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John Travolta: Taking advantage of a Tragedy, Worse than Pat Robertson?

http://gawker.com/5451086/

Scientology creep, John Travolta, whose involvement in the religion/cult may or may not be responsible for the death of his child, is sending “volunteer ministers” from the Church/Cult of Scientology to Haiti.

I could say a lot more but the Gawker pretty much has it covered.

My question is, is it worse to appeal to your fundamentalist base by saying that Haiti deserved it because they’ve sold their soul or to try to take advantage of the horror in an attempt to gain converts to your creepy religion?  Answers in essay form, please.

John Travolta: Taking advantage of a Tragedy, Worse than Pat Robertson?

Spiderman, Twilight, Potter, Buffy

Robert Pattinson may be taking over Tobey Maguire’s role as superhero Spider-Man.

1. I hated Spiderman.  87% of the reason was Kirsten Dunst and her terrible hair (which did get better in subsequent films), and the rest was the fact that I hate Spiderman.  There is only one good Superhero and his name is Batman and, ignoring the films of the 90s but definitely accepting the animation of the 90s, he is awesome.  Spiderman is a whiny little emo kid, to Batman’s insane and bipolar, do-gooder freak.  Cheer up emo kid.

2. I hate Twilight, though I don’t hate Twihards.  I get it, I really do.  I just, as a feminist, and as a person who is creeped out my Mormonism, don’t really approve of the creepy female hating/stalking is cool messaging in the book.  And let’s face it, it’s no Harry Potter.  Or Buffy for that matter.

3. I didn’t even like Roberto in HP4, though I was just generally not a fan of HP4.  Let’s face it, he’s no Sean Biggerstaff.  Real name.

4. If you want Vampires done right, you watch Buffy.  Here is why:

Spiderman, Twilight, Potter, Buffy

Project Runway 701

Seth: Looks drugged out.  I tend to like the contestants that are on the edges of the age range, either super young or super old.  He looks way older than 37 around his eyes.  Maybe because he’s dressed like a British school boy.  Shots of his previous work don’t impress me, nor does his speech, but they never do.

Janeane: Not Garafalo.  Crying a minute into a PR season is fairly bold.  And makes me want to vomit.  She will have to do a lot for me not to continue to hate her.

Ping: She crazy in that adding some interest to the first couple of challenges way.  That’s cool.

Ben: Apparently this online friend of mine knows Ben from SCAD, which is cool, because he’s Southern.  And that is more info than you’ll learn about Ben this entire episode.  Oh Comic Books.

Anthony: The breakout star.  No lie.  He’s like Michael Knight crossed with Kayne.  “I don’t really care for Miss America.” WTH is that about, I love it!  And he 3rd persons.

Jay: Faux Hawk, but some interesting fashion from the past.

Pamela: She’s 47 but doesn’t seem cool.  Also, her clothes are hideous.  Type A means she’ll be a bitch.

Anna: Another one with 2 seconds of introduction.  She’s my favorite because she’s fucking adorable.  Her clothes aren’t very interesting, and she’s like an artist out of design school or whatever.  But she’s adorable.

Jonathan: Faux Hawk 2.  Can I just say all there is to say is *headdesk*.  Irritating.

Jesse: OK, so he’s totally hot as Jack Sparrow, but he so doesn’t look like Johnny Depp not in the makeup.  So, I don’t know what to think.

Mila: She’s my early pick.  I just like her.  She reminds me of Laura.  You know, just on top of it and not willing to let anything get between her and her goals, but without be conniving or catty (Irina), just by being good and unflappable.

Maya: Bored by her Christian Siriano rip off collection.

Christiane: Barely any intro, but the most interesting part about her is where she’s from, not what she wants to do.  She likes color and poor construction based on the photos.

Jesus: His eyes are freaking me out.  I like his photos though, he’s got an artistic flair

Emilio: Speaks Spanish.  Draws pictures that are boring.

Amy: Bored by her, but I like her clothes.

Preggers Heidi means everything is going to be better now.  Every season they seem to make up whatever this Season is the best at.  Ridiculous.  “A little pregnant.”  Nice Heidi.

Fabric in Central Park, run and grab.  K.  I love it when they make the designers run and try to force them to sound shocked by it.  Sound bites are so forced.  But I like the whole editing twist, they can only keep 5 of the fabrics.  I sort of like Seth’s attitude without liking him.

AH, Tim Gunn’s tie is the same pepto bismol pink as the walls.  WHO TOLD THEM THAT COLOR WAS OK?!

HP touchsmart.  Want.  Man, they had to pick their colors before knowing their models skin tone.  That’s rough.

Christiane notes that this is the only chance to show that she is different.  Apparently her main difference is being way worse than everyone, because she’s going to go home.  Emilio is doing something awesome.  I kind of love that Ping looks at her clothes on a human form, because it is quite different.

Models come in.  Someone makes a Make it Work imitation.  Jesus makes a poor choice with his already hideous dress.  Decides to make it longer.  Yuck.

I like it when the models talk to each other about their designs.  Tim Visits.

Christiane: Tim wants to know if not having something will hurt it.  She needs to finish it impeccably.  Which she will not do.

Ping: She’s wearing her look.  He wants to know if that lets her be objective.  Tim says alright.  Because what to say.

Seth: He’s really strongly in favor of his red zipper.  He even sells Tim on it.

Janeane: She’s working on a black dress and it’s awful because of the fabric choice.  Tim tells her to clean it up “as much as she can.” She cries again.

Anthony: “None of this is working for me.” Anthony makes Tim laugh and that makes him awesome.

Jesus: The hideous lizard costume with the hideous line with the hideous ugliness.  Tim says “Oooohhhh” for like 5 seconds.

Emilio: Tim has one comment, there’s an unfinished top.  Never had anyone just not finished.  Not true, remember that chick with the neck gig and the seethrough mumu.  Yeah.

Christiane thinks she can win, but she apparently doesn’t know how to sew.  Janeane is crying again.  SHUT UP.

What is Seth wearing on Runway day?  Seriously.  Mila totally knows that Christiane has issues, but she’s nice.  Ping is afraid of being different.

The Jesus model thinks the hideous brown lizard dress is hot.  I thought at first she meant that wearing that much pleather was making her overly warm.  Christiane feels good.  Foolishly.

Emilio pulled off a super cute dress.  Janeane is like so boring me.  Not finishing is just like not that interesting a threat any more.

There’s this one guy who is so unbelievably hot in the Garnier makeup room.  I know he’s gay, and he was only on screen for two short shots, but one of them he’s got a super cute smile.

A lot of the girls have what looks like toilet paper in their hair.  I grasped that they were rag curls.

Why is Heidi so hot when she’s pregnant?  If I was that hot when I was pregnant I would always be pregnant… and apparently so is she, so fair enough.

Michael is looking slightly less orange.  Nina looks like she’s salivating to tear them apart.  Nicole Richie looks chill like Xanax, you know what I’m saying.  The designs.

Jonathan: Very nice.

Seth: It’s a little punk prairie to me.  And I hate the suspenders.  But it is well-executed and thematically thorough.

Jesus: Hideous lizard creature.

Ben: So what I didn’t realize is that what you’re looking at here isn’t his fabric, it’s two fabrics laid over each other to create that fabric, which I think is pretty cool.  I personally hate the design because futuristic isn’t that appealing to me and the color is dowdy, especially on his model, but, the fabric technique is cool and it looks fairly well constructed.

Jay: I hate this.  It’s got a flower puff coming out the vagina and off the hips.  It’s awful awful awful, the worst of what people think fashion is without being fashionable at all.

Pamela: Apparently this design is reversible.  It’s just boring and the fabric is too stiff.  The color is meh.

Emilio: Beautiful.

Jesse: In my opinion this should have been the losing dress.  It looks like it’s from a porno about a librarian with a sexy side with no budget.

Ping: Actually very pretty and interesting.

Christiane: poorly constructed, terrible fabric choice.  Cheap cheap cheap.  Nina’s going to go ape-shit

Amy: Boring and what’s going on with the giant boob thing

Janeane: Really boring.  But not offensive.

Mila: OK, so I don’t like the outfit, but the jacket is unbelievably awesome.  And she’s right about the silhouette.

Anthony: Hate the fabric.  And I like the colors involved, they just are tacky in that pattern.  Hideous

Anna: I really like this.  A lot claim that it washes the girl out but I think it’s lovely on her skin tone.  Very fantasy.  Cute and sweet, but interesting.

Maya: I actually quite like this, even though it’s probably a bit Project Runway cliche to do the shoulder ruffle, but it’s very well made and the fabrics really work.

So, Anthony is in the bottom 3.  Heidi likes the bottom bubble thing.  Michael says no one will wear that appendage on her hips.  Nina says that the fabric doesn’t go with the silhouette.  The butt is hideous.  But Nicole thinks it’s beautiful so Anthony’s not going home.  Also he’s funny so the producers won’t let it happen show one.

Seth is in the top 3.  Nicole says it is committed.  Heidi says it’s fun.  Nina loves the back.  Michael says it’s commercial.  Heidi wants to know more.  Nina appreciates the head to toe look.

Ping is in the Top 3.  The shape changes the form changes.  Nicole said the model got her attention.  It’s a show.  Nicole loves it.  Nina says it will have no hanger appeal.  The model looks uncomfortable.  Michael says it’s a great opening project. This was Nicole’s favorite.

Jesus the lizard king is bottom 3.  A huge crocodile trunk exploded.  Unsexy.  Looks like it was short and then was made long.  Heidi totally calls it.  Nina says she looks like a Hershey chocolate bar.  Nicole thinks it could have been good if it was different.  All the cliches of glamour — in a lounge in Las Vegas in 1972.

Christiane has a hideous dress in the bottom 3.  Nina likes the draping but isn’t crazy about the fabrics and you can see the hem that’s not finished.  Unsophisticated in color and shape, puckering.

Emilio is in the top 3.  Michael loves that it’s deceptively simple.  Heidi asks about the weaving.  Nina appreciates the technical work.  This dress has hanger appeal.  Nicole likes the full skirt.  Obvious winner because Nina thinks it looks expensive.

As predicted, Emilio wins, Christiane is out.  Always feel bad for the people who get judged on one project alone.  Oh well.

Next week, they’re going farming?

Project Runway 701

Scalia in Lawrence V. Texas

Not that I’ve been reading supreme court opinions or anything but Scalia’s dissenting opinion basically says that the decision in Lawrence V. Texas means that Same Sex Marriage should be legal.  Excerpts below, bolding by me.

Justice O’Connor argues that the discrimination in this law which must be justified is not its discrimination with regard to the sex of the partner but its discrimination with regard to the sexual proclivity of the principal actor.

[…] This reasoning leaves on pretty shaky grounds state laws limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. Justice O’Connor seeks to preserve them by the conclusory statement that “preserving the traditional institution of marriage” is a legitimate state interest. Ante, at 7. But “preserving the traditional institution of marriage” is just a kinder way of describing the State’s moral disapproval of same-sex couples.

[…] One of the most revealing statements in today’s opinion is the Court’s grim warning that the criminalization of homosexual conduct is “an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres.”

[…] At the end of its opinion–after having laid waste the foundations of our rational-basis jurisprudence–the Court says that the present case “does not involve whether the government must give formal recognition to any relationship that homosexual persons seek to enter.” Ante, at 17. Do not believe it. More illuminating than this bald, unreasoned disclaimer is the progression of thought displayed by an earlier passage in the Court’s opinion, which notes the constitutional protections afforded to “personal decisions relating to marriage, procreation, contraception, family relationships, child rearing, and education,” and then declares that “[p]ersons in a homosexual relationship may seek autonomy for these purposes, just as heterosexual persons do.” Ante, at 13 (emphasis added). Today’s opinion dismantles the structure of constitutional law that has permitted a distinction to be made between heterosexual and homosexual unions, insofar as formal recognition in marriage is concerned. If moral disapprobation of homosexual conduct is “no legitimate state interest” for purposes of proscribing that conduct, ante, at 18; and if, as the Court coos (casting aside all pretense of neutrality), “[w]hen sexuality finds overt expression in intimate conduct with another person, the conduct can be but one element in a personal bond that is more enduring,” ante, at 6; what justification could there possibly be for denying the benefits of marriage to homosexual couples exercising “[t]he liberty protected by the Constitution,” ibid.? Surely not the encouragement of procreation, since the sterile and the elderly are allowed to marry. This case “does not involve” the issue of homosexual marriage only if one entertains the belief that principle and logic have nothing to do with the decisions of this Court. Many will hope that, as the Court comfortingly assures us, this is so.
Full horrifying opinion here, where he says he’s got nothing against the gays, he just thinks they’re going to hell. 

Scalia in Lawrence V. Texas

Project Runway! Season 7

I’m very excited that there’s a new season of PR starting tonight because last season sucked.  Reasons this season will be better:

1. It’s in New York again.  LA sucked.

2. Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are in like every episode.

3. It couldn’t be worse than the last season.

4. Heidi is preggers.  This always makes it better for some reason.

5. The gays over at Project Rungay say it’s awesome and they’ve seen episode 1 already.

Quote I’m most looking forward to: “I’m sweating like a Baptist preacher!”

Project Runway! Season 7

Haiti: Send them Help, not Prayers

I know Pat Robertson is generally certifiable, but I don’t understand why he went all Deal with the Devil on the Haitians.  It’s a very Christian country, and one that doesn’t do anything to him politically.  Normally you can parse the politics behind his insanity, but he’s just a jerk apparently.

So, instead of blaming the victim or merely praying for Haiti, why not actually chip in whatever you can manage.  Even just ten dollars would help, and I think it’s a tax write off, if you’re into that.  “Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS… Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us.”

Partners in Health

If you feel the need to pray after that, fine, but actually help them first.

//End Rant

EDIT: Easier: Text ‘HAITI” to “90999” for a $10 donation to the Red Cross from your phone.  “YELE” to “501501” will donate $5 to the Yele Earthquake Fund  It’ll be on your phone bill.

Haiti: Send them Help, not Prayers

What I’m doing today

Reading the live blog of the Prop 8 trial: http://prop8trialtracker.com/ It’s fascinating, the arguments are incredibly well-crafted on the pro-gay marriage side.  The judge is whip smart and seems to be really curious as to why the state is in the business of marriage in the first place.  I’d always sort of been leaning that way, that religions should be in the business of ‘marriage’ and states in ‘civil unions’.  They’re making some good arguments as to why the state does do ‘marriage’, I’m almost convinced, even.

God I want to be able to watch the trial.  The most amazing argument from the trial is essentially a feminist argument.  That the roles in marriage have been made gender neutral and equal, so what marriage is is going to be changed less by gay marriage than it was by equality of the sexes.  I’ve always felt that gay rights were a natural extension of women’s rights.

Also following the NBC nonsense.  Maybe the entire thing is an attempt to get free publicity and increase viewership.  I’ll tell you, I’ve developed a healthy respect for that Conan O’Brien character.  And not just because he picks apples with Mr. T.

http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/12/conan-i-want-to-work-for-nbc/

My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction.

Fair enough.  Of course, he’s even better on the intro to his show last night, in which he ripped NBC a new one.  My favorite line was “NBC announced that they expect to lose $200 million on the Winter Olympics next month. Is it just me or is that story hilarious?”

What I’m doing today

Movie News; January is Entertainment on Crack

December is a relentlessly slow month in Los Angeles.  It can be refreshing or really painful if you need to be working.  January, however, makes an attempt at making up for all the hours not worked in December.

Today:

Sarah Palin will have her own show on Fox News.  “It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news,” Palin said in a written release.

Spiderman 4 is NOT happening anymore.  Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are off the project.  They’re going to reboot the franchise, which seems insane considering it’s not even a decade old, but whatevs.  This also means no more Kirsten Dunst!!!

All signs point to the Arrested Development movie happening this year.

SNL film MacGruber is looking good from early reviews, apparently as good as Wayne’s World.  Which is good, since the SNL movies of late have included The Ladies Man, Superstar, and Night at the Roxbury.

I’m sure you’re all aware of George Lucas on The Daily Show and the horrifically funny youtube review of Phantom Menace.

The 2010 WGA nominations are out.  Only 79 scripts were eligible to be nominated, versus last year’s 267.  Shockingly, Avatar is nominated for Best Original Screenplay.  But thank God!  That screenplay has been released online!  And it has a deleted sex scene

NEYTIRI
I am with you now, Jake. We are mated for life.

JAKE
We are?

NEYTIRI
Yes. It is our way.
(innocently)
Oh. I forgot to tell?

He rouses up, making her look at him.

JAKE
Really, we are?

NEYTIRI
We are.

JAKE
It’s cool. I’m there.

Movie News; January is Entertainment on Crack