Newsletter Thursday, October 20, 2016

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Thursday, October 20, 2016 [Intro for October 20, 2016] [Angela Y. Davis] Dear Gossips, You have a code with your friends, right? With my best friend Fiona, we don’t even have to be looking at each other and I’ll know if she’s annoyed and she’ll know if I’m uncomfortable. And then we make our moves, whatever moves necessary to extract each other from whatever it is that’s resulted in the deployment of the code. The code works among us in almost every situation. I am one of four co-hosts on a talk show called [The Social] in Canada and all it takes is eye contact, even during a live audience interview, that we have to make an adjustment or skip to another question. Women have been communicating with each other in code forever. Hey, I’m going out tonight. Can you call me in half an hour and if I say “shrimp”, will you pretend to be sick so I can come home, this guy is the worst. A new code went viral this week. And it’s not so secret anymore. “[Ask for Angela]” started in the UK in support of the #NoMore campaign to end sexual violence. Posters were distributed in Lincolnshire clubs and bars encouraging women to approach staff and “Ask for Angela”, code for “I’m with someone who sucks and I need help getting out”. i saw this in a toilet and thought it was important and should be a thing everywhere not just lincolnshire !!!! [pic.twitter.com/oO45I7gaJL] — 🎃 (@iizzzzzi) [October 18, 2016] The response was largely positive, with many on Twitter hoping that the [initiative would spread] to other parts of the country and abroad. It’s outrageous that we need a f-cking code to begin with. That said, it’s important not only that people who need to “Ask for Angela” know that “Angela” is an option but that if you are ever asked about “Angela”, you’re aware of who “Angela” really is, and what it means. This, of course, got me thinking about Duana and her study of names and why our preoccupation with names is more than just, oh this is what I want my baby to be. If you’re an “Angela” out there (hi!), how do you feel about the name association? The choice of “Angela” is obvious. “Angela” is an angel. Sometimes she’ll need to be a guardian. Sometimes she’ll have to be an avenger. If I need you, thank you for being my Angela. If you need me, I’ll always be your Angela. Attached – one of the most badass Angelas of all time, Angela Davis. Have you seen Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th yet? The Angela Davis part is amazing. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:04 PM [Boy Sh-t: Kanye West & Jay-Z] [Kanye West] and [Jay Z] are the Matt and Ben of hip-hop. Their friendship produced Watch the Throne, one the greatest albums in history. Individually, they are legendary artists. Together, they delivered adorable award show moments and classic live performances. I love them both so hard. So much so that there are moments in Kanye and Jay’s friendship that I revisit when I’m having a sh-tty day because they make me smile, without fail. Like this one: [via GIPHY] That was right after Beyoncé epically revealed her pregnant belly at the VMAs. Who says Kanye never smiles? They look SO HAPPY. Well, it looks like those happy days are behind us. Hip-hop Matt and Ben may have broken up and I may never recover. Fans of ‘Ye and Jay have been anxiously awaiting the follow up to their 2011 album. Well, according to Kanye, it’s never coming. Last night at his show in Seattle, Kanye talked about his strained professional relationship with Jay Z. What follows is some complicated boy sh-t that would make Taylor Swift proud so please bear with me. It all started when Kanye asked Jay to appear on a song for Drake’s album. In a leaked version of the song, Jay rapped two half-assed lines but those bars didn’t make it onto the album. The album version of “Pop Style” doesn’t feature Jay or Kanye. Kanye elaborated to say that Jay dropped out of appearing on the song because Jay didn’t want to be on the track “out of respect to Meek Mill.” OK. Remember the [Meek Mill and Drake beef]? Why is Jay siding with Nicki Minaj’s wack-ass boyfriend? Apparently, Meek is signed to Roc Nation. Whatever. I don’t care about Meek Mill. No one does. I care that Kanye and Jay are not only professionally beefing but their personal relationship has also taken a hit. Here’s how Kanye further explained it: “Y’all didn’t get what y’all was supposed to get with me and Drake on this song because of some Tidal/Apple bullsh-t…it went into some Tidal sh-t, some political sh-t, some sh-t about percentages on songs. I can’t take this sh-t, bro! Our kids ain’t never even played together.” Kanye’s latest album and videos have been released on Tidal, Jay’s streaming service. Drake’s album was an Apple Music exclusive. So, it was business. That makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is that both Kanye and Jay are with Tidal, right? So why would that hinder the release of Watch the Throne 2? Revisit the last line of Kanye’s concert rant: “Our kids ain’t never even played together.” Let’s not get it twisted. This is personal. We all know the kids he is referring to. They are Princess Blue Ivy Carter and Style-Icon-in-Training North West (I’m ignoring Saint West because of the age gap). In my day dreams, Blue Ivy and North are best friends who will grow up to join a Destiny’s Child-esque girl group with Riley Curry and bring it all full circle. In my dreams, Beyonce, Jay and Kanye go to PTA meetings together and have family barbeques on Sundays. In reality, their kids don’t even play together. WHAT? I mean, even if I don’t want to admit it, we already knew this. If they were having family barbeques and going to PTA meetings, there would be photographic evidence. I can’t remember the last time ‘Ye and Jay were papped together. Kanye, as he does, kept going about his [tense relationship with Jay]. Of course, he is referring to the robbery where his wife was tied up and held at gun point. Kanye stopped a concert mid-show to rush to his wife’s side after the incident. According to ‘Ye, a phone call from Jay wasn’t enough. Clearly, he’s mad at Jay for not being the big brother he needed in that moment. Kanye wanted Jay Z to show up. He wanted Jay to put aside label BS and hop on a song with his buddy. It’s actually kind of endearing. Kanye seems like the neglected little brother lashing out for attention. Sometimes, I worry that Kanye doesn’t talk to anyone who isn’t in his wife’s family so this whole thing just makes me sad. Where are Kanye’s friends? Finally, I want to say f-ck Tidal. I subscribe to Tidal out of blind devotion to Beyoncé and her husband but it’s not better than Apple Music, which I also subscribe to. Tidal is confusing, annoying and could be [Jay’s biggest failure]. Now, Tidal is responsible for breaking up my favourite Hollywood friendship? And for keeping the heirs of hip-hop royalty from being BFFs? F-ck Tidal. I don’t want to live in a world where Kanye and Jay aren’t growing old together and raising their kids as besties. WHAT ELSE WILL YOU TAKE FROM US 2016? [Source] [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 7:30 PM [You have to watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend] [Rachel Bloom attends the National Breast Cancer Coalition's 16th Annual Les Girls Cabaret at Avalon Hollywood on October 16, 2016 in Los Angeles, California] We are immersed Peak TV, we all know it. There’s so many shows to watch. Westworld? Haven’t touched it. Atlanta? Not yet, dying to see it. Walking Dead? I’m 2 seasons behind and refuse to say I don’t watch it. Mr. Robot and Better Call Saul? Piled up on my PVR. I get it. It would be ridiculous of me to say you have to watch a TV show. But I’m doing it anyway: [you have to watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend]. To give you an idea of how much I love this show, let me start by saying I don’t like musicals. People randomly breaking into song makes me want to hide. When I started the show, I thought that would ruin it for me. I was wrong. The music is DELIGHTFUL. I find myself thinking about the songs for days, laughing to myself, googling “[I Give Good Parent.]” The lyrics are inspired and sometimes riotous. But they are also the clearest, most distinct keys to the characters. When Rebecca’s mom busts into a harping rendition of “[Where’s the Bathroom?]” you know exactly who this woman is. She is the mom who walks into your new apartment armed with insults and a full bladder. And while I don’t want to understate how crucial music is to this show, there is so much more. If you are like me and don’t like musicals, don’t let that scare you away. If you do like musicals, you are probably calling me an idiot and that’s OK, too. The plot is simple: unhappy with her life in New York, Rebecca Bunch randomly bumps into her her teenage flame, Josh Chan, and covertly follows him back to his hometown of West Covina, a generic California town. Once there, she gets a job at a small law firm and works to infiltrate his life with the help of her new friend, Paula. Rebecca, played by [Rachel Bloom], is what people would describe as crazy in the way that contradictory women are often reduced to that word. She’s hyper, sometimes dishonest, delusional, raw, whip-smart, self-loathing, optimistic, self-sabotaging, and infuriating. She’s a feminist and works terms like gender-normative into her everyday conversations while actively trying to break-up a long-term relationship. Rebecca is the friend who impulsively becomes a vegan at lunch or starts a new diet every Monday. She’s also intensely sympathetic and likable, even when she’s breaking into Josh’s apartment to erase a text she accidentally sent him. (Because isn’t that the modern-day nightmare?) She is all of our crazy relationship behaviours laid bare in the light of day. Rebecca is also a ball of conditioned wants, someone who has bought into the idea of fairytales. She is acting out in a way that would be celebrated in a rom-com movie montage but is kind of scary in real life. All those planned run-ins with Josh? It’s technically not lying. It’s romantic serendipity on steroids. After landing in town she’s taken under the wing of Paula, who I sometimes hope is the Tyler Durden of this story -- a figment of Rebecca’s overactive imagination. She incessantly meddles in Rebecca’s life and is extremely invested in Rebecca’s happiness (or the things she thinks will make her happy). But why does Paula believe in her new friend’s fantasy world? She is lonely, bored and unstimulated in her marriage and her home life. She controls Rebecca’s life to make up for a lack of interest in her own. It’s rare to find a TV parent, particularly a mom, who is so utterly disinterested in her children. Paula is angry and pessimistic and in Rebecca she finds hope. That hope hinges on manipulating Josh and pushing his long-term girlfriend Valencia over a (figurative) cliff, but none of that is keeping Paula up at night. (Also, she might be Rebecca’s very own “crazy ex-girlfriend.”) And Valencia – what’s a love story without an obstacle to overcome? She’s the mean and super hot girlfriend (because the barrier to true love is always hot and mean). I thought we weren’t supposed to care about her. For a long time, I didn’t. But watching her try to drag Josh into adulthood made her into a real person. In Rebecca and Valencia, you see two women in their late 20s who are shining in their careers and straining to find someone to share their life with. They are both working toward that magical “all” in having it all, and both think they’ve found it in Josh. Oh Joshy. Rachel Bloom wrote a fictional casting call for Josh and called him “[Tom Cruise.]” He is handsome and nice, the quintessential “good guy.” Josh is a vessel – a goofy, well-intentioned vessel – who Rebecca pours all her hopes and dreams and needs into. He is kind and supportive but he’s also indecisive and simple. Do you hear the way Rebecca strains to laugh at his jokes? Is that someone who can keep her interest for… forever? And what about Greg? He’s pretty funny, in a sarcastic asshole way. Here’s the thing with Greg: he is his own worst enemy in the way that we are supposed to think Rebecca is (but she’s not). He is impotent in his life, both by choice and by design. He dislikes West Covina but has never left. He dicked deadpan Heather (who I love) around while he immaturely pined for Rebecca. He wants to change so badly and is in awe, but a little resentful and suspicious, of the way Rebecca will burn sh-t to the ground to get what she wants. “I Could If I Wanted To” (a song in episode 16) sums it up. He could… if he wanted to. So is Rebecca supposed to wait around for him to “want to?” The worst thing about Greg is that he’s shown that when he’s feeling doubtful and insecure, he will turn that out towards Rebecca. Does she want to spend her life being the brunt of Greg’s frustration? Even if Greg got over his latent rage, it’s hard to see how their neurosis could blend into a healthy relationship. You know how else I know these guys don’t measure up? They are kind of lazy. This is something that isn’t often explored on TV shows, but Josh and Greg are seriously lacking in ambition. Greg half-asses business school and his bartending job because he thinks most things are beneath him; Josh needs Rebecca’s help to fill out an application for Aloha Tech Center. This actually rings true: a 28-year-old woman with a flourishing career and nice apartment is normal. A 28-year-old guy with a couch is considered a catch. That Rebecca and Valencia have expectations of the men in their lives isn’t crazy. (Rebecca booking a ticket to Hawaii to surprise Josh on his boys’ trip: a little crazy.) The craziness comes from the Disney idea of transformative love – Valencia can’t convince Josh to propose, and Rebecca can’t force Josh to acknowledge his feelings. But does trying make them crazy? Or is Josh crazy for being with someone for 15 years and needing “time.” Is Greg crazy for taking his date to a wedding, only to get so drunk he has to be carried out? I know I’m making this sound like the worst love story ever, but that’s because it’s not a love story in the traditional way. Rebecca is the one we are supposed to be rooting for. [Not Rebecca + Josh or Greg]. And Valencia is not the enemy. That point is not implied, it is outright stated in one of the later episodes -- Rebecca is the heroine and the villain of her own story. (Valencia is either Kate Hudson or a princess). Rebecca jumping between Greg and Josh isn’t any crazier than Josh jumping between Valencia and Rebecca. Or Greg jumping between Heather and Rebecca. Confused yet? So are they. But where the men are considered sensitive (Josh) or tortured (Greg), she’s considered nuts. She’s just really enthusiastic! Are you with me yet? Can we make room for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? It’s funny as hell. And unlike some shows (ahem, UnREAL), I don’t think it will have a sophomore slump. Rebecca’s too much of an overachiever for that. She’s not Audra Levine. Who’s Audra? [Oh please]. Season two starts October 21 on CW, October 22 in Canada on Global online. Attached - Rachel Bloom at an event in LA earlier this week. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 6:54 PM [Hugh Jackman’s last ride] [Hugh Jackman out for a bike ride in New York City, October 13, 2016] Before there was RDJ and Iron Man, there was [Hugh Jackman] and Wolverine, the perfect marriage of actor and character. Wolverine is the role that defines Jackman, as versatile a performer as you’ll ever find and yet he’s been Wolverine for sixteen years, which is a long f*cking time to play one character. Usually actors balk at this kind of pigeon-holing, but Jackman has always embraced it. His infectious enthusiasm has done more for superhero movies than anything except the advancement of technology. RDJ can talk about being the guy who opened the door for the Avengers, but Jackman opened the door for superheroes. But even Hugh Jackman has his limits, and he’s announced his intention to retire his mantle. His last appearance as Wolverine will be his third solo movie, Logan. (Supposedly—let’s see if he really sticks to it.) The first trailer for Logan was just released, and it’s PERFECT. This is the second [great superhero trailer] in a row—with so many superhero movies in production, the competition is forcing everyone to raise their game. But the Logan trailer is so good, it’s like a perfect little movie unto itself. It has everything—clear establishment of time, place, and character. It’s the future, in a wasteland, and Wolverine is old enough to actually show it, with graying hair and scars and he’s moving like his joints constantly bother him. This is “Old Man Logan” from the comics, and this far into the future, mutants have been virtually eradicated. But wait! Professor X is still around and he has a little mutant girl that needs protection. The hero refuses the call—“Someone will come along”—and then there’s a rise in action—scary cyborg police!—and then, finally, triumphant resolution. And it’s all set to Johnny Cash’s cover of Hurt, which is a little on the nose but a nice touch because Logan director James Mangold also directed Walk the Line. I think this trailer has just shown us pretty much the whole movie, but it’s so well done I almost don’t care. Jackman has been trying to make the “perfect” Wolverine movie pretty much since he won the role, but he’s been dealing with a studio that is largely indifferent to superheroes. First, there was Tom Rothman—now the head of Sony and Spider-Man—who actively hates superhero movies, but even after he left it wasn’t like Fox suddenly threw open the coffers and hired the best creatives and started minting superhero gold. They’ve never really properly resourced an X-movie, but Jackman hasn’t quit trying. And it looks like he’s finally made the Wolverine movie he’s always wanted, with a grizzled Logan and lots of claw-slicing violence. They’re going for an R rating, which I don’t think Wolverine needs, but f*ck it, it’s Jackman’s last show. Give the man what he wants. And the [red band version] of this trailer does show off some slick action beats. But what I really want to know is …what’s the deal with the little girl? She’s not named in the trailer, but IMDB lists her as “Laura”. And Professor X says she’s “very like” Wolverine. Currently in the comics, Wolverine is a woman named Laura, a genetic clone of Logan. Is this her? Is this THAT Laura? We’ve seen characters get rebooted with new actors, but we’ve yet to see a legacy handoff where a mantle passes between different characters. It would be fitting if it is. Hugh Jackman started this whole thing. Let him be the first to hand it off to a new generation, too. Attached – Hugh riding his bike in New York last week. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:51 PM [The History of Tom Cruise] [Tom Cruise and James Corden on The Late Late Show] Why is [James Corden] so much less annoying than Jimmy Fallon? Why did I ask such an annoying question? Sorry. Another annoying question though: do you think Jimmy Fallon is threatened by James Corden? Does he go around asking people, “Do you think Hugh Jackman likes James Corden more than he likes me?” Last year, Jimmy Fallon got [Tom Cruise] to [lip sync battle on The Tonight Show]. I enjoyed it. Last night, James Corden got Tom Cruise to recreate some of the highlights from his movie career. And I loved it. This kind of segment only really works with a Tom Cruise or a Tom Hanks, because you know the movies. Because the person next to you knows the movies. And few movie stars these days can make that claim. You recognise the escalator from Rain Man, you know the plane from Rogue Nation, and of course, OF COURSE you know the phone call. The SHOW ME THE MONEY phone call. Which is why you can’t help yourself but be delighted by the cameo. You are also delighted in the courtroom. He delivers his lines in the courtroom exactly the way he did in the movie! “I want the truth!” And the reason why there’s no awkwardness here, no stilted Tom Cruiseness that we’ve sadly had to become familiar with over the last decade, is because this entire sketch is completely suited to Tom’s strengths. Tom Cruise has only done one thing consistently the last 30 years: make movies. And what they asked him to do was, essentially, to make a 9 minute movie of his own movies. This is his comfort zone. And this is also why at the very end, for Risky Business, I mean, it’s like no time has passed at all. I’d believe you if you told me he watches this scene of himself every day. And besides, this is totally what they do at their secret little Scientology parties, isn’t it? PS. Joanna wanted some Magnolia in this. I wanted Far & Away. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:30 PM [Six Degrees of….Allison Janney?] [Allison Janney is honored with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 17, 2016 in Hollywood, California] If there is anyone in the world who doesn’t love [Allison Janney], I don’t know about it or they have been sent into deep, deep hiding. Everyone loves her—because she can do everything. Beloved prestige dramas? Of course. Gigantic Chuck Lorre sitcom that’s one of the few shows gaining in viewership? Absolutely. The Kaiser Permanente radio commercials that tell me for sure when I’m in L.A.? EVEN THESE ARE BELOVED. So of course it’s great to hear that she will star in the Broadway revival of [Six Degrees of Separation], alongside John Benjamin Hickey, who I’m going to let you Google, because you’ll go ‘oh, THAT guy!’ Here’s the thing about Six Degrees of Separation though. Ouisa, the role Janney will play, is a juicy part and so is husband Flan. But the juiciest part in this play is Paul, the friend of their son (don’t spoil it), who meets them unexpectedly. The movie version is what first convinced people that [Will Smith] was a real actor who could carry movies, and not just a sitcom star. It’s a demanding role, it has fun and surprises and code-switching – and it’s the kind of part that doesn’t come along that often. So my fascination with this show falls squarely on who gets to play that role—a role that’s career-defining and exciting. The thing is, the character is supposed to be young – so don’t pay any attention to people who suggest Michael B Jordan is right for the part, just because he’s the most prominent young black actor they can think of. I hope this role goes to an unknown, someone so powerful and talented that they become a household name after starring in a play that only a fraction of a percent of people have actually seen. Call it the Lin-Manuel Miranda effect. Except… Okay, call me crazy, but you know who IS kind of the right age (barely), and who I would have totally struggled against until I watched The Get Down? Who would generate all kinds of media traffic and column inches and who, I have to say, can probably totally do the job? Maybe? [Jaden Smith]. I would never have thought it before, but the kid does have presence! Imagine that, considering his genetics…but I was still surprised. I know. I know!! I don’t like that kind of cutesy Like Father Like Son stuff, and probably the expectations are too much, and why should he get a job just because of a weird nostalgia factor instead of some hugely talented unknown who has probably just graduated from Juilliard Drama and will absolutely bowl us over, and we shouldn’t even think of Jaden Smith, just like I don’t want to hear it in 10 years when Hazel Moder wants to play Shelby in a remake of Steel Magnolias… Still, it’s intriguing. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. Attached - Allison Janney honoured with her star on the Walk of Fame this week and Jaden Smith out in LA with friends. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:05 PM [Privacy Policy] - [Unsubscribe]