THE DAILY HEY NOW!

[RPDR 5 - Episode 6 Recap] Bitch Perfect

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:37:08 -0400

Can I get an aspirin? (It was an easy pun I couldn’t resist, sorry.)

Mini-Challenge:

Kind of a cute idea to see how good their makeup instincts are, but breaking down the concept comes down to queens trying to be boy scouts and cast a glint off their glitter eyeshadow for light to get a roughin’ it merit badge. I adored Alaska’s idea though and the funeral bug net reveal.

I’m sure they would rather have makeup on when their excitement…

…is like a discontinued lip gloss.

Main Event:

Here’s a lesson that’s easier to keep in mind when there aren’t cameras intimately shoved so far up your butt that it makes a colonoscopy look like a long distance relationship: Cheering is always going to sound louder when there’s a unified group. It doesn’t mean there is less support or expectation of your success, but you’re not dating or in alliance with any of these people and thus they’re simply not interested in anyone who isn’t living in the mirror.

Every season they accuse the girl making the teams, “you had a strategy!” they whine. Well… duh. That’s what people do in competitions. Hag before humanity.

Ivy won this challenge and I absolutely agree. She had managed to have personality without being obnoxious and sang the damn song. Let’s be real though, her runway outfit was just okay. The judges tend to get all Michael Kors and forget about fashion aesthetics if someone gets a little crafty with a non-fabric material. It’s layered paper with her face on it, a cute dress but let’s not act like she delivered Balenciaga. Considering how many underwhelming looks are being delivered this season, we have to take what we can get.

Alyssa surprisingly held it together so far, to recap what she’s been read for this season: Being disqualified from the pageant, being fat and her singing. She may be saying things that aren’t quite nice herself, but she hasn’t been making it personal on attributes that are physical or can’t be changed. I think I’ve officially claimed a side. (Btw, for a “proud juicy girl” Roxxxy, you’ve been looking shady ms. lady.)

Untucked:

Frankly, it was a long time coming with Alaska. Her outfits tend to be basic (not plain) with little accessories or fleshed out themes. If you’re not going to do camp or glamour then what is there? She’s not understanding that what the judges mean by vulnerability, they refer to committing to a character and giving us some kind of, ugh I hate to say, brand of who she is. However the Sharon comparisons have become arbitrary and downright hurtful.

My absolute favorite moment of both episodes: Jinkx laughing in Coco’s face. I mean, girl. Really? For someone constantly serving up sour patch kids, when the candyman delivers she slams the door and acts as if she never made the order in the first place. Her and Alyssa are becoming twin sisters that won’t stop arguing about whose hair is prettier and the glue gun of this constructed feud is showing at the seams.

I was glad that it wasn’t a dramatic confrontation episode this week and focused on (most) people knowing they fucked up and being honest about it, as well as breaking down individual unhealthy defensive behavior.

Notes:

- Does sound guy Lucien get happy being anywhere? Maybe he needs to quit his job and fulfill his dream as an Adam Scott impersonator or allow himself that whole milk latte in the morning.

- Can Alaska join Jinkx and Ivy already? She’s already run out of messages to send on her shirt. She should really start spelling out “HELP I’M STUCK WITH HIGH-OCTANE BITCHES AND THEY ONLY FEED US VODKA AND VIDEOS FROM OUR ESTRANGED PARENTS”

C2E2 Cosplay Brigade

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:36:43 -0400

Ever the tepid and steadfastly-almost dedicated reporter that I am, I hoisted up my disgruntled disposition towards strangers and held them down until I got a photo. Just for you guys. You’re welcome. Buy me a snow cone.

I got excited for this and jogged a little. I like manga, okay?

If a certain fancy photographer weren’t going around with his special polaroid camera, I would’ve gotten a side shot of her majestic mohawk.

Kirsa didn’t get her photo with Jason David Frank, so she needed this.

Ramona Quimby, your hair has changed over the years…

Maybe I only care about girls who look like they’d be in a Clamp manga.

Unquestionably terrible lighting but this Sherlock was pretty sweet.

This Tina had an Erotic Friend Fiction book in her backpack, superkuhyute.

The Doctor Who cosplayers are getting their own post, so stay tuned for that!

For more photos or close ups of some of these costumes, check out our facebook page and “like” us: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.362266443874963.1073741825.205982746170001&type=1&l=9823ac33f0

TDHN Exclusive: Highlights From Mad Men At The Paley Center

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:20:35 -0400

Exactly a week ago, the Paley Center in Manhattan featured a panel with the cast of Mad Men. Fans and the media filled in every sold out seat in the main theatre and the second floor. Despite seeing the festivities through a screen, this was one of the best panels I have ever attended anywhere.

Mad Men’s ensemble cast and crew was represented by the creator Matthew Weiner as well as actors Jon Hamm, Jessica Paré, John Slattery, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser and Kiernan Shipka. Brian Williams, best known for anchoring NBC Nightly News), shed his serious side and showed his fanboy colors as moderator. Very few secrets for future episodes were revealed, but here are the questions and comments fans will be most interested in:

“White men in suits did just fine”

This quote from Weiner stuck with me long after the discussion turned away from the way 1968 will be protrayed this coming season. The social unrest, anxiety over the future of the country, and the growing anti Vietnam sentiment will be important themes in the rest of Season 6. Most of the characters will be insulated from the worst of the social turmoil, but they will still feel the anxiety of the times.

Pete the Skunk

Kartheiser tried very hard to defend the indefensible parts of Pete’s personality and actions. He believes Pete is seeing behind the curtain of Don’s work habits. This season for him is more about controlling Don than becoming Don or exceeding his achievements.

The End Of Mad Men

Weiner knows how the show will end next year, and has told a few select people. “Everyone thinks it will be a disaster”, he joked. These negative opinons mean he will proceed with the current idea.

Don’t Rank The Mistresses

Jon Hamm refused again to answer which of the many women Don has had affairs with was the best or the favorite. He believes Don himself doesn’t even have the ability to judge his experiences in that way. Hamm did point out that many people believe Rachel Menken from Season 1 was different from the rest. Rachel was the only one who did not know Don was married.

The Big Mistake

Mad Men’s writers rarely make factual errors, but a throwaway line in ta recent episode ended up making headine news. Joan tells a friend she will make reservations at Le Cirque, but the iconic Manhattan restarant did not exist until 1974. Weiner apologized profusely for the error and also noted that the reaction shows how much of an impact Mad Men has on current pop culture.

“Why Did Lane Have To Die?”

This was the first question from the audience, and it is by far my favorite because it was the same question I would asked Weiner if I had the chance. He revealed that Lane’s tragic suicide at the end of last season fit with his cultural background. British expatriates were under enormous pressure from family and others to suceed in whatever venture they pursued. Failure was unacceptable, and those who failed could not go back. Lane chose death before facing the consequences of his mistakes and dealing with expectations that that did not match the results.

Sunday’s episode already highlighted some of the trends mentioned at the panel. I’m defnitely looking forward to the rest of Season 6 as well as to the next major Paley Center event.

TOP 3 REASONS WHY MY MAD FAT DIARY RULES.

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:35:02 -0400

Every few years or so comes a teen show that reaches into our jaded adult hearts and pulls out the inner adolescent in all of us. Before our biggest concern was the bump and grind of every day life, we had friends, uur small problems were the size of the universe and nothing else mattered in our lives except for us and our friends. Parents were evil, teachers knew nothing, but the world was still ours.

E4’s My Mad Fat Diary is that show for me. The series centers around Rachel “Rae” Earl (Sharon Rooney), an overweight teenage girl whose just left a mental ward. Rae is a character that rings true to a lot of us, and for once she’s a main character that doesn’t fall into the guidelines of central casting. With story lines that range from binge eating, BFF Jealousy and first crush’s My Mad Fat Diary is one of the first shows to come around in years that actually feels like a day in the life of the average teenager, a wonderful mix of My So Called Life and Bridget Jones Diary this is a show that I don’t think I’ll ever stop adoring and here’s three reasons why you wouldn’t either.

1. Intricacies of Female Friendship.

From the moment you meet Rae you get this feeling that she doesn’t know what she’s worth. She comes off as shy and restricted but as the series moves along we get to understand something that Rae doesn’t see in herself, and that’s her fearlessness. She worries about what other people think about her, predominantly her friends, but mostly her childhood best friend Chloe who is actually jealous of Rae’s engaging personality and over all coolness. Chloe does things that set Rae up to look like a complete ass because she see’s that the gang likes her a lot, and on a more fundamental level have a lot in common with her. This upsets Rae sometimes too, because the boys treat her like one of them and she just wants to be seen like a girl, where as Chloe seems to want to be accepted by the guys and not just as a cute girl. Rae and Chloe are constantly at odds with each other and you get the feeling that these two just shouldn’t be friends with each other because it’s clear the friendship is fueled by their jealousy of another and they have moved on. Luckily, this show understands the intricacies of female friendship and definitely knows how to write to it, how many of us have that friend that always gets the guy? The one that is so pretty that everyone turns their head when they walk by? Or on the other side of the realm, we have that friend with that electric personality, the one that all the boys run to when they have relationship problems? This show does a fantastic job at showing both of these perspectives of the girl world and its rare that we see it. Although we don’t hear Chloe’s thoughts a lot we understand that whenever she sets up Rae for a fall or treats her like a jerk it because she doesn’t know what else to do, Rae’s the one that gets invited to the concerts, who the boys treat like one of their own. So while you might find yourself feeling bad for Rae and Chloe’s treatment of her, you get that jealousy is a two way street in this one and in a lot of girl friendships it usually is.

2. Mothers, Daughters and Psychiatrists.

Rae has two adults on the show that she turns to and they are both as broken as she is, although one hides it better than the other.

First you have her mother, she’s a middle aged woman that acts like she wants to be Rae’s friend than her mother, and while that’s great, a balance is needed. Whenever her mother tells her to do something she rarely ever takes it seriously because her mother does inappropriate things like keeping her illegal immigrant fiance in the trunk of her car because she is afraid that immigration will come looking for him, or having sex in the middle of the night so loudly that her teenage daughter could hear. In the end Rae and Rae’s mother both love each other deeply and one day when Rae is older she’d definitely appreciate all that her mother is done for her, and you get that their relationship will be shaky and solid all at the same time.

Her second adult relationship is with her her therapist Kester. Kester is by all means a nice man and he tries to take care of Rae, but their relationship tethers dangerously close on the professional and personal scale. Rae almost begins to value Kester as a father and he as a daughter and when Rae finds out his life isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be she doesn’t see him as such a great therapist after all. Whenever Rae is feeling down her thoughts immediately jump to her therapy sessions and she gets her strength back and that’s the most important part of it all, but because their relationship is so blurred Rae wants Kester to open up to her and when she doesn’t she gets upset and does things she shouldn’t because he isn’t there to guide her along the way.

Ultimately having these two people in her life set her on the right path to be an awesome woman.

1. Realistic First Love.

Highschool boys are mostly all the same, right? They all care about one thing and they always go after the prettiest, tiniest thing in a skirt. Not Finn. When you first meet Finn he comes off as a shallow sort, he’s very quiet and dream boat like, but Rae doesn’t see it because she thinks he thinks highly of himself but it’s not like that at all. Finn is a very classic Austen Man. He’s got a shy, quietness to him that is mistaken for arrogance, when in reality he’s just a sweet boy who loves his grandmother and doesn’t just fall for any girl that comes his way. Finn treats Rae with the kind of respect that she should be treated with and his infatuation grows with every thing she says. He sees that tough girl that lives inside Rae and he admires that, it takes her a while to realize it but he’s not the best at words.. or speaking. Their relationship would make anyone gush.

I could go on and on about this show, when I initially set out to write this I thought it would be better if I talked about the characters, but this show is more than that. If you’re looking for something to watch to understand the difficulties of being a teenager again, hanging out with a core group of friends that are awesome or just something to get your mind off life this is a great show to watch, and something we can all learn from whether we want to or not.

My Mad Fat Diary airs on E4 and will be back for series 2!

Cosplay crackdown in NYC?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:16:00 -0400

So there has been something that has been grinding my gears and that is the new proposal by NYC City Councilman Peter Vallone to crack down on costumed humans. The legislation introduced is intended to crack down on costume characters or ban them outright. According to CBS, “One bill would require registration, as well as a permission slip proving that the character involved has been licensed, for anyone appearing as a costumed character. The other bill would go farther to ban costumed characters outright.” More from CBS, “Clearly, the situation can’t continue to exist the way it does, and the laws we already have don’t deal with the situation,” said Vallone, a Democrat from the 22nd District.

This is in response to a December episode in which a Cookie Monster by 42^nd Street Times Square shoved a little boy, allegedly for not getting tipped by the mother. Vallone has really thrown this out of proportion – mentioning an anti-semetic Elmo, a peverted Mario, and a violent Spider Man. “Something needs to be done” he thinks and so he has proposed banning costumes that have not been licensed by their respective copyright holders.

What does this mean for cosplayers strutting their stuff to New York Comic Con? What does this mean for Halloween parties? Hell.. what does this mean for New Yorkers and tourism? This legislation infringes upon free speech and can only open the flood gates for controlling how people choose to clothe themselves. If Disney wants to sue someone for wearing a Cinderella costume without license then fine but keep the government and MY tax dollars out of it. Who is to stop a police officer from arresting me for wearing a Sailor Moon costume if a ridiculous law like this is passed?

New Yorkers, I encourage you to write to your representatives and let Peter Vallone know that this legislation is unconstitutional. http://council.nyc.gov/d22/html/members/contact.shtml

Vallone, this one is for you:

If you live in Astoria in District 22, vote him out!

Doctor Who Review: A Short Assessment Of Clara

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:17:44 -0400

Doctor Who kicked off the second half of Series 7 last night with The Bells of Saint John. Clara moves from being the mysterious guest star to being the main companion. I watched this episode with a view of assessing Clara as a character as opposed to the plot as I have in past episode reviews.

Although she is established as the same person as Oswin from Asylum of the Daleks and Victorian Clara from The Snowmen, she is a bit different in The Bells of Saint John. This Clara is less snarky and she has no previous memories of the Doctor or anything about the world beyond modern day Earth. By the end of the episode, my overall view of Clara was quite positive. However, the loose threads from the first half of the season can become a point of fan contention if certain writing decisions are made.

Clara is a very relatable modern day woman. She’s in the awkward period between finishing college and starting a career. Many people can sympathize with her situation. Her interactions with the Doctor are not passive, and she used her knowledge of the enemy to help the Doctor save the day. Her lack of current knowledge of the past means she only sees the Doctor as a friendly stranger. I am a firm believer in each companion bringing something unique and different to the TARDIS. Tying Clara’s personality too much to her affection for the Doctor or too many similarities to others will make many fans unhappy.

Clara exists in three different timelines due to some sort of alien intervention, which has been a boon to conspiracy theorists. While it is too soon to figure out which of the many loose threads from previous seasons will end up becoming her origin story, there are already ideas being formed. The best way to avoid a pitfall would be to avoid the most obvious choice of resolution. Many people are predicting she is River’s daughter. Not only would that cause unnecessary criticism if the Doctor is indeed her father, it would also make the ending much too predictable. On the other hand; if Clara’s mystery resolves past plot holes, fans will become much more attached to her.

In the episodes to come, Clara’s character development can either go down the path of a new puzzle to solve or the road of predictability and fan criticism. The ideas established in this review will be revisited in future reviews when additional details of Clara’s background are revealed. I’m looking ahead to the rest of the series to see what adventures the Doctor has in store.

One girl's opinion about Girls.

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 22:05:00 -0400

The second season of Girls ended last week, but the talk of next season hasn’t stopped. (Seriously, people don’t shut the hell up about the show.) It doesn’t get viewers like The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones, but it has just about the same amount of hype.

Being a female in my mid 20s, I would be the target audience watching. The problem is I still haven’t figured out if I love it or hate it. A lot of people like to hate-watch things, but wouldn’t call myself a hate watcher. Another thing I haven’t figured out was if I even like any of the girls. The beginning of the series, I think I might have been rooting for Hannah, especially since Adam seemed like such a dick. Then he changed, and seemed as the best boyfriend ever. Then she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. I was all like girl, you cray.

Most of this season, Hannah annoyed the shit out of me. She came off as very selfish, lying to the police about calling 911 on Adam’s ass, and seeming like a huge cry baby by calling up her parents to make her boo boo all better. But the doctor episode midway through the season, Hannah opened up about her problems about being victim to sexual abuse as a child and having OCD. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when she punctured that other ear. I really do love the pairing of Hannah and Adam, and was happy to see them get back together, even though it was such a rom com fashion. (But Adam totally would run down the streets of Brooklyn shirtless, at any cost.) Adam had some issues this season too, he started drinking again and had a horrific sexual encounter with new girlfriend Shiri Applby. This episode brought up many arguments that is it was rape or not. I’m on the not side, as horrific as the experience was.

I think the character I had the most problems with was Marnie. Yes, it was crappy that she lost her awesome job and had to become a hostess. All the story lines with Charlie were completely unessessary. Her relationship with Charlie ended because she was bored with him. Now that he created some awesome app she wants him again? Bitch please. As much as I enjoyed seeing Jorma Taccone’s ass, I don’t know why she would go near Booth Jonathan. She mostly came off as a train wreck stalker, what the hell was with that weird ass performance of Kanye’s “Stronger”? Marnie and Hannah had such a strong friendship, but haven’t talked for a food chunk of the season. I’m looking forward to their reconnection and reuniting in season 3.

Finally, Shoshanna. Yes, the young delicate flower will not always be so innocent. She had a make out session with a sexy doorman without telling Ray, even though she broke up with him. She’s young and needs to live a little, but all I’m saying is they better keep Ray on this show because he might be my favorite character next to Hannah’s parents. It’ll also be interesting to see how Jessa will come back after leaving Hannah stranded upstate. She was missing most of the season due to Jemina Kirke’s real life pregnancy so that should be fun to see her return full time.

I respect Lena Dunham for writing and directing most of the season. Yes, she has gotten fully naked in some episodes, and you know what? Good for her. I would not have to balls to show my bare ass to all of those HBO subscribers. It shows that not all lead actresses have to be a size 0 to be successful or famous. I’m still not sure if I’m in love with Girls, but I don’t hate it. I find myself tuning in for season 3.

Random Remarks:

- I see Shoshanna turning into Laurie from Cougar Town in 10 years. They would have matching pink croissant purses.

- Ray realizes he’s a grown ass man, and was offered a manager position for a new Grumpy’s in Brooklyn heights, and it is classy. I also enjoyed Colin Quinn as the possible Mr. Grumpy.

- I really do hope to see more of the Horvaths. I love them so much. Follow the advice of Hannah’s mother regarding Q-tips: “Nothing bigger than an elbow!”

- I’m also going to miss Andrew Rannells, who probably won’t be coming back due to The New Normal. Thanks a lot, Ryan Murphy!

[RPDR 5 - Episode 4 Recap] Nut Cracker

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:31:12 -0400

Droppin’ babies at da club

Vivienne dryly flips her invisible wig hair to the girls simply having too much personality. Though Roxxxy would easily get on my nerves, I’m not a drag queen who deals with large personalities on a weekly basis. And “big personalities” usually means “I don’t know how to stand out and I’m worried.”

Let’s skip the mini challenge which was more of a goofy montage and go to the entree.

Main Event:

Though it’s a cute idea, wasn’t expecting to be all that excited about this challenge. Aside from self contained tributes to the Greek gods (i.e. last week) not being all that interesting of material, ballet is a very technical and restrained style of dance. Of course I went in knowing they were doing a bastardized version, and saying that very forgivingly, which was carried off relatively well with classic campier elements, but aside from the obvious highs and lows, it all kind of blended together.

Alaska clearly would’ve went bolder if she weren’t worried about judgement of the choreography and being first. But thems the breaks of RPDR where you’ve got to be the best at things you’ll never do in your career again.

To see Ru and her opera glasses was all my heart could bear. If Ru said she just wanted to make a challenge to accessorize for, I would easily concede to that.

Somehow Alyssa’s testing-new-nasal-spray faces paired with her dance training worked to her advantage. Ballet involves giving a lot of face but usually not THAT much face. Like the lip synching mini challenge, this was really more a test of who despite all mechanical restraints could still be a star.

The girls are clearly getting tired or pretending to be excited about the guests. We only want to see the choreographers during rehearsal, but who wants to hear them confirm what was already seen? Chaz Bono is also a fine young man, but he’s [somehow] just a normal guy [despite] having a famous mother and being dragged into television.

Jinkx is slowly being given Pandora Boxx status inevitably but I think Pandora had more a dowdy style with reference which Jinkx’s has yet to show.

Ivy Winters, I gotta give it to her, is slowly turning it out better and better each week even if I’m still not all that invested in her.

Honey Mahogany found out it’s not all about being comfortable in drag sweatpants every week and when she’s at JoAnn’s to at least buy a Simplicity pattern to go with those folded over yards of fabric in the dancewear section. The battle of the Diana Ross(es?) was more of a melted popsicle vs. the sidewalk: Nobody was eating it.

For all of Vivienne’s “I’m finally stepping out” talk, girlfriend was not even in the camera frame. She was wearing her Time Square club girl 2008 look surrounded by showgirls and models. She’s cute but not nearly as fishy as she thinks, but look around the room with the same sentiment.

Lip-Sync:

…Well you saw it. Vivienne kept patting her shoulder and Honey looked up to the light. I could’ve gone and watched the microwave. We all mourned for Britney who was probably at home waiting for Amanda Bynes to tumble further into the abyss.

Untucked:

Everyone reads Honey’s fashion or ability to find enough curtains and
I have laundry that involved more effort. Then the tables turn on Alaska and suddenly fashion faux pas is within context. But luckily the show can keep milking her for Sharon Needles updates.

Vivienne hates attitude and also hates camaraderie. Clearly none of us should buy the brand of pantyhose she wears. RuPaul’s Backstage Race is in the bag.

I don’t think it’s uncalled for for Alyssa to call Jade out if she thinks she’s not bringing anything to the table though it’s also understandable to see why Jade would be bothered that she didn’t get to say her peace. At least Alyssa was honest and didn’t pretend that everything was kosher.

Notes:

- Apparently Thomas Jefferson went through the portal with Bill and Ted because that is clearly his child with a Christie doll. Presidential erection.

- Roxxxy Andrews was looking like a lamppost in Boystown but somehow more painted and Jetsons hair.

- Does anyone know where Jade’s Little Ru outfit came from? I’d swear it’s a costume designer in LA who used to make baby clothes for adults but I can’t recall.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag: New Screens and Trailer Leak

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 23:17:00 -0500

We’re learning more about the newest installation to the franchise faster than expected - does Ubisoft want this stuff leaked on purpose? I’m thinking it would make sense given that the game is supposed to be out on October 29th. The newest trailer confirms that Edward Kenway, a pirate trained by Assassins, is indeed the star of the show. Since we’re going back in time and this is a prequel to Assassin’s Creed III, I hope the gun loads faster… since, you know… Ezio’s hidden gun from Renaissance Italy reloaded faster than Connor’s gun centuries later.

Check out the leaked screens here: All Games Beta

and don’t forget the new trailer before that is gone over at: Nintendo Everything

You're insane! The scandal in belgravia comparison To canon was So Accurate! Thankyou For That!!

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:39:13 -0500

Any time!

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag RELEASE DATE LEAKED

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:39:00 -0500

There has been much talk and speculation about the forthcoming title from the Assassin’s Creed franchise. I have to admit, I wasn’t very excited since I just didn’t like Connor from the 3rd installation of the series; however, I really did love Haytham Kenway. Rumors were swirling that the protagonist of the next game is actually Edward Kenway, Haytham’s father. I am uncertain if this has been confirmed by Ubisoft, but being that the game does take place before the Haytham/Connor story - it can be possible and quite welcome because I’m much more interested in Haytham’s story arc than say.. Connor or Desmond. Which also leaves a lot of fans wondering - who will be in the Animus after what happened at the end of Assassin’s Creed III? I’m thinking it could be like Liberation, Revelations, and Brotherhood in which there is no Animus interaction. Perhaps Desmond Mile’s father is in the Animus and he is in fact a descendent of Edward Kenway? Time will tell.

Did I mention that the title of this game could be better? Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag reminds me of some mediocre punk band from the 70s:

I’m wondering if Ubisoft was aware of this when picking that terrible title. Or maybe this band is so obscure these days that I’m the only person that would actually think of this.

Assassin’s Creed III was record breaking because it was the most pre-ordered Ubisoft game ever. Let Assassin’s Creed IV be another record breaker by being the first glitch and bug-free game in the series.

It seems the video is disappearing as quickly as it was leaked onto the internet. You can watch it here:

https://cdn.anonfiles.com/1362245692264.mp4

This is a direct mp4 link so it should work on most computers unless you’re missing some packages. It reveals the release date as October 29th. This is supposed to be a next-gen system. Will Playstation 4 be released in October?

Gallifrey One 2013 Diary: Thursday

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:40:11 -0500

Gallifrey One for those of you who don’t know is one of the biggest Doctor Who conventions in the US. It’s held in Los Angeles during President’s Day weekend. This was my first Gallifrey One ever, and I loved every minute of it. Each day I made sure to jot down and photograph the best parts of my experience.

The first event of the con is the line to pick up your badges. While we were waiting, the remote control Dalek came out to play:

Thursday night is the unofficial pre party known as Lobbycon. Everyone hangs out in the hotel lobby until the small hours of the morning. Lobbycon for me was all about seeing old friends and meeting online friends for the first time. For those friends I have never seen or heard on Skype, the first impression was quite surreal.

Cosplay is a huge part of Gally, and some people didn’t wait until Friday to start wearing costumes.:

The Bad Wolves

Captain Jacks

It’s not a Doctor Who con until you see someone in a TARDIS dress:

Check back tomorrow for Friday’s diary!

5 Spoilers from Dallas 2.05 "Trial and Error"

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:42:00 -0500

(Photo Courtesy of TNT)

When we last left off on Dallas, the Ewing’s were facing yet another apocalypse when Bobby took the fall for his good wife Anne and confessed to shooting Harris. Anne was feeling guilt for poor Bobby taking the fault for shooting Harris, who by all means deserved it. Elsewhere Elena’s brother was off doing scheming things and Cliff made sure Pamela didn’t go to jail for killing Tommy Sutter, who quite frankly also deserved it, by allowing for his “son that he never had” and ultimate backstabber Frank to kill himself in court while confessing to Tommy’s death.

On tomorrow nights episode “Trial and Error” we pick up where we left off last week and here’s 5 Super Spoilery tid bits about the episode under the cut. Read at your own risk!

“Trial and Error” – Monday, February 18, 9 p.m. (ET/PT)

Ryland continues his onslaught of Ann, exposing secrets from her past that threaten to destroy her. Meanwhile, John Ross’ plot to take over Ewing Energies solidifies; Christopher changes tactics with Pamela Barnes; and an enemy from the Ewings’ past resurfaces.

“Good morning!” “That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Is the beginning of a conversation between two unlikely people that will set in motion a pretty interesting feud between father and son.
There’s a time jump.
A reunion of sorts takes place between a couple, but we aren’t exactly sure of one of their motives.
A decision on Anne’s fate will be made.
John Ross and JR team together to get Ewing Energies back in their grasp despite, despite the fact that JR once again one ups poor old John Ross.

Dallas Airs tomorrow night on TNT at 9PM (ET/PT)

Attention Whovians: TDHN Will Cover Gallifrey One!

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:10:03 -0500

I’ll be live tweeting/live blogging the awesome happenings at Gallifrey One in Los Angeles this weekend. This convention is one of the largest Doctor Who specific cons in America. count.

Follow our Twitter and track the hashtag #TDHNGally1Diary. These posts will be a fan’s eye view at the panels, special guests, cosplay, and other events. Keep checking our site for long form posts as well. If you’re going to be at Gally and you want to find me, leave a message in the general ask box.

Allonsy!

[RPDR 5 - Episode 3 Recap] Are You Afraid Of The Shade?

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:08:00 -0500

I could see how you’d feel that way.

Editor’s Note - RPDR sometimes goes blurry on my computer so the screencaps are blurry at moments, forgive me.

Damn Queerty using the the title I already had planned. It’s what I get for waiting to your reading schedule, children.

Pre-Drama/Overall:

Surprise! Serena is gone and Monica has declared her ultra-special-top-secret-secret to everyone so we need a new thing to be a tizzy about. It’s back to the Coco and Alyssa arc for 80s soap drama, rhinestones and all.

For the most part I can’t call sides yet since we only have superficial details in the aftermath. Admittedly, I related to Alyssa in Coco wanting to start something and then couldn’t finish it. It reminded me of this girl who borrowed Frank McCourt’s ‘Tis from me, because I was a sad child, and returned it without mentioning her younger brother drew all over it & tore out pages. I hadn’t confronted her but when she came to me, I asked her to buy me a new book. The girl broke down in tears in front of everyone and lamented how sorry she was to make me look like a tyrant when she in fact had made the mistake.

Granted that situation was different but Alyssa had no intention of bringing anything up, but when she tried to make her argument Coco suddenly brought in the head nods and waterworks. It was childish. It doesn’t help that she decided to throw unnecessary shade in the mini challenge, but wasn’t it just delightful anyway? If we wanted to see girls get along we’d watch Santino’s old show with Austin Scarlett.

Mini Challenge:

Smile for mama, you’ll be doing this for police lineups soon.

This was a cute little amuse bouche to the episode. Coco seemed to think Alyssa was modeling the doll after her (which she probably was) but I doubt she meant “former Miss America” in the 10 minute lap sense.

It’s always strange when queens go the “serious” route, why would anyone want to see real pageant girls unless they get Logo in prison? Of course beauty is welcomed but you can’t rely on something to be funny that is already a joke.

Luckily Alaska knew exactly what they wanted and picked the camp route as well as a partner who had immunity and was just in it for the close ups.

I hope for the future makeover real people challenge, it’ll be pageant boys. If they thought the dog dress up was a bitch last season, just wait until they deal with the boys’ mothers who are clearly trying to raise their sons as drag divas.

Main Event:

The Mightyyy Buuuush/come, away with me

Alyssa Edwards was the dirty girl in the yard this week during kickball picks, though again decisions based on personality rather than talent. Of course she didn’t enjoy having an ugly character and the team resented that she didn’t like a decision made for her.

Honey Mahogany’s motherly mellow personality was not reining in Coco’s dissatisfaction with “not being the star.” If she’d ever seen an episode of Will & Grace she’d know everyone really watches for the side characters and the main character is about providing continuity. Or even any ventriloquist show ever. The fact their routine was so bad that Michelle had to pity clap, oof, felt that heartbreak.

As suspected, Lineysha is not a comedy queen but was just in the right part at the right time last week because this week she clearly didn’t give a goddamn. Her wig at least paid tribute to Miss Yvonne, although that was more a coincidence than anything. Her runway outfit was fug, she’s like Tyra Sanchez played by Jessica Wild.

I actually really liked Ivy’s challenge outfit considering her previous wares of “unconventional” materials (i.e. high school fashion student who watches Project Runway) were not so polished. It channeled the 90s DIY children’s show aesthetic perfectly.

Did anyone else go “huh?” when Detox won this challenge? Aside from the aspect that she wasn’t getting a winner’s edit. I enjoyed there was Raven in her chicken but l wasn’t blown enough to start handing out scholarships. At first, I agreed with Paulina and knew she was going for that Elizabethan burlesque but it just looked like that mom on our block who won’t stop doing Top Model poses at the local pizza joint. It did look slightly better when I watched the Untucked. But her outfit was streets ahead of Jinkx’s craft table Antoinette and as we all know about RPDR, it’s fashion over poise-nality. Once I re-watched I came to terms with the decision, she was one of the few that made a joke and a good one.

Usually the judges have been resistant to more alternative genderfuck drag which I never agree with, but I understood what they meant about Alaska. I enjoyed that Pee Wee meets Beaver Clever (seriously, nobody made that easy reference?) but she probably should’ve had the influence of a little boy wearing his version of drag: a plastic princess tiara, put waves in her hair and wore a purple overall dress. Then she probably wouldn’t have been called out and might even have won. It was an acting challenge but as Jade said, within the confines of drag, not them as an actors.

Roxxxy looked sweet and her makeup right thought the proportions in the bust line was a tad bulky (the fabric, not her breasts.) There was just so much pink on the runway and the same tones of it that my eyes got tired, not sure if the looks warrant further discussion. Feel free to leave feedback if you disagree or find my evaluating necessary, I highly doubt it’ll be missed.

Ru brought it this week on the runway though the lighting kind of dresstroyed the details of the garment. The hair shape was a bit awkward, mixing up the texture a bit more due to the harsh lighting probably would create better definition.

We learned that Ice-T’s wife is apparently on a one name basis which seems like setting the standard low. Don’t get me wrong, adore her, any woman who posts a photo of her sexy posing while her sister is hysterically giving birth in a wading pool is my kind of lady. Let’s just assume the audience knows which Coco I’ve been talking about in context at all times.

At least Santino got a cute remark in, you can do it Hat-tie Jacques! (I’m desperate for a pun at this point, submit at your leisure in comments section.)

Lip-Sync:

I know it’s a drag staple, but ugh Pussycat Dolls. Personal preference again, I know. The young people do not want to just hear Cher and Aretha songs forever. (But I do.) However this is one of those songs to bring epilepsy realness, as in don’t have any iron and actually convulse on stage like Robin Williams in a thunderstorm.

Coco’s creepy Virgin Shirley Temple quickly grew up into Mouseketeer Britney on the rocks which was wise, due to the overt sexuality of the song. She knew to turn it on and Monica did the general moves from last week which didn’t work to her advantage.

At least Monica walked away cuter, even if her mismatched bra straps were exposed and was serving up forehead.

Untucked:

Jade proves she could get a pink box clue, ask her former straight boyfriend. Ivy proves, however, she still doesn’t know anybody’s names or get wordplay.

Normally Untucked is almost the best part but all the she-said she-said business of vague recollection was kind of tedious. The reveal is losing more steam. Wasn’t motivated to rewind, sorry.

Notes:

- The JLo Wishes Foundation: Bringing Bedazzled Apple Bottoms and caramel weaves to all the children in need.

- Can we STOP the emotional declarations on the runway? The catwalk is a happy place, darling. Plus none of these reveals are all that hidden.

- Vivienne Pinay looked EXACTLY like Jujubee in Country only regular hair and duller attitude. Hell this whole episode was the Country Queens episode without accents and the dolls were bigger.

- Though Jade Jolie seems like she’d detest children like every almost-stepmother Jane Sibbett has ever played, her voice and stature seems so appropriate.

- I was surprised how on point Paulina was considering she’s usually such a sleeper on ANTM. As a model, she knows all about stealing the spotlight in a group so Coco [Montrese] better not make Vegas excuses or she’ll have to Shannel her way out.

- Why didn’t they have Pee Wee Herman or Julie Brown as judges? Paulina doesn’t talk to children outside of work and Coco is banned from being near them. Just someone who understood that sort of alternative young culture they were aiming for.

- Obviously they planned the runway for Valentine’s Day broadcast but they could’ve had shades of red or bluish pinks or something. The colors are unexpected for drag which could’ve worked in one queen’s favor to actually stand out.

If you want to read my recap of last week’s episode: http://thedailyheynow.com/post/42511951742/rpdr-episode-2-recap-lip-smackers

Or RPDR’s Basic Bitch Guide to Performance Art: http://thedailyheynow.com/post/42354544041/rpdrs-basic-bitch-guide-to-drag-in-performance-art

A Downton Fan Watches Upstairs, Downstairs Series 2

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:23:06 -0500

Series 2 of Upstairs, Downstairs takes place between 1908 and 1910, which is still two years before Downton officially begins. (If you missed the first Upstairs vs Downton post, click here.) James and Elizabeth drive most of the drama in this series, and their boundary pushing correlates nicely with events from Series 2 of Downton. [Cast photo courtesy of Upstairs, Downstairs Webpages]

James starts off Series 2 by continuing his affair with Sarah. At this point, Sarah has moved on from domestic service and 165 Eaton into Vaudeville. At this point in time, actresses are still far from acceptability. He also blows his allowance on gambling and alcohol and parties so hard that he misses regimental appointments. The relationship ends with Sarah’s pregnancy and James forcibly reassigned to an army outpost in India. Their relationship has only an uneven similarity with Sybil and Branson. World War I loosened some of the class divisions that were rigidly enforced in the pre war period.

In addition, gender disparities factor heavily into the comparison. Unmarried upper class men had lovers of lower social rank, but marriages and illegitimate children were out of the question. Leaked scandals showed a lack of self control, a disregard for society’s standards, and a lack of discretion. On the other hand, Sybil’s relationship placed her in much greater danger of a damaged reputation. Society placed a much higher value on the virginity of upper class women. A successful marriage to a suitable gentleman was incredibly important. Marrying well ensured the birth of more male heirs and passage of money and/or property to the next generation. Sybil in series 2 told Branson they can only kiss until their marriage was finalized. Between the lines, it is safe to assume Sybil wanted more but played it safe.

James ends the season with another class bending relationship. While he was in India, he met and then got engaged to Phyllis, an army pensioner’s daughter. His match was approved because a marriage would ensure he stayed out of trouble. In the Edwardian Era, service in the colonies via the military, colonial government, or private companies served as an opportunity for the working and middle class to gain money and influence. This trend created tension when colonial elites returned to England expecting the same elevated treatment they had in the colonies from the hereditary elite.

Elizabeth matched her brother in scandal quite well. Her marriage to Lawrence Kirbridge started off well, but went downhill quickly after the honeymoon. She went into the marriage with unrealistic expectations and it did not end well. After feeling that Lawrence was not performing his marital duties, she had an affair which resulted in the birth of an illegitimate daughter. She moved out and returned to 165 Eaton. Once she moved back home, she joins a group of women engaging in forceful protests for women’s voting rights. The servant’s quarters at 165 Eaton became a base of an operation to vandalize the home of a rich man who refused to support their cause. Rose tried to stop her but both of them are arrested. A rich social climber named Julius Karekin found Elizabeth’s purse at the scene and paid her fine. In exchange for working to release Rose, Elizabeth agrees to become his mistress. The season ends with her trying to break things off with Karekin because he refuses to give up his philandering ways.

Although Elizabeth and Mary live with the short end of the stick with romantic scandals, damaged reputations, the threat of public knowledge is much more real for Mary. Elizabeth has help from Rose and the rest of the household. In terms of politics, Elizabeth and Sybil have similar ideologies but Elizabeth is much more haphazard with her actions. She appears to engage of rebellion for rebellion’s sake. If Karekin wasn’t there to bail her out, she would be out of sorts with the seasoned suffragettes happy to go down for the cause. Sybil’s work as a nurse show she’s ready to reject her pampered life for a middle class one with Branson.

Karekin and Matthew represent the growing tension between the established elites and men who have made their fortunes through business and other means. Although some may look down at Matthew because he his a lawyer, he is in a better position because of his family connections. Karekin grew up in Armenia and can only use his cash to gain power and a title. If we knew more about Cora’s motivations when she married Robert, an additional comparison could be made with outsiders attempting to assimilate into the British upper class.

Overall, Series 2 of Upstairs, Downstairs combines an account of every day life with drama and scandal. The plots not analyzed here due to incompatibility were just as interesting as what was included. I look forward to Series 3 for the plot as well as how historical events are portrayed.

Go Go Curry 3rd location! Celebrate with 55 cent curry!!!

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:35:00 -0500

One of my favorite foodie spots is opening their third location this month. Find your way down to 2 John Street, New York, NY 10038 at 10:55am on February 25th, 2013. The first 555 guests get 55 cent medium sized curry plus 5 topping coupons to use on future visits.

You can check out my original review here.

You should really like their facebook page here.

[RPDR 5 - Episode 2 Recap] Lip Smackers

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:27:00 -0500

Since I tricked some RPDR fans into reading, I figured (begrudgingly) that I might as well do a recap. Normally I try to be diplomatic but I’ll have to be harsh this kind of show, but know there are things I’m holding back. And I love you all, darlings. Cop out preface done.

Challenge:

It was refreshing to not have to skip through the usual recap reel about the prizes, keep mixing up the formatting RPDR editors so you don’t become ANTM. When Serena was trying to be all cute and “you guys wanted me here, right?… right?…” it was the equivalent of a homeless dude offering pamphlets and a handjob on the train, everyone was looking away because they didn’t have a quarter or a god. So comforting.

The new Heathers of the season decided to define themselves early while they had their t-shirt printers ready with stencils. Why do people suddenly need to become conjoined siblings and give us the afterbirth of their conjunctive name? Rolaskatox was trying a little harder than our mouths are willing to catch up to. It’s like people and their followers on twitter, just say “fans”, we already know your name and don’t need to be involved in a practice for Justin Bieber lovers.

Ru found another way to seamlessly hock his music (well, as subtle as tattooing “now on itunes” on his youthful forehead) into the challenge. It’s fantastic to still be surprised by such smart challenges that relate to drag as well as continue reference of reality tv competitions and reverence to a good ‘ol fashioned tacky gay humor. As Tom and Lorenzo bring up in their recaps, it can’t all be “it gets better” and hetero-normative couples of the federation, we need to keep some Charles Nelson Reilly and a little gloryhole here or there.

RuPaul threw Serena ChaCha a bone, er, cake lollipop and picked her for technical finesse, Detox for spunk (I swear this isn’t intentional) and Ivy Winters for… I don’t know, even lip application. There were a lot of mouths on screen at once, l wonder how Ru was able to do it in between twerking.

The challenge though. I seriously couldn’t even figure out what was happening or the challenge itself until judging. It was a lot of stuff going on, especially since we saw that extra stage performance in the untucked that literally never gets mentioned in judging or beyond that clip. The self referencing was little boring, when Lypsinka does it in her act it’s more in the vein of Joan Crawford, doing music and the old Hollywood acting that could be done from a single expression. So watching the girls act like hamsters on cocaine (i.e. any season of Bad Girl’s Club) was sometimes more jarring than humorous.

The runway/group performances:

Team Ivy Winters - Not sure I agree with this group win. I suppose as an overall group they had the most harmony between knowing their lines and being dramatic.

I’m guessing RuPaul just wanted to make sure that Lineysha Sparx a got a win this time before she headbutted the cast with her wig out of revenge. I know she’s one of the fishier queens but her makeup comes off a little more outlined than it should be (she’s already got a killer canvas as it is.) She did a great job so no qualms with this individual win.

When Honey Mahogany disclosed she thought she had it in the bag this week, I admittedly scoffed openly. I mean, you did a’ight girl, but just okay. Tape them tities on tight next time, they’re not low riders (although they are.)

Vivienne Pinay did a spot on Tatiana with all the hair-grabbing as well as aptitude of lip sync. Though girl? Stop just being that cute girl at the club, turn it out on the catwalk.

Ivy was okay albeit too understated, though didn’t her Morgan McMichaels look more Dynasty than anything else? I did love her runway jungle starlet look though the wings and stilts were incongruent with the dress, a little Carnivàle porch decor, next time just make them stylized trees with carvings in them or hot glue some glitter, it’s all good. Interesting that this circus trick was okay when the judges were livid about Shannel juggling.

Team Serena ChaCha - All that needs to be said about Serena has been said about Serena. I don’t love when the queens gang up on one person usually but this was totally warranted. Her runway outfit would’ve been fine if she just wore a yellow bikini bottom and ditched the flag.

I agree with Kristen Johnston, who by the way said everything l was feeling at all times and then some, Jade Jolie’s impersonation of Delta Work was simplistic and crunchy. To quote Delta herself “a fat joke, that’s so obvious.” Her runway look was cute, the girls are going to absolutely tear her apart in the future. As soon as she walked in the workroom with her innocent Southern belle drawl, we all knew she was trouble. I kind of adore that?

Roxxxy Andrews was spot on with her Mariah especially her haughty “over it” attitude Mariah would showcase. She gave mature Raquel Welch on the runway which was fine with me, I don’t mind mature as opposed to aged. There is a difference.

Jinkx Monsoon had me at her deranged cough-smile. I was eating her broke down showgirl version of Mimi Imfurst, smugly camp and appropriate. Her concept for Gaga meets Ava Gardner was striking but damned in the details. Just gotta spend a little more time at the MAC cosmetics counter at Macy’s. She’s so endearing, one of my favorites this season.

Alyssa Edwards was so Shangela, halleloo, end of catchphrases. From look to mannerisms, absolutely top 3 of that challenge. Girl is a professional even if she gets a little face crazy on the runway, but her use of posing did work in the group music number. I love how soap opera her and Coco Montrese get, it should be exhausting but so far it’s kind of fabulous. I doubt the crown snatching secret is all that exciting much like Willam and her boot from last season. Alyssa is the only one who since the first episode has been contextualizing Serena’s actions and turning the other cheek to her remarks. That takes serious prudence.

Team Detox - Coco’s was by far the winner in my eyes, she was the only one who was natural with her speech without flubbing up and had the proper amount of drama-to-dialogue ratio. She’s also the only one consistently pulling out memorable looks on the runway. But how she officially snatched my heart was her Mama Whoopi role she played for Monica as well as in handling Serena-gate. Tough love sprinkled was essential and delivered gracefully. Her studio responses of “I don’t even know you like that” were killing me. Keep it up, dollface (but please let go of those fucking contacts.)

Detox did well though I think she’s capable of more. Loved her runway look which I would wear in a heartbeat. She got in her two cents on the Serena debacle and yes, educated does not necessarily imply college graduate. Look again at Willam. As my friend commented during the episode “when has anything good come out of a Florida university?” State.

Alaska, I admittedly knew was going to be problematic before she got to the show. She’s funny and relatively fashionable (albeit a bit safe on her looks), but she’s going to have Solange Syndrome forever. I was okay with her Phi Phi but it seemed a bit easy. The end made so much sense, as if a girl-on-girl make out hasn’t been used to save careers before.

Monica Beverly Hillz and the drama. On a personal level, good for her. On the RPDR soap opera secret component, enh. Shouldn’t we save that kind of exploitation for one of those Housewives shows? The second she said “I have a secret” I thought, “she better have a drug problem because if she’s trans I’m gonna be so pissed.”
Apparently the internet has been losing their shit about her status being against the rules or something. It’s a “drag” competition before it’s a “female impersonation” one, plus the transgender community has been intricately connected to the drag queen community since its inception as an artform. Plus 2 RPDR alum came out as trans on the show and nobody bat an eyelash. It’s cool, girl. At least she turned it out in the lip-sync and we could say BGB to Serena before her eyes were gouged out with Iron Fist platform stilettos.

The Lip-Sync:

Boy, does this photo explain a lot.

I was surprised by Monica, she was totally fluid and appropriate with the song. It was deliberate and no waffling around. Serena was doing the desperate dance girls who know they’re going home do although she at least kept her wig on. My friend noted she’s the Milan of this season.

Don’t love this Rihanna song but they made up for the travesty of what they did to Miley Cyrus. The fact you could hear Detox shout “Yes Monica!” was the nail in the car on fire for Serena.

Untucked:

Disdain sponsored by Absolut Mandarin Vodka

Ivy Winters reveals she cannot remember Serena’s name. Coincidence since I don’t remember her unless a high schooler going to prom with a DIY duct tape purse walked by or for the confusing Jimmy Neutron drag king hair he sports. All that stands out is the fascinating woodchuck voice that Ru uses to pronounce her name (seriously, WHAT is that a reference to? It’s lost even on me.)

Predominately necessary shade during the guess-the-queen game and the word “banjee” is brought back again from the archives.

This ain’t grammar school, put yo arm down

Support for Monica and a crack at Serena that broke the room and sound barrier. Instead of waiting until the laughter died down, Serena had to scream and force herself to be heard i.e. say more nonsense that was gonna make people want to murder her and toss her body in a swamp, never to be discussed again. She was getting so close to being that stereotypical blond white girl racist in black teen films who tries to flip her uneven layers for punctuation. “I mean, let’s speak like intelligent people, I don’t speak ‘gangster’,” her character would say while making air quotes, her thick French tips bouncing off the morning sun. Does anyone feel guilty for enjoying the ravenous “ghetto” fest that went down? Also, what books should I be reading? I’m thinking this or this.

It was a pile on that will remain infamous.

Notes:

- I’m glad Jinkx kept it 100 and didn’t have to try to do a ridiculous bodysuit that made fun of the juicy gals. Drag is often a plus sized bitch world which the show doesn’t reflect that (or at least most of the famous broads.)

- Can someone tell Honey Mahogany to work on the midday shade that is casted on her face? At least it was intentional this time but it’s coming off a little SVU at the ICU. At least the makeup was intentional because normally she looks like a middle aged Daphne Maxwell Reid if an eraser were dragged across her face.

- On judging Mz. Coco’s outfit, “Because there are so many mirrors that catch up with the light.” …Serena, when has that ever been a bad thing in drag? This isn’t RuPaul’s Outdoor Photography Lighting Technician Race

- Kristen Johnston Season 6 judge to replace Santino if he doesn’t stop worrying what people think about him and getting back on his game.

- Juliette Lewis and her “can we say whip on television?” was adorable, though when her “I dabble in acting” joke was not followed by laughter, it brought me immense pleasure. Still love you, girl. Her little dance along warmed some of my very dead soul.

- RuPaul’s boy outfits have significantly overshadowed her girl outfits. I get your tailor is tired for having to draft patterns so fast, but damn, turn up the volume.

Girl, I feel you.

I’ll try to be nicer in the future…

Why I'm NOT buying anymore Assassin's Creed DLC

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:58:00 -0500

I feel as if the hype surrounding Assassin’s Creed is finally dying down and I have a variety of emotions swirling around me. I feel regret not jumping upon the cosplay bandwagon, for one thing, because maybe I’d be famous like all of the other scantily clad Ezio or Altair chicks who decided cleavage and legs were essential to their interpretation of fully clothed men. Who doesn’t want their photograph of a poorly constructed, inaccurate skanky cosplay circulating the internet!?

The other thing: I believe Assassin’s Creed II and Ezio were the climax of the series, and like any good book, we can only go downhill from there. Assassin’s Creed III was not a bad game - obviously! It won several awards and sold millions of copies. A hundred hours later I’m still playing the game in an attempt to platinum it. I swear, these trophies have gotten insanely hard since Assassin’s Creed II. My big gripe with the series at the moment is that they really created some huge shoes to fill. Seriously HUGE shoes. Altair wasn’t so interesting and so it was easy to surpass his character with someone else; however, Ezio was bigger than life. He was a womanizer, intelligent, determined, and powerful. Connor is austere like Altair and angry like Ezio but the damn kid just can’t control himself. He makes irrational decisions and doesn’t do much to move the plot. He is simply a boy following fate.

So now we have some DLC that portrays an alternative universe. What if George Washington didn’t step down? What if he became a king? Well, we could tell where this DLC is going simply by playing the game. Haytham, the only character who actually has a strong sense of justice and morality, really revealed who Washington was. Too bad Connor just can’t handle the truth and offs Haytham like a toddler having a fit. I’m sure this DLC is very fun and most interesting - I won’t insult it because I haven’t played it… but I don’t want to play it because I don’t want to be Connor. I’m just not that interested in his character to throw down another 30 dollars for two more hours of gameplay. I need to note, in my own defense, that I own all previous Assassin’s Creed DLC - including that dreadful Desmond DLC where you’re trapped in the Animus. That DLC just felt like a really bad version of Portal.

How can Ubisoft get me to buy into the series again? Drop Connor like a bad habit and bring me some more Haytham Kenway gameplay.

Or end the series before it turns into another Resident Evil.

RPDR's Basic Bitch Guide to Drag in Performance Art

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:56:00 -0500

Relieved I decided to take the early premiere option that Ru has been offering for the first episode of the last 2 seasons because I was having some SERIOUS feelings. But I gave her two episodes in case she turned things around. Enh.

Serena ChaCha came in and as soon as I heard “art school” and “performance art” coming out of her mouth, I knew I’d want to smack her behind and not in the playful Bettie Page-inspired sex tape kind of way. Though performance art is really thriving in the visual art world right now (i.e. trendy), I know that it’s still not a commonly understood term and thus gets dragged around like a bag of children in a river only to be pulled out and put on display for the mother to get on the after school news. Having the nerve to put that outfit up there as genderfuck or art or whatever you like, the point was it was decidedly NOT cute and not art because you say so. But there is a scene for that she’s attempting to reference and I’ll give you the update.

She’s right about the art form of drag as performing gender and playing with fashion. But how she thinks she’s doing that better than the girls, I’ll never know. To intellectualize what you’re doing vs. the action of actually doing are not the same thing, the number one rule of drag if there were any would be to put on a motherfuckin’ show and that is the bottom line. I’m not gonna go all etymology of queer and Paris Is Burning on the readers, but I won’t completely Stonewall those who aren’t of this decade. I’ll keep it quick and sloppy, just the way you guys like it, with bitchcaps in between.

First off, “soft sculpture” is Claes Oldenburg and Eva Hesse, not a melted draggy mess.

Second, of course drag isn’t just relegated to the gay male community, drag kings like Murray Hill, Shelly Mars, Dred and lots of WOW Café Theater members that have been doing it for themselves for years. As well as transgendered individuals who we’ve seen in Carmen Carrera and Sonique. Straight women occasionally can be involved in drag, as Heather Haneman has written a book about it, but we just watch them from afar like Beyoncé and Tyra Banks in the thunderdome.

I’m also not including straight male drag in the discussion because it’s an incredibly layered topic to which the majority of it is done simply to derive humor, especially out of seeing men perform the gender role of women as inferior and silly. I’m not saying they aren’t allowed to, as RPDR has done it twice, but generally speaking it’s uncommon outside of an Eddie Murphy or Robin Williams situation.

Vaginal Creme Davis, (who will actually be at Art Institute of Chicago in April, as my ass will be in the third row center) is intersex and uses male & female duality in her work while bringing the low-fi attitude of San Francisco’s DIY zine culture. She’s educated but also manages to imbue relatable characters who aren’t reciting textbook lines of gallery privilege. She’s in a Le Tigre song which should say enough about her.

The updated youtube version of this language would be Ryan Trecartin’s I-BE AREA tween drag queens who works in a complicated language all his own that captures the ineffable essence of youth internet culture and the translation of self reference. Gender is transcended by form and emotion in these curated environments.

If you want to check out some of the more performance art angle of drag, try the monthly “Clump” party by Chez Deep in NYC:

Colin Self, who I disclose was in the graduating class before me, brings that raw edge young drag that I presume Serena Cha Cha speaks of. Him and his band of thieves (I use that term to mean gang, not to imply actual stealing) are bringing back the obscurity of life-and-art club kids spirit and elevating it to blur the line of drag as well as the audiences who enjoy it. They had an installation at Art Basel Miami which I believe was had choreography from RPDR favorite, Ryan Heffington.

The most recent permeation into popular culture would have to be Ssion (who is associated with a ton of groups, including Chez Deep) who make popular music as well as being an art collective. They stock a number of people in the LBGTQIA supermarket of humans led by Cody Critcheloe.

I could name drop tons of people: Kalup Linzy, Verka Serduchka, Switch N’ Play, House of Ladosha, etc. There’s a ton of people who fit the criteria of drag and trying to do more than gender impersonation, know their history and subvert image, but it requires more than declaring your knowledge as an assumed identity of being “different”.

If my tone is pointed, it’s because Serena Cha Cha is spitting out terms that are personally important to me and was lording them over everyone rudely and improperly. As soon as she heard the reaction to her bougie declaration of everyone being “ghetto”, Ms. Cha Cha knew she had to face up to the accusations in the room. Girl, there’s a difference between “ghetto” and “hood”, which was a “lexic” use as opposed to “lexicon”. I’m glad she was realizing the defense mechanisms she was deploying in order to deflect from the not-so-stellar performance. Unfortunately, then she ruined it in the ending. It’s an edited reality in a pressure cooker situation, but some meat had to be contributed to that stew.

Just gonna put a Rucap on this recap and be done with this. Coming from someone “educated” in a top tier fine arts school and majored in performance art, I understand miss thang, “pick up a book,” but it ain’t an excuse for what you’re doing, boo.

I’m sure you’re one talented queen in your own life, I wish you the best of luck, you’re young and you’ll figure it out eventually.

<3

To do some more homework, I suggest to “pick up a book” with:

Bike Boys, Drag Queens, and Superstars: Avant-Garde, Mass Culture, and Gay Identities in the 1960s Underground Cinema by Juan A. Suárez

DRAG: A History of Female Impersonation in the Performing Arts by Roger Baker

or for you lazy bitches who want to hear more than his herstory, online sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/drag-kings_n_2118975.html#slide=more260967

http://www.glbtq.com/arts/drag_queens.html