Ruth Wilson as Alison in The Affair (Season 4, Episode 6) Photo: Ali Goldstein/SHOWTIME
Anyone who knows television history or has worked in Business Affairs is aware of the monumental change that occurred as a result of the ‘Friends’ cast, who formed a fierce front for their salary demands on the heels of the show’s massive success. Leading the charge was David Schwimmer, who stood to make the most money by comparison to his castmates, given that he and Jennifer Aniston were the breakout stars. The cast quickly agreed with Schwimmer’s kind proposal, and despite massive push-back from the powers that be, they refused to back down, insisting that they all deserved to be paid the same. Matt LeBlanc once recounted that the negotiations got so heated he once had to walk off the set in solidarity with his castmates, who were all receiving their own type of pressure.
My secret weapon on all things music has brought a new little gem to my attention, which is a good thing considering the noticeable absence of hip hop on my blog. Seattle’s The Bad Tenants have teamed up with Nick Weaver for “Switch,” a song that’s released on the heels of their special co-headlining event at Neumos. Weaver most recently released a five-song EP ‘Photographs Of Other People.’ Listen below.
It’s of no surprise that Lindsay Lohan thinks the #MeToo movement is filled with “weak” people, considering Lohan herself has yet to give an honest, authentic interview about her own troubled past. In fact, her “reality” show for OWN was almost unwatchable for that reason, because each and every time Lohan had a difficult day and simply could not get out of bed, she refused to film and only appeared back on camera when she felt bright and shiny again. Her disturbing “friends” enabled her, and when her life coach confronted her about relapsing on camera, that life coach was immediately fired. Lohan scolded her for making a private moment public, despite the fact that the show itself was meant to expose those private moments. Oprah lent her an olive branch that began with a post rehab one-on-one interview, and even that felt forced. Here’s a direct quote from Lohan’s interview with The Times:
“If it happens at that moment, you discuss it at that moment. You make it a real thing by making it a police report. I’m going to really hate myself for saying this, but I think by women speaking against all these things, it makes them look weak when they are very strong women. You have these girls who come out, who don’t even know who they are, who do it for the attention. That is taking away from the fact that it happened.”
Before bashing Lohan for her ignorant, tone-deaf comments, I’m going to simply feel sorry for her given that this is her perspective on being vulnerable. Perhaps I’m having a peaceful day, but I see no benefit on returning a sad statement with anger. When she learns the truth about vulnerability and strength, perhaps she will finally have a career comeback. Until then . . .
Nestled in the stunning town of Steamboat, Colorado is the Strings Music Pavilion, which showcases over 60 genre-spanning performances during the summer months. The venue houses just 569 people, which provides for a beautiful, personal experience between the audience and the artist. As a devoted Steamboat-goer since a very early age, I can safely say that the venue and concerts have only improved over the years. And given its uncompromising quality at the outset, that’s a mighty task.
Unfortunately for Jennifer Aniston, she’s had quite a few breakups in the public eye. Were she to date a banker from Iowa, she’d avoid the minefield of questions about Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn, John Mayer, and Justin Theroux. Instead, she’s forced to not only defend her relationships, but to also defend the end of those relationships. And in an effort to fight against the media’s unfair narrative of Aniston as the sad, lonely girl who can’t keep a man, she’s pushed up against it with a consistent, opposing strategy. In a new interview with InStyle, Aniston insists she not heartbroken. This is not the first time she’s taken this route, and despite my love for all things Aniston, her comment begs an even more important question. What’s so wrong with being heartbroken, anyways?
Famous people often document their personal struggles in hopes of helping the masses, and given that they are so far away from my own life, it’s something I simply don’t relate to. But Michelle Williams is the exception. Her statements on grief have been immensely helpful, most notably when she discussed her torment about leaving the town house she once shared with her late love Heath Ledger. Of the painful decision, she said,
At thirteen years old, I received a Bat-Mitzvah gift from a good friend. It was a heart-shaped red stone on a black lanyard, and it felt special. It was later revealed that his mother picked out the gift, and that he gifted the exact same heart to every one of his female friends for their Bat Mitzvah. Did that make it less special? I can only imagine how I’d feel if the gift actually came from a boyfriend, and said boyfriend gave the same symbol of his love to every girl he dated. Such is the case with Pete Davidson, whose scream-from-the-rooftops whirlwind affair with Ariana Grande has made the news just about everywhere. Not only is Davidson inked with a Grande-inspired tattoo (a gesture of love previously given to his ex Cazzie David), but he also gave Grande the necklace his father wore the day he died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Fans quickly noticed that Cazzie was once photographed wearing the same necklace, at which point Davidson claimed that Cazzie’s was simply a replica, and Grande has the real thing.
There is a soft spot in my heart for Dispatch, given that the indie band made the rounds in my college, and since they’re still playing to sold out crowds, their new song is worth mentioning. With their first album in five years. ‘America, Location 12,’ they will be releasing a special song every couple of weeks throughout the summer and the collection will culminate as one bundle after the last song is out later this year. Listen to their latest release below, and catch them on tour soon.
The deranged entitlement of Louis Walsh makes me physically ill. In a newly resurfaced video, the former X Factor judge can be seen openly grabbing Mel B.’s ass during an interview, and when she openly confronts him, he smugly smiles followed by a joke from Simon Cowell about her safety. Though I generally try to steer clear of blaming bystanders, this is just too gross to ignore. Simon seems disturbed, but I’d like to know if Walsh was ever taken to task for sexual harassment. As for Mel B., I applaud her standing up for herself, and it’s too bad no one else joined.
