Christmastime Horrors

Am still on holiday vacay, hence the lack of posts. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope it was just lovely. Now prepare to claw out your eyes while simultaneously clutching your sides from laughter. Gah!

A Pre-Thanksgiving Message From the Pinup

Sorry I've been AWOL, but the real job has been unbelievably busy. I was beginning to feel like I should have just been sleeping in the office. For reals. Anyway, the work-related insanity is over...and the Thanksgiving-related insanity is about to begin. So there will be no posts for the rest of the week. However, I shall use the lull to dig up some truly excellent goodies for the gift guide.

So have a happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the tryptophan; it's okay to be lazy post-turkey-consumption, as this li'l guy will remind you.

New in Ill Thought-Out Photo Spreads

Hm. I can't imagine why some people are upset about this Vogue Italia "Make Love Not War" photo spread. I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but this turns my stomach. It features women cavorting with soldiers in what I'd imagine is supposed to be Iraq. In some shots the women look like hookers (e.g., the one where one of the models is straddling a soldier while another soldier films her), in others they look like victims of rape or at least violence (e.g., the shot where a soldier's holding a model by her neck, or the picture of what looks like a soldier pinning a model in the mud). I don't know; it just seems like there's no right way to photograph a scenario like this. In shots where the models and the soldiers are laughing and apparently enjoying themselves, it looks like they're taking the situation too lightly. In the more serious shots, it looks like the women are being victimized. The whole thing is just tasteless. I think that's what it boils down to.

On a slightly different topic, I wonder if those are real soldiers or male models, because they're uniformly gorgeous. (Well, I wouldn't want to end on a depressing note.)

The Fabulous Fashion of Naeem Khan

Despite finding the most recent Fashion Week offerings by and large quite blah, I have been impressed by a few designers. Will show my personal faves at the end of the week, I suppose. One collection that I particularly liked (and had no previous opinion about) was that by Naeem Khan. (Yeah, I didn't know who he was either.) The collection seemed to be a nice blend of mod and Indian influences and, aside from a few rather mumsy missteps, was consistently appealing. One major qualm, though: I loathe the way the models' hair has been done. Dreadful and frumpy. Here, have a gander:

A cute, heavily embroidered ladies-who-lunch ensemble:

Sort of caftany, sort of fabulous:

A mod little mini:

Totally gorgeous and elegant:

Blue Feet

Busy, busy, busy. Know what always helps if you're tired, possibly frustrated, and undeniably busy? A blue-footed booby, that's what.

See? Doesn't that make you feel better? Don't you find yourself involuntarily lifting your leg in a reciprocal dance move? I do. (Shut up. It's a perfectly normal response.)

Jabba the Catt

I know it's been out since yesterday, but this has gotta be one of the funniest lolcats ever. And I'm impressed: Wookiee is spelled correctly. (Most people forget the second e.)

Darth Vader at Home

If you've ever wondered what Darth Vader does in his free time (you know, when not planning universal domination)? Here's a rare glimpse into the home life of Darth Vader. Hint: He reads PlaySith.

Three Pictures

There's no theme to today's post, except that all the things I considered posting about were images. So you're gettin' 'em all.

First, the horrible and depressing.
Second, the sublime.
Third, one that bridges the gap: a little bit awesome, a little bit morbid.

Pretty Young Things

What is the connection between beauty, sweets, and death? Not sure, but I found two photosets that are worth checking out for their picturesque weirdness. First, there's Daniela Edburg's Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which an assortment of chicks succumb to an array of (mostly) delicious temptations. My demise would totally be Death by Nutella. (Oh, and I have these socks.)

Even creepier is the series Little Dolls, the subjects of which make JonBenet Ramsey look like Laura Ingalls.

Luke, I am Your Art Project

Check out these photos from The Vader Project, an exhibit designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope. The Vader Project entails a variety of replicas of Darth Vader's iconic mask, as reimagined by artists. Some of the results are funny, some are so-so, and some are just amazing. It's like The Pony Project, but less girly. And man did I love The Pony Project. (Via NOTCOT.)

OMG!!! BUNNIES!!!!

Okay, here's something to make your Easter weekend: 23 pages of rabbity goodness. Yes, my friends, 23 pages of bunny pictures.
Have you the stamina to resist the cute? I think not.

Help! Sugar Gliders Have Stolen My Heart!

Oh sweet jeebus in heaven. These are some of the cutest pictures of sugar gliders ever. Ever. Especially the thumb-sucking one. Sugar gliders are so cute I could die. I practically melt into a little puddle of liquid awww every time I see photos this precious.
I know, I'm a total basket case.

How Vivid

Ready to see some of the world's ugliest upholstery? Peep this photoset, which features public transport upholstery from around the globe. Horrifying. But nicely photographed. (Via Boing Boing.)

Touristy Goodness

This set of photos is awesome. Apparently, this guy buys souvenirs, postcards, etc. and then superimposes them over actual attractions or locales. Doesn't sound that compelling, but it is.

(Mis)Information

A few weekends ago I saw an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum entitled I Wanna Be Loved By You: Photographs of Marilyn Monroe. While there were some undoubtedly beautiful photos in it, something bothered me about it, and I think I just figured out what the problem was: The exhibit gave plenty of little snippets of information, but too often focused on only what was shown in the photograph. For example, there were photos of Marilyn entertaining the troops in Korea, but not enough background information, such as the fact that she caught pneumonia because she insisted upon performing in a skimpy dress because she didn't want to disappoint the soldiers by appearing swathed in a parka. (Even though it began snowing.)Also, some of the information was just plain wrong, such as one comment about how Marilyn seductively removed her gloves during the "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" number in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, when her gloves remained in place throughout the entire routine. (It's perfectly obvious that she couldn't possibly have removed them with the number of bracelets she was wearing.) Not to mention that some of the info was confusing, such as when the caption for either this picture or this one (I don't remember which) mentioned something about Marilyn's lying down on red velvet, when she wasn't actually lying down in either, but in this photo. I know it seems nitpicky, but if you're going to go through the trouble of amassing a slew of gorgeous photos and mounting what is supposed to be an extensive exhibition, it should be pretty damn thorough and error-free.

Note: The last three images are technically NSFW, but they're nudes of Marilyn, so it's art, for heaven's sake. Your boss will understand.