When I groaned after No Strings Attached ended, my friend turned to me and said, “If you hate romance, don’t go see romantic comedies!” And those who have read my reviews before probably already know that I’m not a sucker for romance. So you would think that I might enjoy a comedy about platonic sex buddies Emma and Adam (played by Nathalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher). They have their simple romance-free rules, just in case they start falling for each other. But as we all know, in the world of romantic comedies, rules are made to be broken. Corny jokes and unrealistic situations ensue.

Portman and Kutcher are beautiful people, no one can deny that. It’s not hard to watch them on screen. But after seeing Portman’s work in Black Swan, there’s just no comparison. She is capable of challenging herself as an actress, but No Strings Attached is the kind of movie that comes out a hundred times in a year. A girl with commitment issues “unexpectedly” reveals that her heart isn’t made of stone. Not completely original. I’m not yet convinced that Kutcher can take on tougher roles than the cute, flawless love interest, but he owes it to himself to at least try something new. Read More »

Here’s a little statistic that will make your head spin:
According to a new study, 17 percent of teens have used the rhythm method for birth control, and the number is growing day by day. For those who don’t know, the rhythm method is a form of birth control in which women time when they have sex based on when they’re at their most infertile stages. Apparently, since 2002, the statistic for the rhythm method as a form of birth control has risen a whole 6 percent.

Uh…. wha?!
This is not Juno – this is real life!

According to Joyce Abma, the social scientist at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the rhythm method doesn’t work 25% of the time. That’s one quarter of the time for all you non-math people. So, you try the whole rhythm thing four times and it’s only going to work for three. Read More »

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use musicians (like Debbie Harry) or movie characters (like Annie Hall) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

Diablo Cody is one cool lady.  Not just because she has a wicked awesome tattoo on her arm of a pinup girl, the fact that she won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Juno, her previous profession of being a talented “clothing-remover,” or the fact that her name means “devil” in Spanish.  All of those help make her pretty neat, but there’s just something about her, something I can’t quite put my finger on, that oozes awesome.

And she wraps it all up perfectly in her uniquely fabulous look.

Diablo is pretty under the radar when it comes to her style, but I fell in love with it the first time I saw her being interviewed for Juno.  It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before; the innocent ’50s housewife meets the rock-and-roll dominatrix. She’s got the whole pin-up vibe going on, but still manages to look totally modern. It’s romantic yet somehow dark and edgy. Think animal prints and spikes meet polka dots and ruffles, then get married and live happily ever after.

It shouldn’t work, but it does.

Read More »

[There are some women out there that we just can’t get out of our minds. No, we aren’t switching teams - yet - but we do have some serious crushes on some pretty fierce females. These ladies are all special in their own right and we aren’t ashamed to tell the world we love them.]

Ever since her role in Juno, I’ve had an unhealthy crush on Ellen Page.

While she’s not as mainstream as our past girl crushes, this doesn’t make her any less deserving of the title.  In fact, it makes me love her more. My fellow Canuck obviously has talent – she was, after all, nominated for an Oscar.  She may not have won, but she was the fourth youngest actress to be nominated for the role, and that in itself is pretty darn impressive.

And the movie was awesome. I don’t know one person who can say they saw Juno and didn’t fall instantly in love with it. Ellen played the main character perfectly and even showcased her vocal skills on the soundtrack, which is as good (if not better) than the movie. Sure, the movie sparked controversy – being all pro-teen pregnancy and all – but that’s not Ellen’s fault. Maybe people should teach their kids about sex before they let them watch movies like this. Or watch Bristol Palin on TV.

But I digress. Back to my love, Ellen Page.

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first or only movie Ellen has been in.  She totally kicked ass AND saved the day in X-Men: The Last Stand before she took on her dad’s new girlfriend while acing her SATs in Smart People.  She’s also been in Hard Candy, The Tracey Fragments, and An American Crime. Her next project is Whip-It, which is directed by Drew Barrymore. Two power girls on one project? Sounds like a winner to me. Read More »

To say 2008 was uneventful would be like saying Heidi and and Spencer’s wedding was actually spontaneous (i.e. a total lie for those of you needing more explanation).

So much happened I don’t even know where to start. Heads were shaved, breakdowns were had, there were babies- lots and lots and lots of babies. There were weight gains and anorexics, awesome music collaborations, lesbians coming out of the closet, my new best friend got millions of hits on you tube, Project Runway left Bravo for good. We lived without TV for far. too. long. Kanye declared himself the next Elvis (uhh okay), and Jessica Simpson’s career – well actually strike that – 2008 wasn’t really that exciting of a year for Jessica Simpsons career.

Anyway, the point is a lot happened in the world de pop culture over the past year so let’s take a look at some of our favorites. Feel free to chime in at the bottom and let us know if any of your favorite 2008 moments were left off the list.

10. Lindsay Lohan switched teams. Despite a floundering career, LiLo managed to stay afloat in the year’s headlines – and not because of her legging line (surprising, I know), but because of her romance with pal/girlfriend Samantha Ronson. I’m still not even sure if she has fully admitted to her relationship, but I can tell you this: I am happy for her and hope she embraces it so that the magazines can finally move on to something a lot more interesting,

9. Michael Phelps breaks a record. As the most unfunny season opener on SNL. Ever. I mean, seriously, the dude can swim – that we know by his crazy world records broken this year in Beijing – but has Loren Michael’s even heard the kid speak? He puts the M in Monotone. I still lie in bed at night trying to find the logic in that move. Read More »

What’s a political campaign without sex? A McCain campaign ad recently accused Obama of trying to pass a bill incorporating sex ed into kindergarten classrooms. Of course, Obama doesn’t even need to utter the “s” word when McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, has the poster family for the need for sex education.

Maybe Palin’s daughter should’ve been given a sex ed lecture in kindergarten. Maybe, in the wake of the Gloucester school girls and celebrity teen momdom, we should consider revamping our sex ed policies, rather than letting Ellen Paige serve as an instructor when Juno comes out on DVD. I took sex ed. And now, I have sex. Sometimes quite freely.

There’s still a lot that I don’t know, and some stuff I know now that I wish I’d learned in sixth grade sex ed class:

-Sex is NOT synonymous with love. It can be, but it isn’t always. Sex is synonymous with physical attraction, hormones, and judgment (note that I didn’t specify “good” or “bad” judgment).

-Sex changes everything. It can burn bridges, create awkward situations, and ruin friendships. However, it can also take a relationship to the next level, or allow you to see your partner in a completely different light. It can be good, it can be bad, but either way, once you’ve crossed that line… there’s no going back. Read More »

Gorgeous but deadly?  University of Washington student Amanda Knox might soon stand trial for murder – all because her roommate refused to join her in a drug-fueled orgy.

Holy hottness!  Andy Roddick is giving naked tennis lessons for $15k!

Miley Cyrus is so lazy wealthy she can pay people to spoon feed her.

Bill Maher wraps himself in atheist arms and the Catholics aren’t happy about it.

David Beckham is so hot he can steam up the frozen food aisle.

Did Christie Brinkley’s disgusting ex-hubby film himself having sex with a 19-year-old?!

Call your cable guy! Juno genius Diablo Cody has written a dramedy for Showtime.

John McCain is computer illiterate, so if you wanna get in touch with him don’t send an email.

Ouch! Madonna thinks Guy Ritchie is emotionally retarded.

Denis Leary is following his own advice by staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid.

Is it just us or are these shoes seriously ugly?

Jack Nicholson might want to consider hitting the gym.

Ben and Jen: Super Fertile.

Too cloudy to go to the beach? Add these 80′s classics to your Netflix queue.

Exclusive look at the crazy new script from Tarantino. Awww yeah!

Nothing ruins a day at the beach quite like a shark. And I really needed a tan!

The new iPhone is out. We are not too happy about it, but what do the critics say?

Teen pregnancy on the up and up for the first time in over a decade. Could this be Juno’s doing?

Also on the rise, Wal-Mart stores. They. Are. Everywhere.

As if TV couldn’t get any worse – Nicole Richie gets another show.

2 words that should never go together: orgasmic and childbirth. Yes, there is a video.

Maybe this will inspire you to recycle. Think of the dolphins, people!

Gender equality on the road at last! Well, at least on the signs. Baby steps, ladies; baby steps.

Fashion

God, Charlize Theron is hot. And I love what she’s wearing.

Hottie of the Week

David Beckham. I hate his voice but man do I love him nearly naked.

Babies Babies Babies

Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to a baby girl. Please don’t disappoint me by giving her a non-Hollywood crazy name. I don’t want to hear this talk of you giving her a pretty, normal name like Maddie.

Can everyone stop blaming teen pregnancies on “Juno”? I’m sure that movie didn’t influence a group of Massachusetts teenagers to make a ‘pregnancy pact.’

Karolina Kurkova, probably best known for her Victoria’s Secret spreads, “shocked” everyone who saw her “love handles and cellulite” at fashion week in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Karolina apologizes to everyone for eating and for having a booty. Read More »

Let me just start out by saying that I didn’t care for the movie Juno. It got progressively better towards the end, yes, but for much of the movie, the writing was absolutely appalling. After the exchange with the convenience store clerk at the beginning of the film, I had to get an usher to help me find my eyes because they had rolled clear out of my head. Juno is hip, Diablo, I get it, please stop beating me over the head with those million dollar shoes you didn’t end up wearing.

That being said, her writing isn’t why I dislike Diablo Cody as a whole. It’s also not her vomitously rebel-cutsie name, although it does make me cringe a little bit every time I hear it. Like when it was announced at the Oscars. For winning best screenplay.

Admittedly, my dislike is partially rooted in that Cody reminds of the girl who is always at the coffee shop, reading Kurt Vonnegut and making me feel intensely uncool. “That girl” also has all these esoteric tattoos and an inexplicable haircut that I would never grow the balls to attempt. Cody seems a little more approachable than “that girl”, however, which is a point in her favor. Read More »