As I was writing about the gender norms for Men and featured Glitter Beards, I also stumbled onto the reverse for the Women. Pants and panty hose have long passe. Looking at this year's Oscar fashion plates, the envelope is always being pushed in both directions.
Voila! Meet Kay Pike who uses the world of body make-up to bring the androgyny of Comic Con to reality to gorgeous female models who are transformed into male action heroes. Her work is so detailed that the resulting models don't even appear to be in human form. She is creating such a unique art form that she shares it by live streaming of her models being transformed on line in real time. And on second viewing, I was amazed beyond belief that the model in question is usually herself. By using a simple mirror she sculpts her face and body into something beyond belief. She Aquaman, Robin and an entire army of Sci Fi come to life.
If you have time; here is her web link to watch in actual time when it happens.
The world of Metrosexuals and lumberjack men keeps getting more complicated with the addition of man buns in addition to floral pattern suits in the latest GQ. I have no idea what gender-normal means any more. I myself have always been a bit of a dandy who prefers bright colors, bold socks and a bit of bling in bow ties or cuff links. I was among those making bold and bad fashion choices in the 80s with crop tops, leg warmers and Miami Vice pastels. I even remember being persecuted a bit in grade school for wearing neck chokers or fringe vests because Donny Osmond did on his television show. Him and Tom Jones were the epitome of "hip" for me. This week I went to a wine bar where the tenders were such droids with their blue flannel shirts, Chelsea boots and requisite beards. All three of them looked identical. I have never been the beard type - once in a while for a show. Even then it was usually a stick-on type with spirit gum or toupee tape. I don't think facial hair fits my shape or coloring. What-evs.
However I am taken with this photo gallery montage of Glitter Beards. It somehow manages to be both burly and campy. Sort of like Paul Bunyan meets Ru Paul. Theatrical and playful. If I was gonna don a beard, I would want it to look like this - without the daily upkeep. I am more of a wash and wear kind of guy. Check out the full collection below. Bearded Brutes by Mark Leeming.
With Oscar Season in the final stretch and a new slate of awards being announced each day, here is a perspective on retro cinema.
My quest began a few months back when I was doing a cabaret piece called "Larger Than Life" which is a song from the musical version of My Favorite Year. I remembered a dilapidated B movie theater down the street from me where I used to watch cartoons and bad horror flicks in my early years on a Saturday afternoon. It is so distant, I only remember images of the time and place. So I started doing virtual searches and found that it was an old movie house from the vaudeville era that lasted until the late 60's. It was called the Lake Theater.
This also led my to a vintage blog with old Erie memorabilia and newspaper ads. Nothing fancy, but drive-ins and horror nights. And just today I found a nostalgiac post on the same page that has a vintage shot of the old theater probably just before it was gutted and demolished. But I remember it - somewhere in the old banks of my young mind. Grand old times with names that stir something way back.
We always hear about the fabulous perks of being an Oscar nominee... How it establishes clout and preference for future work, access to A list parties.... But also the ridiculous gift bag that is given to the stars. I just read this article which took it to the point of being ridiculous. We all (or should) realize that it is a shameless plug for products. I have gotten them on a much smaller scale for the Ivey's here in town. Usually a tube of Chapstick or a coupon for Chipotle; often some female beauty products. But I had no idea how excessive they are for the Oscars. So much that they became a tax liability in 2006 because the goods were an asset big enough to be declared on tax returns. At that point they were abolished... Or maybe not. Now they are officially given out as a perk by a company called Distinctive Assets, but I am guessing there are certainly some advantages between both parties in the arrangement. This years' net worth is $200,000 per bag and supposedly the Motion Picture Academy is filing a lawsuit against the company to make sure the arrangement is non binding. The quote from the filing states "it (the gift bag) is also likely to dilute the distinctiveness of the Academy’s famous trademarks and tarnish their goodwill.”
So what exactly is in this bag? There is the said Chapstick ($6) and personal items like Dandi Patch anti-perspirant ($25) & Purely Inspired Organic Protein. ($25) Then it gets a bit more exclusive with items like Signature Vodka ($70) (must be an awful big bottle), 10 Personal Training Sessions with Alex Seltzsky ($900) (no idea who he is, but he must be great for that price) or Personalized M&M's. ($300) (I can steer you to a website that gets them much cheaper) But no - this is only the tip of incredulous excess. How about Joseph's Toilet Paper ($275) - you can wipe your ass on black velvet for cheaper! A 10,000 meal donation to an Organization of your choice ($6300) - but wouldn't it make just as much sense to coordinate through your own PR person? From there it gets ridiculous with travel all over the globe; 10 days to Israel ($55,000) 15 days in Japan ($54,000), 3 days in San Marcos ($4800), 3 days in Lake Como Italy ($5000). Really?! How many days do they have in a year that I don't? And then the real crux of conversation - Nuelle Fiera female Arouser ($250)???? Vampire Breast Lift ($1900) 740 Park Plastic Surgery ($5530) This is so far removed from the life we lead and yet we still idolize this fantasy. No wonder the Academy is trying distance itself from the insanity. Over $200,000 worth of absolute drivel. Give me the Chiptole and Jamba Juice $2 voucher and I am fine.
This is an interesting intersection of Art and Political Crisis. I stumbled onto it as Jeff and I are doing research for our upcoming trip abroad. Part of the time will be spent in Barcelona along the coast. And this popped up in the Mediterranean off the island of Lanzarote. Sadly this is WAY too far away from where we will be.
It is the fabulous creation of sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and it is being dubbed Museo Atlantico. The catch is that it is all totally below the water level on a clear reef. You have to snorkel in order to see the exhibit. There are several large installations that sit on the ocean floor. Most have a policital nature. The Raft of Lamedusa is a takeoff of Gericault's Raft of Medusa and features refugees attempting to cross over the sea into freedom. Somber material there.
Another is called Rubicon where an entire army of civilians are walking blindly towards a fence paying no attention to the threat of global warming and climate change. Heavy subject matter, haunting works of art. The ambitious works are detailed and molded on actual humans and then carefully lowered and placed into the reef by a team of divers who follow extensive care as they are set. I think they sound amazing. Jason deCaire Taylor
This shared video just resonated with me although it is not a current one. Madison Square Garden 2009. Simon & Garfunkel were a very formative part of my early music influences. They were always playing around the house, long after they went separate ways. This album in particular was a landmark not just with me, but obviously many others. Perhaps it is because of the recent Grammy's telecast? There was a lot of talent, but I am not so sure about memorable moments. Definitely some, but for the most part I found them milk-toast. Maybe that is why when something so extraordinary comes along it really does leave a larger impression.
Secondly, I was just talking with a colleague about being overwhelmed with hatred and negative. It rears its head in politics, race, finance, even frustration of road rage in the car on the way home daily. Ironically it is perpetuated by social media just like this! But I still feel a personal need to throw these thoughts out into the universe if even for my own purging and sanity. But this song, speaks volumes to those times when the overwhelm hits a boiling point. It is calm and the serene. The eye in the center of the hurricane that we sometimes need to hear. And this particular rendition, years after the release, is indeed memorable in so many ways; talent, spirit, message and connection. I love it still.
Once in a rare while I miss those days when I thought of myself as a "dancer." I always moved well and sort of fell into that path by default. I was a male and could fake my way through it enough that it landed me work. I don't fool myself that I was every the right body type or the most limber. That does not mean that I didn't love the convergence of music and how it brought my body to life. Here are two videos that continue to inspire me. What dancers do now is so far beyond what the expectations were even 15 years back. One is the University of Minnesota Dance team that continues to dominate the national competition stage. I have never been a big one into the arena of dance lines with generic white princesses and years of studio training. But I have to admit I have been sold by their sheer audacity and how they manage to bring an emotional element in conjunction with their amazing technical skills.
The other is from Ellen who everyone loves. Her kindness is authentic. She recently had a dance off where people submitted videos of their work. And here she is crowing a winner in Sam Pickhart out of Seattle. He is amazing and infectious himself.
