Guys w'iPhones

From a purely anthropological perspective, the site dedicated to self-portraits snapped by a cross-section of young men--everything from muscle marys to twinks--is fascinating. I love the intersection between the branded object and the self. It's long been accepted that brands, like apple et al, have positioned themselves as either extensions of the personality or proof of individuality. This phenomena takes it to another level.

Nic Cage

This past few weeks have been all about work, so I decided to take today off. I'vewatched three movies on cable so far, two of them featuring Nicholas Cage in the cast. what ever happened to him? He was so gorgeous to me when I was in my teens. The first movie I saw him in was Valley Girl. I loved his edginess. The cast for "Peggy Sue" is amazing--Joan Allen, Jim Carey, Helen Hunt--but then it was directed by Coppola. It must be so amazing to have been a part of one of his projects. Nepotism has mixed results: why does Coppola persist in his belief that his daughter can act? Even as a teen, she was wooden and unconvincing.Valley Girl was appalling. It's amazing the sorts of things that mange to get made. A quick look on IMDB of the various working titles suggest that the script underwent a number of different incarnations. What struck me is how the fashions--largely preppy--were so incredibly concealing. Everyone was dressed in layers of things that obscured their bodies. It's a sharp contrast to the crop tops and low cut jeans of the period that followed.

Jezebel Reveal

I wasn't surprised when Kiwi Jenna Sauers was revealed as the author of the v. good Tatiana the Anonymous Model posts on Jezebel. Perhaps I should rephrase that . . . I wasn't surprised when a relative outsider was the woman responsible for the trenchant commentary and observations. Kiwis, like Canucks and members of those countries who live their lives in the shadow of super power, develop a more critical sensibility as they are constantly bombarded by messages or media that need to be reinterpreted. Living in the shadow of the US means that I watch a lot of films and television developed for a very different cultural sensibility. I'm a lot more critical watching this stuff than I would be otherwise.