Chic Speaks!

Words of the Day

Sometimes I just need a little hope and it takes me a long way that's why I love quotes from those who have already walked the path.

 

 

Art is the desire of a man to express himself,

to record the reactions of his personality

 to the world he lives in.  ~Amy Lowell

 

“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right

 even though I think it is hopeless.” Chester W. Nimitz

Keeping Up with the Kardashians? I think I'll pass...

Okay, I've never apologized for loving reality shows. I watch reality shows or old episodes of Sex and the City, Seinfeld, and Family Guy, everyday. I've also recently gotten into game shows. But I think I've finally found a reality show that is so pointless and exploitative for the mere desire for fame that I can't stomach it.

Keeping up with the Kardashians is a reality show about the Kardashian/Jenner family. Kris Jenner, ex wife to O.J. Simpson attorney, the late Robert Kardashian, married Bruce Jenner in the 90’s. Ryan Seacrest, who appears quite stuffy to me, is ironically the producer of the show.  The show primarily revolves around Kim, known for her gorgeous looks and sex tapes, Kourtney, the oldest and shortest bombshell of the sisters, and Khloe, the tallest and youngest of the Kardashian group. Bruce Jenner has six children from a previous relationship. They appear on the show periodically. On the show I saw tonight it was Brody Jenner who made an appearance.

I was never really interested in watching it but Kim seems sweet in the interviews so I decided to give the show a chance. I had actually been watching Kimora Lee Simmons show, which I never thought I would like but I really enjoy and the Kardashian show came right after.  I was too lazy to change the channel because my Millionaires club comes on at 1pm so I just left it on. The first few episodes I saw over the last few weeks initially left me with a dull feeling that has now become a mild disgust. All I have to say is after watching about 4 or 5 episodes of this show I think this family has some strange dynamics. Besides being one of the most pointless and boring reality shows on the TV, it feels like watching the kernels of a V.C. Andrews novel coming to life right before your eyes.  

A few weeks ago I actually decided not to watch the show again, after the littlest daughters, Kendall and Kylie were happily shown mixing cocktails and doing a little pole dance shimmy for Pussy Cat Doll's  founder, Robin Antin,  and Kim, who seemed mighty impressed, I thought this is not for me. Their parents intervened but in a lack luster way that almost condoned the behavior. Unfortunately, today, again I was too lazy to turn the channel and I found myself watching it again.

Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and their mother Kris had gone to Puerto Vallarta to pose for a swimsuit spread. They made sure not to tell Bruce Jenner about the spread. He apparently is a bit prudish. If you're not into the sex tapes in this family, you're kinda a stick in the mud. Not surprisingly, he finds out about the sexy shoot and angrily decides to head up there to stop it. His 20-something year old son, Brody, just happened to be there, oh yeah he also just happened to tell his father about the shoot too. Oops. Bruce reluctantly leaves him to watch his little sisters as he rushes out. Brody is quickly overwhelmed, but rather than call a female friend of his to come and save him, he calls his 20 something year old manager to come by the house. And, oh, I forgot, this was after the two girls were trying to tie him onto the stripper pole in their parent’s room. Don’t worry folks he fought off those little tigers, running happily as they whipped him with a belt.

 During this wild fun time his creepy  manger arrives, grinning like a Cheshire cat (of course he's surprised when he arrives) and inquire's, "Where the chicks? 

Brody laughs, "Here they are." Referring to his little sisters. 

On cue the girl's proceed to chase his manger around with the belt. How sweet.

Later one of the girl's inquires about what the "ladies" do on the Girl's Gone Wild videos. Why she asked this question is beyond me because she proceeds to lift her top up and down flashing her belly button, clearly showing that for 10 or 11 she knows all too well what those girl's are about. The cameras turn even more predatory at this point, following the little girls as they flash. Brody tells them that they better stop flashing and talking about GGW or they'll be grounded. I actually became scared for a moment until I saw him smiling and relaxed as he said it, reassuring me that he was only saying it to look like the responsible older brother on camera kind of like what their parents do. What a relief. 

Meanwhile, Bruce has made it to the photo shoot just in time to catch it in progress, (isn't Reality TV time like soooo perfect!). The four K's, caught in mid pose are shocked. I guess nobody warned them.  We return to the home just in time to see the two youngest sisters, now in their parents room, dancing around the stripper pole. I must say, for like pre-teens, they're pretty good. Brody's manager is holding a video camera, grinning as he says, "I should manage you guys. I’m going to put this on You Tube.” While the girls chirp, “Girls gone wild. Girl's gone wild,” as they flash their belly buttons and swing around. If you want to know the video recorder was conveniently found in an armoire right beside their parents stripper pole so the girl's didn't have to venture far from home to put on the show. But what I want to know is, doesn't this so called manger realize the Internet is already overwhelmed with naked little girl's doing things that older men encourage them to do for their personal and financial enjoyment? It's just a little thing called child pornography. But hey that's for another episode, on you tube of course. Does anyone else see at least one of these little girl's following in their older sister's proud sex tape tradition? I think I do. Watch out Kim...

Finally, Brody finds them. He stands at the entrance of the bedroom door apparently “appalled." I mean appalled, he almost had both hands on his face in that scared, "Home Alone," expression from the movie posters.

Literally, the only one who appears to have a kernel of normalcy is Bruce and as if sensing something strange happening at home he says, “It’s nice to be here in Puerto Vallarta but I can’t help about think about what’s going on in the house.” At the end of the show they show Bruce watching the video tape of his two daughters playfully slithering around the stripper pole. He looks sincerely shocked.

“I’m going to kill Brody,” says Kris, again "appalled." A second later the trailer for the next episode shows Kim’ taking up an offer to pose in playboy, saying, “I’m not comfortable taking my top off,” she says to her mother, who is also her manger.

Just another day in the crazy cute sleazy lives of the Kardashians. Sorry Kim, you may be pretty and sweet but not worth that trash TV.

HBO Grey Gardens-Drew Barrymore is brilliant!

I've wanted to see the documentary Grey Gardens for about two years now but never got a chance. I did some reading up on it and was so fascinated by the stories of this eccentric mother, Edith "Big Edie" Beale and daughter, Edith "little Edie" Beale, Aunt and cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, that I made a tiny reference to it in my recently finished book.

At my last job a stylish little woman came into the store to look for a swimsuit. She didn't buy a suit but she stayed for over an hour telling me and my co-worker stories. She had been an extra on the HBO film set of Grey Gardens, which was taped in Toronto and said it was a fascinating tale. Since then I have been eagerly awaiting for its release date. Finally it was coming out. Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lang were making the promotional route, appearing on talk shows and late night shows. I thought it was coming out in the theater but I was very disappointed when I realized it was coming out on HBO. I don't have HBO, at least I didn't. I was so determined to see this movie that my sister and I ordered the channel yesterday (now we're stuck with a 3 month commitment).

Anyway, it was worth it. Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lang were both incredible. But Barrymore embodied the character so authentically that when you watch the documentary (which aired right after the movie) you feel like you are still watching Barrymore not the real Little Edie for the first  minutes of it. There was something so powerful about seeing the film and the doc right after. You go from fantasy to the reality and by the end you feel fully immersed in their world as if you know them. Barrymore had to do a lot of intense convincing to even get the part. She has become known for her cute light romantic comedies and no one was convinced that she had the ability or the depth to bring this woman to life. On Ellen she spoke about pleading with the director for a chance, just someone to believe in her, and to his credit he became that person. To prepare for the role she lived as they did for three months. No Tv, no cell, no Internet, and absolutely no contact with her friends and family. She also studied for months to perfect Little Edie's speech, facial expressions, and outlandish dance moves. The studying paid off. Barrymore deserves an Emmy for this role and as someone on a message board said tonight it should have been in cinemas and she would have gotten an Oscar, hands down.

Big and little Edie were beautiful wild socialites for many years but by the seventies it was discovered that they were living in their dilapidated house, over run by cats, a raccoon who they fed cat food and wonder bread, and garbage. After the city planned to condemn their home Jackie Kennedy stepped in (along with her sister to save the home). Shortly after they were approached to take part in the doc regarding their lives. It has been a cult classic ever since.

I've always been drawn to eccentricity and eccentric people. Not the manufactured eccentricity you see with some people but the true unselfconscious raw eccentricity, which both women had. I found little Edie fascinating. I understood her a bit too. In the documentary you saw how beautiful they had both been in their youth. Even at 79 and 56 both women were still attractive even after living in such squalor. Little Edie had a girlish sex appeal and an incredible way with fashion. I love scarves and own many, both the scarves worn in the film and some worn by the real's life little Edie were so beautiful that I wish I could buy them now. I kept asking myself where are they getting the clothes, since they barely left the house. After the film's release Little Edie became a fashion icon.

Big Edie died in 1977 and Little Edie sold the house to a famous journalist in 1979 under the condition that he would not tear down the house. It has been restored and remains today. Little Edie went on to live in New York, Montreal and California and died in 2002. After seeing their documentary I can see why their story has lived on and on...I have been left feeling enriched by entering these to ladies world.