pasdetrois

The only reason for me to like Lois' appearances was if she received payment.

I think the SLC housewives (and production) are taking a page from the RHoBH Erika Jane playbook. The BH housewives' bizarre defense of EJ drove angry viewers to watch and to social media. The SLC cosmetic surgeries and heavy makeup are unflattering and distracting. Meredith's breastplate, Whitney's perpetually surprised eyebrows, Lisa's caked-on makeup and Heather's badly-applied lashes...I could actually see the outline of Heather's cheek implants during one scene last night. Heather has completely distorted her face. Mary kept her hand on the left side of her face. Was she hiding the dark area near her mouth that appears to be a scar? Why didn't she wear better makeup and wig? I think she is heavily medicated and struggles to complete the most basic of tasks. I suspect a major mental disorder. Somebody give Lisa a map. Jen's performance was lackluster and unconvincing. I'm curious as to when that scene was taped, and whether she has the same attorney.

It looked like a Butterick pattern that had not been ironed. Perhaps if the fabric had been different; I hate that much pale mint green. Bones needs to go - his pile-on of hats and wigs is distracting, and his design fashion visions are not well executed. Actually, I'd love to see some mesh/chain mail designs from him without all the voluminous ruffles. I thought the right person won. I'd never wear that design, but it showed ingenuity and business smarts. Katie's prints remind me of Escada. If she'd get rid of the clown collars she might make something pretty. She's trying to marry modesty with a singular design vision and it just doesn't work.

When I saw Homeland Security, I wondered about money laundering for terrorism. If Jen's "network" is huge, someone could be doing it without her knowledge.

NFL cheerleaders are an interesting phenomenon in terms of labor law. The IRS mandates that if someone is a 1099 (independent contractor), then the contractor decides when, where and how to do the work. There must be independence there. It has to do with preventing companies from treating people as if they were employees, making employee-style demands, yet not withholding taxes from payments (nor providing benefits). I know of two companies that were audited by the IRS because they were forcing 1099s to behave as employees. I assume the DCC are contracted 1099s, yet they have zero control over their work environment. A cheerleader is not the same thing as a construction contractor, who has a much bigger responsibility and is often not an independent contractor but is a corporation. There is equal risk on both sides - the cheerleaders can quit and the Cowboys can terminate a contract. It's just that this organization does not acknowledge that kind of arrangement. I give Alora Rose credit for handling Kelli's and Judy's anger gracefully. Alora Rose was ambushed on camera. I understand the Cowboys' frustration with Alora Rose, but these things are to be expected and prepared for.

The Poproast guys report that RHoNY will be postponed until 2023.

Erika says repeatedly that "they can't find the police report." Perhaps because there never was one?

Comedy gold, that title. Thanks for the reminder. Also, this gang doesn't know SWAT. The housewives very much have a circle-the-wagons mentality when facing news of a scofflaw in their midst. Also, I'm pretty sure Heather and Whitney knew this might be coming, in addition to Meredith. And I'm pretty sure Heather's buried-face-in-hands was in aid of fake crying. She stayed down there a long time.

Agreed here. Many people understand how money laundering works because of the media and Internet. I thought all of the housewives but Jennie seemed to quickly grasp what was going on. That's because they all had suspicions about Jen. Same obvious conclusions as Erika Jane - the large influxes of money and flashy spending made no sense. It's curious that very little information has appeared in the media since Jen's arrest. Feds must be keeping a tight lid on the case? Despite her fake anguish, Lisa managed to mention that she had six lawyers "on salary." As if it substantiates her wealth and importance. She's another one whose business is suspicious.

I'm assuming that the Hiltons (Kathy, Kyle, Paris and perhaps Kim) are trying to figure out how to get their own series. Maybe Kyle would stick with RHoBH and visit the other show.

I remember Drew Pinsky saying he studied narcissism in celebrities. (Ironic, given the turn his career has taken.) In our discussions my brother and I thought of Streep as striving for normalcy and decency. We also thought of Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper (ADORE), Danny Glover, and some of the aging actresses (Sigourney, Holly H., Dame Helen, etc.). In current times, Viola, Kathryn Hahn, Laura Dern. On a related note, we wondered if only Jodi Foster escaped damage from Hollywood's predation on children.

My brother and I have followed entertainment together for many years. We're amazed at how many celebrities are soulless assholes. Their innate, overactive egos drive them toward the limelight. Then money and power remove all of society's barriers to bad behavior. They just do whatever the hell they want, feeling smug and superior. (Rinna's "fatties.") The clever ones put on an act for the public. The Rinnas of the world, while not top tier celebrities, become completely self-absorbed and selfish. There is no interior life, everything is superficial. I look at how they parade their children and parents in front of the cameras as just another PR exercise and money-making scheme.

Found this: "Rockettes and Broadway"

As I watched them dance in this latest episode, I thought again that the choreography and photo poses were so tired.

Especially since it appears to cost $1.98.

Truly all hat, no cattle. Part of this show's public relations is to try to convince the viewers that it has snared fabulous designers. Octavio is not one of them. I'm disappointed we didn't get to see what Katie had in mind. There's no way she knows how to stand up to a red-moustached steamroller. The word rhymes with grasshole. I think the right team won, given who will wear the clothes. Bones' chiffon shirt is pure Johnny. But goodgawdalmighty that Michael's vest was a horror. And it's too bad viewers won't see the bottom of Tara's white dress during her broadcast. The beauty of Aaron's beading details would not have been visible to Tara's broadcast cameras. Loved the fitted black jacket with the subtle gold accents rising up from the hem. But the accompanying gold dress was a horror. Laughing at Chasity giving Christian the business.

DCC is run like a private club for women who plan to marry and raise a family, try to be influencers, teach dance, or work for the DCC organization. The unwritten rule is that DC cheerleaders CONFORM at all costs. God help you if you view dance as a career, for which you have approximately 10 years to maximize your skills until you age out and feel the consequences of injuries and body-stress. The Rockettes are a much bigger deal than the DCC. Alora Rose viewed the job as a career option. Big deal. Kelli needs to grow up, get control of her temper, and act like am experienced business executive, not a high school bully. When faced with a difficult situation, show some of that grace and polish that you require of your cheerleaders. I mean, they have many other qualified candidates to quickly choose from. If they choose Lea, with growing confidence and the routine big hair and big makeup, she will shine on the field. ETA: many states are right-to-work. There are limits to non-competes in those jurisdictions.

Yes, Suzie was Paula's "champion," paid by a conservative Christian organization. Her job was to manipulate Paula to capitalize on her accusations against Clinton so the Christian Right could advance its agenda. In the public's eyes, Paula did not help her case by getting expensive cosmetic surgery and clothes (use the money for better purposes), and for the psychic hotline and Penthouse appearance. I had the impression at the time that Paula was poorly educated and, in Arkansas, there wouldn't have been a lot of economic opportunity, especially after her notoriety. She was in way over her head. One foul constant was the media's poking savage fun at the appearance of Paula, Monica and Linda, and the public eating it up. Hillary still gets it.

It did indeed. Lots of dial-up in those days, and limited network capacity for user traffic and data transmission. At the time, maybe a dozen people understood all of the players and what they were trying to do. It was a big, fat, wasted $70M mess. Of course. But times were different 25 years ago, in terms of how women were treated in general. Men were still smacking women on the fanny, openly commenting on their appearance in work environments, preventing them from doing their jobs. (Ken Starr relegated the pregnant attorney to the background, and Colin Hanks remarked that Starr was "old fashioned.") Broaderick would have been horrified at the thought of how she would be treated and blamed for the alleged assault. On a lighter note, I had to laugh at Coulter's reference to the "stupid Bush." Having finished binging the season, my primary annoyance was how girlish and breathy Monica sounded at all times. Well, except for when she thundered at Linda in the hotel: "Linda, what did you do?!" She holds responsibility for eagerly seeking a consensual affair with her boss and a family man.

Teddi has joined the Khloe Kardashian Klone Kamp. These idiots all look the same. I remember when a plastic surgeon was doing a certain eye-area surgery that made everyone's eyes look the same. I don't know who the surgeon was, but for awhile there certain stars were sporting the same appearance. They all looked uncannily like Robin Wright.

Why didn't the parents aggressively intervene when stepdad was abusing Ashley? Candy and Sylvia have the ability to soften the approach to get past the defenses of the intervention target. It seems to me that an immature, addled, angry addict or alcoholic is primed to bolt if the interventionist is too demanding. But Ashley isn't done with her love affair with drugs.

I'm binging my way through this series. Very good to see Mira Sorvino again; hope we see more of her in other productions. Oddly, her Lewinsky character resembles her Romy and Michelle character when dressed as a businesswoman. That's a compliment. The Paula Jones actress nailed the southern accent. I can count on one hand the number of non-southern actors who achieved this as well. I remember Ginsburg was a bit too eager to face the cameras, remarking at one point, in order to substantiate Monica's innocence - "I kissed that girl's inner thighs when she was six days old -- I said, Look at those little polkas,' " says lawyer William Ginsburg of his client, Monica Lewinsky, in the March 2 issue of Time magazine.." Cringeworthy. Been to Pentagon City Mall many times. The scenes at the Ritz and in the mall were superbly produced and acted. Monica's rights were trampled, but there were definite whiffs of her becoming fixated and entitled in her romantic entanglements. Age is not an excuse. She did indeed bear the awful, disproportionate brunt of this scandal. I guess her parents have been supporting her in addition to whatever income she can scrounge? I remember a handbag line at one point. At the time, so many people could not get over Tripp's gutter tactics, and the betrayal of a good friendship. It was perceived as being grounded in jealousy and career bitterness. Lots of that goes on in DC. Ken Starr was indeed a zealous madman. His fervor was driven by his sanctimonious, extreme religious beliefs. (Research the Church of Christ. It's the Duck Dynasty gang's religion as well. I married one of its survivors/escapees). I believe Starr's independent investigation rang up a whopping tab of $70M. While valuable in theory, ICs are an invitation to excess and abuse.

Absolutely. I was making the point that what Mary does is not unusual.

There are so many other examples of this kind of emotional manipulation in "churches." It's brainwashing. Think of Jim Jones, Jim and Tammy Faye, Scientology, and Kanye using a church to make money. All those mega churches that preach prosperity gospel. Kim Zolciak recently stated that she was running some kind of online spiritual service that is clearly a ploy for money. I do think Mary may get caught for financial crimes. She and Robert Sr. supposedly ran some kind of scam in NYC for three years.

Jen looked guilty as hell as she listened to whoever was telling her to skedaddle. I wonder if she thought of "Coach is sick" or if the person on the phone gave her the lie. News reports at the time said that it was coach telling her to go to a specific place, knowing that law enforcement would be waiting for her. I've been wondering if Coach sang like a canary in exchange for a deal of his own. Also, the little talk with Stu, her partner in crime, was odd foreshadowing. Did the two of them suspect something was coming and try to (lamely) paint their relationship as innocent? Jennie has smart, well-mannered children. I left the room when Whitney and Mary were arguing over each other, with the peanut gallery chiming in. It was incomprehensible babble.