Hello Blog-Peruser,
I’ve written this for a spiffing on-line magazine called Standard Issue. Lots of my favorite comics write for it and I’m super pleased with myself that they’ve published some of my writing.
In this particular essay, I wonder why cartoons are such a sausage party. I hope you like it.
Talk Soon,
Kate
I’m convinced that RuPaul is a magical alien from an advanced civilization who has descended to Earth to spread fabulousness and that one day, her space-ship will return and she will leave us for her home planet. So, appreciate her whilst you can, citizens of Earth!
I’m a bit late in catching the RuPaul’s Drag Race fervor, we’re now well into the 6th season, but now that I’m here with the rest of you fanatics, I’m loving it.
The BEST Power Ranger.
I’ve binge-watched seasons 2-4 (I was told to skip the first season as it was rather low budget and still finding its feet) and I’m 5 episodes in to season 5. The goal is to catch up to season 6 entirely so that I can tweet and make comments and throw shade with other fans in real time. (Cheer me on, readers, in this most heroic of heroic goals. A true test of human endurance and Cheetos consumption–it’s my go-to TV snack as of late!)
I had avoided watching Drag Race for the last few years because I felt so DONE with reality television. I didn’t want to spend time investing in yet another manipulative yet brainless exercise in ‘unscripted’ (but totally coerced) television when there’s so much fantastic scripted television out there to watch. (I still haven’t watched the final season of THE WIRE, but shhhhh….it’s a dirty secret.) Furthermore, I hate ‘reality’ TV stars. If one more ‘real housewife’ becomes a real household name, I’m leaving my body.
Speaking of ‘real’, of course now that I’ve been consuming these shows at such a clip, I’m starting to use drag lingo way too much in my everyday life. I reckon it’s like when people binge on too much BBC America, they just pick up the colloquialisms. They start talking about rubbish and crisps, car boot sales and demanding canapes on silver trays instead of garbage, chips, garage sales and eating out of the trash can. I’m particularly fond of the terms ‘kiki’, ‘reading’ & ‘realness’. In season 2, Tyra Sanchez, in bragging about her natural feminine beauty rattles off this gem. “I’m daytime, I’m real!” This hearkens back to PARIS IS BURNING…a wonderful documentary that I can’t recommend enough. It pulls back the curtain on the Harlem drag balls of the early eighties (from which Madonna ripped off the dance-style for her “Vogue” video). The drag balls in Harlem housed an amazing tradition for a hugely interesting subculture of African American drag queens and the occasional king. And when they ‘walked the ball’, they would do their best to look ‘real’ in any category. And the categories were broad…I’m talking anything from teenage girl babysitter to military man, to street thug. Keeping it ‘real’ was the name of the game and this is sometimes much different to the drag we see in something like PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESSERT for instance…a super fun film, but one that shows a more fantastic and outlandish side of drag performance.
Here’s a clip from PARIS IS BURNING that explains ‘realness’.
If I had to walk at a drag ball, I think I’d shoot for Seth Rogan realness. I’ve got enough novelty teeshirts and big sneakers to just make it work, I reckon. I can’t stop using ‘realness’ in my life now. Recently went to a costume party where the theme was ‘heroes’. Of course, my first urge was to dress up like a lesser-known superhero, being a giant fangirl and all. Maybe Nova or Artemis. But I thought about it longer and not wanting to be so predictable, I decided to diverge from my usual leanings. I figured I might be able to pass for Annie Lennox a la “Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These”. I put a can of orange hair spray and an electric blue tie to good use and was pretty happy with the results.
The Real Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox ‘Realness’.
Anyway, enough of my lookie-likie success, and back to the show. Drag queens, largely, are versatile, artistic, funny, and talented performers and I’m truly happy that this show has brought it back to the front of the American pop-culture bus. When I was a student in New York City, I remember drag queens being absolute club royalty. I was no club kid. I probably went 6 or 7 times to the BIG clubs of the day when I was a student. (I’m talking Limelight, Tunnel, Club USA…90s clubkid era). But, when I did, I knew you had to look like a fabulous freak to get in. I remember hitting TJ Maxx to look for weird items to piece together. I settled on a curly sky blue knit top and gold lame pants for my first ever visit. That was a good look. Another one was a dark silver-sparkled leotard with black rubber trousers and Doc Martens. That look get me my butt pinched by a drag queen who was using the lady’s facilities. It was like the biggest compliment ever. I was over the moon. My butt? Noticed by a drag queen! I high-fived myself in congratulations. Good drag queens are like the unicorns of the gay world. Magical, horny, and with great hair. I even went to Wigstock and got to see the amazing Lady Bunny perform.
Most of my favorite characters on DRAG RACE have been the ‘comedy queens’. Girls that were able to be charming and funny as WELL as dress up all fancy and walk in heels (notably, Pandora Boxx, Jujubee & Jinkx Monsoon). I’m a sucker for the ‘nice’ girls. I don’t generally favor the contestants who are just pretty faces or the ones who are cruel in their game-mastery. I grudgingly came around to loving Willam, which surprised me because she’s a bit of a dick. Willam, initially at least, came across as much too cruel to be funny. But, she’s broken me down. I can’t resist her evil charms. She’s got a hilarious channel on YouTube. Willam’s Beatdown
It shouldn’t be surprising how funny so many of the contestants are. Being in a (sometimes) persecuted minority can really help develop those comedy muscles. I loved Pandora Boxx’s persona so much on the show that I subscribe to her Facebook page now. Recently, she posted this video. It’s of Coco Peru playing GTA. If you like video games and/or laughing, you will enjoy this:
The show succeeds in presenting fresh takes on reality-challenge tropes. One of my favorite (and one which returns every year) is “Snatch Game”. It’s a take on MATCH GAME, with the queens all having to do their best and most entertaining celebrity impersonation. Of course, it’s always a game where the wittier, not prettier, girls succeed. Pandora Boxx doing Carol Channing was a personal fave. RuPaul is a masterful host who is able to be a mother figure to the contestants without it coming across as too cloying, a black-belt in pop-culture knowledge, and an award winning punster and catchphrase generator. One of my favorite Ru catchphrases is when, after consulting with the panel of judges, she shouts ‘SILENCE!’ (usually when no one is even talking). Here is a supercut of those moments:
Honestly, why RuPaul hasn’t been the comic lead in a Broadway play yet, I don’t know.
All in all, I’m loving this show and am thrilled by its success. And of course, since we’re at it, let’s brainstorm drag personas for me (not that I’d ever try my hand at it. I’m far too lazy to learn how to apply make-up good).
–Man Hathaway
End of list.
Further Reading (The library is open!):
Nurse Jackie is one of those series that you just want to devour over a rainy weekend. Living in Manchester, a city where rain is a daily threat, that’s exactly how Karey and I watched the first season . And the second season. Then we waited patiently for the start of third season (it was still raining after all). Our pace has been forced to slow down now (because we can only GET one episode a week…not because we’ve lost interest) and as of today, we’re totally caught up to the current season.
I’d heard lots of great things about Nurse Jackie and had read all about Edie Falco’s superb and award-winning portrayal of the titular character + the clips that they would show on awards shows were always tantalizing. But I really didn’t know much about the show beyond some basic plot points. I had no idea, for instance, that its format was thirty minutes. I thought it would be an hour-long drama–like The Sopranos. But, it’s more like Sex and the City (before the last SATC movie made a whore of that groundbreaking show’s legacy). It’s a thought-provoking dramedy with a wonderful supporting cast and alternating gasps and gags. It was difficult to choose which aspect of the program to hone in on. Seriously, all of the actors are adorable/sexy/completely awesome in their own way. But–even though it’d be easy to write about grouchy Falco and her dykey Nurse Jackie hairdo, or the lovable glass-eyed lug Thor, or the super hot and well-heeled Brit Dr. O’ Hara–I’m going with the dark horse.
You are all contenders.
165. Anna Deveare Smith as Gloria Akalitus
Anna Deveare Smith is a darling of the theatrical community. I first heard her name when I was attending NYU–where I was decidedly NOT a darling of the theatre community. All the people who actually knew about theater (I knew nothing) were raving about her one woman show. Twilight: Los Angeles. She played a billion characters in this one woman show which was pieced together with interviews after the LA riots. She won a Drama Desk Award for it.
A native of Baltimore, the woman who plays Akalitus has other accolades as well. She is currently the artist in residence for The Center for American Progress and she also won a MacArthur Fellowship in 1996. So, you know…that’s pretty good.
Another awards ceremony? Wait, let me just put on my finest hats. Ok, ready.
She was also, reportedly, awesome in The West Wing, a program I have not yet viewed.
Yes, I AM good on that program. You should watch it.
When her character first appeared, I thought–right–this is the villain of the show. She’s a straight up beurocratic pain in the ass. She’s the hospital administrator–the baddie, we’re all going to love to hate. In comparison to the heroic medical staff, who go above and beyond the rules, she’s just there to stop people from saving lives!!!….what with her clip board and crunched data and no fun skirt-suits. But, I’m glad that by midway through the first season they sort of went a different direction. I’m not saying she’s never the obstacle for the medical staff, but she’s much more human, hilarious, and fun to watch. She feels more like someone who wants to be a constant ally but who has to deal with the real world whilst the others are away with the fairies. Deveare Smith makes so much more out of a character that could have just been a stereotype and a constant foil to the heroic doctors and nurses. Here she is talking a bit about the character.
So, award winning, theatrically trained, intelligent actress makes interesting acting choices on an acclaimed cable television series. Slow news day, yes? But that’s not really the whole story. I think the main reason that I love Deveare Smith’s performance so much is because of the faces that she pulls. I know it’s childish, but check it out and tell me it’s also not just completely adorable and sort of transfixing. When she’s on screen I am just WAITING for that bit of gurning. Half the time she looks like she’s straight out of the animation from Fantasia 2000’s segment for Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. The entire piece is here. (Highly recommended viewing)
Or, if you can’t be bothered with a thirteen minute cartoon, here is a still.
Now, here is Deveare Smith’s face.
Am I right? Who’s with me?
Filed under Characters, TV
Stupid September with its lousy thirty days! I like to try and get four blog posts in per month. Unfortunately, due to the powerful combination of hectic workdays tempered with unabating laziness I’m skating pretty close to my deadline on this one. Luckily, there’s always something to write about. Mother London, a London (duh) based ad agency came up with this wonderful Ikea ad. I’m loving it so much that it’s today’s great thing. (They are also behind the fab Wicked Witch of the West commercial that I covered a few months ago.)
149. “Happy Inside” Ikea Advert
It’s a fantastic spot. Enjoy:
Even if you’re not a cat-person, per se, I think the ad does a great job of conveying the comfort of home. Happy cats just have those contented expressions that are so easy to relate to. In fact, in easy to see most human emotions in cats. You can always when they’re either comfortable, peeved, antsy, or high on the nip. Cue the success of LOLcats and much Internet adoration.
Happy!
Pissed off!
Totally high!
The music choice is also solid. It’s Mara Carlyle’s “Pianni”. By the way, in addition to playing the piano, Carlyle also plays the saw. So, that’s cool.
Here’s a bit of behind the scenes footage. from the commercial shoot:
Ikea has some particularly memorable ads. I remember an especially nerve-striking commercial from a few years ago. Spike Jonze directed this little spot.
That commercial really gets me…thanks to Toy Story. That movie agitates my pre-existing tendency to anthropomorphize inanimate objects. You know what I mean…I feel bad if a stuffed animal falls off the bed. I have to give it a little pat to make it feel better. I’m thankful to Spike Jonze for pointing out what a twit I am.
YouTube actually has a whole treasure trove of fantastic but banned Ikea ads. Mostly, it’s their spots that are a bit racier that people get tied in to knots about. We can’t have nice things.
Now, I’m off to Ikea to buy some byurgs and flirgens, and a billion tea lights. See you in October!
So, today’s great thing is someone who, it struck me recently, kind of crept into my list of awesome things without me really noticing that it was happening. It’s weird, when I was young, I didn’t think she was attractive at all. Maybe it was the uptight character she played…or maybe her look was too interesting/non-traditional for me. I mean, when I was ages 8-10, I was more into the Mom from Silver Spoons. You know…porcelain pretty and rich and fictional. I also wanted to eat nothing but Pixie Sticks. I was young. Whatever, I’m glad that I haven’t lost out completely. There’s still time for me to appreciate the aquiline nose of today’s great thing:
138. Judith Light
Like Helen Mirren, she seems to be getting better with age anyway. Think I’m just making an easy excuse for my lack of sophistication in my youth? Well think again! The evidence speaks for itself:
From her soap years...or a maxi-pad commercial...I'm not sure which.
I can smell the hairspray from here.
Modern times.
She’s a fancy lady! I wish she was my…like…my sexy older comedy benefactor or patroness. Or something. Besides being a foxy lady, Judith Light is also a huge supporter of gay rights. I love a straight ally, I do. But, what I like most about Judith Light lately, is that even though she gets cast in these high-powered and steely career women roles, she doesn’t seem to take herself too seriously. On Family Guy, she lent her vocals to an animated version of herself in one of their little cutaway sight gags wherein she has a Tony Danza dummy that she makes out with. She is disappointed when a cannister of plain old oxygen arrives when she was supposed to get a delivery of Tony Danza breath to hook up to it.
And, even though, she was reportedly top-notch in Broadway’s cancer-drama Wit, she was also pretty damn funny as Claire Meade in Ugly Betty.
She'd make a great Prof. X.
The following video, to be accurate, does not present a terrific interview. Tony Danza is no Letterman or DeGeneres…he’s not even Leno..But, it does have a few highlights:
1. Danza, before showing the ‘Tony and Ange-LER!’ kiss, calls it a ‘TV first’. I’m dying to know what he means by that. A ‘first’ what? Intrigue!
2. A surprise soap opera clip.
3. An exchange of Tiffany’s gifts.
4. Tony, surprisingly and astutely, observes that it’s hard to make a two-hour movie out of a half hour program. Ahem, Sex and the City.
Enjoy…or not.
Of course, one of the reasons that I’m currently fascinated by Judith Light is that I’m bingeing on Law and Order: SVU episodes and she plays the complicated but highly appealing Judge Donnelly.
Sustained!!!
Wouldn’t you love to go for drinks with Judge Donnelly and Dianne Wiest’s District Attorney Nora Lewin? Plus, you might run into Stabler and Benson. Then you could grab dinner with Alexandra Cabot! What fun! I wish there were a Law and Order action figure set. I’d so make room for that on my kitchen table. It’d go right next to my Springfield Elementary playset and my Xena dolls. (OK…I’m only partially exaggerating about how sad I am…I don’t have those items on my table. They’re in a box in the closet. But still, I’d so play with Law and Order dolls whilst I eat my Honey Nut Cheerios at the breakfast table.)
To close out today’s blog entry, here are some bloopers. It’s actually a compilation of Who’s The Boss bloopers, but the first ones they show are Judith Light’s. Yes, I actually typed “Judith Light bloopers” into YouTube to find this. A bit pathetic as far as entertainment searches go, but I only sink so low so that I can present you, dear reader, with a fuller picture of the greatness that is Judith Light. Most of these are pretty standard “I forget my line…hahahahah” type mishaps, but I think you can still see the spark from JLi. That’s what I’m going to call her now. JLi.
My Mom made us watch PBS’s WonderWorks series when we were growing up. It was nourishing television. Classy productions of children’s literature. Typically airing on Sunday nights, it entertained without overexciting us and refueled our brains for a week’s worth of school. I have positive memories of those Sunday nights. Even if I don’t have the most detailed recollection of each production, I have this vague happiness that accompanies the snapshots in my mind.
One time (I know…’at band camp’), when I was waiting tables at Cafeteria in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood, Wallace Shawn came in by himself to have some lunch. Of course I recognized him from a bajillion things, including but not limited to: The Princess Bride, Clueless, and Uncle Vanya. But, when I went up to him to refill his coffee, it was for his appearance as Professor Silverfish in How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days (a WonderWorks production) that I complimented him. He seemed absolutely tickled by that. He must get so tired of having people approach him just to shout “Inconceivable!” in his face, that he was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t. He was very smiley, left a great tip and made sure to say goodbye before he left. What a nice guy.
Thanks for not mentioning 'the shrieking eels!'
By the way, I waited on quite a few celebs there. It was a hugely trendy 24-hour faux diner chic hotspot in a neighborhood with lots of expensive shops and nightclubs, but the other person I served who was enthusiastically grateful to be recognized was Paul Dinello from Exit 57 and Strangers With Candy. I don’t mean that to sound like he was desperate. But, Exit 57 was hugely underappreciated and I think it made him happy for me to go on a bit about how great it was. And it’s not like I was just buttering him up just to hobnob with famous comedy folk . Exit 57 was pretty ace. Again, he was super nice and gave a proper tip.
Thanks for your comedy patronage!
Anyway, back on topic. WonderWorks was an excellent, excellent family tradition. I loved ’em all. But, today’s great thing is the WonderWorks production that I have the greatest recollection of:
137. Anne of Green Gables
That’s Anne with an ‘e’, if you’re nasty.
Anne of Green Gables and its equally great follow-up Anne of Avonlea, are, seemingly, universally beloved. Google the titles and you’re drowning in links. Much like 80’s cartoons, there is a huge fan-base out there…hungry to talk about their love affair with this program of yesteryear and geek it up a bit. My sister and I loved this one so much that we purchased them on VHS! If you’re one of the unfortunate few that never saw it growing up, this homemade trailer sums it up pretty well.
That actually made me well up a bit!
At this point, I have to say My sister always held slightly more ownership of the Anne franchise. Make no mistake…I loved it. But, as siblings, you need to give each other some breathing room in areas of hobby and fandom. You don’t want to crowd each other out whilst you’re seeking your individuality and personality. I was comic books, karate, Cyndi Lauper, and comedy. She was fine art, Russian culture, Howard Jones, and Anne of Green Gables. We could appreciate each other’s interests but we’d never cross the line and try to claim them as our own or edge each other out if one of us claimed it before the other. I think she loved its literate roots, gentile setting, and most of all–how Colleen Dewhurst as stern but fair matriarch Marilla reminded us of our super-loveable Grandmother. Her name was Mary….Mary—Marilla…not too far of a stretch. Like Marilla, she too was rarely seen without an apron.
I like your sleeves...they're real big.
Kathryn Hepburn had been considered for the role but couldn’t take it due to other commitments. (Side note…her great-niece plays Diana Barry). But, as terrific as I’m sure Hepburn would have been, Colleen Dewhurst was born to play the part of Marilla Cuthbert. An amazing actress, Dewhurst died far too young, thanks in part to her Christian Scientist beliefs (she refused treatment for cervical cancer).
Anyway, the reasons that Steph, my sister, loved Anne of Green Gables aren’t entirely different from my own. But, I bet I did get one lasting impression out of the production that never occurred to her. That would be the strikingly close ‘friendship’ between Diana Barry and the titular heroine Anne Shirley Cuthbert. They were ‘bosom friends’, you see. They had the sort of intimate friendship that you only ever see between two girls in either:
A. period pieces
B. films with a lesbian subject matter
C. period pieces with lesbian subject matter
Of course, it’s probably only lesbians that ever infer sexuality onto the relationship between Anne and Diana. But, give us a break. When I was ten years old there was pretty much zero representation. I needed to foist that dimension onto them. And it’s hardly like I was alone in this self-satisfying conclusion. Witness this excellent recut masterpiece and tell me that you can’t see what I saw:
How awesome is that? Thank God for YouTube and free time!
Anyway, it’s that video that really reminded me of the delightful memory that is the Anne of Green Gables series. I think I’ll go hunting on Amazon. It’ll be erroneously filed in the ‘family’ section instead of the ‘gay/lesbian’ section, but wha-hey. You can’t win them all.
Now, what of the delightful Megan Follows who played Anne Shirley to slate-cracking perfection? Well, she still acts. Every once in a while she’ll crop up in movies or on the teevee. But, mostly she does theater. I was lucky enough to catch her at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival when I was in highschool. What a day that was! My first real exposure to the works of Shakespeare, it was a beautiful day in Canada, and I was lucky enough to see a minor-celeb in the production. I actually paid attention to the whole thing! By the way, sorry if this post reads as a page long diary of ‘famous people that I saw once’.
In 2010 she was in a production of Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9.–one of my favorite plays ever! Check out the company-made trailer below… I know it looks bizarre but when the play is done well, it is an inspiring statement on gender politics throughout the ages and it is absolutely hilarious (if you believe those two aspects can co-exist.)
Filed under Literature, TV
I can’t lie…I haven’t been the best Ellen fan lately. My admiration for her hasn’t wavered. She’ll always be a shining beacon of what is good in this world. But, even though she’s on television more than ever nowadays, I rarely get to tune in. They only broadcast her talk show when I’m at work over here. Also, I just don’t care about American Idol anymore. I don’t doubt that she’s making it ten times more watchable. But, I don’t think I could get enthused about Idol nowadays even if My Mom were the fourth judge. I think it’s because I rarely agree with who wins. Adam Lambert losing last year was kind of a last straw type thing for me. No offense to the perfectly adorable Kris Allen. But, backing the more talented losing horse every year just shreds my nerves.
In this way, I feel like I’m not being a very good fan. I can’t be a completeist with all of her appearances. Her very omnipresence makes it too difficult.
I am everywhere, man.
However, I still relish the occasional clip from her show now and then. Ellen is just as easy to love in small, snackable bits. It always feels like I’m falling in love with her comedy again for the first time. That’s why today’s great thing is:
127. Ellen Demonstrating The Hawaii Chair
The Hawaii chair is one of those television offer-type products. It can cost well over three hundred bucks and it looks like a fairly uncomfortable office chair. One website that is shilling a version of the product describes it as a: “MULTI SPEED ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MASSAGE CHAIR, 3 SIZES AVAILABLE
PUT YOURSELF IN SYNC WITH NATURE’S CYCLICAL RHYTHMS”! Yes…Earth’s natural, vomit-inducing rhythms… The benefits of sitting in such a chair and allowing yourself to be jerked around in it are supposed to be in the building your core abdominal strength…you know, like Pilates for people without gym memberships.
Sit and spin, buddy!
MSNBC reviews the chair here: Product Tested Though this is a serious product review about The Hawaii Chair’s perceived health benefits (or lack thereof), the video clip that is embedded is still side-splittingly funny. There’s just no way to sit on this chair, while it’s in ‘on’ mode, and maintain your dignity, it seems.
Still, nobody can point out the inanity of this product better than Ellen can in her silly, fun-loving way. Watch her and adore:
The chair has made a few subsequent appearances. (I think we can all agree that it has the necessary appeal to become a recurring prop).
Here Ellen invites some lucky audience members to enjoy the ‘workout’ during the show. Look how excited the guests are as they run down. I know it’s because they’re suddenly on teevee, but let’s just pretend that it’s all for the opportunity to use the Hawaii Chair:
Lastly, here is Ellen surprising Rob Lowe with a Hawaii Chair:
It seems that no matter who is inhabiting the Hawaii Chair, all chair-sitters just wind up with their legs to the side, being relentlessly pushed and bullied up against those rather uncomfortable looking blocky arms. NASA should use these to teach about motion sickness.
The Hawaii Chair is also sometimes known as the Hula Chair…or is that a competing brand? Honestly, I couldn’t even be bothered to check that info out…what with my midsection being all static here in my regular chair. I feel sluggish and not muscular (torsally speaking).
For extra bonus fun, here’s a parody ad for The Snuggie. Jack Douglass (who is responsible for this) has a few doozies on his YouTube page:
Oh, one last thing. About American Idol–make no mistake, Crystal Bowersox should win. I don’t watch, but I still have an opinion.
