Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Stuff on Hilary Duff
On my days off, I like to watch the Tyra Banks show. I also watch America's Next Top Model. See a trend?
Yesterday's guest was Hilary Duff, the squeaky clean now-brunette actress, singer, designer, charity worker. I've always liked Hilary Duff for her perkiness, clean image, and boyfriend (I'll admit at one point in my life I thought I'd be the one to marry Joel Madden), but it made me realize something.
Tyra Banks is famous for her beauty, Victoria's Secret, and that ginormous forehead. Basically, her show has been a way for her to talk about what she wants to and to be absolutely silly for an hour a day in LA. Some of the topics have been fascinating, and she is known for putting herself out there (mammogram, fat suit, etc.). Great, when you consider that most others just sit on a couch.
Silliness is all well and good, but it seems to me that poor Tyra is compensating for the loss of her childhood to modelling. Whoa, deep, but why else would she take direction on how to make her own perfume from a 19-year-old and then not follow any of it, spill it, and do some other inane things? She tried eating some of the beauty products from Carol's Daughter the other day (or at least pretended to try), which was a little odd.
Celebrities have long used their fame and renown to act like idiots. Take Britney's first marriage, various incidents with Paris Hilton, and numerous others. Britney's carrer is back yadda yadda now that KFed is gone yadda yadda. mmmmmk. Whatever.
Anyways, just a little not-so-thought-out rant on how ridiculous and inane some of this can all be. My head hurts and I left my Tylenol at home.
Yesterday's guest was Hilary Duff, the squeaky clean now-brunette actress, singer, designer, charity worker. I've always liked Hilary Duff for her perkiness, clean image, and boyfriend (I'll admit at one point in my life I thought I'd be the one to marry Joel Madden), but it made me realize something.
Tyra Banks is famous for her beauty, Victoria's Secret, and that ginormous forehead. Basically, her show has been a way for her to talk about what she wants to and to be absolutely silly for an hour a day in LA. Some of the topics have been fascinating, and she is known for putting herself out there (mammogram, fat suit, etc.). Great, when you consider that most others just sit on a couch.
Silliness is all well and good, but it seems to me that poor Tyra is compensating for the loss of her childhood to modelling. Whoa, deep, but why else would she take direction on how to make her own perfume from a 19-year-old and then not follow any of it, spill it, and do some other inane things? She tried eating some of the beauty products from Carol's Daughter the other day (or at least pretended to try), which was a little odd.
Celebrities have long used their fame and renown to act like idiots. Take Britney's first marriage, various incidents with Paris Hilton, and numerous others. Britney's carrer is back yadda yadda now that KFed is gone yadda yadda. mmmmmk. Whatever.
Anyways, just a little not-so-thought-out rant on how ridiculous and inane some of this can all be. My head hurts and I left my Tylenol at home.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Walking Dogs in the Rain
Yes, that's what I did yesterday. I had brunch with Judy at Serafino on the Upper East Side (apparently pretty fancy schmancy), turned up our noses in disdain at Barney's meager selection of jewelry, and then headed off to Madison Square Park to walk a dog with my profile subject for class.
It was a rainy weekend. A sad rainy weekend. Let's hope next weekend will be happier (I'm sure it will since I'll be in Davis hanging out with Kevin and Cari and whoever else is there (and getting my ring cleaned - nice and shiny!).
A highlight of my weekend (oddly enough) - seeing one of my posts on the knot get a star (16 or more responses). A simple "good morning." That was it. And I was trying so hard to be popular (insert sarcasm here). But that was it.
Thought I'd share.
It was a rainy weekend. A sad rainy weekend. Let's hope next weekend will be happier (I'm sure it will since I'll be in Davis hanging out with Kevin and Cari and whoever else is there (and getting my ring cleaned - nice and shiny!).
A highlight of my weekend (oddly enough) - seeing one of my posts on the knot get a star (16 or more responses). A simple "good morning." That was it. And I was trying so hard to be popular (insert sarcasm here). But that was it.
Thought I'd share.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Fun with Bill O'Reilly
The conservative pundit has made it on national news yet again. But not of his own merit, or action. No, but like most of the time, hinged on someone else's action that he just comments so inanely on.
So Wal-Mart has decided to take away the generic "Happy Holidays" in favor of Christmas. Their "Holiday Shop" is now a "Christmas Shop." How does this make one of the nation's largest retailers' patrons feel?
According to the new here in New York, most people don't mind, but then again, when have you ever gotten a lot of input into a 20 second slot? Especially when Mr. O'Reilly hogs it all up.
His quote (paraphrased because I can't find it anywhere) - Over 80 percent of the American population identifies themselves as Christians and over 90 percent celebrate Christmas. So really, not that many people don't celebrate Christmas.
Um...ok. As ridiculous as it first sounds, his statements are supported by data (see Pew Research Council's data here from 2002). Other data on the same website shows self-identified Christians making up between 76 and 86 percent of the American population. True, many Americans, regardless of religion, have adopted the commercial version of Christmas.
Wal-Mart has, however, not instructed their employees to greet every patron with "Merry Christmas." Instead, it says that each employee can greet the customer with whatever greeting they deem appropriate based on the customer. OUCH. That goes into very scary territory. It now puts the judgement of whether to say "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hannukah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" (and any other December holiday greetings) on the shoulders of the greeters themselves. How will they decide? What if they get it wrong?
Chances are, most will stick to a generic "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." Yes, a few words are harmless enough if you understand that the person greeting you has greeted hundreds of other customers that day.
Welcome back, Christmas.
So Wal-Mart has decided to take away the generic "Happy Holidays" in favor of Christmas. Their "Holiday Shop" is now a "Christmas Shop." How does this make one of the nation's largest retailers' patrons feel?
According to the new here in New York, most people don't mind, but then again, when have you ever gotten a lot of input into a 20 second slot? Especially when Mr. O'Reilly hogs it all up.
His quote (paraphrased because I can't find it anywhere) - Over 80 percent of the American population identifies themselves as Christians and over 90 percent celebrate Christmas. So really, not that many people don't celebrate Christmas.
Um...ok. As ridiculous as it first sounds, his statements are supported by data (see Pew Research Council's data here from 2002). Other data on the same website shows self-identified Christians making up between 76 and 86 percent of the American population. True, many Americans, regardless of religion, have adopted the commercial version of Christmas.
Wal-Mart has, however, not instructed their employees to greet every patron with "Merry Christmas." Instead, it says that each employee can greet the customer with whatever greeting they deem appropriate based on the customer. OUCH. That goes into very scary territory. It now puts the judgement of whether to say "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hannukah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" (and any other December holiday greetings) on the shoulders of the greeters themselves. How will they decide? What if they get it wrong?
Chances are, most will stick to a generic "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." Yes, a few words are harmless enough if you understand that the person greeting you has greeted hundreds of other customers that day.
Welcome back, Christmas.
