnn foreshadowing! Speaking of frustrated, Keith is having some PMS, being stompy and grouchy and making the other designers a little uneasy.

Tim does his walk-through, and starts with Jerrell, who is making a really cool-looking top and miniskirt. Tim is quite impressed. He moves on to Korto and compliments her "60's mod thing" and warns her not to lose "the sophistication." He then moves on to Stella, and expresses disappointment in her design, saying that it doesn't take the concept of innovation far enough. Leanne's bump-hip corset-y thing gets a "Wow." Keith interviews a bunch of blahblahblah. Tim tells the designers he's very excited with what they've come up with, and gives them until midnight before swanning off to wherever he swans off to.

We see Terri, who's having a bit of a breakdown, literally fall down onto the floor laughing, because Korto's still-stiff seatbelt coat somehow reminds her of "Jeepers Peepers." Jerrell interviews that Terri "has two faces and four patterns... Don't trust the bitch!" Ooooh!

Next morning, Atlas apartments, Korto is picking out her impressively huge and fluffy Afro while wearing a gorgeous black-and-white African beaded collar. We see Stella talking to her boyfriend, William, aka "Ratbones," on her Blackberry (the device seems to confuse her as much as the digital cameras did). She tells us that she will be collaborating with him on a line called Zotis & Bones. Awesome!

Next: Model Drama, and the Runway Show!

Update on Shannone's exit: Nick Vierros reveals in his blog that the models don't get paid, so they will take off if they get a better-paying opportunity, as there is little incentive for them to stay given how little they are actually promoted by the show. (Actually, what he said was "it does not behoove them" to stay, for which I will love him forever.) Go get loads of work, Shannone, we'll miss you!

Thank You, Del Martin

The US has lost a true pioneer activist.


(l-r) Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin

Del Martin and her parter of 55 years, Phyllis Lyon, were the first gay couple to be married in San Francisco, during that city's brief but doomed proclamation of same-sex marriage rights in 2004. And again, when California finally declared same-sex marriage legal this June, they were officially the first to be married. It brought tears to my eyes to see these two beautiful, brave women get married. 55 years! Who can honestly look at such a beautiful relationship and say that it doesn't deserve the same rights and respect as a hetero relationship?

Well, Del Martin has passed away, at the age of 87, after a long life of activism and fighting for the rights of lesbians. She, along with her partner and six other women, were founding members - way back in 1955! - of the Daughters of Bilitis, which was the first lesbian activist group in the United States. They weren't ashamed to stand up and say "we are lesbians," in a time when such a thing was completely kept under the rug. And they fought for the rights of gays all across the country, because they believed it was the right thing to do.

I'm thankful to this courageous, amazing, strong woman for all of the work that she did. My deepest condolences go out to her wife and lifelong partner, Phyllis. Thank you, Del. You did good.

In Case You Haven't Seen It: Stephen Colbert - I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

I love this video so much - it never fails to make me smile!



There's an updated version, but I don't think it's as good as this one.

Stupid Fun at the DNC

The Crystal Pepsi Guys!

"Who are we? Just some guys here in Denver, trying to have our voice heard. Trying to make a difference. Trying to have a little fun. Brian (sic) child of my roommate, and recent college grad, Peter."

They were first spotted in the background of a newscast from the Democratic National Convention:



Their Manifesto:

"The time for change is now, and the choice is clear, crystal clear. CRYSTAL PEPSI! It's like drinking hope. For us, Crystal Pepsi is freedom in a can. Our platform is based on peace, love, and Crystal Pespi. Down with war, up with Crystal Pepsi. For us it's not about politics, it's only about Crystal Pepsi. This is a movement that we can all get behind, it unifies us to our very core, Crystal Pepsi. The foundation of America is Crystal Pespi."

I had to take a break to stop giggling, before continuing to read:

"In all honesty, for me, it's kind of nice to lighten the mood a little bit. Everybody is down there, protesting, screaming about a cause, yelling at one another about how the other person is wrong. It can be kind of a tense situation. It's nice to walk away putting a smile on someone's face, getting a high five, and hearing someone say we represent a movement we can all get on board with. People initially hear the "protest" coming, you can see the look on their face, "Great, what are these people marching and carrying on about?" When they discover our cause is Crystal Pepsi, there is an overwhelming feeling of relief, followed by immediate support."

In a city that's full of people yelling at each other and taking themselves far too seriously, it's good to see these guys taking some of the tension down. Is it stupid? Of course. But sometimes the Angry Protesters need a little stupid fun. How fucking random is Crystal Pepsi??? I love it! I'd change one thing, though - instead of hoping to unite the parties with their love of Crystal Pepsi, they should try to unite them in their loathing of Crystal Pepsi. 'Cause Crystal Pepsi was NAST.

Gigi Edgley

Photo by Mark Robert Halper

Gigi Edgley is an Australian actress/performer/singer/all-around awesome person. I first discovered her in Farscape as the beguilingly badass little alien-on-the-run Chiana:



Chiana could deal with any situation, as long as she could "kick, kiss, or cry" her way out of it. And could she KICK! Check out the list of skills that Gigi brings to her roles, from her CV:

"Fire Twirling, Trapeze, Wire work, Aerobics, Body Surfing, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Gymnastics, Jet Skier, Kayaker, Kick Boxing, Martial Arts, Motorcycle Riding - General, Roller Skating, Rollerblading, Running - General, Running - Sprint, Scuba Diver, Shooting - Revolver/Automatic, Snorkeling, Surfing, Swimming - ability - general, Swimming - backstroke, Swimming - breast stroke, Swimming - freestyle, Water Skiing, Yoga, Comedian, Dance Jazz, Dancer, Firearms, Improvisation, Juggler, Licensed Driver, Martial Arts, Motorcyclist, Percussion, Singer, Stunts, Voiceover, Yoga, Australian Accent, British Accent, Cockney Accent, French Accent, German Accent, Irish Accent, New York Accent, Russian Accent"

I met her on her 25th birthday at a con - I'm not a convention-goer normally; I went to help out with the Save Farscape campaign that was in full swing at the time, and she was there which made the icing on the cake! I made her some gifties and she was really lovely.

Can I just tell you, how fucking weird it is to go up to an actor at a table at a convention and give them money for a photo and autograph? While it is absolutely part of how they make their money, and yes they are providing a service... it's so weird and awkward. It's like paying someone to talk to you. Bizarre. I was happy to have an excuse to give her presents and just chill for a few minutes and then dash back to the Save Farscape booth. I got a photo, which I love for the sentimental value, but of course she's like 7 inches taller than me and has a dancer's body, so I felt like a big ol' cow standing next to her. Or a little ol' cow, I guess. How vain am I?! Geez.

Anyway, these days she's busy as usual, acting, but also co-writing a music/comic-book project called Blue Shift with writer Brian Meredith and musician Kyle Stevens. I haven't had the opportunity to see any of the stories yet, but there's a 3-song EP that's very cool. I have "Fall" on my MySpace profile.

For your enjoyment, the very first live performance of "Fall," at the 2007 Farscape Convention in Burbank. Wow, a singer who just sings, without using a bunch of voice-perfecting ProTools! So refreshing, especially considering that she was so nervous she was about to fall over. Goooo Gigi!!!

PR: Laura Bennett is Back!!!

Laura's the guest judge this week! I can't wait. Not only does she make some of the most beautiful and elegant cocktail dresses I've ever seen, but she's a totally hot shit, too. I've missed her like crazy!





It looks like they have to use materials from cars to make their designs this week - should be veddy interesting... Seems to be hints of drama-llama-ness happening. This season, the game seems to be to guess whether the implied drama is real, or totally manufactured in the edit. We shall see!

"I want to go on Sesame Street also. With Anderson Cooper."

Photo from Stella's MySpace

You have got to read this great interview that TLo from Project Rungay did with Stella Zotis. This chick is so rad. They really have been editing her as pretty clueless, which isn't all that accurate. She's funny, knows her style, and actually used "Project Runway" to stretch and grow as a designer, not just to get her face on TV and a catchphrase on a T-shirt. The issues she's had and the decisions she's made make a lot more sense now, knowing more about her background and construction methods. Go, go, read!

Fat Boy Made It!!!

Wheee, Ted Kennedy made it to the DNC and just gave his speech. The media was abuzz all day about whether he'd make it in person, or appear on video.

In case you've been living under a rock, Ted was diagnosed a few months ago with a very aggressive and terminal brain tumor. The prognosis for those with his diagnosis is only about two years. He's been undergoing treatment and he looked amazing - considering he's about 1000 years old - and sounded strong, clear, and confident. I'm not going to critique his speech at all because, fuck, he's Ted Kennedy and he's dying and he still made it out to Denver because his work is so important to him.

Teddy, I rip on you all the time, but I love you! Keep fighting that bear!

Delores DiGagorio

Liam Kyle Sullivan, aka Kelly, has added a new character to his land of insanity, and her name is Delores DiGagorio!



Haaa! I love Liam and his videos.

Steve, Don't Eat It!

Steve ate this.

Steve, Don't Eat It! is an awesomely gross little section of The Sneeze's archives; I'd forgotten about it until today and had to go find it again. And I want to share it with you, because nausea shared is nausea... something.

Steve bravely ate some things that you and I wouldn't even want to look at. Seriously, some of this shit is medal-worthy. I'm not cruel enough to post most of the photos on the page - you don't want to click while you're eating, 'k? - but will list a couple of the hideous things this guy actually put in his mouth, for no other reason than, well, he's fucking crazy.

- Pickled pork rinds (think about that for a minute).
- Huitlacoche, which is black-fungus-infected corn. In a can.
- Bun dai ki: silkworm pupas. Also in a can.
- Natto, the "food" so unappetizing-looking and disgusting that even most Japanese people hate it.

... and he follows a recipe for prison wine! I can get on that train.

Speaking of Madge...

Once I'd recovered from that Dlisted photo enough to read the comments, I saw a post by FrappBloat that referenced this Daily Mail article about Madonna's environmental hypocrisy. All of these fucking "green" celebs are huge hypocrites when it comes to carbon footprints. Madonna joins Sting, Al Gore, Chris Martin and a host of other enviro-hypocrites with her huge personal carbon footprint, which is made many times larger by touring extravagant productions worldwide.

Quotes:

"The emissions generated by the singer's tour are equivalent to that created by 160 Britons in an entire year and equal to the emissions generated by leaving a standard 100 watt lightbulb on for about 4,000 years."

"Among the 250 personnel who will travel with her to every event are nine wardrobe assistants, 12 seamstresses, a 12-piece band, a chiropractor, personal trainer, masseuse, 16 caterers and around 100 technicians and dancers."

"Thirty wardrobe trunks will be transported to each venue containing the singer's massive wardrobe which is made up of more than 3,500 items."

And:

"In July last year, she headlined the Live Earth concert in London to promote climate change despite having a carbon footprint for that year estimated at 1,018 tons. The average Briton produces ten tons of carbon a year.

On stage at Live Earth, Madonna told the audience: 'If you want to save the planet, I want you to start jumping up and down.' She also told fans she was 'talking to the planet'."

Hey Madge? The planet tried to call you back but you were busy eating soy chips or doing Qi Gong or whateverthehell it is you do in your spare time. It wanted me to tell you it's PISSED at you.

Michael K, I'm Totally Suing You Now

So I've got The Insomnia and checked out Dlisted, and right on the front page, in my face - I saw this:



Gee, thanks SO MUCH Michael! Now I am never getting to sleep ever again. Fuckity-fuck, Madge needs to put that shit away. Augh!

So now I'm torturing everyone who reads this with the same retina-searing image. Wheee, the Internet is fun!


(That image is from Madge's tour opener, btw.)

Jill Stanek

To borrow a phrase from George Carlin:

Why is it that rabid anti-abortionists are always people you'd never wanna fuck in the first place?


Media Matters, via Jezebel

PR: Drag Queens! Part V

Next to Leanne's, this was my favorite look of the night, Terri's design for Acid Betty:



Futuristic samurai! A lot of people complained about the strings. Terri boned (har) the corset with the yellow strings, using Japanese-style knotwork, then had them hang long instead of cutting them off. I think it's fucking awesome-looking. And the way she covered that boot with matching fabric was genius. The whole outfit has a kind of barely-finished look to it, but if she had the time to really do it properly and edit a little, it would be perfection.


Aaaand with that, some decidedly non-perfection:



UGH. Thank you, PR producers, for finally letting Daniel off the hook. He was so wrong for the show, didn't belong there, and probably missed his new boyfriend (he and Wesley are still together, great for them!). For all of his yacking about his impeccable high-end tastes, we saw none of it in his clothing. All he did was whine about how whatever the challenge called for, it didn't fit his aesthetic. Poor kid. Hell, poor US for having to listen to him for five weeks.

This dress actually looked really pretty in the workroom and moved beautifully on the runway. The problem is that it is not, by any stretch of the imagination, drag. It's a pretty, slightly tacky sundress/gown. And that's it. Anida Greenkard is a hot Latina character, and needed something big and showy and VOOM! She didn't get it. There were also some basic fit problems - the asymmetrical drop-waist made her right hip bulge out in a weird way. Daniel, these may be "women's" dresses, but you are still putting them on a man's body!


And now... the WINNER!

The Straight Guy takes it! Awesome work, Joe!



This was absolutely perfect for Varla Jean Merman, and it looked better on the runway than it does in the photo. Joe managed to make a beautifully form-fitting, junk-hiding, adorably-themed outfit that Varla loved so much I bet she wanted to wear it home. Girl WORKED it on that runway! Some folks thought Leanne or Terri should have won, and I could go with that too, but when you add up design, fit, construction, and how happy the client was, then Joe really is the clear winner.

Congratulations, Joe! You were nervous about designing for a drag queen, but you knocked it right out of the park and made Varla extremely happy.

Katie Holmes Must Be Stopped!

Katie! The jeans! Stop it with this!



First off, those aren't Tom's jeans. Her publicist tried to tell us that they're Tom's jeans, so Kate has to roll them up, because Kate is taller. Yes, that is exactly what she said. Just to clarify. Flack says Kate needs to roll up jeans that are too short for her. Yesss. If those are Tom's jeans, it's because he bought longs by accident and gave them to Katie instead of having them hemmed. Tom is like four freaking inches shorter than her.

Second. Katie. If you're going to make us gag with the tight-rolling, could you at least put some effort into that shit? That's like my worst sixth-grade tight-roll, right there.

Third. STOP WITH THE TIGHT-ROLLING. STOPPP. That shit died in the 80's, and needs to stay dead. And I say this as a very short person who, at the time, thought tight-rolling was a gift from the gods. Buy new jeans, I beg you. You're a fucking gazillionaire, you can afford jeans that fit!

PR: Drag Queens! Part IV

I'm not even mentioning the stupid probably-manufactured drama with Hedda Lettuce and Suede. Except for right there where I just mentioned it.



Sorry, Suede, but the first thing I thought when Hedda put this dress on was, "Oh look, a dinosaur!"

The little lettuce-y fleurchon things were a really cute idea, but from a distance they just looked really weird and lizardy when put with that print in that color. And the fit is off, too - whatever you call it when the skirt looks like that on the model, that's what that is.


Korto's dress totally wowed the judges; I liked it, but not as much as they did.



The flamelike/floral-like embellishment is great, but it really needed to be bigger and more... something. The take-off skirt was fab, but really, Korto can't get credit for it because it was Chris's idea. Still, for all her worrying about turning out a garment for such a large man (why though??? all of her designs are fucking huge!), she turned out a bold, bright, beautiful dress that made her client, Sweetie, feel like a million bucks.

Awesome Person of the Week

I was tipped to this by Gawker: This 23-year old woman is blogging on her Tumblr about her experience having an abortion. The tagline for her blog, What to Expect When You're Aborting, reads:

"I'm 23. I'm knocked up. And I don't want to keep it. You can fuck yourself, Judd Apatow."

She writes honestly about how lonely and helpless one can feel when faced with such a choice. It's brilliant. Please read it, and then link to it yourself, send it to some friends. The more publicized it is, the more people will read her story.

Hey blogger girl - you rock.

PR: Drag Queens! Part III

Keith. My buddy. We need to talk about your toilet-paper-strip fetish.



Because seriously, WTF? I get that that Sherry Vine's trademark is that her bra and panties are always showing. But I think Keith was counting on being able to sculpt those strips after Sherry put it on, and wasn't counting on her deciding to leave the fringe hanging. The overall effect of this dress is the same as that other toilet-paper dress, the NY at Night Challenge mess:



Was it Kors who used the phrase "sad chicken" for Sherry Vine's dress? Whoever it was, it was a good description. You need to start making more actual garments, Keith, before they auf yer arse!



Stella. Stella, Stella, Stella, Stella, Stella.



This is supposed to be DRAG, Stella! Plaid is never drag unless the queen is Patty O'Cakes or something. I get that she was going for rock'n'roll, and the reversed train was a cool idea, and the front is interesting, but it's just all wrong for Luisa Verde. The black stretch satin looked cheap and the whole effect is just kind of a head-scratcher. If only she'd gotten to work with Acid Betty, I wonder what she would have come up with!


And Kenley's dress, while very pretty and appropriate, just wasn't special enough to be anything but "safe."



This looked better on the runway, where the feathers had fluff and movement as Farrah Moans walked. That zipper and seams are a little crazy, though. All in all, a pretty standard Nice Gown, but not dramatic or special.

... And the Feces Finally Head Towards the Turbines

From Deceiver, Oversneer posts this article and this article on the news that the IOC will finally begin an investigation into the totally fake passports age discrepancies with a couple of the girls on the Chinese gymnastics team.


Image from Sports Illustrated

I don't do a lot of link-and-run posts, but I really can't add much to the articles, so go read them!

Project Runway: Drag Queens! Part II

So, this week Chris March is the challenge announcer and tours the work room with Tim, but isn't judging. That duty will be fulfilled by RuPaul!



Oh, dear... I adore RuPaul, but she's looking a little un-fabulous today. You okay, girl?


There are still 11 designers, so let's get going!




Leanne chose Sharon Needles (ay, what an awful name), and I have to say, I agree with Tim's Take - this should have been a Top Three. This dress is stunning. I wanted to hear a critique of it and learn more about its construction.

Actually, this is one week where I wish they'd rejigged things for time and critiqued every single garment at the show.




Jerrell chose LeMay and made her look like she'd had a terrible transporter accident with Liza Minelli and a swamp. Yikes. Jerrell has good ideas, but he missed the mark on this one. Dark, drab, too poofy in the wrong places, and that fringe is just matronly.


Apparently Blayne was designing for the Rainbow Power Ranger, instead of Miss Understood:


*shakes head* Although she did have to go through the door sideways, which does earn some points!

Project Runway: Drag Queens! Part I

As soon as I saw this shadow on the scrim, I knew it was:




CHRIS MARCH!



"Oooh, let me read your fortune!"

And here we have Heidi and Chris with our selection of Drag Queens...




I never thought we would ever see Stella looking nonplussed:




Korto's looking a little worried about how "huge, tall, and just ginormous" the Queens are:




Joe looks a little creepily excited:




Blayne's usual expression:




Suede "has a head of ocean," so he "needs a Hedda Lettuce."



Ohhh lordy.