A Vanity Fair Affair

As the saying goes: all is fair in love and war. Well, whether you love them or hate them, you can’t deny they make up a fair looking group.

Katherine Hepburn by Cecil Beaton

To commemorate the 95th anniversary of its debut (and the 25th anniversary of its modern resumption) Vanity Fair has teamed up with the National Portrait Gallery in London, England to present a star-studded array of almost 150 iconic photographs from both its vintage period and modern periods.

Bette Davis by Maurice Goldberg

Vanity Fair has always been on the front lines of cultural cosmopolitanism and nowhere is that more clear than this exhibit. The subjects include everyone from Ernest Hemingway, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso to Cary Grant, Madonna, and Tom Cruise. The photographic credits are no less impressive, including Harry Benson, Man Ray, and of course Annie Leibovitz. 

Julianne Moore by Michael Thompson

The exhibit’s on at the ROM until January 3rd. This is the only Canadian stop for the exhibition plus, only the ROM will give you an exclusive peek at a portrait of Lord Conrad Black with his wife, Barbara Amiel. Don’t miss it.

Hilary Swank by Norman Jean Roy

Stop Whining and Start Wining

Yes we know – you’re busy and you’re broke and the holidays are coming and it’s depressing. Here’s the good news: you can partake in some intoxicating holiday “festivities” for bottom dollar and still feel fancy.

This year’s crop of Beaujolais Nouveau wines have hit the shelves.

Now I’m sure you’re thinking that sounds like the most pretentious thing you’ve ever heard and, to be honest, it used to be. In the 80s, people used to have huge parties on the third Thursday of November, flying the wines in to be uncorked at the stroke of midnight.

But their wine was like Ashley Simpson: a whole lot of show with no singing. This year, on the other hand, the long, sunny growing season means the Beaujolais’ are supposed to be the best in 50 years. Best of all, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one over $15 at your local LCBO.

So throw them on ice, break out some appetizers (apparently hard cheeses, pâtés, and prosciutto are the way to go) and get your drink on.

Gord Stimmell, wine critic at the Toronto Star, recommends the following (all of which are available at the LCBO):

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau (France) $14.95

Georges Duboeuf Gamay Nouveau (France) $8.95

Albert Bichot Beaujolais Nouveau (France) $12.95

Mezzacorona Novio Vino Novello (Italy) $9.95

Negrar Novello del Veneto IGT (Italy) $9.95

(The predominant tastes are supposed to be cherries and bubblegum.)

For anyone who wants to play pretentious, here’s a clip of Stimmell trying and ranking the wines.

Is it The End or the Beginning?

(If this seems off-topic, I apologize - it's for class. But feel free to read it anyway.)

Remember the Y2K paranoia? People could do nothing but stockpile canned foods, bottled water and AA batteries while they waited for the Dark Age. Emotions ran high and panic ran, well, everywhere really.

Sure enough, at the stroke of midnight, everyone was fine – sheepish but fine (not to mention ridiculously well-equipped for a romantic dinner of canned tuna by candlelight).

The End, CBC’s three part series on the fate of traditional media, beckons me back to that time. Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, The End explores new emerging digital media and the threat they pose to the survival of terrestrial radio, television, and print media.

 Over the course of the three sections, there seems to be two camps:

1. Tradition: the stodgy snobs and starchy suits preaching order, discipline and the “right” way.
2. Revolution: the young rebels, with their shaggy hair and their trendy slang, rolling their eyes and speaking in air quotes about freedom, choice and democracy. 

With radio it’s CHUM FM vs. XM Satellite.

With television it’s CNN vs. GNN (Guerilla News Network).

With print it’s Margaret Atwood vs. Google Books.

While both sides get in some good digs (my personal favorite being Margaret Atwood’s snide “Have you ever had your system crash?... Books don’t crash”), neither one seems to present a solution. They just kind of stand there, sticking their tongues out and blowing raspberries.

In the meantime, there are some who have decided to make friends and share their toys. 

The End highlights some media outlets that are working towards a middle ground. My favorite example, The New York Times, refer to themselves as “platform agnostic”: they don’t care how their content reaches the masses so long as it does. Although they still offer the print version of their magazine, they also offer it online, in podcast, on video, and along with discussions, blogs, and photography. They’ve even started mixing up the visual layout, offering everything from traditional print style to block text and bullet point. And why not?

Yes, audiences now expect choice.

Yes, audiences now expect personalization.

Yes, audiences now expect variety.

So doesn’t it make sense to offer more than ONE SINGLE SOLUTION?

I think NYT has it right. I hope when the dust settles the others are standing behind them. Actually no, scratch that - I hope the dust never settles at all. I hope media platforms continue to evolve and diversify without getting stuck in the mud ever again.

Drink Like a King

Usually, when someone gives you a tut, they’re not being complimentary. But today, the disapproval dies.

Today you are worshipped by the masses.

Today you are showered with gifts.

Today you drink like a king.

From now until next April, the Art Gallery of Ontario is hosting a King Tut exhibit, “The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs.” In its honor, the Fairmont Royal York hotelhas commissioned an honorary cocktail: the Tut-tini.

Yea, I know, shameless corporate promo, but it’s actually pretty swanky. It’s spiked with real flecks of 24-karat gold – even if you end up dumping it, you’ll still feel like a high roller haughtily washing money down the drain.

Try it yourself. With its warm spicy flavors and candy tones, it’s a great drink for the holidays. 

You’ll love it (trust me):

-Fresh Ice

-1 oz vodka (they recommend Grey Goose)

-1/2 oz Goldschlager

-1 oz butter ripple liquer

-splash of cranberry juice

Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Add other ingredients except cranberry juice. Gently shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with cranberry juice. Makes 1 drink.

Finding the Spark when you're Feeling Burnt Out: Touched by Fire

You know what they say: when you play with fire you get burned. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing (look at Richard Simmons). Sometimes you can harness the blaze into just the spark you need.

Enter Touched by Fire: art exhibition and gala.

Sponsored by the Mood Disorder Association of Ontario (MDAO), Touched by Fire showcases the artistic creations of artists affected by mood disorders. From anxietyand depression to bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder, mood disorders are enough to break even the strongest of us down into weepy self-loathing puddles of pity. But these artists don’t give in.

("Beethoven" Ingrid Vellekoop)

This event is about running the condition, not letting the condition run you. It’s about channeling its power into constructive, rather than destructive, means (that’s right, use the force, Luke). And believe me, those means bring some pretty impressive ends – just look at Michelangelo, Van Gogh or Georgia O’Keefe.

My personal favorites works are by artist Ingrid Vellekoop, who works through her clinical depression to capture the acute facial expressions of her subjects. She works with a wide range of media and does a lot of celebrity portraits. My personal favorites are her mixed media work of Beethoven and her oil painting of Bob Dylan.

("Bob Dylan" Ingrid Vellekoop)

The Touched by Fire exhibition and gala is this Thursday night (November 26^th) at the Royal Ontario Museum (if you’re interested, check out the Facebook group). If you can’t make it, be sure to check out the online gallery. It features an enormous collection of drawings, paintings, photography, digital art, and mixed media.

Laughter Really is the Best Medicine (Seriously)

My very best friend has a laugh bordering legendary. I lovingly refer to it as her banshee cackle. Despite her extremely small stature, her laugh is strong, it’s shrill, and it carries (seriously, it’s like seeing a baby burp out a Buick).

Not surprisingly, her outbursts can cause quite the scene. Sometimes people get a little embarrassed and, although they laugh too, it’s often out of nerves – like a ‘don’t make any sudden moves’ kind of thing.

As for me, I revel in it, keeling over, tearing up, and gasping for air.

And, frankly, so should everyone else.

According to HelpGuide.org, laughter is good for the mind, body, and soul: it’s a mood-booster, an ab and shoulder workout, and a focus and productivity booster (take that crusty librarians!!). 

It’s also great to ward off the flu and other icky stuff, decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies. 

And of course, laughter shows you’ve got heart (and a healthy one at that): it improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, lowering your risk for heart attack and other cardio problems.

So buck your stoic study habits and quit stockpiling cough syrup for the apocalypse. It’s time to chortle, chuckle, giggle and guffaw. You’ll thank yourself for it later (even if the disrupted bystanders don’t…)

At the Heart of Hip Hop: My Top 5

When you take off the bling, empty the bank account, and send home the bodyguards, there’s not much left to hip hop.

Or so the story goes.

But I firmly believe it can be (although not always) more than smoking mirrors. That’s why I love acoustic covers – because when you strip the songs down to their bare essentials, you’re still left with something compelling. Here are my top five:

5. I Try (Ben Taylor covering Macy Gray)

Unhindered by Gray’s gimmicky voice, you suddenly hear the very simple, but very relatable, appeal of the heartbroken everyman struggling to find closure.

4. Whatever You Like (Anya Marina covering T.I.)

(I know it’s a little trill but bear with me – it’s more the theory than the execution) 

In this rendition the cocky promises of a high-rolling sugar daddy are emptied of the glitz and glamour, leaving only the weary, emotionally bankrupt transaction between a prostitute and a proprietor.

3. Cry Me a River (Glen Hansard covering Justin Timberlake)

Hansard’s low, powerful snarl riddles this rendition with rage: to falsetto comes force, to soul comes spite. Parts of it actually sound like he’s singing through clenched teeth. This is one bitter boyfriend-past.

2. Hey Ya (Matt Weddle covering Outkast)

Without the upbeat, rapid-fire of Andre 3000, the previously overlooked lyrics emerge as a shocking surrender to a defeated love. The most surprising verse (edited for redundancy):

“If what they say is, “nothing is forever,” then what makes love the exception? So why are we so in denial when we know we’re not happy here?”

1. Crazy (Ray Lamontagne covering Gnarls Barkley)

Although I admittedly adore the original, Lamontagne’s take hits the tortured psychological battle home. There’s something about the texture of his voice that makes you feel the agony and reckless abandon of being on the brink of mental breakdown.