FASHION FOCUS is back quicker than you can say Award Season! The Emmy’s came and went, but as usual the fashion talk lingers on and on. Everyone seeks their moment on the Red Carpet, hoping they make someone’s list (whether it’s “Best Dressed”, “Worst Dressed”, or “What the hell were they thinking?!”).
I watch my fair share of TV, but I can’t honestly say that I am familiar with all the shows these actors contribute to. Who cares about that anyway? We’re here to look at how good (or bad) they looked. I will not give you hits or misses, nor will I include my usual commentary. (I know, I know… I’ll wait for you to stop crying and collect yourselves. …. …. done? not yet? okay….. done? And, let’s move on) This is just a brief look at the looks that sailed down Emmy’s Red Carpet upon arriving. If you want to let me know whose look you LOVED or HATED, FASHION FOCUS always wants your feedback.
Now, on to the Red Carpet arrivals at the 64th Annual Emmy Awards. I’d like to thank myself, and the Academy!
Phoebe Price
Lindsay Pulsipher
Edie Falco
Elisabeth Moss
Bryan Cranston
Glenn Close
A set of yellows (Claire Danes, Julianne Moore, Julie Bowen)
A set of blues (featuring Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Julianne Hough, Nicole Kidman)
Jonathan Warman (director, New York premiere of Tennessee Williams’s Now the Cats With Jewelled Claws) will direct Hard Sparkle: The Short Plays of J. Stephen Brantley. Performances are for two nights only October 29 & 30 at The Duplex.
About this production, Jonathan says, “I have collaborated with J. Stephen more frequently than any other playwright. He is the most singular American playwrighting talent I’ve come across in any context, one of the most distinctive voices in the country. I am honored – astonished almost – to have worked with him as often as I have. He has rich reserves of humanity and compassion, and wry humor. His writing – which vibrates with rock and roll energy and yet possesses sweetness and aching psychological subtlety – is highly stimulating and challenging. He is very inspired by the voice of individual actors, and rehearsal (which he loves) especially fires his deeply theatrical imagination. I am thrilled to be pulling together some of his best work for this special, two-night-only showcase.”
The plays are:
Nevertheless – After nearly stabbing her husband at the breakfast table, Iris walked out of her Park Avenue apartment bound for Nashville, Tennessee. Returning to the dingy barroom where she misspent her twenties, she hopes to recapture some of the excitement of a bygone era. What Iris finds is Trevor, a washed-up-before-he-started country crooner, the hard truth, and a new start.
Hard Sparkle – Actress Anne Eaton-Hart has taken to her bed. Swindled of millions and having lost an Emmy to Susan Lucci, Anne is convinced she’s dying. While her devoted accountant Eddie does his level best to lift her spirits, nothing less than divine intervention will resurrect the self-obsessed star.
Break – During the late hours of a summer night on the coast of Eastern Long Island, a displaced Englishman and the drug addict who breaks into his home confront their differences and, more importantly, discover their secret similarities.
Hard Sparkle runs October 29 & 30 at 7pm. The Duplex is located at 61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue. Tickets are $12 plus a 2 drink minimum. To purchase tickets, call (212) 255-5438 or visit www.theduplex.com.
For more about Jonathan Warman’s directing work, see jonathanwarman.com.
It’s getting cooler, but I still have one final weekend left on Fire Island, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s still summer! Here’s a taste of what I’ll be listening to (wrapped in a towel, shivering next to the pool), including new songs from Kat DeLuna, Pink, Mika, Sia, Nicki Minaj, Nelly Furtado and Flo Rida. Plus two fun-lovin’ Swedish gals you simply have to know…
“Wanna See U Dance (La La La)” – Kat DeLuna
It’s hard to believe that 24 year-old Kat DeLuna first shimmied into our lives 5 years ago with the dance tune “Whine Up.” Since then, she’s had some hits (most notably last year’s #1 “Dancing Tonight” – thank you, Domitrovich) and more than a few misses. But I’ve always felt it’s been the material that’s let her down and not the other way around. Now she get some fun material indeed. From her forthcoming album ViVa Out Loud, “Wanna See U Dance (La La La)” is a sweat-inducing jam that gleefully borrows from the 90s soccer stadium/SEGA staple “Samba de Janeiro” by German outfit Bellini. (The parenthetical ‘La La La’s are sung to the horn line of that chestnut.) Make sure you check out the YouTube version of the song, which features a fantastic drum breakdown that in the album/iTunes version gets swallowed up by syrupy electronica.
“I Cry” – Flo Rida
Hot on the heels of his #1 song “Whistle,” Flo Rida’s “I Cry” is the 4th track from his album Wild Ones. We appreciate that the R&B hip-hop star often returns to hit a dance tune out of the ballpark. And “I Cry” is a homerun. It features a triangular sampling, with the title line coming from the Dutch duo Bingo Players’ dance hit “Cry (Just A Little)” which sampled the original smooth jazz/AC Brenda Russell hit “Piano In The Dark.” The recycled Chipmunks-like vocals call to mind the quadruplicate sharing of bassline between First Choice’s “Doctor Love,” Gwen Guthrie’s “Nothing Goin’ On (But The Rent),” Madonna’s “Sorry” and Rihanna’s “Hard.” Perhaps not coincidentally, Bingo Players (who have done remix work for acts like Cobra Starship), earlier this year released “reset” mixes of their “Cry.” And I swear Flo Rida here name-checks he one and only Alan Quartermaine. But even if he doesn’t, one can dream. Or cry.
“She Wolf (Falling To Pieces)” – David Guetta feat. Sia
There are no two ways around it: we’re obsessed with Sia. Her early cut “The Girl You Lost To Cocaine” still has us enthralled as did its follow-ups “You’ve Changed” and the percussive “Clap Your Hands.” The Australian singer nailed her muse status collaborating with prodigious French DJ superstar David Guetta on “Titanium.” Originally a demo by Sia – written with Alicia Keys in mind – the track was turned down by Katy Perry and recorded by Mary J. Blige before being scrapped and recorded by Sia herself for Guetta’s Nothing But The Beat. Now she’s in the spotlight in her co-written new track for Guetta’s revamped Nothing But The Beat 2.0. Featuring insistent piano and “Jessie’s Girl” guitar licks, the song generates as much Drama as a Meatloaf opus. And as far as Ozzie songstresses go, is it too much to hope that a Sia/Kimbra duet might be in the works??
“Bullets” – Rebecca & Fiona
Swedish DJs/performers/club owners Rebecca & Fiona are a colorful duo that have been taking their native Sweden by storm the last few years, cemented with their full-length album I Love You, Man in 2011. Here, they’re probably best (only?) known as Robyn’s bestie gf’s from the Making of “Call Your Girlfriend” video (link below), as well as openers on parts of her last tour. Now the album has been packaged for the U.S., lead by a remixed version of “Bullets” that’s also been given a fierce Lesbian chic video (though the pair are neither a couple nor lesbian). Luxuriating in the Swedish Pop sounds of the 90s (think Ace of Base and Roxette at a sleeker, higher bpm), R&F nail it with the lead track and its plunking guitar and clip-clop percussion. Who knows what the lyrics mean (“Hurts like bullets between these walls”?), but somehow it fits their aesthetic of giant-soled Moonboots.
http://www.robynbodytalkin.com/tag/rebecca-fiona/
BPM BITS:
Two great new albums with similar titles: Pink’s The Truth About Love and Mika’s The Origin of Love. Pink features a terrific first single in “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” while Mika stumbled with his atypically generic “Celebrate.” But both feature an especially intriguing album cut: Pink’s duet with Fun. frontman Nate Ruess“Just Give Me A Reason” sounding very Fun. indeed and Mika’s “Popular Song” (with Rihanna sound-alike Priscilla Renea) sampling “Popular” from the hella popular musical Wicked…Nicki Minaj scores on 2 new singles: paired with Cassie (the singer from the hypnotic track “King of Heats” earlier this year) on the new song “The Boys” and rapping on the “Inferno Mix” of the new Alicia Keys track “Girl On Fire”…Regular SPIN readers know how repeatedly annoyed we are by the lazy same-ol’/same-ol’ from Pitbull. But even we have to admit his latest, the rowdy “Don’t Stop The Party,” is a catchy-as-f#ck party tune…DJ duo Milan & Phoenix have a fun retread of the Swing song “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).” Perhaps best known in this era as a 1990 cover by They Might Be Giants, the song gets a new dance version featuring a sample of the original 1953 version by The Four Lads…We’re scratching our heads that Nelly Furtado is once again releasing a not particularly radio-friendly single, but also giving her major points as the boomalicious “Parking Lot” will have you cracking open a can of Schlitz in the back of a convertible.
Pink & Nate Ruess
Mika
Nicki Minaj & Cassie
Nicki Minaj & Alicia Keys
Pitbull
Milan & Phoenix
Nelly Furtado
NEWS: I’ll be spinning the annual Anniversary Bash for Pieces Bar next Saturday night, Sept 29. Sponsored by Ketel One, this year’s edition is called “DRAGTASTIC” and will nce again feature the full staff in drag and perfrming a special Staff Number at 10PM. I’ll kicks things off with Disco at 8:30 followd by current Dance/Pop after the staff number. Come dressed up, dressed down or just come and get down! Also next week, the next 80s/Disco Happy Hour “MATINEE” is Weds, Sept 26 5-8PM. Both at Pieces Bar (8 Christopher Street).
http://www.facebook.com/events/204884132976128/
Welcome back to #1, Ms. Minaj, on this week’s Top 20 Countdown. Whether you call her Nicki or Roman, the “Starships” diva dethrones MC for the top spot with “Pound The Alarm.” This week’s big leaps are registered by Ne-Yo’s “Let Me Love You” (up 10 spots to #9) and Karmin’s “Hello” (up 8 to #12). The week’s three juicy debuts – all mentioned above – are by Kat DeLuna, David Guetta featuring Sia and Flo Rida.
1) Pound The Alarm (Original & Liam Keegan Mixes) – Nicki Minaj (3) (1 at 1*)
Answer: We’ve all heard the old wives’ tale that the size of a man’s hands and feet hold clues about his genitalia and their various metrics. I have to admit that I have often been guilty of checking out a man’s shoe size to ascertain any penile shortcomings.
But maybe these aren’t such tall tales after all.
Researchers in South Korea think they’ve finally been able to crack the code that indicates the size of a penis, and it comes down to a ratio of finger length on the right hand.
A study was conducted on 144 Korean men undergoing urological surgery. The patients’ penile lengths were measured just after they went under anesthesia, as well as their finger lengths. Now, the ratio of the length of a man’s index finger to that of his ring finger, known as digit ratio, may seem like a strange thing to measure. But it was found that the lower the ratio (index finger, 2D, was shorter than the ring finger, 4D), the longer the stretched penis length, which is well correlated with erect size. (This info will most likely have men all over examining their right hands.)
Previous studies have linked the so-called 2D:4D ratio of finger length with exposure to the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone in the womb. So most men have a low ratio (higher testosterone), while women have a high ratio. Interestingly, research has shown that lesbians and female-to-male transgendered people are more likely to have more “male” ratios (so Lady Gaga is right, we are born this way). However, the “gay” link did not hold true for men.
In earlier research, digit ratio has been linked to sexual behavior or hormonal activity. A recent study linked digit ratio to facial attractiveness or “hotness.” But digit ratio could be useful for more than just a pick-up line in a bar. Various illnesses, such as prostate cancer and Lou Gehrig’s Disease, have been associated with this ratio, so these results offer researchers insights beyond the obvious cocktail conversation.
Now that we’ve established that there’s a possible way to determine size, why do we really care so much? Obviously, after checking out our spam e-mails, we see that penis enlargement is big business. Well, believe it or not, studies have shown that some of techniques really do work (good news for those high digit ratio fellas). While surgical treatments were found to be dangerous, at least one non-surgical method appeared to help grow a man’s member: the “traction method,” in which a penile extender stretched the phallus daily. The gains were hard earned: in the first study, participants had to be in traction for four to six hours each day for a total four months, and in the second study, the daily treatment lasted for six months.
But do you really need to go through all this effort? Researchers have found that the vast majority of men who seek treatment don’t need it. Ironically, more than a third of men studied say their feelings of inadequacy began by viewing porn during their teen years.
One study found that the majority of gay men regarded a large penis as ideal, and having one was linked to higher self-esteem. In addition, it was found that the average penis of a gay man was larger than the average penis of their heterosexual counterparts. Is that why the jumbo size condoms are always sold out in gayborhoods?
And, in the end, men seem to care about it a lot more than their partners. In more than 50 studies spanning the course of 60 years, it was found that 85% of women were satisfied with their partner’s penis size — yet only 55% of men felt good about their penises! Like they say, it’s the size of your skills, not your sex organ, that matters.
After months of speculation about who would be sitting at the judging table with Mariah Carey on Season 12 of “American Idol”, Fox officially announced on Sunday that Randy Jackson would indeed be returning as a judge and not a mentor as previously planned. Joining him will be singer-rapper Nicki Minaj and country superstar Keith Urban. This marks the first time in Idol history that judges have represented the genres of rap and country. According to the Huffington Post, the judges arrived at a press conference New York City’s Lincoln Center and were very excited.
Urban praised “Idol” for its “great history of producing real stars” and claimed his judging style will be “authentic” but not harsh. ”I did similar shows when I was very young in Australia and I was sort of crucified by one judge. So I don’t know that I’ll ever be THAT guy.”
Minaj is going to be looking for a “superstar” and could not tell what one was for it was something she felt “can’t be defined in words.”
Commenting on the new pair, Jackson described them as “fresh, fresh, fresh. Idol one-two!” He says Minaj ”brings a whole other cool vibe we’ve never had on the show” and commended Urban for being “unbelievably talented.”
When asked if she was at the edge of her seat about who would be joining her this season, Mariah Carey quipped “No, because all I really care about it me. Only kidding.” She then expressed uncertainty over which judge she will be. ”Am I the mean one? Am I the nice one? … It’s not about me, me, me, it’s about them (the contestants) and what I can bring to them to help guide them in the right direction.”
Returning host Ryan Seacrest spoke about the atmosphere surrounding this new panel: ”Last night we had a chance to really get together for the first time as a group. Everybody made a toast and talked about how special it was that they were here, and why they were here. So we’re off to a good start.”
Fox President of Alternative Entertainment Mike Darnell echoes Seacrest’s sentiments: ”I am thrilled about this year’s judges panel. With an unparalleled star like Mariah, fan-favorite Randy, chart-toppers like Nicki and Keith and our incomparable host Ryan, we’ve put together one of the most exciting judging panels around.”
We’re here to look at how good (or bad) they looked. I will not give you hits or misses, nor will I include my usual commentary. (I know, I know… I’ll wait for you to stop crying and collect yourselves. …. …. done? not yet? okay….. done? And, let’s move on) This is just a brief look at the looks that sailed down Emmy’s Red Carpet upon arriving. If you want to let me know whose look you LOVED or HATED, FASHION FOCUS always wants your feedback.
t’s hard to believe that 24 year-old Kat DeLuna first shimmied into our lives 5 years ago with the dance tune “Whine Up.” Since then, she’s had some hits (most notably last year’s #1 “Dancing Tonight” – thank you, Domitrovich) and more than a few misses. But I’ve always felt it’s been the material that’s let her down and not the other way around. Now she get some fun material indeed. From her forthcoming album ViVa Out Loud, “Wanna See U Dance (La La La)” is a sweat-inducing jam that gleefully borrows from the 90s soccer stadium/SEGA staple “Samba de Janeiro” by German outfit Bellini. (The parenthetical ‘La La La’s are sung to the horn line of that chestnut.) Make sure you check out the YouTube version of the song, which features a fantastic drum breakdown that in the album/iTunes version gets swallowed up by syrupy electronica.
Swedish DJs/performers/club owners Rebecca & Fiona are a colorful duo that have been taking their native Sweden by storm the last few years, cemented with their full-length album I Love You, Man in 2011. Here, they’re probably best (only?) known as Robyn’s bestie gf’s from the Making of “Call Your Girlfriend” video (link below), as well as openers on parts of her last tour. Now the album has been packaged for the U.S., lead by a remixed version of “Bullets” that’s also been given a fierce Lesbian chic video (though the pair are neither a couple nor lesbian). Luxuriating in the Swedish Pop sounds of the 90s (think Ace of Base and Roxette at a sleeker, higher bpm), R&F nail it with the lead track and its plunking guitar and clip-clop percussion. Who knows what the lyrics mean (“Hurts like bullets between these walls”?), but somehow it fits their aesthetic of giant-soled Moonboots.
Question: Is penis size related to finger length?
