Girl, Interrupted.

I am not sure why, but this clip made me tear up a little. Brittany Murphy was one of my favorite actresses back in the day. I feel like her acting career went in a direction similar to the impulse that comes with trying to knock over a bowling pin at the end of the alley before the gate falls. With your head. That could probably kill you.

That's a complex metaphor, but somehow makes sense to me.

Move Over Jar Jar Binks!

Is this film ridiculous because it's the most expensive film ever made? Or maybe because these characters don't look like from they're another planet, and are in fact Tiger-Smurfs on steriods? Or, is Avatar an amazing endeavor stemming from pure self-idolatry?

Stop Killing Flipper, You Bastards

The Cove is out on DVD and a great example of against-all-odds documentary filmmaking. I bet Ken Burns never risked imprisonment by the Japanese government for hiding cameras in rocks.

As a follow-up response, the animated series "South Park" also addresses the issue of dolphin slaughter during the episode,"Whale Whores". This episode was almost better than the film for criticizing inevitable hypocrisy in conveying the Japanese fishermen as cold-hearted killers in The Cove.

What's worse: A threatened livelihood and way of life for the fisherman, or senseless meat market? Ehh, probably a combination of both:

Elephant on the Golf Course

What's all the fuss over that SNL skit, anyway? Sounds like a convenient way to shift blame
for shame-mongering, if you ask me.

I'm talking to you, CNN. This news brief after Wood's recent car accident by the Goliath broadcaster seems like it's missing some pertinent logic and inclusive of just the right hook to get the tabloid hounds salivating.

According to the news brief, Wood's wife smashed in the golf star's rear car window so she could help him get out after he ran into a fire hydrant and a tree in succession. Questionable, yes? Was that a proven fact at the time the brief was published? Uh uh.

There are many a broadcast news writer that will tell you there was enough reported to presume as news.
But Tiger Woods is not a candidate for office, he is a sports celebrity whose character was questioned. Maybe he just didn't deserve all of those celebrity endorsements, I suppose.

But assuming the right to judge before proven guilty is a little more offensive in my book than the star of "Gossip Girl" pretending like she's a deranged Swede.

SNL skit on Tiger Woods featuring guest Blake Lively posted below:

James Franco Debuts on General Hospital

Kind of hilarious, James Franco.

Rogue Attitudes

Sarah Palin was on "Oprah" and told her, "I'm concentrating on 2010 and making sure that we have issues to tackle." How reassuring.

Mock-up cover of Palin's memoir posted below, which has the worst title ever:

"FAIL"

Pop culture essayist Chuck Klosterman's has a new book out, Eating the Dinosaur, and his memoir Fargo Rock City is being adapted into a film. As long as it's as good as Detroit Rock City.

Run for the Hills

I attended the Simply Stylist event during L.A. Fashion Week, which was great to check out talented lesser-known designers. The stylist for Ginnifer Goodwin picked up a dress by Ashi Studio for the Golden Globes, and another some amazing pieces by kao pao shu for an editorial shoot with Juliette Lewis in S Magazine.

Audrina Partidge went with a slinky and sparkly chiffon dress by Iraqi designer Oday Shakar,

which she later wore that night as a presenter to the Latin VMAs.

Love the back, but not when I can see someone's backbone poking out of it! Girl should probably eat more Whoppers.

Reality TV is Not TV

You know, reality TV producers won't let just anybody come in and produce a show if you haven't before. At least that's what 3 Ball Production's J.D. Roth said during a panel I attended

at the WestDoc conference in Santa Monica last month. They prefer if you let the production company take credit for the first show, and then you can helm the next. That is, if everything works out.

Unless you're like DJ AM, AKA Adam Goldstein, associated with the likes of Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore. Then you're much more likely to come in with an idea for a reality show and get it produced by MTV. That's why, for example, celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe is credited as a producer on "The Rachel Zoe Project". She is probably not standing by, oblivious, as camera crews fly past her looking for an optimal shot.

A recent article in The New York Times questioned whether MTV network execs have any responsibility for DJ AM's exposure to drug addicts, as he was once one himself. "Gone Too Far" (an ironic title), was a show about DJ AM helping drug addicts get past their addictions.

However, the celebrity DJ was medically advised prior against too much exposure to a lifestyle he once held.

If the show was DJ AM's idea, and he was the host of the show, isn't concern for his welfare enough to put a pause in barelling ahead with production? Or, at the very least, bring some intelligence in producing on board. There are some that will say, he's an adult, he can make his own decisions. However, it does not seem entirely logical to produce a show about a recovering ex-junkie hanging out with drug addicts. Buehler?

Lemme put it in the way of a modern-day parable I just made up: Your Trappings and the Bear

Your best friend borrows your car and wrecks it. Do you let her drive your car again, without knowing for sure she's improved her driving skills? Or do you give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she's done so already? Let's also assume you don't really outright ask her if she's improved her driving skills since the last time you let her borrow your car. You just assume it's cool.

That wouldn't happen, am I right? This is almost a question of morality, in my opinion. Another way of looking at it is: How stupid can you get?

Excerpt from the article:

The series certainly shows graphic drug use, with young addicts sniffing aerosol computer cleaner and smoking crack. Those connected with “Gone Too Far” say they never intended to put Mr. Goldstein in harm’s way, but some wonder if that was an unintended result.

“It crosses all of our minds, a terrible tragedy,” said Tony DiSanto, the president

of programming for MTV.

It crosses your mind? I would hope so.

And then there's ill-fated Balloon Boy and his father, Richard Heene. Heene is an eccentric unafraid to stand up for his obsession over reality TV stardom, which is not really saying much about your personal 15 minutes of fame. Andy Warhol would be horrified.

Heene and his family appeared before on the reality show "Wife Swap". After his brief encounter with fame, Heene wanted to produce his own show enough to hide his son in the attic and pretend he'd let him disappear into the clouds in a hot air balloon. This went on long enough to garner national news media attention, which will conclude in the end to a lot of therapy in the works for a little boy that a few dozen reality TV interviews can't cure. The poor kid's already puked twice on network television.

Rounding it out is the new star of "The Hills", Kristin Cavallari, of former "Laguna Beach" fame.

"The Hills" is down by a million viewers this season after a something like, five-year run.

Probably because, well, Kristin Cavallari

wants to be an actress, and that doesn't translate well to reality.

Reality TV just works better when its stars don't have motives. Except, of course, those the producers brand them with as the real thing.

You Say Tomato

FOX's journalistic cred is definitely up for debate, if the Obama administration vocalizes concern that the broadcast newser is pushing a political agenda, rather than the news. Or if Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View is demanding Obama step off Republicanism.

Rachel Maddow, host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, points out FOX recently produced a "promo" pushing Americans to organize their own Tax Party Protests. Maddow goes on to question the validity of a major news network organizing protests against the government. If it looks like a duck...

Video from Fishbowl LA

An Amazing Reality

Reality TV Producer Mark Burnett has been awarded the Norman Lear Award, the first

for a reality TV producer. Burnett is responsible for such reality mainstays including "Survivor" and "The Apprentice". I feel like it's important "Survivor" is not to be confused with "Lost" at this point (as if one inevitably stemmed from the other), although it's probably just as easy to look at it the other way around.

Remember "The Real World", another reality show that spawned countless one-offs? What about when it was actually interesting to watch? With the advent of reality casting, nowadays the series is more about which personalities have a propensity towards alcohol and volatile enough the likelihood a knockdown drag-out brawl is imminent.

Larry King interviewed Casting Director Stuart Brackell after Ryan Jenkins, a contestant on VH1's "Megan Wants a Millionare" killed his wife and committed suicide. Brackell claims Jenkins told her he wanted to be an actor on TV and was therefore right for the show. Jenkins, obviously, did not undergo any kind of screening beforehand, let alone psychiatric. A reality producer (I won't mention by name here) once commented screening processes are strenuous and the shows just don't always have the resources to get as particular about those kind of particulars as they'd like. Hmmm. To me, that sounds like: "I would check the brakes on my car on a regular basis, but I don't always have time".

Highlights montage from "The Real World" casts over the years posted below. Note by the last incarnation, the cast members look even less like themselves, and more so have the "Right Look" for TV.

Whatever that means:

Who's on Top?

This was definitely her goal, to rival if not supersede Oprah:

Tyra Banks' $30 million last year made her prime-time TV's highest-paid woman

Shared via AddThis

Meanwhile, whatever happened to OWN?

The Fashionable Celebrity

Designer Marc Jacobs is amongst the ranks of fashion celebs allured by the incessant yet revealing glare of a reality TV show or documentary film's lens. Jacobs recently disputed rumors of starring on the reality show Kept for Logo. Meanwhile, celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe is "expanding her brand" on The Rachel Zoe Project. Anna Wintour, EIC of Vogue, even allowed a documentary crew to follow her during the months before the publication of Vogue's biggest issue of the year, in The September Issue.

Not to mention the ever-widening breadth in a milieux of fashion amateurs vying for recognition: Project Runway, Running in Heels, The Fashion Show, The Stylista, The Fashionista Diaries... and so the list continues.

And then, of course there's Lauren Conrad on The Hills, and Whitney Port on The City, parlaying their careers as reality TV stars into fashion. Could this pursuit by non-celebs have been the proponent for actual fashion stars to take their cue? Everyone will have their 15 minutes, after all.

Hollywood Deadlines

New Yorker profile on blogger Nikki Finke, entertainment journalist-turned blogger of DHD, or Deadline Hollywood Daily.

Finke also posted a response to the profile, which involves the usage of expletives. Lady can dish it out, but can't take it!

The PSA Obama Doesn't Want You To See

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

This is a hilarious video from Funny or Die and inadvertent continuation
of Obama's subtle yet clever, not to mention media-savvy, political campaign.

Also, the Huffington Post blogs about the current state of web TV, as well as the best shows online from The New York Times.

Five Things I Dislike About L.A. Traffic

1. The 101 during rush hour.

2. The 405 at any time during the day.

3. Large trucks that take up way too much space,

with everything from clothing to tree branches

falling out of them.

4. Glancing over at other drivers during a standstill

and they are looking back at you. Smiling.

5. Utter lack of blinker usage.

photo by L.A. Times blog

Reality vs. Documentary

The Westdoc Conference in Santa Monica, its first year running, was a great experience. Executives from different networks including Discovery, Animal Planet, E!, Lifetime, Planet Green, and ITVS discussed the merits of pitches and how not to approach them with an idea for show.

PitchFest, the third and last day of the conference, featured a selection of pitches from producers hoping to get a show off of the ground. The critiques ranged from developing better characters to knowing when subject matter is better suited for a documentary film, as opposed to a TV series.

A documentary film touring the festival circuit, 65 Red Roses, was screened at the conference. The film is about the friendships online of three different girls with life-threatening and debilitating diseases. A video from the LiveJournal entry of Eva, one of the girls, is posted with the trailer below.

to my LJ friends from Eva Dien on Vimeo.

'Round the Web

Here are my TV video highlights for this week:

Charlie Rose interviews nonfiction writer Gay Talese, author of "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold".

Ex-Governor of Chicago, Rod Blagojevich, peddles his pretrial memoir, uh, The Governor, on The View.

On The Bonnie Hunt Show, Elizabeth Moss from Mad Men's mom plays the harmonica while driving:

Liv Tyler chats about raiding her dad's closet on The Rachel Zoe Project:

Behind the Music returns, with L'il Wayne as its premiere episode.

I heart Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. SNL alum Fallon reminds me of those theater geeks that are always secretly afraid their supercool friends, i.e., celebrities like Elijiah Wood, are going to realize he's also friends with you, the non-celebrity.

Just Breathe

Did you know that September is National Yoga Month? I didn't either. Check out participating yoga studios for a free week of yoga until Nov., but only new students.

Sunset Junction

Checked out the Sunset Junction farmers' market last weekend

on Sat. Parking is accessible and there were an array of items
available, including vintage dresses, hot tamales, baked goods,
and samosas.

Besides the standard fruits and vegetables fare,

I discovered the colorful and delicious dragonfruit, which
is chocked full of vitamin C and resembles
the offspring of Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.

Also picked up some fragrant lavender, which

has a calming influence and great in a vase on a bedside table.

The leaves can last anywhere up until four months,

depending on its condition.

Coconut water is an alternative to power drinks

and sweating out the apocolyptic heat that's been

in Los Angeles this week from the fires. Of course,

there's nothing better than a coconut drink

in an actual coconut.

Friday Nights at the Avalon

Club nights on Fridays at the Avalon in Hollywood. Junior Boys with Virgin Tears tonight.

My friend visual artist Sara Ludy designs the posters!

When You're Downtown!

There aren't many places to walk around in Los Angeles, but certain blocks downtown offer a welcome change to the endless freeway.

Downtown Fashion Walk in L.A. is every third Thursday

evening during the next few months. Pop-up stores

blocks within walking distance include Jenny Han and Rhys Dwfen.

Check out the map on Downtown Fashion Walk's

website for more information.

Some other stops include M'ouments, which carries

brands like Comme des Garcon, Unholy Matrimony

and Sonia Boyjian, and bookstore/galleries Todd/Browning

Gallery, or Polyester Books. The gallery is currently featuring

the show Beneath the Valley of the Dolls.

Piece by one of the artists, Jessica Robertson, posted below.

Ice Queen Hath Melted Under Media Glare?

Anna Wintour, EIC of Vogue and famed for leaving assistants shaking in their Jimmy Choos, made an appearance on The David Letterman Show in lieu of a documentary film out in theaters on August 28th, The September Issue. The film features Wintour and everything that she and her staff accomplish for the publication of the magazine's biggest (and heaviest) issue.

Wintour doesn't seem all that scary. Then again, a little media attention will warm anyone up to the spotlight, as long as it doesn't get that hot.

Inherent Vices

Book trailer out for Thomas Pynchon's new novel, Inherent Vice, which is about laid-back private eye Don Sportello and takes place during the end of Los Angeles's psychadelic era in the '60s. Sportello would rather take his chances hanging out on the beach when his former girlfriend approaches him with a scheme involving the kidnapping of a billionaire land developer.

Pynchon narrates the trailer and happens to sound like the guy from The Big Lebowski. Talks around Tinsel Town of the sunshine noir's adaptation into a film.

Trailer posted below:

Don't Knock the Rock

Special music documentary series screening at the Silent Movie Theater during August.

Screening this weekend is Of All the Things, a film by Jody Lambert, documentarian and son of famed '70s and '80s music songwriter/producer Dennis Lambert.

Sometimes things work out better the second time around.

DIY Aesthetic

Friends of mine are in a group art show on view at the DIY Gallery, close to downtown L.A., until September.

The show incorporates work from musicians in Jesus Lizard and the Melvins. More to come!

Pretty in Pink

The L.A. Times's Image section mentions so-called choice '80s fashions making a comeback, including boyfriend jackets, baggy shirts over leggings, bright neon colors, and Madonna-reminiscent layers of chain-metal jewelry.

This article incidentally went to print online the same day that film director John Hughes passed away.

I have to admit that my favorite flick from that era is Heathers, which starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater as high school misfits that are a death wish to the popular crowd.

On the horizon is Heathers's remake into a TV series! But is it even possible for the revamp to adequately portray that same brooding, macabre, and acidic wit? A croquet is such a necessary accessory:

Bananas!

Stylist Rachel Zoe's The Rachel Zoe Project returns with its second season and new episodes on Bravo, starting August 24th.

Futuristic Static

Retro-futuristic motorcycle on Boing-Boing.

A Graphic Rendition

Artist Tim Hamilton has adapted Ray Bradbury's famed Fahrenheit 451 into a graphic novel. Graphic novels are an alternative take on a literary work in that they necessitate reading in-between the lines, so to speak.

Black and White: Faye Dunaway

Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde has just that l'amour toujours for cops-and-robbers fare, with felt berets, printed silk scarves, calf-length gingham skirts, flats, and belted sweaters. Oh, and a Darringer.

Material World?

ET has a video of Madonna as fashion designer Marc Jacob's face of Louis Vuitton:

Madonna Behind-the-Scenes at Louis Vuitton Shoot

Photos from last year's ad campaign.

Films on Fashion: Confidentially Yours

The September Issue, a documentary film on Vogue's razor-tongued Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, is out in theaters soon.

Lagerfeld: Confidentiel (2007) is a flashy romp through the septegenerian's everday life as the creative spearhead behind Chanel's revamp in the '80s.

Disclaimer: This film is peppered with '80s tunes and a close look at designer's true nature; by incorporating footage of Lagerfeld at a Paris nightclub in a gold lame jacket, photographing Nicole Kidman for a Chanel ad campaign after a party, perusing silver jewelry to adorn from a bowl, and working in his cluttered office space. Lagerfield claims that a necessity for chaos is essential in reinvention.

The designer's current RTW collection for Fall '09, "Belle Brummell", is inspired by that of a British dandy taking to fits of jade.

Low-slung pants with a matching cropped jacket, fingerless black leather gloves, and white T-straps over opaque tights are of particular note. Not to mention jade nail polish!