I remember when Legally Blonde came out in theaters a several years ago, and the movie’s heroine, Elle Woods, became a cultural phenomenon for putting her perky little nose to the grindstone, suiting up in pink, and doing something that most women could never dream of…being feminine and succeeding in…
You had to know that David Bowie’s son was not going to be an accountant. It doesn’t make sense that a child brought up in the swinging ’70s by a free-wheeling, cross-dressing dude who took on new personas as a matter of course would let all that inspiration go to…
Larry David and Woody Allen are a match made in heaven–both were standup comedians and are neurotic, self-involved, borderline misogynists who have made a career out of being neurotic, self-involved, borderline misogynists. David has made a fortune creating characters that are mean, selfish and just generally nasty. And Woody Allen…
New York City has traditionally been a mecca of sorts for American artists. But more and more, you hear about artists settling in Texas. Marfa boasts a community of artist transplants. Austin and Houston both have a draw for creative folks looking for something a little different than the hustle…
Exhibit curators are an underappreciated group of people. We know going into an art gallery or a museum that the artists are responsible for what we see around us, but I think we often forget that the curators are responsible for how we see it. And honestly, the context of…
It’s a pretty well agreed-upon fact that if the State of Texas charged a dollar for every tacky, big-haired, drawling, cow-tippin’ Texan stereotype portrayed in the media, we’d run a surplus forever. Texas outsiders have been responsible for some pretty egregious depictions of our fair state throughout the years (and…
The World War II veteran is a storied and legendary figure in our history: a maverick, tough-talking soldier who battled through all manner of hardships to keep his country safe from a multitude of threats between 1941 and 1945. And although every Memorial Day sees all-day marathons of war flicks…
Not since Christina Crawford dropped her Mommie Dearest bombshell has a mother-daughter relationship been as testy as Tori and Candy Spelling’s. I don’t see Candy Spelling going all Joan Crawford on her blond progeny with a wire hanger or anything, but based on all of the tabloid back-and-forths, these women…
Gender is a comedy mainstay for a simple reason: It can be boiled down, packaged into neat little stereotypes and fed to audiences anxious to validate their behavior in the name of inborn sex traits. Ha ha, ladies–men are stupid oafs unable to process any emotion more complex than hunger…
Gender is a comedy mainstay for a simple reason: It can be boiled down, packaged into neat little stereotypes and fed to audiences anxious to validate their behavior in the name of inborn sex traits. Ha ha, ladies–men are stupid oafs unable to process any emotion more complex than hunger…
Joan Crawford gives adoption a bad, bad name. When Christina Crawford was taken in by the movie star in 1940, it appeared that the little girl was destined for a life of glamour and privilege. Little did anyone know that her adoptive mother ruled over the household with intense fury…
Exhibit curators are an underappreciated group of people. We know going into an art gallery or a museum that the artists are responsible for what we see around us, but I think we often forget that the curators are responsible for how we see it. And honestly, the context of…
I have an embarrassing story that involves Bryan Adams. Actually, I think most people that have any story at all regarding the Canadian singer would characterize it as embarrassing, but I digress. It is 1991. I am at our local record store at our local mall, and I am charged…
I recently started running again, after a hiatus that’s been longer than I’d like to admit. A few months ago, the extent of my calorie-burning activities consisted of walking from my table to the jukebox at the Lakewood Landing, but now I actually look forward to my runs and enjoy…
Twenty-four hours is not a lot of time. Though Kiefer Sutherland can make it seem like an eternity, the rest of us often struggle to get through mundane tasks in the constraints of a day. Just when we think we’re making headway…boom, night falls, the day’s over, and we’re still…
If I was hard-pressed to name a famous ballet star, I’d default to Mikhail Baryshnikov. And though he is probably one of the greatest dancers of the Twentieth Century, I have a hard time seeing him as anything but the total doucher he played on Sex and the City. But…
If you’re going to go see a movie in an outdoor venue, like, say…a park, it’s best to choose a film that is more style than substance. Because ultimately, you’re not really going for the movie, and anything but fluff is going to kill the vibe and make it impossible…
There’s something so optimistic and buoyant about baseball that I can’t give up on it, no matter how many times Jose Canseco opens his mouth. Our Texas Rangers are a good case in point. Every time I want to give up on them, something fantastic happens–like Ian Kinsler hitting for…
Despite the fact that consumerism is not terribly hip right now, sprinkle it with a dose of nostalgia and it never goes out of style. Neiman Marcus has a corner on that market here in Dallas, a result of cultivating unique style and commitment to community that puts the department…
American movie-goers have a complicated relationship with the musical. While we have no trouble accepting wholly unrealistic plotlines in superhero sagas or supernatural gore fests, if someone breaks into song, we’re out. Music is a perfect medium for storytelling, and though spontaneously performing an elaborate number in the middle of…
I’ve spent most of my life going to shows. I’ve seen almost every band I’ve ever loved and racked up a huge box full of ticket stubs from every venue in Dallas and beyond. It’s the closest thing I have to a hobby. But every hobby needs a little refresher–I…
There is one play I’ve seen in my lifetime that has stuck with me more than any other. I talk about this performance almost every time I discuss theater with someone, because I retched and gagged my way through a scene in the play and had to leave the theater…
