Let's Not Get Stabby

There’s something you should know about me.

I’m a HUGE Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan. HUGE.

When the show was on the air, in the ages before Tivo and Dvrs, anyone who knew me, knew you didn’t call my house on Tuesday nights between 8 and 9 pm. Because that was Buffy time. And you didn’t interrupt my Buffy time.

I have watched every single episode of the show, and even stuck with the spinoff Angel to its bitter (and I do mean bitter) end.

I will be the first person to recognize a Buffy quote or a Buffy alum in another television show or movie (did you all catch Xander’s turn on Private Practice recently? WHOA, not such a cuddle-monkey in that!).

I still hold, to this day, the opinion that BTVS was one of the most witty, well written, campy television shows of all time.

And also, all this new Vampire craze? Has made me more than once wish Buffy would come out of retirement with her Mr. Pointy already.

But, we should be careful what we wish for. Because the latest news to hit the interwebs on the vampire front is that Warner Bros. are in fact going to produce a Buffy movie reboot. And really, with the surge of vampire popularity, this was to be expected, no?

However, this movie reboot does not include series creator Joss Whedon (WHAT? Sacrilige!) or any of the shows actors, writers, producers, costume designers…okay, maybe I’m getting carried away.

The point is, this “reboot” won’t have any of the original Buffyverse inhabitants in it.

And a Buffyverse without Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy? Is simply not a Buffyverse at all.

Before anyone goes all “Well SMG wasn’t the original Buffy anyway”, yes, I realize Kristy Swanson originated the role in the movie with (gasp) Luke Perry by her side…

but, SMG carried (beautifully) the stake for 8 great seasons and I’m just not sure I can see anyone else in that role.

And who could ever replace Nicholas Brendon as the loveable and bumbly Xander? Or Allison Hannigan as geeky yet powerful witchy Willow? Rupert Giles? Angel? Cordelia? And PLEASE tell me they’re not going to try and replace James Marster’s Spike, because that CANNOT be done.

And yet…and yet…as much as I believe it is just WRONG to take the Buffy out of the Buffyverse…I can’t help but wish for a well done, well casted, well written movie. Because as a true Buffy fan, a poorly written, poorly acted movie would be a stain on an empire that deserves better.

SO I find myself torn, wanting to banish this so called movie from it’s existence before it even gets made, or wanting to cheer on those involved to make it the best Buffy movie ever…because NOBODY wants a “Grease 2” on their hands here…

Why I Cried When Corey Haim Died

In case you missed it, Corey Haim died on March 10 this year. I never had a chance to write this post then because I was having computer issues, and also, March 10^th also happens to be my birthday, I was a bit busy.

But, the other day I was having a Twitter conversation with a friend about Mr. Haim, and I realized I had a post to write.

See, I loved Corey Haim. He may, quite possibly have been my first celebrity crush. Yes, even before Donnie Wahlberg.

Those who’ve been reading my blog for a while, may remember a few posts on him. In fact, besides Donnie himself, Corey Haim has the honor of being the only other celebrity I’ve written multiple blog posts about (all the way back in 2005 and 2007 respectively).

If you’re curious, you can read those here, and here.

A quick perusal through those posts should tell you what an impact Corey Haim had on my adolescence.

Not only was he my first celebrity crush (oh how I remember swooning as he sang in the bathtub in the Lost Boys)

But he was also my first brush with drug addiction.

I remember being crushed and horrified when I learned of his drug problem. I remember, in my sheltered innocence, writing him a fan letter pleading with him to get help, and then, taking down all of his posters from my wall. Exchanging them for posters of other, more clean cut actors. And yes, eventually for Donnie Wahlberg and the rest of the New Kids On The Block.

For me, drug addiction was beyond my comprehension, and I couldn’t support someone who had succumbed to its allure. My heart broke for Corey, but I could no longer be a fan.

Years passed, and word of his struggles would surface now and again, and each and every time, my heart would break.

Later, as an adult, I would find this photo of him

And again, my heart would break. Where was that adorable little boy with the lisp and the crooked smile?

Then, more recently, word came of a reality show, The Two Coreys. Haim and Feldman would reunite, now that Haim had cleaned up his act, and regale their old fans with their new adventures. With this picture, hope was restored.

He was back. This time, he would make it.

And yes, I watched the show, faithfully. And it was apparent very quickly that Corey was not over his demons. As the show exploited his problems, as Feldman tried to get his friend to seek help, and his denial grew stronger…again my heart broke.

On March 10^th of this year I woke up in great spirits. It was my birthday. My 35^th birthday. I’m not one of those women who hides (or hides from) her age. I treasure each birthday as what it is, the gift of another year of life.

Checking my facebook that morning a friend posted these words: RIP Corey Haim.

My heart broke for the final time for the “Lost Boy” who never found his way.

A small piece of my childhood died on my birthday this year. I’m sorry you couldn’t find your peace on earth Corey, I truly pray you are finally at peace.

Why in the World Am I defending John Mayer?

Parental Discretion Advised, there is some (not a lot, I promise) strong language in this post.

So, I'm a bit of a celebrity nut. It's not a big secret, I'll admit it openly that I am certainly fascinated by celebrity and pop culture. It is a world I would NOT EVER want to be a part of, but thoroughly enjoy reading and hearing about.

In short, it entertains me, and I'm all about being entertained.

That being said, because I love to learn about the personalities behind the actors, musician and others in the industry, there have certainly been times when a celebrity's behavior has completely turned me off their work (ahem, Kanye West anyone?)

There have also been times, especially now in the age of Twitter, when the personality of someone has actually turned me onto their work.

One such celebrity is John Mayer.

I've always liked every John Mayer song I've heard on the radio, but I had bought into the media casting him as "a cad and a douchebag" (the media's words, not mine).

So, I'd always been a little bit turned off his music.

And then, I saw one of his tweets retweeted by someone else, and it absolutely cracked me up so I started following him. What I learned then is that he is witty, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and not at all the way the media portrays him.

The thing is, he very much has a sense of humor that reminds me of my ex, Cognac (click here if you're curious about that particular bit of my history, but not until you finish this post, ok?)

See, Cognac had a lethally sarcastic sense of humor. He had a way of saying things that were biting, and hilarious, but went over most people's heads. If taken at face value, out of context, or at all seriously, he came across as a bit of an a$$hole. I have vivid memories of smacking him in the arm and saying "shut up, they'll take you seriously" oh, so many times.

John Mayer strikes me that way.

So, today, when the world was all a-twitter about his supposedly racist remarks, and his incendiary comments about Jessica Simpson, I was intrigued, and a little amused. I tweeted something to the effect of: " I believe John Mayer is laughing it up that everyone is taking him so seriously".

But like everyone else, I hadn't yet read the full Playboy interview which sparked all the controversy, so I was reserving full judgment until I did.

Well, I just did. And if you have not, I hope you will. Here's a link, but keep in mind, this is an interview for Playboy magazine, so the language, and subject matter is not rated G: John Mayer Interview.

Here's what I have to say: First of all, people really LOVE to get all worked up about every little thing, don't they?

Secondly, yes, John Mayer made a huge mistake using the N word in that interview. By no means do I believe him to be racist or that his remarks were racist, but that word? I don't believe it should ever be uttered. By anyone. At any time. White or black.

John addressed his decision to use that word in his twitter stream today: Re: using the 'N word' in an interview: I am sorry that I used the word. And it's such a shame that I did because the point I was trying to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it,because I realize that there's no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged.

Regarding his comments about dating black women and his racist genitals...that was just an idiotic comment but again, not racist...if you really dissect it and look at it, the complete opposite of that.

And then there are the comments he made about Jessica Simpson. He said she was "crack cocaine" to him, and that she was sexual napalm. Okay, so perhaps (not perhaps, definitely) it was inappropriate for him to talk about their private sexual life in an interview (even if it was a playboy interview), but you know what? I don't know that I'd be offended if someone said I was sexual napalm, and as addictive as crack cocaine...offended that he was publicly laying out there, yes, but...come on, he just said the intellectual equivalent of "that girl is the bomb".

Read the rest of the interview, which is LENGTHY and you'll see he addresses his insecurities, his "douchebaggery", his immaturity, his love for Jen Aniston, and so many other things.

Taken out of context, yes, those comments can be seen as ignorant, rude, inappropriate, and all kinds of incendiary. But in the content of the full article, he made some dumb statements, he spoke out of turn about some of his sexual conquests, but man, did the media pick apart an interview and ignore 90% of it to focus on just a few words.

It's been said that John Mayer is the most hated celebrity in Hollywood. I'm not sure how true that is, but he is certainly the one everyone loves to hate.

I'm not entirely sure why this particular issue spoke to me so much, and why I felt I had to defend John Mayer. He certainly doesn't need my stepping up to protect him. I'm a fan of his music, I think he's super talented, but he's not even one of my celebrity crushes. I am not one of those girls who goes gaga over celebrities (Donnie Wahlberg excluded, of course).

But I am also not a fan of witch hunts. And I hate ignorance. And I despise when folks all jump on the lets hate someone bandwagon without knowing all the facts.

I don't know John Mayer personally. I have no idea if deep down he is a good guy, or a complete a$$hole.

But I read the interview. And I don't think he deserved the beat down he got for it.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and am certainly willing to consider your viewpoint.

When I was Ten

I was nowhere near this eloquent. Were you?


Yeah, I didn't think so.

He was on Ellen today, here's part of that interview:




Amazing, isn't he?

Back to our regularly scheduled programming

Okay, so yesterday was shaded in secrecy and teasers, and for that I apologize. But I warn you there may be more of that in the future, so you'll just have to bear with me. At least now you know I'll come through with the reveal in one way or another.


So, moving on. What to talk about today? I did away with Wordless Wednesday because I wanted this blog to be a bit less regimented, so I could write some more. But that means now I actually have to come up with something to write about. What a predicament I find myself in...

Lucky for you, I have all sorts of random things I've been musing on recently, let's discuss:

1. What an incredible time in history we are living in. Being that I live right next door to New Hampshire, it was practically impossible to avoid all the hoopla surrounding yesterday's presidential primary election. And I've just been fascinated with the choices presented to us this time around. Regardless of where your politics lean, you have to admit that it is quite a point in history that we have not only the first woman seriously garnering support as a presidential candidate, but also the first multi-racial (I refuse to call him black, we'll come back to that in a minute) candidate as well. Listening to both of them speak is pretty inspirational. Yes, they are politicians, and yes, half of what comes out of their mouths is likely B.S. (as it is with any other politician), but it's the other half, and the fact that they are even making these speeches, that inspires me. That American dream is quite possibly attainable for them, and not such a pipe dream. It took long enough, but it's a positive step for our so called equality.

2. I will very shortly delve into why I refuse to call Obama black. It's quite simple really. In my family there are several inter-racial couples and/or multi-racial children. Looking at, for example, my cousin's two sons, I would hate to see them grow up and identify themselves as "black" alone. How hurtful would that be to their mother, who is raising them, that they would exclude her heritage all together? Barack's mother is white, and as his father wasn't even involved in his life as he was growing up, let's give the lady her due, shall we? Now, from what I've seen, I'm pretty sure Barack himself uses multi-racial when referring to himself, but it's the media harping on the "first black president" frenzy that drives me crazy. Yes, it is of historical significance that he could be the first man of color to hold that position, and as I said above, that inspires me as an American...let's just get what "color" we're talking about right here, that's all I'm saying. Or better yet, let's focus on the issues instead.

3. Okay, on to less serious things. I've been watching "The View". Well, I've been Tivoing "The View" and watching bits and pieces of it with my finger hovering over the fast forward button. I had watched a few episodes a while back, but because Elizabeth Hasselback annoys the crap out of me, it wasn't a regular occurance that I'd watch. Then they brought on Rosie, and my disdain for that woman knows no bounds, so I REALLY couldn't watch the show. Then Rosie left, and Elizabeth went on maternity leave. Fabulous. So, I began to follow the show again. I love Whoopi, and although she doesn't seem to say all that much on the show, I'm good with her being there, and I was enjoying the revolving door of "guest" cohosts as well. But here's the thing. Sherry Sheppard? I honestly didn't think anyone on that show could possibly annoy me more than Hasselback. But I was OH SO WRONG. That woman is dumb as an ox. The words that come out of her mouth? Does she even stop to think before she speaks? Elizabeth may annoy me to all ends, but at least she seems to have somewhat of a grasp about the issues she feels so strongly about. I may not agree with her, and I may find her whiny, but I can see for the most part that she has at least educated herself on those beliefs. Sheppard? Clueless. I mean, the woman was asked if the earth was flat, and she said...well...I'll let you see for yourself:



Right.

4. The writer's strike has now caused the Golden Globes to be cancelled. But they'll still be holding a press conference to announce the winners. Be honest folks, does anybody care about any of that? Don't we all just watch to see what everyone will be wearing? No red carpet? Nobody cares. I want the Best and Worst Dressed lists and pictures, that's the votes I'm interested in.

I think I'll leave on that note. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Danica McKellar is 32

Just in case you hadn’t figured it out yet, let me go right ahead and confess that yes, I, Candid Karina, am a sucker for the celebrity world. It’s true; the antics of the rich and famous absolutely fascinate me. I’ve always been a bit of a pop culture junkie, and although as I’ve gotten older I’ve gone from “fan” to more of “observer”, I still do love a good celeb. story.

I’m a recovering Celebrity Gossip Blogaholic, having just recently overcome my ridiculous addiction to several of these blogs. I do periodically still visit, but now it’s more of a “social drinking” type of situation.

But as a self-admitted pop culture junkie, there are events in the celeb. world that have a personal significance to me. Whether it be Corey Haim being clean and sober and having a new reality show, reminding me of a time in my teens when I was naive enough to believe drugs were something only rock stars did, or Debbie Gibson changing her name to Deborah Gibson, making me realize that even pop stars have to grow up sometime, I have emotional connections to certain icons of my youth. When someone I grew up idolizing, or despising as the case may be, re-appears on the Hollywood scene in some reincarnated form, it gives me pause. The memories of my years when they were at their peak come flooding back, and I’m forced to come face to face with my own transformation into the adult that I am today.

As you continue to read my blog (which I hope you will do, hint hint, nudge nudge), you’ll see that quite often pop culture references creep into my posts as certain events help to define where I was at any particular point in my life. I think these reference points are quite common in our culture (after all everyone knows where they were when they heard that River Phoenix had died, right? uh, no?), but maybe they’re a bit clearer in my mind.

It is always sad when I hear of a particular celebrity I was fond of falling into the tragic world of drugs, despair and too young death. On the flip side, it is always nice to hear a story of someone who has taken their celebrity, and transformed it into something completely different from what it started out as. Wil Wheaton, to me, is one such story. He is now a working writer and family man, and quite the pioneer in the form of celebrity blogging (quite different from celebrity gossip blogs, to be clear). Danica McKellar, better known as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, is another. I found this article the other day, about a book she’s written for young girls about math, "Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail". Danica left Hollywood for several years to attend college, and became quite the mathematician, even co-authoring a scientific paper that proves some mathematical theorem that is so beyond my realm of comprehension, I won’t even try to wrap my brain around it. But I think that’s just kind of cool.

What I don’t think is cool, however, is that Danica McKellar is 32 years old. Winnie Cooper is 32? This is the point where pop culture crosses over into my world and smacks me right in the face. 32. Winnie Cooper and I are the same age. And that age is no longer the cute “But do you like me, or do you like me like me” age. That age is 32, Danica McKellar: mathematician; Candid Karina: paralegal and wannabe writer…32. Whatever happened to our Wonder Years?

2005- In a Nutshell

<-----Get it? Yeah, I know I know...Whatever.

I wanted to put together a list of the good, the bad and the ugly for 2005, but unfortunately, I have a terrible memory, and am a horrible record keeper, so I can’t remember anything I did before October. Did I go to the movies? Did I read any good books? What songs did I really like? I can’t remember mostly. Sad isn’t it? I must keep better records next year.

So, I’m going to attempt this, but it’s definitely not going to be an all inclusive list, these are just a few of my favorite (and not so favorite) things from 2005:

MOVIES – This list shall include not only movies, which were released this year, but also older movies, which I just finally watched:

Some of the good movies I saw this year:

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” – my favorite of the series so far
“RockStar” –Yes, I only just saw it this weekend, but I enjoyed it a lot
“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” – What the heck took me so long to see this movie? It was great.
“Garden State” – I loved this movie
“Mystic River” – Very sad, but a great movie
“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” – Total little girl chick flick…I loved it
“Gangs of New York” – Another sad, but really good movie
“The Notebook” –Sappy, sad, cried like a baby…my favorite kind of movie
“Pirates of the Caribbean” – Very cute, can’t wait for the sequel
“Shark’s Tale” – It was cute
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” – It wasn’t great, but it was good, and Johnny Depp did a great job.
“Paparazzi” – Kickass movie, I love it when the good guy is crazy
“Mona Lisa Smile” - really cute
“Day After Tomorrow” – Not the greatest movie, but it was fun to watch, I love “end of the world” flicks

Of these, I’d probably say it’s a tie between Harry Potter, Pirates and The Notebook for my favorites.

Worst – scratch that – STUPIDEST movies I saw this year:

“Spanglish” – Watched it on the flight from/to (can’t remember which) Vegas…didn’t get it
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” – I should now better, I hate Jim Carey…and HUH?
“Closer” – Double HUH? Oh Natalie Portman how can you go from Garden State to this piece of trash?
And the NUMBER ONE dumbest movie EVER:
“I Heart Huckabees” – HUH doesn’t even begin to describe it…somebody please tell me what the heck this movie was about? At least Mark Wahlberg was hilarious in it, even though I didn’t get a word his character was saying.

Most disappointing movie:

“The Corpse Bride” – it was too short, and not at all original. I was expecting more, something different, I don’t know, I was very disappointed in it.


BOOKS

I didn’t read quite as much this year as I wanted to, but with the help of Audio books, I read more than I would have otherwise.

I know I read a book or two I didn’t particularly like, but I can’t remember their titles.

Books I read that I really liked:

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” –I held off on reading this until book 6 was released and then read them back to back
“Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” – HOLY TISSUES that’s all I have to say
“Lazarus Vendetta” – Robert Ludlum/Patrick Larkin – Who knew I was into this whole “technological terrorism” stuff…huh!
“Magical Thinking” – Augusten Burroughs – he just cracks me up
“The Wedding” – Nicholas Sparks – A follow up to “The Notebook” really sweet
“The Davinci Code” – Dan Brown – worthy of all the hoopla
“Digital Fortress” – Dan Brown – Equally as good as DaVinci Code
“Angels and Demons” – Dan Brown - I’m cheating here because I’m only half way into this one, but I love it already and can’t put it down.
“Queen of the Slayers”- Nancy Holder – The story of what happens to Buffy and crew after the end of the show…good book
“Jane Eyre” – Charlotte Bronte – It took me a LONG time to get through this book, but man am I glad I read it.
Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series, books 1, 2 and 3 (which I’m almost done) – I’m really enjoying these, and love that I’ll have 4 more to go after this, but hate that I’ll have four more to go before I find out the conclusion…which I could “hear” them faster.

I read more, but I can’t remember what…I’m not picking a favorite book, I can’t, they were all great.

MUSIC

Artist that I was surprised I liked every song she released this year: Kelly Clarkson
Song that made me cry every time I heard it: Tim McGraw’s “Live like you were dying”
Best “duo” – Jay –Z; Linkin Park “Numb/Encore” For some reason, I love this song.
Group I started the year off liking, ended the year being sick of: Black Eyed Peas
Most annoying and over-played hope I never hear this song again: Chris Brown “Run it”
Favorite song that was over-played but I still like it: “Don’t’cha” The Pussy Cat Dolls
Best Album (which is really not fair since I only got TWO albums this year but) Santana – All that I am
Other artists I enjoyed this year: Shakira, Bon Jovi, Nickelback, Gwen Stefani, Anna Nalick, LifeHouse; John Legend and I’m sure others I can’t remember.

TELEVISION

Best shows: Prison Break, Lost (even though it ‘lost’ some of it’s appeal in the second season), ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Degrassi –The Next Generation (yes, I’m twelve), Bones (who knew David Boreanez could be funny?).

Best Show that TIVO discovered for me: The Ellen Degeneres Show – I just love her, she’s so funny.

I won’t name any worst(s) because I simply didn’t watch anything I didn’t immediately like.

CELEBRITIES (I know I’m too old for this crap, but it’s my guilty pleasure, so leave me to my celebrity gossip, will you?):
Celebrity that I lost all respect for this year and am so sick of hearing about: Tom Cruise
Second celebrity I’m sick of hearing about: Jessica Simpson…enough already
Celebrity that gained my respect this year after her appearance on Oprah and Ellen: Reese Witherspoon, now there’s a classy smart lady. I like her
Hottest male celebrity: This is a toughie, but I’m going to give it to Wentworth Miller because I can! ;-) Followed closely by about 10 other actors.
Celebrity who made a comeback but I think is completely washed out: Madonna (I’m sorry, I just don’t get it anymore), closely followed by Mariah Carey (but she had Wentworth Miller in her video, so that redeems her some).
Celebrity who belongs in jail the most: Michael Jackson (I’m sorry, but he does)

RANDOM:
Favorite Purchase this year: My new glasses and TIVO (they’re tied)
Favorite place I went: Vegas (again not fair, since I didn’t really go anywhere else but New York, which although I love, it’s not quite Vegas)
Best addition to the household: Calla Lilly followed closely by my new couch

Worst News “event” of 2005: The Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina (Hurricane Season actually). Actually, 2005 was a bad year all around for natural disasters, wars, bombings, murders (Boston has surpassed it’s 10 year high in homicides), ugh…Come on people, get a grip huh? THIS is why I usually don’t watch the news.

Best thing about 2005: All the time I spent with my friends and family. Sappy but true.

There you have it, some of the things that entertained me (or not) this year.