Fun: April 2010 Archives
This week's issue of TIME Magazine reveals the publication's annual list of their pick for the hundred most influential people. Taylor Swift made the cut with room to spare, and had the honor of getting profiled by the one and only Stevie Nicks. Stevie Nicks, in case you are not familiar with her, is one of the most iconic women in the history of rock music. Totally no bias there! Except for that she is maybe my favorite person of all time. Her work with Fleetwood Mac is rivaled only by her solo work, and no one to this day can rock a tambourine the way she did. And of course, she had nice things to say about Taylor:
This girl writes the songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John. She sings, she writes, she performs, she plays great guitar. Taylor can do ballads that could be considered pop or rock and then switch back into country. When I turned 20 years old, I had just made the serious decision to never be a dental assistant. Taylor just turned 20, and she's won four Grammys."
Conclusion: If Taylor Swift ends up being the next Stevie Nicks, which Stevie Nicks is sort of predicting, then the music world will be in good shape.
 It seems like eternity since there's been news of any suitably juicy Twilight-related dealmaking. No longer! Summit entertainment has just named the director for the fourth and final episode in the Twilight Saga -- Breaking Dawn -- and fans won't be disappointed. Bill Condon, recipient of an Oscar and the director of Dreamgirls, has signed on to the project, and seems to have ambitious goals for it. He says: "I'm very excited to get the chance to bring the climax of this saga to life on-screen. As fans of the series know, this is a one-of-a-kind book - and we're hoping to create an equally unique cinematic experience." Seems like a choice that the artsily-oriented stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson would appreciate.
 Students at Licking Valley High School in Newark, Ohio have reportedly chosen to boycott their school-sponsored prom in lieu of a more preferable option: they're organizing one for themselves. After the school decided to ban the "front to back grinding type dancing that seems to be very popular among students," as Principal Wes Weaver says (what do you expect when your high school is called Licking Valley?!), the kids decided to forgo the formal event and make one of their own. Incidentally, their version isn't exactly going to be some wild-child revolution: the event will count both chaperones and a law enforcement official among its attendees.
 Teen Vogue has posted a very helpful guide to.... getting your preferred Twilight-inspired prom look. The story suggests various paths to dressing like your favorite (female) character from the angsty teen vampire books -- be it Alice, Bella, or Rosalie. (Hopefully you won't mirror Kristen Stewart-slash-Bella's broken leg look, however.) Check out their ideas here.
Last week, Kesha Sebert, aka Ke$ha, aka the outrageous pop singer who claims to have both broken in to Prince's house and vomited in Paris Hiltons' closet, hinted that she might do some acting (also: writing) for the upcoming episode of SNL, in which she performed as the musical guest to Ryan Philippe's host. She neither acted nor sang, but she DID cover her body in neon paint and feathers in order to turn out two very strange but entertaining performances. Here's one, and lucky for you it comes with some helpful analysis in re: understanding who this person is, and why she exists in the current realm of pop culture ephemera. Enjoy!
Last weekend, the (country) stars turned out in their finery (errr... sort of?) for the annual Country Music Awards. And what a strange bunch of sartorial choices were represented. Even Taylor Swift managed to not wear the perfect outfit for the occasion. Which is unusual for that girl. We've noted some of the highlights below.
Nicole Kidman I still have a hard time equating Nicole Kidman with the CMAs. But right, Keith Urban. Regardless, this is a cute enough outfit, but could have used some GLITTER for this particular occasion. (If you ask me!)
Taylor Swift Now, this would have been the perfect opportunity for Swifty to break out something short, sparkly, and fun. Is it just me, or did people go sort of over-the-top "glam" this year? Also, does the bodice of Swift's dress not look a TINY bit like it could be worn as a figure skating costume? Not that I don't love figure skating costumes!
Leann Rimes Not too bad. A little sober, but at least it's a little festive -- and also, not floor-length.
Kristen Bell Like! Wait, why is she here?
Today's New York Times has an article about how a New York high school has, in an attempt to curb wild, drunken, party-animal behavior, scheduled prom for school nights. Additionally, students who are late to school will not be able to make up missed work or attend sports events. What do you guys think? Will this be an effective method of encouraging students to act responsibly, or... will everyone just skip school the next day?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Tavi, everyone's (or at least my) favorite 13-year-old fashion blogger, has made a very logical and wise request: "I, like many, would like another Sassy magazine," she writes. And though the young scribe admits that she wasn't around at the heyday (or even the bitter end of) the late-80s-era publication, she voices other reasons for her desire for a teen publication akin to the beloved book. "My plea comes not
from nostalgia," she continues, "but from someone
who is 13 years old and while fancy fashion magazines are nice they
don't always catch my drift." For real, Tavi. There is a serious dearth of decent magazines for teenagers to read and, hello, publishers and ad-men and co. forget that teenagers have a lot of money to spend but also ARE SMART.
Anyway, then Tavi cites this classic advice column from the Sassy archives, featuring words of wisdom from rock legend Thurston Moore.
"I'm a lonely 14
year-old. I'm not pretty, outgoing or interesting. Why do guys only
like beautiful girls? Anonymous Thurston says: Because
the majority of guys are too
stupid and insensitive to realize a person like you may possess
qualities of beauty. Become aware of what's beautiful within you and
cultivate it. Don't be afraid of men. Be true to yourself, and
hopefully an honest love will come your way. The more you have
confidence and belief in your own beauty, the more likely this is to
happen."
As Tavi notes, this sort of thing is crucial information for teenagers. Someone should be out there making it available. Jane Pratt, are you listening????
High school junior Elizabeth Rasmuson made waves this week, when she revealed the dress that she'll wear to her prom this weekend. What's so crazy about it? Well, she made the thing out of gum wrappers. What's even crazier is that, it looks really good! Clearly Rasmuson is possessed with talent as well as ingenuity. Apparently, she bought hundreds of packs of the Wrigley's 5 gum (she liked the color of the packaging, and rightly so) and asked her friends and family to help her chew. She ended up accruing so many wrappers that, in fact, she was able to make her boyfriend a matching VEST. Which is equally awesome. Nicely done, Elizabeth. Enjoy your prom.
Have no fear. Despite various claims to the contrary, it has been revealed that Miley Cyrus is ... NOT back on Twitter. Thank God! Keeping up with Cyrus's various activities and emotional states is enough trouble as it is. Regardless, it has been revealed that the young singer still stands by what she said last month:
"I have a lot more real friends as opposed to friends who are on the Internet who I'm talking to -- which is like not cool, not safe, not fun and most likely not real. I think everything is just better when you're not so wrapped up."
Smart girl.
At Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling not only showed up, but also read from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Even better than her read-aloud, however, was an admission that Rowling made during the Q&A portion of the event: When asked about future literary prospects, Rowling hinted at a project in the pipeline. "I'm quite sure in the not-too-distant future, I will bring out another book," she said. ( Sources add that the author did not refute the possibility of another Potter-themed book at some point in time.) Awesome.
 Perhaps you were too young to know and love the late, great, 80s-era book series, The Baby-Sitters Club, which revolved around the lives (and innocent shenanigans) of a bunch of 12-year-old girls who started a babysitting business. Well! Are you in for a treat! Scholastic Books is reissuing the formerly out-of-print series, but get this: they have updated the books for "modern times" -- a phrase which sounds like something they would have said in the original series, but oh well! -- by replacing references to Walkmen and perms with, presumably, iPods and straightening irons. (I do sort of hope the "Scrunchie" references are still there. I firmly believe that Claudia Kishi would still have worn a scrunchie or two in 2010.) Additionally, Scholastic released a prequel to the series. Called "The Summer Before," the book narrates the events of one apparently super crappy summer that brought all of the babysitters together. Go pick up a copy!
![alg_malia_sasha_justin[1].jpg](http://www.tiza.com/alg_malia_sasha_justin%5B1%5D.jpg) Little Man Biebstar and the cast of Glee stopped by the White House yesterday to partake in the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll. Bieber has already established his relationship with this particular administration -- he sang for the family (also, everyone watching on TV) during the White House's holiday season festivities -- so it might be safe to assume that Sasha and/or Malia favor the heavily banged 16-year-old singer. The audience for the tween-oriented singers was estimable: The crowd included the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Apolo Ohno, Mariska Hartigay, and J.K. Rowling. Not bad for a bunch of high school kids!
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