Writer Vixen Explains It All

The Man with the Mac Has Left the Building

 

 

Even if you've never owned an Apple product, Steve Jobs's vision of a different world changed your life — over and over and over again. President Obama summed it up beautifully:  “There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

RIP Sir Steven. The world will be a less interesting place without your light inspiring us.

 

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

 Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

 

Lauren Hutton Has Always Been Totally Bad-Ass

In the course of her interview with Michael Kors for the September issue of Interview magazine, Lauren Hutton shares the story of how she was sexually harassed by a bunch of Mad Men at a 1965 casting call:

KORS: I know you’re not a  television person at all, Lauren, but have you ever seen Mad Men?

HUTTON: Yes!

KORS: What’s your reaction? It’s set around when you started modeling.

HUTTON: It’s like when I very first started going to ad agencies and things in ’65. They’ve done a very good job of capturing that moment with that show. Everyone was that square. And that male-dominant madness . . . I remember one time going on an appointment at an agency and I went into this conference room, and there were 35 or 40 men and 2 women lined up all around this long table. So I walk in and one of the guys says, “We need to see your legs.” And I just flipped. I was just furious that they would take a person and bring them into a situation with all these people and everybody is staring at you. It was something that I found so deeply offensive. So I jumped up on the table, which was a very fine, expensive table . . .

KORS: A serious conference table.

HUTTON: And I had high heels on, and I jumped up and said, “Sure, I’ll show you my legs.” And I strolled up and down with my heels along the table. I mean, they told me to wear heels beforehand, so I was already mad going in. I walked up and down their conference table showing them my legs and they’re all gasping in silence, and I’m smiling a real smile, looking side to side at each of these guys. Then I jump off and I said, “Will that be all?” and split. [both laugh] I actually got the job, but turned it down because it was for cigarettes.

via Jezebel

Why Men Shouldn't Write Advice Columns

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With props to Glamour magazine's "Ask Jake," from whom I've frequently taken advice myself . . .

I can't remember where I first saw this. If anybody knows, leave me a comment. ;)

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen

Twittering the Oscars: Keeping It Real

Kathryn Bigelow and team collecting well-deserved awards for "The Hurt Locker." [Photo: Monica Almeda/The New York Times]

There may have been few surprises in the awards, but there was loads of heart.

Kathryn Bigelow was the dark horse favorite, with The Hurt Locker taking home awards for Best Picture and her award as the first woman ever to win for Best Director. 

She finally (finally!) got to trade in ex-husband James Cameron—who was himself the odds-on favorite for both awards—for an even smaller, far more powerful man with whom her name will now forever be associated. And one who doesn't talk to her. Which made her the big winner of the evening in every conceivable way. 

Presenting the Best Director award in a moment destined for Oscar clip history, Barbra Streisand prefaced the announcement with, "Well, the time has come." Babs is the queen of drama—not to be confused with the mere drama-queendom of lesser mortals.

Serving up a boring telecast even by Oscar standards, the real action—and most of the fun—was online where Twitter livened up the show with snarky and insightful commentary:

@kellyoxford So many ex wives feel good right now.

@BorowitzReport Kathryn Bigelow says she got the title "The Hurt Locker" from her marriage to James Cameron.

@rejects "I'm Queen of the World." - The only way Kathryn Bigelow's speech can end.

@jedgarlopez Poor James Cameron, he'll have to cry himself to sleep tonight in his bedsheets made of gold-plated hundred dollar bills.

The best headline came from @newyorkpost: 'Hurt Locker' leaves 'Avatar' Blue; Wins Best Picture.

Seizing the moment, The Women's Media Center—a nonprofit founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem ("Amplifying women's voices. Changing the conversation.")—leveraged Twitter-power for its fundraising. After congratulating Kathryn Bigelow, the organization tweeted:

@womensmediacntr Voice your support for women in film - text WOMEN to 50555 to donate $10 to Women's Media Center

Their message was retweeted by @Janefonda (natch) and dozens of other influencers, reaching hundreds of thousands of potential donors.

From left: Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Kathryn Bigelow, Elizabeth Banks [Photos: The New York Times]

In fashion, the classiest ladies wore silver. Except for the always-appropriate Sandra Bullock, who wore gold to match the guy she took home at the end of the evening. 

A long-time romcom favorite—and clearly an auditorium favorite—who's never before been nominated, Sandy accepted her Best Actress award for The Blind Side asking, "Did I really earn this, or did I just wear you all down?"

The Twitterverse had its own spin on this heartfelt moment:

@weareyourfek Come to think of it, bittersweet night for Keanu Reeves. His Speed co-star and Point Break director reminded him ... he'll never win an Oscar.

Jeff Bridges, Hollywood's hometown boy and the sentimental favorite to win Best Actor for Crazy Heart after a career filled with nominations and near-misses, didn't disappoint. His award brought the Academy to its feet for a raucous standing-O, and his tribute to his parents, whom he thanked for turning him on to a "groovy profession," had everyone reaching for Kleenex.

Except on Twitter:

@popcornreel This just in: Jeff Bridges has officially broken the record for saying "man" the most times in an Oscar acceptance speech.

@JamieKennedy How many people think jeff bridges smoked a lil medical before his speech...anyone?

@thecarpetbagger Jeff Bridges in press room, reflecting on career, immed makes a Lebowski ref: "Well, ups and downs - as the Dude says, strikes & gutters."

@aliarikan Please say "The Dude Abides." Please say "The Dude Abides." Please say "The Dude Abides."

@ebertchicago The Dude Aboded.

A big #OscarFail goes to the Academy for inexplicably omitting Farrah Fawcett from its memorial tribute. As Roger Ebert tweeted, "They have a whole lot of 'splaining to do."

Vanity Fair's Twitter reporters lent some unexpected perspective to the evening's glamour, a point-of-view usually absent from the pandering print pub:

@vanityfairmag The glamorous red-carpet interviewers spend the broadcast wearing overcoats, watching the show on flat-screens.

@vanityfairmag Shirley MacLaine jokingly asked the doorman, "What are we here for, the Writer's Guild Awards?" Close!

Summing up the awards, Twitterers irreverently nailed the zeigeist:

@tinadupuy The Academy Awards should not hand out Oscars for editing until they learn how to edit the Academy Awards.

@phil_rosenthal How come they don't rush through the Oscar credits like they do on every single movie that ever airs on TV?

@weareyourfek Oprah's about to tell everyone in the audience there's an Oscar under their seat.

Live-blogging Oscar, the biggest Oscar winner was clearly Roger Ebert, who graciously thanked the Academy and also remembered the little people:

@ebertchicago http://twitpic.com/17b5ry - I would like to thank the Academy for getting me 6,575 new followers on twitter. And my drama coach, of course.

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen

You're Also Given Who You Are

Remember how your parents and teachers always said, "Just be yourself and you'll be fine"? You probably wished that were true, while shaking your head at getting such bad advice from people who really ought to know better.

One of the keys to personal happiness (and to having fun) is being truly, deeply, flagrantly ourselves. In fact, liberating the best and truest version of ourselves in every moment. The struggle is that we're constantly tempted to adjust who we are—if not sacrifice it altogether—to obtain the approval of others.

This is always a colossal waste of time and energy. Not only is it impossible to please everyone else (or sometimes, to please anyone) but it's a kind of casual self-betrayal that accumulates and accrues over a lifetime.

It's true: The greatest gift we can give ourselves, and the world, is just to relax and be who we are—no negotiation, no regrets. Just be yourself and you'll be fine.

Cindi breaks it down:

I always have to remind myself:  You're not just given a good voice. You're not just given the ability to articulate what you feel.

You're also given who you are. And who you are is part of your instrument. 

And the people who raise you, they're part of your instrument. And your surroundings are also your gift and your muse.

It took me a long time to realize all of that.

—  Cyndi Lauper, 2007, Live . . . at Last

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Twittering vixenish things @WriterVixen