Review: Lipstick Jungle

I watched the whole first season of Lipstick Jungle on DVD this afternoon. My interest was a residue from my '80's movie craze over the summer.

Andrew McCarthy, Pretty in Pink dreamy prom date turned Jungle bazzilionaire, and the dewy Emmeline in Blue Lagoon turned power executive/wonder mommy in Lipstick Jungle shone on the Jungle of New York.

I'm not a big fan of western T.V. series. Grey's Anatomy turned me off with the multiple sex partners carousel. And I never got into the Sex & the City hype (I'm more into the oddities).

I Googled Lipstick Jungle because of my mad crush on Blane and I fell in love with the stills on Andrew McCarthy and Lindsay Price.

There's a lot of bad reviews on Lipstick Jungle, which is understandable since Sex & the City is so big, it must've made LJ look like an ugly step sister to Sex fans.

Lipstick Jungle, based on the novel by Candace Bushnell (same author of Sex & the City) follows the lives, loves and lusts of three glamorous, high-powered bff's in New York. Portrayed by Brooke Shields, Kim Raver and Lindsay Price, the three stunning women were perfect for the roles. The seven-episode first season attempts and somehow succeeds in giving humanity to the beautiful socialites struggling to find their rightful gilded thrones in the Big Apple.

I actually enjoyed the dramedy, and for a lazy Sunday afternoon it wasn't a bad way to pass the time.

I liked the soundtrack too. Lots of chill, trance and indie-sounding tracks; very modern.

I'm looking forward to reading the book version. A big, fat 500+ page narrative on the soirees of the glossy lipped power women and their adventures. I'm getting that next week.

Meanwhile, over lunchbreak this week, I'll finish season two and find out why the poor show was canceled.

"Out with the old and in with the ew? That is so mean!" Victory Ford, fashion designer, Lipstick Jungle

The Proposal 2009 : A Review and Some Thoughts

My son's been itching to watch The Proposal, and I've been adamant in PG'ing it. My son's 10 years old and is at that age when kids are curious about grown up things and think/feel brave enough to take on "adult" stuff. Well, I'm one of those protective mothers who wants to keep her cub in the den... But heck, one adult said the "adult" scenes weren't obscene or lewd - and indeed they weren't and bless him, my son found the birthday suits scene hilarious. I was at wit's end trying to keep my protectiveness at bay while barely stifling guffaws!

I also had to tell him that love stories like those are just in the movies (yeah, ma, they're fiction, you've been saying that since I was little). I had to say that lest he thought it was ok to short circuit love... I had to say my brief spiel on love, friendship and respect...

God, to be a mom!

Eventually, Andrew and Margaret's characters grew on me, and the development of the story caught on my sentimental side, that I was actually crying (eeek, yes! it's one of my weaknesses!). My son asked "Do you like the movie ma?" And my reply was "Do you think I'd still get married?" (Haller?!!!) And then he hugged me. "Yeah, you can get married ma." Yep, that's my son.

Now when Margaret admitted to their charade in that barn wedding scene, I had to say "Now that's very brave! She did the right thing." ("You do like the movie.")

It was really nice, that movie. "But that's a fairy tale, kid."

***

Speaking of proposals, now I understand why the American husband of my friend looooves telling his proposal story where he gets down on his knee, opens the Tiffany box with the rock and pops the question. And he is astounded that my friend was speechless, she almost spaced out. All this in the backdrop of New York with the view from the Brooklyn Bridge (when I was not there LOL). And he loves telling that story over and over again.

I was reminded of this during the scene in The Proposal when Andrew's ex-girlfriend asks them to tell the proposal story... And the guests at their party were intent on listening to their story... Fast forward to the end where Andrew actually proposes to Margaret, his former tormentor, with purpose and conviction in his former concentration camp - the office, and the onlookers, their officemates were all dissolved into mush...

Gosh I wonder if that happens in real life... Come to think of it, romantic proposals worth recounting happened as it did to my friend. (She's the one who gets embarrassed each time her husband relates it with such gusto, you can't help but get engaged - no pun intended!).

That's The United States of Hollywood for you, and I have to admit, I love it too!

Wallpaper from this site.

Venus Raj! Raj! Raj! & Beauty Pageant Conondrums

The MAJOR MAJOR trend in Facebook statuses is Venus Raj's now-a-mega-hit Miss Universe 2010 answer to the brains and wits test by William Baldwin: "What is the biggest mistake that you’ve ever made in your life and what did you do to make it right?"

Facebook posts range from fellow Filipinos tearing their hair and their clothes over Ms. Raj's off the mark reply to spectators who are more sympathetic of Ms. Raj's human error.

I just watched the 46 second video of the Q&A and I have to admit that I quite cringed...

It is not without shame that I reacted that way because after all, if anyone one of us was Venus Raj, it wouldn't be easy being up there in front of the Universe, being weighed for beauty and wits.

In fact, it's an irony that i had laughed, having joined local beauty contests myself.

Last week, a friend of mine invited me to anchor the local pageant which I had joined lifetimes ago, and because I had a flu attack, I declined.

Over the week as Venus Raj's answer has been talked about in grocery aisles where acquaintances meet, or used as a humorous reference to whatnot ("I'm having a MAJOR MAJOR headache!"), I thought about how I was supposed to be part of our city's beauty contest once again.

I recoil at the thought of how women (myself in the past, included) subject ourselves to judgment over a short period of time (some, merely hours), to be placed in the annals of local history, booboo's, "wits" and all.

Although beauty contests will be here to stay, unless some MAJOR MAJOR universal paradigm shift deems it irrelevant, I do, though, advocate guidance to beauty contestants that though preparation for the big night is good, winning is not everything, and life in the limelight (win or lose) has its price. It is good to remind contenders that there are more things in life that matter than glitz and glamor, fame and glory.

I hope that Ms. Venus Raj will use this paradoxical fame to her advantage and learn how to laugh at her faux pas. Laughing at one's own chagrin can be disarming. She has lots of chances to show the world and herself that she is more than the seemingly shallow seconds-long answer she made.

My male cousin was still proud of Ms. Raj, despite her embarrassing response. And in turn, I'm proud that my cousin saw past that. Indeed, Venus Raj's beauty is a true representation of our beautiful islands, tall, strong, dark-skinned, and beautiful. And if she hasn't had any "MAJOR, MAJOR problems in her 22 years of existence," - now she does, and I'm sending her all the light and love in hopes that she can do something good about it!

Go, go, go Venus Raj!!!