Monday, December 23, 2013

Back To The Fashion Future


Katy Perry looked chic in her 90’s inspired, plaid outfit, while Ariana Grande made a statement in her floor length floral ensemble, and Jesse J dazzled in her elaborate all white piece. For the past few months, stars have been changing up their wardrobe with outfits inspired by past decades. Take a look as I count down my top five favorite celeb retro looks!


5. Ariana Grande




I love her. You love her. Seriously, who doesn’t love Ariana Grande? Her sweet personality, sanguine music, and stylish outfits have won over the hearts of girls--- and boys- all over the world. And this getup definitely screams Ariana! She looks totally adorable in this 50’s inspired look that she wore on the set of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in New York City. She donned a gorgeous floor length floral skirt, with a white bustier, and nude-pink platform heels. She sported her signature pulled back hair with loose banana curls. I love the way she dresses yeah, I love it, I love it.     


4. Lady Gaga  

 











 Yes, Lady Gaga is sporting an ensemble that is both retro and wearable. Surprised? So am I. Gaga is always fashionable, just not always in such a laid-back way. Nonetheless, this outfit is chic and photo ready, even just for a casual day out. Gaga pulled this off miraculously, giving this bright red jumpsuit some flare with great accessories like a necklace intertwined with seashells and crystals and a lilac hand bag. She went big and bold when it came to her blonde hair, which went perfectly with the outfit. Applause is what she lives for; applause is what she’ll get.


3. Blake Lively
   
 




 








 C’mon, when is Blake Lively not looking insanely gorgeous? (never) So of course when she stepped out in this 40’s inspired Marchesa dress, all eyes were on her. She wore this black and white all-lace gown to a Cleef & Arpels’ store event in New York City. Blake stunned in Cleef & Arpels’ jewelry and Gucci heels. Her hair and makeup looked flawless and paired perfectly with the lavish nostalgic look. So what if she’s left the scandalous life of a Manhattan elite, she’s still a fashion elite in my eyes! (Are Gossip Girl references no longer allowed? Nahhhh.)


2. Jessie J










Jessie J has been out of the spotlight for quite sometime now, but she is certainly not afraid to step back into it with this daring retro outfit, even when she’s in the eyes of royalty! At the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium in London, England, Jessie donned an elaborate and edgy white cutout crop top, complete with swirls and a V shaped neckline. She paired this with high waisted white pants and minimal jewelry. Jessie went with an interesting choice for her style of hair at this event, in which she performed for Prince Charles and other prestigious guests. Her short hair was slicked back and pressed against her head in a curled manner. It was daring, yet dashing. Jessie definitely pulled it off.


1    1. Katy Perry

 














And my number one celeb retro look is…. Katy Perry! Killer Queen fits her and her brand new fragrance exceptionally. At the Berlin launch for her new perfume, Katy ravished in a Clueless inspired ensemble. She wore an Alice + Olivia Kidman Open Box Jacket and Box Pleat Skirt, paired with a Dolce and Gabbana Blouse, and finished with Christian Louboutin Resillissima Booties. Katy looked extra adorable with her across-the-head braid and thin silver hoop earrings. This queen kills, in music, fashion, and everything in between!


I hope you enjoyed this back to the fashion future countdown! Comment below and let me know if there are any topics you would like me to cover next. Also, let me know if you enjoy reading posts like this, that include topics from many different dates, or if you would rather read about current pop culture news.



COMING SOON: #TeenlinkNeedToKnowAwardShow
A new series of blog posts just in time for award show season! I will be recapping all of the can’t-miss moments from Hollywood’s biggest award shows.
Don’t miss the Golden Globes, Sunday, January 12th. Then check back here after the show for the #TeenlinkNeedToKnowAwardShow recap!



Sources:
http://fashionbombdaily.com/2013/09/28/get-look-katy-perrys-killer-queen-fragrance-berlin-launch-alice-olivia-kidman-open-box-jacket-box-pleat-skirt-dolce-gabbana-blouse-christian-louboutin-booties/
http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/blake-lively-wears-marchesa-van-cleef-arpels-event/
http://www.eonline.com/photos/10568/retro-looks-we-love/334768

Sunday, November 3, 2013

The Fact About Fame


            It’s 2013, and in the ever changing and culturally mixed world we live in, artists still tend to surprise us. They create unique music that fits no genre, or put on elaborate over the top performances that cross many boundaries. The public eye translates these forms of creativity into being strange or sometimes inappropriate. But when it comes to album and ticket sales, these acts sell the most. What is it about being different that appeals to so many people? Why are the unique stars talked about the most?
            Media outlets from news broadcasts to celebrities on Twitter have called Miley Cyrus’ recent remodel from innocent Disney actress to provocative pop star an outrage. Her now infamous performance at the MTV Video Music Awards was called inappropriate beyond belief, along with her edgy videos for her singles We Can’t Stop and Wrecking Ball, and the explicit language she uses often on her new album Bangerz. These, and every other aspect of her life, have been evaluated and pulled apart by the general public and have been said to be over-the-top and definitely crossing every moral line possible. But why did her album top the Billboard charts at number one? Why do her two music videos have over 500,000,000 views on YouTube combined? Why does she have over 15,000,000 Twitter followers? Is there an explanation for why Miley is one of the biggest artists in the world right now? It’s as simple as this: people are infatuated with different. They crave the unique, the outrageous, the over-the-top. These celebrities do things that many of us would never dream of doing, and make us wonder what would it feel like to be doing that? “Even people who want to hate on me, they can’t even shut down the fact that I’m literally what everyone is talking about. I don’t want to say that I’m on top right now – I feel like I’m kind of an underdog in a cool way. It’s almost punk rock to like me because it’s not the right thing to do. Like, society wants to shut me down,” said Miley in a recent interview for Cosmopolitan Magazine. Other celebrities like Lady Gaga and Madonna have also become mega pop icons from crazy and explicit actions. And when they are being praised or even criticized, all that’s happening is they are becoming more… and more… famous.
            This method has been used not only for performances, but also music genres. The 1975, a relatively new band based in the UK, have been criticized for their 80’s influenced, punk rock sound, that seems to have little to no true genre. "The tastemaker press didn't understand it,” said lead singer Matty Healy in an interview for The Guardian. “Because we aren't a dance band, because we don't sound like the Libertines. I think we've got quite a postmodern attitude to the creation of music, and it's split a lot of people down the middle because they don't know how to take it." Some love their sound, calling it fresh and inventive, as Healy takes from everything from U2 to Michael Jackson. Others find The 1975’s music to be confusing and “too unique”, taking into consideration that most of their first, self-titled album, is based mainly on the theme of love and drugs. Even with all of the abhorrent comments, their edgy tunes have gotten to number one on the Billboard charts within a week of release and sold out shows all across the UK, America, and Asia.
            As for me? I believe that fame is truly a game, a game of attention, money, and all out creativity. I myself am a huge fan of Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and The 1975. Unlike some others, I have no shame in saying that I find weird interesting. I think we all need to embrace the craving we have for unique artists in the music industry. After all, without them, who would put the pop in pop culture?    
                    

Sources:










Sunday, October 27, 2013

Homeland Season 3: Episode 5 - The Yoga Play

http://compass-images-4.comcast.net/ccp_img/pkr_prod/VMS_POC_Image_Ingest/25/609/media-1510116483058874807-Xfinity_Homeland_1280x640__608488.jpg 

As anyone heard about this little television series? The Emmy and Golden Globe award winning Showtime series? Starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis? The show President Obama hailed as his favorite television program?

Well I am glad to say that Season 3 of this psychological thriller has finally found its way after a dull and tedious four episodes. 

First let me recap: Basically Danes stars has Carrie Mathison, a CIA analyst and former field agent who was grounded after disobeying orders and causing a crisis after she infiltrated a Middle Eastern prison. Mathison struggles to adjust to her now role and to make things complicated, she has bipolar disorder and cannot seek treatment because it will expose her and get her fired. Known for being impulsive and fiercely passionate about her work, Carries receives intelligence that a American prisoner-of-war has been turned into a terrorist and will incite vengeance on America. This supposed POW is Nicholas Brody, played by Damian Lewis, a marine sniper who was captured and tortured for eight years. Season 1 was a masterpiece, exploring Mathison's efforts to uncover the truth about Brody while he struggles to reconnect with his adulterous wife (who believed him to be dead) and teenage children, as well as daily life. Season 2 focused on the burgeoning political career of Brody and revealed a huge plot twist about him, which Carrie was instrumental in.

However, this great drama went a bit sour halfway through Season 2, with implausible events. Season 3 began with a solemn attitude, as characters had to deal with the shocking ending of the former season. Please be prepared, several SPOILERS are about to follow and I implore you not to read unless you are up-to-date with the series.

During Season 1, Carrie begins an affair with Brody but he tearfully ends it when finds out about her suspicions regarding him being a terrorist. However, it turns out that Carrie was right all along and Brody really was a terrorist. After an intense interrogation, Carrie convinces Brody to return to the 'good side' and professes her love for him. Brody complies and he and Carrie resume their relationship at the end of season two, yet this is cut short when Brody is accused of bombing the CIA killing several of the series cast members. Carrie smuggles him out of the country and must deal with the repercussions.

In Season 3, Carrie's affair with Brody is publicized by her mentor Saul, played by Mandy Patinkin, and Carrie is entered into a psych ward after she stops taking her medication and plans to reveal confidential CIA secrets. In order to escape she makes a deal with a shady businessman to relay information to a terrorist head, which turned out to be a plan that she devised with Saul from the very beginning. Seem intriguing? What bogged down Season 3 was the continuous looks of Carrie as she sinks to rock bottom along with filler plot lines surrounding the Brody Bunch (Jessica, the mother, and her children Dana and Christ). Damian Lewis only appeared in one episode that did not seem to advance his storyline. Basically, he is wounded in South America and being held by some gang that is given no back-story.

Last night's episode, "The Yoga Play" represented a return to form for Homeland. Containing the relationship exploits of young and pouty Dana Brody, the story centered more on Carrie's deal with the terrorist leader, which leads to her kidnapping, and the placement of a government official as Director of the CIA, replacing Saul.

Featuring excellent performances, a well developed and sometimes humorous script, the series is once again showing promise and I am excited to see next week's episode.

New episodes of 'Homeland' air every Sunday night at 10 pm on Showtime.


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Miss America Outcome: The Latest in American Racism



Miss New York Nina Davuluri has won the Miss America Beauty Pageant. The 24 year old beauty was one of the two Asian-Americans in the final round. Miss Davuluri won the competition becoming the first Indian-American to become Miss America.

Davuluri's platform was "Celebrating Diversity Through Cultural Competency." For the talent portion of the competition, she performed a classical Indian dance infused with Bollywood moves.

However, Davuluri's win was met with a shocking amount of controversy. Twitter was flooded with ugly remarks, calling Ms. Davuluri an Arab and stating she was 'too brown' to represent America. Some went as far as to call her a terrorist while others said that Miss America should be a "white girl with light colored hair."

Ms. Davuluri says that she has always viewed Miss America as the girl next door, but the girl next door is evolving as the diversity in America evolves. She's not who she was 10 years ago, and she's not going to be the same person come 10 years down the road. She remains positive and optimistic about her role as Miss America, and is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle after battling obesity and bulimia when she was younger.

It is absolutely absurd how much criticism Davuluri has encountered due to her Asian heritage and brown skin. Born in New York to two successful parents, she attended the University of Michigan where she received a degree in brain behavior and cognitive science. Beautiful, intelligent, educated, American born...what else does America want?

Monday, September 9, 2013

Job well done or just poor taste?

 
 
 
What would you do if you stopped behind this truck in traffic? Despite its surreal appearence, this scene is acually a decal produced by Hornet Signs, a Texas-based company. Artistically this is an exceptional piece of work and the talent used in making the decal is without a doubt brilliant. However, the subject matter is rather distasteful. With crime against women on the rise, I think that it was in poor taste to portray such bondage and abuse in order to make a profit. In addition, to place this image on a vehicle where it will become a public display, I wonder what confusion this could cause on a busy highway or to people passing by. How does a parent driving behind this decal explain such a depiction to their children? I would appreciate it if Hornet Signs could use their talents to illustrate more positive images, or something witty that can humor onlookers. I acknowledge that some may think that a business is a business, and that Hornet Signs was simply complying to the requests of a customer. But, shouldn't they refuse to service anyone desiring to promote such public displays of violence? 
 
 

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

VMAS 2013

Incase you missed it, the 2013 Video Music Awards on Aug. 25 were completely insane. There was a bit of everything; Lady Gaga being of course, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus trying too hard, a panic-inducing NSYNC reunion, Taylor Swift jabbing at one of her exes (what's new), One Direction getting booed while accepting their award (with Lady Gaga soon coming to their defense backstage) and Katy Perry acing her performance.

Of all the topics to discuss, I'd like to dabble on one; oh, Miley.

There's a fine line between proving to the world that one has shed their bubblegum pop Disney Channel days by either gracefully maturing into a young adult performer, and doing a complete 270 and performing near-erotica on national television. I'm not one to judge. Miley wanted the attention- she got it. But couldn't she have earned it in a more positive light? Was it really necessary to grind and "twerk" on a married father? Yes, Miley shared the stage quite closely with singer Robin Thicke on a duet to his own racy tune, "Blurred Lines." The vulgarity of her performance was unbecoming of a woman with class.

I'm side-eyeing Thicke, too. This isn't entirely "Miley's fault." He should have taken responsibility as a grown man, father, and husband to not let a 20 year old flaunt her stuff all over him on national television. Um, each to their own I guess?

Of course, there's always going to be the "but Taylor Swift did this" comparison to any outrageous act done by her celebrity counterpart. When her former "boyfriend" (of a month), Harry Styles of UK boy band One Direction was on stage, the camera panned to Taylor who seemed to have said "shut the f&%# up" to fellow singer and friend Selena Gomez. What a thoughtful remark from America's sweetheart. Now, although she is known for her catty ex-boyfriend callouts and infamous, repetitive songs about heartbreak, Taylor doesn't need to gyrate half-naked on men old enough to be her father for attention.

What happened Miley? Was the Disney experience that painful? Should I stop encouraging my 9 year old cousin to go to their castings in fear she will get famous and turn out like you? So many girls who looked up to you in the past, including myself, disappointed and honestly worried for your well-being. What a letdown.

Someone needs to go back to Nashville.