Sunday Links

Rolling Stone: Your Favorite British Invasion Songs

Upworthy: 101 Books to Read Besides '50 Shades of Grey'

Rolling Stone: Pot Legalization is Coming

The New York Times: Are Olympic Parents Supportive or Overbearing?

The New Yorker: Our Perfect Summer

Rolling Stone: Musicians Who Defined Nineties Style

The New Yorker: What I'd Say to the Martians

The New York Times: Military Hazing Has Got to Stop

The Huffington Post: Marilyn Monroe's Career

Thought Catalog: Thought Monologue No. 3

The September Edition: Netflix Edition

Vogue has been one of the most well-known and well-respected fashion magazines in the world for decades. Each year, the journal devotes a fall issue to the designers that the editors feel will be influential in the next year. The September 2007 issue of Vogue became the biggest issue in the magazine's history. So, needless to say, someone just had to make a movie on it.

The September Issue is a 2009 documentary drama that follows Anna Wintour and her team at Vogue as they race to publish the September 2007 issue.

The film chronicles the effort that goes into publishing the most lengthy, and popular, issue of the year. Not only does it follow editor and chief Anna Wintour, but also model turned artistic director Grace Coddington, the only person with the guts to stand up to the notoriously aggressive Wintour.

The viewer is able to follow Wintour as she visits the annual Fashion Week shows, accepts or dismisses the latest creations of the biggest names in fashion, works with the models, photographers, and writers who help bring her vision to the page, and labors with her staff to determine what the world's fashionistas will be wearing for the next 12 months.

Though it is fun for fashionistas to watch Andre Leon Talley exclaim "It's the famine of beauty! It's the famine of beauty! The famine of beauty, honey! My eyes are starving for beauty!" and Anna Wintour complain "She looks pregnant, we need to fix her," the film is narrowed down to a fascinating study of the tension between creativity and commerce.

Grace Coddington (Left) and Anna Wintour (Right)

Even if you're not interested in fashion, it's still a fascinating film to watch. If not for the hysterical one liners, than for the inside look at Coddington's role at Vogue, who seems to be the real brains behind the famous magazine.

Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears Prada is rumoured to be inspired by Wintour, and after seeing both films, it's not hard to see why. A cup of Starbucks in hand, the bob hairdo, the cutting remarks, the frenzy that ensues whenever her name is mentioned, and worse, when dazzled by her presence. Even the Vogue office seems quite similar to that depicted in the film. Even down to the many assistants scurrying about, busy executing Wintour's every command.

Even if you watch this movie for no other reason than to make fun of the dramatic and often times shallow world of fashion, I'm totally cool with that.

I mean, we are supposedly in the middle of a "famine of beauty."

You can view the trailer for The September Issue below:

Apology

Okay, I know I know I know, I have some serious explaining to do.

I've been incredibly absent from the blogosphere these past few days. But I promise I have a good excuse! Like I mentioned in my last post, I had family in town all last weekend. And though it was fantastic getting to see them, a break was definitely deserved.

However, a break is the last thing I got. On Monday, I had surgery done. I won't bore you with the details, but I promise it was nothing major.

Anyways, the surgery went great and, though I had a bad reaction to the anesthetic and the vicodin, I'm fine now and back to blogging.

For now, I'm just going to link you to my most recent post: My Top Five Most Popular Posts.

However, rest assured that there is something coming soon. I promise!

Anyways, hope all is well! Now, I'm going to bed.

Enjoy this picture of a black and white octopus man. It cheered me up, so maybe it will be you smile... or grimace. That is, if you don't have my twisted sense of humor.

Top Five

So here's the deal, this weekend is going to be totally crazy for me.  I'm having family coming to stay with me the entire weekend and, though it's going to be great to get to catch up a little, it's going to mean a few less blog posts for a bit.  I know, I'm disappointed to.  Just know that while I'm sitting out on the patio sipping lemonade and shoving food down my throat with my family, I will be thinking about all of the wonderful things I have planned for next week!

However, I don't want to leave you hanging for the rest of the weekend, so I've decided to do a little review for ya'll, just to catch you up on anything you missed!

So here we go, my five most popular blog posts so far:

1.) Nine Things You Probably Didn't Know About Singin' in the Rain

In honor of Singin' in the Rain's 60th anniversary, I compiled a list of nine things you probably didn't know about the iconic film.

Check it out!  You might learn something new, and I'm all for learning new things!

Click the link above and read away, my friend!





2.) Une Femme Est Une Femme: Netflix Edition

In order to save you from your Netflix rut, I've given you a quick review of one of the many fantastic films available on the site.

Une Femme Est Une Femme, directed by Jean-Luc Goddard, is a fantastic film, and I highly recommend that you check it out this weekend.













3.) Fifty Years of Stones: 5 of the Rolling Stones Most Controversial Moments

In honor of the 50th anniversary of their first show, I compiled a list of their five most controversial moments.

Click the link to read on, and celebrate the Stones!







4.) A Creative Whirlwind: Lenka Clayton

A short description of one of my favorite artists, Lenka Clayton!

Click the link above to read more, and I encourage you to do some research on your own. There's a lot I wasn't able to fit in the post!













5.) Woody at 100

This past week, legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie would have turned 100 years old.  In honor of his accomplishments, I put together a post detailing to high's and low's of the singers tragic life.

Click the link above to read more, and take a listen to some of his most well known songs!








Well, if I don't post something in the coming days, enjoy your weekend!  And as always, please follow by clicking the button to your right.  Also, please comment!  I would love your feedback!!

ROAD TRIPPIN'

ROAD TRIPPIN' from taylor03p on 8tracks.

I've been finding myself doing a lot of driving lately. Nothing major, but a lot of miniature day trips. Most of the time I've been by myself, so these are just a few of the tunes I've been listening to to keep myself company.

I just started reading The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson, and it's really good so far.  There might even be a book review on it in the next coming weeks...

I've also been doing a lot of brainstorming recently about some upcoming blog posts, and there's some good stuff coming up, (if I do say so myself) so stay tuned.

Hope you're enjoying your week.  If you aren't, just think, the weekend is almost here (kind of.)

Anyways, as always, please follow!  Not only would I be eternally grateful, but you might also have a plateful of chocolate chip cookies (I'm kind of famous for them, at least in my head) and a slightly inappropriate greeting card coming your way.  

If that's not incentive enough, I don't know what is.

Bunny and the Bull: Netflix Edition

Now, first thing's first - if you've never seen The Mighty Boosh, go and watch it NOW. At least scroll down to the bottom of the post, and click the link to watch the first episode.  Don't even take the time to finish reading the rest of my post, just come back to it later. I'll wait...

Okay, now has everyone watched at least a few episodes of The Mighty Boosh? Good. Time to get back to the movie pick for this week.

The first feature film from writer and director Paul King, director the cult television series The Mighty Boosh (see the connection now,) Bunny and the Bull follows an emotional basket case as he thinks back on the friend who made him that way.

Stephen, played by Edward Hogg, is a neurotic young man suffering from agoraphobia. As he toys with the idea of going out for food, he recalls a vacation in Europe with his former best friend Bunny, played Simon Farnaby.

While Stephen is quiet and shy, Bunny is outgoing to a fault. He chases women, guzzles booze and is willing to bet on anything. After Stephen is dumped by his girlfriend, Bunny suggests a trip to Europe to cure his blues. Soon after, Bunny wins a bet and the two officially decide to take the trip. Things suddenly take a turn for the worst after Stephen develops a crush on Eloisa, played by Veronica Echegui, a waitress at a local fast food chain. However, much to Stephen's dismay, Bunny sweeps her off her feet before he can make a move. The situation becomes even more complicated after Eloisa takes the two on a trip to her hometown in Spain.

Now I don't want to spoil the rest of the movie for you, but don't you worry, you're guaranteed plenty of whimsical oddballs, including a Hungarian vagrant named Attila whose drink of choice is dog's milk, a suave yet down-to-earth bullfighter, and a dry museum tour guide. Though it is no surprise these roles are played by The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, respectively, Bunny and the Bull is anything but Mighty Boosh: The Movie.

The production design is easily my favorite part of the film. The movie is played out against a semi-animated, endlessly inventive handcrafted backdrops. This includes an underpass made from newspaper, a fairground made from clock parts and a bull made out of cutlery, not to mention a wonderful credit sequence, which utilises everything in Stephen's flat from pocket calculators to postage stamps.

Though the film is, without a doubt, well made, I felt that its script was lacking. Especially compared to any episode of The Mighty Boosh. However, do not let that stop you from watching. It's a great film, and is the perfect example of the difference between British and American comedy.

You can view the trailer for the film below, and you can check out the first episode of The Mighty Boosh here.

Eating Animals

Author of two of the most admired books of the past decade, Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, for his third book, Jonathan Safran Foer chose to focus on longtime personal questions about his diet. A devout vegetarian, and occasional vegan, Foer was inspired to write Eating Animals after thinking of what he would tell his two young children about his dietary choices.

Americans love their animals. 46 million families in the United States own at least one dog, and 38 million keep cats. 13 million maintain freshwater aquariums, containing more than a 170 million fish. Collectively, these animals cost Americans some 40 billion dollars annually.

However, Americans also love to eat animals. Each year, they consume about 35 million cows, more than a 115 million pigs, and 9 billion birds. Most of these creatures have been raised under conditions that are, as most Americans should know, barbaric. Broiler chickens typically spend their lives in windowless sheds, packed in with up to thirty thousand other birds and generations of accumulated waste. The ammonia fumes thrown off by their rotting excrement can lead to breast blisters, leg sores, and respiratory disease. Bred to produce the maximum amount of meat in the minimum amount of time, they often become so top-heavy that they can’t support their own weight. At slaughtering time, they are shackled by their feet, hung from a conveyor belt, and dipped into an electrified bath known as “the stunner.”

Pretty horrifying. Yet we (including me) continue to eat bacon with breakfast each day.

Why is it that Americans are so taken with the animals they keep as pets, yet completely indifferent towards the animals they eat?

That is the question Foer sets out to answer.

For much of Eating Animals, it appears that Foer is arguing vegetarianism as the only moral option. But then, in the middle of the book, Foer becomes friendly with a farmer named Frank Reese, who raises what are known as “heritage” turkeys. “I have placed my wager on a vegetarian diet and I have enough respect for people like Frank, who have bet on a more humane animal agriculture, to support their kind of farming,” Foer states.

I am not a vegetarian. I have tried it in the past, but have always failed (much to my dismay.) I know how the animals we eat are slaughtered, yet I continue to eat them. I have read so much on vegetarianism, and agree with most of the arguments made for eliminating meat from your diet, but I still cannot bring myself to make the transition. Maybe it's just a way of avoiding those awkward questions from family. I am sure there is nothing more uncomfortable than trying to explain to your entire family on Thanksgiving day why you're not eating the turkey your Aunt slaved over all day in the kitchen. Maybe it's just a way to avoid becoming a "hassle." No one wants to be that dreaded dinner party guest who follows every course introduction with a snippy "oh, I don't eat that. It's meat."

I suppose in hindsight this all seems silly, but I think Foer does a good job of addressing it by suggesting that we are defined not by what we do, but by what we are willing to do without. A concept I'm still trying to grasp.

Regardless of your "position" on vegetarianism, I highly suggest you get your hands on a copy of Eating Animals. Foer does a fantastic job of presenting a pragmatic view of vegetarianism, and even if it doesn't completely change your dietary habits, it will make you think twice before eating beef with every meal.    

Sunday Link Collection

So here you have it.  A collection of some of my favorite links from this week.

Rolling Stone: Jim Morrison Ghost

Bangstyle: 10 Best Films Never Made

The New Yorker: The Lure of the Fairy Tale

Rolling Stone: The 10 Coolest Summer Albums

The New Yorker: "The Clock" Returns to New York

Rolling Stone: Previously Unseen Bob Dylan Lyrics from 1965

The New York Times: Aziz Ansari, Voice of the People

Twitter: Conde Nast Elevator

Tumblr: Rich Kids of Instagram

The New York Times: At the Olympics, Women's Time to Shine

The New Yorker: The Massacre in Aurora: Can You Blame the Movies

Glamour: Barbie's Wedding Photos (No, Really)

As always, click the doobli-doo on the right and follow my blog!

Oh, and don't forget to leave some comments.  I'd love to see what you've been checkin' out on the internet lately.

The Guerrilla Girls

The Guerrilla Girls

The Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of feminists devoted to fighting against sexism within the art world. They are famous for wearing gorilla masks in order to keep their identity hidden.

They formed in 1985, as a response to the Museum of Modern Art's exhibition "An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture," which showcased work by 169 artists. However, out of those 169 artists, only 17 were women. The curator's press release for the exhibition stated: "Any artist who is not in my show should rethink his career." The founding Guerrilla Girls spoke out against the curator's statement by placing posters throughout SoHo. Ironically, their posters are now on display at the museum they originally protested.

Early organizing was based around group evaluation of statistical data gathered regarding gender inequality within the New York City art world. An example of data gathered by the group included the "penis count," where members would go to institutions, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and count the male to female subject ratio in artworks. The data gathered from the Met's public collections in 1985 showed that only 5% of the subjects were women, and that 83% of the women depicted were nude. Data like this formed the basis for protests - both verbally and visually. The group also kept "report cards" about organizations, galleries and critics featuring this data.

Example of the Guerrilla Girls Report Cards

The Guerrilla Girls also worked closely with artists, encouraging them to speak to those within the community to bridge the gender gap within the art world. They are known for their bold statements, including "do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?" and "when racism and sexism are no longer fashionable, what will your art collection be worth?"

However, the Guerrilla Girls had their fair share of critics, too. One even stated, “why do they have to wear such ugly things like gorilla masks, why can't they wear Cinderella masks?”

Membership in the New York City group is by invite only, and is based on relationships with current and past members, and one's involvement in contemporary art world. Due to the lack of formality, the group is comfortable with individuals outside of their base claiming to be Guerrilla Girls. One Guerrilla Girl stated in a 2007 interview that "it can only enhance us by having people of power who have been given credit for being a Girl, even if they were never a Girl." Men are not allowed to become Guerrilla Girls, but may support the group by assisting in promotional activities.

Guerrilla Girls generally take on pseudonyms based on dead and/or forgotten female artists. Members go by names such as Alma Thomas, Rosalba Carriera, Frida Kahlo, Julia de Borgos, and Hannah Hoch. By using pseudonyms, they are able to pay homage to, and remember, female artists.

Though the art world has made quite a bit of progress since the Guerrilla Girls formation in 1985, it's still a work in progress. Women artists working today still earn less than what most male artists earn, and working women in general earn about 77.4% of a man's salary.

Since 2000, only 14% of the Guggenheim's solo shows of living artists have been devoted to women. Only 8% of the work exhibited by the Museum of Modern Art is by women. Only about 23% of solo gallery shows at top New York sites feature pieces by female artists. Women are also consistently only 15% of the names on Artforum‘s, Art + Auction‘s, and ArtReview‘s annual “power lists.”

80% of students at the School of Visual Arts are female. However, in the real world, galleries and museums are dominated by male artists, as 70 to 80% of work displayed is usually by male artists.

Now I'm going to get off my feminist soapbox, and let you do your own independent research!  As always, feel free to comment or contact me with any questions.  Sorry it took me so long to get the post up, I've been having some problems with my internet.

"There is still an institutional lag and an insistence on a male Eurocentric narrative. We are trying to change the future: to get girls and boys to realize that women's art is not an exception—it's a normal part of art history."
Judy Chicago, Artist

To find out more about the Guerrilla Girls, visit: http://www.guerrillagirls.com/ 

Trainspotting: Netflix Edition

Netflix, though great for watching Dawson's Creek and catching up on Gossip Girl (both of which I have done,) is also home to a lot of wonderful movies that are often overlooked.

Until now, that is.

Here with yet another installment, I have come to rescue you from your Netflix rut.

Trainspotting is a 1996 British film directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours.) The film follows a group of heroin addicts in the 1980's living in an economically depressed part of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The film was ranked number 10 by the British Film Institute in its list of Top 100 British films of all time. In 2004 the film was voted the best Scottish film of all time in a general public poll.

Trainspotting is based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh, and stars Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle and Kelly Macdonald.

Irvine Welsh once stated in a Q&A that the title is a reference to people thinking that the act of trainspotting makes no sense. Irvine says he feels the same about heroin addicts. To non-addicts the act seems pointless. However if you take heroin, it makes absolute sense.

Mark Renton, played by Ewan McGregor, is a young man with few prospects and ambitions. Like most of his friends, Renton is a heroin addict who loves the drug's blissful oblivion. Financing his habit also provides excitement that his life otherwise lacks. Renton's two best friends are Sick Boy, played by Jonny Lee Miller, a well dressed James Bond lover, and Spud, played by Ewan Bremner, a naive but lovable nerd. Renton and his pals also hang out with Begbie, played by Robert Carlyle, a borderline psychotic who loathes junkies though he drinks like a fish. After one too many brushes with the law, Renton kicks his heroin habit and moves to London, where he finds a job, a flat, and something close to sanity. However, Sick Boy, Begbie, and Spud all arrive at his doorstep one day, leading Renton back into a life of drugs and crime.

In order to prepare for the role, McGregor read numerous books on crack and heroin addiction. In fact, he was even taught how to cook up heroin with a spoon using glucose powder. McGregor even considered injecting heroin to better understand the character, but eventually decided against it. Probably a good idea in the long run. Director Danny Boyle had them all prepare for the film by making them watch other movies about rebellious youths, such as The Hustler, The Exorcist and A Clockwork Orange. Danny Boyle pays direct tribute to A Clockwork Orange in the scene set at the Volcano nightclub, which is very similar to that set in the Milk Bar in Kubrick's film. In fact, the track playing in the Volcano club is by Heaven 17, who took their name from A Clockwork Orange.

Upon its initial release in the United States, the first 20 minutes of Trainspotting were re-edited with alternative dialogue to allow the American audience to comprehend the strong Scottish accents and slang. Its release sparked much controversy as to whether it promoted drug use or not. U.S. Senator Bob Dole accused it of moral depravity and glorifying drug use during the 1996 U.S. presidential campaign. However, he later admitted that he had never actually seen the film.

I highly suggest you add Trainspotting to your Instant Queue. The film is a fantastic mix of fantasty and reality, and its bright colors and driving soundtrack deliver a potent kick. Though defended by some as anti-drug and attacked by others as pro-drug, I do not believe the film is either. Trainspotting takes a realistic look at the exhausting and unruly life of a drug addict, and the two things that make a bearable.

You can view the trailer for the film below.

Rainy Dayz

Rainy Dayz from taylor03p on 8tracks.

Ohio has been experiencing quite a few rainy days recently, so I thought I would put together a little mix of what I've been listening to while driving around town in the rain.

And yes, there is ONE Lana Del Ray song in the mix.  

ONE.

For anyone who knows me, I am coming off as a total hypocrite right now.  Yes, I am aware of how much I complain about her.  I mean, she always sounds like she's pouting.  And not in a sexy way, in a "oh my god your too old to be whining like that" kind of way.  But I don't care.  It's catchy.  

Kind of like the flu...

Anyways, enjoy the tunes, and be sure to catch up on all of my recent posts!  There are some pretty good ones up right now.

As always, please follow me and comment on my posts.  I'd love to hear feedback from you guys!  I'm always looking for good advice and constructive criticism.

And yes, I said constructive.  Please don't berate me for any typos or the type of font I use.

Woody at 100

Musician Woody Guthrie

This month, musician Woody Guthrie would have turned 100. Though his music is probably not everyone's cup of tea, I don't care. I'm going to talk about him anyways. After all, this is my blog. Not yours.

Woody Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, best known for his political songs and traditional ballads. Guthrie also wrote many children's songs, and was capable of writing in almost any style.

During the Dust Bowl, Guthrie travelled from Oklahoma to California with a group of migrant workers, where he learned to play traditional folk and blues songs. As a result, many of his songs were about his experiences during the Dust Bowl era of the Great Depression. This earned him the nickname the "Dust Bowl Troubadour." In fact, if you know anything about Woody Guthrie, it's probably from studying John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath, a novel about a family of migrant workers traveling from Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl.

His best-known song is probably "This Land Is Your Land," which is often misinterpreted as an incredibly patriotic song.  Though it was about the beauty of traveling throughout the United States, Guthrie is quick to point out its downfalls.  In fact, before its release, Guthrie removed two verses from the famous song, verses 4 and 6. The verses read:

"There was a high wall there
That tried to stop me
A sign was painted that said "Private Property"
But on the other side it didn't say nothin'
That side was made for you and me"

"In the squares of the city
In the shadow of a steeple
By the relief office
I'd seen my people
As they stood there hungry
I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?"

A clear jab at what would be called the 1% today, the extra verses add another dimension to the song, steering it away from the sanitized version taught in schools today. In fact, the unedited version of the song became one of the anthems of the Occupy Wall Street movement.  Most of Guthrie's songs were incredibly political and he was often associated with the Communist party.  

Famous for regularly performing with the slogan "This Machine Kills Fascists" displayed on his guitar, Guthrie was also a member of the Almanac Singers, a folk-protest group. Initially, Guthrie helped write and sing what the Almanac Singers called "peace" songs. While the Nazi-Soviet Pact was in effect, the Communist line was that World War II was a capitalist fraud. However, after Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union, the group wrote anti-fascist songs. The members of the Almanac Singers and residents of the Almanac House were a loosely defined group of musicians, though the 'core' members included Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Millard Lampell and Lee Hays. In keeping with common socialist ideals, meals, chores and rent at the Almanac House were shared.

The Almanac Singers

Sadly, by the late 1940's, Guthries health was deteriorating, and his behavior became extremely erratic. Eventually, he was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, a genetic disorder he inherited from his mother. Guthrie's condition worsened, and he became increasingly unable to control his muscles. From 1956 to 1961 he was hospitalized at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in New York, and was then transferred to Brooklyn State Hospital until 1966. Finally, he was moved to Creedmore Psychiatric Center until his death in 1967 at the age of 55.

Guthrie served as a figurehead during the American Folk Revival in the 1960's (which deserves an entire blog post of its own.) Folk revivalists were increasingly more aware of their political surroundings, and focused on issues of the times, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Free Speech Movement.

Many folk revivalists grew to idolize Guthrie. One day, during his stay at Greystone, Guthrie was visited by a 19 year old Bob Dylan. After learning of Guthrie's whereabouts, Dylan visited him regularly.

Guthrie was said to have had his good days and his bad days. On the good days, Dylan would sing songs to him, and Guthrie seemed warm to Dylan. On the bad days, Guthrie would berate Dylan. Apparently, on Dylan's last visit, Guthrie did not recognize him at all.

Guthries illness was mostly untreated, due to the lack of information about the genetic disorder. However, his death helped raise awareness of the disease and led to the formation of the Huntington's Disease Society of America.

Dylan later went on to write a song in tribute of Guthrie, titled "Song to Woody."

Musicians such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Joe Strummer, John Lennon, and Jeff Tweedy have all acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence.

Although most Americans today couldn't name more than few songs by Woody Guthrie, his influence is undeniable. Even if you have never heard of Woody Guthrie, I encourage you to listen to some of his music. Even if you don't like folk music. Guthrie is an important part of American musical history, and his legacy lives on today. 

I've decided to end my blog post with a little quote.  Guthrie could write a better conclusion than me.

"I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim too ugly or too this or too that. Songs that run you down or poke fun at you on account of your bad luck or hard traveling.

I am out to fight those songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood. I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built.

I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work."

Guthrie on songwriting

Happy 100, Woody.

Sunday Link Collection

A collection of some of my favorite links this week...

Rolling Stone: Best Albums of 2012 So Far

The New Yorker: What We Can Learn From the Reporting of the Health-Care Decision

Flavorwire: Brutally Honest Posters for Summer Blockbusters

Nylon: Fully Functional Mermaid Tail

The New Yorker: Five Key TED Talks

Rolling Stone: Fleetwood Mac to Reunite in 2013

The New Yorker: Inappropriate Literary Products

Flavorwire: Survey of Awkward Couples in Art History

Vanity Fair: Hollywood's Embrace of Off-Beat Heroines

Rolling Stone: Vampire Weekend Debut New Song

Photojojo: Creative Ways to Use a Disposable Camera

Rolling Stone: Women Who Rock

Nylon: Arrested Development Art

Flavorwire: The Rudest Letters from Celebrities to their Fans

Chicago Sun-Times: 88 Books that Shaped America

LA Weekly: Old Records are Outselling New Ones

Flavorwire: The Favorite Films of 10 Famous Actors

Dangerous Minds: Behind the Scenes of 'A Clockwork Orange'

Fifty Years of Stones

Known as “the world’s greatest rock and roll band,” the Rolling Stones have been the bad boys of rock ‘n’ roll for five decades.  The Beatles on Ed Sullivan started the British Invasion, but the Stones elevated it.  They were the antithesis of The Beatles.  While The Beatles were cute and beloved by teenagers and their mothers, the Stones were wild, edgy and somewhat threatening.  Where The Beatles tried to avoid controversy, the Rolling Stones seemed to revel in it.  When the Rolling Stones arrived for their first tour in the US, headlines read, “Would You Let Your Daughter Marry a Rolling Stone?”  The Stones brooding blues-rock music and aggressive lyrics, paired with lead singer Mick Jagger’s charisma and sexually charged onstage act pushed cultural boundaries and forever changed popular music.

Legendary rock band the Rolling Stones recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.  Currently composed of Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts, the band played their first concert 50 years ago at London's Marquee Club on July 12, 1962.  In honor of this momentous occasion, I decided to put together a little post detailing the bands most infamous, controversial and memorable moments.

The perfect example of the bands iconic style

Pop Stars and Drugs
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and former guitarist Brain Jones began to be hounded by authorities over their recreational drug use in early 1967, after News of the World ran a three-part feature entitled "Pop Stars and Drugs: Facts That Will Shock You."  The series described alleged LSD parties hosted by The Moody Blues and attended by top stars including The Who's Pete Townshend and Cream's Ginger Baker, and alleged admissions of drug use by leading pop musicians.  The first article targeted Donovan (who was raided and charged soon after;) the second installment (published on February 5) targeted the Rolling Stones.  A reporter who contributed to the story spent an evening at the exclusive London club Blaise's, where a member of the Rolling Stones allegedly took several Benzedrine tablets, displayed a piece of hashish and invited his companions back to his flat for a "smoke."  The article claimed that this was Mick Jagger.  However, it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity—the reporter had in fact been eavesdropping on Brian Jones.  On the night the article was published Jagger appeared on the Eamonn Andrews chat show and announced that he was filing a writ for libel against the paper.

Keith Richards and Marianne Faithful

Marianne Mars Bar
In their few million years on Earth, the Rolling Stones have inspired a bottomless pit of myths and legends.  However, nothing quite matches the infamous case of the pornographic Mars Bar.  Marianne Faithfull was a folk singer with aristocratic roots in the Habsburg family dynasty when she met the members of England's newest hitmakers through their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham.  Her first pop hit was a version of the Stones' 'As Tears Go By,' and she was soon a key figure on the Swinging London scene. Though she married in 1965, she was determined to call one of the Stones her own.  On a getaway weekend with friends at Keith Richards' estate in Sussex, England, Richards and Mick Jagger were arrested in a police raid.  During the bust, Faithfull, who had just emerged from a bath, was wrapped in an orange fur bedspread.  She later acknowledged briefly flashing the police for her own amusement.  Sometime before the trial, a rumor began to spread that the police had barged in and caught Jagger with his head between Faithfull's legs, munching on a curiously placed Mars Bar.  Its genesis most likely stemmed from the police report, which apparently featured details of Richards' secret stash of sweets.  Faithfull dismissed the story of the abused chocolate bar in her 1994 autobiography. "The Mars Bar was a very effective piece of demonizing," she wrote. "It was far too jaded for any of us even to have conceived of.  It's a dirty old man's fantasy -- some old fart who goes to a dominatrix every Thursday afternoon to get spanked.  A cop's idea of what people do on acid!"  Still, the rumor persists.  Meanwhile, Mars Bars are now marketed in Europe with the slogan "Pleasure you can't measure" (yes, I'm being serious.)

The Rolling Stones performing at Altamont Speedway

The Long Story of Altamont Speedway and the Death of Meredith Hunter
Headlined and organized by the Rolling Stones, the Altamont Speedway Free Festival also featured Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with the Rolling Stones taking the stage as the final act.  The Grateful Dead were also scheduled to perform, but declined to play shortly before their scheduled appearance due to the increasing violence at the venue.  Approximately 300,000 people attended the concert, and some anticipated that it would be a "Woodstock West."  The event is best known for having been marred by considerable violence, including one homicide and three accidental deaths: two caused by a hit-and-run car accident and one by drowning in an irrigation canal.  Four births were reported during the event, as well.  The Hells Angels were hired as security for the event, on the recommendation of the Grateful Dead (who had previously used the Angels for security at performances without incident), for $500 worth of beer — a story that has been denied by parties who were directly involved.  Although peaceful at first, over the course of the day the mood of both the crowd and the Angels became progressively agitated, intoxicated and violent.  The Angels had been drinking their free beer all day in front of the stage, and most were drunk.  Fueled by LSD and amphetamines, the crowd had also become antagonistic and unpredictable, attacking each other, the Angels, and the performers.  By the time the Rolling Stones took stage in the early evening, the mood had taken a decidedly ugly turn as numerous fights had erupted between Angels and crowd members and within the crowd itself.  The Angels proceeded to arm themselves with sawn-off pool cues and motorcycle chains to drive the crowd further back from the stage.  During the third song of the Stones' set, "Sympathy for the Devil," a fight erupted in the front of the crowd.  After a lengthy pause and an appeal for calm, the band restarted the song and continued their set with no incident.  That is, until the start of "Under My Thumb."  Some of the Hells Angels got into a scuffle with Meredith Hunter, age 18, when he attempted to get onstage with other fans.  One of the Hells Angels grabbed Hunter's head, punched him, and chased him back into the crowd.  At that point, Hunter returned to the stage where Hunter's girlfriend Patty Bredahoff found him and tearfully begged him to calm down and move further back in the crowd with her.  However, he was reportedly enraged, irrational and so high he could barely walk.  Video footage shows Hunter drawing a long-barreled revolver from his jacket, and Hells Angel Alan Passaro, armed with a knife, running at Hunter from the side, grabbing the gun with his left hand and stabbing him with his right.  Passaro is reported to have stabbed Hunter five times in the upper back. Witnesses also reported Hunter was stomped on by several Hells Angels while he was on the ground.  The Rolling Stones were aware of the skirmish, but not the stabbing, and felt that had they abandoned the show, the crowd may have become even more unruly.  The Altamont concert is often contrasted with the Woodstock festival that took place less than four months earlier.  While Woodstock represented "peace and love," Altamont came to be viewed as the end of the hippie era and the conclusion of late-1960s American youth culture.  "Altamont became, whether fairly or not, a symbol for the death of the Woodstock Nation."

Keith Richards

New Blood for Keith

The tale goes that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards underwent a radical blood replacement treatment in order to clean up after a particularly bad period of heroin use (not one of the many light, breezy heroin addictions you hear of.)  The treatment involved a kind premature enbalming, where the old, polluted blood was taken out of the body and replaced with new, clean blood.  Among the many rock icons, it is hard to imagine someone who embodies the spirit of sex, drugs and rock n' roll more than Keith Richards.  So when the story that he had undergone treatment before the Stones 1973 European tour first surfaced, it did not help that he himself told a journalist that the rumours were in fact true.  "I was just fooling around,” he admitted, years later. “I was fucking sick of answering that question.”  In reality, it seems it was true that he did undergo some haemodialysis, which can filter some impurities from the blood.  Richard’s tendency for toying with the media has since been realized.  However, the media learned the hard way, after much of the world press printed stories of him mixing his fathers ashes with cocaine and snorting it.  Richards came forward soon after, and it has since been regarded as a joke by the rock legend.  It seems that if the guitarist does have any vampiric tendencies, he sure as hell didn't smoke his fathers ashes.  However, the myths will continue to add up while he appears to be one of the dead, yet continues to have a fuller night life than most.

The Rolling Stones Iconic Tongue Logo

Mick Jagger's Pouty Pucker

A Rolling Stones Fan Museum in Lüchow, Germany angered many locals over the design of their urinals, which were based on the band's famous lips logo.  Apparently, some people just weren't comfortable doing their business into a giant, open mouth.  While the lips-and-tongue design was reportedly based on frontman Mick Jagger's pouty pucker, the controversy over the urinals stems from the fact that the tongue is excluded from the design.  Without it, according to opposers, the piece becomes misogynistic.  Many feminists believed that the piece discriminated against women, and that, had the fixtures sported a tongue, the connection to Jagger would have been unmistakable.  Apparently, without it, it becomes a woman's mouth, not a man's mouth.  Museum founder Ulrich Schroeder, meanwhile, denied that it was specifically a man or woman's mouth, and has no plans on altering the men's room set-up.

The remaining Rolling Stones (from left to right,) Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Charlie Watts

Regardless of the controversy they faced, the Rolling Stones continue to create fantastic music and have opened doors for generations of rock and pop musicians.  They are truly rock legends, and I have no doubt they will continue to create and perform.  

Congrats, Stones.  Here's to many more years of disturbing sex acts, blood transfusions, and fantastic music.

Saturday Jamz

FEELINGS from taylor03p on 8tracks.

Just a mix to get you through your Saturday.

Nine Things You Probably Didn't Know About Singin' in the Rain

This summer, the film Singin' in the Rain celebrates its 60th anniversary.  Not only am I going to see the film at my local movie theater tonight to celebrate the event, but I also thought it was fitting to make a little "fun facts" post.

The film stars Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.  Kelly also co-directed and provided choreography for the film.  Though it was only a modest hit when first released, it is now frequently given legendary status by movie critics and is often described as one of the best musicals ever made.

If you haven't seen it, than you are seriously SERIOUSLY missing out.  That's all I'm going to say on the matter.  

So here we go, nine things you probably didn't know about Singin' in the Rain:

1.) Stars Judy Garland and June Allyson were just a few of the many actresses considered for the role of Kathy Selden.  However, Gene Kelly was determined the land starlet Debbie Reynolds.  Reynolds was a gymnast who had been discovered in a beauty pageant and had since landed only a few small movie roles.  Though she was still a teenager (Reynolds when 19 when she began filming,) Kelly was certain she had the athleticism and vocal chops the part required.

2.) However, Reynolds was not as confident in her ability to handle the part.  She had no dance training, and found Gene Kelly to be an intense perfectionist.  One day, she became so discouraged with the difficult choreography that she curled up beneath a piano and started to cry.  Eventually, she was found by Fred Astaire, who gave her some dance coaching.  By the time she filmed the "Good Morning" number, she was able to keep up with Kelly and O'Connor, but after the 14-hour shoot was done, she had to be carried to her dressing room because of her bleeding feet.  Years later, Kelly referred to Reynolds as "strong as an ox" and complimented her on her ability to learn complicated routines quickly.  Still, she said, "The two hardest things I ever did in my life are childbirth and “Singin' in the Rain."

3.) O'Connor also worked himself to exhaustion performing the "Make 'Em Laugh" number, which had him recreating bits of acrobatic comedy he'd done in the early stages of his career (including running up a wall and flipping into a somersault).  O'Connor was a four-pack-a-day smoker, and after filming the number, took to bed for several days.  However, he soon learned that all of the footage from the shoot had been accidentally destroyed.  So, in true broadway fashion, he offered to do the entire thing again.

4.) Even Kelly worked himself sick.  The title number, filmed on a street set two blocks long on the MGM backlot, took seven days to film, with six hours of fake rain each day.  The water was mixed with milk to make it show better on camera.  However, the mixture made Kelly's wool suit shrink.  On tope of his shrunken suit, a drenched Gene Kelly had a bad cold and fever the entire shoot.  With all this, Kelly still managed to complete the scene in just one take.  This is the take seen in the movie.

5.) The title song became a highlight on the soundtrack, but also became the soundtrack to another infamous film moment.  In Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, actor Malcolm McDowell sang the tune while his character raped a woman.  The song was McDowell's suggestion on the set, and director Stanley Kubrick immediately called for a break.  Within an hour, he had received permission to use the song.  Co-director of Singin' in the Rain Stanley Donen happened to be in London near the set, so Kubrick hunted him down and told him his idea for the use of the song.  Donen raised no objections at the time, but I wonder if he regretted it after seeing the film.  After all, it is a far cry from the happy-go-lucky tone set in Singin' in the Rain.

6.) Debbie Reynolds had to rub her eyes with onions to make herself cry for the penultimate scene in the movie, when Gene Kelly tells the audience that she, and not Lina, is the real star of The Dancing Cavalier.

7.) Filming of the Cyd Charisse dance number had to be stopped for several hours after it was discovered that her pubic hair was visible through her costume.  When the problem was finally fixed, the film's costume designer Walter Plunkett said, "It's OK, guys, we've finally got Cyd's crotch licked."

8.) Donald O'Connor admitted that he did not enjoy working with Gene Kelly, since Kelly was considered somewhat of a tyrant.  O'Connor said that for the first several weeks of shooting he was terrified of making a mistake and being yelled at by Kelly.

9.) The screenwriters bought a house in Hollywood from a former silent film star who lost his wealth when the innovation of sound film killed his career.  This was part of the inspiration for the film. 

Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain

So there you have it, nine things you probably didn't know about Singin' in the Rain.

Now go pop some popcorn, sit down with a group of friends, and watch the iconic film in its entirety.  I'm begging you.  

And if you still haven't seen Singin' in the Rain yet, I don't know what more I can say to make you watch it, so I'm just going to hang my head in shame and walk away...

Maybe Gene will be able to convince you... 

Tiny Furniture: Netflix Edition

Netflix, though great for watching Dawson's Creek and catching up on Gossip Girl (both of which I have done,) is also home to a lot of wonderful movies that are often overlooked.  

Until now, that is.

Here with yet another installment, I have come to rescue you from your Netflix rut.

This week, add Tiny Furniture to your Instant Queue.  Directed by and starring Girls creator Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture follows the post-graduate life of Aura.  After returning home from her Ohio liberal arts college to her artist family's TriBeCa loft with nothing but a film studies degree and a failed relationship, Aura begins a hostess job at restaurant and falls in love with two incredibly self-centered men.  All while struggling to define herself.

After moving back in with her mother and sister, Aura immediately reverts back to childhood.  This is only further emphasized by Dunham's casting.  Dunham's own mother, artist Laurie Simmons, plays Aura's photo-artist mother in the film, while Dunham's own sister, Grace, plays Aura's poetry prodigy on-screen sibling.

The story itself unfolds slowly, with Aura wondering around the loft in her pajamas, and standing in awe and confusion at its pristine white cabinets and endless walls of books.  She reunites with childhood friend Charlotte, played by the hilarious Jemima Kirke, and gets a job at a restaurant.  Aura also flirts with two perfectly indifferent men, Keith, a pill popping cook at the restaurant where she works, and Jed, a rising YouTube star crashing at her loft famous for portraying "The Nietzschean Cowboy" (yes, you heard me right.)  However, she excruciatingly refuses to acknowledge their indifference.

Though it does start slow, do not dismay!  The plot picks up, I promise.

While searching through the many white cabinets in her family's loft, she comes across her mother's old diaries.  Aura sees these diaries as a form of guidance, and notices a strong connection between her mother's entries and her post-graduate life.  

I'm going to end the "summary" section her, as not to ruin the movie for you.  However, I highly suggest you sit down and watch it.  It's a great movie to watch in the company of friends, and Dunham definitely pushes the film beyond the typical "coming of age" comedy.

SPOILER ALERT: The Film also contains a super awesome/super weird sex scene in a super random location.

Though Tiny Furniture is not a perfect film, it is certainly the work of a filmmaker with a bright future ahead of her.

You can also watch the trailer for the film here:

Stay Kool

Stay Cool from taylor03p on 8tracks.

Ohio has been experiencing some record breaking heat lately, so in an attempt to keep the U.S. population at a cool, healthy temperature, I'm providing a chillaxing mix of summer tunes.

Though we don't all have Ken dolls to drive us around in pink convertibles, try to follow the wonderful example Barbie is setting and stay cool in the summer heat.

Arcadia

I recently finished the novel Arcadia, by Lauren Groff.  Set mostly in the 1960's and 70's, the story is told through the eyes of Bit - a five year old inhabitant of a commune known as Arcadia.  Groff fully immerses the novel in the life of an American hippie commune.  So much so, that the smell of marijuana practically wafts off the book as you flip its pages.

Acid is dropped, health food is consumed in abundance, a cult leader is worshipped, and someone literally hugs a tree.  At first glance, this doesn't sound like everyone's cup of herbal tea.  

However, Groff expands the novel beyond a period piece.  Spanning from 1965 to 2018, the reader is able to observe the changes that take place within Arcadia.  Big dreams of living with the land (not on it) quickly crash into economic realities, and relationships are complicated by sex and drugs.  Though the plot seems predictable at first, Groff's novel manages to draw me in from its opening.

As Bit matures, he begins to piece together his complicated surroundings.  He slowly discovers that his parents, Abe and Hannah, are two very different people.  Bit desperately wants his parents to stay together.  However, in a world where men have multiple wives and the concept of family is foreign, he fears they will not.

When Bit hits adolescence, everything changes.  Arcadia is open to the world around it, and is quickly filled to the brim with teen runaways and drug burnouts.  The once young and innocent children of Arcadia have grown into troubled and rebellious teenagers.  By the time he is 14, the commune has collapsed.

Decades later, Bit has become a photography teacher in New York.  He is married with a daughter, and in 2018 returns to Arcadia with his dying mother.  Bit believes that he was once a happy as a child, and that his parents were once happy in their relationship.  However, after further contemplation he concludes that it is "best to distrust this retrospective radiance: gold dust settles over memory and makes it shine."

Though not a plot-driven page-turner in the traditional sense, I found it hard to tear myself away.