On Why The Ads For Christmas Engagement Rings Make Me Uncomfortable
I hate that these ads perpetuate the idea that being proposed to is somehow romantic and magical. In real life it is awkward and weird, not to mention the awfulness of being trailed by museum guards who don't like the way you're carrying your camera.
I also wore my engagement ring on the wrong hand for several hours. No one tells you what to do!
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On Receptionists: Just Another Budgetary Item To Cut
God, at my last job we had two receptionists, both well over retirement age and neither did anything. My coworkers and I covered their lunches, which ended up being sitting for 1-2 hours and helping one crazy homeless person who tried to apply for jobs on our lobby computers. One of the women didn't even answer the phone! SHE WAS THE RECEPTIONIST.
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On We Will Be Liveblogging The American Music Awards This Weekend!
Just like old Idolator times, I will get drunk and ramble on in the comments! YAY!
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On Your Beautiful Pictures Are Stupid: Against Trendy Digital Photography
I absolutely agree--this post was really great.
I think many of these photographs--not all, as I have one photog friend in particular who gets great iphone shots--are just not good composition and they're using the effects to make "cool" and "interesting" photos. It doesn't matter what effects you use, that snapshot of your friend drinking in a bar or a show 30 rows back is not going to be a good photograph.
I shoot film on all kinds of cameras and while my photos don't have as much wonky color and sunspots, I think they have a depth to them that cell phone cameras can't capture.
What is up with the obsession with dreamy vintage shots though (mostly on film and nicer digital SLRS)? It's a flickr and blog epidemic!
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On Pro Paglia: Lady Gaga is a Smug Diva who Exploits her Monsters and Gays
I saw Camille Paglia speak once and she would say something great and I would totally agree with her and think, "gosh, she's pretty rad." And then she'd say something batshit insane and lose me until the next brilliant thing. Her Gaga article is that brilliant thing.
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On The Problem of Conveying Punk Rock in Washington, DC
Funny because you know Mud Memory, who put out the Points record? Justin Moyer from Dischord bands Edie Sedgwick and El Guapo/Supersystem. It's all connected!
My husband took promo pictures of The Points once and they are hilarious and making the best faces ever. I am sad I never saw them.
Great article though!
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On Flicked Off: "Please Give," or, Pity Is Different Than Affection
Girlfriends, from the 70s, is also a great movie about female friendship. I am so thankful for Nicole Holfcener for making movies like this.
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On Glenn Danzig Not A Fan Of Chemotherapy, Creamy Ranch Dressing
Or "I listened to this record while vacuuming. It was ok."
I really miss that zine. He lived in the same town as me for a while and I would see him at shows and he was so weird but we were all in awe of him cause we loved Men'r Recovery Project.
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On Bomb the Ace Hotel! Every Geek and Blogger Now A Microcelebrity!
I had no idea this guestofaguest existed and it is so insanely terrible and poorly written. I guess being a "blogger" means training in "writing" and "grammar" are not as important as being the hangers-on of media scenesters (??!!!).
Sorry, that was harsh. But this:
Okay, it is very tough to pose behind a DJ booth with guys who have giant padded headphones and neon sunglasses and NOT look like douches. Kevin Kearney and Dennis Crowley somehow achieve the impossible and manage to not only NOT look like Dbags, but look hip, relaxed and cool.
NO! Those guys look EXACTLY like douchebags.