Category Archives: Lists

15 Disturbing Lisa Frank Designs That Are Deceivingly Awesome

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Like many young girls growing up in the U.S. between the years of 1990-2000, I fell into the trap that is Lisa Frank. The out of this world designs, the use of every color in the spectrum, the need to have all the stickers, trapper keepers, notebooks and folders money could buy! I wanted it all!

But looking back, and taking a deeper look into the Lisa Frank portfolio, I’ve noticed that these are some pretty trippy designs – like I wouldn’t be surprised if Lisa herself was on shrooms or something while coming up with this stuff. Yet all of it was genius, and she made millions – and is still making millions – on a new generation of kids eating this stuff up, and the generation like ours, just looking for a sense of nostalgia.

Here are just some of designs that upon further inspection, are actually disturbing, politically incorrect, or just ridiculously weird.

The watermelon is wearing a bikini, yet her insides are still showing.

Aliens need love and platform shoes too.

My cats hang out in my pink high tops all the time too.

#Equality

Were insects a thing that girls were into? Like they’re not even cartoony.

A cute cat angel or Lisa Frank’s subtle message about life after death?

Jaws on acid.

Bitch, I’m fabulous.

Just because they’re golden labs playing in their own sandcastle doesn’t mean they’re American. Check out the flag, racists. Viva Mexico!

Bears can’t do splits.

Just… everything about this gypsy pig is disturbing.

This polar bear is getting a little too close to the Eskimo chick for my liking.

And now she’s with the husky? Polar bear is on to you, son.

Just explain this one to me.

No comment.

Bilingual Actors Who Don’t Need Rosetta Stone

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I recently came across this gem on Tumblr, in which RDJ & Gwyneth Paltrow are at a press conference for Iron Man 3 in France, and Pepper Potts was a show off and answered all the questions in French.

Turns out Gwyneth spent a summer in Paris, which explains her flunecy.

And she also speaks Spanish, since she also spent a lot of time in Toledo, Spain as a teen. Unfortunately she’s doing an interview about Contagion – the worst movie I will never see – so it’s probably good that I can only understand about 75% of this.

Speaking of Spanish and Gwyneth, her former boyfriend Ben Affleck also speaks Spanish, since both he and his bro Casey spent time in Mexico as teens. Also, re this vid: Ben Affleck + The Town + Ben talking about Juan Hamm being handsome = Traci needing an inhaler

And more hot guys speaking languages I don’t understand:

Bradley Cooper speaking French **SWOOON** He’s so friggin good. And all I know is that he mentions Leonardo DiCaprio, but says his name in a very French accent.

A young Joseph Gordon-Levitt also speaking French and channelling his bud Heath Ledger

We know Colin Firth can put together a sentence in Portugese per Love Actually, but IRL, he’s much better at Italian.

The daughter of a German opera singer, Sandra Bullock lived in Deutschland for most of her childhood. I really hope she’s teaching little Louie German too. I mean, how cute would that be?

Natalie Portman is known for staying strong with her Jewish roots, so naturally, Hebrew is among one of her many talents.

Ugh. Charlize Theron is not only gorgeous but she speaks Afrikaans, her native language from South Africa. Whatever. I used to be able to speak Pig Latin and that made up language from Zoom.

Mila Kunis moved to West Hollywood from Ukraine with her family, and still speaks fluent Russian. My favorite part of this interview is watching Justin Timberlake clearly have no idea what she’s saying.

LL Cool J Has a Really Good Publicist

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It’s not the ladies that just love cool James. Everyone wants a piece of him.

I started noticing a year or so ago that  LL was showing up at every public event I saw on TV/online/in magazines, etc. Sure, he’s one of those multi-faceted actors that is always busy doing something, so naturally he’s everywhere. But Todd (because we’re friends and I call him that) was appearing in the oddest of places, making me think that this man has a pretty good publicist to get him all these appearances. I mean pre- Brad Paisley/Accidental Racist controversy, seeing LL at any country music awards show was beyond mind-boggling. Mix the unexpectedness with the frequency at which he was popping up, I feel like it’s LL’s world and we’re just living in it. Here are a few appearances of note:

Grammy Awards – 2013 (host), 2012, 2010, 2009

People’s Choice Awards – 2013, 2010

Creative Arts Emmys – 2012

Academy of Country Music Awards – 2012

NAACP Image Awards – 2012, 2011, 2010, 2007

Spike TV Video Game Awards – 2011, 2008

Primetime Emmy Awards – 2011, 2010, 2009

Screen Actors Guild Awards – 2011

Golden Globe Awards – 2011

BET Hip Hop Awards – 2011, 2008

CNN Heroes – 2010

Teen Choice Awards – 2010

Tony Awards – 2004

yes, that’s carol channing. ll cool j presenting with hello dolly at the tony awards.

And then there were the times he showed up on random shows…

Project Runway – 2008 (Guest Judge) 

Sesame Street – 2010

Not to mention all the talk shows he’s been on, Jay Leno, Ellen, The Talk, Big Morning Buzz Live (VH1), Craig Ferguson, Piers Morgan, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan, Jimmy Fallon, Carson Daly, Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, The View, etc.

And of course, you can always catch him on NCIS (where he apparently plays a superhero)

Roger Sterling, Silver Fox: My Top Old Man Crushes

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Mad Men is back on the air, and with it, is one of my favorite grey-haired characters, Roger Sterling. I’d like to say this is outside the norm for me, this attraction to a mature gent, but truth be told it isn’t. Even though I’m young-ish, most of the time I’m into a celebrity, it begins with the phrase “I have this weird crush on…”.

If, like me, you think that Roger Sterling is pure platinum, then maybe you will understand the following weird crushes:

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton was my first weird crush, probably. This dates back, embarrassingly enough, to his sex scandal days. However, I probably didn’t fully understand that at the time, because I was a pint-sized 11-year-old at Catholic school. In hindsight, I don’t know if my crush began with Slick Willy himself or with Clinton as played by Darrell Hammond, because I was really into SNL at the time. Actually, the latter is probably more embarrassing, so let’s just say not that. Really, I like Bill in spite of the Lewinsky thing, not because of it. He’s so smart and charismatic! Babies love him, as do some old people. Bill’s a charmer. Besides, if anything or anyone is Hillary Clinton-endorsed, they can’t be half bad.

Friedrich Bhaer

Friedrich Bhaer is a fictional character. He’s not what you’d call real, exactly.  He is a  much-older German professor who takes up with Jo March at the end of Little Women, but he’s exactly the right match for her. She and Laurie wouldn’t have worked out, long-term. Anyway, in Little Men, they open up a boarding school for boys and it’s pretty much the cutest. In the 1994 film adaptation, Bhaer was played by a dapper, gray-tinted Gabriel Byrne, and it really worked. Or, it really worked if you were the world’s creepiest third-grader, anyway.

Christoph Waltz

As I sort of suddenly discovered during the Oscar liveblog, I have a weird crush on Christoph Waltz. I don’t know. I guess my type is middle aged, kindly, intelligent German nationals. But he is kind of appealing, right? No? All the more aging Bavarian men for me, then.

This One Professor I Had In Law School

This guy taught… I don’t know, civil procedure? Criminal procedure? He taught a class in law school that I definitely attended. We called him the Silver Fox and he was, he really was. I wish I still worked in his legal market so I could run my hands through his glimmering locks… or, I mean, attend one of his CLEs.

The Late Paul Newman, Circa 1980s

I’m not even sorry about it.

The Gracefully Aging Matt LeBlanc And Matthew Perry

In normal cases, I’d list these two without reservations. The only problem is that their greying hair also carries with it the demise of my youth. I don’t like that reminder. But still…

Roger Sterling

Obviously.

Be My BFF: A Love Letter to Anna Kendrick

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Of course I was aware of Anna Kendrick, mainly from Up in the Air, not Twilight (c’mon, folks). But the more TV interviews I saw of her, the more I knew we could potentially be the best of friends. Obviously I did some further research on Anna, and I made the connection that she was in Camp, one of the most niche, musical theater movies ever. In my opinion, she stole the show with her fantastic, mature version of Ladies Who Lunch. I used to listen to that version over and over again in 2003, and had no idea who she was or what was to become of her. Turns out, Anna had been on Broadway when she was only 12 years old, and had already been nominated for a Drama Desk Award AND a Tony Award!! My brain exploded. She was a theater girl?!!?  WE WERE MEANT TO BE. Then my fasination with her only began to grow, as I watched every interview, read every tweet, stalked every Instagram pic.

And that, fellow readers, is why she has a restraining order against me.

I jest. In an effort to get you all on board with the AK47 (which is her Twitter name and I just realized how awesome it was), here’s a few reasons why she is just the most awesome person ever. If you’re reading this… let’s be pals.

Accurately explaining the difference between East Coasters vs. West Coasters on Ellen

“Mysoginistic rapper Anna Kendrick has a dirty Taco Bell secret” on Conan

She already likes Azns (Per her Funny or Die sketch with real K-Pop group f(x) )

In the event you haven’t seen Pitch Perfect (do it), AK47 is an amazing singer

Like, really, really good. And living out the dream of singing with Kristin Chenoweth

Like, she’s so good, she’s playing the lead in the musical adaptation of The Last Five Years – WHICH IS ONLY MY FAVORITE MUSICAL EVER

She hangs out with the coolest people


But also wants to be friends with celebs, just like us

Laura Benanti, Broadway goddess




We have the same feels




And insecurities





And pop culture interests





And is just hilarious, in general






In short, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And to answer your question, dough. Always dough.

Amy Poehler: Sage to all

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If you know either Molly or I, or have even been reading this blog for a while, you know that we have a special place in our heart for Amy Poehler. So naturally, I follow (read: stalk) everything she does. Amy started a website/YouTube channel a while ago called Smart Girls at the Party, which inspires, encourages, and features young, smart, women. All their featured shows are fantastic (and even involve dance parties!), but one of my favorites on the site (and on the internet) is Ask Amy.

This is a series of short videos in which Amy answers viewer questions, and focuses on one topic per episode. You may have seen the latest episode make its rounds on the internet.

I Love You Boston

As you can tell, she approaches these videos and topics from an honest, earnest place, and genuinely wants to give advice to everyone watching. What’s touching about this particular episode is that Amy, who is a Boston-area native, is clearly fed up with last week’s horrific events, and her downcast and fed up demeanor exemplifies exactly what I’m assuming all of America is feeling right now. And while we may not have all the answers to what’s going on, there is something we can do to prevent from becoming too saturated with the bad things in the world.

Sigh. I love her so much. Here are a few of my favorite episodes, but I suggest you check the whole site out!!

Goodbye
“The only thing we can depend on is change… Life is just a series of moments… a string of pearls that make up the necklace of your life and every once in a while to complete the circle, you need to end a chapter.” (Bonus Abel at the end!!!)

Decisions
“Most decisions aren’t final. Feelings change all the time. You can always change your mind and taking risks and making choices is what makes life so exciting because we never know whats going to happen. Every day something new comes our way. Isn’t that exciting?”

Letting Go

“Let go of the idea of trying… Letting go suddenly is an act of faith and the universe provides for you what is really meant to be.”

Courage

“Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it.”

Stress
In which Amy sits in a bathtub and calls herself a crazy person.

Playlist of the Month: April Showers

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You’re familiar with the old saying, “April Showers bring May Flowers,” so we figured why not give you some appropriate songs to listen to while the rain comes down and you’re stuck inside wishing you were somewhere it was sunny. Check out some of our fave tunes to listen to while waiting for the sun to come out.

Want to listen to all these tunes on one playlist? Check it out on Spotify!

Traci’s picks:

Leave by Steve Kazee (Once: A New Musical)

If you’re not familiar with Once, please please please check it out. Based on the movie of the same name and the songs of The Swell Season, this show is a hit on Broadway, and even won the Tony for the Best Musical. With all this praise, you would think I’ve seen it a million times, but I haven’t seen it at all. Good news is that I’m finally getting to see this magical show when it comes to LA!!! In 2014. Womp Womp. Anyways, NPR was streaming the entire album when the show first opened, and it just so happened that when I listened to it for the first time, it was raining. Ever since then, I can’t imagine listening to anything other than this soundtrack while it pours down outside.

The Shape of Us by Ian Britt

I was introduced to this song from an episode of Parenthood, and per usual, it was the thing that pushed me right over the edge to bawl like a child.

Blue Ocean Floor by Justin Timberlake

This song from JT’s new album is quite different than anything else he’s ever released, and I am loving it. I find that I have to be in a certain type of mood to listen to this, preferably at night or – while it’s raining.

Skinny Love by Birdy

Well kids, this girl is 16 years old and better than you, so we can all stop trying. Her cover of Bon Iver is haunting and comforting at the same time. Like a nice warm bowl of tomato soup.

All My Days by Alexi Murdoch

This was the main track from the Away We Go movie soundtrack, and it was just perfect for the tone of the movie. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph travelled all across the U.S. to find a place to settle down before the birth of the impending birth of their kid, and this song hits just the right notes of the journey to find a home and knowing everything was going to work out.

Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars

Apparently my theme for rainy day songs means depressing songs too. Which is fine by me, because these are all great jams. And as for this one, listening to any Civil Wars song when it’s raining out is acceptable.

Molly’s picks:

Trapeze Swinger by Iron and Wine

Weather that makes you feel happy-sad calls for a song that makes you feel the same. This is one of my favorite songs, but by the end it’s a tossup as to whether I’m smiling or crying.

Kathy’s Song by Simon and Garfunkel

Poor Paul Simon is so broken-hearted and sweet – “I know that I am like the rain/ there but for the grace of you go I” – that I’ll love him if this Kathy girl never comes back.

Aguas de Marco by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim

This is one of those songs that you know, but you don’t know that you know it. After a listen it will probably sound familiar. Technically this is about MARCH showers, but that’s the rainy month in Brazil. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, the song sounds like rain falling. And if you do understand the lyrics, then you’ll probably feel simultaneously uplifted and bummed out. Rain does that.

Sunshine by JJ Heller

JJ Heller is technically a Christian artist, but don’t let that hold you off (to paraphrase a quote misattributed to Gandhi, I like your Christ but I do not like your Contemporary Christian Music). She writes about everything, and there’s nothing religious in this song, or a lot of her others. The laid-back sound of this song reminds me of a rainy day, but the good kind: cozy and happy.

Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson

If it’s going to rain, you may as well stay in and be joyful and charming about it.

The Best Moments of the MTV Movie Awards

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The lovely Rebel Wilson did not disappoint on Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards, and the show had its fair share of memorable moments, including the much awaited Pitch Perfect reunion and Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt!

And while I haven’t watched Movie Awards as religiously as I used to as a teen, I wanted to take a second to remember some of the greatest MTV Movie Awards moments of the past. Ok, in full diclosure, this is basically a way for me to relive the golden era that was Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. So what.

Jennifer Lopez and Tom Cruise (as Len Grossman) dancing – 2010
This is just as odd as it sounds.

Jim Carrey accepting Best Male Performance – 1999
Jim got into character to receive his award. Word is still out on exactly which character it was he was getting into.

Jimmy Fallon & Kirsten Dunst co-hosting – 2005
Good lord everything about this is sooo 2005. Sorry KiKi – you tried singing. Good thing my mad J Fall was there to rescue you from sucking.

Kristen Stewart dropping her Golden Popcorn – 2010
HAHAHA

Hilary Duff and Amanda Bynes – 2003
This clip isn’t even from the actual awards show, but it’s a reminder that as a child star, you can go either one of two ways when you grow up.

Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling accept Best Kiss – 2005
Best moment in the show’s history? Probably. I will randomly think of this and rewatch it, hoping my powers will bring these two soulmates back together… I need a boyfriend.

Characters I Would Not Hate If They Were Played By Different Actors

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You know when you’re sitting at home, watching one of your regularly schedule programs, and enjoying every minute of it, until this one person shows up on your screen and ruins everything? Like, everything about your TV watching experience? My boss and I both love Parenthood, and agree that it’s one of the best dramas on the air right now. However, we greatly differ on one thing: Lauren Graham. He hates her. He can’t stand her acting, and he can’t stand her character, so put it together, and you get this 40-something year old guy ranting about how he has to mute it when she comes on or wants there to be a plot line that kills her off.

Now for those of you who don’t know, I love Lauren Graham. If I had to pick my favorite actress ever, it would be a tie between her and Amy Poehler. I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan, so naturally I adore LG. I love her personality even more – have you seen her interviews with Ellen? Anyways, the point is that my boss always says Maura Tierney would’ve been such a better Sarah Braverman, and he would probably like her much better than LG now (if you didn’t know, Maura Tierney was originally cast as Sarah, but she was diagnosed with cancer and decided to leave the show, and they cast LG, and had to reshoot the pilot).

So in saying that, here are some characters I think would probably be much more tolerable if it was a different actor playing the role.

Jason Stiles – Gilmore Girls

Ah, Digger Stiles. Out of all of Lorelai’s boyfriends, you were the worst. And I’m including coffee shop Alex who made plans with Lorelai to go fishing, but it was Luke who taught her how to fish instead, and now he’s the main guy on Revolution. I really try not to judge a book by its cover, but with Jason, I am. He is a 4 compared to Lor’s 10. I mean she ended up with one of the manliest hottest men ever, Luke. How can you even compare him to Digger Stiles? His character was just not her type at all, so add an unlikable actor to that, and it’s not going to be well received by the fans.

Ellis Boyd – Smash

not an actual quote from smash

I found that picture from an article called “The Most Hated Character on TV?” I’m not the only one. For anyone who watched the first season, you know that this was the one person on the show who you could just picture yourself crawling into the TV and smacking him upside the head. I’d say hating Ellis is 50% hating the character and 50% hating the actor, played by Jaime Cepero (and coincidentally used to work in the Boston theater scene). He was just the absolute worst assistant would would literally do anything to get further in his career. But luckily for him, it looks like he’s not really missing anything since he’s been MIA after the first season and the show is doing horribly.

Dr. Erica Hahn – Grey’s Anatomy

This bitch. She came in and swooped in on Dr. Burke’s cardiothorassic legacy, leaving his gf and Seattle Grace’s fave doctor, Cristina Yang in the dust. Not only was she mean to Dr. Yang, but she also macked on Dr. Callie Torres, making them the first same-sex couple on the show. But there was always something off about her, and it’s probably the fact that when I look at her, I feel like I’m staring at a cold, damp, cement wall that is stationed somewhere in the middle of Russia. I don’t know why, but that’s what I feel, ok? She didn’t last long, because word on the street is that ABC execs didn’t like her either and forced Shonda Rhimes to kick her off the show.

Mark Brandanawicz – Parks and Recreation

ugh your face

More like “Mark Brandanaquitz!” Am I right, ladies? Long before Ben and Leslie liked and loved each other, she once pined for this guy. Who in my opinion, looked like a potato. He was just there. The fact that Leslie, one of, if not the most, strong-willed female characters on TV, was still harboring feelings for this guy who she hooked up with a long time ago is beyond me. He also dated Ann, which again, we’re back to the Jason Stiles complex, if it had been a better looking guy (so sorry, Paul Schneider), I might have believed their romance? But, I didn’t get it. No chemistry between any of them. Hell, Leslie and Ann have better chemistry with each other than he did with either of them.

Ivy Dickens – Gossip Girl

I still can’t tell you why Ivy was brought in as a new character in season 4. Maybe it had something to do with Serena’s grandma and the fact she was bribed to make the VanDerWoodsen clan believe she was their long lost cousin, ugh I don’t know. I can’t even really tell you why I kept watching Gossip Girl after season 2. But there was just something about Kaylee DeFer’s acting AND her voice that bugged the shit out of me. Like, just stop talking. No.

Pete Campbell – Mad Men

Pete CampbellPete Campbell is the epitome of a character you love to hate (see: 30 Reasons why you love to hate Pete Campbell). He’s WASPy, an ass, immature, and as of last season, an adulterer. And on the other hand, you have Vincent Kartheiser. He is a weird dude. In an interview with The Guardian, these words literally came out of his mouth:

“I don’t really go anywhere to buy things. In fact, I have been in a slow process of selling and giving away everything I own… Like, I don’t have a toilet at the moment.”

This is the man who is marrying Rory Gilmore IRL. But the thing is, you’re not really sure if he’s actually an asshat or of it’s just some ruse he does for the media. And if he is really a douche, then he’s perfect for the role of Pete. I’m so torn but I can’t not put him on this list.

Unintentionally Disturbing Boy Band Lyrics

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Time for a confession: although I was of prime age during the boy band golden era of 1997 – 2002, I was terribly disinterested in them. It was all too manufactured! Find 4-5 young men between the ages of 15 and 27. Make sure they can all sing. Choreograph dances that make heavy use of folding chairs. Try to ensure that key “types” are present: the cute one, the older one, the funny one, the weird-looking one with stupid hair, the sporty one, the ginger one, the posh one. Some of those might just have been Spice Girls or Disney dwarfs. All that’s left is finding songs for them to sing…. but that’s where things really fell apart. In a rush to move up the TRL charts as quickly as possible, some songs got released with lyrics that were sort of awful. Terrifying. Disturbing as heck. Now that we’re all adults here, I think it’s time to admit that these were very, very bad.

We Got It Goin On by the Backstreet Boys

“Well I’m creepin’ up on your left

Straight up funky when I get with you

Keep it ruthless when I get wet”

Did anyone else know about this? Because I sure didn’t until right now. I think they hid this creepery in the middle of the song and figured nobody would notice. You know what actually sounds like the worst thing in the world ever? A wet gentleman creeping up on my left and then being ruthless at me.

As Long As You Love Me by the Backstreet Boys

“Every little thing that you have said and done

Feels like it’s deep within me

Doesn’t really matter if you’re on the run

It seems like we’re meant to be

I don’t care who you are (who you are)

Where you’re from (where you’re from)

What you did

As long as you love me”

This song takes codependence to new and terrifying lows. It sounds a lot like BSB is definitely singing about someone with a criminal record here. “Doesn’t really matter if you’re on the run?” “Don’t care what you’ve done?” Maybe I’m just hard-hearted, but I care A LOT whether or not you’ve committed murder, stolen from a church, or have to put one of those signs on your door telling trick-or-treaters that you’re a registered sex offender. As if that weren’t enough, BSB doesn’t care “as long as you love me.” That’s what low self-esteem will do to you, kids. You’ll go out with someone who isn’t allowed within a half mile of an elementary school, as long as they say they love you.

God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You by NSync

“The heart of a child

That’s deep inside

Leaves me purified”

Dude, no. You have to date GROWNUPS, though.

Most of NSync’s 1997 Self-Titled Debut

Individually, none of the songs are too bad. But taken as a whole:

  • Drive Myself Crazy
  • Crazy For You (“wherever I go/ Whatever I do/ I’m crazy for you”)
  • I Just Wanna Be With You, which includes the words “you’re driving me crazy,” “my love is insane/ pleasure and pain,” and then an unsettling repeat of “I just wanna be with you” and “you and me gotta stay together”
  • I Want You Back (“I’m going crazy without you”)

We’re looking at a whole lot of crazy. Right? These are… not healthy relationships. If there are a lot of 20-something ladies who think that the ultimate in romance is somebody declaring that they love you so much that they are mentally unstable, I blame this album.

Can I Touch You There by 98 Degrees
Literally this whole song. I feel like if I type out the lyrics my very hands will catch an STD, but just trust me. Still, props for getting permission instead of just creeping on my left, I guess (looking at you, Backstreet Boys).