August, 2008

I am trying to catch myself up with Ugly Betty in time for the season 3 premiere on Thursday, Sept. 25. Here’s why I like the show:

Its New York City setting riding the subway between Queens and Manhattan mingles cultures and classes, just like real life.

Ugly Betty is set in the mod office of Mode Magazine. It’s filled with heroes and villains dressed in fashion extremes yet whose characters’ personalities deal in shades of grey where the good guys often fail us and the bad guys hint at humanity once in a while to keep us guessing.  Plus, it’s funny.

As a public service I will offer some words of wisdom to a few of the characters from the show, Ugly Betty, starting with…

Betty’s suitor, Henry:

Somehow, miraculously and irresponsibly, you got your Baby Mama Charlie pregnant, so deal and leave Betty alone. 

Now to Wilhelmina’s sneaky assistant, Marc:

I love how you cut to the chase! “Blah blah blah. Tragedy.”

Go easy on those chocolatini’s when you aren’t be sure of who is pouring.

Be careful; you are just too pretty for prison.

And finally, Betty:

Don’t buy Louis Vuitton knockoffs from a blanket on Sixth Avenue. Not only is it unethical, those tacky fakes fool no one.

Leave the suitcase, take the cupcakes.

Not everyone who makes sandwiches is a lunk.

Keep the bling on your smile, not on your cell – got to hear those messages!

Plug the right guy into your fantasy (hint: it might not be either Henry or Gio!).

Open your eyes. Fireworks can come from unexpected places.

Now here are a few things I have learned from Ugly Betty:

Betty isn’t ugly.

Pink mums are beautiful.

You must trust – but be careful whom you trust.

Birthdays are special.

Life experience counts for something.

There will never be a day when I don’t need cupcakes.

You’re never too old for piñatas.

Reality ain’t perfect but it’s pretty good.

Cab close-ups make cool scene transitions.

I can’t wait for the new season of Ugly Betty, especially since the real New York City will now be the backdrop. That’s as real as it gets for this New Yorker.

As much as I love Jon Stewart and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, I think it might be tough for Stewart to reconcile his connection to the common man while residing at the hippest hotel in the Twin Cities during the Republican National Convention next week.

Rooms go for $400 and up at the brand new W Minneapolis – The Foshay, where it’s been reported Stewart will be staying. This hotel hotspot touts Manny’s Steakhouse and the Keys Cafe, along with a 30th floor open-air perch to view all 360 degrees of Minneapolis. The Foshay is even more highfalutin than the spot McCain and Co. will cool their heels – The St. Paul Hotel.

Jon, you can’t help that you are a multi-millionaire, living the good life. Our welcome mat is out for you, Jon, here in the Twin Cities. As long as you keep us laughing at your funny fake news we will consider you to be one of us.

In accepting the nomination for president, TV Decoder reports that Barack Obama not only enticed the attention of the nearly 80,000 supports at the Denver Broncos football stadium, but almost 38 million television viewers too.

The ratings topped last year’s Oscars (32 million), every night of the Beijing Olympic Games (which, at its best had 34.9 million), and last spring’s American Idol finale (31.7 million) according to US Weekly.

Compared to other empowering speeches from Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Obama’s running-mate Joe Biden, Obama’s acceptance speech was easily the most-watched hour of the Democratic convention.

The four days of the convention combined averaged 27.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched convention, Democratic or Republican, on record according to Nielsen Media Research.  (Note Nielsen viewership has only been calculated since 2000).

John Kerry’s speech in 2004 drew 24.4 million viewers and George W. Bush’s was watched by 27.5 million, reports US Weekly.

E! News reports that after Obama, the week’s next-biggest draw was his primaries rival Hillary Clinton.  Tuesday’s prime-time coverage, featuring a speech by Clinton, averaged 26 million. Wednesday night, featuring a speech by former President Bill Clinton, averaged 24 million.

Amy Winehouse didn’t show up at a performance in Paris on Friday night, reps stating she was too sick to perform.

Here’s the thing: That just might be true, especially if reports are accurate that she does indeed have emphysema, and if it’s taken a turn for the worse.

But here’s the other thing: one of Amy’s reps is reported as saying (I’m paraphrasing here), ‘It ain’t serious enough to go to the hospital. She’s just in bed and can’t sing.’ To which I say: BOGUS! The rest of us report in for duty when we’re “under the weather.”

Get with the program, Amy! People pay a LOT to see you make an arse of yourself onstage – and you have an obligation not to disappoint.” On the other hand, if by chance you really are sick and end up in the hospital, then disregard anything written here.

Burn After Reading: Fresh off their Best Picture-winning No Country for Old Men, the Coen brothers bring us this comedy with an all-star cast. Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand play foolish gym employees who try to extort a CIA agent (John Malkovich) after finding his top secret CD-ROM. Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton and George Clooney also star. Sept. 12

Righteous Kill: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up for the first time since 1995’s Heat to play NYC detectives searching for a serial killer. De Niro and Pacino are reason alone enough to go. Sept. 12

Eagle Eye: Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are being tracked by a stranger on their cell phones in a story conceived by Steven Spielberg that is pertinent in today’s technological times when everyone’s always within reach of a Blackberry or iPhone. Sept. 26

Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway takes a departure from her chipper roles as a recovering drug addict and black sheep who’s attending her sister’s wedding. Oct. 3

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist: Michael Cera of Superbad and Juno and Kat Dennings of The 40 Year-Old Virgin play high schoolers who fall in love en route to a secret late-night concert in a realistic teen comedy. Oct. 3

Changeling: Clint Eastwood’s 1920s story of a woman (Angelina Jolie) whose young son disappears is already creating Oscar buzz for Jolie. Oct. 24

Quantum of Solace: The highly-anticipated “Bond” film picks up an hour after Casino Royale left off. Nov. 7

The Soloist: In this potential Oscar fare, Jamie Foxx plays a musical prodigy who ends up homeless and mentally ill on the streets of L.A. and is paired with Robert Downey Jr. as a journalist. Nov. 21

Milk: Sean Penn stars in this biopic of Harvey Milk who was the first gay man elected to political office. Directed by Gus Van Sant and also starring Emile Hirsch and James Franco. Nov. 26

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt ages backwards from age 80 to eight in this fantasy based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story. Also starring Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. Dec. 25

Marley & Me: Dog lovers rejoice! Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in the film adaptation of the beloved book about the “world’s worst dog.” Dec. 25

Revolutionary Road: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite for the first time since Titanic – only this time they’re not a love-struck couple. This is a story about what happens to a suburban-living married couple after they fall out of love. Dec. 26

Yes, four F’s: fearless, flawless, fabulous and, not to mention, f-ing funny!  Maybe that makes it 5 “F’s?”  Regardless, I heart this show.

The newest reality TV show to add to the line up of seemingly endless reality TV shows.  The Cho Show follows Margaret, her assistant, her parents and, of course, her main gays.

The beauty of The Cho Show is that, unlike Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List, seeing Margaret’s life enhances her comedy and offers heartfelt insight into her life.  

Case in point-in the first episode, seeing Margaret and her parents interact and the pressures they put on her (particularly to have a baby) makes her comedy that much more hilarious and poignant.

There was some brew-ha-ha that the show seems too scripted, but in our Hills society, what isn’t scripted?  And, more to the point, who really cares when it comes to Margaret Cho?  

Her comedy routines are scripted and they are hysterical.  Similarly, her show is irreverent and side-splittingly funny.  Any chance I can get to hear Cho, I’ll take!

We all know about today’s modern super heroes – they’re not the kind with the capes, the masks, and the flying capabilities, but the actors and celebrities who play them on screen. Here’s a list of three actors who have made a point of giving back and using their resources to help others (and yes, this list goes beyond the beautiful work of Brangelina and Bono) :

1) Reese Witherspoon – This seasoned, though still perfectly young-looking A-list actress has very recently signed on to represent the Avon Foundation. She’s been chosen as their very first global ambassador as well as the honorary chairman of the foundation itself. The foundation, under her lead, has been making plans to make an effective stand against breast cancer and domestic violence, and for enhancing emergency relief.

2) Leonardo DiCaprio – Leo’s charity project is one that concentrates on the environment and global warming. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has in fact worked with other organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and Global Green USA to protect mother earth and raise awareness about hazards to her health. His foundation also headed the production of a documentary on such subjects, called The 11th Hour.

3) George Clooney – Last on the list but not last in our hearts, George takes a very active role in world affairs. He is a UN Messenger of Peace and also co-founder of a foundation call ‘Not on Our Watch’, one which uses the voices of artists and public figures to bring attention to violations of human rights in times of trouble so that such atrocities can more effectively be squashed, and so that people in the peril of dangerous situations can receive lifesaving assistance. Its supporters include not only Clooney, but at least three other members of the Ocean’s 11 cast: Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Don Cheadle.

Saturday Night Live has tapped Olympic Golden Boy, Michael Phelps, to host its 34th season premiere on September 13.  Lil’ Wayne, who Phelps jammed to on his iPod before races, is set to be the musical guest.

While Phelps might seem like an odd choice for SNL, we all know that the eight-gold-medal-winning phenom performs well under pressure.  Perhaps a hosting gig on a sketch comedy program isn’t too big of a stretch. Plus, Phelps can provide endless material for sketches revolving around men in too tight (and often too scant) swimwear. 

The superhuman swimmer is ratings magic, and SNL is not the only program to take advantage:  MTV has secured Phelps to make an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 9.

There are two divergent crowds when it comes to athletes and Saturday Night Live: those who love it and those who find it agonizing to watch.  Can Phelps pull this off or will he be a fish out of water?

Virgin America is teaming up with HBO to help launch its non-stop flight from New York to Las Vegas in true Hollywood style: an Entourage themed flight.

To commemorate the inaugural flight, the airline plans to host an Entourage Party at a private JFK hanger.  Some of show’s cast members are expected to attend; however, no word on whether the partying “cast members” will be Vince’s string of disposable girlfriends from the past four seasons or if Vince and the boys, themselves, will be making an appearance. The party will finish off in Las Vegas at, of course, the Playboy Club in the Palms Casino.

Throughout the month of September, Virgin America’s first class will be known as “Entourage Class”, and the lucky passengers will be pampered with amenities that would make even Ari jealous: noise canceling head phones, champagne, Godiva chocolates, Kielh’s products, Altoids, “Entourage Air” blankets, and eye masks.

The hip, edgy (and slightly expensive) airline is no stranger to enlisting celebrities to garner attention and promote the airline.   Lauren Conrad, Pamela Anderson, and Carmen Electra were among the many celebrities to help commemorate Virgin America’s first flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas last October.

If you’re dying to know what happens to Vinny and his crew this season on Entourage, book a flight on Virgin America September 4-7 and see an advance screening of the season five premiere!

I have talked about the girl before, but Katherine Heigl just keeps bringing it…Style that is, People Magazine reports.  At the Hot in Hollywood event, Heigl dazzled, in this fitted two-tone Diane Von Furstenberg satin-bust dress with side-swept curls and strappy heels.

Rumer Willis got all the style genes from mom and dad.  At her movie premiere for The House Bunny, she sparkled in a Reem Acra Navy Blue Corset gown and added a mirrored clutch for the perfect finishing touch.

It’s not Labor Day yet and Blake Lively certainly knows it.  This fresh, vintage Ralph Lauren ruffle top paired with crisp white Whitley Cross jeans look oh-so Hampton’s. Get yours: Ella Moss cami for $102.

The Hills premiere bash featured drama and style, People reports. But Audrina Patridge stood out.  Her plunging Julia Clancey turquoise dress screamed fun and glamorous. Get a cheaper version to make your tan sparkle; Rampage has a turquoise banded dress for only $15.

No baby mama blues here, Jessica Alba shows off her post-baby bod at the Alma awards.  With the designer at her side, Jessica wears a Narcisco Rodriguez custom gown.  The pale pink dress, cinched at the waist, gives a luminous glow.