Commercials, Beer, Nachos…Sans Superbowl

I don’t own a TV, but that didn’t stop me from eating nachos, drinking beer and watching Superbowl commercials online tonight.

My favorite is definitely this one for Google. I just have to say that I watched The Time Traveler’s Wife tonight, but this commercial pulled at my heart a hundred times more than that movie.

It’s so rare that marketing is that effective, so it’s always nice to see it done right. The funny award goes to Bud Light’s autotune commercial. It gets extra points for getting T Pain to make fun of himself.

For cutest commercial, I thoroughly enjoyed the one with all the toys, although I couldn’t tell you how it sells cars.

Honorable mention goes to this Intel commercial, mainly because it involves a robot.

The Inevitable Annoying Sexist Ad goes to Flo Tv:

And I won’t even get near commentary on the anti-abortion commercial. I just wish that Planned Parenthood had enough money to air their response, which I thought was both tasteful and powerful.

But to end it on a lighter note, I thought this Audi commercial was clever, but I’m tired of the whole Green Marketing scheme.

That’s all for now, sports fans.

Is Jennifer’s Body Feminist?

Ever since its pre-release buzz, Jennifer’s Body has been having some seriously conflicted image problems. The trailer presents the film as a standard horror movie, luring audiences in with Megan Fox’s cleavage, Diablo Cody’s characteristic dialog and, of course, some girl-on-girl action. But to hear Cody in interviews, she might as well have been talking about the adaptation of Women’s Room. So, which one is it: campy gore-fest or serious feminist undertaking?

After watching it tonight, I think the problem with Jennifer’s Body is poor marketing. In reality, it winds up somewhere in the middle of the spectrum and I don’t think people really knew how to define or sell that. Unfortunately, the trailers drew the wrong audience who, if they were expecting horror and sex, would most likely end up only a bit titilated at best. People didn’t quite know what to make of it and the message got lost.

Cody made it clear that her intent was not to make a good horror movie, but instead to use the genre in a slightly tongue-in-cheek way to explore other issues. Yet because of the pervasive sexuality involved, the movie couldn’t easily be directed toward standard feminist audiences. They got sidetracked by the trailer and the associations with Megan Fox and, without actually seeing the movie, began to slander it as sexist. However, if they actually sat down to watch the movie, it’s pretty difficult to walk away from it still thinking that Cody was completely hot-air when claiming it as a feminist script.

The trick is that the content of this movie basically defines the splitting off point between two basic camps of modern feminism. What the story boils down to is a classic Rape Revenge plot. (Caution: spoilers ahead.) Jennifer and her friend, Needy, go to see an indie band one night and, when the bar burns down in a freak accident, shell-shocked Jennifer agrees to “escape” with the band in their van. They have lured her with them on the false pretense that she is a virgin, and they want to sacrifice her in an occult ritual to help them become famous. Because she lied about being a virgin, though, the sacrifice results in a demon possessing Jennifer’s body which, in turn, makes her start killing and eating boys.

The murders can simply be viewed as an attempt to shock and gross-out audiences, or it can be read (as I feel it was intended to be) as a standard tale of Jennifer reclaiming her sexuality and body. While there wasn’t any actual rape involved, the band’s act still represented men viewing women as simply vessels through which to gain their wants and needs. Jennifer’s possession doesn’t require her to kill boys specifically, it is a choice she has made to avenge this concept. After you slough through some commentary on female friendships (which a lot more people picked up as being the feminist aspect of it but I, for one, thought that was the most sexist part of the whole thing), the tables turn to Needy, who was bitten by Jennifer during the struggle to kill her and thus gains some of her demonic abilities. In the end, Needy sets out to murder the band that killed Jennifer, as a final act of revenge, further perpetuating the theme.

So, while the story may not align with my ideas about feminism, there is inarguably a camp of people that believe in killing the patriarchy (either figuratively or literally) in order to be free and celebrate stories of women who take it upon themselves to attack their attackers. The most popular film I can liken it to is Monster, but the most  similar comparison definitely has to be Teeth. The people that were attracted to those films are who Jennifer’s Body w

as made for. As a horror movie, it’s average, but the heart of it lies in what’s underneath the cough-syrup blood and oil-slick vomit. It might not be for every feminist, but there’s no denying that it’s the reason this film was really made.

Carolina Herrera’s Bridal Collection, Named After Artists

So, this post is about a year too late (even though the collection was shown for Spring 2010), but I simply needed to share Carolina Herrera’s bridal collection. I have a very particular taste in wedding gowns, so it’s not often that I am so wowed by this many dresses all in the same place. Here’s the thing, not only are all of the gowns gorgeous, but I am in love with the concept behind the collection. Herrera drew inspiration from artists that featured fashion strongly in their work, and created a look honoring their style and aesthetic. What resulted was a beautiful, inspiring handful of dresses that represent romance based on creativity and individuality rather than that same ol’ pomp and circumstance. Here they are.

What I consider the most wearable of the collection is the John Singer Sargent gown. I love the asymmetrical draping and the sleek silhouette. This may be the most literal interpretation, but that doesn’t mean it lacks in glamor.

Polka dots from pointillism! How amazing is that? I love the neckline and the tiers manage to come off as sassy, not frilly. This is so clearly for the bride who wants a tower of cupcakes instead of a cake.

I’m not the most fond of this one. The reference point seems a bit Project Runway challenge, doesn’t it?

There’s no better artist to bring us back to classic romanticism than Monet. Yeah, the water lily print is a bit literal, but you know what? The dress is pretty, damnit.

However, the simple trick of stealing flowers comes close to ruining this Van Gogh inspired frock. Maybe I’m a little sensitive, since he’s perhaps my favorite artist, but this dress would’ve been perfect without the print and the inspiration would’ve still been clear had she refrained from the obvious. The shape and silhouette is lovely, as is the detailing at the bust. I just can’t get behind those flowers.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a beautiful dress, I just feel that her references feel a lot more “Spain” than “Goya’s artwork,” don’t you think?

Thanks to OneWed for the images.

First Impressions: Gaultier for Target

As you know, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Zac Posen’s collection for Target, but was anxiously awaiting non-blurry-cell-phone-pictures of Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs. Well, I got a look at things over at Refinery 29 and things are looking up.

Maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for anything French, but this collection spoke so much more to me and looked a lot more like what I expect a high-end designer would create for the mass market. There were so many things that I was drooling over, like that purple floral dress, the button down shirt, the striped shirt and the red floral dress. I love how it’s filled with mostly separates so that buyers can construct their own idea of his vision and not have it forced upon them. Not everything was my style (I’ll leave the tattoo-print items and that strange gingham shirt to someone else) but really the only critique I had for the collection as a whole was that it lacked a bit of cohesion. He’s bouncing back and forth between a number of different themes and I wish he had stuck to his edgier pieces and ignored his strange urge to do the random jersey basics. One of my main issues with the Posen line was the pricing, which I can’t judge yet since it isn’t fully available. However, considering the few numbers I’ve seen from write-ups, the collection seems to be back in line with what consumers are expecting (except, of course, the leather jackets which run about $200…but, hey, they’re leather jackets after all).  Although what irked me about that was the higher prices weren’t justified by the design and at least here there are some interesting things like the dress that’s paired with the eyes Tshirt which has amazing detailing and that beautiful trench (which is quoted as being $60, which I think is beyond reasonable). What matters is that these pieces inspire me to get to the store, despite the weird styling (if you want a better look at some of the pieces, check out page 208 of the current issue of Elle). It’s full of things that I look at and want now. So, come March 7th when the collection hits stores, I’m probably going to have to give in yet again. The only question is…what do I want to get?

Test Kitchen: Barefoot Contessa’s Chocolate Ganache Cake Mix

I got the Barefoot Contessa’s chocolate ganache cake mix for Christmas and decided to test it out on some friends at a gathering for my birthday (thank you). I’ve never tried anything on the baking spectrum between Betty Crocker and completely homemade, so I was pretty excited. The kit comes with cake mix, chocolate chunks and a jar of fudge sauce and you need to supply a stick of butter, some heavy cream and eggs.

It started out simply enough with some easy mixing, but I did have a moment of concern when it came to adding the fudge sauce. “Sauce” is an iffy label for what was in that jar, because that conjures up images of easy-flowing liquid. Maybe it was an issue of temperature or something, but that stuff was solidly packed in there. It required three different utensils to get everything out, and I was worried that it would never incorporate fully – so much so that I took a picture to document exactly where the cake went wrong.

My pessimism continued when it came time to add the rest of the dry ingredients. My little hand mixer was straining under that freaking sauce and the dough looked really dry. But, with some patience and hope the batter eventually resembled the consistency I was expecting. It was actually surprisingly light and airy and reminded me a bit of mousse.

My scientific testing methods (licking the beaters and spatula) concluded that the cake was safe, seeing as how the batter tasted like a melted box of Valentine’s Day chocolates. I popped it into the oven and waited. Miz Contessa warned me that when it comes out it won’t appear to be fully baked but to just trust her and let it sit for a half an hour. Even though I had assured myself I wouldn’t freak out, the poofy, wiggly site of the finished product still unnerved me. (If you’re wondering why I was panicking so much over a cake mix when I’ve done plenty of much more complicated baking, it’s because I have a tendency to screw up really simple stuff despite succeeding at more difficult concepts).

Thankfully, the Barefoot is not a liar nor plotting for my failure and within the allotted time the cake settled down into a fairly dense consistency (it was for this reason and this reason only that I forgave it for being only a single layer cake. The finished product is RICH and no human being could handle two layers of the stuff.) Meanwhile, I set to work on the ganache. I managed to finagle a working double-broiler-esque setup out of my college-kitchen supplies which didn’t create the best method for melting the chocolate and cream but it happened eventually.

And finally, the cake was complete. It was a beautiful sight:

As for the rest of that heavy cream? Well, you know what to do:

The cake went over very well with my extremely discerning panel of guests. The texture is dense and fudgy, the chocolate is high-quality, the sweetness isn’t overbearing. Whipped cream and small slices are a must, though, for tackling it. This mix might not be suited for an everyday affair, but as a special treat for a celebration, this is a good place to turn to.

First Impressions of Zac Posen for Target

Maybe it’s just because I’m still riding the high of what I considered to be an extremely successful Rodarte line, I have to say that I’m left a bit unmoved by my first look at the Zac Posen collection for Target (in stores April 25th). My main issue, really, is the price. I consider Posen to be on the same level of popularity as prestige as the previous GO International designers, especially in the eyes of the Target consumer, yet his collection is mostly falling in the $50-$100 range while others stayed in the $30-$80 area. Take this dress, for example:

I think it’s pretty, but it’s $75 and I think it’s comparable to my Rodarte dress:that I got for $45. And there just aren’t many wow pieces here. My two favorite things are this polka dot jacket:

and this tuxedo jacket:

I can’t tell if those pants are his too, but if so then I wouldn’t mind getting the whole suit. But, among the odd gold lame items and half-hearted attempts to present something resembling high end (see:this dress, which has some potential but for $80 and no prom to go to, I’ll probably never know)

what he has to offer is kind of boring, and I could probably find similar items in the other section of Target for half as much. Like this $50 plain black cardigan:

or this sweater dress:

Not to mention that none of these pieces really scream Zac Posen to me. When I think Posen, I think of tailored edge, intricate color blocking, unique patterns and prints. This collection just seems so tame to me. The closest piece is this raincoat:

which at least reminded me a bit of this coat from his Spring collection, and if I could stand yellow at all would probably be my pick to buy:

Also, the piping in this dress seemed like a vague nod to the way he pieces different fabrics together for a dress…only instead it was just all in the same twee fabric…

Ah well, I guess they can’t all be winners. If you’d like to judge the collection for yourself, Fashionista has the full lookbook, but I can’t say that I’m thrilled. Here’s hoping that the next collaborator, Jean Paul Gaultier (yeah, you read that right!) brings something better to the table.

What’s Going on at the MFA?

I’ll admit it, the MFA has been a victim of my New Yorker-at-heart smug sense of superiority, but I’ll head over there if there’s an intriguing exhibit to see. Well, there are actually three exhibits currently on display that are worth the trip that pretty much run the gamut of art history that I strongly suggest you check out.

We start off in ancient times (specifically 2000 BC) with Secrets of Tomb 10A, a wonderful Egyptian exhibit about the tomb of a governor named Djehutynakht. In 1915, a team of MFA archeologists excavated the tomb, which had been left in such complete chaos after a robbery that it has taken nearly a century to piece things together again in order to make them presentable. Part of what’s great about this exhibit is that, along with the artifacts and educational components, there is also information about the resurrection and conservation process over the years, which proved very interesting. The exhibit is divided between three rooms. The first shows what was buried with him, including a fleet of 58 wooden boats meant to accompany them to the afterlife (it’s the largest collection that has ever been discovered in a tomb). Also on display are models of people working in graneries and bakeries, bricklayers, scribes and shepherds. The amount of detail in these models is incredible, and serves as extraordinary documentation of how Egyptians lived their lives in those days. It’s quite amazing to remember these were made so long ago when they look as if children would be happy to have these things in their playrooms today (especially the little model foods which I couldn’t help but think were cute). In the next room were the pieces of the coffins, which boasted incredible hyroglyphics that showed a mastery understanding of painting by using highlighting and shadowing techniques to create more of an illusion of depth than your average Egyptian paintings. This part was extremely eery especially since – oh yeah –  they displayed the head of the mummy. (Or, as I so eloquently put it in my notes: “the FUCKING HEAD is on display!!!!!!!”) I couldn’t stop staring at it but damn it gave me the creeps. The last room used items from the museums collections to imagine what could’ve been stolen during the robberies, which was mostly jewelry and makeup jars. All of it was very interesting, and the exhibit is simply a must-see for anyone who flocks to the Egyptian wings.

Next we travel through time and across the way to late nineteenth century France for Cafe and Cabaret: Toulouse Latrec’s Paris. This exhibit of the man who revolutionized the art of the poster was what brought me to the museum today, but it ended up being the most disappointing. What they did have on display was great, but unfortunately the exhibit spanned merely a hallway connecting two other galleries. But, even though the visit was brief it was still fun. Those familiar with Latrec (or chitzy artsy souvenirs) will be excited to see his famous Chat Noir poster, as well as the Divan Japonais. Sadly, there aren’t any Can Can dancers here but what I did find interesting that I wasn’t expecting was that among the handful of posters and oil paintings  of Latrec’s are a number of pieces by his contemporaries with obvious Latrec influence – including one by Picasso which was a bit surprising. Another interesting touch is that there are a few pieces showing the progression from sketch to poster, including test runs for color separation. This exhibit had great potential for capturing the joie de vivre of the Bohemian atmosphere of Montmarte during this time, fully fleshing out the influences and modes of expression, but fell a little flat due to lack of space. It serves more as a teaser trailer for a greater showing down the road, but what is there does entertain nonetheless.

Thankfully, entertainment abounds at the contemporary exhibit, Seeing Songs. Music and visual arts have been intertwined forever, and this exhibit brings together a number of artists and mediums exploring that tight-knit relationship. The pieces shown here interpret the theme in a variety of ways. Music and art fans alike will love being greeted by Avedon’s portraits of The Beatles, but give the lesser-known works a chance. While the gallery may fall victim to being overwhelmed by the noise of the video installations, which make it a bit difficult to concentrate on what’s in front of you, it contains a handful of really great pieces of art. There are a few that take the route of manipulating and collaging sheet music, which is still an interesting route if not an obvious one. A few standout pieces are a series of canvases inspired by the folds of a conductor’s tuxedo jacket and a cyantope created with the pulled tape of cassettes, as well as a few abstract works remniscent of that segment of Fantasia that’s just colored light. Yet my simple side found myself being most drawn to Candice Breitz’ The Queen. It was the piece whose sound took over the entire gallery after all, which made me hate it until I finally went to look at it. The grid of 30 TV sets shows a collection of randomly selected Madonna fans singing along to her entire Immaculate Collection album. Is it respectable highbrow art? Not really but – dare I say it? – it was the most fun I’ve ever had at an art museum. I couldn’t get enough of watching these ordinary people singing and dancing along to something they love. All of the other more arty pieces were attempting to portray the human experience but what could be more accurate than actually watching people just be? Watching the other people watching it too wasn’t half-bad either.

You don’t have much longer to catch that one; it ends February 16th. But Secrets will be on through May and Cafe until August, so brave the cold to visit the MFA and see these great exhibits while you still can.

Ew.

Jimmy Choo and Ugg are apparently collaborating to create something along the lines of sheepskin high heels.

I am disgusted.

That is all.

Hindmarch’s Statement Bags

I am loving these adorable bags by Anya Hindmarch. I found them in this month’s issue of Marie Claire, which showed a picture of a pencil case that I wanted so badly but couldn’t find for sale anywhere. Instead I found this cute makeup bag

and these fun totes

It makes me wish I had the patience for embroidery so I could try and make my own versions.

A Show To Look Forward to in February

Looking to fill that HBO comedy void in your life? Coming this February, the empire’s latest, How to Make it in America, looks very promising. The show is about two twentysomethings living in Brooklyn who are trying to make it in the fashion industry. The cast of characters also includes a number of similarly-minded entrepenuers looking for success in such industries as the energy-drink business, interior design, the arts and finance.  There isn’t a ton of information out there on it yet, but from what I can gather this classic story of figuring out life and love looks like it will be at least worth a shot. The show’s being billed as the East Coast’s answer to Entourage and seems to be the first show on the network that has the potential to speak to the much-sought-after demographic of twenty-year-olds most directly.  Seeing as how this will (hopefully) be my life in a matter of months, I know I’ll be checking it out. For now, here is the extremely uninformative teaser trailer: