P o p M u s e

BEST SERIES OF 2012: The OUTS

 

I'm not gonna call it a Web Series, becasue it is so much more. 

It's better than anything I've seen on TV all year and I watch pretty much everything (not kidding). 

Better than any film I've seen, though that wasn't too hard, was there a good movie released this year? 

I was so moved by this series I wrote the writer/director a fan letter on facebook - A F*CKING FAN LETTER!

I was so touched by the story, the actors, the writing, the music that I donated money to their Kickstarter - I gave a good amount but seriously I dont think I gave enough for what I got in return.

I laughed, I creid, I got nostagic for my 20s, for first loves, for New York, for art, for following your dreams, and for LOTS OF OTHER THINGS.

The story structure, the way it all unfolds, the uncensored rawness is so unique, and so ONLY something that could happen online.

The culture that built around it, the fan made GIFs on Tumblr, the soundtrack, the merch - so 2012 in all the right ways.

WATCH EPISODES 1 - 6

Becoming Chaz on OWN

PopMuse was lucky enough to see a screening of this wonderful doc about Chaz Bono called Becoming Chaz.  Yes it's about his transitioning but it's really about a girlfriend-girlfriend to boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and a mother-daughter to mother-daughter-kinda-ok-with-you-being-my-son relationship.  Needless to say it's a must see and it's on OWN this week. 

And stay tuned for the aftershow called The Doc Club with Rosie O'Donnell where you might see PopMuse and Bloghungry in the audience!  Oh and Rosie interviews Chaz, Jenny, Randy & Fenton.

More info HERE at WorldOfWonder.net

Podcast Alert: The Comedy Couch w/ Dennis Hensley & Tony Tripoli

Been loving this Podcast lately.  It's best friends Tony Tripoli (Comedian, Kathy Griffin's Gay-Ex, Joan River's tour mate) and Dennis Hensley (author, actor, journalist, commentator) both from my  favorite... THE SCREENING PARTY! 

The guys are working together on The Fashion Police on E! now and have this podcast where they dish about their professional and personal lives.

I'm too busy listening to it to write about it, just start downloading now!  It's hilarious and so uncensored.  You'll love, trust the PopMuse.

DOWNLOAD: The Comedy Couch w/ Dennis Hensley & Tony Tripoli

PopMuse and Bloghungry Party with the Beekman Boys

Last night PopMuse and Bloghungry attended a premiere party for the The Fabulous Beekman Boys (Season 2) and fellow Planet Green series Dresscue Me.

World Of Wonder hosted and we got to meet and chat with Beekman Boy Josh Kilmer-Purcell (Brent went home sick before we had a chance to beg him for free soap and cheese).  But Josh was lovely and kind, just as handsome in person as on TV, and yes he was wearing his signature BOOTS!!!  (PopMuse confession of the day: I kept my OUT Magazine subscription going only to read Josh's column.  I'm a big fan of his work.)

We also got some face time with Drag Race judge Santino Rice, and Lady Bunny who was straight off the set of Drag U with some spoilers from next season (kids, it's gonna be EPIC, all I can say is Wubba Wubba Wubba.)  Also met Chaz Bono's GF and star of new OWN Doc Becoming Chaz Jennifer Elia.

So, yeah, there is a whole lot of World Of Wonder TV for you to tune into, so get to setting your DVRs!!!

Here's The Daily Freak Show from the Party:

 

Fantasia "Even Angels"

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Well this track could just about push me over the edge.  F-ing glorious!  I love 'Tasia.  And I've been loving her VH1 show "Fantasia For Real".  If you've missed it - it's fascinating, tune in or watch it here. 

It's a really fascinating study in how family can be both your savior and downfall all at once.  If there is a Season 2 (and there really should be) I want the show to go deeper in that direction.  I'm not sure everyone in that house is looking out for her as much as she is looking out for them.

Back to this AMAZING new song.  When I heard the little snippet in the episode (above) I knew it'd be a MAJOR single.  And it is.

*Note to Video Director:  I don't care what you do with the concept, I'm just gonna lay out exactly how you bring people to tears...  At 1:05 on lyric "..all you gotta do is try" no lip-synch, have Fantasia just look into camera, her whole life story is in that lyric, I promise she'll sell the song with one stare into the lens.  AND at 3:05 - 3:15 on the HUGE  "To Flyyyyy"s resist the impulse to get crazy cutty there, instead do a series of slow dip-to-black transitions.  Trust PopMuse, you'll give 'em chills if you do.

(That was funny, I haven't brought out the Video Commissioner Multiple Personality in my head in a long time.)

HEAR / D'load:  "Even Angels" [mp3]

"SECRETS OF ASPEN" ON VH1

VH1 TV Shows

Don't ask me any questions just watch it.  Stop.  Just watch it.  OK?  OK.  Bad show title. But watch IT.

Roseanne: The Complete Series

Bloghungry and I spent the better part of the Holiday Break watching the entire series of Roseanne (it's not that hard when Nick At Night, TV Land, and Oxygen all re-run it.) It is some seriously brilliant television and has an absolutely perfect Series Finale.

I remember when that Finale aired it was so confusing to her fans, but if you watch the whole series consecutively in the course of a few weeks you really get inside her head and can totally understand the three Roseanne's at work in that final scene (the character on the show, the pre-show Roseanne that it was based on, and then the successful Roseanne she became over the 10 years the show aired.) 

When the show was on the air there were constant tabloid stories about how crazy the set was with fighting and studio wars and mistreated crew and drugs and all that, yet I can't find an article on that time anywhere on-line, hello Wikipedia - LET DOWN.  Dying to know more about the behind the scenes, did she ever write a memoir?  Hmmmm. 

OK, so I went to her Blog and if you are wondering how Roseanne sees her characters ending up 10 years later, here goes (too brilliant):

reunion show

dj gets published
mark dies in iraq
david leaves darlene for a woman half his age
darlene meets a woman and they have a test tube baby
becky works at walmart
roseanne and jackie open the first medical marijuana dispensary in lanford illinois, and pay off the mortgage before the house is foreclosed on.
arnie becomes the best friend of the governor of Illinois
mom sells a painting for ten grand
nancy and arnie remarry
jerry and the grandsons form a band like the jonas brothers
dan shows up alive after faking his death.
leon has a sex change op.
bonnie gets busted for selling crack.

MTV VMAs 2009

Pretty great.  Best awards show I've seen in years actually.  I couldn't stop thinking about the "moments" all night and into today.

So Kayne, yep he's an ass, not because of the stunt, he has done that at other award shows.  It's because he said "I'm gonna let you finish."  It wasn't his award show to let anyone do anything.  And I don't think he had any idea how seriously all of America (myself excluded) has fallen for that little Taylor Swift girl, she has become a national treasure, so to snipe "her moment" was a larger offense than he knew.  It is not gonna be OK for Kayne for a while, unless he appears with Taylor Swift tonight in a photo or on Letterman, he'll be benched for a while, which I am fine with, he needed a massive ego check.

Madonna was hilarious making that speech all about her with the British accent she's a great Diva - period.  But what was up with the hair and outfit?  The dance tribute to MJ was awful, those dancers weren't tight at all.  Janet is cute, I'll always love her, but her vocal track was awful and were those all choreographers dancing with her?  Needed a better shot of that.

Beyonce, Gaga and Pink all delivered performance-wise.  But the speeches were better.  Pink's twitter about Kayne was brill and hearing she needed to be restrained from kicking his ass was wonderfully Pink.  Gaga and her "God and Gays" moment with Eminem standing behind her holding her headpiece was impossibly perfect - love her for that. 

And of course Beyonce won the night with the best sentence uttered at the show.  "I remember being 17-years-old, up for my first MTV Award with Destiny's Child and it was one of the most exciting moments in my life, so I'd like Taylor to come out and have HER moment."  Again edited... "17", "one of", "Taylor", "Her Moment" - amazing.  She reigned like a queen, and settled what could have been a civil war had Taylor not gotten her "moment". 

You can watch it all HERE at MTV.com

Bruce Weber on SUNDANCE CHANNEL

FYI:  Sundance Channel is playing all of Bruce Weber's Docs this month.  Make sure to check out Chop Suey, a film that has somehow never been released on DVD.  His docs say they are about this and that, but don't let that scare you, they are only about his signature photography (ya know the stuff you masturbated to as a kid) come to life.  Check it. 

Sundance Channel Dot Com has a virtual gallery filled with info on Weber and his work for those of you unaware.

Blossom Mondays "Jimmy"

Sleep has been tough to come by in our household these days and we ARE doing shifts (like a PopMuse reader suggested).  Which means I have these clips of middle of the night hours where it is just me and the baby. 

During these stretches of late-night, I find myself having either clairvoyant visions or deep sense memories (like the first time I tasted sushi). 

Another memory that came up was related to the show Blossom (and 80's twinks).  And then I decided I would post a clip from Blossom every Monday on PopMuse.  I probably won't, but it seemed like a funny and strange thing to do.  So here is the first (and probably last) "Blossom Mondays" Clip.

I love it for many reasons, but mainly for all the vests.

For more Blossom YouTube Clips, GO HERE.

Monica: The Ultimate Ride or Die Chick

Monica - U Should've Known Better

Last night I was in a restaurant and this old Monica song came on and it had me reflecting on Miss Monica and how much I love her.  (D'load track Below.)  She is a true Ride or Die chick, and I love that for her.  Where is her book, there is an autobio I would read.  These lyrics about visiting hours at a jail say it all...

What makes you think that I would forget about you
Think about it, who comes to see ya
Every Saturday and Monday, I was on that receiver...

Keyshia Cole & Monica - Trust

I think in all the midst of the madness that was my early July I forget to mention the BET Awards and how the only performance that even registered with me was the duet of Keyshia Cole and Monica.  And not because of the track, but because Monica schooled the hell out of Keyshia on that stage.  I love Keyshia's stage presense, but when Monica appears it is just OVER for Keyshia.  Just look at Monica's arm extensions, lil Keysh can't compete.  Watch above (clip gets going at 1:30 in).  Or watch it clean and in sync HERE.

D'LOAD: Monica- U Should've Known Better

D'LOAD: Monica- U Sould Have Known Better (Gomi & Escape Mix)  ...for you Boom Boom ONLY Fans.

"Dance Your Ass Off" on Oxygen

Best Summer Show of 2009.  I have never watched Dancing With The Stars and won't, tooooo corny!  But this show is perfection.  I love the contestants (of course) and whole set-up.  Everyone is in on the joke and they are respectful of it.  But the real star of the show is Mayte as a judge.  She is luminous.  It hurts my eyes to look at her she is so beautiful and posed.  I can't believe she was the same girl dancing behind Prince for all those years - she is a MAJOR star.  Learn it.

WATCH MORE CLIPS HERE