Oh No They Didn't!

Both these women have broke boundaries during their time. They built their legacies selling out numerous performances and became icons for future entertainers.

Iris Chacón

“I was just a little girl in the body of a woman, dancing and being happy,” Chacón said. “But it was a difficult decade. Because in the decade of the 70’s women were still conservative in their dress, and men were authoritarian and machista. There had never been in Puerto Rico a Vedette [a French word meaning a multi-talented dancer] with my style.”

Hailing from Puerto Rico, she became known for her glamorous style, ample butt, and backup male dancers. Iris took the television world by storm. She found success in business accomplishments and has continued to perform for fans to this day.

1) First Latin artist to perform and sell out at Radio Music Hall in New York for 3 years back to back.
2) First female independent producer in Puerto Rico
3) Starred in a TV commercial for automotive coolant, which landed her on the front page of the Wall Street Journal
4) Told NBC News she used lighting to enhance her curves. But now she loves to use apps for body "corrections".
5) Attended the University of Puerto Rico
6) The Iris Chacón Show had top prime time ratings in New York, Miami, and Chicago
7) Had a radio program called, "Iris Chacón Live"
8) Feels she was born fighting against the odds when her mother tried to self-abort her
9) Had a guest appearance on the children's program "Gullah Gullah Island"
10) Starred in the 1975 film, "Eva, ¿qué hace ese hombre en tu cama?"

Josephine Baker

"I have two loves," the artist once said, "my country and Paris."

Josephine became the most successful black female entertainer in Europe. She captivated audiences with her famed banana skirt dance, to which Beyonce paid tribute. She eventually gave up her American citizenship for France.

1) Grew up cleaning houses and minding children for rich white families
2) Was married at the age of 13 and 15, divorced both times
3) Used her celebrity status to spy for France against the Germans during World War II
4) Hid refugees and weapons at her home to help with the war effort
5) Was awarded the "Croix de Guerre" and named "Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur" for her help during the war
6) Her contracts stated she would not perform for segregated audiences leaving some venues no choice but to comply
7) Had many lovers including Frida Kahlo and married composer Jo Bouillon
8) Ernest Hemingway called her the "most sensational woman ever seen or ever will be seen"
9) Notably raised a group of children from different religious and ethnic backgrounds dubbed the "Rainbow Tribe"
10) Starred in the 1935 film, "Princesse Tam-Tam"

Two women who shocked the world with their provocative dancing and dazzling entertainment.

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Having a hard time? There's no better cure than a cosy evening curled up with a nice book and a cup of hot chocolate. Here are 10 recs for heartwarming, cosy, feel-good books.

Miss Buncle's Book

by D.E. Stevenson

Barbara Buncle is in a bind. Times are harsh, and Barbara's bank account has seen better days. Stumped for ideas, Barbara draws inspiration from fellow residents of her quaint English village, writing a revealing novel that features the townsfolk as characters. The smashing bestseller is published under the pseudonym John Smith, which is a good thing because villagers recognize the truth. But what really turns her world around is when events in real life start mimicking events in the book. Funny, charming, and insightful, this novel reveals what happens when people see themselves through someone else's eyes.

OP SAYS: This book is super funny and adorable. It's a perfect feel-good read, and there are sequels if you finish it and find you can't get enough of the characters!

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

by Winifred Watson

Miss Pettigrew, an approaching-middle-age governess, was accustomed to a household of unruly English children. When her employment agency sends her to the wrong address, her life takes an unexpected turn. The alluring nightclub singer, Delysia LaFosse, becomes her new employer, and Miss Pettigrew encounters a kind of glamour that she had only met before at the movies. Over the course of a single day, both women are changed forever.

OP SAYS: I also love the movie with Amy Adams and Lee Pace, it's a perfect companion for the book.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?

OP SAYS: I love this book a lot and thought it was pretty sensitive in dealing with some difficult subjects. Generally speaking, I'd say this book is a drama, but there is also a lot of dry humour, a cute romance, and a happy ending.

A Man Called Ove

by Fredrik Backman

Ove is a curmudgeon. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

OP SAYS: Ready for a good cry? This book freaking destroyed me, and yet it is so heartwarming that here I am recommending it for a cosy read (although "feel-good" might be a stretch).

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb... Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

OP SAYS: This book is freaking adorable and there might as well be a picture of it next to "heartwarming" in the dictionary. If you like it, try also 84 Charing Cross Road! (And there's a movie coming out with Lily James and Michiel Huisman).

Frederica

by Georgette Heyer

When Frederica brings her younger siblings to London determined to secure a brilliant marriage for her beautiful sister, she seeks out their distant "cousin", the Marquis of Alverstoke. Lovely, competent, and refreshingly straightforward, Frederica makes such a strong impression that to his own amazement, the Marquis agrees to help launch them all into society. Normally wary of his family, which includes two overbearing sisters and innumerable favor-seekers, Lord Alverstoke does his best to keep his distance. But with his enterprising - and altogether entertaining - country cousins getting into one scrape after another right on his doorstep, before he knows it the Marquis finds himself dangerously embroiled...

OP SAYS: I am not usually one for big age differences in romance (24-37 here), but Heyer definitely, 100% sold it to me, and this book is SO HILARIOUS that out of alllllll the Heyer books I've read, this is the one I'm recommending for a perfect feel-good read. Trust me on this.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

by Jen Campbell

This book is a miscellany of hilarious and peculiar bookshop moments: 'Can books conduct electricity?', 'My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?'. A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller's collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor. From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and from 'I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter' to 'Excuse me... is this book edible?: here is a book for heroic booksellers and booklovers everywhere.

OP SAYS: If you aren't really in the mood for a novel, this is a perfect bit of lighthearted fun for book nerds. I was laughing so hard there were tears in my eyes, and the sequel is just as funny.

Lady Susan

by Jane Austen

"Oh what a mistake were you guilty in marrying a man of his age! - just old enough to be formal, ungovernable and to have the gout - too old to be agreable, and too young to die." Beautiful, flirtatious, and recently widowed, the unscrupulous Lady Susan Vernon seeks an advantageous second marriage for herself, while attempting to push her daughter into a dismal match. A magnificently crafted novel of Regency manners and mores that will delight Austen enthusiasts with its wit and elegant expression.

OP SAYS: A-ha! You thought I was going to rec Pride and Prejudice, didn't you? But this overlooked Austen gem is a hilarious, perfect short read for a cosy afternoon. I was delighted at Lady Susan's conniving, manipulative ways.

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. One day, with the help of two unexpected companions, she discovers a way in. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?

OP SAYS: This book is a children's classic, and guaranteed to warm even the coldest heart.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

by Anita Loos

This delirious 1925 Jazz Age classic introduced readers to Lorelei Lee, the small-town girl from Little Rock. Outrageous and charming, this not-so-dumb blonde has become the archetype of the footloose, good-hearted gold digger (not that she sees herself that way). Masquerading as her diaries, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes follows Lorelei as she entertains suitors across Europe before returning home to marry a millionaire. In this delightfully droll and witty book, Lorelei’s glamorous pragmatism shines, as does Anita Loos’s mastery of irony and dialect.

OP SAYS: Everyone knows the Marilyn Monroe film (which is great), but did you know that the original Lorelei Lee was a flapper? It just makes the story that much more fun. It is truly priceless to read Lorelei's (hilariously misspelled) innocent-sounding diary entries as she lives the high life and fleeces one guy after another.

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Book post! What's your favourite cosy / feel-good read, ONTD?

These two bombshells were well-known for their lusty soft core films. Favored by certain directors

Isabel Sarli
by special request

"Isabel Sarli squeezes more sexual frisson into the space between breathing in and breathing out than most of us could spread over a lifetime of ordinary love-making." -Roger Greenspun (Journalist and film critic)

Hailing from Argentina, Isabel captivated audiences in the genre called "sexploitation". She was called "the cleanest star of cinema" for all her sexy water scenes. She did not break into North America, but became a scandalous sensation in South America. She has since retired from acting.

1) Most of her films were directed, written, and co-starred by her lover Armando Bo
2) She and Armando filmed 27 movies together
3) During that time, the censorship board in Argentina butchered Isabel's films
4) Shy Isabel started drinking whiskey to get through all the nude scenes
5) Named "Ambassador of Popular Argentine Culture" by former President of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner
6) First woman in Argentina to do frontal nudity on film
7) She appeared in American Playboy magazine
8) Her films were considered so outrageous that criminal charges were established and Armando sometimes spent a weekend in jail
9) Scenes for Isabel's films were sometimes shot twice and she participated in a hunger strike battling censors.
10) Arguably her most notable film is 1969's "Fuego"

Zeudi Araya

"Zeyds, you bring me luck." - Franco Cristaldi (Famous Italian producer)

The Eritrean-Italian beauty became a star in blaxploitation films. She has also retired from acting, but continues work as a producer. One of the most notable black women in Italian films alongside Carla Brait, Laura Gemser, Beryl Cunningham, and Ines Pellegrino.

1) Grew up speaking Italian due to Italy's colonization of Eritrea (Eritrea gained independence in 1991)
2) Becoming Miss Ethiopia allowed her to travel to Italy
3) She was only 16, but lied that she was 18 to participate in the beauty pageant
4) Studied at the Institute Vittorio Bottego in Italy
5) Model for painter Renato Guttuso
6) Starred in a coffee ad
7) Was a favorite of director Luigi Scattini
8) Her films cause such a scandal that people in her country of origin complained to her father
9) She met many industry connections at cafes in Italy.
10) Starred in her final film "La Ragazza Fuori Strada" in 1973

Two women who became more than just "hot bodies". They are a part of cinematic history.

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Xena was an iconic show and while starting my rewatch I had to do an ONTD original! Don't expect anything fancy like Zyuranger!

Xena originally appeared in a trilogy of episodes on Hercules: The Legendary Hero as a warlord bent on destruction.

They were originally going to kill the character off at the end of her stint on Hercules but the studio wanted a spin off show to pair with Hercules. Due to the audiences reaction to Xena it was decided that she would get her own show and be redeemed.

Casting
Xena

Vanessa Angel was originally cast as Xena but had to drop out due to being ill and not being able to make it to the show. In turn they cast Lucy (F)Lawless who had already appeared in the show as a different character.

Vanessa went on to star in the tv adaption of Weird Science which ran for 5 seasons.

Gabrielle

Long before Lauren Conrad turned down a summer job in Paris for love, there was Sunny Doench. Sunny was the first choice to play Xena's sidekick Gabrielle but when she found out the show was being filmed in New Zealand she declined due to not wanting to leave her boyfriend in LA and pursuing a long distance relationship. No word on if the boyfriend put a ring on it.

Renee O'Conner ended up taking over the iconic role.

The Many Faces of Karl Urban

While Hercules/Xena were famous for reusing actors for different roles, Karl Urban has seemed to play the most characters in 1 show!

Karl is most well known for playing the famous Julius Caesar in both Hercules & Xena. He also went on to play Cupid, the offspring of Aphrodite and Ares for a number of episodes. His other two turns at playing different characters only lasted 1 episode each.

Not only was Xena due to die in her original stint on Hercules before gaining a spin off, there would be other changes that would change the foundation of the show.

Pregnancy

Lucy Lawless became pregnant during the shows 5th season and this had tremendous effect on the show going forward.

From Bard to Badass
Gabrielle was meant to regain a modified bo staff, that was given to her by Ephiany after the characters were returned to the land of the living but once they found out that Lucy was pregnant they decided that Gabrielle would take a bigger role in the fight scenes and would need to be more deadly thus giving her a pair sais.

Time Jump
Once Xena gave birth to her daughter Eve, the producers decided the show would jump ahead 20 years and introduce Xena's daughter as a grown woman. This also resulted in them killing off multiple characters and jumping ahead of Hercules in the timeline.

Twilight of the Gods
When it came to deciding to finally kill the Greek Gods off, the plans went through a lot of changes. Originally it was to take place on Hercules but the series ended before they were able to tell the story. They were interested in doing a team up movie between Hercules/Xena that would see them bring an end to the gods but that never panned out. Finally it was decided to adapt the storyline to Xena. Twilight of the Gods now named "Motherhood" was considered one of the series best episodes. They shot so much footage that they could've made a movie out of it.

Callisto
Callisto was originally saved in 'Return of Callisto' but was changed last minute.

The villain of "The Ides of March" was originally going to be Alti, but R.J. Stewart settled in favor of Callisto.

Xena/Callisto changing bodies was suppose to be a 1 episode deal but after Lucy injured her back, they prolonged it by 1 extra episode to give Lucy time to heal.

Xena

Xena went through 3 major costume changes throughout her history and 2 costume designers. Ngila Dickson was in charge of designing costumes for the first 4 seasons of X:WP. She left the show after Season 4 to design all the costumes seen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jane Holland would take Ngila's place for the 5th and 6th seasons.

Xena's first costume appeared on Hercules when she was coming to an end as a Warlord. It was extremely intricate, giving the character a cape, a chainlink glove to catch her Chakram, a place to hold a dagger, and gold trimming.

Once the character was redeemed and got her own show, her costume was streamlined and simplified.

When Lucy Lawless became pregnant in Season 5, the character switched to a blue/silver costume paired with a coat and pants. After Lucy gave birth, she went back to her iconic costume. Jane Holland said "There's something quite scary about changing Xena's costume," Holland admits, "when it has been the same since she started, practically Even though there has been a change in the style, she's always had the brown and copper. That's her signature and it's a very bold move to change that. Now she's in blue and silver, which is pretty wild and wacky So especially as a new designer, that's quite a biggie!

Gabrielle

Gabrielle went through more major costume changes then Xena did throughout the shows duration. The character started out as an country girl aspiring to be a bard. She would later go on to be influenced by Xena and become a warrior. The character went on to become an Amazon Queen. When talking about Gabrielles costume changes in Season 5 & 6 she had this to say "She is occupying a different, more developed role," Holland explains of the character, "she's become more of a fighter. Therefore it was appropriate for her costume to change."

By the time both series had come to an end Kevin Sorbo was one salty dude! In an interview he revealed his frustrations with Lucy Lawless/Xena. Kevin wasn't happy with the missed crossover opportunities, Xena "stealing" talent from Hercules and even accused Lucy of cheating with the series creator and being pissed that he would give Lucy roles in his films over Kevin.
"Xena took all my directors, they took half my writing staff, they took everybody to go and work for that show. They took half my crew! So, you know, it upset a few people, including myself But I just think of it as like, why are you stabbing us in the back? We're the show that started it! So it was kind of weird... it was a weird vibe. We never really saw them. People think because we shot in New Zealand, you know, we had, like, seven locations, and because each crew was so big, we could never be in the same location at the same time, so we would rotate. You know, I would bump into them once every four months and say, 'Hi, how ya doing?"'

Source: My memory + My dvds + source + source + source

and that's a fact sweetie pic.twitter.com/DsnYDXWLMe
— Broad City (@broadcity) November 16, 2017

Given the current state of Hollywood in the midst of the #MeToo era, it’s shocking to see one of TV’s most touted feminist shows air an episode that seemed to glorify the sexualization of children.

In last night’s episode of Broad City, “House-Sitting,” Abbi matches with a former teacher on a dating app. In theory this would be fine, but his near immediate confession that he thought of her in a sexual manner when she was a student caused things to take a more perverse turn. Abbi, being justifiably creeped out, ran to Ilana who told her that all teachers jerk off to their students and should be respected for not making a move and assured her it’s fine; using Abbi’s own sexual fantasies of a young Jonathan Taylor Thomas as an example that "everyone masturbates to teenagers." Ilana also goes on to say that she hopes her future children's teachers jerk off to them if it keeps their hands off of them.

When Abbi later decides to sleep with the former teacher, it devolves into an uncomfortable sexual fantasy where he pretends she’s still his student looking for extra credit. Once she realizes that he truly wishes she was still underage she promptly freaks out but it's her friend Jaime who truly puts an end to things -- as he had been trapped in the room watching this all go down. Before making him leave, Abbi asks him if he jerks off to his students and he replies ALL teachers masturbate to their students, “they kind of have to.” As he walks away Ilana calls him a righteous dude while giving him an idolizing gaze.

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen countless articles and think pieces denouncing the sexualization of child actors (and yes, teen actors are child actors), due in large part to the obsessive (and creepy) Stranger Things fandom. Former child actors like Mara Wilson have even chimed in, writing: “What’s really at play here the creepy, inappropriate public inclination to sexualize young girls in the media. We do not need to perpetuate the culture of dehumanization Hollywood has enabled. “ So why has the pedophilic nature of this episode of Broad City been so grossly ignored by the media and fans alike?

Sources 1, 2

Talent and beauty all rolled in one. We take a look at two women that played characters so well they became household names.

Itatí Cantoral

¡Maldita lisiada!

Itatí is a multi-talent from Mexico, best known for her role in "María la del Barrio". Her character has been re-popularized in the form of a meme. "(Insert action) in Spanish" and other variations.

1) Her father was composer Roberto Cantoral
2) Was a student of the Centro de Educación Artística de Televisa (An educational entertainment institution)
3) The year of 1993 gave her a bigger role in "Dos mujeres un camino"
4) Her portrayal as "Soraya Montenegro", became one of the most famous villains in telenovela history.
5) Itatí and her ex-husband, Eduardo Santamarina, were students at the Centro de Educación Artística de Televisa
6) Won a TVyNovelas Award for "Best Lead Actress"
7) Took a stage role portraying Frida Kahlo
8) She has two children with her ex-husband
9) So far has been in 28 films
10) Her debut was in "La Telaraña"

Waheeda Rehman

“When I am watching my films, I think I could have done this scene better and I tend to criticise myself. I have liked myself in bits and parts.”

Waheeda became a favorite Bollywood actress in 50s and 70s. She was famous due to wide range of roles she played. Her performances were generally well-received by critics and audiences. Her beauty and personality won the hearts of those in and out of the industry.

1) A talented Bharatanatyam dancer
2) Director, producer, and actor Guru Dutt helped Waheeda gain more success
3) Despite the failure of "Kaagaz ke Phool", Waheeda was critically acclaimed for her part in the film
4) Marketed a brand of breakfast cereal
5) She had a clause in her contract she would not change her name and she would approve all costumes
6) Has never spoken about the nature of her relationship with Guru Dutt
7) Said this generation of actresses are smart when it comes to perfecting their beauty
8) The snake dance in "GUIDE" took a long time to rehearse, but is precious to her
9) Friends and co-workers tried to talk her out of playing a negative character in "GUIDE"
10) She likes films by Anurag Basu, sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Itatí and Waheeda, icons that excelled at bringing life into memorable characters.

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It's a tale as old as time: your favorite artist releases his or her (more often than not, her) new single, and after sometimes years of anticipation, you press play and find yourself... underwhelmed. Now, with weeks to go before the accompanying album is scheduled to drop, your anticipation has been considerably diluted. You may even be a bit nervous - you've waited so long, and now the very thing you've been looking forward to for what feels like ages sounds like it's gonna suck.

Then, the album ~~leaks~~ drops, and just like that your worries are dissolved. Dissolved, and replaced with a new, more fiery frustration, because... the album is good. Really, really good. But the single tanked, it's the one song you skip in an otherwise flawless lineup, and a bunch of preteens on Twitter are throwing an #(Insert Artist Name Here)IsOver party. "Why," you ask the heavens, "Why do bad singles happen to good albums?" Here, I take a closer look at five pop albums in recent memory that were done dirty by the singles that preceded them - and muse over the singles that could have been.

Katy Perry - 'Witness' (2017)

BAD SINGLES Katy Perry's self-proclaimed "360-degree liberation" record, 'Witness''s era got off to a respectable start with lead single "Chained to the Rhythm" (#4). The catchy, albeit safe, Sia-assisted track found Perry doubling down on the newly politicized image she cultivated as resident pop girl of the Clinton campaign trail, leading listeners to believe her messiness had been put to bed. She promptly proved them wrong and refueled her detractors with "Bon Appétit" (#59), a misfire of a strategic hot mess featuring documented homophobes Migos and accompanied by an equally appetite suppressing video clip.

GOOD ALBUM The shame of it is that 'Witness' is arguably (read: arguably) Perry's strongest, most cohesive album to date, and does indeed show more growth than 2/3 of its singles give it credit for. The much buzzed about title track, with its nods to 1990s house and gospel, opens the album on a high note; "Power" is the sequel to 'Teenage Dream''s "Circle the Drain" that more casual fans might not know they've been given, and the subtly sexy "Tsunami" is a tonic to "Bon Appétit"'s ham-fisted come-ons.

HIGHLIGHTS"Witness,""Roulette,""Power,""Tsunami"

Britney Spears - 'Glory' (2016)

BAD SINGLES One could argue that "Make Me...", the lead single off the Comeback Kid of Pop's then-highly anticipated ninth album, is not bad in and of itself. It was well-received by fans and critics alike, despite peaking modestly at #17 and featuring G-Eazy, who I am still not sure is a real person. Many saw it as a return to form, particularly with the abysmal 'Britney Jean' era in the rearview. But upon hearing the full of 'Glory,' one cannot help but wonder how "Make Me..." was chosen to introduce an album considered by many as Spears' best since 2007's mythic 'Blackout.'

GOOD ALBUM In hindsight, "Make Me..." seemed engineered as much as an attempt to infect a wider population with G-Eazy as to indicate a new direction for one of pop's heaviest hitters. One can't help but wonder how Spears and/or her label pivoted from originally planned lead single"Mood Ring," a smoldering DJ Mustard-produced banger that eventually descended into Japanese bonus track oblivion, or what could have been had the criminally neglected second single "Slumber Party" (#86) taken the lead ~~sans Tinashe~~.

HIGHLIGHTS"Slumber Party,""Love Me Down,""Better,""Mood Ring"

Ellie Goulding - 'Delirium' (2015)

BAD SINGLES On the heels of global smash "Love Me Like You Do" (#13), "On My Mind" was released after being considerably delayed. And while it performed similarly to the former in the US, peaking at #13, it was also considerably divisive to critics and fans, with many considering it evidence of a sonic identity crisis for Goulding. Overall, 'Delirium' would face similar criticism, and follow-up singles "Army" and "Something in the Way You Move" would fail to crack the upper echelons of the charts.

GOOD ALBUM While definitely a bit long-winded and sanitized in comparison to predecessor 'Halcyon,''Delirium' has more than its fair share of bright spots and hits that could have been. Tracks like "Keep On Dancin'" and "We Can't Move to This" expertly toe the line between experimental and infectious, while "Codes" is a worthy opponent to "Love Me Like You Do" for the title of Goulding's best ballad.

HIGHLIGHTS"Keep On Dancin',""Codes,""Don't Panic,""We Can't Move to This"

Ashley Tisdale - 'Guilty Pleasure' (2009)

BAD SINGLES While it'd be a stretch to imply that any single choice would have caused an Ashley Tisdale album to storm the charts, the Disney Channel starlet and her label certainly didn't help its odds by introducing 'Guilty Pleasure' with the Kelly Clarkson-lite "It's Alright, It's OK" (#99). The album, which saw Tisdale ditching the slinky, Britney-meets-Kylie pop of 2007's 'Headstrong' in favor of something a little more arena-ready, would go on to debut at #12, selling a mere 25,000 copies in its first week of release.

GOOD ALBUM While it failed to capture the attention of the GP, 'Guilty Pleasure' is notable for at least two reasons: (1) it was named #7 album of 2009 by readers of Billboard Magazine, and (2) it sincerely goes off. While it was too little, too late at the time of its release, second single "Crank It Up" is post-'Blackout' electropop perfection, and on tracks like "Acting Out" and fan favorite "Hot Mess," Tisdale comes much closer to hitting the mark of good blonde girl gone bad (and brunette).

HIGHLIGHTS"Acting Out,""Hot Mess,""Erase and Rewind,""Crank It Up"

Kelly Clarkson - 'Meaning of Life' (2017)

BAD SINGLES Speaking of Kelly Clarkson: when it was announced that the OG American Idol had at last broken free from the shackles of her storied, acrimonious contract with RCA Records, fans and casual listeners alike rejoiced. When Clarkson hinted that the follow-up to 2015's half-hearted 'Piece By Piece' would see her returning to the soulful roots she planted on her debut nearly 15 years prior, fans and casual listeners alike damn near lost their minds. So one can imagine the disappointment brought on by "Love So Soft" (#47), a song more reminiscent of Meghan Trainor than Aretha Franklin, particularly from an artist who managed to make the pop rock she only sort of enjoyed recording sound so individual and electric.

GOOD ALBUM'Meaning of Life' would open at #2 despite "Love So Soft"'s underwhelming sound and performance, but hearing the other 12 1/2 tracks it's easy to become all the more frustrated by its selection as lead single. Clarkson is in full command of her voice and its seemingly infinite shades on songs like "Heat" and "Meaning of Life," and she bridges the gap between her pop past and soulful present effortlessly on fan favorite "Go High." It's still early enough in the album's era for a killer second single - here's hoping Team KC chooses more wisely this time around.

HIGHLIGHTS"Meaning of Life,""Didn't I,""Would You Call That Love,""Go High"

Text:

bluecid, Hot 100 chart positions via Billboard's archives
Video:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
What albums would you add to this list, ONTD? This is my first "original," so be gentle!

Forgotten Cult Shows: Part I

There's a ton of shows that have gathered cult followings from just the last two decades alone. These have become lost to time, technology-responsible memory loss and fickle audiences. All are of a wide range of genres, some are complete, some were killed off way before its time. Many of these shows have both moments that vacillate between pure brilliance and pure cheese. Let's indulge in pure nostalgia, shall we?

Science Fiction

Cleopatra 2525 (2000-2001)

Young exotic dancer Cleo is put into suspended animation after medical issues arise during cosmetic surgery. She awakens 525 years in the future. She promptly joins two warrior women, Hel & Sarge as part of a resistance group against the Baileys, flying robots who control the surface of Earth. All of humanity has moved underground, surviving using a series of shafts and tunnels. A disembodied female voice gives different teams of other hot warrior women, including Cleo's, orders to combat the machines. Corny dated pop culture jokes and phrases are abound.
Highlights: Gina Torres' supreme hotness, the women-driven cast including Jennifer Sky & Victoria Pratt, Gina Torres singing the theme song below, Canada-budget special effects

First Wave (1998-2001)

First Wave was a Sci-FI channel original program starring Sebastian Spence as Cade Foster. Cade is a security specialist whose life is ruined by alien race the Gua, who plan to enslave Earth (of course). He lives as a fugitive from their experiments and receives help from his friend and tech hacker Eddie. Later he receives aid and becomes frenemies with undercover rogue Gua Joshua (Roger Cross). Cade and Eddie use ancient alien Nostradamus' quatrains as tools to help prevent a triggering of the second wave, the invasion which will kill millions.
Highlights: Alien mythos, sympathetic protagonist, Traci Lords arrival in S3

Now and Again (1999-2000)

Middle-aged businessman Michael Wiseman as played first by John Goodman then Eric Close, dies in a drunken train accident. His brain is seized by the government without his family's knowledge and put in a hot, young artificially engineered body. Velvet-voiced Dennis Haysbert plays the head government scientist and his overseer. Michael is used involuntarily for experiments and to combat domestic terrorists. Secretly, he slips away to try to reconnect with his neglected wife and teenage daughter.
Highlights: John Goodman suddenly becoming Eric Close, Close & Haysbert's banter, a young Heather Matarazzo playing yet another obnoxious teenager

Horror

Forever Knight (1992-1996)

Geraint Wyn Davies (American Psycho 2) starred in this CBS Crimetime After Primetime show as Nick Knight, a sexy 'n' sad 800 year old vampire. Nick poses as a night shift detective to atone for the human lives he stole. He drives a sweet vintage convertible & has a bumbling, unattractive partner who always complains about the wife he should be lucky to have named Detective Schanke. His partner doesn't know his secret. A medical examiner Dr. Natalie Lambert who works at their station does know, played by Catherine Disher (X-Men/Dark Phoenix). Natalie is in deeply in love with Nick and it's your classic will-they-won't-they ship. Nick wants to find a cure to reverse his vampirism much to the vexation of his ancient maker and super obsessed murder husband, Lucien LaCroix (multiple cult show actor Nigel Bennett). Deborah Duchene also stars as Janette DuCharme, Nick's former vampire wife, club owner and participant in several scenes of passionately intense kissing.
Highlights: An entertaining vampire radio show, sometimes weird romance, Canada-budget special effects, seeing where CBS's Moonlight jacked it's premisePoint Pleasant (2005)

This was a cute little supernatural show that had a lot of potential. Elizabeth Hanois starred as Christina Nickson, daughter of Satan who washes up on a shore in New Jersey during a terrible storm. She moves in with the family of the town's doctor and weird shit begins to happen. The town is naturally suspicious of her. Grant Show plays her sleazy, charming demon guardian Lucas Boyd. Avoiding the apocalypse the antichrist may bring on relies on Christina's love interest Jesse rejecting her or accepting her love after pawing at her for a full season. At the series cliffhanger ending/finale, he rejects her and she engulfs the entire town of Point Pleasant Beach in the apocalypse, which....FUCK YEAH! Fuck 'em!
Highlights: Cool cinematography, vibrant apocalyptic visions, uncomfortable sexual tension

Psychological/Crime Thrillers

Profit (1996)

Where to start with this show....this show is the reason why shows like Dexter was able to thrive in the mid to late 2000s. Adrian Pasdar starred as Jim Profit, a ruthless corporate executive who would even resort to murder to climb to the top of the ladder at Gracen & Gracen. He was a handsome, charming, impeccably dressed sociopath who went home at the end of the day and climbed naked into a dirty cardboard box that served as his bed. Located inside of a hidden room in his expensive apartment where he planned out his cunning misdeeds on a janky computer. These habits stemmed from a highly abusive childhood from which he could not seem to fully escape. Lisa Blount shows up as his white trash stepmother with whom he has an inappropriate, mutually manipulative sexual relationship with. The general public was not ready for this escandaloso concept in 1996 and the show was cancelled after only four episodes aired.
Highlights: Jim Profit's uncomfortable attractiveness, secret lesbian affairs, corporate intrigue, amusing fourth wall usage, Canada-budget special effects

Silk Stalkings (1991-1999)

This show had too many numerous cast changes throughout its eight season run to mention. Silk Stalkings was about two hot detectives that were ex-partners-->who married-->divorced-->were involuntarily partnered again. They solved the high-profile crimes of passion committed by the super rich in Palm Beach, Florida.
Highlights: Gawking at the 90s idea of "steamy" television, flirty co-leads, black people actually exist in this Palm Beach

Supernatural

Brimstone (1998-1999)

The backstory is silly and contains some unnecessary overused tropes, so let's skip that. All you really need to know is Peter Horton plays Zeke Stone, a dead New York City cop brought back to life to track down 113 escaped souls from Hell. The souls have turned to strong demons of course, so Zeke is given powers to help with bagging them. In return for complete success, Satan will give him a second chance on Earth. The Devil (who is powerless on Earth for some reason) played marvelously by John Glover, is there along the way to guide, tease and aggravate Zeke. Teri Polo also stars as a detective/priestess who is having an affair with the Devil and is responsible for the chaos.
Highlights: John Glover, honestlyCarnivale (2003-2005)

This is another one of those shows that owe a debt to Profit. Carnivale is a bizarre, amusing, often convoluted series about a traveling carnival during the Dust Bowl. The basic theme of the show was good: Healer Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) vs evil: Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown). Nearly everyone who crosses these two's paths have terrible fates eventually befall them. Brother Justin is a demonic traveling preacher who has an incestous relationship with his creepy, scheming older sister (I know a certain subset of y'all are into that, but keep it out of my post please!). The supporting cast and their various powers is pretty good. The show also shares cast members with Twin Peaks. It's atmospheric and the cinematography is accurately depressing and period specific. This was another show HBO pulled the plug on before it could reach its full potential and at least sort plot points out.
Highlights: Clancy Brown, Clancy Brown-ing as usual. Lesbian goddess Clea DuVall as a psychic/telepath

Relax and talk amongst yourselves. Discuss your favorite cult shows! Sources: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18

These two ladies gained recognition by kicking ass, taking names, and looking good while doing it. They starred in numerous action-erotica films that created their celebrity almost overnight. Both women had a passion for playing strong-willed characters that out shined everyone else. Pam enjoyed portraying a heroic crusader against the criminal menace that plagued black neighborhoods. Reiko leaned a bit more in the opposite direction, taking roles of a female yakuza boss or wild rebel, but did play parts similar to Pam's characters that fought against injustice.

Pam Grier

“My life is probably more interesting and dangerous than some of the movies I’ve done,” she said."

Pam was a prominent face in the film genre called "blaxploitation". However, she has since rejected that label for her films on the basis of discrimination. She felt she was just as much an action star as the rest of her male counterparts. She played a pivotal role in black films during the 70's and 80's. She was so iconic that Quentin Tarantino changed the original screenplay for "Jackie Brown" from a white woman into a black woman so he could hire Pam. The film revitalized her career and she became big star once again.

1) First black female action heroine
2) Was raped at age 6 and again when she was 18
3) Diagnosed with cervical cancer in her 30s and was told she would only have 18 months to live
4) Some of her films are considered "groundbreaking" for their portrayals of strong black women
5) Was offered a chance to be on "The Apprentice", but turned it down after doing her "due diligence" on Trump
6) Some people criticized her for playing characters "too manly"
7) Her father was a mechanic in the military and her mother was a nurse
8) Injured herself doing stunts for her movies
9) She didn't have a stunt woman until "Foxy Brown"
10) Pam feels the difference between action scenes in her time vs now are "sports bras"

Reiko Ike

"the very epitome [of] the cinematic bad girl, playing her role with a sense of collected cool and tough attitude that can rival that of even better known North American tough gals such as Tura Satana from Faster Pussycat… Kill! Kill! or Pam Grier in Foxy Brown." -Yuko Mihara Weisser

Rumors have circled the beginnings of Reiko's career. No one knows for sure how she got into the industry. But once she did, she became a well known face in Pink films in Japan. Unlike other Pink film actresses, Reiko was known for her "Pink violence" films which allowed her to become an action star in her own right. Information regarding Reiko's career and personal life is scarce. So we'll take a look at the facts we do have.

1) In 1971, Reiko starred in her first film, "Hot Springs Mimizu Geisha".
2) Reiko claimed she was underage when she filmed "Hot Springs Mimizu Geisha" and caused such a controversy the film was the studio's best selling of the 70's.
3) In "Modern Porno Tale: Inherited Sex Mania" the Japanese film board didn't like the graphic sex scene between Reiko and French actress Sandra Julien
4) She released an album "Kokotsu No Sekaithat" was labeled "erotic kayôkyoku" due to her soft moans and breathy singing throughout the record
5) Reiko stopped appearing nude in films after "Modern Porno Tale: Inherited Sex Mania"
6) Reiko moved on to more action packed "delinquent girl" S&M films.
7) She had a tabloid rivalry with fellow actress and co-star Miki Sugimoto
8) Was Toei's top sex actress and one of the most popular sex icons in Japan during the 70s
9) She played in 22 films
10) She left the industry after two arrests for drug-related crime and illegal gambling

In the peak era of exploitation films, these women helped show the world there could be more to the genre than just gratuitous nudity. Their films will be remembered for their hot scenes and tough leading women.

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One was mainstream popular, the other was underground infamous. Twiggy and Bettie's iconic looks were created mostly by themselves and inspired millions around the world.

Twiggy

“Back in the '60s, there was a car sticker that read, 'Forget Oxfam, Feed Twiggy,' but I ate like a horse.”

Twiggy learned to sew her own clothes at a young age. With her stylish know-how she was discovered and propelled into fame. Twiggy's sweeping popularity was initially criticized heavily by those who felt she was too thin with a "boyish figure". That didn't slow her career as she became the face of London's Carnaby Street mod scene. Twiggy remains a fashion icon of the world despite what critics today may think.

1) Nickname in school was "sticks"
2) One of the first models to use her success towards business ventures
3) Had a Barbie® doll made in her likeness
4) In 1983, Twiggy debuted on Broadway in "My One and Only"
5) Briefly a co-presenter on ITV's "This Morning"
6) Was married to actor Michael Witney
7) An activist for animal welfare and breast cancer research
8) Her signature "Twiggy eyes" took her an 1 hour to put on when she was young
9) Prefers her hair long, as her shorter her was harder to maintain
10) She won 2 Golden Globe awards and was nominated for a Tony award

Bettie Page

“(B)ut now most of the money I’ve got is because I posed in the nude,” she told Playboy last year. “So I‘m not ashamed of it now, but I still don’t understand it.”

Bettie got her start as an underground model for a "camera club", a group of pornographers. These "clubs" were created under the guise of "artistic work" to keep the censors at bay. Loved by men and women, she was one of the images of sexual freedom. Her notable look produced many imitators and thrust her to stardom as a pin-up.

1) Graduated from Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee
2) Bunny Yeager photographed one of her most famous photos that ended up in Playboy but never compensated her
3) Said she was molested by her father at age 13
4) As a teen, she learned to sew clothes and used that skill to make her costumes for her photos
5) Was self-conscious about her looks and used a lot of make up to cover her large pores
6) She was homecoming queen and an ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) mascot
7) Failed a screen test because she refused to "entertain" producers afterwards
8) She was consistently described as hard-working, not promiscuous, plainly dressed, and didn't drink/smoke in her private life by her male peers.
9) Suffered from severe mental health issues that left her hospitalized for a long period
10) She was served with a subpoena by the U.S. Senate about her bondage photos and said at the hearing, “Why, Senator honey, I think they’re cute.”

Twiggy and Bettie's styles are ingrained into modern fashion trends and still replicated exactly by fans today.

Thanks mods for your patience with these posts

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918019_original

So this is my top ten favorite movie list, I know most top ten list are filled with like..super serious movies but who decided that your favorite movie list have to be filled with only serious movies Titanic or Schindler's List. So this list is a combination of movies that I LOOOVE + movies I can watch over and over again, without ever getting tired of them.

hope you like it.

whip

10. Whip It (2009)

Why I love it: Okay, so Ellen Page is one of my favorite actresses so ofc I have to have a movie starring her, while I do enjoy her other work (except Juno fucking hate that movie) Whip It is not only my favorite Ellen Page movie but also one of those movies I just love to watch, I don't really know how many times I have seen this film, it's perfect the only bad thing about this movie is that Jimmy Fallon is in it.

About: Bliss Cavender, a seventeen year old girl living in the town of Bodeen, Texas, is sick of her mother's obsession with her competing in beauty pageants. When shopping in Austin for new shoes, Bliss picks up a leaflet for an all girls roller derby team and decides to try it out. She finds herself a natural and decides to join the team. With the help of her best friend Pash, can she navigate love, friendship, lies, all without her parents finding out?

lars

larss

9. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Why I love it: I don't know how I came across this movie, maybe I saw it on film_stills and downloaded it? Anyway, I really love this movie because 1. Good Acting 2. Have Patricia Clarkson in it. I just think it such a cute, enjoyable film to watch.

About: In this comedy, Lars Lindstrom is an awkwardly shy young man in a small northern town who finally brings home the girl of his dreams to his brother and sister-in-law's home. The only problem is that she's not real - she's a sex doll Lars ordered off the Internet. But sex is not what Lars has in mind, but rather a deep, meaningful relationship. His sister-in-law is worried for him, his brother thinks he's nuts, but eventually the entire town goes along with his delusion in support of this sweet natured boy that they've always loved.

mean

8. Mean Girls (2004)

Why I love it: Okay to be honest this list could be filled with ''chic-flicks'', but in the end it was between three movies, Mean Girl , Heathers and Legally Blonde. But as you can see, it was Mean Girls I chose, why? Well because it just part of my child hood, I always rented this movie with my friend (lol one of my friends wrote inside the dvd cover that this was the best movie ever) so youknow this movie had to be on my list.

About: Cady Heron is a cultural blank slate when she first sets foot on the grounds of North Shore High School in a small town outside of C hicago, Illinois. After living in Africa, Cady has no idea how "wild" things can be in civilization until she crosses paths with one of the meanest species of all, the "Queen Bee," who at this school is the cool and calculating Regina George. But Cady doesn't just cross paths with this Queen Bee--she really stings her when she falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels. Now Regina is set to sting back by pretending to still like Aaron so he won't go out with Cady, all the while pretending to be her friend. With no choic e but to use the same M.O. to stay in the game, the "Girl World" one-upmanship escalates until the entire school gets dragged into a first-class mean-fest.

willy

7. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Why I love it: In Sweden Charlie the Duck is named Kalle Anna (Kalle Duck) and when I saw this movie at home (I assume it was taped from tv and not bought) it was named Kalle och chokladfabriken (Kalle and the Chocolate Factory) so I thought this movie was gonna be about Kalle Anna (charlie the duck) and oh boy was I surprised when I turned this movies on! I just immediately fell in love with it. Everything about this movie is just great (except that boring as song Charlies mother sang, I always fast forward that part) #alsofuckgrandpajoe

About: Young Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) wins one of the coveted 'Golden Tickets' from a Wonka Bar that allows its holder to take a trip around the eccentric Willy Wonka's (Gene Wilder) Chocolate Factory. Charlie and the rest of the winners find themselves in a magical world of chocolate rivers, Oompa Loompas, everlasting gobstoppers, lickable wall-paper, golden egg-laying geese and chilling tales to warn children not to misbehave. Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay from his own book.

Amélie

6. Amélie (2001)

Why I love it: This movie is just my type of movie. I just simply love this film (sorry but I fucking suck at expressing myself)

About: Amelie Poulain has led a sheltered life - educated at home by over-protective parents, she retreats into a fantasy world of her own. When she finally leaves home and finds work as a waitress in a Parisian café, life is pretty uneventful until a chain of extraordinary events leads her to the discovery of a tin box containing a schoolboys long forgotten mementos. It is then that Amelie discovers her true vocation in life helping others find love and happiness which she sets about in her own unique and magical way. When Amelie falls in love herself, she realizes that making neat solutions in not as easy as it seems...

5. The Aviator (2004)

Why I love it: Leo is honestly one of my favorite male actors, I know he have done shitload of great movies but The Aviator is just my favorite one + Cate Blanchett is in it too. One time I watch the whole movie and when it ended I literally just re-watch it again, that's how much I love this movie!

About: Biopic of billionaire Howard Hughes, starting with his early filmmaking years as owner of RKO studios but mostly focusing on his role in designing and promoting new aircraft. Hughes was a risk-taker spending several fortunes on designing experimental aircraft and eventually founding TWA as a rival to Pan AM airlines owned by his great rival Juan Trippe. When Trippe's politico Senator Ralph Owen Brewster accuses Hughes of being a war profiteer, it's Hughes who gains the upper hand. Hughes also had many women in his life including a long relationship with actress Katharine Hepburn. From an early age however, Hughes was also germophobic and would have severe bouts of mental illness.

mrs fox

mmrs fox

4. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Why I love it: I love Wes Anderson movie, I know his not everyones cup of tea but even if you hate his movies you have to see this anyway, it's great! It's supercute and really entertaining!

About: It is the story of one Mr. Fox and his wild-ways of hen heckling, turkey taking and cider sipping, nocturnal, instinctive adventures. He has to put his wild days behind him and do what fathers do best: be responsible. He is too rebellious. He is too wild. He is going to try "just one more raid" on the three nastiest, meanest farmers that are Boggis, Bunce and Bean. It is a tale of crossing the line of family responsibilities and midnight adventure and the friendships and awakenings of this country life that is inhabited by Fantastic Mr. Fox and his friends.

porco

3. Porco Rosso (1992)

Why I love it: Okay you can't have top ten without a Studio Ghibli film in it. Even though I love Spirited Away and Whisper of the Heart, but Porco Rossa is just my nr.1 film. If you haven't seen it you are missing out, so go see it!

About: In Early 1930's era Italy air pirates, bounty hunters and high fliers of all sorts rule the skies. The most cunning and skilled of these pilots is Porco Rosso. A former Ace, he now makes a living flying contract jobs, such as rescuing those kidnapped by air pirates. Donald Curtis, Porco's rival in the air and in catching the affections of women, provides a constant challenge to the hero, culminating in a hilarious, action packed finale.

girl

2. Girl, Interrupted (1999)

Why I love it: If you have seen this movie you know why it's on here and if you haven't, well that you own fucking problem, sorry!

About: Unable to cope with reality and the difficulty that comes with it, 18 year old Susanna, is admitted to a mental institution in order to overcome her disorder. However, she has trouble understanding her disorder and therefore finds it difficult to tame, especially when she meets the suggestive and unpredictable Lisa.

death

1. Death Proof

Why I love it: Okay not to sound like a white guy but Tarantino is one of my favorite movie directors I love every single film he've made! At first I thought about adding Inglourious Basterds, but then I thought NO! Death Proof is my favorite Tarantino movie! And I know shit load of his fans claim it's one of his worst, but I think we all know that just bunch of misogynist assholes who can't handle a movie filled with female characters.

About: In Austin, Texas, the girlfriends Julia, Arlene and Shanna meet in a bar to drink, smoke and make out with their boyfriends before traveling alone to Lake LBJ to spend the weekend together. They meet the former Hollywood stuntman Mike, who takes Pam out in his "death-proof" stunt car. Fourteen months later, Mike turns up in Lebanon, Tennessee and chase Abernathy, Zoë and Kim, but these girls are tough and decide to pay-back the attack.

Honorable Mentions: Before Sunrise, Mulan, Goodfellas, Fishtank, Wristcutters: A Love Story, Hot Fuzz, Pan's Labyrinth & like 99% of all movies that counts as ''chic-flicks''

source: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

what's you top ten movie list??

U.S. Thanksgiving is just a few days away and many people are ready to celebrate/suffer through it. If you have some downtime while not preparing a meal or planning your Black Friday haul, maybe relax and watch a movie. And for the sake of convenience, here are just thirty movies that are based around the holiday or feature a scene at/about Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble.

Pieces of April (2003): A rebellious young woman living in New York with her boyfriend struggles to organize a Thanksgiving dinner for her emotionally distant family.

What's Cooking? (2000): Four very different families endure their own unique dramas during Thanksgiving.

The Addams Family Values (1993): Uncle Fester gets involved with the family's new nanny, who happens to be a black widow hoping to kill Fester and take his famiy's fortune.

Kristy (2013): A student that stays behind in the dorms during Thanksgiving break is targeted by a group of killers.

Intensity (1997): A man invades a Thanksgiving dinner and takes one of the guests captive.

Sweet November (2001): When two strangers agree to a "trial" relationship, they end up falling in love.

Dutch (1991): A man agrees to deliver his girlfriend's troublesome son to her for Thanksgiving.

The Ice Storm (1997): Set in the '70s, a family's perfect-looking facade shatters during a Thanksgiving dinner.

Tadpole (2002): A precocious 15-year old plans on seducing his stepmother's friend at Thanksgiving.

Alice's Restaurant (1969): Around Thanksgiving, Arlo lands himself in legal trouble after he agrees to take his friend's trash to the dump.

She's Gotta Have It (1986): When a woman can't decide between three men, she decides to date all of them at the same time.

Smart People (2008): A widower and professor on the brink of entering a new relationship is unexpectedly visited by his brother.

The Object of My Affection (1998): A woman and a man's friendship is complicated when they co-parent a child together and when the woman develops romantic feelings for the friend that happens to be gay.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987): A man struggling to get home for Thanksgiving is stuck with an annoying companion.

The House of Yes (1997): A woman that thinks she's Jackie Kennedy goes off the deep end when her brother returns home for the holidays with his new fiancé.

Grumpy Old Men (1993): Two elderly neighbors with a long feud vy for the same woman.

Scent of the Woman (1992): A college student in need of money agrees to babysit a blind man.

Free Birds (2013): Two turkeys travel back in time to change history so that the turkey doesn't become a Thanksgiving meal staple.

Boogeyman (2005): While traveling for Thanksgiving, a man is forced to confront his childhood monster.

Cold Turkey (2013): A family's Thanksgiving dinner turns into chaos when the troubled daughter returns home after being away for fifteen years.

You've Got Mail (1998): Two business rivals unintentionally fall in love with each other over the Internet.

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994): Squanto's life before and after the arrival of the Mayflower is chronicled (inaccurately).

A Time to Remember (2003): A woman returns to her childhood home to make amends with her mother that has Alzheimers disease.

Son in Law (1993): A farm girl returns home for Thanksgiving with an eccentric guest.

Home for the Holidays (1995): A woman just fired from her job has to spend Thanksgiving with her family without her daughter, who opted to go spend the holiday with her boyfriend.

The Other Sister (1999): A mentally challenged woman seeks independence while her family plans her sister's wedding.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a lawyer defends an institutionalized man claiming to be Santa Claus.

Nobody's Fool (1994): A man reaching retirement age reflects on his life after constantly avoiding all of his responsibilities.

The Morning After (1986): After a blackout, a woman wakes up on Thanksgiving Day next to a dead body. Now, she has to solve the mystery of whether or not she murdered this person.

Prisoners (2013): A father takes matters into his own hands when his daughter and her friend go missing.

View Poll: #2075116

What are you doing for U.S. Thanksgiving, ONTD?
What do you want to buy on Black Friday/Cyber Monday?

These actresses never had formal training and got their start in the industry when they were still in school. When they entered the entertainment industry it was still looked down upon to be an actress. Elizabeth and Sharmila were practical about their careers and called it like they saw it.

Sharmila Tagore
by special request

“I kept telling myself I’d quit after every film. I saw myself in my first Hindi film Kashmir Ki Kali and I didn’t like myself. I said, one more film and I’m done. But it continued.”

Under the encouragement of her father, Gitindranath Tagore, Sharmila reluctantly stuck with her acting career. That eventually paid off as she became one of Bollywood’s most notable and controversial actresses.

1) Was the first Indian actress to appear on film wearing a bikini and told “rediff.com” the mindset towards bikinis hasn’t changed much in India
2) She also posed for a magazine in a bikini and caused such a huge scandal that Parliament discussed it
3) Directors tried to get her to change her hair from her bouffant style, but she refused to listen
4) Married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi who supported her bikini pictures
5) While at her husband’s grave site she was approached by fans looking for an autograph
6) Said that during her time, working women had to apologize for not being home to take care of the children
7) Won the “National Award” for her film “Mausam”
8) She wanted to be a dancer more than an actress
9) Former leader of the “Indian Film Censor Board”
10) Told “The Hindu” publication, she believes films that are manipulative or promote stereotypes are more dangerous than overtly sexual or violent films.

Elizabeth Taylor

“I was nine when I made my first films in Hollywood. I was used from the day I was a child, and utilized by the studio. I was promoted for their pockets. I never felt that they were a haven. I've always been very much my own person. I had my own mother and father — they were my family, not the bloody studio.”

Elizabeth was ushered into the film business by her mother when they moved to America. She was not well-received at first because casting agents felt her look was “too serious” in comparison to stars like Shirley Temple. But once she was hired for the right role her character began to take its shape. Elizabeth became one of Hollywood’s most beautiful women. Known for her natural “violet” eye color and double rowed eyelashes (a product of mutation), she quickly became a studio favorite. Off stage, Elizabeth was head-strong and didn’t take much crap from anyone. In the media she was portrayed full as a symbol of luxury and sophistication

1) Described old Hollywood as one big factory
2) At age 15, she told big time film producer, Louis B. Mayer, to “go to hell!” after he screamed and yelled at her mother.
3) The studio wanted to change her name to “Virginia” and pluck her eyebrows thin. Elizabeth and her mother refused.
4) Her home life was considered “liberal” in comparison to the other wealthy English families.
5) Her lawyer told her that in order to sue author Kitty Kelley for publishing unauthorized biography of Elizabeth, she’d have to read the book and pick out everything that was false
6) She was an activist against AIDS
7) At 18 year’s old, she married Conrad Hilton (yes, of Hilton Hotels). The marriage was a disaster and wasn't consummated until the third night due to Conrad being drunk and gambling their entire honeymoon.
8) One of her biggest love scandals involved an affair with the best friend of her dead husband, Eddie Fisher (father of Carrie Fisher). Long story short Elizabeth announced that Eddie never loved his wife, Debbie Reynolds (who at the time was America’s sweetheart), and the marriage wasn’t broken up because it was never happy. Eddie Fisher made a statement corroborating Elizabeth’s words. The affair shocked the public as Eddie and Debbie seemed like the “dream couple”.
9) Hedda Hopper, a gossip columnist and a big supporter of Elizabeth, was furious that Elizabeth outed the affair after Hedda foolishly backed her up that nothing was going on. She wrote a revenge piece and used a misquote that followed Elizabeth for many years.
10) Won two Academy Awards for “Best Actress” and was honored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center

Two actresses that took roles they wanted and scandalized the media. They never gave up their personal identities for the sake of their careers.

Thanks mods for your patience with these posts

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Two performers who set out to follow their dreams and ended up breaking the mold in the music industry.

Lydia Canaan

“I did make a career in Lebanon, but little did I know [that outside of Lebanon] I was being named the first rock star of the Middle East and a pioneer,”

Lydia grew up in conservative household in Lebanon. She developed a passion for music and poetry at a young age. She rebelled against her parents’ wishes and sneaked out of the house to perform rock music at gigs. Her dedication to music turned her into an idol.

1) Spent her younger years in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War
2) Studied at the Lebanese American University
3) She would trick her parents by throwing her leather mini-skirt out her window and walk out the house in normal clothing to attend gigs
4) Passionate about human rights
5) As a teen, she performed under the stage name “Angel” for heavy metal band “Equation”
6) Used her celebrity platform to discuss issues in Afghanistan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, to name a few
7) First Middle-Eastern artist to sing only in English, have music videos played on MTV (Europe, Southeast Asia, Russia, and Middle East)
8) She is cataloged in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
9) Between the years 1984–1988, the band “Equation” sold out 25 shows
10) Despite tons of death threats, Lydia performed a sold out concert in Tripoli with extra security

Grace Jones

“I have just as much woman in me as I have man. It’s just a matter of channeling the energy into which way you use it.”

There’s no good way to describe Grace Jones or the impact she’s made on the world. She came from a strict religious family in Jamaica and her father didn’t want her to sing for anyone but God. When she got to Paris she became a model from then on, an actress and singer. Partnered with Jean-Paul Goude, they created artistic music videos, album covers, and stage performances.

1) Initially modeling in NYC didn’t work out, so she moved to France
2) She doesn’t keep track of her age
3) When she told Jean-Paul she was pregnant with his child, he left her
4) Her first role was in “Gordon’s War”
5) Her performances at Studio 54 in NYC won her a large following in LGBTQ and art scene
6) She preferred cocaine blown or placed up her ass rather than snort it
7) Since she does not perform without being paid in full, she was once offered a baby as collateral at an event when they didn’t have the money to pay her
8) Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry threw her a baby shower
9) At a performance in Paris, fans got so excited they ripped off her costume and Yves St. Laurent made her a makeshift outfit with his own clothes so she could continue
10) Her inspiration for dressing like a man when modeling came from her little brother

Two women who defied their religious and conventional upbringings to break norms and become part of cultural change.

SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE

ONTD Original, so we're living dark times but let's not forget there's good people in the world. So here are some of the best 'What would you do?' clips from ABC's TV show 'What would You do?' to regain faith in humanity ~~and lose it since this is all based in real life events.~~ .

6. What would you do... if you see a latino dad not accepting his son's coming out?

a kid comes out to his dad, and he's not having it. People overhear the conversation and give very encouraging advice to him. One gay man even tells the story of how he overcame suicide while accepting himself.

5. What Would you do... if you saw two guys roofing a girl?

Two guys roofied a girl and one person actually calls 911, locks the bar doors and is ready to fights the fuckers.

4. What would you do...if someone harasses a parent with a different race child??

A mother is criticized for raising a black baby and people have some words for the racist woman. People get fucking angry at her. It's amazing. The grandad at the end was amazing.

3. What would you do... if people didn't approve of a trans kid shopping a dress for prom?

A supporting mom is helping his in transition male kid shop a dress for prom, yet his disapproving father storms in. People are amazing and supportive. Even from any age.

2. What Would you do... if people discriminated a latino vineyard worker?

People told a latino worker to move from a restaurant and people actually took a stand, invited the worker to sit with them and almost threw a punch to the discriminating patrons. It's touching and it even moved the actors playing the situation.

1. What would you do... if you saw a female bartender being sexually harassed by her manager?

A bartender was being inappropriately touched and harassed by her manager and people had a fit. Everyone stood up for her and told the manager what a shitfest he was (not enough tbh). The lady at the end was AH-MAH-ZING.

Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

ONTD, were you ever in a WWYD-like situation? What did you do?

Salman Khan is one of the three famous Khans (Shahrukh/Aamir) and unlike his colleagues he cannot act. He’s been in the industry for the past 25 years and has been unable to break out of a role other than innocent, well-doer, action hero. The industry continues to defend his actions.

He has joked that “If he cannot play a good man in real life, he can at least play it onscreen.” (Actual quote!)

How he has managed to survive?

By creating a charity (Being Human) and his amazing PR manager Reshma Shetty who turned him into a saint. The industry continues to turn a blind eye to his antics and his cult continue to worship him (yes literally!) and threatens anyone who says anything negative about him.

A sample of his shitty behavior, there's a lot more but here's what I've gathered:

Abusing girlfriends

Salman Khan has been known to abuse almost all his girlfriends. Known actresses, he's abused:

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan started dating during the filming of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. They would go on to date for two years from 1999 to 2001. However things went downhill, Salman would go on to create a ruckus by banging on her door demanding to be let in or he'd commit suicide, he kept this up till 3am until she let him in. Aishwarya's father decided to file a police report on her behalf.

Salman later said in an interview that she wasn't returning his love, and that he was forced to turn violent.
"If you won't fight, that means there is no love between you, I will not fight with an outsider; when we fight, it is all because of our love," he maintained stoically.

He showed up drunk on the sets of her films Kuch Naa Kaho & Chalte Chalte and threatened Shahrukh Khan (who he suspected was having an affair with Ash) Shahrukh would go on to kick Ash out of the film and the rest of the films the duo had signed together.

"In fact anyone who protested on Aishwarya's behalf was labelled a traitor and given the Khan-damn treatment.
The brutality and violence reached aflash -point for Aishwarya when she told him she couldn't take him—and them (the violence and brutality) --any longer.
"No to Salman?? Nahinchalega, boss! (Not gonna happen, boss) Thereafter he began to hound the lady like a man possessed (which he has confessed to being). He monitored every move she made, and parked his vehicle outside her building daring her to step out. For an awards function, Aishwarya had to drive out crouching in the backseat of her car so that her jealous admirer wouldn't espy her as she broke the 'house arrest' treaty.
Salman landed up at the awards function to humiliate the lady in every way possible. Not a single soul intervened at the function. They watched mutely or pretended not to see as Salman threatened, heckled and jeered the lady."

Aishwarya Rai dared to do write an open letter to the press of her abuse:
"After we broke up, he would call me and talk rubbish. He also suspected me of having affairs with my co-stars. I was linked up with everyone, from Abhishekh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan. There were times when Salman got physical with me, luckily without leaving any marks. And I would go to work as if nothing had happened."

Aishwarya Rai would go on to date Vivek Obreoi, who was then threatened by Khan.
Vivek Obreoi would hold a press conference alleging his experience, the actor said that his career took a hit for speaking out against Salman Khan.

Katrina Kaif

In 2012 a report came out that and Salman Khan beat (his ex) Katrina Kaif whilst they were filming for Ek Tha Tiger. The reason being she was wearing “figure hugging/cleavage revealing dress that showed too much skin”

Katrina’s “friend” would go on to deny this report.

However, when Salman Khan was asked about the incident about how he “got into a screaming match and allegedly tried to attack actor and then girlfriend Katrina Kaif with a stick on a movie set because he didn’t like her costume, Salman said:
“It (the blouse) didn’t fit properly, and would have taken away from the beauty of the scene. Eat what you like, and wear what others like. It is as simple as that.”

Salman Khan has also been accused of slapping Katrina Kaif at least on three separate occasions.

Sangeeta Bijlani and Somy Ali

Sangeeta Bijlani describes being with Salman as the ‘most emotionally traumatic phase’ she had ever endured but refuses to talk about any abuse he may have committed against her.

In the case of Somy Ali, there are many stories of "Salman dragging her by the hair, publicly berating her, and on one occasion pouring a drink on her head because despite his own fondness for tipple, he didn’t like the sight of his girlfriend drinking."
Somy Ali would go on to start a domestic abuse charity in the US. She also did not publically speak about the abuse caused by Salman Khan.

2002 Hit and Run:

In 2002, Salman Khan got drunk and ran over homeless people sleeping on the footpath. His actions would end with him killing Nurulah Mahbob Sharif, and injuring several others. His bodyguard, Ravindra Patil, would go on to file a report against him.
He was put under pressure by Khan to change his statement and he went missing during the course of the trial, allegedly due to harassment from Salman's lawyers and the police force.
He would found in 2007, on the streets and suffering tuberculosis, his family had abandoned him.
Patil had told a friend two days before his death that he was saddened by the treatment he had been subjected to. “I stood by my statement till the end, but my department did not stand by me. I want my job back, I want to survive. I want to meet the police commissioner once."
Salman Khan would go on to allege that his driver was driving/ and or no one was driving the car.

The case was overturned by a judge who felt the witness was not “wholly reliable."
Full Timeline of Case [infographic]

Abusing female reporters:

"More than a decade ago, an independent, national award-winning film critic had gone to interview a famous actor now in the news. The film critic had panned a few films in which the said actor had a lead role or was one of the male leads. He held a grudge. But since a new movie was releasing, he had to give interviews. Unfortunately, it was with this critic. He had to avenge, though. So first he made her wait for several hours in the hot sun and then asked her to sit on a set prop (a ‘khatiya’). She sat. Waited. Finally, he emerged. He told her, “Wait, I have to pee.” He then went to a tree 5 ft away, unzipped his and peed in front of her. That was the actor’s “revenge” on a female film critic and reporter who had the “audacity” to not like his movies. The said film reporter and critic, rightly, walked off. Her editor supported her decision. - Sachin Kalbag

"I’d just heard about how filmstar Salman Khan had insisted he drop a journalist back home after a long interview. It wasn’t too late in the evening. She didn’t particularly fancy a chivalrous ride. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’s a bit of a brat like that.She gave up. They drove together. She found the spot where she needed to be dropped. He insisted on driving her right up to her building’s gate, asked her to specifically point out the floor she stayed in. “Now I know where you live,” he told her. Sweetly.“The interview I just gave you? Don’t publish it.” By all accounts the piece never saw the colour of print. - Mayank Shekhar"

Blackbuck poaching case

In 1998, this piece of shit would go on to hunt blackbucks on two separate occasions. The weapons he was using were also illegal.
He was arrested but released two days later - in 2007 he would spend 6 days in jail.

Prisoner no 343

The case would go on until 2016 wherein he was finally acquitted.

Timeline of case

Stupid comments

Salman Khan would go on to compare his filming schedule to feeling like a “raped woman”
“It is the most difficult thing,” said Khan, talking to journalists Tuesday about the training for his upcoming movie Sultan , in which he plays a middle-aged wrestling champion. “When I used to walk out of that ring, it used to be like a raped woman walking out.”

The 51-year old’s father would go on to apologise for him.

A selection of tweets tbh:

Irony just died:

The most heinous crime is killing an innocent
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) December 19, 2014

To save 1 innocent life is to save entire humanity , to kill 1 innocent life is like killing entire humanity .
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) December 19, 2014

This flat-earther:

Mujhe toh lagta hai , I feel that the earth is round n flat like roti . Haina ? Bolo bolo
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) 28 April 2012

Translate: “I feel that the earth is round and flat like rote. Yes? Speak Speak.”

How cool is this even ants r playing hockey . U think its promoting our national sport ? pic.twitter.com/29LdMUrrX9
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) 27 October 2013

Hahahahahahaha hehehehehehe sorry
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) September 27, 2010

Translation: ????

Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source
Tweets: 1 2 3 4 5

It's a tale as old as time: your favorite artist releases his or her new single, and after what feels like decades of anticipation, you press play and find yourself underwhelmed. Worse than underwhelmed, you're now worried that the album you've been looking forward to for so long is gonna suck.

Then, it drops, and you rejoice - this shit slaps! But by now, the single has fallen off the charts, and the album is tracking fewer sales than the new Demi Lovato joint. "Why," you ask the heavens, "Why do bad singles happen to good albums?" Here, I take a closer look at five pop albums in recent memory that were done dirty by the singles that preceded them - and offer my opinion on the choices the artists should have made.

Madonna - 'American Life' (2003)

BAD SINGLES A decidedly aggressive departure from the introspective exercises that were 'Ray of Light' (1998) and 'Music' (2000), 'American Life' would have been a difficult sell regardless of its representative singles. A concept album about post-9/11 American culture and ideals, it infused Swiss producer Mirwais' signature progressive electronica with acoustic, folk elements, and found the spark of its vocalist's rebel heart reignited and more indignant than ever before. Still, the decision to introduce the album with its title track, a head-scratcher that culminates in a (possibly, but never confirmed, satirical) rap breakdown, did nothing to help its chances. "American Life" would go on to be ranked #9 on (the now defunct) Blender Magazine's "50 Worst Songs Ever" list, peak at #37 on the Hot 100, and effectively torpedo whatever goodwill M had accumulated during her post-'Ray of Light' resurgence.

GOOD ALBUM Though critically divisive at the time of its release, 'American Life' is retrospectively cited by fans and critics as one of Madonna's finest bodies of work, and one of the last times she would shirk genre trends in favor of following her individual sonic bliss. "Nobody Knows Me" is the album's most straight-forwardly danceable moment, a defiantly Auto-Tuned, infectious banger; "X-Static Process" is a disarmingly threadbare meditation on identity crisis in the wake of romantic fallout, and "Mother and Father" is a gradually cresting, crunching punch to the gut. As for its disastrous first single (and its hotly discussed, swiftly pulled original music video), the sentiments expressed by the former Material Girl would come to echo those of a large segment of the then-unforgiving population.

HIGHLIGHTS"Hollywood,""Nobody Knows Me,""X-Static Process,""Mother and Father"

Beyoncé - '4' (2011)

BAD SINGLES After taking a much-deserved break and "killing" alter-ego Sasha Fierce following her I Am... World Tour, Beyoncé set her sights on "getting R&B back on the radio" with '4'. Which begs the question: Who thought "Run The World (Girls)" (#29) was the right choice for its lead single? Heavily relying on a Major Lazer sample, the track's clumsiness and lack of innovation made it a miss in the eyes of both critics and Beyoncé's typically adoring public, and set an unfortunate tone for the album's subsequent singles. Falling short of its R&B-revitalizing ambitions, '4' would instead go down as Beyoncé's first album not to yield a #1 - or, for that matter, a Top 10 hit ("Best Thing I Never Had" - #16, "Party" - #50, "Love on Top" - #20, "Countdown" - #71).

GOOD ALBUM It may not have succeeded on the radio, but as recent contributions to the R&B genre go there have been few as uniformly stellar as '4'. Beyoncé has rarely sounded quite as emboldened as she does on "I Care," as vulnerable as she does on "I Miss You" (notable as a pre-'channel ORANGE' Frank Ocean joint), or as uninhibitedly euphoric as she does on should-be-classic/wedding staple "Love on Top."

HIGHLIGHTS"I Care,""I Miss You, "Start Over,""Love on Top"

Lady Gaga - 'ARTPOP' (2013)

BAD SINGLES The stakes for 'ARTPOP' were considerably high prior to its release. Its predecessor, 2011's 'Born This Way,' debuted with sales surpassing 1 million and solidified Lady Gaga's place in the pop culture landscape, feud with Madonna be damned. But with the release of "Applause," cracks in the foundation were exposed, and would soon prove to run deep. Though the track would peak at #4, it would receive criticism for its lack of risk and unrelatable lyrics. Reviews of the ensuing album would echo these sentiments, raising Gaga's defenses and paving the way for more poor promotional choices.

GOOD ALBUM Though arguably the weakest link in Gaga's otherwise glittering discography, 'ARTPOP' is by no means unsalvageable. It's a testament to the importance of an objective third party where editing and sequencing is concerned, but the gems do much to make up for the worst of its filler (I'm looking at you, "MANiCURE"). Fan favorite "Sexxx Dreams" is an expert cross-pollination of randy, '80s R&B and DJ White Shadow's signature futuristic synth-pop; the industrial "Swine" finds Madre Monstère at her empowered, sneering best, and "Donatella" is a Zedd-engineered, frenetic celebration of femininity that's about as balls-to-the-wall Gaga as it gets.

HIGHLIGHTS"G.U.Y.,""Sexxx Dreams,""Swine,""Donatella"

Nick Jonas - 'Last Year Was Complicated' (2016)

BAD SINGLES The promotion of Nick Jonas' third solo effort actually got off to a respectable start. "Close," a duet with criminally underrated Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo, proved a wise choice for the album's lead single - it reached #14 and went platinum in the US. From there, though, it seems Team Jonas lost confidence in the entire affair. The leaden "Chainsaw" was posed for release as the album's second single before being ditched in favor of the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted "Bacon," which would fail to enter the Hot 100. In the time since, Jonas has failed to regain the momentum he benefit from in the wake of the runaway success of "Jealous" in 2014 - two 2017 singles from an as-yet unannounced fourth album have gone largely unnoticed by radio and casual listeners.

GOOD ALBUM Though it hardly broke any sonic molds, as Jonas Brother solo efforts go 'Last Year Was Complicated' is well worth the listen. Jonas uses his limited range to his advantage on the quietly sensual "Under You" and almost-title track "Unhinged," and he earns his heartthrob status on the infectious, could've-been huge "The Difference." That isn't to say the album is without its faults: "Good Girls" is the Nice Guy anthem that never should have seen the light of day, let alone the final tracklist.

HIGHLIGHTS"Close" (feat. Tove Lo), "The Difference,""Under You,""Unhinged"

Adam Lambert - 'The Original High' (2015)

BAD SINGLES Truth be told, any entry in Adam Lambert's discography would be at home in a discussion of Bad Singles happening to Good Albums. Since his 2009 post-'Idol' debut, Lambert has cultivated a catalog of pop music of the highest order that has gone by-and-large unnoticed by the general public. And while it's arguable (and sadly likely) that no single selection would make much of a difference to a large portion of the US, the choices Lambert and Co. have made leave much to be desired. Enter 'The Original High': a decidedly subdued affair by the Indy native's standards, but by no means short of personality or potential smash hits, Lambert's third album (and first with Warner Bros. Records) should have at long last catapulted him to long overdue superstar status. Unfortunately, for all its critical praise, lead single "Ghost Town" failed to ignite the charts, peaking at #64. "Another Lonely Night," a filler track if there ever was one, would follow suit, this time ghosting the Hot 100 completely.

GOOD ALBUM'The Original High' could be presented as a case study in how the right record label can make a world of difference. Unshackled from the notoriously suffocating RCA (they allegedly wanted the follow-up to 2012's 'Trespassing' to be an '80s covers album), Lambert is given the freedom necessary to explore the subtler nuances of both his voice and the pop genre. Predating Nick Jonas'"Close" by a year, "Rumors" is a gem of a duet with Tove Lo built upon a "Lollipop"-esque synth pattern that almost chomps at the bit for radio play, while on songs like the title track, Lambert goes it alone and shimmers.

HIGHLIGHTS"The Original High,""Underground,""Rumors" (feat. Tove Lo), "Shame"

Text:

bluecid, Billboard's archives
Video:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Anna May and Carmen are known today as talented women who were firsts in international recognition, and also known as women who struggled greatly to fight against stereotypes that limited their careers.

Anna May Wong

“I was so young when I began that I knew I still had youth if I failed, so I determined to give myself 10 years to succeed as an actress.”

Anna May grew up in a poor area of Chinatown in Los Angeles, California. Obsessed with films, she hung around sets and begged for parts. She eventually got one and started down the path of her career. Unfortunately, Anna May was given roles of either the scheming dragon lady, slave girl, or submissive delicate flower. Her time in the industry was one long fight to be taken more seriously and not be typecast. However, she made great strides being considered the first Chinese American movie star and First Asian American actress to be recognized internationally.

1) Was nicknamed “Curious Chinese Child” by filmmakers because she was seen around sets so often
2) Her first leading role was in "The Toll of the Sea," the first technicolor film shot in Hollywood
3) Interracial romance on screen was so controversial that Anna May was never allowed to kiss white male costars
4) Even if the films she starred in tanked, she was critically praised for her acting skills
5) She became a huge star in Europe after leaving America for better roles. Funny enough, after her success overseas, an American studio selected her as a talented European actress to go BACK to America to work
6) Critics today conclude that Anna May outshined Marlene Dietrich in "Shanghai Express"
7) Once Anna May grew more confident in her skills developed in Europe, she refused to take stereotyped roles
8) MGM chose white actress Luise Rainer instead of Anna May, to play the role of a Chinese character
9) Anna started working in B-movies where she had more freedom to play a wider range of characters
10) When she went to visit China for the first time, she was disheartened when grilled by reporters on why she took such harmful roles.

Carmen Miranda

“Look at me and tell me if I don’t have Brazil in every curve of my body.”

Carmen was born in Portugal and her family immigrated to Brazil when she was less than a year old. She performed as often as she could and became a sensation in America, performing on Broadway, film, and radio. Known for her fruit hat and "exotic" accent, she helped create awareness of Latin American culture. But the image Carmen crafted for her career prevented her from branching out. Because like Anna May Wong, she soon found that she was only seen as a stereotype.

1) Nicknamed the "Brazilian Bombshell"
2) She opened her own boutique and created hats
3) In 1933, she became Brazil's first radio contract singer
4) She was one of the first Latinas to have footprints outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater
5) First Brazilian performer to gain international success
6) Despite her success overseas, the media in Brazil felt Carmen perpetuated a harmful stereotype of Brazil and its people
7) At a charity concert for Brazil's First lady, Carmen was met with a cold response and booed until she left the stage in tears
8) Upper class white Brazilians criticized that Carmen's image was representative of lower class Afro-Brazilians and acted "too black"
9) After Hollywood grew tired of her, Carmen found success in nightclubs
10) Her death was mourned greatly in Brazil and a museum was constructed in her honor.

Future entertainers are able to continue to fight against stereotypical roles by using the lessons learned from Anna May and Carmen's careers.

SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE

Sometimes a beautiful rendition of a pop favorite is what I need to get through my day. For anyone who is actually on ONTD today, here are some of my personal favorite string and/or piano covers by 11 different artists.

ARTIST: Vitamin String Quartet
SONG:All Tomorrow's Parties
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: The Velvet Underground & Nico

ARTIST: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
SONG: Sounds of Silence
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: Simon & Garfunkel

ARTIST: St. Martin's Orchestra of Los Angeles
SONG:Meet Me Halfway
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: The Black Eyed Peas

ARTIST: Antonin Charvat
SONG:Summer Bummer
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: Lana del Rey
OP Note: Also check out his cinematic version of "Freak." I had to limit myself to only one of his covers and Summer Bummer is my current LDR fav...

ARTIST: Dallas String Quartet
SONG:Secrets
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: OneRepublic

ARTIST: David Garrett
SONG:Cry Me a River
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: Justin Timberlake

ARTIST: ELEW
SONG:Mr. Brightside
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: The Killers
OP NOTE:Dedicated to stewie_e!

ARTIST: Jun Sung Ahn
SONG:I'm Not the Only One
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: Sam Smith

ARTIST: Tina Guo
SONG:Blank Space
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: Taylor Swift
OP NOTE: I like this more than the original, which is still good, TBH!

ARTIST: Daniel Jang
SONG:Touch the Sky
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: Hillsong
OP NOTE: I never knew this was Hillsong until I looked it up for this post lol. Oh well, still a good cover.

ARTIST: Christopher O'Riley
SONG:Let Down
ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY: Radiohead
OP NOTE: My personal favorite cover of all time! Incredibly moving piano...This whole album of Radiohead covers is phenomenal.
</a>

SOURCES:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Header photo made by me, using icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com, licensed by CC 3.0 BY.

What are some of your favorite covers, ONTD?

If you were alive in 2017, you might have heard the name "Despacito," the Latino hit single by Luis Fonsi (with his middle-age crisis, post Maluma-make over looks) and iconic reggaeton artist Ramón Ayala.

And while Despacito's success has perhaps been the biggest surprise of the year, the truth is the Latino music is going through one of its most popular eras since the mid-00s. Spanish-language songs are 1/3 of the most streamed songs on Youtube and their videos have incredible longevity.

I collected data from both Youtube and Spotify to make this list. It ranks the 10 most viewed Spanish-language videos released in 2017 according to views and stream numbers, and it also notes their release dates and provides a short description, for those non-Latinos who might not know who these people are.

To clarify, the first number in "YT ranking" corresponds to the ranking of the most viewed videos released in 2017. The number in parenthesis is the ranking of the most viewed videos in 2017, no matter if they were released in 2017 or another year.

Get ready for a sausage fest full of perreo!

J Balvin, Willy William - Mi Gente
YT ranking: 3 (5)
Song release date: June 29
Views:1,335,269,664 Current average/day: 6,390,318
Spotify: 485,080,617

The uglier but arguably more talented Colombian reggaetonero, J Balvin, has the biggest Spanish-speaking song of the year after Despacito. A remix of French artist Willy William’s song “Voodoo Song”. The colorful video features a variety of people from around the world, including Italian millionaire Gianluca Vacchi (I don’t know why he’s a “thing,” apparently because he’s old and fit?). The song also has his Bieber-type cash grab version: a Beyoncé remix that was originally released as a charity single for hurricane victims.

#2
Maluma - Felices los 4
YT ranking: 4 (6)
Song release date: April 21
Video release date: May 4
Views: 1,169,382,140 Current average/day: 2,217,979
Spotify: 375,676,237

Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy’s song about open relationships (for those who don’t know, the song’s title comes from a saying that roughly translates as “all 4 people are happy in a long-distance relationship”) followed his controversial song 4 Babys, and it proved that people are still thirsting for this Known Hot Douchebag no matter what.

#3
Chris Jeday ft. J. Balvin, Ozuna, Arcángel - Ahora Dice
YT ranking: 6 (11)
Views: 993,681,032 Current average/day: 939,903
Spotify: 241,318,859

I confess I had to Google Chris Jeday because I had no idea of who he was, but now I can tell you that Chris Jeday “is a Puerto Rican singer/songwriter who got his start producing for some notable names in reggaeton before branching out with his own music.” And what a way to branch out: recruiting some of the biggest artists and getting a huge hit.

#4
Nicky Jam - El Amante
YT ranking: 7 (13)
Song release date: Jan 15
Views: 961,714,730 Current average/day: 800,859
Spotify: 297,240,052

Veteran reggaetonero Nicky Nicky Nicky Jam came back to mainstream recognition in 2014 with his hit “Travesuras,” and ever since then he can’t stop won’t stop. In 2017, he rose like a phoenix when he released his first album in 10 years and scored yet another hit with El Amante, after two summers of music domination with El Perdón (ugh) and Hasta El Amanecer.

#5
Enrique Iglesias ft. Descemer Bueno, Zion & Lennox - SUBEME LA RADIO
YT ranking: 10 (18)
Song release date: Feb 24
Views: 845,894,803 Current average/day: 1,322,142
Spotify: 318,871,297

No, Enrique is not Latino, he’s Spaniard. In fact, he’s the only non-Latino in this list. Following his trend of all caps for his song titles, Súbeme La Radio was another huge international hit for this 42-year-old man who stays looking young and beautiful thanks to his Filipino genes.

#6
Wisin ft. Ozuna - Escápate Conmigo
YT ranking: 11 (19)
Song release date: March 30
Views: 844,287,892 Current average/day: 2,033,744
Spotify: 282,622,823

W The Survivor, better known for his cheesy-ass rhymes and for being half of the iconic duo Wisin y Yandel, stays on top of the popularity game with or without Yandel (check their reunion song “Como Antes,” released this September, whenever you feel nostalgic). And as featured artist we have El Negrito de Ojos Claros, aka Ozuna, who is one of the artists currently representing Latin trap. He features in the 50% of the songs where Bad Bunny doesn’t sing.

#7
J Balvin ft. Bad Bunny - Si Tu Novio Te Deja Sola
YT ranking: 13 (23)
Song release date: March 30
Views: 766,367,697 Current average/day: 675,624
Spotify: 485,080,617

J. Balvin figures in our list for the third time, this time with famous mumbler and mainstream face of Latin trap, Bad Bunny bababa. Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican artist who rose to fame between this year and last thanks to songs like “Ahora soy peor” and “Krippy Kush” and his multiple collaborations. You might hear him in 50% of the Top Latin Spofity playlists (those were Ozuna is not singing).

#8
Becky G ft. Bad Bunny - Mayores
YT ranking: 16 (30)
Song release date: July 14
Views: 695,072,349 Current average/day: 7,076,511
Spotify: 147,880,847

Women? In my Spanish music? It’s more common than you’d think! You might know Becky G as that girl in Power Rangers, or you might have her some English songs she’s apparently released, but this Mexican-American singer hit the popularity jackpot this year, when she sang about her love for “older men” and how she likes them “bigger, those that don’t fit in her mouth…” And by “those” she means big kisses, obviously (not a joke, it’s the actual lyrics). Don’t forget that Becky G is 20-years-old, so, this song is totally appropriate, of course.

#9
Natti Natasha ft. Ozuna - Criminal
YT ranking: 18 (32)
Song release date: Aug 18
Views: 679,242,102 Current average/day: 8,849,003
Spotify: 101,376,179

Second woman in the list! Dominican-singer Natti Natasha is better known for her feature in the moderate Don Omar hit Dutty Love/Perdido en tus ojos. Ozuna, El Negrito Ojos Claros, makes his second appearance in this list. As of today, when I’m writing this post, Criminal is the third most-watched video after Despacito and some Ed Sheeran bore.

#10
Daddy Yankee ft. Ozuna - La Rompe Corazones
YT ranking: 19 (33)
Song release date: Jan 5
Views: 657,625,657 Current average/day: 112,350
Spotify: 216,030,226

DY is here, and he’s been having a great couple of years, scoring hit after hit. The iconic Gasolina/Rompe/Pose/Llamada de emergencia/Limbo singer and 65% of the reason behind Despacito’s original success (Bieber who?) is the last person in our list and with only a lyric video. This song also marks the fourth time Ozuna figures here, which makes him the artist with most songs in this top.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Danny Ocean - Me Rehúso
YT ranking: (22)
Song release date: Sep 18
Views: 801,885,602 Current average/day: 2,459,772
Spotify: 463,178,754

Danny Ocean is this year’s dark horse. Me Rehúso isn’t in the main list because, unlike every other entry, it was actually published in 2016, but it gained notoriety this year. This catchy and fun song is about the singer’s refusal to say goodbye to his girlfriend when he has to leaven his and OP’s home country (Venezuela), but also his hope of getting reunited one day. Danny Ocean is the first independent artist to position himself in all the Spotify Latin music charts.

Shakira - Me Enamoré
YT ranking: 31 (58)
Song release date: April 7
Video release date: May 12
Views: 481,116,251 Current average/day: 1,402,020
Spotify: 156,158,278

...And we've come to an end. So far, we've seen what we already knew: Spanish-speaking music is very much male-dominated and the artists topping the charts are pretty much the same people who've been doing it for years, with some new faces thrown in the mix. Oh, and if you're a woman, good luck if you aren't Shakira. Let's see what happens next year!

Data Sources:
1 | 2 | 3
Videos:
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Text: me

What's your favorite Spanish-language song this year? Latino music post!

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