Stalkeriffic! When does being a "fan" go too far?

I can spare you the English lesson about how the word "fan" is derived from "fanatic." But why, I wonder, do we give such a negative connotation to the latter when the former is perfectly acceptable? Everyone is a "fan" of something. But if you add those extra two syllables, you've basically just called someone "batshit crazy" and "obsessed." So where does one draw the line?


I bring this up because of the recent brouhaha over at Oh No They Didn't!. (Let's skip past the whole "yeah, yeah, I'm a card-carrying member and contributor" bit, shall we?) A rundown, for the TL;DR crowd (that's "too long; didn't read," for you non-netspeak types):


A teenage girl - 13 or 14, it seems - somehow purchased the address of her favourite singer's private residence, got her mother (!!!) to drive her and a friend to said house, took a bunch of creepily intimate pictures (things like the guy's dogs, who were inside the house, and what was on his front porch, etc.), and then stuck around for 2 hours until he got home so she could get his autograph and take photos of him with them. (All of the photos and screencaps are at the above "brouhaha" link. I'd rather not host the Facebook profile 'caps of a kid here. Just in case.)

I haven't quite made sense of what happened in which order, but it would seem that the girl proceeded to post the pictures of this guy's house (it was Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low, for the record) all over Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and anything else she could get her hands on...and someone, I suppose, directed Alex's attention to the things she posted. I guess he'd assumed, when he signed the autographs and took a picture with her, that she and her friend had just been passersby who were fans, and didn't realize that this girl had, in fact, hatched one hell of a scheme in order to get to him that night (including, as she so wisely posted back and forth with her friend on her public Facebook status, "Oh we are totallllly stalking him...we cann get arrested together...OMG we can tell the cops he raped u[s] and then we could ride in the same police car as him! FUCK I AM GENIOUS" / "oh my god. perfect! alex fucking gaskarth is a [r]apist! fuck yessss! now we just need someone to drive us.....").


Needless to say, the foul language and spelling errors are not mine. The way moronic teenagers "spell" today is a subject for another blog entry entirely(yyyyy). I weep for our youth(hhhhhh).


But more importantly...did they really just post what I think they posted? Why, yes, they did! LOL LET'S ACCUSE OUR FAVOURITE SINGERRRRRR OF BEING A RAPIST SO WE CAN BE IN THE BACKSEAT OF A COP CAR TOGETHERRRRRRR LOLOLOL


What the hell.


I could spend hours dissecting the many ways in which this is just over the top stupid and flat-out wrong, but I trust you can come to those conclusions yourselves. Rape jokes aren't funny; false accusations aren't a joke anyway; these children need to be chained up...ad nauseum. Here's what appeared on the singer's Twitter page not long after he realized that this fan encounter wasn't quite normal:


[CLICK IMAGE IF YOU CAN'T READ THE WHOLE THING.]

I'm a little surprised he didn't call the police, but given the girls' plan, perhaps it was best he didn't. Ay yi yi. The fact that the girl has since taken to begging Alex's forgiveness on Twitter is an extra dose of disturbing. And some of the discussions in the ONTD comments don't help, either. I don't think it makes me a "special snowflake" if I say that no, even at 12 or 13, I didn't think stalking my celebrity crushes was something I just had to do. My friends and I had posters on our walls, wrote silly stories about meeting rock stars, giggled over late-night phone calls as we watched MuchMusic spotlights or stayed up to see our favourite actors in their latest movie. That is what I thought "normal" teenagers do when they're fans...but as you can see from that discussion thread, my opinion is but one in a sea of many.


Granted, somewhere in all of that talk, the subject of social networking comes up. I'd be stupid to say that the existence of MySpace and Facebook and Twitter - hell, the internet in general - hasn't drastically changed the face of being a "fan" since I was a kid. My favourite movie stars weren't accessible at all in most cases, beyond whatever interview popped up in the latest TeenBeat magazine. (Oh, god, I'm aging myself.) Nowadays, you can have long conversations with John Mayer or Clive Barker or Kevin Spacey on Twitter, because it's a safe space for them to get to know their fans, and for their fans to get a glimpse into what used to be a completely mysterious way of life.


(Ah, yes. The Trent Reznor/social media debacle of 2009 also begs for its own blog entry. Someday soon, I promise. In the meantime, this discussion, to which I contributed, does a pretty damn fine job of breaking down the reasons why not ALL celebrities should let their fans see what's behind the curtain.)


Back to the original question, then: What divides "fan" from "fanatic," aside from four letters and the idea that you're certifiable?


I've done some things that people might consider extreme to see a concert of a favourite band (whether spending insane amounts of money for the ticket or travelling to another country - or continent - for the show) or attend the reading of a favourite author (like wearing a bridesmaid dress and carrying a bouquet while roaming around downtown Toronto trying to hail a cab... It's a long story). But as far as I know, I've never crossed that creepy line. I've been lucky enough to meet all sorts of famous people, many of whom I admire greatly and whose work I love dearly. I've gone on to be an acquaintance or a friend of some of these people; others I've seen or met once and have been perfectly happy with that. The line, for me, is that I've never visited myself upon my favourite singer's private property, be it a car or a house or whatever else. Every celebrity meeting I've had has taken place in an open, non-intrusive way: I meet them at their public event, or I'm introduced by mutual friends, or we happen to be at the same club or party, where it's normal to approach anyone and have a drink and some conversation. If ever I end up with that famous person's home address or phone number, it's because that person gave it to me, and nobody's going to buy it from me for any amount of money. If we become acquainted with each other on a more friendly, let's-hang-out level, it happens organically. I'm a collector of experiences, that much is for certain, but I'm not one who is comfortable crossing any sort of line without a green light first.


Take my most "extreme" fan activity: Flying to the UK to see a concert. Yes, I did that in 2008. The band I'd loved for 20 years was touring, but not in my part of the world. I had a good job and was making good money at the time...so I just decided to go for it. My father and I took the whirlwind trip of a lifetime together, visiting our family's homeland of Scotland for the first time ever, and the concert was the icing on the cake. My mother wasn't well enough to come with us, and she'd asked if I would bring home one souvenir for her: A photo of me with the band she loved nearly as much as I did. So, once at the venue, I sent a note backstage with my polite request, and thought, "Hey, if they can do it, great. If they can't, I'm still so lucky to get to see them perform live after all these years." I could've remained just another anonymous face in the crowd and I'd still have loved that show. As it turned out, they were extraordinarily gracious, and invited me backstage to meet with them after the show, and my Mom got the picture she wanted so much. I also came away from that evening having met some fantastic new people, and loved the country so much that I went back again a year later, no concert tickets in hand that time. It was one of the best things I've ever done...and I got to meet some of my musical heroes without being creepy about it. I didn't lurk next to a stage door in the rain for hours, or hunt down their tour bus, or try to befriend security so I could sneak in somehow. I simply asked. And I was rewarded a thousand times more than I'd have imagined I would be.


Now, I know this can't possibly be a typical fan experience. I can scarcely imagine my hardcore U2 fan friends would get a response like I did to a pre-show handwritten note sent backstage. Even bands who aren't as detached from their fans as those heavy hitters are probably very often inaccessible to their audience. But that's the thing: I don't think a band being harder to reach means that a fan should try harder to reach them. It's a fine line, between lucking out and getting that autograph, and turning into a full-time, full-fledged groupie. (Don't get me started on that subject. The road manager of a friend's band once referred to me as a "groupie," and he nearly had his nose broken in return.)

I ask the question again, and have no intention of answering it myself, because I think it differs for a lot of people...and, frankly, I just don't have the answer. Where is that line? What does someone have to do to escalate from loyal fan to psychotic stalker? And the question that is perhaps of the most interest to me: How far would you go - or have you gone - to see or meet your favourite band/actor/writer/celebrity? How far is too far? Is there a price tag, a measurement in miles, or a social line that you can point at and say, "I won't go past that point, right there"?



Here's hoping the teenage All Time Low stalker asks these questions next time, before she again publicly makes an ass of herself. And let us hope, too, that this was her "all time low."



I couldn't resist.

For those who've written to me about Martin Streek...

I realize it's been a while since my last post, about Martin. I've received a significant amount of email in response, asking me questions that I either cannot or will not answer (which isn't meant to sound as harsh as it does; I simply don't feel as though I'm someone who ought to comment on certain things, nor do I feel that some subjects warrant discussion). I do realize that the reason I'm still getting these notes - mainly from strangers who were fans of Mr. Streek - is that, even seven weeks after we and the rest of the world lost a good man, a lot of people are still in shock, or are trying to understand, or are simply still mourning, as many of us will do for the rest of our lives.

It's been surprising to me just how many people who never had the good fortune of meeting Martin, but who felt connected to him over the airwaves nonetheless, have sent messages my way. I hope so very much that Martin knew how far and wide his influence reached. This post is for them, the people who have said time and again on various message boards and memorial groups (like that on Facebook) that they are shocked at how big a void they feel, having lost someone they'd never even seen face to face.

Instead of relying on my own words this time, then, I thought it would be best to make available to all who've asked (and even those who haven't) a small selection of other people's touching tributes to Martin. Because he meant something different to everyone whose lives he touched, it is only right that his fans - who may not have caught some of the blog posts and such in the confusing and heart-wrenching days that followed Martin's passing - should have access to the missives posted by a few of his old friends. In so many ways, they each said it better than I ever could.

There are countless news articles and posts floating around in cyberspace about our Martin. Some contain misleading or outright incorrect information. After sifting through far too many, I always come back to the same ones, those that stand head and shoulders above the others, written by people who knew and loved the man. To see him through the eyes of friends other than myself, I highly recommend reading the following:

• "Thoughts About Martin Streek" by Kneale Mann;
• "Martin Streek: This Charming Man" by Alan Cross;
  
• "Martin Streek Remembered" by Liisa Ladouceur; and
  
• "Martin Streek: RIP" by Fred Patterson.
  

As mentioned in my original post about Martin, the on-air tribute by Dave Marsden is an absolute must-hear as well. And if, after all of that, you still feel the need to read an "official" news report, the only one I'd suggest is posted on the website of the Toronto Star, written by Ben Rayner.


[ photo from the tribute held for Martin at the Phoenix, July 2009 ]

If there are any blog entries, articles, tributes or other such material out there that you feel ought to be included in this list (since my blog apparently comes up at some point during Google searches of Martin's name, thus leading a number of his fans to contact me with questions that I cannot answer), or if there's something you've seen that you think I might like to read, please feel free to comment here, or to reach me via email. I'd be glad to add to the list of posts that will induce a smile while reading, whether the reader is a fan, a friend, or his family. The tears haven't stopped, but I don't think I'm alone in saying that we're a little more ready now to laugh at the great memories with which we've been left.



[ photo from the tribute held for Martin at the Phoenix, July 2009 ]


Thank you, to everyone, for the kind words and wishes. And I hope the links I've provided in this post will answer whatever questions for you that I cannot.

NIN/JA, fickle fans, expletives and videos: My farewell to one of my favourite bands.

I was in the process of trying to find the exact set list for the NIN/JA show that took place on June 5th in New Jersey...and I'm coming across an awful lot of...well, frankly, bullshit.

Read the comments to this Rolling Stone article as a primer. Hell, just read the article itself. What the...?

I found out from a friend maybe three days ahead of time that NIN would be performing before Jane's Addiction. (If I'd had half a brain I'd have seen the huge notice on the NIN website.) I said, "Wha...?" and then got over it. Because despite not even owning any of JA's albums, I loved the '90s alt scene, and I don't care in what order they play; seeing NIN and JA share a stage is like a rock-gasm for people who were heavy into the club circuit throughout the last decade. Having Tom Morello tossed in for good measure was simply a cherry on top of it all.

I consider myself a pretty good critic as far as concerts go. Lord knows I've seen enough of them to be called, if not an expert, at least thoroughly informed on the subject. I've seen NIN five times (or is it 6...? Yes, it's six! HOLY CRAP), so I have a basis for comparison. And I would say that the NIN/JA show was easily the second best I have ever experienced. (The absolute best was on the summer leg of the With Teeth tour in '06 - it cannot be beat. Not only did Bauhaus open for them, but the electricity in the crowd, the gorgeous summer night by the lake - same venue as the one they played the other night - and the amazing set list and brand new light show were just unbeatable.)

Having said that, one could argue that it's because I've gotten to see them so many times that I can feel as fulfilled and as happy with whatever Trent wants to throw at us as I am. I do wonder how I'd have felt if the NIN/JA experience had been my first (and, as it appears more and more each day, the LAST). But on the other hand, I know NIN's catalogue backwards and front, sideways and then some, and I didn't learn it from seeing them live; I already owned it all going in. I'd be hard pressed to come up with a set list that would disappoint me, because I love stuff from every Halo that has been put out.

Trent made it very public that there would be no flashy light show this time, and that they wouldn't be playing Closer and all of the other mainstream pseudo-fan favourites. They just played those in November! (And, okay, AGAIN, I will grant that Toronto is insanely lucky because we've almost always gotten to see NIN both at the start and at the end of a tour, so we get two different shows with different set lists etc., while other cities get passed over completely. I saw one Fragile show, two on the With Teeth tour, two for Year Zero, and then the NIN/JA set. All in my own city. That's lucky. I do get that.) The point is that Trent made it abundantly clear that this was the Wave Goodbye tour, and it was for the die-hards, not the poseurs. Silly little blonde sluts who like to bump and grind to Closer at their local sleazy dance club were not the target audience.




(My clip, which sadly did not go far enough to let everyone hear me screaming, "IT WON'T GIVE UP IT WANTS ME DEAD GODDAMN THIS NOISE INSIDE MY HEAD"...because I wanted to dance, not film. Sorry 'bout that. I do know there's complete video of it elsewhere on YouTube, though!)



So instead of the same old regurgitated set list for the umpteenth time, Trent opted to give the fans something else. Something about which, at least at the Toronto show, people in the audience were SO pumped. Nearly every song they played, you would hear thousands of people exclaiming things like, "Holy shit!! I never thought I'd hear this live!!" I was one of those people. I had to apologize to Ian, my intrepid partner in concert-crime, who is a relative NIN novice, because I'd sent him a bunch of MP3s to prep him for what he was likely to hear...and I think only ONE out of the 30+ tracks I'd given him ended up being played. But he was pretty amused to see me jumping up and down - literally - because we were getting to hear Heresy instead of Closer, and I'm Afraid Of Americans instead of Only. (You really must check out this awesome footage of IAOA from our show.) And despite only even recognizing two of the songs at all, and never getting to see the mind-blowing light shows that had marked the previous Lights In The Sky tours, and being younger than me (just shy of 24) and therefore never being exposed to NIN as part of his nightlife, he enjoyed it. I don't think you could help but enjoy it; there was just an energy in the crowd that was infectious, and everyone was simply there to have a great time. And I think everyone did - certainly everyone around ME, and the reports from other friends at the show were the same. [ ETA: Browsing the NIN.Com boards, I see that the West Palm Beach thread is mostly negativity, whereas nearly everything said about our Toronto show was over-the-top positive. In the WPB thread, there is - seriously!! - a guy who says they were "entitled" to an encore. A contradiction in terms, to be sure, Einstein. ] It was a nice way to say goodbye to the longtime fans, and clearly it was enjoyable for some of the newcomers as well.


I'll have to ask my friend EmCee to weigh in on this, too, because we were at the same show and she was in the section ahead of me, so she might be able to lend more insight into the vibe. But from everything I witnessed, people were having a blast, even while the sun was still up! (NIN in daylight is, truly, a weird experience.)

[ETA: EmCee's response to all of this: Yeah, I was at that show and people were totally into it from my POV.

Hell, I know I loved it. I've never gotten to see NIN before and I am absolutely in no way disappointed with this being what is most likely the only one I'll ever see. IMHO, it was tight.

Those tickets are pretty. Shame mine says [my brother's name instead of mine]. Oh well. Still look all shiny. Nicest looking ticket I've got on my board.

Anyone who bitches and moans and acts all entitled can go DIAF.

Well said, my friend. ]



Back to the über-bitching that's spreading across the 'net, then.

(It's really not so bad, you know, once you get past the taste...)


what a fuckn letdown man. if theyre really gone now an that was what we were left with than FUCKYOU NIN.



I'm reading comments like these, and just shaking my head. Everyone's entitled to their (grammatically flawed) opinion, and of course there will be shows that are better than others, but come ON.

Went to the Austin show and it was awful. NIN was lackluster and sounded weak. Audience was not into the music. Trent recently tweeted about it: “Not one of our better shows. Despite our efforts we seemed unable to win over the crowd. Texas ends with a whisper.” about 4 hours ago from Tweetie -
Trent should buckle down and focus on the tour and not his cheapo girlfriend.

And then this:

There were a lot of very pissed off people at the West Palm show… NIN opened for Jane’s, but nobody knew that was going to happen. I guess my fault for showing up a little late, got there around 7:45 and NIN was already on stage. Then they didn’t even come out for an encore. The stage looked like they were going to come back out for a bit and then all of a sudden the lights came on and they started setting up the stage for Jane’s. Heard a lot of booing… Lots of pissed off people…



Sigh.


Now, see, here's the thing. A lot has to happen to make a concert orgasmic. There has to be a certain synergy between band and audience. Sometimes it happens organically; sometimes it has to be pushed a bit before things start rolling; sometimes there's a misfire and the connection just doesn't take. Keeping NIN as the sole example (just because it could get messy if I start comparing good vs bad shows when I'm talking about totally different bands/crowds/expectations etc.), I can say that I was underwhelmed at the winter show of the With Teeth tour. Part of it was probably because the one I'd seen in July, only a few months previous, was The Best Show Ever. But there were other elements, too - the electricity wasn't the same. The set list wasn't as good. Hell, our seats were crap. But not in a million years would I go and post something like those comments above just because things weren't firing on all cylinders.



I like this response, given by another Rolling Stone reader:

Hey Austin...How can you be mad at the band. They feed off the energy of the crowd. You got no feeling….you fail.



This is SO TRUE. Sometimes there'll be a crowd who come in with this indignant attitude right off the bat, thinking about what they paid for their ticket and having a specific set list in mind, and it's as though they've set themselves up to be disappointed. I've been to other shows like that, with other bands; you can feel it before the show even starts. Instead of there being a buzz in the crowd as everyone comes together in anticipation of what they're gonna see when the curtain comes up and the lights go down, there's an expectation. As though the band is a bunch of trained circus dogs who are expected to perform a certain set of tricks, and one false move totally kills the moment. The band is up there, working their asses off, and the crowd is barely moving. Because OH NOES THEY DIDN'T PLAY MY FAVOURITE SONG!!



To which I say, "If you want to hear your favourite songs in the 'right' order in the 'right' way, STAY THE FUCK HOME and LISTEN TO YOUR iPOD."



For the record, NIN has only ever played my "must-hear" songs once each. I wait with bated breath every single show, hoping to hear the first notes of Ringfinger and The Wretched. Only once, ever, did that happen. And y'know what? THE SHOWS WERE STILL AWESOME.

And god forbid if the band acknowledges a night when the crowd wasn't feelin' it. Because then you incite remarks like this:

Did you see Trent Reznor whining about the Austin show on Twitter? Really, is he surprised? IT SUCKED! HE SOUNDED LIKE SHIT. He needs to grow up and stop being a ass. He’s “sad” that the crowd wasn’t into it, well if he had put together a tighter show, we would have been into it.




Now, okay, I wasn't at the Austin show. I can say nothing with any authority about how good or bad it was. And I've seen Trent whine (OY OY OY), and I've rolled my eyes at it too. But the remark he made about that one concert wasn't whiny. And when fans take something like that and twist it around, why on earth do they expect their supposed favourite band to work nearly as hard next time?? If they can do no right, why bother?



I'm trying to find a comment that was made about how Trent "didn't interact at all with the audience" and that was a bad thing. I'll post it here if I can find it. But y'know what? TRENT DOESN'T TALK TO THE AUDIENCE. With the exception of ONE of the six shows I've seen - during which he actually dragged a stool to the front of the stage and sat on it to explain why he likes bringing NIN to Toronto more often than anywhere else, and what makes these shows stand out to him (it was quite a surprise to the whole crowd; fifteen thousand people fell instantly silent to hear what he had to say, and it was really very touching and kind of surreal) - he has always kept it to "thank you" and "good night" and that is IT. What the hell kind of NIN fan are you if you're expecting him to, like, get everyone singing Head Like A Hole in the round???



(The idea of that just made me LOL.)



Maybe it's just that the stereotypical NIN fan is all angsty and only happy when they're pissed off, or something. Get a load of this:

There was a BIG problem for those of us that bought nin.com Atlanta pre-sale tickets. This was COMPLETELY screwed up, they didn’t have the tickets ready at all! There were literally hundreds of people waiting in line to get their tickets. Once you got to the window (which took over an hour), you had to give them your name, and then someone had to run out and find them somewhere and bring them to the window. It was a total fiasco. I got there just before 7pm, and we didn’t get our tickets until almost 8:15pm. We missed Streetsweeper and half of the NIN set. And we were actually lucky because we were at the front of the line. I feel bad for all those behind us that were waiting. I WILL NEVER GO TO ANOTHER NIN CONCERT. That’s what you get for being greedy old man Reznor.



...uh.

This is NIN's fault how, exactly...? Sounds to me like the venue is shit. 'Cos we got NIN.Com presale tickets, and we were treated like royalty. No lines anywhere, a separate entrance, better seats (without the insane "convenience fees" from TicketBastard on them, no less)... Hell, even the tickets themselves are pretty! (I still have to take a photo of mine. ETA: Okay...that was harder than I thought.)



It is a hell of a lot harder to photograph a shiny ticket in bad light than I expected it to be. Further attempts to show the shiny prettiness of my ticket did not turn out terribly well. But you get the point. Probably. It's SHINY and it has my name on it and it's purple and silver and stuff. Photos don't do it justice.



Anyway, I guess my point is that this is turning out to be one of the more controversial and talked-about tours that I've ever seen, and I'm genuinely shocked at how much of the talk is negative. I've done my fair share of bitching about certain concerts (is there a soul alive who hasn't heard my kvetching about the 2005 U2 gig where Bono lectured us all to call our PM - he even had the phone number up on all of the big-screens for us! HOW THOUGHTFUL - to get Canada to "drop the debt", and then told us how we could have better spent the $200 it cost each of us to see the fucking show???!?). Some concerts deserve to be bitched about. And as I've said, it is ALL a matter of opinion, and every show will strike something different in every member of the audience. But from where I was sitting (literally and figuratively), my assessment was that Trent Reznor went the extra mile to give his actual fans a proper farewell - from playing rare and thrilling stuff, to controlling the ticket prices (honestly, $75 to see three of the biggest music icons of my generation?!? WOW) and offering better seats/easier access/nicer treatment to the .Com crowd, to making sure that everyone was allowed to bring whatever cameras they wanted to bring without getting hassled by security - and for all of his efforts, he's gotten more shitty feedback than any of the truly awful bands or shows I've ever seen.



I don't blame him for waving goodbye. If my "fans" were as greedy and thankless as the most vocal ones I've seen thus far, I'd have quit long before Trent did.

Intro to Twitter: A batch of April's best Tweets (of mine)

Chock full of the funniest and weirdest links, lists and pics I've been able to find over the past few days! I hope it provides some amusement. Judging by my international stats, I'm doin' an okay job of it so far. I've now got followers from every continent! If you're unfamiliar with Twitter, no worries - just click the "ow.ly" link next to whichever subjects grab your interest, and it'll take you to the article I'm discussing. Have fun, and get hooked like the rest of us!

April 29th

• 00:41 What's the measurement term I'm looking for - furlong? Furlough?? Am I even close? Text my cell if you know! Settle a bet for me! #
• 02:28 RT @atomicrose: @prettyh Furlong! [Thank you, Casey! Bonus points: How MUCH is a furlong??] #
• 06:25 @aliciamcauley I am SO EXCITED about our upcoming @chuckpalahniuk experience! So...I'll be Scotland and you'll be Ireland? ow.ly/4lNQ #
• 08:40 I have vegetarian/vegan friends. We respect each other. Possibly why this ("they forced meat on meee!! RAPE!") irks me so. ow.ly/4lHt #
• 10:20 Whoo, boy. LJ never fails to deliver ~DRAMA~. This time around it's a PostSecret about rape/not rape. See for yourselves: ow.ly/4mCi #
• 19:55 My friend Lana, who works at CBC3, posted an amusing blog entry re: Music That Makes You Dumb (I'm smart; so there!): ow.ly/4sCX #
• 20:30 RT @Carlanime: Speaking of the flu, WHO have finally raised the whatsit level to thingy. ow.ly/4sFu [LOL! Well put, Carla.] #
• 20:55 Doesn't surprise me: 60% of Twitter users quit within their 1st month. They're just not as good at link-hunting as I am! ow.ly/4sP2 #

April 28th

• 16:17 Too much to dissect for Twitter. Pics of Michael Jackson's Neverland auction - am laughing and shrieking at same time: ow.ly/4hLj #
• 18:29 This is just getting disgusting. Tori Stafford's mom says she had a secret meeting with a rich benefactor offering ransom: ow.ly/4iSJ #

April 27th

• 06:22 @madam_mina Shush, you! We gave the Yankees AJ Burnett for a song, and now the poor fellow's under pressure. See: ROY HALLADAY! <3 #
• 06:24 @mattgood Are there specific Vans you're seeking? I've gotten some from a shop on Queen St/Toronto if you need details. Adidas & Chucks,too. #
• 06:25 @strombo I'm overtired, probably, but I read your Chris Walken hashtag as "douchedbyabadangel". Good band name, I think. #
• 06:27 @madam_mina My beloved Jorge Posada is not that far from 40 now! I can relate to the "OMFG I'M OLD" feeling! Our teams SUCKED today. Bah. #
• 06:55 @johncmayer Also not ugly, ever: soccer (er..."football") players. It's true. Watch the World Cup sometime. Wall to wall gorgeous. #
• 07:30 "Bewitched" movie is on TV. Lazy late nite/early a.m. viewing, y'see. But it's worse than the RottenTomatoes 25% implies. ow.ly/3Z9v #
• 08:50 @ShayneWinters You should try AudioCaptcha. It's even more challenging to get right the first try. YouTube's doing it now, too. Stupid. #
• 09:30 Everyone seems fairly convinced missing girl's mom (Tara, mom of Tori Stafford)is the culprit. Interesting Facebook group: ow.ly/3Z4J #
• 10:10 Unless you love Woody Allen, AVOID "Cassandra's Dream". HORRIBLE. Even Farrell, McGregor & Wilkinson couldn't save it! ow.ly/3Z4Q #
• 10:41 @pweifenbach So envious of you being in Vegas! Have you seen the Cirque "LOVE" show? What I'd give! Beatles fans unite!! ow.ly/3ZRK #
• 11:30 Question: Is there something other than LoudTwitter I could use to have my Tweets sent to my open Blogger? Can't find another shipper! #
• 12:43 @ShayneWinters You need answers to WHAT? You only asked one question! And yes, thx, I'll take @stephenfry on "Bones". NAY to Cassie Clare!! #
• 13:25 @aerojad !!! I think, short of proposing marriage, you joining Twitter is the grandest gesture a man has ever made for me. It's fun here! #
• 14:05 I sleep with a fan on me nearly every night, and I'd NEVER heard the urban legend that it's supposedly FATAL! WTF?? ow.ly/3Z5U #
• 14:10 "I sleep with a fan on me every night" sounds more sordid than it is. I DO, however, have a Fan Club (I'm not allowed in): ow.ly/40hZ #
• 14:31 I think I'd like to be a BNF ( ow.ly/40jo ), in my own fandom. As in, I'd be the BNF of Ehch Fandom. Is that a bit too...Mussolini? #
• 14:45 One more thing re: me having fans: Why do only 19 people love me? Is it because I don't plagiarize fic??( ow.ly/40jQ )*sob*BE MY FAN! #
• 15:15 I know every word of 'Trainspotting' film, but every fan MUST buy Director's Cut. The deleted scenes? SHOCKING. ow.ly/3Z6s #
• 15:35 @Carlanime You've gotta know that a pregnant woman in a Naughty Nurse costume is some kind of niche fetish. Lemme know how it turns out. o.O #
• 16:00 Who among you has an account at Last.FM? (Aside from those already on my list.) I wanna spy on your musical tastes! Mine: ow.ly/40hK #
• 17:05 RT @MossySloth: @prettyh HOLY CRAP I didn't know Labyrinth was based on a book!!!! [See? My Tweets are educational! ~H~] ow.ly/3MyM #
• 17:50 RT @yokoono: IMAGINE PEACE:Simplest most effective peace meditation. It's a space transformer.Transforming the world as quickly as possible #
• 20:25 I have about four years' worth of laundry to do. Think that means I have too many clothes. Diabetes Assoc.'s gettin' a BIG donation this wk. #

April 26th

• 06:08 I'm laughing way too hard at this. It trumps all of the other terrible street signs. Who knew Welsh was so difficult?? ow.ly/3U2N #
• 07:05 I've long bitched about Daddy having no cell phone. Now I think I'm grateful; he wouldn't like texts about my sex life: ow.ly/3U30 #
• 08:25 Twitter can, apparently, cost you your job, reputation, relationships... Here are 5 of the "Worst Tweets Ever": ow.ly/3U4I #
• 09:25 While not impressed with the resemblance to Heath OUT of makeup, this Joker figure ( ow.ly/3U8C ) is FREAKY in face paint!!! WOW. #
• 10:50 Punk'd by the 'net: how some companies have gotten SCREWED by social media. I still wonder about the iPod rumour. ow.ly/3U9e #

April 24th

• 03:05 @MossySloth We need to sit down (er, Skype down!) & compare sleep disorders, I think. That and myriad odd subjects, like: ow.ly/3CO6 #
• 04:11 @ShayneWinters It scares me a little that you know enough about Dancing With The Stars to ask if the gymnast has been kicked off. And NO. #
• 04:25 Utterly fascinating link courtesy of @MossySloth, containing a whole lot of conspiracy theories and other überweird stuff: ow.ly/3MpH #
• 04:41 REAL JIGSAW KILLER:"Mr Howe's head, arm, leg & torso were found [...] Only his hands have not been found. " Why the hands? ow.ly/3MwM #
• 05:04 Another ex. of nature being warped: Cats in heat sound like babies crying. I hear one outside. It's creepy and makes no biological sense. #
• 05:20 Haven't yet read it, but LOVE the title of this article:"Children Don't Make You Happy, Says Expert Who Doesn't Have Any": ow.ly/3Mvb #
• 06:10 Um..good god. "Australia's Miss Universe finalist dangerously underweight". D'you THINK?? I didn't know corpses qualified. ow.ly/3MvC #
• 07:05 Just FYI, all of my Thurs/Fri tweets have been scheduled as of Wednesday, so if I'm dead by then and you're seeing these, don't panic. #
• 08:05 I can always outdo myself with weirder lists, you know. "Top 10 Greatest Floating Heads Of All Time". (Only 10?) ow.ly/3CEw #
• 10:10 @Carlanime You are the only person I've ever heard say, "I'm glad my sex life doesn't involve a speculum." It COULD! See: ow.ly/3CFq #
• 12:30 LOL!! Re: the chick who was nearly lunch: "Logic tells us that polar bears will do this type of thing in this situation." ow.ly/3Mwn #
• 13:50 "British scientists study Happy Face Spider". What the hell?? Mother Nature is sicker than I thought; this thing is SCARY! ow.ly/3Mv1 #
• 14:35 A hilarious collection of street signs and the like. This one forbids soft coconuts on hospital premises. AS IT SHOULD! ow.ly/3Mxk #
• 14:50 This should be a rule for LIFE: No obnoxious behaviour, no crying/unhappy children, or you'll be booted from the cave! ow.ly/3Mxz #
• 16:15 @foresthouse If YOU want a Dreamwidth code, ever, let me know! My beloved @jmatwood took care of me: ow.ly/3CGW #
• 18:20 Top 10 Childrens' Books For People Who Hate Their Children (I'm noticing a theme in my tweets today...): ow.ly/3MyM #
• 20:35 Another step in the neverending downward spiral of Lindsay Lohan: she's skinnier than the Aussie pageant chick. AUGH!! ow.ly/3MCa #
• 20:36 @michaelsheen1 I totally read that wrong and thought you said you just had your makeup melting. Which does indeed sound mysterious. #
• 21:15 A fresh, funny-as-hell take on Billy Bob Thornton's stupidity whilst visiting (read: forcing himself upon) my country: ow.ly/3MD2 #

Long time no update, but...TWEET!

Yes, I'm overdue for a proper entry...but for the time being, I'll be sending my Tweets here, for those of you who follow the weird goings-on in my life and who get a kick out of my bizarre collection of links. It's mainly for those who don't have access to my private blog; I keep my Tweets suitable for public consumption. Usually. Ahem. (Yes, I know, there was that one ***NSFW*** "Stages Of The Cervix" thing that got everyone all freaked out...but it got even more people offering up TMI in response!)

If you'd like to subscribe, you can do so easily: either comment to this entry (and make sure you sign your name!), or use the "Subscribe" button on the sidebar of the blog. I try not to be one of those nonsensical, pointless Twitterers whose 140 characters make NO BLOODY SENSE, so I'm hoping you'll find some enjoyment in the links I provide when I get the chance.



Please note that, with the exception of a very, very small number of people, this will be opt-in ONLY. If you don't leave a comment saying you want to read more, or if you don't subscribe to the posts, this is the last notification you'll get about it. You may have only gotten notification because your address is/was in my Gmail contacts list, so fret not - I'm not targeting anyone in particular! Don't panic and think you'll be inundated with 32,746 Tweets every day no matter what.

And no, I won't be offended if you're not into my weird links and strange conversations with celebrities. As you can see, I get a lot of traffic already...

...from all over the bloody world! The above graph only shows a slow week. My monthly stats are usually around 1,500 clicks, and I seem to get a lot of traffic from Belgium, Spain, And Poland. Haven't quite figured out why just yet.



Quite often I schedule a week's worth of links and such at a time, so I'm not actually sitting busily at my computer on a daily basis, hunting for material. I do have a life. ;) If you happen to comment, or if you're on Twitter and you reply there and don't get an answer right away, now you know why: the Tweets you're seeing on Thursday could have been scheduled on Monday, and I'm nowhere near a computer!

I'll be dropping in to do proper entries as well from time to time, of course, since sometimes 140 characters just can't say it all. But I wanted to give you guys a heads up, in case you wondered what on earth you were suddenly seeing here in place of my ranting and raving!

To see who I'm following on Twitter: http://twitter.com/prettyh/friends.

To see who's following me: http://twitter.com/prettyh/following.

Here's an example of what you'll be seeing:

• 06:08 I'm laughing way too hard at this. It trumps all of the other terrible street signs. Who knew Welsh was so difficult?? ow.ly/3U2N #
• 07:05 I've long bitched about Daddy having no cell phone. Now I think I'm grateful; he wouldn't like texts about my sex life: ow.ly/3U30 #
• 08:25 Twitter can, apparently, cost you your job, reputation, relationships... Here are 5 of the "Worst Tweets Ever": ow.ly/3U4I #
• 09:25 While not impressed with the resemblance to Heath OUT of makeup, this Joker figure ( ow.ly/3U8C ) is FREAKY in face paint!!! WOW. #
• 10:50 Punk'd by the 'net: how some companies have gotten SCREWED by social media. I still wonder about the iPod rumour. ow.ly/3U9e #

Welcome to the new age of pseudo-blogging! Enjoy your stay, and have fun clicking the strangest links I can find!

The Bill O'Reilly petition. I had to post it.

I don't have a lot of faith in what petitions can do, really. Life is not just one big Erin Brockovich lovefest. But every so often I'll see something that makes me practically erupt with rage, and I feel like I'm better off just sharing the damn thing, whether it has any effect or not.

This time it's Bill O'Reilly who's made me feel homicidal. Not that he usually doesn't anyway, just by existing. But women who've been victims of sexual assault - or, hell, just PEOPLE in general - need to know about this disgusting error in judgment (that's putting it kindly) and should say something about it.

O'Reilly has been invited to speak at The It Happened To Alexa fundraiser, which, if you didn't know, is a foundation built to raise awareness about rape and to offer support and resources to victims of sexual assault. I can think of a few men who might be worse choices, but...not many.

I'm borrowing liberally from my friend Rachel's note about this in order to give background to why this bastard doesn't deserve to have an oxygen supply, let alone have the opportunity to listen to himself talk in the presence of the very people upon whom he likes to prey:

Bill O'Reilly is scheduled to speak at a fundraising luncheon for the rape survivors advocacy group It Happened To Alexa Foundation at the Ritz Carlton in Manalapan, Florida, on March 19th, 2009. This is, simply, outrageous.

According to its website, the purpose of the It Happened to Alexa Foundation is to "help support rape survivors through the trauma of the criminal trial, in the hopes that more survivors will go through with the prosecution in order to put these perpetrators behind bars...[and to] assist rape victims families with travel expenses during the litigation process."

A laudable mission, indeed. But not only has O'Reilly been accused of sexual harassment at work (settling out of court and paying his accuser a multi-million dollar sum); he also has a history of making blame-the-victim comments about sexual assault, including the following:

"These two girls come in from the suburbs and they get bombed, and their car is towed because they're moronic girls and, you know, they don't have a car. So they're standing there in the middle of the night with no car. And then they separate because they're drunk...

"Now Moore, Jennifer Moore...She was 5-foot-2, 105 pounds, wearing a miniskirt and a halter top with a bare midriff... So every predator in the world is gonna pick that up at two in the morning. She's walking by herself on the West Side Highway, and she gets picked up by a thug... And the thug takes her over to New Jersey in the cab and kills her and rapes her and does all these terrible things to her..." (Bill O'Reilly, The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, 8/2/06)

"And the question is, why didn't [11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck, kidnapped, held and raped for 4 years] escape when he could have?...The Stockholm syndrome thing, I don't buy it...The situation here for this kid looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he had under his old parents. He didn't have to go to school. He could run around and do whatever he wanted...I think when it all comes down, what's going to happen is, there was an element here that this kid liked about his circumstances." (Bill O'Reilly, Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, 1/15/07)

We can only presume that the board of the It Happened to Alexa Foundation were unaware of O'Reilly's history when they extended the invitation to him. But unfortunately, all objections to O'Reilly's appearance since then have been met with a polite rebuttal.

We consider it wholly inappropriate that Bill O'Reilly should be given the opportunity to promote his new book by associating himself with an organization that does such laudable work on behalf of rape victims.

Please join us in asking the It Happened to Alexa Foundation to withdraw their invitation to Bill O'Reilly and replace him with another, more appropriate, speaker.




Do whatever you feel is right. Sign the petition, don't sign it, watch his show, turn it off, buy his books, burn them, whatever. I've done what I feel is right, and that is to bring this to the attention of my friends and readers. People like Bill O'Reilly do not deserve to have their crimes and misdemeanours swept under the carpet; if a petition can make someone's life a little more difficult - be it his or that of the moron(s) who chose him as a speaker - then it was worth the ten seconds it took to type in my info and hit 'enter'.




**AN ASIDE:** I know I don't update this blog often; I do, however, provide daily links of all types (including the above-mentioned) via my Twitter account, so please feel free to follow me there, too.



***ETA:*** A kind commenter added this additional link for those looking for more background about why O'Reilly is such a heinous choice for this engagement: "O’Reilly Should Apologize to Rape Survivors; Gets Worst Person for Four Straight Nights". Thank you, C.


If you think others would get something out of reading this, PLEASE pass it along, via email, Facebook, Digg or any other means. As I so often say, every little bit helps.

Oscar Season! Reviews, predictions, and oversights galore.

Let's talk Oscar, shall we?



Every year I do my damnedest to see as many of the big nominees as possible, and this year I have to say I'm doing incredibly well. With two weeks to go, I've knocked down one hell of a lot of 'em, and have arranged access to the four or five that still remain (two in theatre, the rest all rentable). I wish I had more friends within easier distance who are as movie-obsessed as I am, because I throw a mean Oscar party, but this year it'll just be a quiet evening, methinks. My Dad has seen several of the contenders, too (he's actually taken me to a few of them; it's been cool to have him back as my regular movie buddy on Saturday mornings), so he and I can settle in together and rob each other blind on high-stakes award show betting.

So, for those of you who are not nearby but who've seen some of these films, I shall share my thoughts and see who among you is willing to place wagers for February 22nd. (Terms to be negotiated. I say the one who guesses the highest number of winners correctly should have a movie bought for them off their WishList. I'm in if you are! But we'll hold off 'til the 21st, since there are still unseen nominees...)

Here goes: What I've seen (as of now; I'll edit as the next two weeks rack me up), what I've loved, the reviews I've written on Facebook, and what's yet to be watched. (And my bets on who'll win.) Be prepared - it's a loooong entry! (Reprinted from my private blog.)

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BEST ACTRESS

• KATE WINSLET (The Reader)
  This role, when I finally found myself invested in the movie, blew my mind. Kate was barely recognizable, and not just because of the makeup. She became Hanna, with a harsh voice and Berlin accent, with new mannerisms and expressions... I've always loved her, but this really put her up to the next level for me. My review of the movie: I spent the first hour-plus wondering why I wasn't more emotionally invested in these characters. Certainly Kate Winslet gives yet another brilliantly layered performance, and her young co-star does a good job of keeping pace...but I wasn't IN IT. There was just something putting distance between me and the screen, and aside from the vague but persistent dread in my gut, I wasn't feeling as much as I'd expect to feel about such obviously painful moments in life and history. Until the last fifteen or twenty minutes, that is. At which point my heart began to hurt, and it hasn't stopped. Complex material that'll leave you turning so much over in your mind for a long time coming. (A side note: I can't recall a movie in recent history with as much full-on nudity as this one. Goodness me.) I'm told the book is far more haunting. I don't think I could take it. The man sitting next to me in the theatre turned to me when the closing credits began and sighed, "Well, THAT was...uplifting." I could only sniffle and smile before we all scattered out into the snow with very, very heavy hearts.
  
  
• MERYL STREEP (Doubt)
  I don't think I've ever seen Meryl give a sub-par performance (of course, I've purposely avoided Mamma Mia...), but this one stands out. She managed to be brash on the surface while still keeping a few tiny nuances that let us know there was more going on underneath. My review of the film: I've been unable to stop thinking about this haunting film since I saw it a week ago. Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance was so perfectly nuanced... My loyalties were torn from the first frame to the last, and what Streep and Adams brought to the table just added to that feeling of conflict...and, well, doubt. Serious props to Viola Davis for one of the most searing, painful scenes I've witnessed in a very long time. See it.
  
  
• ANGELINA JOLIE (Changeling)
  Haven't seen in yet. It's out on DVD on the 17th. I'd wanted to see it as soon as I heard it was out, but I missed it. This may be one of two major oversights (in my opinion) involving Clint Eastwood, who directed Changeling and was the mastermind behind a completely ignored and horribly underrated Gran Torino. As for Angie's performance, I expect it'll be solid, but not enough to knock Kate or Meryl off the stage. And I feel like Cate Blanchett should have been given this slot (for Benjamin Button) instead...but, again, I can't say for sure until I've seen it.
  
  
• ANNE HATHAWAY (Rachel Getting Married)
  Will be seeing it on Wednesday, as it's been re-released in Toronto (yay for that!). I'm impressed that Anne has made it from bubblegum Disney movies to serious indie flicks so early in her career, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this one.
  
  
• MELISSA LEO (Frozen River)
  It's on DVD, so I'll be seeing it this week sometime. I have to say, this one surprised me, mainly because I'd heard nothing about this movie before the nominations came out. Still, Leo has been a great character actress for a while now, so it's nice to see an underdog in the race.
  

Who I think SHOULD win: Based on the only two performances I've seen thus far, Kate Winslet deserves to finally get a bloody Oscar. Her role as Hanna Schmitz is jaw-droppingly convincing. I forgot it was Kate on screen, quite frankly, after only a short time - long before the makeup and costume wizards aged her so many years. She was fantastic. To be fair, Meryl Streep's turn in Doubt gave me chills, too; she managed to pack so much emotion into such a restrained performance. But between the two, Kate wins for me. I can't see that changing even after I see the other three, but you never know...

Who I think WILL win: Kate. Her only real competition, I think, is Streep, and I think the many awards Kate has already won for the role tell us that the Academy is ready to pass the torch, rather than add to Meryl's massive collection. Again, though, I have to reserve my final opinion until I see the others!

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BEST ACTOR

• FRANK LANGELLA (Frost/Nixon)
  Wow! Who woulda thunk it?? I've loved Frank for eons, so it's pretty cool to see him get nominated for his first Oscar (especially for a role that has already earned him a Tony Award). The odds of him winning are slim to none, I fear, but that's not for lack of a strong performance; the competition is just too strong this year. My review of the movie: Having been only a baby when this historical interview happened, I went into the film not knowing a whole lot. I came out thoroughly impressed with how well I was filled in, and how bizarrely sympathetic Langella's Nixon managed to be without twisting who and what the man really was. As for Michael Sheen...I was afraid this was going to be kind of like his Tony Blair impersonating David Frost, but no! He even got the speech patterns down. Truly impressive film. But I still can't get over the fact that it made the Best Picture short list over "Gran Torino". THAT I cannot abide. Even so, a worthwhile 2 hours all around.
  
  
• MICKEY ROURKE (The Wrestler)
  Augh. This one's still too fresh. I may have to cry again now. Looking at Rourke's once-beautiful face, you'd think he'd have a hard time conveying emotion because of all of that surgery...but man, that couldn't be further from the truth. Every eyebrow raise, every half-smile, it all spoke volumes about this broken man and how desperate he was to make something - anything - right again. He was brilliant, playing what he knew but never stepping over the line into parodying himself. My review of the movie: The night I saw "Slumdog...", I came out of the theatre and heard two guys - who were just leaving "The Wrestler" - saying that they wanted to kill themselves after "that experience". I had forgotten about that moment...until I saw the movie for myself last night. Mickey Rourke has officially broken my heart into about eight thousand pieces. He has my vote come Oscar night. Marisa Tomei is so good you forget she's naked for 90% of her screen time. The whole experience... Just see it, and be ready to feel a little bit shattered when the lights come up.
  
  
• BRAD PITT (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)
  As a rule, I'm not a Brad Pitt fan. That's probably a weird thing to say, coming from someone who includes Fight Club and Se7en among her favourite films, but it's true. He's okay. He's done some fine work. But I'm not a fangirl. Having said that, though, I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised at the gentle way he handled his character's evolution. It was unlike anything I've seen him do before, and he did it very effectively. I don't think he deserves to win, but I can see why he was nominated. (I just wish it hadn't been at the expense of Clint Eastwood! There I go again...) My review of the film: I started crying about 15 minutes in. I didn't stop, not for a moment, until the end credits. Even then I had to suck it up. The performances were outstanding, especially by Blanchett and Henson, and the direction and cinematography made me feel like I was there...but there were parts that dragged on a bit too long, and that yanked me out of the frame. I also felt like some of the sentimentality of it all was heavy handed and emotionally manipulative, rather than being sincere (using Hurricane Katrina as the current setting?? Ouch)...but maybe I'm just angsty because I cried for three hours in public. It doesn't deserve to win Best Picture, and I still can't believe it was nominated instead of "Gran Torino", but it IS a beautifully made film. Just make sure you bring Kleenex.
  
  
• SEAN PENN (Milk)
  Haven't seen it yet. The plan is to catch it the same night as Rachel Getting Married this week. But...it's Sean Penn. He's going to be great. Great enough to blow the other guys out of the water? Maybe, maybe not. But he's won before, which may leave room for a sentimental favourite like Mickey Rourke...
  
  
• RICHARD JENKINS (The Visitor)
  Another one I have yet to see - it's out on DVD already. I actually said aloud, "What the HELL??" when I heard he was nominated instead of Clint Eastwood?!? WTF!!?!?, but he's kind of like Melissa Leo in my mind: a solid actor who's put in a lot of great performances and has paid his dues, and it's nice to see him being recognized for the first time. I hope I enjoy the movie, even though I can't for the life of me see how he could win over Pitt, Rourke or Penn.
  

Who I think SHOULD win: OH, MICKEY, YOU'RE SO FINE... Of the performances I've seen, his moved me the most. I wasn't expecting to be as impressed as I was; I thought it would just be too easy, with him playing a character that mirrors his real life too closely. But he hit hard, and he hit deep, and for that reason I would love to see him getting a standing ovation as he walks up to accept an award he probably never imagined could be his.

Who I think WILL win: I'm kind of afraid that Sean Penn will swoop in and snatch this one up. I can't say he wouldn't deserve it, since I haven't seen his movie, but the guy is walking Oscar-bait every damn year. With the timing of Prop 8 and the buzz around the film, there's a very good chance Penn's got the cards stacked in his favour.

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• TARAJI P. HENSON (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)
  This woman blew me away when I saw her in Hustle And Flow, so it's great to see her getting recognized for a very solid turn in Benjamin. But, really, as good as she was, I don't know that it was a performance that was Oscar-worthy. I think she will have a lot more chances in the future to be a winner, but there wasn't quite enough to her character, for me, to put her up against the likes of Marisa Tomei this year.
  
  
• MARISA TOMEI (The Wrestler)
  Anyone who thought Marisa's Oscar for My Cousin Vinny was a fluke can set that aside now. She brought almost as much heartache to the screen this time around as Mickey Rourke did, and that's saying a lot. Extra props to her for A) having the guts to spend most of her screen time naked and grinding against a pole, and B) looking absolutely fabulous (and convincingly broken) while doing so.
  
  
• AMY ADAMS (Doubt)
  I fell in love with Amy Adams as soon as I saw Junebug. This is a woman who has a lot of nominations, and likely wins, in her future. The trouble is that Doubt was so much an ensemble piece that it seems like she had the least amount of stuff to do on screen, which makes it hard for me to see her winning this year. On the flipside, she made the most of the time she did have, and she played someone completely unlike any of her previous characters...and she was spot on with it. I'm kinda torn about this one, but she definitely deserves the nomination, and I look forward to what great things she'll be doing in the future.
  
  
• VIOLA DAVIS (Doubt)
  This goes almost completely against what I've said about Amy Adams and Taraji Henson, but considering Viola had only a single 12-minute-long scene in the whole film, I can scarcely believe the impact her few short moments made on me. Her scant dialogue with Meryl Streep cut like a knife and added something to the film that was essential in creating the entire atmosphere of it all. Truly one of the more powerful appearances I've ever seen, and she managed to stuff everything we needed to know into twelve measly minutes. Commendable.
  
  
• PENELOPE CRUZ (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
  Haven't seen it. Don't want to see it, but it's on DVD, so I'll suck it up. I loathe Woody Allen movies (the sole exception being the astonishing Match Point), and on top of that I completely disagreed with Cruz being nominated for Volver a couple of years back (overrated in a big way, IMO). But I'll give it a fair chance, since both Cruz and Allen have managed to surprise me in the past.
  

Who I think SHOULD win: Augh. This is hard! I'm gonna have to go with Viola. Even though half of my brain is rooting for Amy. Augh. (This does prove, however, that Doubt was another oversight in the Best Picture category, doesn't it?)

Who I think WILL win: I honestly don't know if it'll be Amy or Taraji. Both are fairly new-ish to the Big Time, and both have created a lot of buzz with their performances, this year and in recent years. If I had to guess, I'd say Taraji will get it.

______

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• HEATH LEDGER (The Dark Knight)
  I really hate hearing people say that Heath only got the nod because he's not with us anymore. If you saw the film, you know bloody well that his performance was one of the greatest things to witness all year. All sentimentality aside, I'd have been pissed if he'd been left off the consideration list; his Joker blew everyone and everything away (literally and figuratively). My review of the film:
  
  
• PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (Doubt)
  Interesting to note that Hoffman's Capote won out over Heath's cowboy in Brokeback Mountain a couple of seasons ago. And this time around, a win would be well deserved, indeed. He left me completely dumbstruck when I saw Doubt; I watched every expression on his face, every bit of body language, and I was so impressed with the complexity and depth that he gave to the priest he played. I have a feeling that he'd be a lock in this category if not for Heath.
  
  
• MICHAEL SHANNON (Revolutionary Road)
  This was another "WHAT THE HELL???" moment for me when the nominations were announced. Shannon has been one of those guys who has turned in a lot of good performances as a character actor, and I'd like to see him in more films, but...I cannot for the life of me figure out how he landed on the short list with his very brief (and not terribly consequential) role in ...Road. He did a great job with what he had, but what they gave him wasn't much, and in my world it just doesn't feel like an Oscar kind of role. If anything, Leonardo DiCaprio should have gotten this nomination for the same movie. I like Shannon, and I liked what he did in the film, but it's not even in the same stratosphere as the above-mentioned performances.
  
  
• ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (Tropic Thunder)
  Aaaaaand yet another "WTF?!?" from me. Don't get me wrong; I adore RDJ, and think he should be swimming in Oscars by now, AND I haven't even seen the film in question yet (another renter)...so maybe I should just shaddap until I see what the deal is. But...seriously?? Of all the great parts he's played...??? Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) should have gotten a shot at this instead. Or Leonardo, again. Or Colin Farrell for In Bruges! This one baffles me. Maybe it'll make more sense once I see Tropic Thunder, but I can't imagine a comedic performance in blackface alongside *shudder* Ben Stiller and Jack Black could possibly hold a candle to the other guys I mentioned.
  
  
• JOSH BROLIN (Milk)
  Again, haven't seen it yet, so I have no idea whatsoever about this one. His last few roles have impressed the hell out of me (and I kinda thought he might even get nominated for his brilliant portrayal of Dubya, actually), so I'll be waiting on this call.
  

Who I think SHOULD win: This sucks. I want Heath Ledger to get it, but knowing how much he hated award shows, plus the fact that he's not here to receive the recognition for his amazing role, I feel like Philip Seymour Hoffman should really be the one to walk away with the Oscar. I'm positive it'll be one of the two, and I know I'll be both happy and sad no matter which one wins.

Who I think WILL win: Heath. As a salute not only to the brilliance we've seen, but also to what we know we're going to miss out on.

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BEST DIRECTOR

• DANNY BOYLE (Slumdog Millionaire)
  I love Danny Boyle. He's made so many of my absolute favourite films (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later, Millions), and he's never been recognized for any of them. Now he's been nominated for something that is miles away from his most famous endeavours, which gives him points for amazing versatility. The undertaking of such a huge production with Slumdog earned him a spot at the top of this list.
  
  
• DAVID FINCHER (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)
  Another one of my favourite directors. (I've forgiven him for the atrocity that was Zodiac.) And I love that he took on a project that's so different from the films for which he's best known. He, like Danny, has proven that he's no one-trick pony, and Benjamin had to be one hell of a big job. He pulled it off and the end product was beautiful.
  
  
• STEPHEN DALDRY (The Reader)
  If I'm not mistaken, this fellow has only directed two feature films - the first being The Hours - and is therefore batting a thousand in terms of nominations. He really caught the atmosphere in this one, so I'm glad he's gotten a nod, but I think it was his direction that caused the disconnect I felt through the first chunk of the movie. I'm not sure how I feel about who got left OFF the list as a result of his nomination (Clint, again, and Darren Aronofsky). I dunno. I think we can expect more good things from this guy, but I'd sort of like to see him establish himself a bit more before he starts collecting statues.
  
  
• RON HOWARD (Frost/Nixon)
  I liked the movie quite a bit, but...nothing about it felt like there was a Ron Howard signature to it, if that makes any sense. Had I not known it was his film, I wouldn't have been able to pick out his style. (Does he have one?) I generally like the movies he puts out, but as I said above, I think Eastwood or Aronofsky were overlooked and deserved a shot for their films more than Howard does this time.
  
  
• GUS VAN SANT (Milk)
  Once more: haven't seen it. Gus is hit-and-miss for me. (He, at least, has a distinctive style, like the first two nominees; sometimes it works, in films like Elephant, whereas other times it misfires - Psycho and Last Days come to mind.) I'll reserve judgment.
  

Who I think SHOULD win: Danny Boyle. The way he managed to weave that story together and never lost any momentum is extraordinary. But I can't say I'd be disappointed to see David Fincher get it, for similar reasons.

Who I think WILL win: Danny. He took such a unique approach to Slumdog, and made it into something unlike anything we've ever seen before, that I'd be surprised if anyone else won.

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BEST PICTURE (my rating out of five stars)

• THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - ****
  
• SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - *****
  
• FROST/NIXON - *** and a half
  
• THE READER - ****
  
• MILK - N/A
  

Who I think SHOULD win: Slumdog Millionaire. Hands down.

Who I think WILL win: Having not yet seen Milk, I can't be confident in saying Slumdog will get it. I'm even a little nervous about Benjamin getting in there. But I think I'd have to put my chips on Slumdog. Here's hoping I'm right.





That took me TWO AND A HALF HOURS to write.


I'll post an actual poll (on my private blog) when the date gets closer, but in the meantime, fill me in: Which ones have you guys seen? What have you loved/hated? Have any of you seen the ones I haven't (and if so, are they worthy of their nominations)? Am I on crack for being so bent out of shape about the Clint Eastwood/Gran Torino thing?? (I'm also a bit baffled about the barely-there recognition for Revolutionary Road.)



Thoughts?

Celebrity Scandals: From Christian Bale to Steven Page to John Travolta (and back again?)

It's been a long while since we've heard much from the Barenaked Ladies' camp. Steven Page's drug scandal in July 2008 was hushed within the month, if you follow the dates on the associated stories in the press. The hoopla did make the cover of MacLean's magazine, but beyond that, the newswire went quiet. The last info I managed to find was in November, when Jason Priestly inexplicably made the rounds defending his fellow Canuck:

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BNL's frontman 'upset' by drug scandal: Priestley

Updated Thu. Nov. 27 2008 10:50 AM ET

The Canadian Press [ click to read full article; truncated version below ]

TORONTO -- Former "90210" hunk Jason Priestley says he was as stunned as most Barenaked Ladies' fans when his longtime friend Steven Page was convicted on drug charges earlier this year.

The Vancouver-born actor, who forged a relationship with Page and other members of the quirky pop group in the 1990s, says he is among several friends rallying around the singer in the wake of Page's cocaine arrest in upstate New York.

"It was surprising," Priestley said Wednesday of the summer drug scandal in which Page was caught near Syracuse with cocaine.

"(I offered) all the support that he needed and whatever he needed to help him, whatever I could do to help. And I think everybody offered him that same support, how could you not?"

Last month, a New York state judge said Page would be acquitted of drug charges if he stayed clean for six months. Priestley said his friend is doing well, but is "upset" that he got caught up in the situation to begin with.

The former teen heartthrob said he planned to hang out with members of the Barenaked Ladies while he's in Toronto this weekend to host the Gemini Awards, which honour the best in Canadian drama, comedy and variety TV.

Priestley will be handing out trophies along with current "90210" star Shenae Grimes, who will appear as a presenter at Friday's glitzy gala.

[...]

Priestley said next September could also see a special DVD release of "Barenaked in America" to mark the film's 10-year anniversary. He said it would include extra footage and bonus material.

[...]

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Not exactly what you'd call "news". But after some digging, I did find one source stating the following: On October 28, Page appeared in court in Fayetteville, New York. Charges against him and the two women were reduced to misdemeanor possession. If Page complies with the terms of the arrangement for six months, including drug screening, the charges will be dropped. So we wait until April, then, to see if Stevie can keep himself out of trouble.


Also interesting - but not surprising whatsoever - is the radio silence following the death of John Travolta's son, Jett. The latest news from that camp has steered all attention away from the strange circumstances surrounding the tragedy, and has instead been focusing on the alleged extortion plot visited upon the Travoltas by a paramedic. A good PR move, really; it makes John and Kelly revert firmly back into Victim Mode, and makes others look like The Bad Guys. I'm curious about what the paramedic knows that would have been worth so much money, though... Stay tuned on that one.



Other celeb scandals, as I'm sure 99% of the planet now knows, are much more visible. For example...


(I do love that picture. And from here on in, I'd say it's a good idea to consider this post VERY NSFW.)

Christian Bale has offered an apology for the embarrassing freakout he had (also in July of '08 - was that a bad month for the star set, I wonder?) on the set of the upcoming Terminator film. If, by some strange chance, you haven't heard the audio or read a transcript of the expletive-laden outburst, you can find both in this post from OhNoTheyDidn't (just scroll up to access the links to the 4-minute long tirade; reading it just doesn't do it justice). Celebrity insanity at its finest!

I'm glad he's apologized, but I have to wonder if this will have any lasting effect on his career. Maybe, maybe not. Strange what people hold grudges about, y'know? Everyone got back to adoring Alec Baldwin PDQ after he was recorded in 2007 calling his 11-year-old daughter a "thoughtless little pig". Many would argue that's far worse than having it out with a colleague on a film set...but Baldwin never missed a step, and his Emmy shelves get more crowded all the time. Perhaps Christian Bale will be similarly fortunate in getting his once-adoring public's forgiveness.

(If you haven't heard it yet, the dance remix for "Bale Out!" is not to be missed. The "video" is below, although it's just a montage of photos featuring Bale looking crazy.)




This wouldn't be a post worth making if I didn't add one last list of Actors Gone Nuts. In my travels, I came across ReelzChannel.Com's collection of "WHEN ACTORS ATTACK!", a top ten list of the best (and weirdest) outbursts from famous folks over the years. I have to say that Casey Kasem's rant made me laugh the hardest, but the Quentin Tarantino interview is just squirm-worthy enough to enjoy, and...well, there's not much surprising about the likes of Bill O'Reilly going off on people, is there? (Be sure to check out someone's clever mashup of Bill versus Bale; it's bloody hysterical.)


One of these days I'll have to make up my OWN list of favourite celebrity meltdowns. But for now, the above bits o' scandal should tide us all over, yes?

A rather unique list from Nerve.Com ...

You know how much I love lists. And I've been told how much you guys love having them so you can avoid doing actual work. I know, I know - I should wait to post this until tomorrow, so it can be used and abused on a Monday morning. But I have to be up at the crack of hell myself (and I don't get 'net access in my office, thankyouverymuch), so we'll have to get an early start on this one.

I stumbled across it quite by accident while signing up for a pledge to blog about an influential woman on March 24th (an entry about that is forthcoming), and while reading the short story that inspired "Secretary", one of my favourite movies. (That, too, probably merits its own entry. Or, possibly, a fundraiser to pay for the psychotherapy I clearly need.) It's a top 40 list of pop culture icons, all of whom we know but many of whom we've completely forgotten.





Click the photo to go to the complete list (I shan't be lifting ALL of it from Nerve.Com), but first have a taste of some highlights:


We've all been there. You're yukking it up at a party and someone cracks a one-liner about Kato Kaelin over their gin and tonic. A few people chuckle, a few more ask, "Who?" and you quietly wonder: what the hell happened to that guy? Nerve's got your answer with our exhaustively researched look at the forty greatest lost icons in pop-culture history. Come on in and catch up with the walking ephemera everyone's only mostly forgotten.

I don't know that I've ever been to a party where the guests are bourgeois enough to make Kato Kaelin jokes, but..sure. I've no doubt attended a few during which at least some of the remaining 39 "lost icons" have come up, and I imagine some of you have been at those shindigs right next to me. Hell, you might've been the one making the obscure cracks yourself!

Never in a million years would I have dreamed that some intrepid journalist would track down, for our information and to satiate our Need To Know, a whole whack of Barker's Beauties from The Price Is Right. Complete with video, no less! Maybe YOU could sleep at night without knowing, but not all of us are so fortunate.

One of my favourites is the update on Michael Fay, the American kid who...well, just read this:

Michael Fay was your average American teenager: hyperactive, bored, prone to defacing property. In the early 1990s, he touched off a geopolitical firestorm when Singapore officials sentenced him to six canings for vandalizing cars and stealing street signs. The punishment so shocked Western sensibilities, President Bill Clinton himself asked for clemency, succeeding only in reducing the sentence to four canings. So it was that on May 4, 1994, Fay was stripped naked, bent over on his arms, strapped to a trestle, and struck with a half-inch rattan rod. Fay has largely disappeared from the public eye since, surfacing here and there for assorted petty crimes: reckless driving, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and sniffing butane (which he blamed on the Singapore ordeal). Four strokes clearly wasn't enough.

Remember him?? I wonder how long it took before he could sit down again.



And has it ever occurred to you to wonder whatever became of the baby who famously appeared on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind album?? I bet it hasn't, but I know you're curious now. You've just gotta click to find out where Jessica Hahn and Joey Buttafuoco ended up. And the "Where's the beef?" lady. It's compelling stuff. Hard-hitting. Christiane Amanpour should watch her back.



Honestly, WHO THINKS UP THESE LISTS??

Whoever it is, I love them.



Enjoy your end-of-the-weekend dose of brain candy, my friends. Or save it for your dreary Monday morning. Either way, don't say I never gave you anything.

Things that go 'bump'...

Maybe it's just the high fever with which I've been wrestling for the past several days, but I must admit to being kinda freaked out by this photo/audio/video collection of ghostly goings-on. I'm not, normally. Freaked out, that is. Lord knows I've seen and heard more than enough inexplicable things firsthand in my life (and a remarkable upswing in the past year or two, oddly) to carry me through; you'd think I'd be used to it. But...not necessarily.

I happened across the above-linked site quite by chance, as it was mentioned in a thread on the gossip blog to which I occasionally contribute (OH NO THEY DIDN'T), and being that it's past 3 a.m. and I'm alone, in the dark, I thought it would surely be the best time to prove to myself, once again, that I don't get creeped out by such things.

Hmm. Perhaps not. I've turned my TV back on now...although, as you'll see if you watch the video, that might not be much in the way of salvation.

Hauntings. I'm sure there's a statistic out there that would tell us what percentage of the western population is skeptical versus those who believe in the possibility. What I can say for certain is that I have a lot of friends who have no doubt whatsoever that there are things we can't explain. I can also say that I've spent my life cocking my head to one side, bemused, at some seriously weird stuff. Would I call myself a believer? No. Which is strange, I realize, because the weird occurrences to which I've been witness are things I don't even question. But I'm still reluctant to lump myself in with those whack jobs on the W Network who spend nights in abandoned psych wards, running around like fools and screaming whenever their tacky night vision cameras pick up so much as a shadow.

Still, though...it's ignorant to think we - the living, breathing, current versions of us - are the only way to exist. Isn't it?






Have you ever had an experience you can't wave away via logic?



An awful lot of legitimate research has gone into communication with the afterlife. It's not all just silly shows like "Dead Famous" or "Most Haunted". To be fair, a lot of reputable institutions have poured years and bazillions of dollars into figuring out why certain photos turn out strangely (that's a great site, by the way - quite the collection), or whether there's anything substantive behind the phenomenon known as EVP.

Is it live? Is it Memorex?

Who can say for sure?

All I know, right now, is that even as a grown-up, I'm not immune to the chills inspired by the likes of that video at 3 a.m., and I'm not quite sure why.




Interested in more folks' stories? Check out the Hauntings Community @ LiveJournal. At least that way I'll know I'm not the only one awake in the middle of the night, listening a little too carefully to every creak of every floorboard.