Tuesday 31 July 2007

Teen girls who want to be Jordan


Media interest in ITV doc: 'Teen Body Obsession: Too Much Too Young' 
I knew this would be picked up by the media, it's the story of 11-year old Sasha who wants to be Jordan. The ITV doc about Sasha was aired on ITV on Tuesday 24th and I reviewed it the following day. What I think most people find bizarre & saddening, is that it is Sasha's own mother who is cultivating her to be the next Jordan. It is fair to say they do find the most extreme case studies in society to make these shows; however I hope not indicative of a wider trend. Also, I am not sure if the TV & magazine interest, aren't just fanning the mother's ambitions for Sasha.

This scaned article is from this weeks (4-10 th August) Closer magazine.

Surprise, surprise Grazia: Angelina on the cover


Grazia surprise: Ange this week
I won't say told you so, but if you read my previous posts about Grazia's merry-go-round of five cover stories and stars, then this is no surprise - it's Angelina. It also features Grazia's favourite thing - being too thin, which means being selfish, as Brad wants children. Look what happened to Jen,  don't deny that good looking man a hoard of natural kids Ange! I love it when I know what angle they will take.

I guarantee you all, that next week there will be an update of Kate Moss. What has she been up to ? Pete wants her back, but she is cleaning up her act and realising her looks are fading fast ! Can she still cut with the younger women, is her fashion icon status declining ? That whole shebang.

I love it !

Susan Rogers speaks about British screenwriting

http://www.screenwritersfestival.com/video-blog.php?id=17

The 2007 Screenwriters' Festival has already happened, and it looked like very good event ( in Cheltenham ), mixing experienced and novice screenwriters together. I spotted my former screen-writing lecturer Susan Rogers talking a bit about what she has been up to and advice.

Who writes British films ?


Who does write British films?
It would be with fair to say (perhaps with a hint of envy) that Richard Curtis is really the only well-known, successful and award-winning British screenwriter of the last 15 years. I find it a struggle to come up with any other screenwriters, I can only think of Tom Stoppard and Simon Pegg (an elite few anyway). So I was really pleased to see that the Film Council has commissioned a report into who actually gets hired to write British Films. The report was conducted by no other than my former Screenwriting lecturer at Royal Holloway - Susan Rogers. What did it have to say ? Well I missed the event on the 6th July, but the findings can be read on the below link. Its a one pager so not too long. In brief; of the 63 people that wrote films between 2004 and 2005, mostly were white, male and had previous / personal relationships with the commissioners of scripts. Hmmmm . . . I see the FC are hot on promoting women in screenwriting, perhaps it is time for Madame de Pompadour to put quill to parchment and write her own rom-com.

http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/information/news/p=D424399A1123f2CEC1SxY1561482&skip=

NFT Special: Behind the myth of Laurence and Vivien

Starmaking: 'Larry and Viv' event at NFT
Each generation has several super-famous couples, and it is interesting to think of the previous Kings and Queens of the moving image. I really think this will be an interesting event at the NFT, a chance to analyse the myth behind one 'star-couple'. For a long time it was reported that Vivien was a very difficult woman, (it is now known she was coping with undiagnosed bi-polar), and extremely sexually promiscuous. Laurence Olivier always seemed to me as mysterious as Max de Winter in Rebecca. The NFT writes;

Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh were the most glamorous showbiz couple of their day. For more than 20 years audiences across Britain thought of Larry and Viv as the perfect couple, knowing nothing of the emotional turbulence behind the scenes. To celebrate Olivier's centenary, Janet Moat (Head of BFI Special Collections) takes a look at their star image, together and apart, with the help of some film clips and the BFI's unrivalled collection of publicity materials.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/southbank/film/7757

Monday 30 July 2007

The real life behind 'The Holiday'

Christmassy-feel-good film 'The Holiday' featuring Cam, Kate,
Jack and Jude, filmed in Surrey / LA.
Picture post-card Surrey - Kate Winslet's cottage - who is
a journalist on those mysterious 'Carrie Bradshaw' wages
LA babe Cam does a house swap to the UK and ends
up straight away in Kate's bed - could it get any cosier!?
Apparently so! Look you have to be a small English woman to get in that tub.

The real Surrey vs Hollywood Surrey
I absolutely adored this film, it was a complete fantasy about what LA and London/English living is like. It takes two of my fav actresses out there today, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, and sets them up as newly single and in desperate need to escape their exes for a 'holiday'. The two just happen to find each other on the net, agree to swap their homes for Christmas, and well, we just sit back and enjoy the unfolding Hollywood drama. Cameron Diaz ends up in deepest Surrey - filmed in parts of Goldaming and Shere - and Kate Winslet in LA. It is really fun watching them adapt to their new lifestyles and struggle with their new homes. Look above at Cameron decked in hat and scarf, her sunny LA bones freezing to death in Kate's oldy worldy cottage, she resorts to taking numerous long soaks in some sort of tin tub. I bet the set-dresser had good time on this film, it looks so pretty, and I can just see the brief for Kate's house - shabby-bohemian-chic- everything says cosy ! Plus she has wonderful neighbours, a lovely local pub and Jude Law just hanging about.  My friend and I explored the town of Shere ( a month back ) and around Surrey yesterday - you can certainly recognise parts of the film. Apparently the rural idyll of Kate's was built especially for film, then torn down. I was quite sad to read this, just goes to show that even with all the lovely properties in Surrey, they are just not 'picture-perfect' enough for 'Hollywood'.

Would someone swap their LA Mansion for my room in London?
Now, I am not sure if this is on the back of the film, but there is a real-life UK-USA house-swap. The 'visitbritain' site tells Americans that perhaps you can find your 'own charming cottage' in England with a property swap like in the movie 'Holiday' . So I started thinking perhaps some fab rich American woman would like to swap with my characterful flat-share in London for her dreamy US home. Of course she wouldn't dupe me back and I end up in Missouri with a bunch of Mormons . .

Where's Pete been since he left Kate ?


Tragic way to make ends meet for former boyfriend of Kate Moss

Strolling through the rural Surrey countryside on Sunday, I saw a shocking and saddening sight in an idyllic cottage garden. The photo above documents the even further decline of talented Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty. Since splitting with supermodel millionairess Kate Moss, he has dropped out the media spotlight and now cuts a sad figure among beanstalks, a washing line and some broken gnomes. Forced to make make ends meet by 'scarecrowing' he looks resigned to his fate; protecting a small vegetable plot and flowers. Perhaps this will give Pete the quality 'alone' time to think through his life, though we hope he does not get attacked by any more scrawny birds.

Friday 27 July 2007

Were they together for this photo?


Cinema cut-outs or a real photo ?
Woah mama, what happened here?! Looks like they made one of those card-board cinema pop-ups you'd find in the local Odeon for the Spices. Not sure it has that 'girls-together' realness that Spice's used to be famed and loved for. What do you think ? To date the all the publicity, photos and promos the girls don't really do a good job of masking how separate their lives are. Stuff like this is not helping with the rumours they are just doing all this for money. I hope they starting getting a bit more together, real and radiate some of that joy they used to have. I know they are women now, but they are the Spice Girls, they should be colourful, and this photo looks too dark and a bit Pussycat dollish.

80's TV: Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince


Floating alien hoovers, Benji and some boy who went onto star in 'Ghoulies 2'
Remember this Saturday morning series? I think it was on around 1983-85, my mind is a bit fuzzy on this.  Benji (behind Lassie, Littlest Hobo in dog fame) is befriended by an Alien Prince (Chris Burton, who went onto star in 'Ghoulies 2', and one of my all-time fav movies, 'License to Drive' ) and his floating yellow robot named Zax. However, the Alien Prince is being chased by two evil aliens (one male and one female) and their evil black robot, therefore it is up to Benji to protect them. Most of the plot involved the two evil aliens chasing Benji around town in their black van. This isn't exactly the best show, you can almost see the wires that make the alien robots float, and they look like the genetic evolution of Henry Hoover. Hilarious!

Thursday 26 July 2007

Beautiful eyes porkie pies


Telescopic scandal - L'Oreal used false eyelashes on Penny
Apparently L'Oreal's mascara advert with Penelope Cruz is now banned; for telling lies to women! Check out the Guardian article below, it really sums up well the ever widening gap between the woman on the billboard and the everyday woman. Doesn't the picture above look more like a painting?

Grind off - Beyonce and Shakira in Beautiful Liar


The funniest writer out there at the moment - Anna Pickard analyses music videos
Anna is my new favourite writer at the moment, she has given me some new phrases that I will be sure to be using. She describes the hilarious 'wall-humping' of Shakira and Beyonce in their video 'Beautiful Liar' and really nails down what is so funny about music vids these days. When she starts talking at the beginning about the women's 'donks' or 'the wagons they are draggin'. I just know I am going to enjoy her commentary. Enjoy all her music vid reviews here.

Wednesday 25 July 2007

Teen girls who want to be Jordan: Last night on ITV

Last night I tuned into watch this documentary on ITV, 'Teen Body Obsession, Too Much Too Young', 10,30pm, about young girls obsessed with their looks, and unsurprisingly it turned out to be quite upsetting viewing. I am not sure what is going on so much with the 'tween' generation, and from watching this documentary it would be easy to say that young girls ( just like my supposed generation before ) are losing out on their 'childhood' through the media industry and poor parenting. In my time Barbie, Madonna, Dynasty were meant to be accelerating me out of my girlhood in the 80's. I remember dressing as Kylie with friends, painting nails and caring what I looked like from about 12, it was part of exploring being a girl, but not the be all of my existence. I don't remember any of my friends from the age of 10 frantically exercising, getting plastic surgery and dressing like a mini-Girls-Aloud dolls in public. I know there is always an extreme section of society, but this documentary seem to saying, that girls more than ever, are resting their entire being on their looks. The show reminded me of the chilling story of JoBenet Ramsey, and the film 'Little Miss Sunshine'. When does girlhood end and womanhood begin and are children becoming victims of the beauty and media industry ?

I believe that young girls more than ever are being saturated with strong sexual female images and ideas of beauty, and it can be all a bit confusing to digest whether the female on display is being empowered or exploited. With Rhianna/Shakira/Beyonce writhing around in their videos, tween heroes such as the (eerily old looking 14 year old) Hannah Montana, then former child-stars Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff stripping off into their bikini's for photo-shoots, I can't blame young girls for thinking female desirability means being a mini-stripper, beauty queen, pop-star/ famous whatever.

It is about the image all the time, and this documentary made a good argument how the TV shows, magazines, et al... really do affect the self-esteem and self-image of girls. With a Pussycat doll telling you she is a doll, and sexy, and self-empowered, the messages can all get a mixed, and I know its meant to be fun, but I wonder how young girls interpret and act out on these messages. Ariel Levy in 'Female Chauvinist Pigs Women and the rise of Raunch Culture' really articulates much better than I could these confusing times for women, let alone girls,

I know it is a lot to do with parenting as well, and this documentary confirmed another cliche, that behind every over-dressed tween and child-doll, was a frustrated mother. So last night this documentary opened up the tween world, revealing the extravagant beauty regimes some girls were putting themselves through. Last night Sasha, a ten-year old girl who loves gymnastics and being the centre of attention, said and did some heart-breaking stuff;

'I wanna be like Jordan because she's got lots of fame', admits Sasha, who is one of several youngsters scarily obsessed with body image featured in this jaw-dropping documentary. Sasha burns calories on her exercise bike, worries about her weight, and straightens her hair before going to school. All of which is encouraged by her mother, Jayne, 29. 'If you've got it, flaunt it,' shrugs Jayne. 'She's a 21st century girl. She's a star. People who criticise us are just jealous. They're normally big fat ugly people, or have ugly children.' Jayne also refuses to worry about putting Sasha under pressure to look good. 'She knows what's what. I'm not worried about her,' she insists. Sasha has competed in beauty pageants since the age of three, and last year entered the Junior Miss Britain competition - strutting down the catwalk in a padded bra, false nails and three-inch strappy sandals.'It's just for fun - only someone with a perverted mind would view it any other way,' Jayne insists. 'I used to do glamour stuff, and I can see Sasha going the same way. She has attracted interest from modelling agencies.For the moment, Sasha is happy being the belle of the ball. 'It's important to be pretty because otherwise people don't want to be friends with you.'

Obviously she has never heard that beauty is only skin deep, and I wish she could learn that inner beauty matters as much. There were also other stories of a sun-bed obsessed 15 year old, and a 16 year old with boob job, and a 13 year old on a starvation diet. Of course these girls are just doing what they think will make them happy, but I just want to grab them and take them out their obsessions and teach them there is more to life than being 'Jordan' ( who is a self-confessed human Barbie ). I can't believe their Mums, whom each seemed to be a self-obsessed wreck projecting all their ideas of beauty onto their child. It was truly a very sad but fascinating documentary.

Tuesday 24 July 2007

J-Lo is a Modern Day Venus


Golden, golden, golden . . .
Jennifer Lopez looked absolutely stunning at the Puerto Rico premiere of her new movie 'El Cantante'. Amazing curves and tone, she is for me the epitome of womanliness. It is well known she works out quite a lot but you can see it pays off without the muscle madness / skinniness of some celebrities. This dress is heavenly and I am not one to swoon or care about dresses or the latest couture normally, but the J-LO glow is still making her shine out from a million miles and this photo was really refreshing after so much Beckham (er hum Posh) mania of late.

Friday 20 July 2007

Katie and Peter: The Next Chapter - ITV2 Thursday's 9pm




I'd love to see Katie Price and Madonna in conversation
Something crossed my mind when I watched this last night - imagine Madonna and Katie Price in conversation. Katie speaks in such a confrontational matter of fact way in her show, that very much reminds me of Madonna (specially her 90's 'sex' phase). Last night Katie described all the gruesome details of giving birth. I kept thinking, did Madonna pave the way really for this kind of uber- sexual assertiveness and honesty in women? In the early 90's Madonna was key in developing my sexual knowledge, attitudes, and frankness - and wonder if Katie does that for a new generation of women -just in more graphic ways. There is nothing she won't talk about and say in front of anyone, and that to me seems one of unique selling points to the public. During a dinner party with David Guest, she mentions despite giving birth she will be cut up down there, she can still use her mouth. David quickly says he and his minder have to catch a train home, and they only just started having their post dinner coffee! I think she lucked out with Pete, who is actually a sensitive, kind and funny guy. I want to like her... I respect that she is tough and got opinions, but does it have to be so extreme. Still, can you imagine Madonna meeting Katie, what would they talk about and who would be more shocking?

Thursday 19 July 2007

Tatler-Tatty August '07 Cover.

Awful cover - does it suggest Tatler is having an identity crisis?
Britain's self -named 'most stylish and indispensable society guide', looks quite the opposite this August. Now it doesn't take long looking at this cover to realise something not quite right with the photo, I am sure you can come up with a few things. I think the Exorcism of Lindsay Lohan, was not meant to be the concept,she looks ghoulish against the white back-drop and is her hair really that colour? I love Lindsay, no matter her personal issues at the moment, she can look very pretty and glowing. I feel Tatler robbed this girl, perhaps the elite mag just didn't care this month. What do you think?

Anyone Got a Spare Room for Britain's Film Archive ?


NFT's Glam Makeover, but What is this About the Film archive?

I visited recently the madeover Moving Images Museum (abandoned for around ten years) and it is now a huge space at the back of the NFT, sectioned into eating/working/browsing/mingling areas. Menu was bit quite pricey considering the film-maker/students vibe but it does feel quite glam and fun.

BUT I was shocked to hear that the National Film Archive is under threat of homelessness, due to lack of goverment funds. I know money has to be squeezed for the Olympic logo from somewhere, by why from here?

'The film world is at loggerheads over plans to sell off the British Film Institute's London headquarters - as the organisation struggles to cope with a financial crisis insiders believe is a result of the arts budget being raided to help fund the 2012 Olympics. A legion of critics and academics say the plans, said to have the full support of the BFI's chairman, Anthony Minghella, Oscar-winning director of The English Patient, could herald the break up of the BFI's world-renowned collections.' Read about the full story in the Independent here.

4 Great Media Blogs

Brit media e-zines:
Popbitch was going when I was a girl (which I guess is 10 years ago now!). It still delivers fast and funny bites each Thursday (they are bit erratic). I keep expecting to wheeze out of breath and stop, but it keeps going on. http://www.popbitch.com/

HolyMoly writes devastatingly well and delivers fun stories that I generally have never heard of before. Last six months he has started to become same-same, and because just a weekly send out, some stories already done by time it arrives in your inbox Friday lunchtime. http://www.holymoly.co.uk/

Blogs that really bite!
Without a doubt Perezhilton.com is the daddy of media blogs, the self-confessed 'Queen of All Media' really says what nobody dares say about celebs. He hates, hates showy over managed moody stars; Jennifer Anniston, Avril Lavinge, Cameron Diaz, though he does mellow out time to time with them. http://www.perezhilton.com/

Pinkisthenewblog.com is also another favourite, he is the nice brother to Perez, and doesn't get too nasty, just funny about Britney (his fav) and the LA Babes. He loves Beckham and he generally writes very witty and funny commentary about the media, and has great photo captions. http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/

Revealed: Grazia's 5 Rotating Cover Stories


Beautiful faces with their Grazia plotted dramas
Magazine juggernaut, but why does it irritate me? Hmmm. I am always uncomfortable with the eco-conscious/worthy real life stories sitting across from party profiles/cellulite cream adverts. And perhaps too much focus on cosmetic surgery and over-priced goods, not all women in their 30's are earning 100k a year.

My key issue though with Grazia is the rotation of the same five cover stories. In their end of year cover review, I counted that Angelina Jolie, Kate Moss, Nicole Kidman, Kylie, Posh, Paris and Jennifer Anniston were pretty much used in rotation, with some Madonna covers. Here is how the cover stars are cast:

1) Dark-lady-of-the night Ange who bullies Brad
2) Poor Single Jen, desperate for baby, can't get a man and wants Brad back
3) Kate Moss is looking Skanky and how does she get so lucky (they won't say it directly) and is her star fading?

4) Katie Holmes is being controlled by Aliens..
5) Posh-Fail

STOP RIGHT NOW: What is the hatred aimed at Posh about?

We loved you then.
No, No, No!

This week, Grazia, E-news, PerezHilton have all have taken delight in VB falling flat after her huge PR campaign to break the US backfired. I would say the majority of UK mags and press don't like VB, they cast her as undeserved of her huge fame and fortune. Her 'launch' into LA has been a UK journalists and bloggers dream, we can watch her try, fail, try, suceed a little, and salivate over every tiny detail of her efforts. They write about how she always is pushing to be out there, her bad fashion sense, her skinny tea diet, her desperation to be a success in the US and how Becks doesn’t care. The more she tries, the more they love telling us how the US thinks she is over groomed and a joke, they find lots of anonymous sources to quote on her funny face and body. One of them said this: ‘good riddance to shameless attention seeking talent free seven year old looking she-boy’. This is so cruel and she is a very attractive woman, well perhaps more in the Spice Girls Day for me. Why does she activate so much envy and negativity in people? It's really extreme.

Peter & Jordan: A New Form of Reality

Katie and Peter: The Baby Diaries - ITV2 Thursday's at 9pm 
I flipped this on, and I was surprised by how fascinating I found this, it makes other celebrity reality shows look stilted and PR controlled. Katie films a session with a frankly star-struck looking therapist. Not comfortable viewing, the therapist just nodded and looked unable to really get word in edge-ways about Katie's post-natal therapy. It just made me think, imagine having to be her shrink, you'd have your work cut out there. Oh well she always has the Daily Mail to provide free analysis...

Wednesday 18 July 2007

DIRT: The New Show for the Girls on FIVE US Monday's at 9pm


I was intrigued by the ad banner on PerezHilton for this show; a dramatic shot of Courtney Cox-Arquette reigning over an LA night-scape, in a stunning red dress. Apart from this banner, I have seen no advertising or push for this show in the UK, it has been quietly put on Monday’s nights on Five US at 9pm. I would have expected more a splash considering the star power of the former ‘Friend’ and the fact it is based round on LA celeb culture. Courtney plays a hard as nails magazine editor but underneath is a bit dis-jointed and lonely. I'd like to see Carrie Bradshaw watching it then doing her usual nightly laptop narration:

‘Meanwhile Courtney got a part in a new hour, yes HOUR comedy drama that kind of blended me, Sam, Charlotte and Miranda into one. Would it work? Would it find an audience? How does the fashion work? Would it make it to the second season?'

Welcome to Siren Media


Hi, welcome to my site, I am not sure what it is going to be about exactly, but I can tell you my interests lie in Storytelling, Journalism, TV, Film and Technology. 


Right now I am working in media communications, predominantly for TV, and in my spare time enjoy comedy, coming up with ideas for all sorts of things. Thanks for stopping by.