Saturday, May 30, 2009

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished - Disney Edition


Tiana, the newest Disney Princess, is running into some stormy weather, well before her launch in a new animated feature film:

“THE Princess and the Frog” does not open nationwide until December, but the buzz is already breathless: For the first time in Walt Disney animation history, the fairest of them all is black.

"Princess Tiana, a hand-drawn throwback to classic Disney characters like Cinderella and Snow White, has a dazzling green gown, a classy upsweep hairdo and a diamond tiara. Like her predecessors, she is a strong-willed songbird (courtesy of the Tony-winning actress Anika Noni Rose) who finds her muscle-bound boyfriend against all odds.

“Finally, here is something that all little girls, especially young black girls, can embrace,” Cori Murray, an entertainment director at Essence magazine, recently told CNN.

"To the dismay of Disney executives — along with the African-American bloggers and others who side with the company — the film is also attracting chatter of an uglier nature. Is “The Princess and the Frog,” set in New Orleans in the 1920s, about to vaporize stereotypes or promote them?"

Read the rest of the New York Times article.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

New Yorker Cover Art, Painted With An iPhone


Stephanie Clifford in yesterday's New York Times:

"Some people send text with their iPhones, and some play games. The artist Jorge Colombo created this week’s cover for The New Yorker with his.

"Mr. Colombo drew the June 1 cover scene, of a late-night gathering around a 42nd Street hot dog stand, entirely with the iPhone application Brushes."

Monday, May 25, 2009

True Blood

We are now officially addicted to True Blood, and looking forward to the new season.

Memorial Day 2009


Thursday, May 14, 2009

Forever Young

It seems like such a waste that Pepsi spends a gazillion dollars to produce and air this great commercial for the Super Bowl, and never shows it again.

I just love watching it.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Progressive Girl

As you know if you spend any time at all on this blog, I watch a lot of sports on television, and thus sacrifice myself to endless repetitions of beer and truck commercials.

Almost all of these commercials are stupid the first time, and become painful over the course of the game -- and unbearable over the course of the season.

So I have been astonished that I still enjoy Progressive Girl, who has been popping up as frequently as a Budweiser commercial during an NFL game, now that Massachusetts has deregulated the automobile insurance industry.



And I'm always happy to see her - even if I've seen that particular commercial a gazillion times.

She has such kooky charm, with just a little edge to it, that she manages to stay fresh.

I'm even starting to say her lines along with her.

And apparently, I am not alone.

There are in fact several online groups and sites, and even a Facebook page, that explore Progressive Girl's charm and magnetism.

The actress who portrays her is Stephanie Courtney, who also has a recurring role as the ditzy switchboard operator in "Mad Men."

And as a passionate fan of "Mad Men" I'm going to be interested to see how Stephanie has chosen to tilt her character in Season Three.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Boston Fans Develop Early

A young Bruins fan celebrates his team's victory tonight at The Boston Garden:

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Patriots Minicamp

Julian Edelman and Patrick Chung - two Patriots rookies to watch as we look forward to the new NFL season.

Am I hardcore NFL, or what?