Sunday, December 11, 2011

Random Thoughts For Mid-December


In no particular order and with no specific theme:
1. I really wanted to love Grimm, the new NBC drama series that is supposed to offer a new take on fairy tales. It's just not good enough. The episodes are repetitive and formulaic, and too many bits and pieces seem so Buffy-inspired that it borders on being unoriginal. The male and female blutbad mating scene was Veruca and Oz almost to the camera angles.


2. Instead of Grimm, my fairy tale of choice is Once Upon A Time  on ABC. Ginnifer Goodwin could not be more adorable and Robert Carlyle could not be any creepier.



3. I did not recognize Amy Adams on the cover of InStyle. I'm not sure her own mother recognized her through the crazy amount of photoshopping. It's especially painful since only last night I watched Amy Adams in the Muppets movie, looking like her beautiful self.

4. To add insult to injury, right next to Amy Adams' InStyle on the magazine rack in Whole Foods was another cover: George Clooney in all his wrinkly, bushy eyebrowed glory. Nobody would have been able to get away with smoothing and ironing Clooney's face (not to mention making him taller or leaner or whatever. Why are we willing to accept the Amy-bot version?

5. Completely and utterly unrelated to any of the above: Let's say you're the proprietor of an upscale and exclusive perfume boutique. Wouldn't it make sense to greet and welcome your customers, both new and returning? to smile here and there? engage them in a conversation? inquire if they tried the newest perfumes on the shelf? suggest more products along with what they pick? give a sample or two as they buy their umpteenth bottle from you?  No, really? Why?

Photos: NBC, ABC, The Daily Mail and InStyle.

11 comments:

  1. Agree, Grimm sucks, One Upon A Time is better.

    re: the photoshopping of Amy (and all women)
    this really makes me sad. The heart of the issue is the fact that our culture only values women when they are young, skinny and sexually available. Most animated movies for children are 90% male characters and barely have a female lead. It's sick. Our culture hasn't much use for women who aren't sexual objects to sell products. We have less women in high positions in gov't and far less CEOs and those on boards than most European countries. I try not to think about this because it's deeply depressing and I have no idea what to do about it.
    I know you only mention the photoshopping of Amy but the heart of the issue is devastating. Size 8 women are considered fat. It goes on and on...
    Somewhere I read that most people start feeling bad about themselves 10 seconds after opening up a women's magazine. This might not be wholly accurate but it doesn't surprise me that women's magazines subliminally kill our spirits. I'll stop here!

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  2. I remember Amy Adams in her incandescent debut as the simple, very pregnant Southern girl in "June Bug." Now she's A Star and I guess that means Photoshop. I grew up reading "women's magazines" and don't miss them now! I buy Vogue, once a year in September, and every year the fashion ads just seem sillier (or maybe I'm just getting older?) These mags exist to make us feel bad, so we'll buy the products they push in every article, every "beauty" column -- never mind the actual advertising.

    They used to call Photoshopping "Retouching" and it certainly is nothing new. I've been on magazine shoots; hours and hours of hair and makeup for the model or subject, then lighting, a thousand exposures to get the good one, which is then retouched until the subject is unrecognizable. I guess the surprising thing is that this has not changed, despite the progress women are supposed to have made.

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  3. Now of course I want to know WHICH upscale boutique we're talkin' about ...

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  4. What gets me is why Photoshop at all? It is ridiculous: either take a picture of the person; or not. After all that work, it is hardly a photo!

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  5. Just started watching Once Upon a time and am totally hooked! I also enjoy Ginnifer-her pixie cut is adorable! The look totally works for her.

    I don't get the perfume store thing. Don't people who sell perfumes realize it's worth it to engage with people (in a non-pressure way) and be generous with samples?

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  6. I totally agree with you about the photoshop phenomenon. I find the end products of these sessions look more like videogame renderings of actresses than like the real thing. Fashion magazines have always promoted an unrealistic view of women, but I feel as if that is becoming worse over time and as technology allows images to become further removed from reality. I was joking with my other half last night that it wouldn't be long before the models weren't even necessary.

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  7. The bantering between Monroe and Nick is what keeps me tuned into Grimm. I also enjoy Once Upon a Time, too.

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  8. I couldn't agree more about Grimm. I was obligated to watch and show enthusiasm because I live in Portland, Oregon where it is filmed. Well....sorry. It's boring. I'm really enjoying Once Upon a Time. And it's filmed in some lovely forested place just like Portland. So all is good.

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  9. I'm enjoying 'Once Upon A Time' too - it's getting a little more exciting now.

    But what I really enjoy about the show are the outfits Snow White's Evil Witch/Stepmother wears! They're amazing!

    I saw a silent movie called 'The Artist' today and I don't know why, but I feel you would enjoy it. I found it to be lovely.

    Nazia xxx

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  10. When I read your last comments about the perfume boutique, I immediately thought of Aedes de Venustas. Part of the reason I always buy from Luckyscent instead is because their customer service is so much better.

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  11. OK, Grimm has/had potential. But, I'm sick of the stories. There needs to be a story arc. Why is there not a story arc of any kind? I hate shows like this that one can just pick up anywhere and watch. I'm still watching it, hoping it gets more interesting. I'm giving it 2 more episodes.

    I can't get into Once Upon A Time. I've tried and tried. It's just too "Disney" for me. I guess I'd rather see cliche Buffy than cliche Disney. I do have a feeling that OUaT will get better.

    And the photoshoping thing, I could go on about that.

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