Today Us Magazine released its list of "The 25 Most Stylish New Yorkers." The list serves as further confirmation that Manhattan is now merely L.A. on the East Coast, filled with rich kids, fake tans and little originality. I can get on board with choosing little Mr. Fierce and Fabulous, Christian Siriano, but whoever chose the women on this list needs to rethink what style is all about.

Where are the trendsetting New Yorkers of yore? Who is today’s Debbie Harry, Grace Jones or Madonna? (I'm talking about vintage Madonna, with the black spangled bracelets and the fishnets and the crucifixes.) Who do the kids look to copy today?

Kelly Ripa — really?

I love Kelly to bits and I’m sure she is dressed nicely every single day of her life, but is she really one of the most stylish people in all of New York? How hard is it to put on the clothes your stylist tells you to put on? … continue reading

I really like my Entertainment Weekly subscription. It was a total suckered-in kind of thing. I got the “free trial” that I was going to cancel before the not-free period began. Right. But I enjoy the magazine, and I particularly appreciate the subscription when I learn of fun things — such as the Entertainment Weeky/TV Land special The 50 Greatest TV Icons, scheduled to air this Friday night.

I'll be out of town on Friday night, but my DVR is already set. I love me some TV and I want to know who is crowned the Greatest TV Icon of all time. I know who I'd pick: Kermit the Frog.

Unfortunately, I suspect that Kermit will not be number one because he's pictured in the listing in the magazine. Where would the suspense be then?

But let's watch a video of TV icon Kermit singing his iconic song, “The Rainbow Connection,” with punk icon Debbie Harry — just because it's fun. … continue reading

Deborah Harry, best known as the lead singer of Blondie, is prominently featured in the most recent print edition of The Advocate. The article is part of the magazine's fall entertainment preview, and Harry is featured because her first solo album in 14 years, Necessary Evil, will be released in the U.K. this month and the U.S. next month.

The author of the article, Brantley Bardin, is somewhat annoying and repeatedly refers to Harry as "pouty." (First he mentions her "permanently pouty lips that could give you a smooch as easily as wolf you down for dinner." Later he describes her as "faux-pouting like a sexed-up Shirley Temple.") Regardless, he presents an appealing picture of one of the most influential female performers of the last 40 years. He highlights the ups-and-downs of her long career, her versatility (punk to jazz) and her activism. And he elicits why she doesn't like to be called an "icon." Harry says, "It sounds like 'acorn.'"

Of course, one of the most amazing things about her is that she's still going strong. Check out the video of "Two Times Blue," the first single from her new album. … continue reading

I guess I should have realized a long time ago that there really, truly are no new ideas. None. Zero. If nothing else, the impending arrival of Hairspray on the big screen, again, should have been my final hint. (To recap: It was a John Waters cult independent movie, became a big Broadway hit musical and finally turned into a major studio release complete with Disney-ready cast.) But, now, I may have finally gotten the picture as the new Desperately Seeking Susan musical unveiled its cast and new production details yesterday.

As Karman already reported, the project was announced back in December. The musical will preview Oct. 12 and open Nov. 15 at London’s Novello Theatre with hopes of moving on to Broadway. Emma Williams [pictured above, right] will play streetwise Susan (originally played by Madonna) and Kelly Price [left] will be bored New Jersey housewife Roberta (played by Rosanna Arquette some 20 years before she Cherie Jaffe-ed her way into Shane’s bed and heart). … continue reading

On Sunday, The New York Times featured an article titled "Glorious Dissolution: Musicians on Film." It considers some forthcoming music biopics, whose subjects include Edith Piaf and Janis Joplin. The Piaf pic, La Vie en Rose (opening Friday in limited release) compares Piaf to her "spiritual double," Billie Holiday. I've never quite made that connection, but it's a fascinating one.

Director Olivier Dahan notes that Piaf and Holiday endured a fragility that was both boon and bane:

“I don’t believe that to be a great artist you have to be tormented,” Mr. Dahan said. But, he added, the very qualities that help musicians as artists may also render them vulnerable. “Maybe there is something about being fragile,” he said. “And to be fragile is to also be very receptive. You can’t be a great artist and not be fragile, so when you are fragile everything kind of hits you, the good and the bad for sure.”

That rings true, even if it does also make me frown. It's no fun when you know the person's going to self-destruct at the end. But thanks to some of the weird casting choices for upcoming biopics, the self-destruction is the least of my worries: … continue reading

In an interview on SuperheroHype.com, Kirsten Dunst says Spider-Man 3 (opening May 4) represents the end of a trilogy. She doesn't close the door on the possibility of another Spidey movie (uh, I guess a new trilogy?) — but only if Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi are still involved, which looks less and less likely.

Dunst is almost snooty in the interview, especially on the topic of Mary Jane's singing: … continue reading