Film: The Bronze (2016) Stars: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Cecily Strong, Haley Lu Richardson Director: Bryan Buckley Oscar History: No nominations Snap Judgment Ranking: 1/5 stars
I don't exactly remember when it was I added The Bronze to my queue. Was it the initial trailers, randomly in front of Landmark movies rather than the raunchy comedies at a more mainstream cinema where you might expect such things? Was it my curiosity about Melissa Rauch, so long the seventh-string player on The Big Bang Theory, getting a rare big-screen break (something I'm still waiting on for Kaley Cuoco)? Or was it knowing how sexy Sebastian Stan looked in that red-band trailer, and wanting to get in on that? Whatever one it was (it was Sebastian Stan), The Bronze recently found its way on my TV stand, and so now we're to review it...which as you can see above, may become an unpleasant affair.
(Spoilers Ahead) The movie centers on Hope Anne Gregory (Rauch), an Olympic gymnast who had a Kerri Strugg-style moment and got the Americans a bronze medal. As a result, she's spent years milking her celebrity in her small Ohio town, essentially living in a bubble where she's constantly having her moment of glory. The film follows her trying to grow up, eventually (in pursuit of an inheritance that turns out to be fake), coaching another aspiring Olympian Maggie Townsend (Richardson) after her mutual coach with Hope commits suicide. Along the way, Hope ends up romancing a guy she tortured as a youth nicknamed Twitchy (Middleditch), and sparking a rivalry with gold-and-silver medalist Lance Tucker (Stan).
The film could have been good, I want to point out-there's lots of room for humor, or quite frankly something even more here. Unlike other athletics (or other countries, for that matter), we end up glorifying our Olympians for a brief two weeks every two years, and then watch them disappear, with little continued love. There are hundreds of Hope Anne Gregorys in the world that were, for one shining moment, the adoration of the entire world, and then suddenly they slip away, but of course have to deal with the fact of being a "famous person" for the rest of their lives without having much of the benefits of such a situation. Having someone that is delusional, living in that past without being able to move forward because she truly peaked at seventeen is something that could work as a drama or a comedy, and was a solid idea for a movie.
That being said, this doesn't work, at all. The jokes aren't remotely funny, except for the sparing ones delivered by Sebastian Stan, who steals what little there is to take of the movie as Lance, a cocky but sexy rival of Hope's who has turned his gold medal into a lucrative coaching career. Rauch has comedic chops and after years of working on a sitcom knows how to land her lines, but they aren't funny and mostly rely upon the sight-gag of a girl who was America's Sweetheart cussing like a longshoreman, which gets old after about three minutes. The film also doesn't have a clue where it's going-it never makes Maggie cruel enough to deserve her eventual fate or late-breaking twist, and it never makes Hope nice enough to warrant her eventual victory. The film has potential, but it's all squandered on bad jokes and even worse plotting, which is a pity as I was actually ready for Rauch to make this jump.
Those are my thoughts on The Bronze-what are yours? Were you with me that Sebastian Stan was the only salvageable thing about a trainwreck, or did you like the direction this picture took? Where do you think Rauch's next step in cinema should be? Share your thoughts below in the comments!
We are at the half way point in the Rio Games, and what an amazing night for the Americans (and also, other countries). Let's take a look at some of my favorite moments:
It does my ancient heart proud to see someone older than me pull off the gold last night (probably for the last time in aquatics). That it was Anthony Ervin, whom I have crushed on since he tied Gary Hall sixteen years ago, is all the better. Arguably the coolest guy on Team USA, and someone who has struggled to get to this point with issues of drug abuse and depression, this has to be one of the most cathartic and wildest moments of the tournament.
In another upset, Maya Dirado, who has for some reason (I'm still not sure why) declared this her first and last Olympics, managed to end it with a bang. After pulling off a team gold and two individual medals, she came from behind in arguably her weakest event (seriously-what a finish!) to grab the gold medal in the 200m backstroke. An incredible moment with someone who clearly got swept up in the emotion of the Games!
I don't know what day of the Games this victorious Katie Ledecky is from, because honestly-isn't this the recurring image of the Games at this point? Ledecky clobbered in every one of her events, picking up a string of golds, last night her final one of the Games with the 800m. The only quibble I have now is that for some reason they don't include the 1500m in this tournament as well (or the 800m for the Men's)-let's get some more swimming out there and have her compete for another gold!!!
Finally, we'll end with a victorious Michelle Carter, picking up the first USA medal of Track & Field, this time in the shot put. She got to one-up her father Mike Carter (who won the silver at the 1984 Games), break an American record in the event, and also managed to win the first gold medal of the T&F events. Also, am I the only person who wishes they'd focus more on the field portion of Track & Field. Those runners are so impressive, but they spend more time on the blocks than they do on the track-the field events take a while and have a more climactic build, so I'm more about them. Either well done Team USA!!!
I missed a day here (I know), but I got caught having to do something else on Wednesday night, so I wasn't able to tune in for the Olympics post like I planned. But I was up all night last night, and so here are some of my highlights from an exclusively gymnastics and swimming evening:
For Americans there is Mary Lou. And Carly. And Nastia. And Gabby. And now Simone. Yes, for the fifth time (and the fourth straight Olympics) the United States dominated the Gymnastics All-Around competition, though as Tim Daggett and the other announcer whose name they never actually say nauseatingly pointed out, she's the greatest of all time, no debate. NONE! It was hard to argue watching her perform, though, as while the announcers were incredibly annoying (and weirdly sexist to Nastia Liukin in their persistent mansplaining considering she's the only one whose, well, actually won this event before and is the one the audience actually wants insights from), Biles radiated on the floor of that Rio theater as she brushed her way into immortality.
Four years after she lost her bronze medal on essentially a technicality, Aly Raisman was back and this time left no doubts that she was great enough to earn a medal in this event. After crushing the competition in a Floor routine for the ages, she broke down in tears in one of the best Olympic moments of the week, her strength giving way to the pressure she clearly felt to correct what happened in London and prove she deserved to be on a podium in one of the signature events of the Olympic Games. Well done Aly!
Finally, there was Aliya Mustafina, who was the only person who seemed to really give Biles a worry (at one point she assumed the lead thanks to a fantastic piece of work on the Uneven Bars). She also pointed out the problem of the American announcers a bit, as Tim Daggett got increasingly cruel to the Russian gymnast in a way he wasn't to anyone else, particularly people that were much weaker than Aliya, who seems kind of baller (she railed against doping, but also pointed out she wasn't willing to compete under any other banner than Russia, thus celebrating the Olympic Games' inherent love of country). She also became the first woman in sixteen years to medal in this event twice. Plus, her last name is awesome sauce: MUSTAFINA!!!!!
The past few years being a Michael Phelps stan has been a bit tough. After a London Games where I questioned repeatedly his need to retire (he clearly had enough gas in the tank to keep going), he got his DUI and was constantly ostracized for his behavior. Rio has been my redemption, though, as he's been stronger here than perhaps even at Beijing. Last night in the 200m IM, his signature event, he became the first swimmer ever to win the gold medal in four straight events, and then turned around and managed to land the 100m fly with only 35 minutes separating the events. Regardless of the rest of his tournament (he still has two finals left), Phelps has ended his career in the classy way he hoped, but failed to do four years ago.
In what (for me) was the most emotional moment of the night, Simone Manuel made her way into the history books, and not just by breaking an Olympic Record in the 100m free. Manuel became the first ever African-American woman to win a gold medal (or a medal of any kind) in an individual swimming event. It was particularly moving not just because of the history behind such a moment, but also because it seemed completely unexpected (she won in a tie, wasn't the favorite headed into the event, and it was the result of a late push by Manual that it happened) and because the announcers, two straight white men, not only acknowledged the fact but Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines seemed genuinely moved to be a part of history. A great American moment all-around.
Finally, there's Nate Adrian, who managed to (the night after he was upset in an event he dominated four years ago) come back swinging with the best smile in American swimming on his face, and rebound into arguably the weirdest and fastest event in the water, the 50m freestyle. He's not the favorite headed into tomorrow, but for his fans, it was a great moment to rally. Go Nate!
Honestly, that may have been the best night of the games so far! What an incredible evening for Team USA and really for anyone who loves the world of athletics, as swimming and gymnastics were just unbelievable last night, and I left duly impressed by pretty much everyone (and relatively hoarse toward the end of the endeavor). Here are some of my best moments:
Is it just me or is Michael Phelps more fun this year than he's been, well, ever? Honestly, and I count myself as a longtime, ardent fan of his, but as also a big fan of Andy Murray's, I clearly have a thing for dour athletes, and Phelps is usually the cranky one when compared to his hang-loose partner Ryan Lochte. This year, though, perhaps because he knows that it's not just his pronouncement but his age that is ensuring that he will be retiring after Rio, he's more relaxed, and even seemed to revel in his defeat of Chad le Clos' whose bizarre antics prior to the 200m fly, which he didn't even medal in, baffled swimming analysts and the announcers and perhaps even Phelps himself.
If you haven't gotten on the Katie Ledecky train yet, I honestly don't know what to do with you. Undefeated at the Olympics so far, she got yet another gold yesterday in the 200m free, and seems to be a really lovely human being, hugging her opponents and humbly amassing fans (while inspiring a generation of young women and men to get into the pool the way Michael Phelps did for her so many years ago). Truly a class act, and I'm excited to see her continue her streak as the week moves on.
So the United States gets another team of immortal gymnasts to be on the cover of every Wheaties Box between her and Tallahassee, and arguably this is the best group ever, with Americans dominating the competition, particularly led by Team Captain Aly Raisman and gymnastics wunderkind Simone Biles. In a lovely tribute to her decades of excellence in the field, the team named themselves the "Final Five" in honor of Marta Karolyi's retirement, a move that brought the famously stoic coach to tears.
I was a little worried, I have to admit. My imaginary Olympics boyfriend (well, one of the top ones), barely made it to the 100m free in swimming, coming out of the Heats in last place and nearly missing the semifinals, but Nate Adrian rebounded in a spectacular fashion, dominating his semifinals and is heading into tonight as the favorite to repeat his gold medal from the London Games. Also, Nate Adrian is adorable. Like, the most adorable.
Finally, and I know this is a thirsty way to end this post (though, really, isn't thirstiness kind of the point of the Olympics at this juncture?), but look at Marcelo Chierighini, Brazilian swimmer. That's obscene. No one should be allowed to be that good-looking. But I'm glad he got license to anyway.
All right, we're on to Day 4 of the Olympics, and for the first time so far I'm writing this as I'm watching, as I am hoping to catch a bit of sleep tonight unlike last night. But still, it's time to marvel at the beauty, grace, and magic of some of the greatest athletes on the planet.
David Boudia and Steele Johnson are a conflict for me. They're amazing divers, and soooo pretty, but I, and I don't really know how to pin this down exactly, but in interviews they give me the vibe that they spend their time in the whirlpool trying to convert Tom Daley. Call it a hunch. But, again, well done America! Silver, baby!
No, there is no such thing as American Olympics Story (at least not yet), but the reason Ryan Murphy started trending on your Twitter last night was because a swimmer of the same name as the Glee producer won the 100m Backstroke, continuing an American tradition that stretches back to 1992, and joining such greats as Aaron Peirsol and Lenny Krayzelburg.
Easily my favorite race of the night was Lilly King dominating in the 100m breaststroke, not just because it was an actual close race where the Americans come out on-top (I am never more patriotic than during the few weeks that stretch from the DNC to the Olympics every four years), but also because it was a statement about winning clean. King had admonished her competitor Yulila Yefimova multiple times on Twitter and in interviews about doping charges, and to see her come out on-top when Yefimova (who, in my opinion, should have been banned from performing) had to watch from the silver bleachers, was a cathartic moment.
It was a moment where you could just tell that you were watching a gif being created. Chad le Clos, who clearly has a secret love for Michael Phelps and just doesn't know how to express it, was taunting the 19-time gold medalist before their semifinals last night, much to the delight of social media and the swimming announcers, who literally couldn't get enough of a fuming Phelps grimacing while le Clos shadow-boxed in front of him. I doubt we'll get a funnier moment this Olympics, though thanks to some savviness on NBC's part we might next week...
...As Leslie Jones is coming to the Olympics! Yes, for those of you who aren't following her on Twitter (which is really a necessity), the Ghostbusters star has been the viral sensation of the Olympics, frequently making videos cheering for athletes (with a penchant for Conor Dwyer and Katie Ledecky), questioning the logistics of handball, and saying what we're all thinking about the men's water polo team (they're hot...they're really, really hot). NBC got a tweet saying that they should hire Jones to do commentary on the broadcast, and they took the person up on it, so Jones will be heading to Rio in some capacity next week. Can't wait!
Okay, THAT is what I'm talking about at the Olympics!!! An amazing night for both Team USA and just in general a magnificent night for competition, period. I'm reminded each year of how much I like the first week of the Olympics, where swimming, diving, gymnastics, and tennis all are the principle sports, and how much it's lost on me later on in the competition when we go to track, soccer, and basketball (which I can never get into as much). Yesterday was a combination of all of those sports, so let's take a look...
Michael Phelps has been a personal hero for years, and to see him back in the water, and in such peak form (even better, in my opinion, than some of his work in London), was a rare treat. The men's 4x100m relay four years ago was an enormous disappointment for American swim fans, watching as Ryan Lochte couldn't sink the basket as the anchor. This year Nathan Adrian (everyone's imaginary Olympic boyfriend) held it together, though he went into the final leg with such a lead thanks to Phelps and the rest of his teammates that it was a relatively easy task. It'll be tough to match last night's relay in terms of excitement the rest of the games.
For weeks, I've heard nothing but how incredible Simone Biles is (and Tim Daggett, who is the most annoying announcer this side of Scott Hamilton, would not shut up about her) that it felt like it would be hype that would be impossible to live up to, but man did she. She looks to have qualified for three different individual events in addition to the all-around and the team event, putting her in contention to take an astonishing five medals in gymnastics. It was bittersweet to see one-time champion Gabby Douglas fall under Simone's shadow, but Biles is an athlete that few could rival.
The word bromance is disgusting, but if there's one brewing in the swim lanes at Rio that I can get behind, it's adorable Prince Harry-lookalike Adam Peaty and the long-locked Cody Miller both cheering and hugging each other in the pool after Peaty smashed his world record once again to take the gold and Miller exuberantly won the bronze. If they had a reality show, I'd watch it.
At this point in American women's swimming, there are truly great swimmers that represent the best in the world, and then there's Katie Ledecky, in a class by herself. Ledecky smashed her own world record (much like Peaty) in the 400m freestyle, nearly five seconds over even second place Jazmin Carlin. She's set to win multiple races this Olympics-it's likely she'll be at the top of that podium again soon.
Tennis saw some of the greats batted down this weekend. The Williams Sisters and the Murray Brothers both were ousted in doubles. Venus Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Roberta Vinci were all brought down in singles. But nowhere was there a greater shock than Juan Martin del Potro taking down World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the first round. Admittedly del Potro was a tough first round pick and had beaten Djoker at the Olympics before (in London, actually), but still to see one of the best tennis players of all-time felled in that way was stunning, and Djokovic, who recently finished his Career Grand Slam but lost badly in Wimbledon and is still missing an Olympic gold medal, was clearly heartbroken by the loss, breaking down in tears on the court. A stunning defeat, which busts the men's tournament wide open. No man has ever won two Olympic gold medals in Olympic single's tennis-could Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray try for the honor this year?
It takes a lot to get to the Olympics just once. To make it five times takes a different type of endurance. And for Tania Cagnotto, it clearly was personal at that point, because despite this being her fifth Olympics and hitting a Top 10 finish six times previously, she had never medaled before Rio. And then, yesterday, at the top of the 3m synchronized springboard, she finally achieved that dream, winning a silver medal in a moment that had to be a huge relief for the 31-year-old (now) Olympic medalist.
We officially are in Day Two of the Olympics, and like most of you I'm already wondering if I'll get anything done again other than support NBC affiliates for the next two weeks, and also man am I out of shape. Seriously-you see these people and sometimes I wonder if they're a different species (and occasionally if they centrally-cast these athletes, since how can all of them be that good-looking in select sports). Anyway, here's some of the highlights/stand-outs for me of yesterday.
Young Prince Harry lookalike Adam Peaty smashed the 100m breaststroke record (which he already had) to smithereens during the HEATS of the Olympics-something that almost never happens, and was over a second better than the next best performer in the event during the semifinals. His finals are today, and I suspect if he can equal his previous performance he'll be in for a grand gold time. Also, umm, he's really cute. It had to be said. And was, by pretty much all of Twitter.
In less exciting news, 4-time Olympic gold medalist Venus Williams lost in her first-round match, at least in part due to a poor call from the line judge (I'm a BIG tennis fan, and I was yelling profanities that I wouldn't dream of printing here but suffice it to say I was royally upset). She's still got a shot at the Doubles medal (and also-what's up with the Mixed Doubles match-are they still figuring out the brackets because I can't find them anywhere?), but at 36 this is likely the end of the road for a second singles medal.
I know as an enlightened person I'm not supposed to find this funny, but every four years I do. The men's gymnasts could all kick my ass and they're all gorgeous and I think Blaine Wilson made me gay, but the cheering from the American men's team, where they're all rooting like they're in a college football game is amusing as they are balancing on rings and doing the splits. I know this isn't something I'm supposed to find funny, but I do-also the American men's team, including Sam Mikulak (pictured) made it to the Team finals, so huzzah!
Finally, it's always great to be first. For a second there I was worried that NBC wouldn't get to do their customary nightly gold medal ceremony that always makes me cry, but thankfully Ginny Thrasher came through the 10m air rifle, becoming the first American gold medal of the Rio games. Congrats Ginny!
They're back! Yes, if you've been on my blog for many a moon, you'll know that I have an obsession with the Olympics that comes out every two years and cannot be denied. Each year, we've put out a series of my favorite photos of things that happened on each day, and of course this year is no exception. Since we're only so far into the opening ceremonies, let's take a look...
The Parade of Nations is always moving, long, has a plethora of costumes both ornate and occasionally highly eyebrow-raising, ridiculously long, patriotic, and so, so long. However, it may be the most moving moment of the parade when a group of athletes has no home country. A standing ovation greeted Team Refugee, and while that is incredibly moving, I wish that those countries that used to be their homes could see the support we have for their everyday people (and incredible athletes) and find a way to find a peace.
While they may be home to the rainforest, coffee, and apparently the birthplace of flight (who knew?!?), what perhaps the pop culture world most identifies Brazil with is their seeming abundance of supermodels, none of which is more famous than Gisele Bundchen, who took a little turn on the world's most-watched catwalk (for her final strut, if we're to be believed), and then danced the night away (something you'd do too if you didn't have to go home to Tom Brady's likely Trump bumper sticker).
Two of my all-time favorite athletes (swimming and tennis being my favorite sports, at the Olympics or outside of it), managed to be the flag-bearers for their countries. Phelps insists this year is his actual swan song, and I finally believe him so I hope he gets at least one golden moment out of Rio, while Andy (I know it's not patriotic, I don't care-American men's tennis is not going to be a threat for the podium) is hopefully going to take a second gold medal after a smashing Wimbledon victory!
And, finally, umm, Tonga-how you doing? What event is this guy going to be in?
Umm, what's that you say? An Everybody's Linking for the Weekend on a Saturday? This is madness! However, in what is traditionally the weekend where I try to figure out what I want to do with the next month of my life (planning is highly-underrated), I figured I might as well start out November with a bang and scare you (see, Halloween) into thinking that I might get everything on-time this month. Without further adieu...
In Entertainment...
-For those of you who are devoted YouTubers, nothing this week could quell your excitement over a second film from the Holy Trinity of the site, Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart, and Mamrie Hart. The trio made Camp Takotalast year, and unlike almost every other YouTube film that followed, it didn't endure horrific reviews as a result (cough Not Cool cough). I personally am excited to see what these three bring as they're amongst my favorite YouTube content creators, particularly since the title (Dirty Thirty) seems to be about them owning their age a little bit more, which is rare on YouTube where everyone tries to be fourteen.
-I am so bummed that I missed the Leah Remini 20/20 interview last night. I'm not wild about Remini (she was funny on an average sitcom and her brash persona occasionally rubs me the wrong way) and I find that most celebrity gossip is kind of boring these days, but man am I weirdly excited to hear the juice about Remini and her break from Scientology, considering it's one of the oddest and strangest things in Hollywood over the past several decades, and continues to be a really interesting topic considering stars like Tom Cruise and John Travolta are still involved with the church. Remini is the biggest star to leave the organization, of course, and so likely had more access to the higher-ups in the Church. The interview is chronicled pretty heavily in the article I linked above, so if you didn't record it or don't have access to a TV, read through as it's a fascinating look at Remini's involvement with the church and her relationships (that have spilled into the press) with Katie Holmes and Kirstie Alley.
-Every week I find Lady Gaga more and more phony and infuriating, and this week was no exception. Gaga apparently said a couple of years ago she wanted to quit music because she was tired of being treated as a "commodity." This would potentially resonate (I'm sure celebrities get sick of being a product when they want to just create art), but Gaga made a point in her first album and every album after that about wanting to be a celebrity, and that was her primary goal. One of her earliest hits was a song called "Paparazzi" and she demanded at the Grammys "take my picture Hollywood, I want to be a star." Her latest sorts of comments feel just as manufactured as everything else about the singer-turned-actress, and seem to be launched more because her music career left her and not the other way around. This sort of crap is what turned me off to her in the first place, and it isn't helping right now, and no amount of Julie Andrews musical moments are going to make me change my mind.
In Politics...
-One of the larger questions this past week has been around whether or not Sen. Marco Rubio should resign from the Senate. I initially was going to do an article about this, but Smart Politics beat me to the punch, and it was so thorough I figured I'd just link. I think Rubio himself did, in fact, quell this discussion with his epic takedown of Jeb Bush earlier last week, but the reality is that it's a question worth having. Rubio isn't running for reelection like Rand Paul, so it's not like he's going to be using the Senate seat anytime soon, and there is limited precedent but it's there for giving up his seat (Sen. Bob Dole resigned his seat in 1996, as the article points out). I think it's a pragmatic question as well-look at Sen. Dean Heller who managed to gain a great leg-up in 2012 by being a temporary but real incumbent (it's likely he would have lost had it been a true open seat race, giving the Democrats a vital seat headed into 2016 where they're looking for anything they can grab to get five more). Rubio, from a pragmatic side probably should give up his seat then, but doing so could invite comparisons to Sarah Palin when she resigned the Alaskan governorship and he wants to avoid that at all costs so I cannot fathom he will do so. Expect Hillary Clinton to be eyeing how many votes he missed in comparison to her voting record in 2007, though, as this will be fodder in 2016 for certain as they appear to be the likely nominees.
-Speaking of the former senator, Mark Halperin did an epic takedown of the Republicans in a piece this past week for Bloomberg where he highlights that Republicans are stuck in an echo chamber on Hillary Clinton. This is something, I think, we all are stuck in, quite frankly. I talk with Democrats who are petrified of Clinton being the nominee because they don't think enough people like her, and yet every Democrat (and some lay people as well) seem to be willing to cast their votes for her, albeit with great fervor or a pinched nose (at the end of the day, though, they count the same). Halperin correctly points out that Clinton's team is better at debates, and has a party that is much less likely to demand things of their nominee that could be deemed general election poison (it seems impossible, for example, for next year's RNC to not have speeches about Benghazi and email servers, which will not play well outside of a primary considering public polling on the matters). It's also worth noting that, using the past four elections as a guide, the Democrats have more electoral college votes that seem likely to be in their corner than the Republicans (the Democrats don't need states like Florida and Ohio, for example, but the Republicans can't afford to lose them). All-in-all, Clinton has an upperhand if you throw away the fact that historically she should have a tougher race.
-And we'll finish out the political portion of this link roundup with an excellent profile of Al Gore and his look at An Inconvenient Truth ten years later from Politico. The article is interesting not just because of a few choice little anecdotes in the write-up (how is it possible that Al Gore has never met Jeb Bush considering they've both been on the national stage for decades and considering Al Gore is very well-acquainted with his brother). While he didn't endorse his former rival for the President's attention (Hillary Clinton and Al Gore are hardly good friends), he did point out the Democrats have his support more than the Republicans in 2016. It's an interesting read, particularly for those who were inspired by his powerpoint ten years ago, so check it out.
-I feel a little guilty every year that I don't really celebrate Halloween, particularly since I feel like I'm abandoning the quintessential gay holiday, so in deference to that, I shall put perhaps the gayest moment in all Halloween movies below. Check it out, and I dare you to not want to change your costume to match Bette's:
Just One More...
-If there's a name you need to memorize immediately before next summer's Olympic Games, it's Simone Biles, who became the first gymnast ever to win three consecutive world championships this past week, besting Olympic champion Gabby Douglas (who became the first Olympic champion to make a medals stand since 1981 at the world championships). At this rate, it seems Team USA will be the ones to beat come next Summer, and expect a lot of NBC promos touting a rivalry between Biles and reigning Olympic champ Douglas, who is looking to become the first woman since Nadia Comaneci to medal in two consecutive All-Arounds, and potentially the first since Vera Caslavska to win the title back-to-back.
I am up EARLY today, a sign that I went to bed too soon last night (always a temptation on a Friday), so I better get this out before I inevitably take a mid-morning nap. Let's get started, shall we?:
In Entertainment...
-CNN has a rundown of some of the entertainers that have Walk of Fame stars despite scandal, in the wake of the furor over Bill Cosby and whether or not his star will be taken down (the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce repeatedly has said no to the request, citing any star as being part of the historic fabric of the Walk). While there are names you'd expect such as Charlie Sheen, Pee-Wee Herman, and Michael Jackson in the video, I'd never even heard of Spade Cooley (and I'm willing to bet you haven't either), a Western swing singer who was convicted of murdering his wife, but had his star in place prior to the trial. The real question is how did Fatty Arbuckle (who is not in the video) end up with a Walk of Fame star considering his scandals happened decades before he won the star?
-Playbill has a fun rundown of actresses that Hollywood forgot but Broadway discovered in the process. The list focuses principally on musical actresses so no one along the lines of Estelle Parsons, but with Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Christine Ebersole, and Harriet Harris on the list it's hard to quibble. Also, when is Catherine Zeta-Jones finally going to return to Broadway? I want to hit the boards next April-CZJ, if you're listening, perhaps a return engagement?
-Speaking of actresses that Hollywood can't seem to figure out what to do with and then head to New York, Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is going to make her New York Stage debut at the Public Theater this fall in a play called Eclipsed, about post-colonial Africa. Every time I recall Nyong'o I think about how she and Margot Robbie both competed for an Oscar nomination that year (I'm convinced that Robbie was around seventh place in that race, and had Julia Roberts stayed lead like she should have may well have scored her first nomination as a result). Nyong'o has a part of some sort in the upcoming Star Wars film and will be in The Jungle Book as a voice role, but it's hard not to see Robbie's career (what with a prestige Z for Zachariah coming up this year as well as two franchise plays next year in Tarzan and Suicide Squad) as the one that Hollywood noticed, despite who ended up winning the Oscar. I'm not knocking the talented Robbie of her success, but it's pretty obvious there's a racial bias happening here. In Politics...
-Politico has a rundown of some of the usual swing suspects and how things might fall with the upcoming Planned Parenthood vote in the Senate. From the looks of things Heidi Heitkamp, Bob Casey, Jr., Mark Kirk, and Susan Collins all seem opposed to the bill, likely ensuring that it won't hit the 60 votes to get it to land on the president's desk (he would veto) while Sen. Dean Heller has said he will vote to defund, but Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Joe Donnelly, and Joe Manchin are all still on the fence. It'll be an interesting vote to go down considering the flack Planned Parenthood has received, but I generally agree with Sen. Collins on this one-investigate whether Planned Parenthood violated any federal law or medical ethics, and if not then move on as this organization provides not only family planning resources, but also cancer screenings and STD-testing that are vital to saving lives for poorer Americans.
-The continued push for more Animal Rights' legislation in the wake of Walter Palmer's killing of Cecil the Lion is interesting. There seems to be a push to ban tigers as pets and legislation will soon be forthcoming from Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to extend rights to near-endangered and threatened species such as the lion. My thoughts on this are pretty clear from the above link, but all I can say is it's about time. It's also, admittedly, a silver lining in this tragedy, though I will admit that one of my truly great pet peeves about Congress is, with as many people in that body as there is, along with their staffs, it's always disappointing to me that we pass so few laws-I wish we had more legislation like this, truly helpful and meaningful legislation, getting voted upon every day in Congress.
-While I applaud the Boy Scouts of America for including gay scout leaders again (though as a reminder, it's 2015 and this should have happened years ago), it's worth noting that there are still multiple laws that legally discriminate against GLBT people. Everything from housing discrimination to employment discrimination to bans on giving blood are still legal in many states, so as you take down the rainbow filter off of your Facebook profile, remember that the fight isn't quite over yet.
Shameless Self-Promotion of the Week...
-My constant Box Office worry of the year. Seriously though-I'm going to cry if Jurassic World, one of the worst films I have seen all year that is essentially a poor man's remake of Jurassic Park, manages to upset Avatar or Titanic two populist but excellent movies, at either the domestic or worldwide Box Office-this weekend should be telling if it's possible. YouTube Video of the Week...
-The below video illustrated so well my thoughts on Cara Delevingne and her attitude during the Good Morning Sacramento interview that I skipped my rant yesterday which I was planning about it. This is a brand-new movie, it doesn't have a guaranteed hook, doesn't have any household names (arguably John Green is the most well-known person attached), and while it appears likely to recoup its costs, it isn't going to be The Fault in Our Stars, so the stars need to be out full-force to support it. Delevingne may be a top model, but making the transition from model to actress is extremely difficult (just ask Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford, and Claudia Schiffer, all of whom were far more famous than Delevingne when they made it to the movies). The Rene Russo's of the world who can make that transition seamlessly are rare, and Delevingne needs to check herself before a Fair Game ruins her career (also, I love Whoopi's reaction in this, even if Michelle Collins and Raven Symone's obnoxiousness makes me not want to return to The View outside of short snippets-seriously, Raven, just stop, blaming behaving like a jackass on a "generational difference" makes all Millennials look bad):
Just One More...
-I am seriously so mad at the IOC lately-what is with them continually picking countries that are too dangerous or too unprepared for the Olympics? First they go with China, whose air pollution problem is egregious, for the 2022 games, and then we learn that Brazil is not only struggling to prepare for the Olympics, but also that the waters there are dangerously polluted. Rowing, open-water swimming, and yachting are principle sports of the Olympics, and already they're having Olympians try-out in what is essentially raw sewage. Seriously IOC-you need to look into not just security risks but also environmental risks for the athletes. If there's a massive boycott by some athletes who don't want to risk bacterial infections or worse, I wouldn't be surprised.
I'm not going to lie, today starts a pretty rough week for me personally and posting will be a bit sporadic, so I thought it would make sense to cheer myself (and hopefully you) up by sharing a few of my favorite things. In completely random order and totally off the top of my head...
