MC SPANDEX, I think I love you. (Hat tip to the Practical Cyclist.)
ALICE SWANSON. Ask any cyclist in the D.C. area and they'll know her story.
On July 8, 2008, the 22-year-old was struck and killed by a garbage truck while commuting to her job at the International Research & Exchanges Board via bicycle. Over the last year, Swanson has evolved into a symbol of cycling safety in the city. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association placed a bike painted white — called a ghost bike — at the scene of Swanson's crash (Connecticut and R streets NW) as a memorial and reminder for others on the road.
On Aug. 28, the Department of Public Works removed the bike. Speculation swirled that nearby businesses had considered it unsightly.
Now, the ghost bike is back — and it's brought friends. The bikes were unloaded this morning by Legba Carrefour, a 27-year-old Columbia Heights resident, who says their number is significant.
"[Swanson] was 22 when she was hit," he explained. "So we're putting out one bike for each year of her life."
AS IF THIS summer's actual programming wasn't objectionable enough, there has been a recent glut of crass and offensive television advertising as well. Below, we examine four of the worst offenders.
» PADMA LAKSHMI FOR HARDEE'S WESTERN BACON THICKBURGER
Using sexuality in advertising is certainly nothing new, but "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi's new spot promoting Hardee's burger colossus verges on the pornographic. She spends most of the commercial licking sauce and meat juice off of her fingers, breaking only to clean errant barbecue sauce drippings from assorted body parts and turn the burger sideways so as to better "savor that sweet spicy sauce." This commercial may reinforce the idea of Lakshmi as a sensualist, but rhapsodizing in voice-over over the Thickburger will hardly cement her status as a discerning culinary critic, despite the implication of the ad's slogan, "More than just a piece of meat."
Continue Reading "Ad Nauseam: Questionable TV Commercials" »
FIRST THERE WAS Coco Chanel. There there was Coco Moore, a most fashionable Sonic Youth offspring. And now there's Coco Perez. That's right, gossip biddies — to quote Sir Elton John, "the bitch is back," but in a whole new wardrobe.
Infamous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton expands his media empire with the launch of sister site Cocoperez.com, focusing on all things fashion and fashionable.
While he's usually the one asking the questions, we put on our most haute coutre press hats and turned the tables on the 31-year-old self-proclaimed "Queen of All Media" to get the scoop on his vogue new endeavor.
Continue Reading "Coo Coo for CocoPerez.com: Perez Hilton Talks About His New Web Site" »
PEREZ HILTON, DARLING. Word on the Internets is that you're expanding your empire: A fashionista blog, Cocoperez.com, is said to be launching tomorrow — and you're hard at work on a a music label imprint, too. Since you're all set to take on the world, we thought we'd try to predict a few more battlefields onto which your conquering army of snark might march.
FITNESS WITH PEREZ
Instead of exchanging harsh words with stars, challenge them to sweat out their grievances with you instead. Want to get into a slap-a-thon with will.i.am? Bring him to a class at L.A. Boxing. Or ask Pamela Anderson to try out pilates class. (You've got to admit "Pilates with Perez" has a certain ring to it).
And who knows? Expanding your fitness training horizons could bring new celeb interview opps. For instance: A certain "Grey's Anatomy" "McDreamy" is known to cycle around Los Angeles. Ahem. All you'd need to do is suit up in spandys, hope on a bike and chat him up about how annoying Ellen Pompeo's Meredith is as you pedal along. Sorry Lance; it's not Livestrong, it's Perezstrong!
Continue Reading "Putting on the Perez: How the 'Queen of All Media' Can Expand His Empire" »
WHAT INSPIRED DAN MORRISON to start a nonprofit that connects socially conscious people with critical, charitable projects in developing nations around the world? A well.
A broken well, actually, having just been demolished by an earthquake in the small village of Vachharajpur in Gujarat, India. Residents then had to make a daily five-hour trek to the next town to get clean water.
Morrison, a management consultant, heard about the situation while visiting India for business. When he returned to the U.S., Morrison couldn't forget the town's dire need and decided to raise funds to help the people.
IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS since "Arlington: The Rap" -- a song by resident Remy Munasifi that paid homage to the county's many tiny dogs and Starbucks shops -- made the rounds on YouTube. That's more than enough time for some competition to crop up, right?
Freelance artist Chris Culosi, creator of the new "Fairfax Rap," apparently thinks so. Express asked the 26-year-old about his rhymes and whether he's looking to start an Arlington-vs.-Fairfax battle royal.
» EXPRESS: So, you live in Fairfax, right?
» CULOSI: Well, I live in Annandale -- but I hang out in Fairfax all the time. I never claimed I live there.
» EXPRESS: When did you first see "Arlington: The Rap"?
» CULOSI: A buddy of mine showed me "Arlington: The Rap" within the first week it dropped. I looked at it and I thought it as kind of funny. I personally don't like Arlington -- I don't like one-way streets and parking on the street. I noticed Remy got a lot of hits. Not necessarily trying to ride his coattails, I was like, "You know what? It can be good for me, as someone trying to put my name out there -- and also good for him to respond." I did the best I could to write something humorous about where I'm from and challenge him in hopes he'll respond. We can brew something locally in a comedic way about our two cities. I think Remy is funny. He's good at what he does. This is my first attempt at doing anything like this. ... It's catching on like wildfire and I'm actually shocked by it.
» EXPRESS: What's your response to those who'd say you're a copycat?
» CULOSI: That's what's funny. The whole opening of the video revolved around the fact that I saw his rap and I'm responding to it. I was never trying to hide being a "copycat." If I were to put a rap video up there or satirical thing about where I'm from then to me that would be copying his idea.
WANT TO FIND the true story behind "Real World: D.C." before the Dupont-dwelling housemates stop being polite?
Easy: Hit up the World Wide Web. Thanks to the explosion of social networking sites, Washingtonians don't have to wait for the 23rd incarnation of the MTV show to premiere.
Just ask Chris Wiggins. As the man behind the Twitter feed Twitter.com/RealworldDCNEWZ, the 29-year-old freelance writer has become the go-to source when it comes to tracking the castmates' whereabouts.
Some sample tweets:
"KIDS: 'Hanging with' the Real World Cast is different from being in the same place as them and stalking them...thought u should know."
"CURFEW REMINDER: the #RWDC kids have to leave Third Edition and be home by 2:00 a.m... So rush on over there b4 their bedtime!"
Wiggins' frequent detailed updates have drawn followers in droves -- at press time he'd reached 3,771. What began as a whim has accidentally become a full-time reporting beat, with his Twitter feed serving as an aggregator of "Real World" online updates. But he's quick to point out where his self-imposed mission ends ("I'm not one of the many stalkers following people around," he said) and what his ground rules are.
Continue Reading "Real Time: MTV's 'Real World: D.C.' Meets Social Networking" »
UPDATE: Apparently a 'Real World' cast member did in fact sign the sidewalk. We just received the following statement from MTV publicist Tamika Young: "I just got confirmation from production that one of the roommates did sign the sidewalk."
Mystery solved!
ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, a memorial ceremony was held for Alice Swanson — the 22-year-old cyclist who was killed by a garbage truck a year ago — at 20th and R streets. Strolling by the spot today, Washington Area Bicyclist Association's Ben West found condolence messages scrawled in chalk — including one that caught his eye: "R.I.P. Luv Real World."
Was the message really left by the cast of "The Real World: D.C."? We called MTV to find out.
"Unfortunately I can't give you any information," said publicist Lameka Lucas. "It's a documentary. It's not something that we publicize all throughout the taping. Of course, if there's anything you want to talk to producers about the franchise as a whole, that's something we can do now. But specifics about anything taping for the season, I can't speak on it."
If the message did come from the cast, West says he isn't happy about it.
Continue Reading "Did the 'Real World' Cast Really Sign Cyclist's Memorial? Apparently, Yes" »
TEARS AND CRIES OF "We love you!" punctuated Tuesday's afternoon memorial service for the late Michael Jackson, 50. Millions watched and thousands mourned at the star-studded fete at Los Angeles' Staples Center. Here, the most notable observations:
» The Gloved Ones: As the Jackson brothers escorted Jackson's casket onstage, they each wore one shimmering, sequined glove in the pop star's honor. A simple, sweet tribute.
» The Casket: The bronze, gold-plated casket that held the singer was made by the Batesville Casket Company and is known as the Promethean. The same make laid James Brown to rest and is rumored to cost $25,000.
» The Numbers: An estimated 20,000 attended, but reports surmised a billion watched worldwide. Twenty helicopters circled the skies, and 50 movie theaters nationwide broadcast it live for free. Estimates for the cost of the service range from $1.5 million to $4 million.
Addison Road