I Love This Woman

Michelle Obama is my shero. She's smart, graceful, funny, real, and just an all around awesome lady. She even buys her own clothes...with her own money! Michelle Obama: just like us!

The Return of 30 Rock

My Thursday nights are finally complete. With the return of "30 Rock," I now have the joy of sitting in front of my television from the hours of 8 and 10 pm, as I watch back-to-back episodes of "The Office," "30 Rock," and "ER." It's like receiving a little bit of Christmas goodness every week. "30 Rock" comes back with its third season premiere this Thursday night on NBC, but you can catch an early sneak peek on hulu.com. With the show snagging two Emmys for outstanding comedy series and show creator/writer Tina Fey winning an Emmy and Golden Globe for best lead actress as well as an Emmy for best writing--not to mention her spot-on "SNL" parodies as Alaskan governor Sarah Palin--I think it's safe to say "30 Rock" will have another successful season. The new season has gotten off to a hilarious start (SPOILER ALERT). In the first episode Liz Lemon (Fey) tries to keep the "TGS" staff in line as an adoption agency evaluator (Megan Mullally) drops by her job. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) tries to get his old job back as network executive, going head-to-head with current network exec. Devon Banks (Will Arnett), but soon realizes that he will have to make his way to the top from the bottom...as a mail room clerk. If the first episode is any implication, then the rest of season three should be a real treat. Guest appearances this season include Oprah Winfrey, Rose McGowan, Steve Martin, and Salma Hayek, who portrays Jack's new girlfriend in multiple episodes.

He's Bringing (1935) Collegiate Back

I don't know if I'm feeling Andre 3000's new clothing line, Benjamin Bixby. The collection was inspired by Ivy League athletics of the 1930s. And that's exactly where it belongs, in the 1930s. Check it out:


Now I'm not knocking Andre's personal style. I think he's a very innovative artist and unique person who can wear whatever the hell he wants because that's part of his public persona. But seriously, who's supposed to wear this stuff? If I saw some regular dude walking down the street in one of these getups, I would think he either just stepped out of a time machine, or was an extra for The Great Debaters. I honestly don't think this was a collection made to be worn head to toe. Maybe one or two pieces like the toggle coat or even the cardigan paired with a nice pair of jeans or slacks.
And as for "plus fours"? Anybody (even Andre) would look absolutely ridiculous in those.





[via Gawker, NYT]

The Secret Life of Bees

I've been seeing the trailer for the new movie The Secret Life of Bees a lot on the tube lately.



It's directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the same woman who wrote and directed Love and Basketball, and adapted from the novel written by Sue Monk Kidd. I'm loving the all-star female cast: Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson (who unfortunately seems to be playing another 'magical negro' role--let's hope she doesn't turn this into a career habit), Sophie Okonedo, and Dakota Fanning (who's grown up a lot and seems less annoying). What I love even more are the natural hairstyles these women were rocking on and off the set:



Alicia Key's puffy afro

Jennifer Hudson's two-strand twist out

Sophie Okonedo's gorgeous curly 'fro (at the Toronto Film Festival)

I don't know if it was a conscious decision of the director or whomever for the actresses to have naturals, but I applaud that choice. I think natural hair is beautiful--whenever I see a natural style that I really like, I'm going to post it here, because I think natural hair should be celebrated, not criticized or shunned, and the whole idea of "good hair" vs. "bad hair" should be obsolete. That's such an old-school way of thinking. It's 2008. In the words of Bob Marley, "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery."

Miss Black America

There's this really interesting documentary directed by Rachel Goslins called Bama Girl that's been making its way around the Indie film festival circuit. The film is about Jessica Thomas (pictured above), a student at the University of Alabama and president of the school's chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Bama Girl documents her campaign journey to win the title of 2005 UA Homecoming Queen, an honor that's normally awarded to upper-class, white sorority girls, many of whom are members or chosen by members of "The Machine," a kind of superfraternity that's like UA's version of the Yale secret society Skull and Bones. The Machine is made up of roughly 27 fraternities and sororities on campus that pretty much dominate the student government, much like the members of Skull and Bones dominate the corporate and political worlds (I'm looking at you, Bush). There's this article from Esquire Magazine that talks all about the Machine. It's a little outdated (April 1992), but it takes a good look at race issues, "southern traditions" on the UA campus, and the often times corrupt greek system that tends to control college campuses across the nation. The documentary is making its Alabama debut at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in Birmingham on Sunday.

The festival opened tonight with Adventures of Power, which is directed by and stars Ari Gold (not to be confused with Vincent Chase's high strung, fast-talking, egomaniacal agent on Entourage - although I do believe the character was named after him) and Adrian Grenier (who plays Vincent Chase on Entourage) in a Napoleon Dynamite-esque comedy about a dude whose goal in life is to play air drums.


Also check out Ari and Adrian's band, The Honey Brothers. They're like a mix between Ween, Weezer, and Flight of the Conchords. My favorite song of theirs is "Some of Them Are Nice Days."

[Crimson White]

Seriously Sarah, Wtf?

Can anyone please explain to me WHY this woman is a VP candidate?


Watch CBS Videos Online

She just makes me sad. And scared.

Omg.

If celebrities were from the midwest, apparently this is what they would look like. The first one is particularly horrifying.

I Love to Love...

Diablo Cody, for telling all of her haters to kiss her big fat Oscar (with fake name engraving and all).

Speaking of Juno, I also love to love Michael Cera, as well as Kat Dennings (whose very charming blog you can read here), Both of whom are starring in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (!) I hope it's good. And even if it's not, I will still have the soundtrack to look forward to, which comes out tomorrow (!) and includes a new Vampire Weekend song that sounds like nothing new, but at least is consistent with their debut stuff, which, I loved.

Mariah, for returning to the big screen in a movie that's not about rainbows, butterflies, or glitter. I trust it will be bad, but in a semi-good way, you know? Oh, and she's supposedly making a movie-musical based on her Christmas album. Um, YES please.

And last but not least, I love to love Dolly Parton, simply for being Dolly Parton. ♥

Fey, Poehler in '08?

You betcha. Tina Fey's spot-on impression of Sarah Palin is comedic genius. She's amazing. This is definitely the best SNL moment since Tracy Morgan's "Black is the new president" speech. If these two broads ran for office, I'd consider voting for them. The world would be a much funnier place, and we could all use a good laugh these days.