Who went home on RuPaul's Drag Race?
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the gorgeous matthias schoenaerts in the new york times style magazine
photographed by bruce weber
It must feel a bit surreal to find yourself, in the tradition of once-unknown European actors like Javier Bardem and Jean Dujardin, suddenly an American sensation. Just ask Matthias Schoenaerts, who starred last fall in the French art-house hit “Rust and Bone,” in which he plays Ali, a single father and mixed-martial-arts fighter who falls into a careless romance with Stéphanie, played by a deglamorized Marion Cotillard, who has recently become a double amputee after being maimed by one of the whales she trained at a SeaWorld-type park on the Côte d’Azur. Schoenaerts’s performance, suffused with a clumsy gentleness that recalls Ryan Gosling’s career-changing role in “Half Nelson,” has earned him critical raves and media infatuation. One day he’s a working actor living in Belgium, finding time to go to the gym; the next he’s a Hollywood man of the moment, with a string of movies on the docket.
“It’s been exciting, but at some point it drives me nuts,” Schoenaerts says. Indeed, he feels that his quiet life in Antwerp — where he lives with his girlfriend, a law student and model — is slipping away. “I haven’t been here a lot this year,” he says. “Next year I want to do two projects and not more. Four or five a year starts feeling like a grab-the-money-and-run show.”
Before “Rust and Bone,” Schoenaerts was busy promoting “Bullhead,” a drama in both French and Limburgish (a dialect of the Dutch-Belgian-German border) and a 2012 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. In it, he plays another nonverbal lug, a cow farmer addicted to steroids and hormones similar to the ones with which he injects his cattle.
For both roles, Schoenaerts bulked up from his usual 198 pounds to as much as 230 pounds, with intense weightlifting and copious amounts of fast food. “Ali should look like he could’ve been an athlete once but he got a belly,” he says of his “Rust and Bone” character. “Now I’m slimming back down and getting back to my sports schedule.”
In fact, sports — namely soccer — were his salvation growing up. He was raised alternately by his grandmother in Brussels and his mother in Antwerp; his mother never married his father, the Belgian actor Julien Schoenaerts, who died six years ago, and Matthias speaks very little about his family history. “It’s complicated,” is all he’ll say. “But when I was playing soccer, everything was fine.”
Then along came another passion: street art. Online there is a video clip of a teenage Schoenaerts and some buddies getting apprehended by two cops while doing a graffiti mural in Antwerp. “We didn’t run when we saw them, we just kept painting!” he says with a laugh. A decade ago, his love of graffiti even led him briefly to New York, where he painted with the Bronx group TATS CRU.
His father’s career hadn’t held much interest at that point. He enrolled in film school in the late 1990s but was kicked out after a year. “I was lazy back then,” he says. Eventually he came around, making a name for himself in “Loft,” a 2008 Belgian thriller about five buddies who share a loft for trysting purposes — then turn on each other in paranoia when a dead woman is found there. He stars in the American remake, due this year, with James Marsden, Wentworth Miller and Eric Stonestreet, of the TV show “Modern Family.” It is his first English-language film, and others will soon follow, including “A Little Chaos,” with Kate Winslet, and “Suite Française,” with Michelle Williams, both due next year.
Later this fall he’ll appear in “Blood Ties,” a crime thriller set in 1970s New York, in a supporting role in a cast that includes Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Zoe Saldana, Mila Kunis and Cotillard; Guillaume Canet, Cotillard’s boyfriend, directed the movie. One offshoot of working with a dialect coach on the film is that Schoenaerts speaks English with a “GoodFellas” twang. “My so-called neutral American accent now seems to be a New York accent,” he says.
That may come in handy as he inevitably spends more time stateside. But he says that as much as he likes small doses of America’s manic energy, he’s determined to stay rooted in Belgium. He also swears he won’t do a rom-com. The thought of playing “just a charming, good-looking guy gives me goose bumps,” he says, and he doesn’t mean it in a good way. “Then again,” he adds, giving away a bit of his newfound Hollywood savvy, “if it’s a good screenplay . . . yeah, why not?”
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Zayn Malik: We can always tell which one of us a 1D fan likes
Zayn Malik has revealed that One Direction can figure out who their fans' favourite members are just by looking at them.
The singer, who is dating Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, is good at spotting which 1D boy certain fans like best.
‘We all have different sorts of fans,' Zayn, 20, tells Celebs On Sunday.
‘When they're in the queue sometimes you can tell who is a fan of who. Just the way they are and their personalities and stuff, you can kind of tell.'
Sometimes the fans make it pretty easy, though.
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Iman, David Bowie's wife, drops strong hint that there may be a tour
"David Bowie's wife Iman has hinted that the legendary singer could tour again off the back of his new album 'The Next Day'.
His spouse, with whom he has 12-year-old daughter Alexandria, let slip that Bowie's family won't be able to join him on the road because of their daughter's schooling in New York.
Iman told Grazia magazine:
We have a 12 year old in school, so we are stuck, we can't travel. Our schedule is around her, so I don't know. We'll have to go visit him, but we won't be on tour with him because she's in school.
Her comments are the strongest yet that the singer may hit the road. They come after Bowie's guitarist Gerry Leonard recently said that the odds of Bowie ever touring again are "50-50". He added: "A couple of times, when we played back one of the more kick-ass tunes from the new record, he'd be like, 'This would be great live!' Of course, everyone was like, 'What? Did he just say that?' But other times he'd just roll his eyes if someone brought up playing live."
This came after the singer's producer Tony Visconti ruled out live shows to promote the veteran pop superstar's new album. He told NME in January: "He’s fairly adamant he’s never gonna perform live again… One of the guys would say, 'Boy, how are we gonna do all this live?' and David said, 'We’re not'. He made a point of saying that all the time."
Bowie, meanwhile is on course to score his first Number One Album in 20 years this weekend with 'The Next Day'. Check back on NME.COM this Sunday (March 17) to find out if he's topped the official UK albums chart."
Source @ NME
So I'll be starting a new savings account pronto...how about you?
edited to fix NME's oversight.
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DC vs Marvel: Lois Lane vs Pepper Potts
For as long as there have been comic books, there has been the feud between DC and Marvel. Both are heavy-hitting comic companies that continue to gain legions of fans every year. The purpose of this column is to take one DC persona and one Marvel persona of equal measure and popularity and pit them against each other to see who would come out on top and who is a better character overall.
Background:
Lois Lane grew up an army brat and eventually became one of the top investigative journalists for Metropolis’s Daily Planet working under Perry White. Her claim to fame came when she was the first reporter to break the story on Superman, whom she followed closely ever since not knowing that her co-worker and future boyfriend Clark Kent was the superhero himself. Since her appearance in 1938 Lois has been involved in many storylines not only involving Superman but also Wonder Woman, Batman, and various other DC heroes. In some timelines Lois marries Superman (sometimes before even knowing his true identity) but in all she is known for being his main girl and a stand-up character all her own. Lois’s rich backstory is too much to cover in this article but suffice it to say, she is one of DC’s premiere characters.
Pepper Potts began working for Stark Industries and was quickly promoted to Tony’s personal assistant. Despite having feeling for Tony, Pepper married Happy Hogan but later divorced him. Tony trusted Pepper with his most secret endeavors and she even had control of a special remote that could shut down Iron Man in case of emergencies. Pepper has been in charge of numerous organizations associated with Tony Stark including The Order and Stark Dynamics. She occasionally steps up as a superhero (named Rescue) with her custom Mark suit and even rescued Tony Stark himself. Since her appearance in 1964, Pepper Potts has been an integral part of Tony Stark’s life and the Iron Man history. Despite this, her background doesn’t quite compare to the rich and long-lived one of Lois Lane.
Point: Lois Lane
![LLPPpowers]( "LLPPpowers")
Skills:
Although Lois Lane is not a superhero, she does possess some combat training; a benefit of growing up as an army brat. Over the years she has had some temporary powers but nothing substantial or long-lasting. Pepper Potts is also a regular human being. However at some points she does end up having a Repuslor Tech node implanted in her chest which allows her to interact with energies in a super-human way. In some universes the node also allows her to create a force field and gives her somewhat enhanced senses, strength, and healing.
Point: Pepper Potts
![affilLLPP]( "affilLLPP")
Affiliations:
Lois Lane is employed by The Daily Planet. Although not an official member of the Justice League, Lois has often worked with them and other superheroes such as Batman and Wonder Woman. Pepper Potts has been affiliated with Stark Industries from the very beginning. As the superhero Rescue she has sometimes worked with The Order, an initiative to redistribute America’s superhuman protection. Both ladies are mostly independent women, working with their leading men but have also ventured into affiliation territory by working with bigger organizations.
Point: Tie
![apparal]( "apparal")
Apparel/Weapons:
Lois owns a red Lamborghini and has a concealed Blaster Rifle in her apartment for protection. Other than that, Lois’s greatest weapon is her voice which she uses to influence public viewpoints through her position of power in the media. She’s a feisty leader and a take charge woman who gets by without weapons. Pepper has used the Iron Man Armor Mark 1616 suit and been equipped with the repulsors that go along with them. Her suit has allowed her to become the superhero Rescue. This gives her the edge over Lois in this category.
Point: Pepper Potts
![LLPPsocial]( "LLPPsocial")
Social Relevance:
Lois Lane is one of the most well-known characters in the DC Universe; where there’s Superman, there is also Lois Lane. She was ranked 78th in Comics Buyer’s Guide’s “100 Sexiest Women in Comics” list. Besides the multitude of comic book issues Lois has appeared in (including her own line) Lois Lane has also appeared in a radio series, video games and a Broadway musical. Lois has been in over 10 animated television shows and movies including Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and Superman: The Animated Series. Superman is one of the most widely used comic-book characters in live-action film and television and Lois is always with him. She first appeared in Adventures of Superman in the 1950’s by Phyllis Coates and then Noel Niell (who also played Lois in the Sunday serial films). In the 1970’s and 1980’s Lois was played by Margot Kidder in the Superman films Superman, Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. In the 1990’s Teri Hatcher played Lois in the 4 season long television show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. The latest Superman television show, Smallville, has Lois being played by Erica Durance. Kate Bosworth played Lois Lane in the 2006 Bryan Singer directed film Superman Returns and Amy Adams will be playing her in the upcoming reboot Man of Steel. Lois Lane is so popular that she has streets and songs named after her and is referenced anywhere with automatic recognition.
Pepper has appeared in various animated television shows and films including Iron Man: Armored Adventures, The Invincible Iron Man, and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Her character has also shown up in various video games. Pepper is portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow in the films Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers and Iron Man 3. Up until the recent revival of Marvel films, Pepper Potts was a name known only to comic-book readers. With the popularity of the Iron Man films and Gwyneth Paltrow’s performances she is becoming more and more popular. However she is nowhere near as popular or relevant as the feminist symbol Lois Lane.
Point: Lois Lane
![lois_lane]( "lois_lane")
WINNER: It’s a tie!
We try to avoid having these battles result in a tie but in this case, it was inescapable. When you boil it down to each category, meticulously examining both Lois Lane and Pepper Potts you find that they are both popular characters in their respective universes representing strong women and playing important roles in various story lines.
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Bolshoi Ballet rejects allegations against dancer in acid attack
The Bolshoi Ballet says the allegations swirling around one of its dancers -- that he choreographed an attack to blind the artistic director -- are "absurd."
Even an alleged confession in the case does nothing to convince the cast and crew that Pavel Dmitrichenko could be behind the attack that severely burned and nearly blinded Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi employees said in an open letter Wednesday.
"Unfortunately, the history of our country and our society knows many examples" when results were achieved by "illegal methods, and evidence and proof often turned out to be a fiction," the letter said.
The group called for an independent commission to probe the attack.
Moscow police struck back, saying its "investigators do their job honestly."
The plot laid out by authorities pits Dmitrichenko as the central villain, lashing out against Filin -- a man who often cast Dmitrichencko as the villain in productions.
What neither side disputes: Someone threw sulfuric acid into Filin's face in January as he entered his Moscow apartment.
Police say Dmitrichenko had two co-conspirators, one of whom threw the acid.
Local newspapers had quoted ballet members as saying Dmitrichenko was angry because he thought Filin was stifling the career of Anzhelina Vorontsova -- Dmitrichenko's girlfriend.
"For everyone who knows Pavel Dmitrichenko, even the idea that he could be the mastermind and the customer of the crime committed in such a brutal form, is absurd," the Bolshoi's cast and crew said in their letter.
"Having known Pavel personally for many years, we are convinced that despite his notorious temper, his hot-headedness and his straightforwardness, he is a very decent and sympathetic person who is always ready to extend a helping hand."
The members added they are convinced "that the fundamental disagreements with Sergei Filin about his artistic and personnel policy in the ballet could not go beyond the law. We believe that the investigation's findings are too rushed, the evidence seems unconvincing and we view Pavel's testimony, which was later changed, as given under pressure."
Dmitrichenko and his two alleged accomplices are being held until the police investigation is over.
It may take at least six months for Filin to recover from the burns. Doctors performed a skin graft on him, and, after a second eye surgery, were able to save his sight.
Filin is "coming through the toughest period of his life," the ballet said. "We hope that the true reasons and circumstances of this crime would be established."
Police said the investigation is still ongoing, and preliminary results will be reported to the ballet and to the public.
Last week, police declared their case was solved with Dmitrichenko's confession.
"I organized this attack but not to the extent that it happened," the dancer is heard saying in a video released by police.
Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported that before the attack, Filin suffered months of intimidation, including threatening phone calls, someone slashing his tires, and someone attempting to hack his Facebook page.
“In those first seconds, all I could think was, How can I relieve the pain? The burning was so awful. I tried to move. I fell face first into the snow. I started grabbing handfuls of snow and rubbing it into my face and eyes. I felt some small relief from the snow. I thought of how to get home. I was pretty close to my door. There’s an electronic code and a metal door, but I couldn’t punch in the numbers of the code. I couldn’t see them. When I understood that I couldn’t get into the building, I started shouting, ‘Help! Help! I need help!’ But no one was around.
I tried to make my way to another entrance, in the hope that someone would see me and help me. But that was not such a good idea, because I was falling down and getting up and bumping into cars and into walls and falling down because I couldn’t see any steps. There was so much snow. Snow was coming down. I kept rubbing it into my face.
“When I understood that there was no use shouting for help, I decided to reach into my pocket and put my mobile phone in my hand. I hoped someone would call me. I couldn’t see the screen, so I couldn’t dial. Usually, I get one call after another, but there were no calls for some reason. I tried to knock on the door of each entrance. I’m quite strong and I banged very loudly, but no one was coming out to help. Then the phone slipped out of my hand and I lost it in the snow. The pain in my eyes and face was so terrible that I had a wave of thought: I was dying. But I only wanted to die if it was in the arms of my wife. The pain was unbearable. I really thought this might be the end of me.”
“I remembered that at the parking lot there’s a booth with security guards, and I hoped there would be someone there. So I ran in what I thought might be the direction of the parking lot. My eyes couldn’t see, but somehow my bodily navigation was alert and it moved me in the right direction. I kept falling down and bouncing off the cars, as if I were the ball in a pinball machine. Eventually, I made my way to this booth and I started banging on the window. And here I finally lucked out.
There was a guard there. He said he was absolutely shocked when he saw me. He immediately scooped up more snow and rubbed it into my face. By now I was trembling. I’d developed some sort of fever, it must have been shock, and I kept saying, ‘Please call Masha, please call Masha.’ I really thought I was dying. So he called an emergency number—for an ambulance—and then he called upstairs to Masha, who came out of the apartment and to the parking lot. I don’t want to discuss the nightmare that came next: my wife’s reaction, the reaction of my relatives who saw me in this condition. I could hear them crying and I understood that what they saw in my face was something . . . horrendous.”
Source(s): 1, 2
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Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake Bring Sexy Back with the Ragtime Gals
The Ragtime Gals sing a barbershop quartet version of "SexyBack" with Justin Timberlake on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
source
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Ed Asner Hospitalized: Actor Treated For Exhaustion In Indiana
GARY, Ind. — Ed Asner's publicist says the 83-year-old actor, who has been touring the country performing a one-man show for more than three years, has been hospitalized with exhaustion.
Publicist Charles Sherman tells The Associated Press that Asner was taken off stage at the Marquette Pavilion in Gary, Ind., on Tuesday night.
Sherman says Asner was taken by ambulance to a Chicago-area hospital where he is "resting comfortably" and is expected to be released later Wednesday.
He says the actor, best known for his roles in TV's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its spinoff "Lou Grant," has been touring the nation portraying President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in "FDR" for 3 1/2 years.
Source
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Who Went Home on the Hell's Kitchen Season Premiere?
We learned a lot about a lot of people this season.
We learned that Gina is insane
and That Jeremy is going to murder someone
Tonight was the much anticipated return of Hell’s Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay, and what a way to kick off the show’s 11th season it was. Just when we all thought we’d seen it all, we were wrong, because this bunch was by far the wackiest group of contestants yet!
Ah, there is nothing quite like watching a bunch of drama queens and know-it-alls getting blasted by Gordon Ramsay, now is there? Nope, so we didn’t expect any less tonight on the season 11 premiere of Hell’s Kitchen. And just when we thought we had seen it all, we were wrong! Perhaps someone from the network can fill us in on where the heck they find these people!
It started off with a bunch of excited hopefuls, but we quickly watched as the excitement turned to drama. In the first few minutes, and with the contestants not even being in Hell’s Kitchen, they were already bashing one another to the cameras – it’s going to be a fun season, folks. And Gordon Ramsay added a twist this season – the contestants prepared their signature dishes in front of a live audience – imagine the fun those people had!
Back at Hell’s Kitchen, it was the night before dinner service, and not a creature was stirring…well, at least until Gina, a 49-year-old drama queen line cook decided to whip out her chef puppet and start annoying the other ladies in the dorm. Nedra, who seems like she is going to raise some hell of her own this season, was about to shove the puppet where the sun doesn’t shine. Ironically, the next day, Gina was the only contestant who could not get out of bed for service – and after she did it was more drama, as she “could not get with it.” Too many drugs perhaps.
Dinner service was the usual first time nonsense, but we also got a nice surprise – J.P. was back! Of course, Gordon Ramsay had to do his share of yelling at him, all in fun though. But seriously, with a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on the line, these hopeful chefs needed to get serious, but they were anything but.
One by one, these morons were getting kicked out of the kitchen – some of them more than once! Sebastion, with his non-stop chatter decided to walk around like a crazed maniac, chanting “wacky Zachy,” which earned him a fast trip up to the dorm, but he came back down a few more times. Not sure why Gordon did not eliminate him then and there, but whatever.
With only a few ladies left in the red kitchen, and Zach, the only man left standing, they managed to pull off the entire dinner service. And we have to give Zach credit here, he became so nervous that he went in to the rest room to vomit, and then came back out and finished the men’s service all alone. Let’s just hope he washed his hands! The men were on the chopping block tonight, and when it was time for elimination, Sebastian was sent packing. I guess Ramsay had enough of his useless chatter.
Jeremy is gone next time. Either him or Gina. Both are fucking insane but Gina's more of a wacky insane and Jeremy's more of a 'Kill you and eat your skin' insane.
Source for gifs
Source for article
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Cumberbatch Live-tweeted by Neighbor
“I would say that it was the strangest fan experience that I’ve ever had,” Cumberbatch tells Mandrake. “I had someone live tweeting my movements while I was in my own house.
“It was such a strange and a direct thing to see these tweets saying what I was doing as I was doing them. I found it really worrying, and, yes, of course, very hard to deal with. I worked out after a while who it was who was doing it so, when it came to it, I didn’t actually call in the police, but I was prepared to do so.
“I’m not going to say any more about it. The person concerned knows now what I felt about it. I just found it very hard to come to terms with the idea that an individual could look into my house like this, and talk about me online, and think it is a perfectly okay thing to do.”
The amiable 36-year-old London-based actor says that the whole concept of celebrity and what it is resulting in worries him. “The sad thing is I don’t really have anonymity any more in the UK as it has got just like it is in America,” he says. “Here I get stopped quite a lot now. Sometimes it is bearable and sometimes it isn’t”.
Source
Why am I not surprised that a Cumberbatch fan takes live-tweeting to a whole new creep level, giving a whole new meaning to tweet stalking.
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Book Post! African novels to look out for in 2013
A new book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one a crop of works from African writers to be published in 2013.
This year is looking good for African writing. We should expect new discoveries and fresh voices to emerge from the continent as there are still stories yet to be told whilst those who have already proven themselves will likely wax stronger. This is who we expect to rock....
Noviolet Bulawayo (Zimbabwe)
We Need New Names is the lovely title of the forthcoming debut novel by Noviolet Bulawayo (pen name of Elizabeth Tshele). Noviolet won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2011 for her story Hitting Budapest.
According to Libyan author Hisham Matar, who was one of the Caine Prize Judges: "The language of Hitting Budapest crackles. Here we encounter Darling, Bastard, Chipo, Godknows, Stina and Sbho, a gang reminiscent of Clockwork Orange. But these are children, poor and violated and hungry. This is a story with moral power and weight, it has the artistry to refrain from moral commentary. NoViolet Bulawayo is a writer who takes delight in language. Noviolet's works are intensely lyrical and moving, while engaging with real social issues. She is a 2012-2014 Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. We Need New Names comes out in May.
Taiye Selasi (Ghana)
Selasi met Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison at Oxford in 2005. She was introduced by Morrison's niece, the producer of a play she had written as a graduate student. Morrison invited Selasi to her home when they returned to the States. Morrison subsequently encouraged Selasie to pen her first story The Sex Lives of African Girls which was published in Granta magazine in 2011 in its feminism issue and appeared in Best American Short Stories 2012.
In 2010 Ann Godoff at Penguin Press bought Selasi's unfinished novel and Ghana Must Go is now set to be published in 15 countries in 2013. The novel opens with a scene of a father who is about to die and traces the saga of his disintegrating family back to Africa. Ghana Must Go is widely tipped as one of the most eagerly anticipated books of the year.
She was recently interviewed by MHP.
Alain Mabanckou (Congo)
Franco-Congolese novelist Alain Mabanckou is among the best known and most successful writers in the French language and one of the best known African writers in France. Sometimes referred to as Africa's Samuel Beckett, Mabanckou was selected by Vanity Fair as one of the continent's greatest living writers.
His works include Black Bazaar, Memoirs of a Porcupine, African Psycho and Broken Glass and his style has been described as colloquial and highly entertaining. He is also prolific, Mabanckou's latest offering Tomorrow I Will be Twenty Years Old is set to be published in May this year. Drawn from his own childhood experiences the book recounts the story of ten year old Michel living in Pointe Noire, Congo in the 1970s.
Igoni Barrett (Nigeria)
Igoni Barrett, one of the finest writers around, was the winner of the BBC World Service short story competition for 2005. His first book, a collection of short stories entitled From Caves of Rotten Teeth, was first published in 2005 and re-issued in 2008. Known for the raw energy of his prose and characters that feel alive on the page, Barrett's new collection of stories Love Is Power, Or Something Like That is due to be published in the UK, US and Nigeria in June. I encourage you to put it on your list of must-reads for 2013.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
Celebrated novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie returns with a new novel Americanah. The title comes from the word Nigerians use for those who have left the country for the US and become "Americanised" – a borderline insult. With three books to her name and a clutch of literary prizes, Chimamanda is one of the most beloved and critically lauded writers working today. Americanah comes out in May.
rest at the source
Favorite African books or authors? and what are you reading at the moment? Mine is "The Gods are not to blame" by Ola Rotimi. I'm reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
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Who Qualifies as a Hollywood 'Mocktress'?
Can you name the last movie starring Jessica Alba or Kate Bosworth? So why are they being paid so much to show up on the red carpet? How Hollywood's starlets are cashing in on their clotheshorse style.
She's suddenly ubiquitous, this type of actress -- just not on the big or small screen. She graces red carpets and Fashion Week front rows wearing next season's Dolce, Zac, Marc and Elie -- the perks of being a personal friend of the house -- with the most-craved Celine or Alexander McQueen bag, not yet even on preorder, on her arm. Yet she might not have done a project in years, and if she has, well, you haven't heard of it. Still, she is a legitimate actress, having starred in a few rom-coms, action flicks or horror films, looking gorgeous in all of them. No fake noses or weight gain for this girl.
Today, said actress spends the majority of her time modeling on arrival lines as opposed to runways. Remember when models just wanted to be actresses? These days, a certain lanky, large-eyed genre of B-list-and-lower actresses have, for all intents and purposes, added "model" to their business-savvy hyphenate titles. Meet the 2013 version of the model-actress -- or, the mocktress.
But don't pity her. She makes the majority of her income -- a very good income -- this way. Last year, according to sources in event planning, marketing and branding, Jessica Alba and Kate Bosworth each earned $100,000 per public appearance.
Maybe they weren't paid to attend Chanel shows -- they just got to keep 15 grand worth of clothes and bags -- but they were no doubt monetized for attending the Giffoni Film Festival in Italy, the opening of the Montblanc concept store in Beijing, the Audi Aspen Holiday party and the Topshop/Topman store opening in L.A. Alba alone attended about 43 events in 2012 -- the old "opening of an envelope" line comes to mind -- and for tres chicDiane Kruger, it was 31 events. Kruger is becoming better known for being well-dressed than her occasional yet interesting acting choices. No doubt she makes more money that way.
Precisely how much is a function of visibility. Rachel Bilson used to be out and about all the time in between 2007's The O.C. and landing Hart of Dixie in 2011. Now, because of higher demands on her time (i.e., she's working), she garners $150,000 for an appearance, while Camilla Belle, with less frequent and more obscure projects (Cavemen, I Brake for Gringos), earns $20,000 to $50,000 to sit front-row at a fashion show or show up looking chic at the Samsung Galaxy Note Launch Event in New York.
"A lot of these girls are beautiful and had a little luck in that the type of feature film they first acted in led to easy stardom," explains Marilyn Heston, owner of MHA, which represents fashion brands and wrangles celebs to wear their looks. "As ingenues, Camilla Belle was in 10,000 BC and Kate Bosworth in Blue Crush. Both films were highly visible domestically and overseas with young and sexy casts, and they had strong studio press campaigns. Fashion houses took note and quickly adopted them as 'fashion girls.' I remember when Roberto Cavalli made a plunging V-neck blue chiffon cocktail dress for the premiere of Blue Crush, he asked, 'Who's Kate Bosworth?' -- but sure enough, he got tons of press because she looked so great."
Note Twilight ingenue and new mocktress Ashley Greene, who models for DKNY ads while being splashed all over Who What Wear-style websites for what she wears about town. Her next role after the vampire franchise is a horror movie called Random. January Jones now is better known for flamboyant fashion choices than her parts beyond Mad Men, i.e., X-Men: First Class. Mocktresses-in-training Hailee Steinfeld and Elle Fanning, despite being in school, get paid to play dress-up and go out, sometimes in designer outfits well beyond their years.
The time when such a career move might have indicated the beginning-of-the-end has passed. "I call this the democratization of fashion," says Lori Sale, a partner in the Artists & Brands agency and a former ICM agent. "This doesn't hurt their careers -- producers want to cast actresses who are relevant and current and getting covered by the media. Brands can be a very good 'look' for talent; it can enhance their image more than hurt it, if they pick the right ones."
Truth be told, there's a degree of mocktress in nearly every modern actress now that designer fashion is one of the biggest components of a celebrity's image and brand. "Instead of having their agents scour for the next big role, actresses are making sure they're polished each time they grace a red carpet, well aware it can catapult them from actor to brand ambassador or muse," says Kent Belden, who runs the MMA styling agency. "A brand chooses an actress who represents the image and lifestyle it wants to convey to consumers, but both parties are being strategic."
Yet A-list actresses with deals as the faces of such brands as Dior (Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman) or YSL (Jessica Chastain) or who have close relationships with designers (Cate Blanchett with Armani, Anne Hathaway with Valentino) always will be better known for acting than dressing. They don't show up at the drop of a hat -- even when being paid to wear said hat. Their publicists and agents won't let them dilute their brand, while for the full-on mocktress, fashion is her brand, and acting is what gives her fashion relevance.
A mocktress might not get the cover of Vogue, but she does rate the cover of Allure, InStyle orGlamour, especially when she's in a movie or on a TV show, because Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Megan Fox and Belle move issues of certain style magazines more than supermodels. "These actresses have sizzle and wattage, which is pretty much out of the reach of young models today," says Barneys global ambassador and fashion writer Simon Doonan. "The professional and personal lives of actresses are embedded in the group consciousness. We know her face, but we also know her backstory, her triumphs and foibles. This makes for a more compelling and effective branding moment."
Social media drives home that branding moment over and over, says Jill Chayet, owner of fashion PR and branding company Bluprint. "The dawn of the Internet and social media gave birth to this new form of access into the lives and activities of actresses," she says. "These celebrities are real ambassadors for their brands. It's a 360 opportunity -- from events, appearances, editorial, social media, personal blogs and fan sites. Combine that with new photo-media-sharing growing exponentially, and any designer brand gets exposure that far supersedes the reach traditional models could offer."
In the past few years, the big brands have been drowned out by mass and emerging brands that one has barely heard of -- a plethora of denim and T-shirt companies -- by using mocktresses as their preferred method of PR. Ah, the joys of being a fashion journalist: cracking open the computer every morning to a torrent of hundreds of daily news releases with subject lines that read (not a joke; all caps have been faithfully reproduced): "January Jones Wears Frame Denim" and "DIANE KRUGER WEARS ANN TAYLOR FOR THE THIRD TIME."
Mocktresses have even pushed aside reality actresses -- "reactresses" -- as branding tools because outside of Nicole Richie and Lauren Conrad, reactresses don't have high fashion cred. Kim Kardashian may be a brand, but she's not a mocktress, as she lacks the clotheshorse body and subtle chic. Rachel Zoe may have created the fashion-star reactress, but now those names run in tabloids, not fashion blogs, and they simply are no longer aspirational.
The mother of all mocktresses is Elizabeth Hurley, who became better known as a fashionista than an actress after donning the famed Versace safety pin dress for the London premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. Former mocktresses Mischa Barton and Lindsay Lohancarried the torch into the early 2000s. But none has taken mocktressdom to the levels they are today, where short-lived TV series actresses pose alongside blockbuster ingenues, both of whom increasingly are more admired for their ability to wear a frock than open a film.
The playing field is even becoming crowded. "There are not enough big fashion and beauty campaigns to go around for all the beautiful actresses who'd like to land them," says Sale. "But there are lots of opportunities for fashion-savvy actresses who aren't A-listers to act as brand ambassadors. They have to be authentically fashion-loving and have to wear lots of different brands, or a particular brand won't want to associate with them." Adds Doonan, who says of today's freewheeling fashion climate: "An actress could be flogging dresses one minute and playing opposite Dame Maggie Smith the next, and nobody would try to bust her cred. All bets are off."
I thought this was a really good read. Though, i was aware of most of this, didn't know that they were called "mocktress" lol
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Tamar Braxton is pregnant with her first child
Reality star Tamar Braxton is ready to add "mother" to her profile. The star of WE's Braxton Family Values announced on Good Morning America Wednesday that she and hubby Vince Herbert are expecting their first child.
Braxton told the GMA crew that she's excited — and hungry. "I have a love on top! I am pregnant!" she exclaimed. "I feel great and greedy at the same time. This is the most I've eaten ever."
Braxton is the younger sister of R&B star Toni Braxton and Herbert is Lady Gaga's manager. The couple also star on their own WE spinoff reality series Tamar & Vince.
I know they've been trying for a child but never forget
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MAKE UP POST: OK! Magazine "reviews" Khroma Beauty.
When the Kardashian ladies started working on their makeup line during their reality TV show, I was more giddy than a girl oohing and ahhing over her teenage celebrity crush—my crushes were Orlando Bloom and Daniel Radcliffe, if you wanted to know.
It was almost as if I had hired myself as their volunteer beauty outreach consultant. I told like a thousand people about their new business venture. The phrase "Did you know that the Kardashians are making a makeup line?" was the new way for me to start a conversation.
As thrilled as I was that this new label was going to hit store shelves, I had never gotten around to trying their beauty collection
That all changed today when I tried out the two magnificent products above. The Khroma Beauty k24 Primer pretty much does what it says in the name. The "24" is put in the name to represent the shiny effects of a piece of 24-karat gold. When I put this on my skin, I glittered like Robert Pattinson did in Twilight—total keeper!
The Khroma Beauty Joystick Lipstick also made my day. I've been searching for a nude lipstick for ages and am always asking my beauty-obsessed friends what their favorite brand is. I was thrilled with this result of this product. Plus, I do have a thing for lipstick.
Ok! Magazine
lmao this "review"
Have you tried Khroma Beauty, ONTD? How awful is it?
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What do hate groups think about Jennifer Lawrence?
Have you ever met anyone who doesn't like Jennifer Lawrence? No? Me either. Even if someone doesn't know who she is, you can just show them that clip of her after the Oscars, or that one of her getting freaked out by Jack Nicholson, and they will become an instant lifelong megafan.
But in the interest of presenting a fair and balanced argument, I decided to try and find some people who hate her. And who hates more shit than members of hate groups? They have the word "hate" right there in their description.
I called up a few to see what their feelings were on J-Lawr.
Have you ever met anyone who doesn't like Jennifer Lawrence? No? Me either. Even if someone doesn't know who she is, you can just show them that clip of her after the Oscars, or that one of her getting freaked out by Jack Nicholson, and they will become an instant lifelong megafan.
But in the interest of presenting a fair and balanced argument, I decided to try and find some people who hate her. And who hates more shit than members of hate groups? They have the word "hate" right there in their description.
I called up a few to see what their feelings were on J-Lawr.
Have you ever met anyone who doesn't like Jennifer Lawrence? No? Me either. Even if someone doesn't know who she is, you can just show them that clip of her after the Oscars, or that one of her getting freaked out by Jack Nicholson, and they will become an instant lifelong megafan.
But in the interest of presenting a fair and balanced argument, I decided to try and find some people who hate her. And who hates more shit than members of hate groups? They have the word "hate" right there in their description.
I called up a few to see what their feelings were on J-Lawr.
NATIONAL SOCIALIST FREEDOM MOVEMENT
Who are they?
A US-based "white civil rights group" (that's a fancy way of saying "racists").
What do they think of Jennifer Lawrence?
VICE: I was wondering if you could tell me your organization's thoughts on Jennifer Lawrence?
Edward McBride, National Socialist Freedom Movement: Jennifer Lawrence? I don't know anything about her. Why?
You know who she is, right? She just won best actress for Silver Linings Playbook? She was inHunger Games?
No, sorry. I don't really pay attention to that nonsense.
Oh. Well what kind of stuff are you into?
Basically, you know, defending the rights of white people everywhere.
Jennifer Lawrence is white.
OK.
So you guys would defend her?
If something were to happen to her.
Well, a while ago she won an award at the Golden Globes, and when she went to get it, she said this thing about Meryl Streep, which was just a reference to First Wives Club, but a lot of people misunderstood and thought she was dissing Meryl. A bunch of people were angry. There was this huge Twitter backlash.
Uh-huh.
Is that something you guys would have defended her against?
No.
What kind of stuff would you defend her against, then?
A variety of different things. Say, for example, she was the victim of a flash mob.
Eugh. I hate flash mobs.
Yeah, basically where a group of nig-nogs are looking for any excuse to attack whites.
Oh. I think maybe your definition of "flash mob" is different from mine... Are there any actresses you do like?
Nope.
Not one?
Nope.
Not even Meryl Streep?
Nope.
But everybody likes Meryl Streep.
Not everybody.
Oh wait, is she Jewish or something?
I wouldn't be able to tell ya.
THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH
Who are they?
Those guys who show up whenever anything sad happens with signs about how much God hates good things/loves bad things.
What do they think about Jennifer Lawrence?
VICE: What do you guys think of Jennifer Lawrence?
Steve Drain, Westboro Baptist Church: You talking about the Hunger Games woman?
Yeah, that's the one.
You want a statement on Jennifer Lawrence? From the Westboro Baptist Church?
Yes, please.
I don't know enough about her. You know, we focus on things that we see in front of us. I haven't really taken a look at Jennifer Lawrence from a religious perspective, or from a how-great-of-an-actress-she-is perspective. But I was taking a tour at NBC when I was in New York and she was practicing a skit for Saturday Night Live.That's about as much as I know about her.
Oh. So you got to see her in real life?
I think that's who they told me it was. I didn't even really know what she looked like until I started seeing trailers for Silver Linings Playbook.
You didn't see Silver Linings Playbook yet?
I didn't see it yet, I'd like to see it! I've been kinda busy picketing. I saw some of the movies nominated for best picture though. What was the one with Ben Affleck?
Argo.
Yeah. That was a good flick. I feel good for Ben Affleck, because he was kinda on the out, you know what I mean?
Yeah. So you guys are into Ben Affleck?
No, man. You're looking for some kind of a salacious quote to put in your story. All I'm saying is that I thought Argo was a darn good flick.
OK. But what about Jennifer Lawrence?
OK. Jennifer Lawrence... I think that most of the young people in our church saw Hunger Games. And I think they all liked that... She just kinda bursted onto the scene, didn't she? She doesn't have a very long film career, does she?
She got nominated for some awards a couple of years ago for Winter's Bone.
Oh! That's her? Winter's Bone rocked! That was a great flick.
Yeah.
I like Winter's Bone quite a bit. I think she did a very nice job there. Yep.
INSTITUTE FOR HISTORICAL VIEW
Who are they?
An organization that calls itself a "public-interest educational, research, and publishing center dedicated to promoting greater public awareness of history." Which is a fancy way of saying "holocaust deniers."
What do they think of Jennifer Lawrence?
VICE: Hey, would you be able to tell me what you guys think of Jennifer Lawrence?
Institute for Historical Review: Who?
You know, she just won the Oscar for best actress?
Oh... Well, I don't have any comment. I don't really know anything about her. Why would you be interested in what I might think about her?
I'm just calling around, finding out what people think about her. She was in Hunger Games, too.
But why would you ask me what I think about her?
I'm just curious. Do you know who I'm talking about?
She's an actress. I don't really know much about her. And I don't really have any opinion on her one way or another.
Let me tell you something about her: she was friends with this kid who had down syndrome before she was famous, and now that she's a big star, she's still friends with him. She like, sends him signed posters and calls him and stuff.
Oh, OK.
So what do you think about that?
Well, that's fine, I guess. I just don't have any opinion about her.
But what about the thing I just told you? That makes her pretty likeable, right? She's very likeable.
Fine. OK. Look, I'm just astonished that you would ask me what I think about her. I just don't have any opinion.
NATION OF ISLAM
Who are they?
A "religion" based largely around anti-semitism, homophobia, and black-supremacy.
What do they think of Jennifer Lawrence?
VICE: Hi there, I just wondered if you could tell me what you think of Jennifer Lawrence?
Nation of Islam: I'm sorry, sir, we can't participate in such things. [hangs up]
[second call] Hey there, sorry, I think I got cut off a second ago.
OK.
So, what were you saying? What do you think about Jennifer Lawrence?
Sir, AGAIN, no, sir, we don't participate in surveys here.
Well, it's not really a survey, it's just—
[shouting] SIR! NO! WE ABSOLUTELY CANNOT PARTICIPATE. [hangs up]
LEAGUE OF THE SOUTH
Who are they?
A group that advocates for the secession of the South, and a society "dominated by European Americans." Which, I think, is a fancy way of saying "slavery."
What do they think about Jennifer Lawrence?
VICE: Hey, just wondering if you could tell me what you think of Jennifer Lawrence?
David Jones, League of the South: I don't know who that is.
She was in the Hunger Games?
What's the question?
I just wanted to know what you thought of her.
It doesn't matter what I think of Jennifer Lawrence one way or the other. That's not what the League of the South is about.
OK, sure. But like, League of the South aside, you must have a personal opinion on her?
No, I don't.
Did you see Silver Linings Playbook?
I think, sir, that you are so out of whack with what the League of the South is about that it really doesn't behoove me to talk to you at all. We're about poliitcs, we're about government, we're about personal responsibility, and my opinion about one person's acting ability is irrelevant.
So you didn't see Silver Linings Playbook?
No sir. I don't care about anything like that. What's your name?
Jamie Taete.
And where do you live?
Los Angeles.
Oh hell, then I have no desire to talk to you. Thank you very much. [hangs up]
TONY ALAMO CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
Who are they?
Extremist Christian cult that hates all of the usual Christian extremist stuff (like gays and stuff). But also has the honor of being founded and run by Tony Alamo, a man who just got sent to prison for 175 years for physically and sexually abusing children and forcing them into polygamous marriages.
What do they think of Jennifer Lawrence?
VICE: Hey there. I was just wondering if you could tell me your opinions on Jennifer Lawrence?
Tony Alamo Christian Ministries: I have no idea who that is.
You know who Jennifer Lawrence is! She just won the best actress Oscar? She was the one who tripped on the stairs when she was going to get her award and it was adorable?
This is Tony Alamo Christian Ministries. This is a church.
You didn't see the Oscars this year?
Did you call us because you have nothing better to do? Let me just say real quick, the Lord's coming back. Very soon. And he's not gonna ask you how many movies you saw or which celebrities you knew, he's gonna ask you what you did for his son, Jesus. He died on the cross, and he did that just for you, and that's what we preach.
Wait, are you doing that thing where people pretend they don't know what someone or something is to seem cool? Like, my friend is really cerebral and is into a bunch of obscure old music, and one time he claimed he didn't know who the Spice Girls are. Which, obviously, is bullshit.
Did you hear anything that I just said?
Yeah.
Have you ever been saved? Have you ever asked the Lord to come into your heart? Are you ready to meet God? One day, you are going to die, and you are going to stand in front of an almighty power and he's going to ask you what you did for his son, Jesus. And that is the most important thing.
Well, I'm not saying that Jennifer Lawrence is like, the most important thing. I was just curious as to what you thought about her. She's kind of a big deal right now.
God is a big deal to me right now. But I hope she's right with God and I hope she gets saved.
tl;dr reporter trolls hate groups with jennifer lawrence, hate groups continue to be dumb
SOURCE
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Veronica Mars: The Movie - Funded by the fans!
Almost since Veronica Mars went off the air, there's been talk of making a movie. In that span, I've taken different tactics in dealing with the question of whether it might happen. To be clear, I've always wanted to make a Veronica Mars movie. I love writing these characters and working with these actors. Kristen Bell has always wanted to make the movie.
There was a moment, a few years ago, when we thought we had a real shot at making it happen. I developed a pitch that revolved around graduation day at Hearst college -- Wallace and Mac were graduating at least, Veronica had been sidetracked by freeing Keith from prison. Plus, there was a murder in Neptune that was affecting the beach city's spring break business in much the same way a great white shark affected the beach community of Amity.I probably stoked fan fervor in my optimistic comments about the prospects. Warner Bros. wasn’t convinced there was enough interest to warrant a major studio-sized movie about Veronica and the project never got off the ground.
After that, I tried to tamp down expectations. I didn't want to be guilty — at least not twice — of building up hope when the odds seemed so long. Still, without fail, in every interview I do or every place I speak, I get the "will there be a Veronica Mars movie?" question. Even after a couple of years of downplaying the chances, I'd still run across blog postings headlined, "will Rob Thomas shut up about the Veronica Mars movie, already!" I was trying to. I promise.
I first found out about Kickstarter a couple of years ago from an Austin musician friend of mine — Robert Harrison, lead singer of Cotton Mather, the band that gave us "Lily Dreams On," our closing song of season 1. He financed a rerelease of the band's fantastic Kontiki album. Later, I was marveling about Kickstarter with another buddy of mine who said off-handedly, "You should use Kickstarter to raise the money to make the Veronica Mars movie." I chuckled. That seemed like a silly idea in the moment. We'd need millions. But for the next few weeks, the notion was never far from my mind. I started doing the proverbial back-of-a-cocktail-napkin math. The average pledge on Kickstarter is $71. Hell, if we could get 30,000 people to give the average donation, we could finance the movie, particularly if the cast and I were willing to work cheap. The most common donation amount on Kickstarter is $25. Surely, 80,000 of our three million viewers would find that price-point viable!
Of course, Warner Bros. still owns Veronica Mars and we would need their blessing and cooperation to pull this off. Kristen and I met with the Warner Bros. brass, and they agreed to allow us to take this shot. They were extremely cool about it, as a matter of fact. Their reaction was, if you can show there’s enough fan interest to warrant a movie, we’re on board. So this is it. This is our shot. I believe it's the only one we've got. It's nerve-wracking. I suppose we could fail in spectacular fashion, but there's also the chance that we completely revolutionize how projects like ours can get made. No Kickstarter project ever has set a goal this high. It's up to you, the fans, now. If the project is successful, our plan is to go into production this summer and the movie will be released in early 2014.
Life has taken Veronica away from Neptune. In the years since spoiling Keith's chances to be reelected sheriff, Veronica hasn't taken a case. But something big is about to bring her back home and back to her calling. My goal is to include as many of your favorite characters as possible. It is, after all, time for Veronica’s 10-year high school reunion. Keep in mind that the more money we raise, the cooler movie we can make. A two million dollar fundraising total probably means cross words are exchanged at the class reunion. Three million? We can afford a full-on brawl. Ten million? Who knows... For some reason the Neptune High class reunion takes place on a nuclear submarine! A Hobbit shows up! There’s a Bollywood end-credit dance number! I’ve always wanted to direct Bill Murray. We’ll figure out something cool. Hey, if that total goes high enough, I’ll bet the good folks at Warner Bros. will agree a sequel is a good idea.
Thanks to everyone who hasn't lost faith.
Rob
A Message from Kristen:
dearest marshmallows...
I am currently the happiest blonde in a hamster ball the world has ever seen. We have been waiting so long to make this movie dream a movie reality, and it’s because of YOUR commitment, YOUR persistence, that we finally have a chance. We just have one more step to go.
You have banded together like the sassy little honey badgers you are and made this possibility happen. i promise if we hit our goal, we will make the sleuthiest, snarkiest, it’s-all-fun-and-games-‘til-one-of-you-gets-my-foot-up-your-ass movie we possibly can.
I promise to give it my all. i promise to work my hardest to give everyone a little bit more Veronica, and i will be oh so honored to do so.
I only ask for one thing in return.
If I ever die, do me a favor. Go on Oprah and tell the world that I loved kittens.
LoVe to you ALL,
kristen bell
Find us at Facebook.com/VeronicaMars and youtube.com/veronicamarsmovie. Follow us on Twitter @RobThomas and @IMKristenBell and keep checking this page for more updates.
PLEDGE AT THE SOURCE HERE
THERE ARE ALSO GIFTS FOR PLEDGING!
Guys, this is pretty flippin awesome. We need to make this happen.
Source
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✬ liam goes shopping with his mum in australia ✬
Liam is currently in Australia spending time with his family, including his mother Leonie, whom he was spotted out shopping with on Wednesday.
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Criminal Minds 8x17 Promo "The Gathering" (HD)
"The Gathering" - The BAU investigates victims who were documenting their personal lives and inner desires on blog posts and social media. Also, Kevin gets jealous when he learns Garcia may have a new love interest.
Source: TelevisionPromos
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Ginger rake-like British prince wins South Bank Sky Arts Breakthrough award
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Kick Ass 2 - Red Band Trailer
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More Pages to Explore .....
