Archive for January, 2010

From Popeater: And The Award Goes To….Oops?

This past Saturday, the Black Eyed Peas showed up at the NRJ Awards (the top music awards show in France), and won the award for best international group. Just one more step in the unending world-wide dominance of the Black Eyed Peas, right? Wrong! The group was actually given the award by mistake. The new winner was announced, to the sound of boos.

As the host of the show said, “It happens!” Indeed. Embarrassing mistakes at award shows do happen… and so, in honor of this occasion, we present you with a round-up of the Most Amazing Award Show Mistakes of All Time.

Check them all out at Popeater.com!


Bad Advice Women Get: Settle Down. Now.

This will make you happy.

Meet Lori Gottlieb. She’s a 40-year-old single mother—she got artificially inseminated because she wanted to have a baby but didn’t have a boyfriend—who has discovered the secret to why more women aren’t married: their standards aren’t low enough.

No, seriously. Gottlieb recently expanded this 2008 article from the Atlantic into a full-length book called Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough. Her basic premise? Modern women all have “checklists” for their potential life partners, and we’re too quick to dismiss guys who don’t necessarily satisfy all of those requirements. So in order to avoid being single and, therefore, miserable in our 40s, women in their 20s like you and me should forget searching for Mr. Right and, instead, make do with Mr. Good Enough.

Don’t worry if this advice sounds ridiculously retro—Gottlieb freely admits that she’s telling women to ignore modern ideas about male/female relations because, as she says at the beginning of her book’s third chapter, “feminism has completely f*cked up my love life.” All that talk about “freedom” and “choice”—yes, she actually puts those words in quotation marks—is a bunch of hooey because, as opposed to what Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan would have you believe, women really do need to get married and have lots of babies in order to be fulfilled: “The truth was, every one of my single friends wanted to be married, but none of us would admit how badly we craved it for fear of sounding weak or needy or, God forbid, antifeminist,” Gottlieb writes.

Excuse me for just a minute—AAAARRRRGGGGG!!! This crap is so ludicrous that I can only express my anger in capital letters and multiple exclamation points. I can immediately think of about fifty things that are totally wrong with Gottlieb’s thought process, but I’ll spare all of you and just mention what I think are her most glaring errors: Read More »


Candy Dish: Jersey Shore Secrets Revealed

Don’t worry; Sammi and Ronnie are back on.

Check out Tara Reid’s rock!

Can crazy sex be bad for your health?

Hope For Haiti Now was a huge success!

The dos and don’ts of wearing florals in the winter.

Ooo! 20% off jeans at National Jean Co.!


College: It’s The Little Things That Matter

Library to yourself? Score.

Endless exams and papers, constant guy drama, grad school applications, a dwindling bank account…the day-to-day worries of our college years often weigh us down.  But too often, we stress about the big issues and totally forget about the little things that make our daily routines bearable…or even great!

1. A Cancelled Class
Your alarm goes off bright and early at 8 a.m. and you can barely open your eyes.  You angrily hit the snooze button, roll over in bed and start thinking about what to wear.  Then your mind runs through all the things you have to do today: 3 classes, gym, library, chapter meeting…ugh. You’d rather stay in bed. Then – BUZZ! – your phone vibrates and you wonder who the hell needs to talk to you this early. Lo and behold, it’s your study buddy letting you know that (gasp) CLASS IS CANCELLED! Your professor is sick/at a family function/whatever, and you can barely read the whole text before you reset your alarm, pull the covers back over your head and sleep for a few more (glorious!) hours.

2. Free Stuff!
Let’s face it, in this economy getting anything for free in college is right up there with Christmas and 21st birthdays. Free short stack day at IHOP, free condoms at Student Health, those Victoria’s Secret coupons for free panties that come in the mail, and (a personal favorite at my campus) free iced coffee day at Dunkin Donuts.  And then there’s all those campus club meetings and fundraisers where they give out free food, and sometimes on hot days, free water bottles! It may not seem like much, but it doesn’t get much better than a free, ice cold water bottle. Read More »


Let’s Stop With CollegeACB.com, OK?

I like gossip. You know, the pretty harmless kind: who hooked up with who at that party last week, who has a crush on who, who was spotted doing the walk of shame… Little tidbits that don’t really matter. And really, who doesn’t like that stuff?

But as much as I enjoy hearing all the dirt about the girl down the hall from me, I draw the line somewhere. And that somewhere is online.

For those of you who don’t know, after JuicyCampus.com was shut down, another website popped up in it’s place. It’s called CollegeACB.com and it has quickly become the nightmare of many. Including myself.

According to Peter Frank, the founder of CollegeACB.com, the purpose of the site is for people to post anonymous threads and comments about “any facet of college life.”

“The College ACB or College Anonymous Confession Board seeks to give students a place to vent, rant, and talk to college peers in an environment free from social constraints and about subjects that might otherwise be taboo.”

His words are well-chosen and seemingly innocent, but as anyone who has visited this website understands, Frank is simply camouflaging what the site is really for: vicious gossip. Read More »


Do We Want Brangelina To Fail?

Unless you have been under a rock or sleeping off a massive hangover since yesterday (or woke up from a night of partying under a rock….), news has been stirring about the fate of Brangelina. But contrary to what we’re all used to, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have finally broken the tabloids with a story that is not about their decision to adopt another child.  In fact, it is to end their decisions together as a couple all together.

Rumor has it that Brad and Angie are breaking up.

While the couple has not officially said anything just yet, the media world is buzzing. Not surprisingly (it is Brangelina, after all) every tabloid, gossip site and news source has covered the story.  What is surprising, though, is the fact that no one really seems to care.

Unlike Brad’s last relationship fail with Jennifer Aniston, (and many other celebrity marriages) the world isn’t approaching this story with a “OMG, not THEM!” sort of feeling, but rather with an an “It’s about time” attitude. We were all devastated when the perfection of Brad and Jen was no more, but it seems we feel no remorse when chewing on the thought of the farewell of Brad and Angie (and, hopefully, that awful beard Brad’s been sportin’).

Why is this particular break-up not hitting the tabloids with headlines, like “OMG We Can’t Believe It!?” And why does everyone want this relationship to fail?

Two words: Angelina Jolie. Read More »


Wardrobe Wish List: Free People Lace Bandeau

For people like me (a girl with a huge vision for her wardrobe and a very tiny bank account to work with), little-somethings to update an outfit are crucial.

It’s all about a low cost addition that has the ability to make a big impact. Maybe it’s a chain link necklace from a street vendor, a cheap but oh-so-modern neck scarf from Forever 21, or a hand-me-down that adds a new flavor to a tired outfit. When I stumble across one of these little gems, let’s just say I jump on it faster than I would Brad Pitt if we were given five minutes alone.

And alas I have stumble (and jumped on) Free people’s Lace Bandeau. It could fit inside my pocket, but packs some major punch.

The bandeau is seamlessly adorable. From the ruching at the bust to the eyelet floral lace overlay, it’s equal parts girlish ingénue and flirty femme fatale.  There’s just something so sweetly sinister about the lace peeking out from underneath a loose tank or layered under a zipped up hoodie and a distressed jean jacket.

Beyond its endearing nature, the bandeau is just plain practical. How many times have we all put on a shirt only to realize that you could totally see our bra right through it? We’re going to class, not to hang out the corner and turn some tricks. So, we add a tank top underneath and then spend the rest of the day pulling it down as it rides up and silently pouting that we are adding 5 pounds to our stomachs with the bulkiness of the double layer. Read More »


College Q&A: Padding the Resume

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Need to branch out? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
So, I don’t know if you’ll know the answer to this but I’m trying to figure out my plans for the rest of the semester and I’m not sure which will look better on my resume: getting really involved in a student organization or getting a job. I have no idea what I really want to do in my future yet, so it’s not like either of them would apply much to what I end up doing, so I don’t know if it’s more important to get involved in one or the other. Any thoughts?

GPA Girl:
It seems as if either one could be a good option, but I’d lean toward “job,” and here’s why. When you finally do get around to figuring out what you want to do and applying for full-time jobs after college, your prospective employers will look to your previous work experience and references to judge how you’re going to act in their companies. They might look at extracurriculars as well–in fact, I’m sure they probably will–but I personally don’t think they hold quite the same weight. Even if you become a leader in an extracurricular activity, there’s not really anybody there monitoring your progress, paying attention to when you show up, and evaluating the work you do according to rigorous standards. In short, nobody’s paying you to do it and there’s no one there who can prove how good you did it. A job will provide you with verifiable references and experience that you will be able to use in the future, no matter what career path you choose.

Also, I’m sure our resident Busy Bee will suggest this, but why not get involved with both activities? You may not be able to devote quite as much time as you like to the student org, but it could be really enriching and rewarding for you to do both things and enjoy both experiences. (Plus, it will prove your ability to multi-task and handle multiple responsibilities, which looks pretty great on a resume.) Read More »


The Vikings Vs. The Saints: What’s The Big Deal?

For those of you not watching Kim Kardashian get her face beat in on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, last night was a nail biter. The New Orleans Saints took on the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game (which would determine who’s moving on to play in the big, bad Super Bowl) and it was intense. As if the stakes weren’t stressful enough, both teams were tied for the entire game until overtime when Saints kicker Garrett Hartley kicked the 40-yard field goal of his life and won his team a ticket to Miami.

As an avid Vikings fan (and recent purchaser of a brand new Favre jersey) I have resorted to chocolate and the fetal position this morning. I’m devastated.

But I am willing to bet the rest of us are wondering why the Saints, Reggie Bush, Brett Favre, and the Vikings are filling up our Twitter trending topics list and taking over our Facebook News Feed. What is the big hype? Why are all your guy friends crying? And why is it such a big deal the Saints won and the Vikings lost (besides the world being one step closer to a Kim Kardashian wedding)?

Let’s take a closer look. Read More »


Body Blog: DON’T Pass the Salt, Please

Bad news. Bad, bad news.

There are certain things we just know are bad for us.

Smoking? Check.
Too much Jersey Shore? Check.
Tanning beds? Check.
Drunk texting? Again, check.

But salt? Salty, delicious salt?

Brace yourself, ladies; new research is out and it looks like my favorite condiment (slash de-icer) is a whole lot worse for us than I originally thought.

According to most health experts, we’re only supposed to consume one teaspoon of salt per day. That’s it. In an entire day. Guess how much salt the average American consumes per day? Two to three times that amount! And when you go over, you’re really screwing yourself over.  New York knows it – they are urging “food manufacturers and restaurant chains to reduce salt in their products nationwide by 25 percent over the next five years.” Read More »