This is the age of the Disney Princesses. When I used to teach drama to little kids, not a day would go by without a large proportion of the tiny tots arriving in outfits entirely unsuitable for the rough and tumble of pre-K theater. Sequins, ruffles, yards of itchy, uncomfortable unnatural fibers in baby pinks and baby blues: these children were no longer Jessica, Britney or Caroline — they had been transformed into Jasmine, Belle and Cinderella (next up, African American Tiana). And whilst these toddlers are at pains to tell you which princess they are, to show you their crown or to topple precariously in hideous plastic high-heels, when asked what a princess actually does, they’re stumped.
All hail then, West Coast photographer Dina Goldstein, whose almost-complete series Fallen Princesses casts light on the modern day plight of fairy tale royalty. Just what would a contemporary Cinderella be doing with herself? Take a look at a few of Goldstein’s powerful images after the jump…
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Earlier in the week, we reported with excitement about the virtual democratization of the dictionary, thanks to new tool Wordnik. Unfortunately, it seems this open attitude to language is being met with a stern caning from school mistress and pedagogue, the New York Times. This week, NYT released a list of the words that most perplex readers of the online edition. When a reader doesn’t understand a word and highlights it, the paper comes to the rescue, providing a definition. Whilst we recognize the joys of discovering new words (and who, other than a solipsistic and frankly enervating person, doesn’t become apoplectic with delight upon encountering apposite neologisms?*) when we read, is there really a need for the paper to prescribe our vocabulary lists to us? Surely the job of the NYT is to communicate news stories directly and with flair, as opposed to making us reach for our dictionaries over breakfast? Read More »
The days of innocence, when we, the buying public, don’t give a Fendi where brands source their materials, construct garments, or whom they employ in which factories, are numbered. The big brands are quaking in their boots, anxious to prove their ethical/fair-trade/organic credentials. Finally, after Primark-gate earlier this year, it does seem as though the tide had finally changed for good. Yet, as Anna Wintour’s recent comments on fur have demonstrated, some folk just don’t learn the error of their ways. Read More »
Where fashion blogs are for the most part mediocre and ubiquitous (other than this awesome and arty offering from twelve year old fashion blogger, Tavi) fashion videos on YouTube tend to follow suit with meaningless musings that are often more asanine and offensive than their blog counterparts. Luckily for you, we’ve trawled through them all to separate the wheat from the chaff (or the Hermes from the H&M) to bring you the best vlog offerings (and some hilarious one-off videos) from some highly questionable self-proclaimed stylists.
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Coverage of religious cults in the media tends to fall into two categories: stunned horror (surrounding events like the Jonestown massacre) and baffled amusement (Scientology and its host of celebrity followers). What no one seems to be commenting on is the often bizarre, yet highly-original (some might even say fashion-forward) creations that cult followers sport. Not convinced? Here, we count down our top 5 cult classics.
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Recently, we reported on the disturbing development of adults dressing like kids, and the more comical retail move towards nostalgia tech. It seems we just can’t get enough of time-related trends, and who doesn’t enjoy longing for a bygone era, even if that era was in fact more like thirty days ago than thirty years ago? Yes, we’ve been noticing a distinct penchant for the past in pop culture, a past that feels like it was yesterday because it very probably was yesterday. Please get all teary-eyed and wistful for the latest fad: fauxstalgia. Read More »
If you, like the rest of us, thought that the dire state of the global economy couldn’t really get much worse — think again. Felipe Ossa’s new play, Monetizing Emma, takes us into a horrific and disarmingly realistic near future, in which investing in teenagers’ futures has become the newest financial fad to sweep across the U.S., alluring and manipulating very smart and very vulnerable youth, like the titular Emma Dorfman. Financial wisecracks (and comedic Punch and Judy style banter from the two monetizers, anxious to get Emma on their books) are juxtaposed with Emma’s penchant for Jane Austen and punctuated by her struggle to retain her sense of self when everyone around her is bartering for a piece.
Intrigued? We sat down with director Leah Bonvissuto and members of the cast to discuss money, materialism, The Matrix, and the marketplace. Read More »
These days, loving fashion is as much a requisite of celebrity culture as lending your face to a charity, or dodging claims of plastic surgery. Whilst we applaud a well-dressed star, we get somewhat irate when some of them take it too far, believing that their acquiescence to the clutches of a stylist translates as raw artistic talent in the fashion business. What’s worse, many design houses are willing to not only put up with this charade but endorse it, believing that a collaboration with Mischa Barton/Jessica Simpson/Miley Cyrus (who all have careers that, to outsiders like us, have nothing to do with fashion) will attract highly-desired publicity or a new demographic to a brand. To that end, we decided to bring you the best and the worst fashion/celebrity collaborations of recent years. BE WARNED: some of it ain’t pretty…
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This year Barbie turns fifty, although you would never know it: the passage of time seems to have skipped the doll’s diminutive form, and she remains plastic fantastic, blonde-haired and wrinkle-free. Amidst the host of publicity surrounding her birthday and the barrage of collaborations (with Vera Wang, Fiat and even a life-size Malibu beach house built in her honor), Barbie has managed to keep up appearances. Her looks have barely changed since her 1959 incarnation; despite feminist protest, Barbie, and her ridiculous measurements, have endured. All the hype around Barbie’s birthday got us thinking about dolls, the stereotypes they proscribe, and the inevitable backlash. It makes you wonder: When did these toys become anything more politicized than playthings?
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1. Sir Alan Sugar (the Trump of the British Apprentice) has been appointed an Enterprise Tsar by prime minster Gordon Brown [via Guardian]
Why this IS funny: If this is the beginning of reality show stars joining the political powers, bring on Speidi as Obama’s press management, and Janis Dickinson as cultural adviser.
Why this ISN’T funny: Sir Alan does have over 40 years of successful business experience, and if there’s any silver lining to the economic crisis, with his expertise and foresight, maybe it’ll be him who finally gets rid of the PM by shouting “you’re fired!” Read More »
