:: Pe-KHOO-liar Things ::
What's in this section?
Things that I finds strange and noteworthy. And possibly disgusting.
Cutting Michael Kors Some Slack
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
...but let me tell you, it’s not easy.
I recently went to the Micheal Kors store at the Grove to check out his Spring collection. I’m a big fan of The Show Project Runway, a show all about fashion design and being innovative and original. Michael Kors is one of the esteemed judges on the show and often gives insightful feedback. After hearing what he has to say about fashion, i was curious how that perspective came out in the clothing that he designed.
His clothing is beautiful, but that’s not the point of this blog. No, the point is to rag on narcissictic people as Kirstin so aptly admonished me to do. After all, she’s right - there is no lack of such people in LA. In any case, I picked up a catalogue so i could get a better sense of the collection as a whole. On the back of the booklet was a letter from Michael Kors himself. This was his downfall.
One one side, there is a picture of him in the cockpit of a Leer Jet, adorned with aviator sunglasses to boot. On the other page, he writes conversationally to you, the buyer, and talks about his line. It’s all in caps, which (a) bothers me because it’s hard to read, and (b) is the source of this ridiculous statement because you *know* things look different when they’re capped! Here’s the paragraph that got me:
“ONE THING THAT I’VE LEARNED OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER IS THAT WOMEN WANT TO MIX IT UP...THAT’S WHY IN THIS CATALOG, YOU’LL FIND THE FULL RANGE OF OUR COLLECTIONS--MICHAEL KORS, KORS MICHAEL KORS, AND MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS - ALLOWING YOU TO DECIDE JUST HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO INDULGE.”
He totally lost me when he started going off on versions of his own name. The caps made it really hard to understand that there is a line named KORS by Michael Kors. It makes a little more sense, but it’s still pretty lame. I thought he was saying you could mix and match HIM! “I’m feeling like i want some Kors, a little bit of Michael, and maybe a little more Kors.” Obviously I am a bit dense, but just as obviously, this was a bit retarded in his part as well.
So Michael, i love you and all, but this was lame. And *only* because you’re on my favoritest TV show in the world (next to Top Model) will i cut you some slack. Thank you lucky stars because it won’t come as easily next time. --shakes admonishing finger at Mr. Kors, or is it Michael Michael Kors?--
Me and KIDS?!?
Monday, April 02, 2007
For those of you who know me, taking care of kids has never been a part of my past.
While others started babysitting at 12 years of age, I was fortunate enough to be the youngest of all the kids in my generation. I was probably spoiled rotton. That’s right, I said it! Spoiled like a 4 week old cabbage that you meant to make into soup 3.5 weeks ago and forgot at the bottom of the fresh produce drawer in your fridge and you only found it because something stank really badly and the baking soda couldn’t handle it any more. Ew. Perhaps too graphic, but you get the idea. I haven’t had to babysit ever.
So this weekend, my cousin Johnny asked me to take care of his kids for the weekend. I bravely agreed.
Although I had my reservations, things went really well! We did all kinds of cool stuff. I got to watch kid TV all weekend and even be a bad influence and take them to an arcade and kept them up late at night. (Johnny, if you’re reading this, it’s just an exaggeration for the blog - really!) It was fun to really get to know Justin and Marissa better. It’s funny because before, oh, January, i was pretty much non-existent in their lives. And now, i see them every other week. Weird how life brings you close to people that you’ve lived near for a long time.
Here are some pics of the weekend with captions.
This is Marissa in an artsy shot of her taking pics. Here’s a non-shaky pic of Marissa with Johnny.
This is Justin. We went to a skate park. This is him being cool. He’s going to be a stud when he grows up. ;)
Justin close up
THESE ARE THE ARTSY SHOTS
At the park, there was a hockey rink - i caught these kids practicing outside the rink. I thought the kid with the big hair was so cute.
For being so young, he seems so contemplative...or very focused on catching one of the turtles in the pond.
Marissa took this shot - I think it’s a great action shot. It was her first time using an SLR camera. She’s going to be an awesome photographer.
We happened to catch this cute couple walking through the park on a lazy weekend afternoon. I hope me and my husband are that cute when we’re that age.
At the end of the weekend, i think i can truly say that I’m not scared of kids anymore. Maybe i’ll even consider getting some of my own some day. Where do you buy them again...? lol
Too dumb to be a model?!?
Monday, March 05, 2007
Reality shows open my mind to whole new epiphanies that i would have never contemplated otherwise.
I’ve been watching America’s Next Top Model - mostly for the art and photography aspect, but also because there’s nothing like watching Tyra wield selfish/crazy/immature 20-year-olds as tools for ratings. Last week was the first episode for cycle 8. I caught only the last part, but it was definitely enough to bring me to this conclusion:
You CAN be to stupid to model! WOW!
The main offender was a girl named Kathleen from Brooklyn. She is so cute! And sooo stupid. OMG. It makes her kind of cute and innocent like a kid, but still, it was too much. The first assignment was a photo shoot revolving around “political issues,” and i put that in quotations for a reason. One of the issues was “pro-meat"--does that even count as a political issue? So Kathleen’s issue that she had to portray was “Anti-Fur"--a relatively straight forward assignment. But as she began to pose and interact with Nigel, the photographer, it became painfully evident that she had no idea what being “Anti-fur” meant.
When asked what she thought about the issue, she said something to the effect of, “I don’t think you should kill animals for their fur. BUT...if they happen to already be dead, it’s ok to take their skins.” Tyra asked, “How would the animals just *end up* dead?” Kathleen’s answer went something like this: “Because in the wild, they fight and kill each other!”
Here’s the pic that resulted from the photo shoot. She is still very beautiful despite her lack of other qualities.
You can watch the critique and the exchange between Kathleen and Tyra that i mentioned above in this YouTube clip. The action starts at minute 6:05
Sadly, Kathleen was cut - Tyra was just afraid that she wouldn’t get it. Kathleen’s response? “I know, riiiiiight?”
And so we bid a sad farewell to our friend Kathleen who was very cute and too dumb to be even a model. Cry cry.
Just another reason why i miss New York
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
New York is just one of those places where something strange is always happening.
I got this link from Merv, who makes a daily habit of posting interesting tidbits. Here’s a link to a vid that made me miss being there. It takes place in Union Square and is probably crawling with NYU students. I could have been among the number! Or at least been one of the people taking pics of it. Here’s the link:
I’m telling you, if i was still there, my camera would be used every day!
There will be no funny people in the future
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
I think natural selection will take them out of the running.
I know that Japanese comedy usually is very physical, but sometimes you just hurt for them. I’ve seen everything from guys getting kicked in the butt by a Thai boxer, to getting darts shot at their butts, to having guys rub their bare butts in other guys faces. Lots of butts. It’s all very disturbing. And yet, still very funny.
This vid is no exception. Seriously, with comedy like this, these guys will never be able to pass on their genes to the next generation, and assuming that both nature and nuture have something to do with the formation of funny people, we will just run out of funny people in the future (at least in Japan). So sad.
Enjoy the video. But not *to* much.
Will you respect me less if i told you i love JT?
Friday, January 19, 2007
I used to hate Justin Timberlake - well, maybe not hate, but i was NOT into him and his pop music.
I never liked N’sync. I never thought Justin was “oh-so-cute” and i thought those little girls who bought those boy band posters were pathetic. And now look at me - how the mighty have fallen. I...i went to a Justin Timberlake concert on Wednesday night!
It was just a favor! A friend got stuck with tickets at the last minute, so i relieved him of his burden. So Jay and I headed to Staples Center to see what happens at concerts with major pop stars. I’d never been to that kind of concert. Mostly i’ve been to concerts of people that i know but not that well. I pretty much learn the music right before i get to the concert. I’ve been to rock concerts like Aerosmith, Kid Rock (can’t believe i’m admitting that), Dave Matthews Band, Van Halen, and Dream Theater. I’ve been to jazz concerts, like Diana Krall, Jon Pizzarelli, and Harry Connick, Jr. Been to the Live 8 and seen tons of artists all in one place. But i’ve never been to a concert where the music itself wasn’t the focus. Usually the musicians will jump around the stage and rile up the crowd, but dance routines and coordinated movement has never been part of my concert-going experience.
This time, i knew the music (they only play it 24/7 on all the radio stations). And it was so much more than the normal jumping around, screaming to get people hyped. With JT, the choreography was so much of the show! And the stage, lighting and projection setup was awesome. I can’t even begin to imagine how much planning, practicing and $$ it takes to put on a show like that. Then again, the whole stadium was completely sold out plus about 500+ people on the court itself, each paying an excess of $50 each - that probably makes up for the expenses. I gotta say that I loved the dancing. They were all so together and in sync (n’sync?). Everything worked together well, from the shape of the stage to the lighting and effect.
Having been to the Staples Center only to watch basketball before, i wasn’t prepared for the kind of noise that a different kind of audience could make in that arena. I’m used to tons of yelling and screaming, but when the audience is primarily female, it changes things. The screams were so shrill that it made your head throb, very much like how i imagine a banshee’s scream might affect me. Yeek. There was no doubt that the ladies love JT.
I also never knew that Justin plays so many instruments. He played keyboard and guitar and maybe even drums during the concert. Somehow, that makes me feel like he’s actually a real musician. I mean, I just don’t *really* believe that pop stars and icons, people who are sold for their looks and maybe their voice (i.e. Mrs. Ex-Federline) can play instruments. I was pleasantly surprised. AND he has great stage presence and is an excellent performer/entertainer.
So there you have it. All that girly stuff that i never did as a kid, like going to pop concerts and screaming over a cute guy that can dance, is catching up. Just watch, i’m going to put a big poster of JT up on my wall in my apartment and become president of his official fan club. LOL.
...You know i’m kidding right?
Do check out his album though. It’s pretty good.