Newsletter Friday, December 16, 2016

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Friday, December 16, 2016 [Intro for December 16, 2016] [Amy Foster's The Rift Uprising] Dear Gossips, Duana sent me an article last week, that we had on the long list of topics for the [Show Your Work podcast], about [Why TV Needs “Weak” Female Characters], challenging the idea that women must be “likable” and that an “unlikeable” woman’s story is not worth telling. Women, as we know, are held to a higher standard of “likability” than men. Which can narratively trap a female character. Because if your female protagonist is constantly motivated by being liked, how interesting will she be, really? I thought about this while I was reading the Teen Vogue piece on [Donald Trump gaslighting America] that’s been making headlines all week. That post resulted in other subsequent posts about Teen Vogue’s place in political coverage to address the surprise and disbelief that commentary like this was coming from a magazine that also recommends nail polish and hacks for pimple breakouts to teenage girls. When I was a teenage girl, I was f-cking UNLIKEABLE. Teenagers are complicated. They make bad decisions. They can be assholes. They are self-involved. They are total narcissists. But you know who recently defended narcissism? Elena Ferrante. A reader called Meredith reminded me yesterday about [Sheila Heti’s recent interview with Elena Ferrante] during which she was asked about her justification for narcissism, especially as it seems particularly offensive in a woman, because somehow looking at herself and obsessing about herself is worse than when a man does it to her. Here is Elena’s response: “I’ve never felt narcissism to be a sin. It seems, rather, a cognitive tool that, like all cognitive tools, can be used in a distorted way. No, I think it’s necessary to be absolutely in love with ourselves. It’s only by reflecting on myself with attention and care that I can reflect on the world. It’s only by turning my gaze on myself that I can understand others, feel them as my kin. On the other hand it’s only by assiduously watching myself that I can take control and train myself to give the best of myself. The woman who practises surveillance on herself without letting herself be the object of surveillance is the great innovation of our times.” When you apply that perspective on narcissism to the Teen Vogue reader, doesn’t it then make sense that Teen Vogue is putting political discourse right next to the best hair trends for prom? Teenagers contain multitudes. And that’s specifically why they’re so compelling – and one of the reasons they inspire creativity, on television, in movies, and in literature. My friend [Amy Foster published a book] a couple of months ago about a teenage girl called Ryn, called The Rift Uprising. She is 17 years old. She is a soldier. She is smart and she is brave. But at times she can be the worst. And selfish. And, yes, a total narcissist. Admittedly there were times that I just couldn’t with her, because I fell back into those old habits, those standards of judgment that we’ve been conditioned to apply when it comes to what we expect from female characters. I realise, though, that Ryn, like Arya Stark, like Issa in Insecure, like Allison in The Affair, is simply practising “surveillance on herself”. More often than not, it makes her unlikeable. But, more and more, unlikeable women are necessary. Have a great weekend! Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:22 PM [My dream dinner party] You know that classic ice breaker question, “If you could invite five celebrities to a dinner party, who would it be and why?” If you were to ask me right now, three of the five answers to that question would be [Donald Glover], [Issa Rae] and [Lin-Manuel Miranda]. Well, thanks to The Hollywood Reporter, I now know what a conversation between these three looks like. La La Land director Damien Chazelle would not have made my dinner party list but since I’ve already decided I’m going to love La La Land because I’ve never met a musical I didn’t like, I’m OK with him crashing the party. THR explains their reason for putting Donald, Issa, Lin-Manuel and Damien together is that they are, “four of the most heralded breakout talents of 2016.” Accurate. Even though some of us have been fans well before this year, each of these four is having a really good professional year. Leading the interview is veteran director Jon Favreau. I could do without Favreau jumping in to mansplain sh-t every two minutes in this conversation but it’s cute how much he knows about Donald Glover. Favreau admits that his 15-year-old son has a Childish Gambino poster on his bedroom door and directs more questions at Glover than at anyone else. It’s a long, mostly fascinating discussion about creativity and how YouTube changed the game, especially for Donald and Issa, who were both creating online content before every millennial with a webcam became a YouTuber but I’ll focus on the highlights: Lin-Manuel Miranda sheds some light into his role in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. LMM is a massive Little Mermaid fan (I will never understand this. Ariel is THE WORST) and named his son Sebastian in part because of the movie. “I just have my hat on as the No. 1 fan of that movie. I'm the head of the don't f-ck it up committee.” Speaking of not f-cking things up that have a beloved fan base, Glover talked about playing Lando Calrissian (!!!) in the Star Wars Han Solo prequel. “I remember Lando really well. He was like the only black guy in space. And he was the cool one. I just realized, he still has to be cool. And cool is an interesting thing. It changes… Cool changes depending on the perspective. Also, it's fun because [the Han Solo movie is set] before [Empire Strikes Back], so he's still figuring it out a little bit, which is fun.” Glover also reveals that Lando was the first action figure he ever owned and probably because I cry at everything or because I’m still on a Star Wars high from seeing Rogue One last night, I actually teared up at this. It’s a big deal that little boys are now going to be playing with Donald’s own action figure and that they now have more than one “black guy in space” to choose from. For the Insecure fans, Issa touched on how people are reacting to – SPOILER ALERT – the fact that her character cheats on her HOT AF boyfriend Lawrence. “We had a big storyline where a character cheats. Now, I could put up a picture of my grandma and [people online will say], "You f-cking cheater!" If this was the dinner party of my dreams, I would have laughed really hard at that anecdote. You can [watch the full conversation here]. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 8:34 PM [Smutty Social Media, December 16, 2016] [Rob Lowe's Instagram] For all the decadence of the 80s, he looks the same and she looks just as good, if not better, today. There must have been magical anti-aging properties in that blow. [#throwbackthursday With my #80's #queen Demi Moore, at the opening of About Last Night.] A photo posted by Rob Lowe (@robloweofficial) on Dec 15, 2016 at 7:47pm PST Selena is back to work, and is OK with everyone knowing she’s back at work. [Music and love.] A photo posted by justin tranter (@tranterjustin) on Dec 15, 2016 at 8:32pm PST The only way this song can keep my attention is if a weathered rock star releases a Christmas song retread to challenge Cruz Beckham for the #1 spot in the UK. [Watch my brother @cruzbeckham's music video now on YouTube #IfEveryDayWasChristmas. Directed by @jessejjenkins. Link in my bio] A video posted by bb (@brooklynbeckham) on Dec 16, 2016 at 6:18am PST I know we already have too many celebrity “lifestyle experts” but you know who would be really great at it, especially in newsletter form? SJP. She has an amazing eye, is extremely detail-oriented and doesn’t seem to give a sh-t about chasing trends. I’m just not sure if she would do it. [When in Madrid. You must see the work happening @javiersanchezmedina. Magical artisans. And streets that surround demand meandering. X, sj] A photo posted by SJP (@sarahjessicaparker) on Dec 16, 2016 at 7:50am PST Jerry/Garry and Retta going to Chris Pratt’s Passengers premiere is basically the only good thing that happened this year. Hanging with my set wife [@unfoRETTAble] at [@prattprattpratt] premiere of [#Passengers]. 😀 [pic.twitter.com/vYPZrjz5Gi] — Jim O'Heir (@JimOHeir) [December 15, 2016] Peak C-list Twitter activity. .[@VanessaHudgens] what's your agent or PR address - I wanna send you a crystal kit — Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) [December 15, 2016] Cat Marnell’s How to Murder Your Life comes out in January – it will be the first hot book of 2017. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE $100 TONIGHT SITTING AT MY CHINATOWN APT WATCHING TV? I'M BEING TARGETED FOR BURGLARY + NEED HOUSE SITTER . DM ME ASAP — Cat Marnell (@Cat_Marnell) [December 16, 2016] Judging by this photo, these two have no chemistry. Surprising. [#BenAffleck and #SiennaMiller are costars by day, pals by night at a screening of their new movie #LiveByNight. (Photo credit: Stephen Lovekin/Variety/REX/Shutterstock)] A photo posted by Us Weekly (@usweekly) on Dec 15, 2016 at 4:41pm PST [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 7:04 PM [Diane & Norman: one year later] [Diane Krugers supports Norman Reedus during 'Norman Reedus' Photo Exhibition around his book 'The Sun's Coming Up... Like a Big Bald Head' at Galerie Hors Champs on December 15, 2016 in Paris, France] Exactly a year ago, [Joshua Jackson] was travelling the world. And [Diane Kruger] was in New York, with [Norman Reedus], where they were busted [allegedly hooking up] at a dive bar. Witnesses told the NY Daily News that she was straddling him and that they made out while holding hands. Diane denied that she was cheating on Joshua Jackson. And she was [seen with Joshua] at the beginning of this year and [again in the spring]. By summer though they announced that they’d ended their 10 year relationship. And now, exactly a year later, Diane’s in Paris, supporting Norman at the photo exhibition for his book The Sun’s Coming Up… Like A Big Bald Head. Of course other friends were there. And it wasn’t super obvious that they’re together. But. But. It feels like they’ve been dancing around it for a while, so can we stop pretending now? Also, ten years ago, I get it with the Norman Reedus heats. But right now, specifically last night? REALLY???????? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:45 PM [Amy Schumer’s Terrible Vacation] ['Snatched' trailer] Earlier this year [Amy Schumer] and [Goldie Hawn] shot a comedy together—you might remember it because of that [ill-advised Formation “parody”] that they made while on location. Remember how stupid and dumb that was? Well buckle up because the trailer for the movie they were making, Snatched, is out and it’s terrible. Hawn and Schumer play a mother/daughter duo who go on vacation to South America after Schumer gets dumped—by Randall Park, always nice to see him—and their dream getaway turns into a nightmare when they get kidnapped. Comedy trailers are tricky, and too often the choice is between giving away the good jokes or holding back but making the movie look stupid in the process. I hope this is a case of door #2, because Snatched features a lot of people I like, such as director Jonathan Levine (50/50, The Night Before), writer and Parks & Rec alum Katie Dippold, and funny people like Hawn, Park, Ike Barinholtz, and Christopher Meloni. Schumer can be funny, but I’m so f*cking exhausted by her right now, I hope I don’t see her at all between now and when Snatched comes out next summer. You can also see the [red band trailer] (NSFW), which to be fair, does show off some better jokes (and Oscar Jaenada, Underrated Hot Guy). The look on Schumer’s face when she’s busted in the bathroom is especially funny—she’s getting good at reaction shots. But since comedy trailers are also the worst for putting stuff in the trailer that doesn’t end up in the final cut, I don’t want to count on these quality jokes actually being in the movie by the time it comes out. I hope they are, though, and I hope the movie overall delivers. As much as Schumer irks me these days, I want more female-driven gross-out comedies, and I would like one of them to actually be good. But this trailer is not encouraging. Red band trailer here: [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:24 PM [Kate and Michael raised a college student] [Michael Sheen and Sarah Silverman attend the 'Passengers' World Premiere held at the Regency Village Theatre in LA on December 14, 2016] Conscious uncoupling is associated mostly with Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. But well before they parted amicably, [Kate Beckinsale] and [Michael Sheen] were co-parenting peacefully. Have you ever seen the Instagram Kate posted from earlier this year of their mother-father-daughter group chat? It’s really, really cute. [Family group chat Tuesday (Aro is Michael's character in #Twilight)] A photo posted by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale) on Sep 6, 2016 at 6:49pm PDT Here’s what Kate just posted last night: [The appropriate fatherly response when you find out your girl got into college : burst into tears ,drop everything ,rush over and pick up everyone even remotely involved . @lily_beckinsale we are so unbelievably proud of you . Fly fly fly ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️] A photo posted by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale) on Dec 15, 2016 at 6:47pm PST That’s even cuter. It might even make you cry. Lily Sheen, Kate and Michael’s daughter, is going to college. And her dad “burst into tears”, then rushed over, picked her up, picked Kate up, and they all celebrated, probably, with more tears and more hugs. Speaking of college acceptance videos, have you seen this one? It’s the most popular one, I think. Duana was weeping about it earlier this week. Brendon Gauthier was surrounded by friends and family as he checked to see whether or not he was accepted to Cornell. SO great, right? I’ve watched that a dozen times, maybe more. Brendon is going to Cornell! On a full scholarship! [Click here] for on his story. As for Kate and Michael, they’re so close that she’s close to his girlfriend, [Sarah Silverman]. They’ve all joked before that Kate prefers spending time with Sarah over Michael. Here are Michael and Sarah at the Passengers premiere the other night. They made it through this asshole of a year. Thank you, 2016, you f-cking piece of sh-t, for this small mercy. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:01 PM [Sarah’s Top 10 of 2016] [Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping] Captain America: Civil War Paying off years of story and character work, and servicing a cast numbering in the double-digits, somehow Civil War doesn’t collapse under its own weight. It delivers on both the action front, with the best superhero battle ever filmed, and the character front, executing the best single character arc in a superhero franchise (Cap), and it also has the balls to have the heroes lose in the end. Civil War is so satisfying that the introduction of baby Spider-Man is just a fun bonus. Find my [full review of Captain America: Civil War here]. Green Room Brutal, vicious, and graphically violent, Jeremy Saulnier’s film about a punk band trying to escape a pack of Neo-Nazi thugs has become an accidental metaphor for America in 2016. But even without the meta-context, it’s a sharply observed survival tale and technically flawless slasher flick. It’s also one of Anton Yelchin’s last and best performances. But seriously, not for the faint of heart. Hell or High Water Capturing the dirt of West Texas and the saltiness of its people, Hell or High Water is both a thrilling heist movie and crushingly real story about how far you have to go to break the cycle of poverty in America. Never preachy and always bitingly funny, Water is a message movie about predatory banks but also a character-driven action movie that recalls the work of 70s-era Sidney Lumet. Find my [full review of Hell or High Water here]. Hunt for the Wilderpeople Taika Waititi makes his second consecutive appearance on this list, this time with a coming of age tale set in the New Zealand bush. Wilderpeople is that rare film that is hilarious and deeply sad, action-packed and meditative. With this film, Waititi cements his reputation as filmmaker of unique range and depth, and infallible comic timing. We didn’t choose the skuxx life, the skuxx life chose us. Find my [full review of Hunt for the Wilderpeople here]. Manchester by the Sea Kenneth Lonergan’s slice-of-life study of grief and family ranges from the mundane to the unimaginably horrible, but is undercut by an indefatigable sense of humor. Featuring some of the most nuanced acting of the year, and a masterfully subtle visual style, Manchester will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Find my [full review of Manchester by the Sea here]. Moonlight Another coming of age tale, Moonlight separates itself by telling a story we rarely—if ever—get to hear, that of the gay black man growing up in inner city America. Told in three parts, Moonlight is a portrait of a young man that, for all his specificity, could be anyone growing up and feeling unknown, even unloved. It’s a haunting film that will linger long after you’ve seen it. Find my [full review of Moonlight here]. Nocturnal Animals A dark and cynical jigsaw puzzle of a story about revenge, Nocturnal Animals is the year’s best thriller and saddest love story, all tangled up in an interlocking narrative. Tom Ford’s precision is a perfect match to this material, teasing out the connections between the two stories until they merge into that final image that is either an expression of freedom or defeat, I still haven’t decided. Find my [full review of Nocturnal Animals here]. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping The funniest movie of the year, full stop. The film is so funny and so good that the songs, which are [brilliant parodies] in and of themselves, are almost an afterthought. A worthy heir to Spinal Tap, the Lonely Island’s ode to Justin Bieber and post-MTV music fame is also a heartfelt and sincere film about friendship. And also the dangers of having live wolves at your party. Find my [full review of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping here]. The Edge of Seventeen Nadine Franklin is a teen heroine for the awkward set, Cher Horowitz but for nerds. Anchored by Hailee Steinfeld’s performance and with a number of much-needed genre updates, Seventeen is in turns painful and hilarious and so deeply awkward it’s tangible. It’s an instant classic. Find my [full review of The Edge of Seventeen] here. The Handmaiden Sumptuous, elegant, erotic, and darkly funny, The Handmaiden is another tricky narrative that unwinds to tell a story from different perspectives. With artistic design so detailed and lavish it almost hurts to look at it, this is also the year’s most beautiful film. But it’s the romance and intrigue between Lady Hideko and Sook-hee that defines The Handmaiden, arguably the year’s best film. Find my [full review of The Handmaiden here]. Near Misses La La Land Love & Friendship Paterson The Lobster The Witch Okay Movies Featuring Stellar Performances Alden Ehrenreich – Hail, Caesar!/Rules Don’t Apply Lily Gladstone – Certain Women Nick Kroll – My Blind Brother Sally Field – My Name Is Doris Viola Davis/Denzel Washington – Fences Movie(s) Everyone Else Liked That I Did Not Hacksaw Ridge, Silence Are You F*cking Kidding Me Nine Lives [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:33 PM [December 16, 2016 – Smutty Shout-Outs] [December 16, 2016 – Smutty Shout-Outs] Rebekah! Another year of us! Keep with the “plugging”. I can’t wait to read it when you’re done. And remember, always, what Duana taught me and what was passed on to her: you can’t fix nothing. But the work is everything. Bring on a MUCH better 2017! [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:59 PM [Privacy Policy] - [Unsubscribe]