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.

There are a lot of minor characters who the audience is forced to become invested in, but don’t get any reward. Abby Elliot, known for being a current cast member on SNL, could have used a lot more screen time. The same goes for Mindy Kaling (The Office), Olivia Thirlby (Juno), Kevin Kline, and Ludacris. And there’s a puppy, who’s a complete scene-stealer. Unfortunately rather than getting to know their characters, we’re forced to sit through almost two hours of Adam and Emma will-they-won’t-they.

Every movie has some redeeming qualities, though, and this one has two: its use of technology…and Ludacris. Unlike the majority of this unrealistic movie (Adam’s dad gets together with Adam’s ex-girlfriend just for an example off the top of my head), the use of technology was actually clever. When Adam and his friends analyze text messages and voicemails going back and forth between him and Emma, it was pretty reminiscent of some conversations between my friends. (Ever have one of those conversations: “OMG, he texted me ‘hi.’ What do I say back?” and then debate possible responses for an hour?) That’s the one great thing about romantic comedies; they’re usually not in production for an extended period of time, so they are pretty relevant.

Overall, if you’re unlike me and are looking to lose yourself in a simple romantic comedy with a couple of clever, check out No Strings Attached. It will definitely deliver. If you’re hoping for a movie with a little more meat that makes you feel something, go watch one of the Academy Award front-runners instead (try The King’s Speech if you haven’t seen it yet).

Click here to get Meredith’s take on other new releases.

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.

Now, those odds aren’t terrible, but why would anyone take a chance on something that is only 75% effective  when there are other very effective forms of birth control, such as condoms and the pill (which have much higher success rates), out there? That’s like wearing a baseball cap to ride a bike instead of opting for a helmet!

I’d understand if condoms and birth control pills weren’t invented and the rhythm method was the only effective form of birth control. But, hello, those were invented! And for a reason, that reason being they work better. Seriously, in a day when teen pregnancies are on the rise, it is crucial to be smart about birth control. And being smart is choosing a birth control option that has a 99% chance of being effective, not one that only has 75% chance.

To me, the rhythm method seems like a game of chance. The problem with knowing when you are or are not ovulating is that there’s a high chance for human errors (we’re not doctors, after all). And with one tiny error, comes one tiny baby.

The resources are out there for proper birth control and they’re not hard to find. Why gamble on your future (and the potential future of a child) when you don’t have to?

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use musicians (like Debbie Harry) or

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.

I love Diablo’s mixing and matching and she’s inspired me to add a little of that to my own wardrobe. I may not have her tat or her Oscar, but with this outfit, at least I can have a bit of her style.

Dress, Shoes, Lipstick, Sunglasses, Earrings

The red-patterned dress is perfect for incorporating Diablo’s style. Not only is the pattern so her, but the design is a tangible representation of who she is as a fashionista. From the front it’s a classy sheath dress, but when you turn around – BAM! – not what you expected, eh?

Now, any normal girl would pair this dress with a basic pair of black pumps and call it a day, but it’s all about the edgy accessories in Diablo’s world. I love the studs and buckles on this shoe and I love even more that you can wear it with so many different options, from this dress to a simple pair of jeans and a leather jacket. Throw on some animal print sunglasses for a little unexpected pop of fun, the badass-yet-still-totally-girly earrings for some extra grunge and, of course, Diablo’s signature red lipstick for the sex appeal.

In the end you’ve got the perfect blend of girly and hardcore, innocence and sex. A look that, like Diablo Cody, just embodies cool.

You stylish little devil, you!

]]> http://collegecandy.com/2010/06/02/i-love-your-style-diablo-cody/feed/ 2 Cristina-Michigan State University Picture 2 Picture 1 http://collegecandy.com/2009/03/26/girl-crush-ellen-page/ http://collegecandy.com/2009/03/26/girl-crush-ellen-page/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:30:55 +0000 Leah - Ryerson University http://collegecandy.com/?p=25074 ]]> [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.

While she may be an amazing actress, there are many other reasons why I love Ellen Page.  A self-proclaimed tomboy, Ellen usually plays it safe with basic-black on the red carpet. She’s not fashion forward, but that’s even more crush-worthy. If you’re forced to dress up when you’d rather be wearing a pair of Connies, why try and be a fashionista? She knows her style and she does it right.

Oh and did-you-know (say it fast 10x) she is hilarious? Ok, I guess everyone knows that. I mean, she was Juno. But she’s funny in real life too. And she makes it look so easy. Ellen’s just the kind of cool girl that you’d wanna kick back and have a beer (or 3) with. And I’m totally crushing.

Ellen, if you’re out there, call me! I’ll bring the guitar.

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.

8. Tina Fey became the official face of Funny Women Around the Globe. 30 Rock is kicking ass, Fey is all over the place, and even Sarah Palin doesn’t do Sarah Palin as well as our pal Tina.

7. “I die” became a part of every college girl’s vernacular. Thank you, Rachel Zoe. The Fur, the 12 Venti Teas every day – Rachel Zoe sure knew how to “Shut it Down” in 2008 and, frankly, I can’t wait for another season. Thank you Bravo for providing so many amazingly addicting shows giving us all another big year of procrastination.

6. Oh My God They’re Back Again. No not the Backstreet Boys (although they’re still here too!) but bubblegum pop made a mega comeback this year, making me want to say a big fat “I told you so” to every music critic from the late 90s. From the Jo Bros to Miley to Taylor and Selena Gomez, there is no shortage of shrieking 13-year-old girls staring at the posters they ripped out of Tiger Beat magazine like we did with BSB, NSync and New Kids On the Block (who, along with the Spice Girls, let us not forget, made an attempted comeback this year) so many years ago.

5. Facebook got a makeover. Some say for the better, others for the worse. 2008 brought us the choice “is” in the Facebook status, the 9 billion games and of course, the sheer terror of seeing that email proclaiming that your mother, aunt and grandma’s best friend Rose added you as a friend on Facebook. Joy.

Jill IS taking down all of her bar crawl and keg stand pictures as we speak…

4. Teenage pregnancy became acceptable. Cool, in fact! Jamie Lynn, Bristol Palin, and Juno made pregnancy look more fun than getting your makeup done for Prom, even inspiring an entire group of friends at a Boston High School to make a pact with one another to get knocked up. Take that, college applications. And Hollywood was in no shortage of breast milk either – everyone from Jessica Alba to Ashlee Simpson to Gwen Stefani to Jodi Sweetin had babies, adorned the front page of a magazine, and drooped mad pounds in like 4.3 hours.

3. Heath Ledger and Tim Russert both tragically passed away. Nothing snarky to say here. Both men incredibly talented and passionate in their work and in their lives and both will be missed by all.

2. Barack Obama was elected into office. The world stopped hating us (at least for a minute), Elizabeth Hasselback may or may not have spit up all over her cute Marc Jacobs ensemble, and history was made. Whether you’re a democrat, republican, independent , or foreigner, there is no denying the importance and excitement of November 4th 2008. Now on to Prop 8 – let’s hope 2009 is a better year.

1. Britney Spears provides escapism for the masses. Sure you lost your job and the market has gone down, down, down, but if Brit has taught us anything it’s that things can turn around… fast. One day you’re shaving your head, sporting pink wigs, going batsh*it insane with an umbrella and spending some time in the hospital, and the next you are planning your world tour. Britney showed us that the only way from down is up, as the media flipped a switch over her killer body, kick ass catchy album, tear jerker documentary and an Ellen parody to boot.

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.

-Sex can be fun. Why don’t they talk about Kama Sutra, tantra, sex toys, or kinky fantasies in sex ed? It’s all “have sex and get pregnant,” or “have sex and get herpes” talk. But if you’re safe and consenting, sex can turn into an amusement park with all of the different rides it has to offer.

-Sex doesn’t always work. There’s sloppy sex. There’s the sex that just isn’t going to end in mutual orgasms. There’s sex that you thought you wanted to have, until it happens. Shake it off — we can’t all be stars in a Brad Pitt love scene.

-Sex can be good for your health. The endorphins released when a female orgasms acts as a powerful painkiller*. Cramping from killer PMS? Mild exercise (like sex) can help ease the pain as well.

-Sexually active does NOT mean slutty (or stupid!). Did you know that women with college degrees are more likely to enjoy giving and receiving oral sex than high school drop outs*? How about that women with PhD’s are twice as likely to seek a one-night-stand than those who stopped at the Bachelors*?

I still feel like I’m coming up short here, ladies. All of our sex ed regimes were different– what did your teachers neglect to inform you during 5th period Health Class?

*Facts courtesy of The Sex E-Zine. Learn all you wanted to know (and a lot you didn’t want to know) about knocking boots here!

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.

In ‘Does Anyone Care?’ News

“Chinese Democracy” the album that is 14 years in the making, was leaked — but Guns n’ Roses shut that down almost immediately. Axl, just let it out before anyone who really cares to hear it is dead.

Song of the Week

Coldplay “Viva La Vida.” I love this song to death. I love the purple-y hazy commercial for iTunes. I love how it makes me feel super happy…so imagine my surprise to hear that they are being accused by the Creaky Boards, a little know US band, for ripping the song off of them. If you’re curious to see how they compare, you can listen here.

File Under Desperate

Marla Maples. I’ll give it to you – you are 44, survived being Mrs. Donald Trump #2 and that crappy pre-nup and you’re smokin’ hot but please stop it with the beach cartwheels. Just get a new agent and maybe he’ll find you some work.

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.

Mostly, I don’t like Diablo Cody because (a big) part of me wishes I was Diablo Cody. I call it the Natalie Portman Disease, or NPD. I first acquired NPD when I first watched Portman in The Professional.

I too was a struggling actress (VERY struggling; I couldn’t even get cast in the school plays) and to see someone so beautiful do exactly what I wanted to do really pissed me off and I’ve hated Natalie Portman ever since. She went on to international stardom as a lovely, talented artist and I decided to give up my dream of being an actress and decide to be a writer.

Little would I know that 7 or 8 years later, Diablo Cody would arrive on the scene and bring with her an intense relapse of my NPD. I sit at my desk, writing my little stories, dreaming of one day creating akick ass screenplay that everyone would love and that bitch Diablo beats me to it, with her quirky, strangely sexy style and her former stripper schtick. She’s even got a clever little column in Entertainment Weekly (that is lightyears better than her screenplay for Juno, IMHO. But what do I know? I don’t have an Oscar), a magazine I’ve been reading and loving since I was a teenager.

But Jessica, you say, don’t you think you are being a little childish? As a fellow woman writer, shouldn’t you be congratulating Cody on her success rather than begrudging her it?

Well, yes, I should. Touche. You are absolutely right. And I have no way to apologize or explain myself other than saying its not me, it’s my NPD.

Also, Natalie Portman’s British accent sucks. So there.