Pat's Guide to Staying Pop Culturely Relevant

I've had a fun week sharing some of my fave bits and bobbles from around the web and on the tube. Thanks to Justin for letting me "plus one" and for the rest of you for only moderately destroying me for not liking Glee.

For my farewell post I'd like to share my 5 tips for staying relevant in the world of pop culture. If you wanna look cool around the office or know what people's random Facebook status updates are about then you should make sure to check these off each day/week.

Watch 30 Rock
I already said that it's the best show on TV, but you seriously need to be watching it. If you're not watching on television add it to your queue on Hulu (and if you're not using Hulu, get with the program.) There are so many catch phrases and cameos to talk about each week you'll feel left out if you're not watching.

Read PerezHilton.com
You don't have the like the dude (heck, I don't) but when it comes to celeb news and gossip there is no one faster on the draw. You don't have to necessarily read or care about everything he posts, but you should zip through the entries a few times a day to stay on top of things.

Watch The Soup
If for no other reason than Joel McHale's awesomeness, you should be watching The Soup to keep up on the week's best TV clips and blunders. Forget having to DVR everything, The Soup will serve it all back to you with added hilarious commentary.

Watch Every YouTube Link
And read/click on every like anyone sends you. It might get tedious, but you don't want to be the idiot who misses out of the next David After Dentist or Kittens Inspired By Kittens.

Use Twitter
Using Twitter will help you maintain all of the above items. But, if you're going to use Twitter please use it smartly. Follow the right people, share links, click on others and participate. One of the biggest faux pas you can make on Twitter is to make noise without listening to others.


Hope this was helpful and that you enjoyed all of my media-related posts.

Do you have any other items to add? Please share!

When Jersey Shore Castoffs Find Work At Disney

Justin just posted about the Pitiful Little Princess so I had to share my own YouTube gem with you. I wrote about this on my blog a while ago but it's seriously too good not to share.

This clip comes from a family who attended one of those character meals at Disney World. They were video taping a few of the characters from Pinocchio dancing with the children and having fun, but Gideon the cat totally steals the show.

Not sure if the person inside the cat suit was some club drug-laced cast-off from the Jersey shore or a dedicated Disney cast member determined to make you remember the oft-forgotten cat. Either way, the clip is comedy gold.



So, after watching the clip a few hundred times I'd like to suggest you re-watch it with the following notes:

1. Why is Cascada being played at a Disney function? Shouldn't these characters be dancing to songs like "Under the Sea" and "Hakuna Matata"?
2. The fist pumping around :25 is just fantastic
3. Please watch the reaction of the wolf character around :38 when he finally gets a glimpse of Gideon.
4. The highly-inappropriate motions at :52
5. The final cape work and pose at the end

Please tell me you had the same reaction that I did when you watched. Also, if you like these clips, be sure to watch the related videos on the clip, especially "Ms. Pots Takes a Dive."

Pitiful Little Princess

My friend Mark shot me over this video the other day - an instructional narrative for throwing your own Magical Princess Party. It really is so creepy - especially because the creators didn't INTEND for it to be creepy. I sometimes feel the less you try to make something creepy or funny, the creepier or funnier it becomes.

Beyond creepy, it's also just so sad - this poor actress playing Princess Gwendolyn, overwhelmed by someone's backyard, standing next to that sorry castle, the poor voiceover guy with his odd giggle and strange Adam West cadence , the poor girl whose princess party is lamer than anything I've ever seen.

And then I wonder - what's the context of this video? Who watched it? Did they take the Princess Fairy's advice? Because there's nothing magical or royal about this party. Nothing.

So scary. So odd. So depressing. Perhaps they should have thought to hire me to shoot their "Princess Party" video. I would have at LEAST used a better special effect than the ripple transition.

Also of note:

1. Narrator's laugh creeps me out to death.

2. That shot of the dog licking the cake is far too long. Uncomfortable.

3. God is anyone else DEPRESSED after seeing this party? I'd hang myself with my own princess dress.

4. The singing. Why is she a magical singing fairy princess? Bad. Scary!

'The Real Housewives of New York City' Bonus Goodies

I'm very, very sad that this season of The Real Housewives of New York City has come to an end (although Housewives of NJ is pretty tragic), so I was very happy to find this awesome cartoon titled "Ode to The Real Housewives of NYC" by KCSCougar. Check it out...



The Bethenny and Kelly parts are my fave ("omg you're craaaazy!") I also like this clip of the always hilarious Bethenny doing some shopping for MySpace Fashion. Wait for the "this section is up here, my section is down there" and "so, that just happened" clip.




Who's your favorite Housewife?

I'm Falling for a Frog

Yesterday Pat gave a good thrashing to everything I held dear - namely musicals, and most likely Glee (I haven't seen it yet, but my friends told me they actually WEEPED during the episode).

Today I am going to talk about something else that excites me that I'm sure Pat will hate. And that is the upcoming Disney movie, Princess and The Frog. For the past decade, it seems, Disney went down a long and scary road - abandoning their enchanting classics for a shit streak of movies I am too beaten down by to recall.


They gave up hand drawn movies filled with gorgeous Menken music for stupid movies with badly rendered cartoon computer characters. A whole generation of Mickey kids were legitimately fucked out of the magic I experienced as a kid - The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast.

In fact, the movies that WERE released were so bad that you might notice parents showing their kids the movies of MY generation, or even their generation. It got to a point where I feared Disney was gone. I'd have my old movies, and never any others. I found enchantment in Pixar and reveled in their quasi distribution connection to Disney.

But then Disney shocked the fuck out of me. They created Enchanted - a very risky marriage of animation and real life that could have fallen flat on its face. Luckily for all of us, Enchanted was pure magic. It was the closest thing to that old time Disney that I had seen since old time Disney.



And now, we have this movie. The Princess and the Frog. Judging from the almost apocalyptic trailer intro, a roll call of the greatest Disney movies of all time, Disney is going all in with this movie. It's not hand drawn, unfortunately - but this new computer technology that they are using certainly LOOKS like it's hand drawn.

It's also Disney's first ever black Princess (Jasmine doesn't count, she was Arab, I believe?) And she's played by Anika Noni Rose! Who I love, despite the fact that one of my friends named his Aneros sex toy after her.

So you know what, Disney? Sure you've bruised and battered me with your stupid, STUPID movies over the past bunch of years. But Enchanted gave me hope. And you know what? That hopeful kid in me never died. So I'll take the bait. I'm going to expect nothing but magic, spectacle, and enchantment from The Princess and the Frog.

I can't wait to see it!

Betty White & Ryan Reynolds Have It Out

Great "behind the scenes" clip from The Proposal by FunnyOrDie.com. What is there not to like about anything starring Betty White and Ryan Reynolds?

Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds: Behind the Scenes of The Proposal from Betty White

If The Proposal is even half as funny as this I'm all over it.

A TV Show That I Won't Watch

I'm probably going to get drawn and quartered for saying this, but I'm a new gay (not an old gay or a new old gay) and I am not a fan of musicals, karaoke, people singing their feelings or any combination of the three.

Following part one of this year's American Idol finale FOX is debuting their new, highly-anticipated-by-everyone-but-me show Glee at 9pm tonight. The show is described as a "musical comedy-drama (I just flat lined) about the misfits who make up a high-school glee club." Check out the trailer if you're unfamiliar...



It's like the plot of Bring It On mixed with American Pie with like... SINGING. I don't know what it is about non-rock star people singing that makes me so uncomfortable, but it seriously makes me squirm. Heck- I was in many a musical in high school and college, but the people who took it so seriously really chapped my ass.

I'm sure this show is going to be fantastic, and will tap into the sing-along-loving audience left empty now that Idol is almost over, but I honestly think this is one of the very few shows on television that I really can't even consider watching. I'll watch New York Goes to Work over Glee. I think I might be mentally ill.

Are you guys going to watch this show? I guess it looks mildly appealing, but I am way too easily cheesed out to give it a shot.

Let the lynching begin.

Jesus, Take the Idol!

Following on the heels of Pat's post this morning about American Idol, here comes another one!

Turns out that, if you believe in Jesus, you already know that that-not-gay-and-already-married-23-year-old-crucifix-wearing guy, whatever his name is...

Saint MaryJosephJesus Clarkson McAiken, or something,

is going to take the crown (not of thorns! blasphemy!)

Why? Because Bill O'Reilly said so! And so did this other weird dude. And clearly, when it comes down to a fag or a bible banger, the bible banger wins.

Because everything comes down to religion. Nope! That does too! Yes, and that. Those things also. And the things you're about to suggest? Those too. Religion is everything. Persecution is everything. It's gay marriage. It's Miss America. And now it's the American Idol finals.

And if Adam Lambert wins, it will be a hate crime against a Christian's right to win everything because he or she is a Christian.

And because Jesus never gets a busy signal when the voting begins.

Street Spotted: Pussy Head

Pat's last post about American Idol got me thinking about how much I hate American Idol. The fact that he assumed I enjoyed Idol is almost as disturbing as the recent pattern of strangers assuming that I'm a bottom.

What is it that I'm doing differently these days that makes people think I take it up the ass while cheering on Glambert!?

Anyway, I hate Idol. But what I DO love are the idols that walk our streets every days. Your non-quite-run-of-the-mill crazies that you come upon in the many neighborhoods of NYC.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to catch this guy while I had my FLIP Mino HD on my person. I've seen him before and never had the chance to nab a video of him.

Anyway, I more than salute his smart tactic for getting money. He walks around with this cat perched on his head and, when you whip out your camera he nails you with a dollar request. You can hear his pitch in this video.

And yes, I gave him the dollar. I feel like it was worth it.



Oh and after I stopped shooting, the guy told me to post that the cat's name is Charlie. So there you go, I held up my end of the bargain.

Allen or Glambert? Who Will Take Idol Crown?

Are you chumps watching American Idol? I don't particularly enjoy Idol (or anything involving people singing karaoke/musicals... sorry, gays), but because it is in my civic duty to be knowledgeable about every single show that is currently on television I make sure to keep up to date with the latest eliminations, scandals and speculations.

You AI watchers know that night one of the finale is tonight, so who do you think is going to take it all this year? The one that is probably gay or the one that you wish was gay? I'll give you a minute to sort out the two.


Finalists Kris Allen and Adam Lambert
I have to say that my prediction is that Mr. Adam Lambert is going to win. Honestly, I don't really like his wailing week after week, but I think he's unique and special enough to come out on top. I'm a little terrified to think of the kind of music he'll put out, but at least it won't be more muddled folk pop like Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson and the rest, which is the direction it seems Kris Allen's career is headed.

Now, I do think Mr. Allen is quite talented and charming and handsome and married too young and could do way better than his current wife, but I don't know if he stands a chance against The Glambert. Maybe if Allen had been on another season (like the horrific Taylor Hicks-filled season 5) he would easily win, but this one is going to be pretty close.

Do you guys even watch Idol? Who are you rooting for? Which one would you rather makeout with? If Adam lost a little bit of bloat and put down the foundation I'd give him a chance, but right now I'm picking Kris.

When Plus One Alums Attack (with HILARITY!)

Every month in NYC there is a fantastic stand-up show called Closet Cases.

In it, superstar gay headliner comics take to the stage to share the private hilarity of their coming out experiences. The host of the show is none other than Plus One Alum, Shawn Hollenbach - one of the funniest gay men I know (read, he's just as disgustingly hilarious as Plus One Alum, Adam Lehman, whom I also adore.)

Well this past week Shawn invited me to see Closet Cases at The PIT (where I completely, and totally randomly crashed into Plus One Alum Sarah Pappalardo - crazy!)

I, in return for the free ticket and VIP treatment, created a web promo/ video flyer for the show.

Take a quick look at the Closet Cases piece, and hear some funny-ha-ha from Shawn Hollenbach, Lisa Kaplan, H. Alan Scott, Gloria Bigelow, and Vidur Kapur!

Will Ferrell brings the funny

Pat,

I couldn't agree with you more. Indeed, if anyone on this planet is not a fervent, wild fan of 30 Rock, they are indeed total idiots. There is no funnier show on television. And every day that I enjoy its brilliance there is a brief moment where I fear - omigod - how much longer will the show avoid the Arrested Development curse?

Since debuting on November 2, 2003, the series received six Emmy awards, one Golden Globe, critical acclaim, a cult fan base, several fan-based websites, and a spot on Time Magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time.^[1][2] Despite the approval from critics, Arrested Development never climbed in the ratings. Fox aired the final four episodes of the third season in a block as a two-hour series finale on February 10, 2006, opposite the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics. (wikipedia)

Knowing this has happened before to a brilliant show, I sweat as the ratings come out. I break into neighbors' apartments and set their DVRs to record the show (on HD AND regular channels). Because with every passing episode, 30 Rock gets that much more amazing. In two years I imagine we will need to watch the show with adult diapers because we will be laughing to the point of incontinence.

Okay, that's gross. But still, I can see it happening.

Of course, the key difference here is that Arrested Development was on FOX and they fuck everything up, throwing shows into odd time slots and switching them without bothering to tell the viewership, not putting the correct muscle behind the show... NBC, on the other hand, and Mr. Lorne Michaels, seem to have the right idea here. So I'm not AS worried.

Any way since we're bringing the funny this morning, I figured I'd share with you a few clips from this past weekend's season finale of Saturday Night Live. Hosted by Will Ferrell, the show featured more cameos than I think the program has ever welcomed on.

My favorite bit would have to be the triumphant return of Celebrity Jeopardy. And I don't care WHAT the fan boys say - it was one of the best. Sure, Kristin Wiig's Kathy is getting a little tired. But the cameo by ACTUAL Tom Hanks? And the surprise drop-by of Norm MacDonald (where the fuck has HE been?)

Yeah. It was great.

"That's A Deal-Breaker, Ladies!"

Hey, everyone! I'm going to start off my week as a "plus one" by making a lofty (yet probably accurate) claim and say that if you are not watching 30 Rock then you are stupid.

OK, so now that that's out of the way, please watch this clip from last week's season finale and laugh. Liz and Jenna have to go on a Tyra-like show called Vontella where they answer audience members' relationship questions based on the "That's a deal-breaker, ladies!" sketch.



The "fruit blindness" quote was probably my favorite. How many times have you seen a questionable guy with a mismatched girlfriend (omg I love asking "mismatch?" about couples) but never had a word for it? Thank you, 30 Rock.

Can Tina Fey please be my friend in real life? I want to go to there!

Meet Pat Sandora!

Okay, this is going to be a good week, friends. It's not every day that you can persuade the owner of an already popular (and busy) blog to come aboard and undergo the torment and chaos that is Justin Plus One.

Last week I persuaded Dan Leveille, Twitter and social media superstar, to give the Plus One thing a shot. And this week, success again!

I am super excited to introduce you to this week's Plus One, Pat Sandora, the owner of ABlogAboutThings.com, which happens to be one of my favorite blogs to read (and it soon will be yours, too!)

So please, welcome Pat aboard and get ready for a damn good time.

xoJR

My Name:
Pat Sandora

My Location:
New York City
My Site/ Sites:
http://ablogaboutthings.com
http://twitter.com/patsandora
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=60900135

What I might post about:
Television, Music, Movies, Web junk, New York City, interesting news, things that annoy me

What I love:
Television, Music, Movies, Web junk, New York City, interesting news, things that annoy me (yes, these are the same)

What I hate:
Pickles, mustard, being late and people who are late, slow walkers, Andy Rooney

My Last Word:
I’m a Pittsburgh native who has lived in NYC for almost four years working in television and the web. Basically obsessed with TV and media in general. I hate surprises and I read every spoiler to every show, movie and concert out there because I can’t stand not knowing information that other people already know. So if there’s something cool out there I should see you better show me!

This Week's Wrap Up

Well, it's been a fun week here at Justin Plus One! Let's recap some of the exciting things that happened this week.

We discovered...

...an amazing "Boytographer" (and coined the term!)

...that New Hampshire's Govenor said he'd sign the Gay Marriage Bill, with revisions

...a Chris Crocker Wannabe

...that Lost sucks

...that Taylor Swift's male friend is cute, but he's a bit into himself

...some home shopping and work out video failures

...that simply adding sound can change a video quite a bit!

...some great lyrics and gay quotes

So it was a lot of fun and thanks for everyone's comments and contribution! 

I'd like to end with this:

Just Call Me Score-Gay-See

I have said it before, and I'll say it again. I am in LOVE with my FLIP Mino HD camera. I bought it on a whim earlier this year and already I am practically married to it. It's smaller than my cell phone and captures high-def video and plugs right into my computer for editing.

But, beyond the normal reasons I just mentioned - this camera has done so much more for me. It has become a bartering tool that has gotten me VIP access to events (Plus One Alum Shawn Hollenbach's Miss Fag Hag pageant this coming Sunday, for instance.)

It's gotten me strong networks with NYC nightlife promoters like Plus One Alum Chris Ryan and future Plus One, Akash Abraham.

I've seen free comedy shows, free one-man shows, and free sex shows (or at least it's let me have good looking guys over my apartment to practically strip on my bed).

Needless to say, I feel that FLIP should hire me as their spokesman. I have nothing but amazing things to say about their product. Now I'm just waiting for a new Mino HD that has 2 or 3 hours of recording time, instead of just one.

In the meantime, I'd love to present to you my latest masterwork, done for Chris Ryan and his Rewind Wednesday party at Ritz Bar and Lounge in Hell's Kitchen. From 20 minutes of footage I cobbled together this lean and mean 2-minute piece.

Hope you enjoy!

xoJR

Johnny Lopera: An Amazing Boytographer

It's my last day here at Justin Plus One, and I enjoyed blogging.

I wanted to feature an amazing photographer that I came across recently. Enjoy :)

Photos via flickr, johnnylopera.com.

Nobody Beats the Wondergirls!

What do you get when you bring together the Dreamgirls, the Spice Girls, and the popularity of Beyonce's Single Ladies?

Why, you get the Wondergirls!

A few weeks back I posted a video of some police officers doing a crazy dance to a catchy non-American pop song. If only I knew it was the tip of the iceberg. Blog Buddy Kareem of Blackout Blog has been doing dogged research and found a bunch of info on this group.

First, here's the actual music video for the song "Nobody." It's very Chicago/Dreamgirls-y...


And, much like Single Ladies, "Nobody" launched a million imitation ships. But, unlike American versions of Single Ladies (Shane Mercado notwithstanding) all of these are very impressive!

Young High School Gays


Thai Boys in Ties


Police Officers


And even an ACOUSTIC AMERICAN version


Oh, and if you're hooked on the song like me and my friends... you can find Nobody on iTunes (and yes, I've already bought it).

xoJR

New Hampshire Governor: I'll Sign Gay Marriage Bill, But After Revisions

Well it seems that John Lynch, Governor of New Hampshire (my home state) finally explained what he would do about the Gay Marriage bill today.

He doesn't want to sign it - YET. Because the wording of the bill seems to force religious groups to conduct same-sex marriage cermonies.

According the the Boston Globe:

Lynch said the bill approved by the New Hampshire House and Senate did not do enough to assert that churches and other religious groups would not be forced to conduct "marriage ceremonies that violate their fundamental religious beliefs."

Lynch says: "If the Legislature passes this language, I will sign the same-sex marriage bill into law. If the Legislature doesn't pass these provisions, I will veto it. We can and must treat both same-sex couples and people of certain religious traditions with respect and dignity. I believe this proposed language will accomplish both of these goals and I urge the Legislature to pass it."

So it seems that New Hampshire may be State #6 - with New York potentially right behind! New York State Assembly passed a bill a few days ago. It awaits the senate's approval. Once the Senate approves it, the Govenor WILL sign it. He's already stated that he wants to sign it.

The song sung round the world

With YouTube clogged with folks like Connor Jon, which Plus One Dan posted about last night,

(sigh)

it's always a blessing to find something beautiful, emotionally touching, and meaningful.

Enter this global recording of the song Stand By Me. Done in a "digital" studio. One song featuring artists from every corner of the world who never once got together to perform. It is quite evident that this was a complicated production to stage - which speaks to the drive and passion of the team who made it possible.

From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music," comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. The producers took the resulting mix all through Europe, Africa, and South America, adding new tracks with multiple instruments and vocals, which were assembled into this final final version -- all done with a simple laptop and some microphones.

Enjoy!

Chris Crocker Wannabe: Connor Jon

I've always been disgusted with Chris Crocker. We all know that he gives gays a bad reputation, etc, etc. And we all know he sinks the lowest of the lows. But what made my jaw drop last night was when I found a "wannabe" named Connor Jon

How can you be a Chris Crocker Wannabe?!

I don't understand. What makes people want to incoheriently blab on about their life without making any sense? They always feel like they're a victim to everyone's hate. But Chris Crocker, and this wannabe, go over the top - and classifying them as psyco is an understatement.

They're obviously attention-hungry, but they really go to an extreme.

Are we wrong for laughing at their mental problems? Where are this boys parents? Do they know he acts like this?

What do you think is wrong with them? What makes them want to be like this?

Any explinations? Leave them in the comments:

Get LOST. No, seriously please go away already.

So in case you're living in a subterranean cave or you lost your head during the first gulf war and had it replaced with a melon, you are aware that tonight is the series finale of Lost.

Whoops.

Thank heavens for fact-checking. The Lost fans (do you call them LOSErs?) in my office have told me that I'm getting a bit too hopeful - today is not the SERIES finale of Lost. Merely the SEASON finale of Lost.

Dammit. Well, that blew my load - clearly you know where I stand on this TV show. So much for a catchy/quirky/silly intro and segue! Well now that you know, I'll just go ahead and say it.

I

Hate

Lost!

I'll give you a few reasons, but you can find a ton more at this 10 Reasons Why Lost Sucks web page or this recent article Why Lost Sucks This Season on Film.com. It's comforting to know I'm not totally ALONE in my distaste for the program.

However, I didn't always think that Lost sucks, mind you. I was in fact a HUGE LOSEr back in the day - through seasons 1 and 2. Back then there was direction, there was intrigue, there was drama and Ian Somerhalder.

God I'd watch him painting the side of a barn. Or I'd paint the barn for him if he promised to watch me labor intently.

But then something bad happened - Lost became extremely popular. Now, in other countries (UK, I'm looking at you!) it doesn't matter how popular a non-reality, non-sitcom program becomes. It is contracted for a set amount of time - the arc the story, and then it is gone. Think of The Office. Or recent US arrival, Summer Heights High. Or think about Extras, which Ricky Gervais produced for us Yanks using the old rule book.

Why is this? Because when the story is written, it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. This way writers are able to make the story cohesive, ensure that it moves forward at the right place, and that all symbols and pitfalls are foreshadowed and in the right place.

Well I am of the camp that believes Lost would have been amazing if it hadn't been extended as far as it was. Because, once the writers told that the show might go on indefinitely, they probably shat their pants. They knew the ending! The story was perfectly set and organized to REACH that ending.

Now the fat cats were telling them to extend it. To pad the story. To streeeeetch it out. This started happening, I'll say, in season 3. It wasn't until halfway through that the sinews began to split. Creating what I have come back to and then promptly turned from in disgust 5 times now.

Lost is a hodgepodge of meaningless flashbacks given meaning in further meaningless flashbacks. Questions are pulled out of thin air to give us something to ask about and wonder about. Every time I turn it on (once a season, usually) they are so deep in a story quagmire that it's impossible to think it's that same group of Losties I loved so much in season 1.

Hatches give way to ghosts give way to getting off the island gives way to being still on the island, having a book club. When the story wanes, new random characters randomly appear on the island. New mysterious doors magically appear in mountains or trees. Someone has a flashback where they learn that the guy we though was their brother in season 3 is actually their murderer in the future.

Yes, for the past few seasons Lost has sustained its fan base by fucking shit up, unfucking it up, and refucking it up continuously.

No thank you.

But, I'll admit this: I may start watching again next season. I'll bet this season that a lot of "questions" are being answered, and things may be tying more closely back to season one and "starting to make sense." That is because we are drawing closer still to the ending that the writers originally created ever so many years ago.

In fact, I won't be surprised if next season is absolutely butt-sexingly fantastic. It'll be the ending in all its glory that I was looking for halfway through season 2 when they started getting locked up in monkey cages and having flashbacks about absolutely nothing.

So enjoy your finale tonight, LOSErs. I'll rejoin your ranks for the next, and thankfully final, season.

xoJR

Taylor Swift, What Have You Done to Me?

Once upon a time I was a true romantic. I watched movies like Trick and dreamed of being swept off my feet by a gogo boy played by John Paul Pitoc. I would get moony-eyed over any cute guy that passed me by. I wrote love stories starring me and straight boys that I went to High School with.

Of course, after 3+ years living in New York City, luckily this dumbly romantic part of me has wizened up. Now, do NOT call me cynical. I still believe in romance - I just now know what real romance is, and what Disney-created fantastical love is.

But then along comes this new video for "You Belong with Me," by Taylor Swift. I never gave this girl a listen. I actually thought she was a boy because I heard people say her name and never bothered to Google.

But damn this video. It's the cutest fantasy Disney-style love story I've seen since Aladdin. The super cute (and hopefully for my own moral sake, super legal) football boy in it is positively dreamy - even though maybe a bit too made up in the prom scene.

Update: Thanks to Plus One Dan Leveille, we now know that the dreamboat football player is actor Lucas Till of the Hannah Montana movie. And he's older than 18. So I feel a bit better. And because Dan is a better stalker than me, we also now know that Lucas Till has a Twitter.

And god bless the boy, he's as dumb as a bag of boxes. With tweets like "Off to Target, I hope I meet some fans! :))" Yes. Because what you want are fans taking advantage of the lawn chair fire sale at Target... Oh well, I'll follow him any way.

The song is cute, the chorus catchy and country, and the lyrics are totally high school.

And I can't stop watching it. I get this warm, mushy feeling inside of me that makes me remember those days gone by where I met men on Planetout and imagined them taking me away instead of trying to take my pants off.

It makes me want to rewind time and go back to High School. Of course it also makes me want to be Taylor Swift because I doubt that this boy would go gay, even if I did the same costumed dance that she did.

And yes, the director makes the same foul made fun of in Not Another Teen Movie - "Hey, let's make Taylor Swift ugly - I know! Big square glasses and a paint splattered t-shirt!" Yeah, not buying it. Also, did anyone else notice that they intelligently cast a not-so-hot cheerleader bitch girlfriend. She has the hot ingredients, but it's like the chef fucked up the spices and stirred the pot a bit too much.

Okay, enough of that. Just watch the video and get romantic - even if just for a few minutes.

xoJR

Amazing Photos That Defy Gravity

This weeks posts have mostly revolved around video. So I wanted to switch it up a bit and post about photos. When I found this photo (right) by bennehboy, I fell in love with it.

Photos that make you say "How did they do this?!" are my favourite. It makes you wonder if the photographer faked it, photoshopped it or just happened to capture an amazing moment.

I went on to compile some photos from deviantART defying gravity.

Enjoy! :)

Home Shopping Fails

Last night Plus One Dan provided us hilarity with a bunch of exercise video bloopers. And who am I not to play my hand in response? The only place that has funnier (read more painful and/or awkward) bloopers than exercise videos is SHOP AT HOME.

The following videos are funny, painful, brilliant, scary, and some of them you may have seen. And for all we know, some of the people in them could be dead right now.

Oh, and they're all better than that piece of shit book Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs. That was just plain tragic.


Ninja Sword Blooper


Ladder Blooper


Another Ladder Fail


Horse/Butterfly Blooper


Back to the Future Blooper


Christmas Chair Blooper

Work Out Video Failures

Justin captured some great lyrics this morning, but I'd like to point out that some songs have HORRIBLE lyrics. A few days ago Nicky Ip showed me this "Jazzercize" dance video. The more I watch it, the more it makes me cry tears of laughter:



So I went on a search to find some ridiculous work out / dance videos. Here's what I found:

Can you guess what's going to happen here?


Apparently this woman is stretching her face muscles.


And then there's the classic "take anything you want" video:


If you liked these, you may also like Justin's Dance Break post. :)

Know of any other videos? Leave a comment! :)

Added Sound, Additional Fury

Since the days when I would go to see horror movies with my ears covered, I have known that sound plays so very much into our perception of things. Others would close their eyes but I realized it wasn't what I was seeing that was scaring the poop out of me - I mean, what's SO scary about some dead girl with stringy hair walking down a staircase backwards like a crab?

No, it was the weird wet sloshy growling noise coming out of her rotting mouth that gave me the heeby jeebies.

Online these days, people are creating fantastically addictive transformations of familiar scenes and shows with slight soundtrack edits. It's really interesting, actually - how just changing the music or adding a sound effect can completely change the mood of a scene.

First, the funny - where this scene from Pretty Woman is made hilarious (in a 4th grade sorta way) by a single sound effect:



Next, from endearing and ha-ha funny (with racial undertones) to legitimately creepy, here's Diffrent Strokes with a Creepy Soundtrack


And finally, just slightly odd, here's a serious scene from one of my favorite shows, The Wire with the addition of a Laugh Track

Don't Quote Me

Dan,

I loved your last post on gay quotes. I, too, am a huge fan of quotes. In fact they sorta play big into my day-to-day life. I'm often evoking the words of others, whether in my Facebook status messages, in the columns and blogs I pen, or even my everyday discussions. Until last year I would say that about 75% of the words that came out of my mouth were actually stolen from The Simpsons.

These days, I'd say about 50% of what I say is from The Simpsons.

Below are a few quotes that I positively adore, all from music. Whether because of their intriguing ideas, the visuals they create in my head, or the mere poetry of how they sound or read, each one resonates with me on some deeper level.

Hey readers, feel free to share some of your favorite song quotes!

xoJR

"Father Lucifer you never looked so sane; you always did prefer the drizzle to the rain."
- Tori Amos, Father Lucifer

"Start a new fashion, wear your heart on your sleeve. Sometimes you reach what's realest by making believe."
- Carrie Underwood, Ever Ever After

"Woes are fleeting, blows are a-glancing when you're dancing through life."
- Fiyero, Dancing Through Life

"I wasn't born with enough middle fingers."
Marilyn Manson, Irresponsible Hate Anthem

"If you want to go I'll pack my suitcase. And if you want to stay I'll make a front door key. But if you need space to fly free, take all the sky you need."
- Ellis Paul, Take All the Sky You Need

"How I wish you could see the potential - the potential of you and me. It's like a book elegantly bound, but in a language that you can't read just yet."
- Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Possess Your Heart

"I feel so much spring within me."
- William Finn, A New Brain

"And you find some way to survive. And you find out you don't have to be happy at all to be happy you're alive."

"Give me clouds, and rain, and gray. Give me pain if that's what's real - it's the price we pay to feel."
- Light, Next to Normal

"Without you, everything falls apart. Without you it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces."
- Nine Inch Nails, The Perfect Drug

"And I won't miss his moods. His gloomy solitudes. His blunt, abrasive style. But please don't get me wrong, he was the best to come along in a long, long while."
- Pippin, I Guess I'll Miss the Man

"There's a little black spot on the sun today. It's the same old thing as yesterday."
- The Police, King of Pain


Oh and I'm sure there are tons more. Piles more! But these were top of mind, and I'm already creating a playlist with the songs they came from. This will be a good afternoon.

xoJR

13 Amazing Gay Quotes

Hello everyone! My name is Dan Leveille, as Justin introduced and I'm going to be Justin's "Plus One" this week. I'm really excited and hope you all enjoy my posts. :)

Last week I heard some amazing quotes relating to gay rights, about Miss California and the current gay rights status. I've compiled some recent and not-so-recent amazing gay quotes:


"All men with mustaches are gay"
-Carrie Prejean/Miss California's Mother, teaching her daughter about homosexuality

"Look at how much our marriage rate has dropped over the past half-century. Look at how our divorce rate has soared. We should be delighted that at least one group of Americans still wants to get married."
-The Chicago Tribune

"You could move."
-"Dear Abby" responding to a reader complaining about a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know how to improve the quality of the neighborhood.

"If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters."
-Anita Bryant

"I think that the longer I look good, the better gay men feel."
-Cher

"There is nothing wrong with going to bed with someone of your own sex. People should be very free with sex, they should draw the line at goats."
-Elton John

"My mother took me to a psychiatrist when I was fifteen because she thought I was a latent homosexual. There was nothing latent about it."
-Amanda Bearse

"War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting?"
-The Value of Families

"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?"
-Ernest Gaines

"You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight."
-Barry Goldwater

"Ryan is not gay"
-Shana Wall, on her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Seacrest

"We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture."
-Robin Williams

" I dunno how you all feel about it, gays in the military. Here's how I feel about it. Anyone dumb enough to want to be in the military should be allowed in. End of fucking story."
-Bill Hicks (comedian), Rant in E-Minor

Meet Dan Leveille!

Good morning, J+1 readers!

A new week at Justin Plus One means another new Plus One joins the fray!

This week we go up, waaaaay up North to Rochester (RIT specifically) to find our co-blogger, Dan Leveille. A Twitter superstar and a brilliant, geeky, super-cute guy all-around, Dan is going to bring some upstate flair to Justin Plus One.

That's enough about me, I'll let Dan do the rest!

My Name:
Dan Leveille

My Location:
Currently: Rochester, NY (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Hometown: Berlin, NH

My Site/ Sites:
dan-lev.com, Personal Portfolio:
Book Maid: a Pet Project Textbook Trading site for RIT

Most active social networks:
twitter.com/danlev
facebook.dan-lev.com
dan14lev.deviantart.com

What I might post about:
I don't have a set plan about what I'll post about. Whatever I find interesting and want people to share with people. I often post about Interesting new innovations (such as businesses, products, technologies, websites), social media, gay marriage, anything interesting about the web.

What I love:
I love the web. That sums it my life up in 4 words. But to further expand, I'm into web development, design, and I love social networking. I'm into photography (mostly portraits). I love creating new business ideas, marketing, and entrepreneurship and I love people who do the same.

What I hate:
I hate people who do nothing with their life, who have no aspiration or goals. I hate people who say "You have to much time on your hands" - because they're usually wrong. And like everyone else who has at least half of a brain, I also hate the National Organization for Marriage, Miss California.

My Last Word:
I'm a friendly person and I love meeting new people! I invite you to reply to posts and interact! I don't usually write large posts. I like to keep it moderately short, unless I get really passionate and rant about something. I hope you enjoy my posts!

Shane Mercado is Alive and Well!

Remember Shane Mercado? Of course you do - he made Single Ladies more famous than Beyonce did. He was the inspiration for tons of fat people/out-of-shape girls/and mechanics to "put a ring on it."

But where is he now? Well, it turns out that he's dancing at Campus Thursdays at a bar called Splash here in New York City. (And his hair doesn't seem to be purple any longer.)

And I caught him. Doing Single Ladies. Just last night. See the whole performance right here!

xoJR

One night I'm going to come to you, inside of your house, wherever you're sleeping, and I'm gonna cut your throat.

Well, all, it would appear my haphazard time as Justin’s plus one has dwindled, and perhaps on a week that isn’t as insane for me (being slammed at work, family issues, plays, screenings, nerve-frying STD tests), Justin will be kind enough to have me back. Hopefully you got a taste of who I am through my thoughts on film, theatre and monologueing about weather, and maybe, just maybe, you weren’t reviled by what you tasted. Thank you for reading throughout the week, and do add me on Facebook/Dlist or whatever (fuck Twitter) if you care to keep up with the incoherent rambling that define me. In the self-righteous words of Dustin Lance Black, you are beautiful and God does love you. All the best.

Video Games of Days Gone By

I love YouTube. Frankly, I don't see how anyone could not. It is literally a dump of every possible thing you've ever wanted to find but didn't think to until just that second.

Are you looking for the opening credits to that Canadian comedy from Nickelodeon history, You Can't Do That on Television?

Not a Problem!


or maybe you are PISSED that Legally Blonde the Broadway show has not been released on DVD yet, and just wanna rock out to So Much Better...

Here ya go!


And speaking of musicals, did you know that someone adapted The Portrait of Dorian Gray?

I didn't until I just found it on YouTube!


But one of my favorite things about YouTube is the glut of video game footage. Allowing me to remember Nintendo and arcade games gone by. Thank heavens that the world is filled with nerds who actually sit there and record themselves playing games.

Below are a bunch of my favorites from the past. What favorite games did you have as a kid?

Batman the Movie the Arcade Game


Most people said this game was lame. Now looking at it, I have to agree - but for some reason I LOVED playing it. Or watching cooler, older people play it.


The Simpsons Arcade Game


Now this game just plain rocked. Especially if you had 3 friends to play with. I, of course, had no friends whatsoever when I was of the age to play this game. So I just had my camp counselors force other kids to let me play with them.


Michael Jackson's Moonwalker on Genesis


When you are a diehard fan of MJ, you are a fan of EVERYTHING. Even absolutely horrible Sega Genesis adaptations of his movie. Why is he saving kids? Where did Bubbles come from? I used to sneak over my friend Ricky's place to play this (we weren't allowed to hang out because my mom thought he was a "bad influence"... whatever. Either way, while this game was bad... at least it wasn't as odd as the arcade version, where you got to play as four palette-swapped MJs:



Mad Dog McCree


For a while there was a fad in the arcades for these live-action light gun video games. At the time I had dreams of being a stunt actor, and I loved the overly-dramatic deaths staged on the screen. Needless to say I spent a ton of quarters on this game.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game


Oh man, I must have beaten this game four thousand times... and spent just as many dollars on playing it. Sure, I bought it for Nintendo as well... but it was a lame substitute, and, as it was an NES game, I constantly had to blow in the cartridge and it never fixed it.



I mean, come on! No contest (shakes head)

Anyway, there are a ton more. Maybe I'll post about them some other time. I will leave you with another shameful part of my past - a television show I used to watch called GAMEPRO. Back then, I thought it was awesome. Now, looking at the host in his denim jacket... well... between that and him saying a Nintendo game has "the best graphics ever"... let's just say it's long enough ago that I don't have to feel bad about it.



Maniac Mansion? Fred is Fried? Dude?

::shakes head::

When It Just Won't Go Away...

No, not herpes, silly. Rain! As I sit in an office on this extremely wet day, I ponder what I’d rather be doing right now. In a just world, every rainy day/evening would consist of me curled up under my covers with Chinese food and an armful of DVDs, but alas, I’m one of those people who continuously books themselves up days and weeks in advance(don’t ask me why), so by the time rain rolls around and I feel like heading home, I realize “oh wait, I already have plans to_________ ” (tonight, I already have a pair of tickets to see “Star Trek” at the Ziegfeld at 7 – see you there!).



But really, what IS the perfect rainy day activity? Making sweet, sweet love with your partner to sounds of rain pitter-pattering on your rooftop is up there, one of the most glorious pairing sof activity and weather. I’ve, alas, only fucked in a downpour once and it was in the backseat of my old Honda Accord, so it didn't quite have the ideal romanticism that goes with rainy sex. I also happen to love having movie days as a rainy-day alternative -- there's something about a communal respite with random people on a day of drudgery -- though trudging out to a multiplex can be a chore itself in general weather unpleasantness.



As gross as it sounds on the surface, have you ever intentionally walked home in a torrential rain without any sort of umbrella/hat/newspaper/shielding device? It takes a few seconds to get used to, but as long as you don’t have anywhere you need to be and look presentable at later, there’s something oddly beautiful, freeing and subversive in being drenched, turning what's generally thought of as a plan-ruining event into an activity of its own.



What’s your ideal rainy day? Movies, fuck sessions, frolicking, curling up with a book, getting stoned?