Monday, January 19, 2009

Being Pretty and Being Smart Is Not Enough

The Bachelor, Season 13, Episode 3

"Did you just look at my boobs?" Erica, bachelorette

This was a much more watchable episode. It seemed to be that there was a lot more action and a lot less filler. Admittedly, that could just be my latent penchant for drama, but here we go.

The episode begins with the women hanging out on the couch in their P.J.'s. Chris Hansen, our beloved host, comes in to explain what the week will hold for them. There will be 2 one-on-one dates (the women chosen for this sort of date will have to have their bags packed) and one group date. Megan is quick to point out that she wants a one-on-one date because "I didn't come all this way and leave my son to hang out with a bunch of girls."

Stephanie (the one with drawn-in eyebrows and a 4 year old daughter) is chosen for the first one-on-one date. They stroll along the beach and out of nowhere a child appears - lo and behold! It is Sophia, Stephanie's daughter. Stephanie was overcome because "Jason brought Sophia to [her]." Ummm....She does know that she's on the Bachelor, right? It probably wasn't even his idea. The rest of the date was a sugar coated love fest - first on the beach and then at Legoland (I'd imagine that ABC/Disney owns that place or at least is a major shareholder). During lunch, Stephanie, whom despite her lack of eyebrows has endeared herself to me thus far, says the following, "I want a man that I can take of and help make his life easier when he comes through the door." Arrgh. That hit me where it hurts. She redeemed herself somewhat when she said that's just how her parents were to each other. In a rather sweet moment, she kisses his arm as he lights the candles on Sophia's birthday cake. In the end, Jason gives Stephanie a Lego rose.



I can't help but feeling, however, that she will be one of the next to go. She seems way too into the idea of creating a new family to fill the hole left by her husband's untimely death. Their connection, at this point, seems mostly based upon their children and I have dated enough men to know that sweet does not equal keep. Am I right? If you like it, put a ring on it. Don't give it a lego rose.

So the next date is a group date. Jason lets us know that while yesterday was all about family, today is all about boobs...I mean sexy. The date includes Shannon, Naomi, Jillian, Kari, Nikki, Erica, Megan and Melissa. They go to an art studio of an organization called Keep Abreast. (They could not MADE up a more perfect charity for Jason!) They make busts of your torso and paint them and sell them to benefit breast cancer patients.

There are some suggestive shots of the women getting their busts made and Jason gets to lay one on Shannon who was over the moon about it.



As Jason struts around without his shirt on, the women design and paint their pieces.



My favorite moment of this date was when Megan contemplates what the loss of breasts mean. She asks if you can breast feed once you have a mastectomy and contemplates what that means for the human race. She wants to paint a fetus on the bust because the fetus feeds from the breast...uh...no they don't. She states that people, "don't understand half of her depth," (I beg to differ) and realizes that "we're screwed" if women can't breastfeed. Huh.

Later that night, the women and Jason...can you guess? Come on...three guesses...drink more alcohol! You got it in one! Good for you! He has several conversations that can be summed up as follows: Melissa had breast reduction surgery to which Jason responds "can you imagine what the bust would have looked like if you hadn't?" Megan to Jason that she lives her life to serve other people. "The past few weeks when I haven't had someone thank me, appreciate me or praise god that I'm in their life has been driving me crazy." She really understands the meaning of selfish good works. She really does. Then there was an awkward convo with Nikki when there was silence because she ran out of things to say. Jillian and Jason jumped up and down on a bed and then proceeded to have conversation that Jason says is "easy." Jillian ends up getting the rose (yeah! She's one of my favorites). Jason describes this group date as being filled with passion and fun. I think he forgot to say "and breasts" because I know he was thinking it.

The next one-on-one date is Natalie's. When Jason arrives, she keeps him waiting for a while as continues to get ready. This is a no-no, according to Melissa. When she comes downstairs, he surprises her with over a million dollars worth of jewels. He tells her later on that his favorite moment of the date was watching her face when she saw the diamonds. I think that should tell you something. Anyway, in the confessional, we get Shannon waxing psychological about how Jason wants a woman who is more grounded and secure...this is pretty amusing to me considering that she is somewhat like stalker lady and because of what happens during the rest of the show. I digress.

Jason and Natalie drink champagne in the limo to the jet to Las Vegas to the helicopter tour of Sin City. I can't help but be off put by her uber tan. She also cannot stop playing with her hair. Girlfriend, come on. In any event, I feel like it is obvious that she is not someone he is going to end up with, especially when he asks her, "I know you like fashion, shopping and shoes, but what else do you like?" Her response? "I love bears."



As they slurp down oysters on the half shell (again? Jason...is there something we should garner from this?), he says over and over how he is attracted to her, but hopes there is more. They go to Jet nightclub and have a private concert by Kate Vogel. (Who?) Natalie wants him to kiss her, but he doesn't. That's when he knew that he just didn't feel more (because let's be honest, he kisses everyone). He picks up the rose, but then tells her he can't give it to her. Bad form, Jason. Cut to the mansion. When the man comes to pick up Natalie's bags, the women go running and screaming. Ugh. Why all the running and the screaming?

Natalie is angry, though. She calls him out about picking up the rose and tells him that there are a lot of women in the house that are bad people. The jewels are taken away and she tells him she is done and gets in the limo. There, she asks, "who does he think he is? God?" Then a very obvious "Fuck you, asshole" is bleeped out. Good for you, Natalie. Good for you.

The women are not upset that Natalie does not come back. The majority of them feel that if he could choose her then, he's not for them. During the rose ceremony night, Jason is slightly obsessed with Natalie's departing comment about the bad people in the house. He asks Naomi about it and to her credit, she does not mention anyone and changes the subject. Then they make out. Nikki, who is afraid she is coming off as too high strung and wearing another boob-a-licious dress, decides she is going to show him her fun side. She then proceeds to tell him that she labels everything and the toothbrush needs to be next to the mouthwash, but it's not crazy. Nope. Not crazy at all. Of course, I'm no doctor, but I kind of feel that people who are crazy don't ever say that they are crazy. She goes to kiss his cheek and he grabs her face and kisses her fo rizzle. Guess he likes the crazy or label makers turn him on. One or the other.

When talking to Erica, Jason stares directly at her breasts only meaning, he claims later, to look at the "color of her dress." She asks him, "did you just look at my boobs?" He doesn't deny it, but only says, "at least we can laugh about it." He talks to Lauren and tells her that Natalie was mad, probing her for information. Lauren tattles on Erica and Megan and calls them drama queens. The editors want to make it look like Megan overheard everything, but she never directly confronts Lauren so I don't think she did.

Before the rose ceremony, Chris Hansen, generously and without any intent in making more drama, tells the women that he wants them to "clear the air." The women have a bit of a squabble and then Shannon walks away saying "I hate it here," We hear what sounds like regurgitation, a toilet flushes and we go to commercial. She rejoins us and the rose ceremony begins. He gives Shannon a rose, but waits until almost the last. I feel that knowing that the girl just puked from the stress of it all, and knowing you were giving her a rose anyway, why wouldn't you give it to her first to relieve her anxiety? Kari, whom we hardly got to know and Erica, whom I feel like I've known in a previous life and didn't like, do not get a rose and lose "their chance of love with Jason forever." He gives Megan a rose, which surprised me, but didn't surprise me because, after all, it is ABC's The Bachelor.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

First comes love...Then comes...

What comes in between love and marriage?

People keep asking me what is new in my wedding world. I don't have much to tell them. I haven't had anything to say since I bought my dress in early December. And even though it is lovely and perfect, I'm not one to go on and on about it. Did I mention that it is lovely and perfect?

It makes me feel a little guilty - like I should be doing something, like I should have something more to tell them. What should be new? I suppose that my musings on The Bachelor are not enough to warrant more than an uncomfortable smile from anyone I try to divert. The bridal checklists say things like "10 - 8 months before: browse this, shop around for that, keep a record of this..." "6 months before: make this, buy that, pay for this..."



These checklists are, in fact, helpful, but at the end of the day, I know that we need to a) find someone to take a few photos that look good and that don't cost us any first borns or the like b) buy some pretty paper letting everyone know where and when to be and c) find someway to get good, danceable music playing on October 3rd. Of course, there is still d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, x, y, z, aa, bb, cc...x^2, x^3-1, A=1/2bh, etc., but I have chosen to narrow our immediate wedding concerns down to a, b, and c so that I can be calm, cool and collected before we get to all the factorization and geometry.

Monday, January 12, 2009

I felt like I forced myself to watch this one....




The Bachelor, Season 13, Episode 2

"I've dated enough sauerkrauts." - Jillian, Bachelorette (No. It's not an ethnic slur about German people circa 1940).

ABC really needs to get their creative juices flowing. There is no need for that show to be two hours long. Honestly, it is veryobvious that they don't have enough material when they begin the episode with a 10 minute re-cap of last week's episode.

In any event, there were some good moments, but more importantly there were quite a few moments about which to make fun.

The host, Chris, introduces the women to the house that they will be living (and have doubtless seen on tv numerous times). He then goes through the rules with them - group dates, one on one dates, etc., but he adds a new twist. Not every woman will go on a date every week! Gasp! I know! The producers must have been thinking, "How can we make the atmosphere even more tense? How can we make the women act more stereotypically catty and awful towards each other?" Genius, Bachelor producers. Genius.

Later on, when the women all happen to be in their tiniest weeniest bikinis, Jason "surprises" the ladies. And the drinking begins. And continued. Then they did a weirdo slow-mo thing of Jason taking off his shirt. And then the drinking continued.

Jason describes both Jillian (one of my favorites) and Shannon (slightly stalkerish with a penchant for throwing ice cubes) as "fun." When Stefanie realizes that she is not getting any alone time, she takes the advice of Nikki (one of my other favorites) and brings Jason a drink poolside whilst he is talking to Natalie. She stands there awkwardly for a few minutes, unwilling to interrupt. She goes back to seat with the women, defeated. But in a nice, sisterly, moment, the women cheer her on and applaud her efforts. Later on, when Natalie is crying over not being given the rose during the "pool party," Raquel comforts her and tells her not to allow others to dictate her emotions. Wow. Some girl power on the Bachelor? Nah. Don't be silly.

As the women were sitting around awaiting the 411 on the upcoming dates, I noticed that one of them was slurping on some Ramen noodles. Really? Really, ABC? Really?

So Jason goes on a romantic date with Jillian to Disney Hall (It's good to be the king) and they are serenaded by Robin Thicke, whom I can only imagine is Alan Thicke's son. If you saw him. You'd understand. They kiss. Jason and Jillian. Not Jason and Robin Thicke. Sorry if that was unclear.



When Jillian is asked if they kissed, she says yes. This upsets Melissa.

The next day (at least in Bachelor land), Jason and Melissa eat oysters on the beach and take a ride in a blimp and see LA from the sky. They kiss.

The next night, 8 women get taken on a shopping spree date. Jason says, "go crazy." And some of the women are in awe of a man taking them shopping like that. Ummm....Do you think they know that he is not really paying? They then go on a "romantic" date to a boutique hotel. Where, lo and behold, they hang out and drink. Poolside. In skimpy bikinis. They put on a cute talent show and then it is followed by Molly wanting to show Jason, her "real talent." Her real talent? Kissing. So, of course, they kiss. Then Naomi takes a little one on one time with him, claiming to be his friend. They kiss.

After the 8 one 1 date, Raquel "sneaks" into the limo to talk to Jason. It's awkward and about 15 seconds and ends with Jason saying, "well, thanks for talking to me." They hug, but don't kiss.

During the evening of the rose ceremony, Lisa tells Jason that she has to go home because her grandmother has terminal cancer. The response to this by the other women? Such caring one-liners as "one less person that I have to worry about" and "as long as I get a rose, I don't care." Viva La Sisterhood!

Though, I don't like Meghan that much, I do agree that Molly should not have taken Jason away when she already had a rose. This event makes emotions fly high and Erica, clearly three sheets to the wind, and Meghan go at it.

Meanwhile, Jason states several times that many of the women have "amazing qualities," as the camera pans up Nikki's body, focusing on her breasts.

In the end, Raquel and some woman who is a teacher whose name I can't remember were not given roses. They have lost their chance at love, but at least they won't have to eat 99 cent Ramen noodles anymore.



I really enjoyed the scene of the women putting on a fashion show as the credits rolled. It was the best part and is evidence that women are not just the catty bitches that the producers and editors of this program would have us believe. They are many things. Why can't they put that IN the program instead of tormenting us with re-caps and slow moving rose ceremonies?

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Wedding Related TV Fun!



The Bachelor, Season 13, Episode 1

"My vision boards are real." - Renee, bachelorette

When I first heard that Jason Mesniak from last season's Bachelorette was the newest bachelor, I was a little surprised. They rarely bring back a bachelor (especially after America's love affair with bachelor Bob Guiney turned sour when he was the one holding the roses (or the power, as Chris so eloquently put it this evening). I do admit, however, that I was cheering for DeAnna to pick the single dad last go 'round. So I was definitely going to tune in.



When the sunset and soft music began rolling this evening, I knew that this would be the most romantic season ever! At least that is what the narrator said. It begins with a recap of what happened with DeAnna and how Jason's heart was broken. In the end, it was okay, though, because he was able to love again. And that's why he is going on this journey and taking his son to LA, "the perfect place to find the woman of [his] dreams." After we decide that we are on Jason's side and hate Dionna all over again, we have about 2 -3 minutes of the obligatory shirtless workout and getting dressed scenes. All the bachelorettes think he is the hottest father ever! Is there such a thing as a DILF???? In any event, Jason states ephatically that "I know I'll meet my future wife." Have you no knowledge of the turn out of all the other seasons of the Bachelor? Way to hold strong Trista and Ryan! Anyway, we finally get to "meet" the "girls." I immediately root for the 30 and older crowd, of which there are three (Jason is 32) and pick out some other favorites. Because I am obviously insecure in my "this is what a feminist looks like t-shirt" and lounge pants, I pick out their flaws - too young, no real eyebrows, crazy bug eyes, the creation of vision boards....





When they get Jason to the mansion, the scene of many of his not so distant once in a lifetime memories, Chris reminds him sweetly that he's not so lucky at love. "Thanks, Chris," Jason says in a somewhat awkward moment. Many commercials later (or at least it seemed like it), the women come screaming (literally) in their limos to the mansion. During the arrival of the 25 "beautiful women," ranging in age from 23 - 36 years, as well as in the degree of spray-on tans, we learn that all the women are "there for him," that Jason is not immune to very low cut dresses and that potatoes come from Idaho. Then bring on the party and the drinking! They even did shots! That was a first as far as I can remember. I mean, we know that the producers are constantly supplying them with alcohol to get better tv, but shots? Is this Rock of Love? I am always amazed at the gumption of the women to go and steal some "one on one time" with the bachelor. If that wasn't enough, ABC decided to spice things up a little bit this time by having the women choose one among them whom they would like to get rid of. Of course, there was the pretense of voting off the woman who was "not right for Jason" or "not there for the right reasons," but let's be honest, they were going to kick off the one they didn't like or saw as their greatest threat. But before I reveal the results of that lovely endeavour by ABC to feed into the catty, let's talk about the first impression rose. It was given to the woman whom Jason drooled over as she walked out of the limo - Nikki, the administrative assistant and former beauty queen. Way to set the feminist movement back forty years there, Jason. Shortly there after, Chris announces the three women who received the most votes from the other women - Jackie, Melissa and Meghan. Only....the jokes on them! Meghan, with the most votes, gets a rose tonight! She turns around and calls them all assholes. Where is Brett Michaels????



"Who will get a rose and who will lose their chance at love FOREVER?" The narrator asks us right before a commercial break. Jason knows that he is "looking for a kind heart" and big boobs. And that all "the qualities [I'm] atrracted to are all in that room," especially the boobs. Jason conducts his first rose ceremony with, of course, Chris reminding him when the final rose is about to be given out. I agreed with some of his choices and not with some others. All in all, though, it was a pretty boring episode that could have been condensed into one hour. Of course, the narrator did say it was going to be the most dramatic season ever. He's never been wrong before.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Dresses!

Why is it acceptable, nay expected, for women to spend thousands of dollars on a dress they will wear just once? I know the trite answers, such as "it is a once in a lifetime event," "when else can you do it?" and "it's the most important day of your life." Yet, I have never been able to wrap my mind around the concept.

I definitely want a fabulous dress that makes me feel beautiful, but I refuse to go into debt (ok, go into further debt) for it. So when it came time for me to begin the dress shopping process, I scoured the internet for lower cost options, bound and determined to find a dress for about $500 dollars. Insert shocked and horrified gasp from wedding gown community here.




Loads of women roll the dice and order their dresses on-line either from a designer half-way across the country, at vintage boutique shops (FYI - 2000's size 6 is a 1950's size 10), etc. In fact, J. Crew Bridal doesn't even have a place for you to try on dresses, you just have to hope it fits. Buying the dress on-line sight unseen seemed foolish at best.

So I made some appointments at bridal boutique/factories to see what I could find, fully prepared to have to hold my ground on my "non-negotiables": color, price, simplicity, no bling and no poof!
http://uglydress.com

The following is a re-cap of my wedding dress adventures.

First stop: Kleinfeld's Sample Sale. Oh, before I forget, I did apply to TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress." I guess I was not what they were looking for. ;) Anyway, I had been to Kleinfeld's before. Heck, I'd been to a sample sale there with a bride who bought her dress there. I thought that it was a good way to start and it has got to be reasonably priced. Right? I arrived there at 10AM with my mother, and two of my best friends, Janette and Tami. The room was crowded with soon to be brides and their friends and family. I'll admit that I was excited and maybe even a bit nervous. Upon signing in, I was forced to give up the last remnants of my Au Bon Pain coffee (NO FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED!). We waited for a few minutes amidst the buzzy room until Jennifer came to greet us. She brought us into her room and asked me about what I wanted. I explained and showed her two pictures.




Then she asked about how much I wanted to spend. I said around $1,000 (which was already higher than I intended to go) and she very gently explained that their most inexpensive dresses ran about that much money. We went out into the forest of white garments and rummaged through the "cheapies" and found a few numbers. I undressed, embarrassed by lack of foresight in having to get almost naked in front of strangers and friends, and put on the gowns. In true Barbara Walters style, Janette continuously asked me if I was going to cry. I didn't. There was a lot of poof, there was a lot of strapless and there was a lot of weird rhinestones. To Jennifer's credit, she told me that she did not want me to settle and that I should be happy. The last dress I tried on, hit closest to what I wanted, but was a lofty $1,500. I left with a Kleinfeld's card.

Second "on the fly" stop: Selia Yang. This is why women spend thousands of dollars on dresses. Tami called a boutique in the East Village and they were nice enough to squeeze us in. These dresses were flattering, well made and felt....good. They also came with a hefty $4,000 - %5,000 price range. Sigh. Lovely, though.

Two weeks later...

Third Stop: RK Bridal. Samia and Eugenia came with me to this mad house. You don't make appointments here. You come in and you sign up and then it is like the running of the bulls. Find a dress! The three of us searched through the many and seemingly endless racks looking for the features I wanted at the price I wanted. We found quite a few and were then told that I could only try on five of them. So then we sifted and we waited, sitting on the floor, guarding our treasured 5 dresses and getting rudely treated by snarky RK bridal workers. Finally, my name was called. Olga was my attendant. I tried on the 5 dresses that we picked out and the best I can say, is, "eh." She then ran out of the dressing room and came back with 2 more dresses. Two WONDERFUL dresses. They both looked fabulous on me and were both roughly $600! Nevertheless, I did not want to purchase them then and there, knowing I had a lot more appointments in my future, but I did promise Olga I would come back so she could get my commission. Needless to say, I stare at the images of theses dressed on-line upon occasion.

Thanksgiving weekend...

Fourth Stop: David's Bridal. My mother and Adrienne were my companions during this venture. Nicole, my attendant, was fantastic and I tried on a lot of dresses. Most of which, were NOT me. For the most part, I felt that the dresses were cheesy and looked and felt cheap. I mentioned to Nicole that I did not like the feel of one of the dresses. She said, it is called "soft satin." I said, "that's what it is called, but what is it really?" She responded, "polyester."



See. Even she isn't happy about it.





In any event, it was somewhat fun putting on the crinoline and trying on the big ole dresses, but in the long run, it's not me (at least not anymore....sixteen year old me would have just died).













Fifth Stop: The Bridal Center. It was just mom and I this time. This crazy place is a one stop shop. You can get your dress, your ring, your DJ, your photographer, your invitations, your limousine, your wedding doves and your first child's best friend here. Anyway, back to dresses. There were two that were nice, but ultimately more money than RK Bridal.

Sixth Stop: Paradise Bridal. Again, just the Podgarsky ladies. Since we had no idea where we were going and it was rainy and cold, we were 15 minutes late. They were understanding and nice and took us right away. My attendant, Cherise, was just lovely. I told her what I wanted and she did her darnedest to find me something. She even put a comb ($195!) in my hair when I said that I was not wearing a veil. There were fabulous dresses here and I fell in love with the last one. It reminded me of a 1940's Hollywood dress, soft, ivory, cowl neck, with just a bit of beading strategically placed around the hips and stomach. Tragically, it was more than I can justify spending a one time only frock.

In the end, I discovered what looks good on me and what doesn't. What we start out believing we want, may not be the best fit. I also discovered that I have will power. There were very expensive dresses that I looked freakin' awesome in, but I did not succumb to the temptation. Finally, I realized playing dress up is still a lot of fun.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Five Things Arthur is Responsible For the Wedding (or, Five Ways Arthur is Going to Screw Up the Wedding)

This is my latest top five list and yes, it is once again wedding related. As the "man," I am responsible for a certain amount of the wedding. Usually the stuff that isn't flower related. I've decided to generate these things into a top five list and also add on where my final decision for each is headed. So, please enjoy, and don't tell Andrea:

5. I'm responsible for the Groomsmen gift: Which I've decided upon to be a handful of those paper balls that snap when you throw them to the ground (in some parts of the world, they are called Snaps). And I figure that I should give them out before my wedding ceremony...oh, and my groomsmen will all be thirteen years old.

4. I'm responsible for my ring: Andrea already has plans for her wedding band, so I'm going to have to come up with my own idea. I could use the engagement ring that we already or I could go with the better choice: Ring Pops. I'm going cherry, don't like grape.

3. I'm responsible for the rehearsal dinner: Which, as of now, consists of a bag of weed and a table filled with an assortment of Cheetos.

2. I'm responsible for the entertainment: I've decided against the DJ or the live band. Instead, we are just going to show a continuous video loop of my favorite Police Academy scenes.

1. I'm responsible for writing my wedding vows: As of now, all I've got is the Ezekiel 25:17 speech that Samuel L. Jackson gives in Pulp Fiction.

So, there you go. If this sounds like a potentially good time for you, then drop us a line and we'll put you in the "Win an Invite to Arthur and Andrea's Wedding" sweepstakes. (Offer void in Hawaii and parts of Utah). Please only send one entry per person.

Monday, November 3, 2008

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For

Much emptier on Halloween Night!

It's official! As I walked off of the plane at LaGuardia from Chicago Midway Friday night, I thought to myself, maybe Arthur will be here. I quickly smacked myself in the head. "Andrea!" I yelled internally because to do so outloud might garner at minimum annoyed stares from weary travelers, "you have got to stop doing this to yourself. Arthur wants it to be a surprise and if you keep thinking he is going to pop out of every corner, piece of cake and coffee cart, you are going to go nuts!" It was at that moment that I decided to stop the madness. Newly determined, I happily walked through the airport, thinking about how empty it was, when I rounded into baggage claim. And standing behind a column was Arthur! I immediately hugged him, proclaiming my surprise. He then got down on his knee and said, "I did not want you to step on New York soil without your ring." He put it on me. I hugged him again and we exchanged "I love you's." I then put the matching ring on his finger. There were only a few people around, a grumpy security guard giving us the stink eye and a youngish woman, whom I believe was made to feel incredibly uncomfortable sitting only a few feet down from us. After our intimate moment, she suddenly stood up, asking "what terminal is this?" and ran off. Then...the best part! I saw that my suitcase was already sitting there, someone having taken it off the carousel for me! I jest, of course. That wasn't the best part, but it was a pretty good sign, I think.


Not us after the officialness. It was a nineties party a few weeks ago.













*Reasonable facsimile of Andrea's red suitcase.
**No suitcases were harmed during the writing of this blog
.