As the summer heat continues I thought we should Hump Day & Chill to one of the coolest images (figuratively and literally) ever of Elizabeth Taylor in her pool with her parrot. This classic was shot by transgressive German photographer Helmut Newton.
Because let's face it no matter how cool you try to be, you'll never achieve Elizabeth Taylor cool, never!!!
TGIF! Etc...Wave your hands in the air, it's Friday! For some reason I'm feeling it today. Usually Friday is just another day of the week, but like most people i'm feeling end of the week relief over it for some reason...
Eliazabeth Taylor as Pearl Slaghoople from The Flintstones feature film really captures the elation I am feeling over a Friday of all things.
I'm guessing it's been a long week is why I am feelin so excited that I just can't hide it! Not to mention I am capping the week off by having lunch with a friend in Beverly Hills. Two reason to be happy on one quite specific day.
Turn and face the cool - "Yes" cool is in iconic, nothing else like it, bet you wished you were them.
We are simply going to Hump Day & Chill to "cool" today and I can not think of anything cooler right here, right now than David Bowie & Elizabeth Taylor doing a photo shoot together. I'd like to see anyone top this in the cool hall of fame. At the very least it's in the Top 10 of the coolest things of all time.
Remember when you are feeling cool as ice all cocky and stuff. You are not until you've reached this def con level of it. It's a level you can aspire to reach, but...
Know this, you never will.
Hump Day & Chill, it's time to go into the aesthetic of cool!
Of late I have been yearning for the Hollywood days of yore when there were real Movie Stars, ya know?
This image a BFF's Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift captures all that and more. Thus we are going to Hump Day & Chill to old Hollywood and this dynamic duo.
Seemingly and most likely this photo was taken on the set of Suddenly Last Summer, a great film that I need to watch again as it has been years since I've seen it. I'm sure my understanding of it will have expanded since I am now older with more life experience, right here, right now.
Thus that is exactly how I'm gonna Hump Day & Chill by fixing myself a gin martini and kicking it old school with Liz & Monty and Suddenly Last Summer.
"Maggie the cat is alive. I'm alive" - Maggie, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Whilst Tweeting this morning this photo Elizabeth Taylor from Cat On A Hot Tin Roof came through my feed.
It brought me back to a few things. One how great the film is and two how truly immortal Ms. Taylor is.
That's correct Minions, while I know she has passed on Elizabeth Taylor's place in the history of cinema will live forever and her humanitarian work, especially her AIDS activism is her legacy.
Nobody did it better than Elizabeth, while many have come close she was a one of a kind trailblazer and talent.
I now believe it's time for me to view Cat On A Hot Tin Roof again...STAT!
Hugging It Out l-r Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott & Lady Gaga
Just Because, it gave me all the feels, Just Because, hand print ceremonies are fun! & Just Because Sam Elliott is one hot Daddy - "Yep" you guessed it, it's this group hug moment from Sam's hand print ceremony at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Sam has had a long and steady career in Hollywood appearing in such films a Mask, The Big Lebowski & one of my personal favorites Lifeguard - Why you ask? Ummmmmm, Sam portrays a Lifeguard, meaning he is in swim trunks pretty much the whole movie. There that's why! Thus being that he is great in a the supporting role of Bradley Cooper's older brother in one of the biggest films of the year A Star Is Born he was invited to make his prints immortal at the famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood along with other legends such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean & Elizabeth Taylor and many others. "Yes" it is an "it's about time" moment for this veteran actor and a well deserved one. Check out all the hand prints at the Chinese on Wikipedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Grauman%27s_Chinese_Theatre_handprint_ceremonie
Alyssa Milano
Who Wears Short Hair? I Wear Short Hair!
Happy 43rd Birthday to Alyssa Milano ! Alyssa has been one of my grrrrrrlcrushes since Charmed, no not Who's The Boss, I like my women legal.
One of the things I adore about her, is not only her special brand of pretty & accessible. But she is also down to earth and no nonsense. If she believes in something she is not one to trifle with. For example her recent middle finger wave to those who criticized her for breastfeeding in front of others. Hello?! She spends hours in a make-up chair, what is she supposed to do, starve her child?!
So what does one do for your 43rd Birthday when you have it all? Why go pixie or go home! Yes Alyssa took to her Instagram page with her latest version of the pixie look.
About twelve years ago she wore a short do on Charmed. She captioned the image with the following: "Short hair don't care"
Of course her followers went wild pontificating:
"Season 6 Phoebe is back!" one person said.
The late great Elizabeth Taylor also made the mix.
"Remind me of Elizabeth Taylor," a fan wrote.
"You look like Elizabeth Taylor beautiful," said another.
Love you Alyssa missing you on Mistresses!
Look for the Hair Necessities with Alyssa on Instagram:
Into The Bride of Frankenstein! Yes, it's totally true! Not only does she portray Frankenstein's mate, she also does Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Madonna and Elizabeth Taylor. Hey what can't this amazing woman do?! Why you may ask? Well there is a reason...it's for "Showstopper" a new production number in the Donny and Marie Show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Marie has always been my favorite Osmond. Even though she was "a little bit country" and I am more Rock-N-Roll. I used to sit glued to the TV set when the Donny & Marie show was on.
Marie, For Real
She is an icon to me and what makes her special is she has always been kind, compassionate, honest and above all real. Her ups and downs are well documented in the press and through it all Ms. Osmond has always remained strong and fluid as a human being. I greatly admire her moxie and intelligence. Not to mentions she is an A + entertainer & personality. A note to the judges of Dancing With The Stars, who dissed Marie's freestyle to The Rolling Stone's "Start Me Up" - it was awesome and perhaps one day you will realize the error of your judgement, perhaps...in the meantime let's make believe and play dress up with Marie and all of her amazing transformations in the video below!
Yes it is that day of every year we are thankful, for family, friends, health and turkey!
So in honor of Turkey Day I present you, one of Hollywood's biggest Turkey's of all time - "Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Yes I have seen it, and I needed major amounts of caffeine to stay awake. Was it worth it? Yes and No...The content was absolutely boring as Hell. But despite it being one of her worst performances ever Taylor was riveting and add to the fact that she was having a then scandalous extramarital affair with Burton added a whole extra dimension to it.
Taylor was an amazing actress whether she gave a great performance or not - Hey "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" co-starring the late great Paul Newman, are two of my favorite films of all time, and she was great in both them. However in this production her affair with Burton was the draw...
The Trailer For "Cleopatra"
Universe bless Ms. Taylor she had the extra balls to back herself as well - no actress had been paid one million dollars at the time, she did not want to do the film so she asked for it. Well, they paid it, and she did it because her thought was: If they were stupid enough to pay it to her, then she would do it.
Her legacy of being a humanitarian and a no BS woman will always be remembered, so this Thanksgiving Day I tip my hat to Elizabeth, and hope everyone finds what they need from the world and grab it by it's tail - whip it like Elizabeth, and gobble, gobble!
It’s a Cho, Cho World - with season four of “Drop Dead Diva” already in full swing & her upcoming comedy tour “Mother” not to mention her too cool for school guest spot as Kim Jong Il on “30 Rock” Margaret Cho is in your face B!tches!
She even caught the attention of the Fred Phelps comedy troupe known as The Westboro Baptist Church, who called her a “Lying Pervert” uh, ok, we Cho fans already knew that, duh!
MS: Hi “Lying Pervert“.
MC: It’s true, when I read that I was kind of like, well, yes! I think that’s fine.
MS: The Westboro Baptist Church is so over the top, I find the the sh!t they say oddly funny.
MC: It’s really kind of flattering. Once they had a big picture of Elizabeth Taylor with the words “Fag Hag” underneath it. I thought it was just so flattering, some sort of signage for people who support gay rights, it’s really kind of amazing.
MS: BTW I watched the season four premiere of “Drop Dead Diva” you look like you are having a blast on that show!
MC: Yes, I have a really good time and I really love the cast. They are all really talented actors and we have really amazing guest stars all the time, which is a lot of fun. My favorite this year have been, Patty Duke…and I didn’t even get to meet Kim Kardashian, but I guess she is coming back soon, so hopefully I will get to see her. We’re always having all sorts of fun people drop in. It’s a great place to be for shooting “Drop Dead Diva“, Atlanta, GA, people are here everyday. Kathy Griffin just came through this past weekend and that was a lot of fun. It’s a cool place to be and being part of cast for four years and playing a character for four years is really great.
MS: The chemistry between the actors on the show rocks. I did watch the season four premiere before we spoke, Kim Kardashian wasn’t bad actually.
MC: She was good.
MS: Let's talk about your upcoming tour “Mother”.
Photo: Austin Young
MC: I have to put my tour schedule together for six months out of the year, because the other six months I am working on “Drop Dead Diva”. Every once in a while I’ll be able to get out and do a gig, but that’s pretty rare, finally I’m actually getting to go back out on the road. People have talked about my “Mother” impression all throughout my career, I wanted to do a show that was just, full on about her (laughs). It’s also about how I have become a “Mother” for the Queer community, I became a maternal figure within that context. This show is about my Mom, dedicated to Mom’s and about a Mom, which would be me I guess. (laughs)
MS: Do you ever want kids for real?
MC: No, no, I mean it is a possibility, it’s important to think, that even if I am not an actual “Mother” I still have to be there for Queer/LGBT young kids. You have to be there as an adult figure within the Queer community. We all have to do that it’s an important thing. In my generation I lost a lot of people that I looked up to in the Queer community. People that are “Generation X’ers” have to have much more of a parental influence to bridge that gap.
MS: There are plenty of people that I do that with. Since we were on the subject of Mom’s I had never really asked you if you wanted to become one, so I had to go there.
MC: You sort of become one by default, in the sense that when you age and get older you just become a kind of a “Mother” even if you don’t literally have child, you have one, we all do.
MS: I caught your guest stint on “30 Rock” as North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il, you played a guy, but it really worked.
MC: Oh yeah, it was insane because I looked just like him. When I went outside, I was standing there in the bald cap and the wig…I got cruised by this hot older Bear. He thought I was a hot young Asian Bear, I’m like: “ I just got “Bear Cruised” - but I could not follow through on it exactly because I am sure he did not know I was a woman. (laughs)
MS: Yeah, I did not recognize it was you right off.
MC: It’s so crazy how much I look like him, it’s really scary.
MS: Tina Fey said it was one of her proudest moments on the show, having you on as Kim Jong Il, how cool is that?
MC: I really love her and am so proud to have been on the show and have played that character, I am actually North Korean. To be from there and to be isolated from my family because of this dictator, and to be able to make fun of him is a great thing, but it is also pretty sad too, it’s a weird situation.
MS: When he died what were your thoughts?
MC: I was hoping there would be some sort of a change, that it would be time for that country to open up, but that hasn’t happened obviously it has gotten a bit worse. There is less contact, less communication and less scrutiny.
MS: How’s your music going?
MC: I will be doing some music on “Drop Dead Diva” this year.
MS: Very cool!
MC: Also I am so excited to go out on tour as well!
MS: Out of everything you do is touring your favorite?
MC: Touring is and will always be my favorite job! I really love stand-up.
Margaret Cho is not a “Lying Pervert” keep up with her at: www.margaretcho.com
Alright people, it's time I chimed in on this, everyone seems to be down on Lindsay Lohan's casting as icon Elizabeth Taylor.
First off we have not seen her actual performance, so STFU until you do, then judge. That being said Lohan has proven herself a credible actress, of course I could site one of my fave movies of all time "Mean Girls" and as a matter of fact I just did....but let's go to this place "Prairie Home Companion" anyone? Where she played Meryl Streeps daughter and held her own against the amazing Meryl, thank you very much.
Now let's address those who think Lindsay is not "classy" enough to play Elizabeth Taylor. Like Taylor, Lindsay is human and has made many mistakes along the way, what Elizabeth Taylor does not walk on water?!
Uh, no actually, she was human too just like Linds, which is why I think Lindsay is going to bring it on in her portrayal.
The real Taylor & Burton
They were both child actresses, no easy path, from other examples we have seen in the media, besides Ms. Lohan.
Elizabeth Taylor was a pariah during her time too for her adulteress affair with then married Richard Burton.
Dear Elizabeth also abused alcohol and prescription pills, most likely even up to her later years, anyone remember her loopy presentation on the Golden Globes to "Gladiator" for Best Picture?
I am certainly not one to live in a glass house and throw stones like most people, nor do I have a selective memory, like the masses, I do remember all of these things about Ms. Taylor that everyone else seems to be choosing to ignore in favor of America's favorite pastime, Lindsay bashing.
That being stated, I think Elizabeth Taylor was a great broad and her kindness and humanitarian efforts will be her legacy. We are all human and flawed and Lindsay is no exception, I hope she nails the role of a Lifetime (yes, pun intended) and gets herself back on track.
Elizabeth's legend will continue to shine, why not give Ms. Lohan the same chance to re-invent her life?