wtf ever happened to magazines?

No seriously. What happened?

People think I'm joking or exaggerating when I tell them that I've been subscribing to my favorite magazines since I was twelve. They then think I'm weird (or as I like to call it: overly passionate) when I describe in depth the amounts of publications I hoard by stacking them against walls in my bedroom, or how the most exciting part of my month is receiving my glossies in the mail, embracing them as if they were a gift from God himself. You know what, maybe it is a bit weird. In this day and age when instant satisfaction is sought after with more intensity than we're willing to admit, I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that print media is (big breath)...dying. Or dead. Or whatever stupid state it's in right now, because Lord knows it's not the way it use to be. At all...

But why? When did this start and how in the hell do we make it stop? I'm over blaming the "recession" because lets face it, the recession isn't the only event to blame for complete and total failure. Maybe it was a year ago, but I'm not buying that it caused the steady downfall of print media. I personally blame technology. And people. There, I said it. I'm not completely innocent, trust me, I'm one of the people I'm blaming. It's so much easier to search for a editorial I really want to see on Google or read an article that will supposedly be in the newest issue of NY Magazine right on their website. It takes the mystery away, the excitement; the anticipation is lost. It's so easy for us to get information we want from our favorite magazines without actually having to wait until they hit newsstands. But whatever happened to the feeling you get when you see that editorial in your hands, or read that article over coffee? There's a big difference between viewing something on your laptop and holding that tangible evidence of creativity in your hands.

Or am I the only one that feels this way?
[pic via: youmehimandher]

valentines day for the rest of us.

I was trying to avoid this day like the plague, but Valentines Day has once again sucked me in and spit me out. I dodged it as much as I could, but these homemade greeting cards courtesy of Owly Shadow Puppets' gave me a good reason to do a 'Single Awareness Day' post. While we're on the subject of this hot mess of a holiday, I think it's wise for me to clarify that although there are a few people I love unconditionally, I'm still 150% against this godforsaken shit stain of a day...

this is horrible.

Rest In Peace Lee Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen was a genius. In my mind he was a designer that didn't see fashion as industry, but more so an art form - a view point I think is severely lacking in this industry. The fashion industry will never be the same without his perspective. I hope is soul is free...

r.i.p. j.d. salinger.

"Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them"

JD Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye)

The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books. People keep dropping like flies out here. Sad...

you obviously have too much money.

I'm cheap. I'm cheap, but I'll spend retarded amounts of money on the things I love...like shoes...or bags...or shoes. Anyway. I've never been a fan of frivolous spending; if I do end up spending a lot of money on something it's because I know it will gain value over time or because it's impeccably made. When I saw this 24k gold pencil created by Korean Daisung Kim, I wanted to puke in my mouth a bit. Not only is the pencil carefully covered with 24k gold shavings, but it's so astronomically priced, thinking about it makes my eye twitch. People who purchase things like this, I have no words for...[designboom]

Someone obviously has too much time on their hands...

girl, you just can't win.

Lindsay Lohan just can't seem to win these days.

With one over publicized bisexual relationship down the toilet, a line of leggings named after Marilyn Monroe (6126 is her birthday), and a failed acting career under her belt, the tabloid darling just can't seem to catch a break these days. Well except for this big juicy one: French couture house Emmanuel Ungaro CEO Mounir Moufarrige woke up one sunny morning and decided that the 'troubled starlet' would make the perfect addition to the brand as none other than THE artistic advisor to it's newest head designer Estrella Archs, a woman known for her beyond impressive resume which includes Prada and her namesake label Estrella Archs.

Ok, so I get it. Celebrities obviously bring some sort of notoriety and publicity to a brand or product. THAT I totally get. What I don't seem to be able to wrap my head around is how someone like Lindsay Lohan can be given a job that not only requires her to be the face for the brand but also gives her veto power over all the designs. Not only does Leggings Lohan offer the band wagon of tabloids following her every waking move, but she basically gets to tell a TRAINED artist what the Ungaro collections will look like. To me, that's like asking a snail to do a dogs job. It just doesn't work.

For all of those asking the question of the week: WHY?!? Apparently Leggings was brought on, not only to bring a youthfulness to the brand, but also her merry band of media whores along for the ride. The job was turned down by the notorious Paris Hilton (thank the Lord), and was handed off to LaLohan after the Ungaro CEO came to her house and saw her room was filled with designer clothing all over the place (blank stare). I mean sometimes I wish Anna Wintour would bless me with her presence in my messy room and offer me a job at Vogue. But that would never and will never happen. GET.REAL.

Obviously I'm not the only person that feels this way. Yesterday the first Ungaro collection stomped down the runway during Paris Fashion Week, the first under Lindsay's command, and it wasn't received well by the snobby elite of the fashion world. Called "cheesy and outdated" by WWD, an "embarrassment" by FWD and a slew of other not so nice terms I'd rather keep to myself - let's just say that while LaLohan may think this is the best thing in the free world, the fashion elite is no closer to embracing her overly publicized presence.

Girl, you just can't win. [WWD,Telegraph]

the swagga shoe. who thought this was a good idea?

This is one of those things that make you stop and ask yourself "Is this really happening?"....

Day 26, the band of boys put together by hit maker (pause and let that soak in for a moment) Sean P Diddy Combs, has released a shoe for it's predominately female fan base called the 'Swagga Shoe'. No I'm not joking, it's really called that. The shoe is apart of a line of footwear created by the group called Eight 2 Six (nice play on words and numbers guys!) and is specifically being sold at Heels.com has left me with many questions.

1) Why? - I'd like to open hand slap anyone who thought this Roberto Cavalli esq shoe (circa 2000) was a good idea. With powder. For starters this shoe is $99.99 but looks as though it should be on the sale rack at Forever XXI. Secondly, is the red sole a la Christian Louboutin suppose to make me believe this is a luxury item? Really? Is there some sort of contract artists sign stating that on top of their duty as mediocre hit makers they are also to design something...anything really. Seems like in order to be a designer one must first release an album.

2) Swagga? - Are people still using this word? I thought it we'd replaced it with something more suitable and not so dried out and over used. Once upon a time swagga (or in perfect grammar: SWAGGER) was something people aspired to, that thing that put you on another stratosphere of cool. Now when I hear swagga or see a product associated with the word my gag reflexes go into overdrive. I seriously throw up a bit in my mouth.

3) Fans? - I'm not really a Diddy band fan, this includes Day 26 and excludes the Danity Kane albums I have stashed under my bed (hence the 'not really' a fan thing), therefore this shoe does nothing for my excitement level. Surprisingly enough (or not so surprisingly depending on who you ask), when I looked up the reactions of the Day 26 female fan base most of the women instantly fell head over heels (pun intended) for this product. But I've got to ask: was it because of the shoe itself or were they having visions of Q's lips and Willies 8 pack? Do these women really love this shoe, or the men that have their name stamped on it? Hmmm

If you love this Swagga (gag) Shoe you can purchase the product at Heels.com. It also comes in a iradecent silver and black (plastic)leather.

for colored girls who have considered suicide after finding out Tyler Perry was producing this film.

According to Variety Tyler Perry, the creator of cult classic films centering on black women and their "issues", is directing, producing and writing, the film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's award winning play For Colored Girls Who have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow isn't Enuf. The play, a series of 20 choreopoems set to music telling stories of abandonment, love, domestic abuse, and other important issues surrounding black women.

In all honesty the only benefit I can see to Tyler Perry being the spearhead for this project is how much money is going to be made. It's a known fact that he's capable of bringing in predominately African American crowds and their pocketbooks to his productions, but what I know of his movies, I don't like. Sometimes things shouldn't be over sensationalized because it ultimately takes away from the impact it could potentially have. I'd rather see this film be a cult classic than a box office hit.

This play was and still is one of my favorite books, so you'd think I'd be at least a little excited about it. Well...I'm not. If I tried hard enough I could list at least 5 other directors, writers, and producers I think will do this production the justice it deserves. Personally I'd like to see what Spike Lee would do with it. I'd take 40 Acres and a Mule over cross dressing granny's with anger issues any day. [jezebel]

there's an app for that..

I don't think anyone loves those iPhone application commercials more than I do. Sometimes I wish SNL would do a digital short called "There's an App for that..." and just make up the most ridiculous applications ever. I think Apple beat SNL (or rather me) to the punch with this one...

T Pain is not my favorite person. When he first arrived on the scene this auto tuning, finger snappin', dread lock flipping, top hat wear MC/singer he was absolutely in my iPod. But that was before the 'Big Ass Chain' incident, and before everyone, their aunt, and cousin down the street started using auto tune and wore it the hell out. Now I can't stomach T Pain. I can't even stand to look at him with one eye open after his shitty explanation as to why he bought a chain bigger than my torso and expensive enough to feed a struggling nation of children. Just when I thought I was through with him for good, THIS appears.

iPhone has officially gone stupid by creating an application that allows you to sing T Pain's jams using the auto tune device that made him famous. With the "I Am T-Pain" application you can choose amongst several of T-Pain hits and basically sing the lyrics that pop up on your phone kareoke style. What's most interesting though is that some of the songs include duets with T-Pain, and when your finished you can post your music onto Crackbook or Myspace. If your interested, application is about $3 on iTunes...[gizmodo]

you know you're ghetto when...

My ghetto and your ghetto may be two different things. My ghetto is of the diamond encrusted grill variety, others may believe it to be something entirely different, but come on now THIS is a ghetto we all can agree on. This house is said to be somewhere in Mexico, and was sent to blog Freshome by an anonymous person who said they found it via Crackbook (facebook to some). I'm almost entirely convinced the person who sent this in is the person who lives in this house. All I have to say to it's inhabitants is NO MAS! [freshome]

The past few weeks have been a bit rough for me when it comes to technology. Places like Twitter and Facebook, which were once apart of my daily routine, have now gotten on my nerves so much, I'm thinking very hard about ex communicating myself from both social crack sites. Almost two weeks ago my beloved Macbook Steve crashed, leaving me without a computer, and with a big headache. Being that Apple is the Jesus Christ of all computers, I find it appalling that they fall apart after barely two years of use. PC's last WAY longer than that. They had to completely trash my hard drive, so along with pictures and music, all my writing from the past two years, including some essays I was working on, was lost in the sauce. All that work gone, because technology decided to just stop working.

My hatred for everything tech does not stop there. I'm hating EVERYTHING. Photoshop won't save my files, then photobucket is almost exceeding it's bandwith, blah blah blah. Man I'm fed up. We depend so much on our cell phones, laptops, and the like when any day of the week that technology could wake up and give us a big F. U. When my laptop died, I thought I was going to die. I didn't know what to do with myself without the distraction of my blog, Twitter, SurftheChannel, or Facebook. I was bored out of my mind. And that's SAD. I think I've had enough of technologies fickle mindedness. I'm going to be weening myself away from the internet a little more everyday. It's necessary...

When my laptop dies for sure any day now, I'm taking it to the nearest Apple employee and slapping them with the remaining carcass after I smash it to death on my sidewalk (I'm angry, sorry). There is no way in HELL these computers should be so damn expensive and f_ck up so easily. Come on now.

i blame clive davis

This (points to above picture) is what happens when Clive Davis doesn't let you make the type of dark, rocker, "slit my writsts" music you want to make as an artist. You start hanging out with your good pals Ho Ho and Snickers, and start dating your ex boyfriend McDonald's.

I love me some Kelly Clarkson, despite what she looks like on her worse day (again pointing to the above picture) but hot DAYMN! The last time she appeared on Saturday Night Live, I had to look twice at those thighs. I thought my eyes were deceiving me! I'm not sure if she's going through something or if she just doesn't give a shit anymore. I kind of miss the fun loving, "Since You Been Gone" Kelly Clarkson we had a couple years ago. Now she just looks like a soccer mom at her day job staring at the clock waiting for her time to clock the eff out. Sadface...

rant & rave: celebrities are killing fashion.

I've thought about writing my feelings down on the subject for awhile now, but every time I put my fingers to my laptops keyboard, all that comes out is an angry mirage of swear words and obscenities. Now that I'm coming down from my caffeine high, I can responsibly display my feelings on this touchy subject. This doesn't mean there won't be swear words. What the hell do you expect?

In my opinion, there is no doubt in my mind that celebrities are murdering the creative aspect of fashion now a days. Seems like you can't sell anything without some big name being attached to it. I blame the media, I blame celebrities, but most of all, I blame society. People are so quick to jump and grab something with a name on it. The lines for the Yeezy's were out of this world, but why? Was it because of the design, or was it because the infamous Kanye West created them? If they had been made by a no name Nike designer, do you think people of all ages would have been climbing in each other to get a pair? I doubt it highly.

Now a days after you've achieved a certain level of celebrity, it seems like people are looking towards branding themselves in the most obvious of ways. Of course let's get you a clothing line Beyonce. Right this way Kanye, Louis Vuitton is waiting for you. People would LOVE a Kim Kardashian perfume. GAG.

It makes me angry because with this over saturation of fashion going on right now, where does that leave room for the people who study this art form? Does it leave room for those who have dreampt of the day they can work for a designer, let alone have their own line? Does it leave room for me, a person whose life goal is to one day work for a fashion magazine, only to see tweets that some no name rapper is interning for the likes of Vogue and GQ? I think celebrities are greedy. When one does something, they all do it. When everyone and their mother has a clothing line, a perfume, and a shoe named after them, what room is that going to leave for true creativity?

Celebrity driven products are blurring the lines of creativity. There's no evolution to fashion anymore. No creativity, nothing unique. We see the same things, the same ideas, and the same people pushing them. There aren't any new faces in the limelight, no real talent. The ones that are trying to get there are forced to get on this marketing band wagon with promises of a one way ticket to success.

I'm sure there are some who won't share my views and opinions on this subject, but I guess that's the beauty of it all. I'm just tired of no one putting it out there. Media, especially some blogs are the main cosigners of this tragedy. We regard Kanye West interning at the Gap as important fashion news, when his spot may be taking away from a design student who has the credentials and appropriate talent for the job. I find that to be shocking and rather sad.

So there, I said it. Call me a hater if you'd like, but I won't be the asshole in line to get a pair of Yeezy khakis or a Dereon hoodie.

So sue me...

(pictures via Trenddoll)

mom. i wanna be like sasha fierce.

Arriving in stores just in time for back to school season, Beyonce and her Mama were so inspired by Sasha Fierce that they decided to create what some would call a capsule collection for their clothing line House of Dereon directly inspired by Beyonce's imaginary friend. Being that this collection should be ready for the back to school shopping season, I'm left to ask this rather important question to parents and young adults alike:

Question: Would you let your child walk out of your house in these Sasha Fierce like creations? Really?

rappers be emotionial.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a hater. I am a fan, but I'm also a person who is easily annoyed by bullshit. Just like I hope you all are. I know there are a lot of fans of the 1 (or 2) rap artists that I am about to speak on. If you do not like what I am about to say, please leave me a comment as to why you are disgruntled. I love a good debate!

Ok, how do I say this without sounding like a heartless piece of trash...

Kid Cudi is an emotional being...
Kid Cudi is sad sometimes...

Screw it. Kid Cudi is an effing cry baby. I follow him on Twitter because like I stated above, I am indeed a fan of his music. I think his voice and his message are outstanding, and being apart of the starving youth of this world, I identify with his music ten fold. Everyone is a dreamer, including me, so most times I feel what he's saying in his music. Plus he's kind of cute so that just helps the message along..With that being said, as a fan of music in general and as a person who keeps up with pop culture for personal amusement, I believe it is my duty to speak on this. Why? Not because I'm qualified, but more so because this is my blog and I do what I want. Period.

Because I follow Kid Cudi on Twitter, I receive the vast majority of his tweets. Some are fun, some even funny, and sometimes the shit just disturbs me. His reactions to fame, in my opinion are, for lack of a better or smarter sounding word, annoying. His periodic rants on the pitfalls of fame piss me off because he's not THAT famous yet. This is just mile one in a long hard marathon called stardom. If he wants to be anything like his mentor Kanye West, he's really going to have to step up and stop complaining so much.

Tonight's informal bitch session topic with the Cudder was apparently about people who come up to him and ask to be put on. Whether it's through a demo, or a whatever other vice, everyone wants something from Kid Cudi. In ways, I agree with him. There are some people who just look for a hand out, and then there are other people who work for what they have. In this day and age when it's not what you know as much as who you know I can't sympathize with this guy. I believe that everything comes full circle, if I get blessed it's my duty to bless someone else. May be big, and it may be small, but it's my goal to pay it forward.

Someone put you on, isn't that a reason to help someone else out?

I know I'm just an outsider looking into a world that may look glamorous, but in reality is very gruesome. I know that I have no idea what being famous is all about. I know that it's not all about the money, the fame, the clothes, or the girls/boys. I know this. But what I also know is that things could always be worse than they are. I know that artists like Kid Cudi and Wale who complain from time to time about how hard it is to be famous, could always have it harder. They could NOT be famous. They could be one of these nameless, faceless artists who come up to the Kid Cudi's and Wale's of the world at concerts, and on the street trying to make a name for themselves by any means necessary.

People talk so much about how good it was when they were broke, but obviously it wasn't that great if you were pushing so hard to make it big. But I digress...I'll leave you and them with this question:

Whatever happened to being grateful?

wives of famous athletes wear the darnest things.

I've had a bone to pick with Vanessa Bryant ever since I saw her in a jersey, purple tutu, leggings, a leather jacket, and ankle boots...ALL AT ONCE. I've never understood her style. Seeing as she is the wife of one of the most accomplished athletes of our time, you think she'd look a little better stepping out of the house, right? Yea, well I thought that too...

I was talking to some guy friends who love playing my antagonist in situations like these. These said friends couldn't understand why I was being so hard on Vanessa Bryant. I mean after all, maybe she's not so much into fashion like I am, maybe she doesn't know the awkward way she dresses herself is indeed WRONG, maybe she just doesn't care...Well, you know what, I hope she doesn't care. I hope that the Manolo's, the tutu's, the bedazzled jeresy dresses circa 1999, and the sequin body suit with her tata's hanging out for the world to see, make her happy. Because if it does, that means those hideous outfits actually meant something. I doubt it though...

If you look hard enough your eyes will burn.

(Ok that was mean...sorry)

you lose.

Can someone please explain to me to phenomenon that is Lady Gaga? Is she so hard pressed to be the new age Madonna, that she allows herself to look EXTRA ridiculous all the time? Look at the eyebrows. Please LOOK AT THEM. I'm a Gaga fan partly because her music makes me giggle like a school girl who heard a bad word for the first time, and partly because sometimes she's rather amusing to look at. The amusing part is reigning supreme at this point in time. If you know anything about Gaga, you know she was pants less, because she's suffering from an pants allergy, but I won't post those pictures. If you want to see ass...Google it.

Those EYEBROWS....

balmain for sale. yowza...

during my daily walk around these internet streets i stopped by one of my favorite blogs Fashion Is Poison and spotted the surprise of a lifetime. she's selling the highly sought after Balmain denim military jacket made famous by princess forehead, i mean Rihanna. i'm not entirely sure how much the jacket will be going for, but i'm sure it won't be cheap. for more information check out Fashion Is Poison.

madonna looks like a corpse.

This isnt' the first time I'm seeing the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter collection advertisement, with Madonna looking like a corpse, it's just the first time I've decided to blog about it. Interestingly enough, with all the talk surrounding the over enhancement of photos in the fashion indusrty, this is a blatant stab at that argument. Madge looks like a child for one, and for two, the colors aren't appealing at all. If it wasn't for the LV label at the bottom, would anyone be slightly intriuged by this? Uhhh I'm not so sure....

the camel hump clothing line.

So I guess for Beyonce and her bedazzlement lovin' mother Tina Knowles, having a record called I Am (dramatic pause) Sasha Fierce, just wasn't enough. The dynamic fashion duo (cough) is gearing to create a line of clothing for the back to school season based around Beyonce's noted alter ego Sasha and her costumes from her tour designed by Therry Muglier. Get ready ladies, for black body suits, fake costume jewlery, and lots of big collars. GO TEAM!

I'm not excited at all about this news. When House of Dereon came onto the scene for a brief moment I had a feeling it would do great and wondrous things, and we all know how that ended. If the failed attempt at creating a successful clothing line wasn't enough to put the cork back in the bottle Mama Tina and Bey are obviously drinking out of, I don't know what the hell will do it...