At least bad sex is rewarded somewhere: Novelist Rachel Johnson has won the prestigious annual honor of the Bad Sex in Fiction award for her novel Shire Hell. Joining previous A-list writers like Tom Wolfe, Sebastian Faulks and last year’s honoree Norman Mailer, Johnson shows she’s got what it takes to de-sanctify the deed. The judges particularly hated on her metaphors, “especially animal metaphors” with specific mentions of cats and moths. John Updike also received a lifetime achievement award after being shortlisted four times in a row. We’ll leave you with an excerpt: “She said nothing then, her lovely mouth otherwise engaged, until he came, all over her face. She had gagged, and moved him outside her lips, rubbing his spurting glans across her cheeks and chin.” Definitely prize-worthy. [Guardian]
Tits for Titian: So we’ve all seen Samantha take her clothes off on Sex and the City, but now actress Kim Cattrall is stripping for art’s sake. She’s joined the campaign to save the Titian paintings in England by posing semi-naked for a modern recreation of “Diana and Actaeon” being photographed by Tom Hunter. The National Galleries of Scotland and London have until the end of 2008 to buy the Diana painting for 50 million pounds or else England loses it forever. Damien Hirst, Bridget Riley, and about 60 other artists have already called for the painting to be saved. We’re so glad Cattrall is stepping in. [Artinfo]
Office spin-off goes through identity crisis: Remember when everyone was psyched about an impending Office spin-off and Amy Poehler starring in it? Well, apparently that’s false. But don’t fret: the details are still hazy, but we do know that it’s still an NBC comedy, it still stars Amy Poehler, and now it has also cast Rashida Jones (who incidentally played Karen on The Office. Hmm…) It’s just, quote, “not a spin-off of The Office,” says co-producer Mike Schur. No shoot date has been set yet, but they’re saying sometime next year. Maybe they’ll reveal more details in the meantime, or deny some more claims. [Paste]
Coldplay, Killers, Dylan aid the AIDS campaign: Bono is spreading his goodwill this holiday season and getting a vast array of artists to collaborate on RED(WIRE), a digital music magazine benefiting Africans affected by AIDS. On board are U2, Coldplay, the Killers, the Dixie Chicks, John Legend, R.E.M. and Bob Dylan. It’s a simple endeavor: you pay $5, you get an exclusive weekly song, and the world becomes a better place. The only odd part is, there’s no link to the site yet. [Reuters]
Man Man seeking cat cat: Apparently it’s difficult to procure animals for video shoots, or maybe Philadelphia band Man Man is just very selective about their kittens. The indie experimental group is apparently looking for a tiny kitten to “fit in a very small bowler hat” for their new video, and they’re advertising it on MySpace, dubiously promising it won’t get eaten. Just think, this could be your fur ball’s lucky break! [Pitchfork]