I’ve chosen this week’s underrated actor of the week based solely on looks. Why? Because I’m generally superficial, and I figured that it’s boring to base my choice on acting alone. I discovered Valletta and his very nifty hat while scrolling through fashion pictures. After looking him up, I saw that his work mainly involves soaps. He briefly appeared on Days Of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless. I know nothing about his personal life, because he doesn’t have a profile on wikipedia or a biography on imdb. If I were managing him, I’d probably tell him to get on that, because not everyone is as superficial as The Dishmaster, and others might require more than just a pretty face.
Today’s Question: Why Don’t Romantic Comedies Get Respect?
Romantic Comedies are often considered a ridiculous genre. When a “character” actor plays a leading romantic man, such as Mark Ruffalo in Just Like Heaven, some say it’s “selling out.” To get an Oscar, you likely have to have a role that involves yelling, crying, or cancer. But it wasn’t always this way. Our most respected actors in history starred in some all-time classics, some of which earned Oscars. Some of those roles include: Carey Grant in Charade; Jack Lemmon in The Apartment; and Clark Gable in It Happened One Night (which won 5 Oscars). Today, If an actor’s break-out role is a romantic comedy, they often use it as a launching pad for dramatic roles. Remember George Clooney in One Fine Day? That was his first and last romantic comedy. So when did this transition occur? My guess is that things started changing when studios stopped owning actors. In the early days of film-making, the studio put the actor in whatever film was being released at the time. That led to more diversity of roles. Today, the actor gets to pick, and since romantic comedies are less respected, “character” actors avoid them. But there is still an unanswered plaguing question. Actors likely avoid these roles because they get less respect. But when did they start to get less respect? Something happened to the Oscar voters between It Happened One Night and Sweet Home Alabama, and I’d like to know what it is.
Angelina Jolie v. Jennifer Aniston — I’m Over It!
The latest issue of Us Weekly has another Jennifer/Angelina faux feud, and I’m going to burn it in a bonfire behind my house. Actually, I don’t know how to start a fire, so nevermind. I’ll just use The Dishmaster as a forum to vent my anger. Do you think the folks over at Us Weekly have a list of back-up covers in case they hit tabloid writer’s block? Maybe the editor-in-chief says, “since Jennifer Aniston probably still hates Angelina Jolie — lets just print that one again! Great idea!” While I’m sure that Jennifer Aniston carries an Angelina voodoo doll in her purse, I’m certainly done hearing about it. How many times can you tell the same story? Boy marries girl-next-door, boy shoots movie with sultry vixen, boy cheats on girl, girl is devastated for life. And there you have it. That reminds me — I’ve gotta go read Us Weekly.
Taylor Momsen Has Slutty Barbie Dolls
Taylor Momsen said in a recent interview that she fired her stylist so that she could feel free to dress herself. Her inspiration? — Her barbie dolls. I’m not sure who bought Taylor Momsen’s barbie dolls growing up, but my barbies wore clothes. Sure I undressed them out of curiosity, but I always put their close back on. Oops — did I just reveal that? Anyways, the news that Momsen canned her stylist sheds some light on her clothing transition. She went from a cute teenager, to a Fredericks model. Oh to be a teenager again.
Taylor Swift’s First Solo Album — Can She Hack it?
For some reason, most people I talk to think that Taylor Swift wrote every song on her first two albums. The truth is, many of her most successful songs were co-written with country music songwriter Liz Rose. In fact, two songs from the Swift/Rose collaboration, White Horse, and You Belong With Me, earned Grammys. So why forgo the collaboration on her next album, entitled Speak Now? According to Swift, she didn’t have co-writers because she would get her “best ideas at 3 am in Arkansas when [she] didn’t have any co-writers around, so [she] would just finish it. It just so happened that the songs that made the cut on the album were the ones [she] wrote [her]self.” Artists often write too many songs for their album, and the choice about what songs “make the cut” comes down to last minute decisions. It sounds like Swift did have co-writers on her latest album, but favored her solo songs. I wonder if having an adult as a co-writer helped even-out the excessive teenage angst in Swift’s songs. Will she be relatable to the masses without someone older as a balance?
8 Reasons I Love Leonardo DiCaprio
With the success of Inception, I’ve decided to write a post professing my love for Leonardo DiCaprio. In an effort to prove that my love is based on more than looks — I’m going to take the time to substantiate my obsession.
1. He picks directors, not scripts. DiCaprio is known for having great taste in directors. Many actors make the mistake of choosing roles based on the script alone, but not DiCaprio. He knows that film-making is a director’s medium, and it therefore makes sense to choose those at the top of their game. This includes Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Danny Boyle, and Christopher Nolan.
2. He stays out of the tabloids. Many actors insist that the paparazzi are unavoidable. If that were true, DiCaprio would make the rounds in Us Weekly, yet you never see pictures of him. He’s managed to maintain a successful career without all the nonsense.
3. His demons are under control. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, DiCaprio confessed that he never engaged in the Los Angeles party scene. “I was never into drugs at all,” he said. “There aren’t stories of me in a pool of my own vomit in a hotel room on the Hollywood Strip.”
4. He survived the child star transition. DiCaprio got his foot in the door on Growing Pains, and he avoided all the quintessential pitfalls of childhood stardom.
5. He’s loyal. He starred with Kate Winslet in Titanic, and judging from her speech at the Golden Globes, they’ve remained great friends ever since. They starred in Revolutionary Road together, which also proves he’s not afraid of the Titanic comparisons.
6. He doesn’t use his personal life to advance his career. Many actors love to walk the red carpet as a “power couple.” Not DiCaprio. Though he’s had high profile romances, he doesn’t talk about them.
7. He’s a great actor. Enough said.
8. He’s great looking. Alright, I’m superficial. But what’s wrong with liking pretty things?
Teen Mom is the Best Reality Show on Television
I often pick on Mtv for destroying my favorite reality show, The Real World, but they’ve filled the void with a show that far surpasses it. Teen Mom is by far the best reality show on television. It’s a spin-off the controversial and successful, 16 and Pregnant, and it follows 5 girls as they struggle to manage teenage life and motherhood. It’s heartbreaking and uplifting, and I’m officially addicted. The show runs a close second in the ratings to Jersey Shore, which is either very different or very similar to Teen Mom — I can’t decide. Watch the trailer below.
Teen Mom (Season 2) – MTV Shows
Today’s Question: How Often Has Barbra Streisand “Retired?”
Musicians often announce their “retirement,” in an effort to gross more money for ticket sales. They can charge higher prices, and naive fans pay the hefty fee thinking it’s the last time they will get to see the artist live. Barbra Streisand is amongst the many culprits. In 2000, she announced her final tour. Ticket prices were ridiculously high, and it reportedly grossed over $70 million. In 2006, perhaps she got sick of laying idle, and announced a “comeback” tour, which grossed close to $100 million. Though she has yet to announce another retirement tour, I imagine that it’s just around the corner. Oh yeah — and so is another comeback tour.
Kendall Jenner in a Bikini — Welcome to the Dark Side
Kendall Jenner has joined her Kardashian sisters in their most coveted activity — posing near naked in a bikini. Yes, she’s beautiful. But she’s only 14 years old, and there’s something about seeing a 14 year old in bikini with a come-fuck-me-face that makes me feel like a pervert. Again, I’m sure I am just a virginal prick, but have we all forgotten the outrage when Britney Spears posed on the cover of Rolling Stone at the age of 15? At the time, I think her parents were accused of being pimps or something. So have we come a long way from our Puritan beginnings, or are we just desensitized debauchees? To see the photo spread (pun intended), click the link below.
Kendall Jenner — The Lost Innocence
My Pick of American Idol Judges
There has been a lot of talk about the next American Idol judges, and most of the suggestions so far seem almost as ridiculous as the current judging panel. So here’s my choice for the new panel — Tommy Mottola, Katy Perry, and Harry Connick Jr. I chose Katy Perry because she has the credentials, and she’s very pretty eye-candy. When she appeared on the show as a guest judge, she was not afraid to speak her mind (speak, not slur), and she often looked like she wanted to kill Kara DioGuardi (which made me very happy). Harry Connick Jr. is my next choice, because he proved himself while serving as a mentor on the show. Unlike other mentors, he didn’t wear sunglasses while offering boring platitudes such as, “feel the music” (hear that Usher?). He also seemed to have a music vocabulary beyond the word “pitchy.” Lastly, I chose Tommy Mottola because he’s like the Wizard. His resume speaks for itself, but he would also bring the controversy. Can you imagine how many interviewers would ask Mariah Carey if she tunes into American Idol to watch Mottola? So there you have it. Everyone should take The Dishmaster’s suggeestion, and stop throwing around ridiculous names.