Just in time for “No-Shave November”, film critic Richard Roeper recently blogged about what he calls “The Cheesy Mustache Theory.” Roeper hypothesizes that some time ago (perhaps during the filming of Ocean’s Thirteen), superstars Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and George Clooney made some kind of agreement that by 2009, each of them had to star in a film as a character sporting an incredibly cheesy mustache. Observe:

Pitt in Inglourious Basterds

Damon in The Informant!

And Mr. Clooney in the upcoming film, The Men Who Stare At Goats

Hmmm, it seems that Roeper may have caught onto something here…

So on Sunday afternoon as I was watching the Bears game on TV, I saw a commercial for Reebok’s new “EasyTone” shoes. According to the commercial, these shoes help improve the look of your butt, calves, and thighs. The commercial features a young attractive woman giving information about the shoes…but rather than focusing on the woman’s face as she speaks, the camera is constantly zooming in on the woman’s butt.

Apparently this is Reebok’s first major TV ad campaign in two years. While the commercial may seem like it is targeting a male audience, the product being sold is a women’s running shoe. So is the ad trying to say that women who wear this shoe will improve the look of her butt and thus attract more attention from men? Perhaps I am reading too far into this (or this is just the Media Studies student in me speaking)…but this commercial seems to be the epitome of advertisements that objectify women to attract an audience.

What do you guys think of Reebok’s latest ad campaign? Is it just another harmless, playful way of attracting an audience, or do you think it’s a cheap sexist tactic of using sex appeal to sell their product?

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009)

Adapting a popular children’s book into a feature film can be quite a difficult task for most filmmakers. But when you take one of the most beloved classics in children’s literature like Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and put it in the hands of a smart, innovative director like Spike Jonze, the result is a fantastic work of art that proves to be one of the best films of the year. Jonze successfully stays true to the spirit of the source material while still adding his own artistic vision; taking bold liberties both visually and narratively that really bring Sendak’s story to life. The film captures the playful, imaginative aspects of childhood as well as the raw, sometimes painfully emotional side thanks to the outstanding performances from the entire cast. Overall, Where the Wild Things Are is a perfect blend of breathtaking visuals, exciting adventure, and powerful emotional themes.

The film follows a rambunctious little youngster named Max (Max Records) who feels neglected and misunderstood by his older teenage sister and his struggling single mother (Catherine Keener). After being sent to his room for misbehaving, Max escapes to an island inhibited by strange creatures with realistic, child-like personality traits. He quickly wins the affection of the ‘Wild Things’ and they crown him as their leader. Max promises to create a place where everyone can be happy, but soon discovers the difficulties of trying to please everyone and finds himself yearning to return home.

Some of the strongest aspects of the film come from the changes to story made by Spike Jonze and screenwriter Dave Eggers, such as the decision to give names and distinct personalities to each of the Wild Things. Jonze brilliantly uses the individual creatures to symbolize the different sides of Max’s personality. Among them are the short-tempered and smothering Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini), the wild, free-spirited KW (Lauren Ambrose), and the young, insecure Alexander (Paul Dano). Despite being made of large animatronic suits with CGI faces, the Wild Things prove to be just as real and complicated as the film’s human characters.

Spike Jonze, who is best known for his idiosyncratic style, takes a much different approach with this film. His previous films (Being John Malkovich and Adaptation) were very analytical and unconventional, whereas Where the Wild Things Are is rather simple and straight-forward, yet still a little bit edgy. It is important to note that this is not your typical family film. While most family films these days feature action-packed 3D animation, talking dogs, or crime-fighting guinea pigs, Where the Wild Things Are is much more raw and dramatic. Like the recently popular Disney/Pixar films like WALL-E or Up, this film features emotionally complicated material that might be difficult for younger kids to really understand. Nevertheless, I believe that people of all ages can appreciate Where the Wild Things Are in one way or another, whether it’s the beautiful imagery, the outstanding acting performances, or the powerful, heartfelt adventure of Max’s journey.

Director: Spike Jonze
Writers: Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers (based on book by Maurice Sendak)
Cinematography: Lance Acord
Music: Karen O and Carter Burwell
Max…Max Records
Mom… Catherine Keener
Boyfriend… Mark Ruffalo
Carol…voiced by James Gandolfini
KW…voiced by Lauren Ambrose
Douglas…voiced by Chris Cooper
Ira…voiced by Forest Whitaker
Judith…voiced by Catherine O’Hara
Alexander…voiced by Paul Dano
MPAA rating: PG
Running Time: 100 minutes

Say what you want about John Mayer…But love him or hate him, there is no denying that he is an extremely talented artist and musician. At only 31 years old, Mayer has already won seven Grammy awards and has collaborated with a fantastic array of well-established musicians including Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Rob Thomas, and Fall Out Boy. Whether he is showering the radio with his catchy pop-rock hits or shredding blues solos on the electric guitar, John Mayer continues to be a driving force in today’s music industry.

Back in August of this year, Mayer posted on his official Twitter page that his fourth studio album, Battle Studies, will be released on November 17th. Earlier today, Mayer released the music video for the album’s first single, “Who Says.” The video (directed by Anthony Mandler) features John partying with his friends, enjoying the nightlife in various cities, and strumming his guitar while asking the question…”Who says I can’t get stoned?” (A line that Mayer says is not about marijuana, but actually about “freedom and living your life.”) The song itself is a straight-from-the-heart, stripped down acoustic tune that perfectly blends Mayer’s old acoustic pop/rock style with his newer, more mature themed songwriting. Overall, I think it is a great first single and I look forward to hearing the rest of the new album.

Check out the video for “Who Says” below…

What do you think of the John Mayer’s new song and video? Feel free to share your thoughts!

A nominations list for the 37th annual American Music Awards was unveiled on Tuesday. Country/pop artist Taylor Swift leads the group with six nominations this year, followed by the late, great Michael Jackson with five, then Eminem with four, and the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon, T.I, and Beyonce each received 3 noms.

The show is set to air on Sunday, November 22nd. The winners are determined by voting at ama.abc.com, amavote.com, and mycokerewards.com. The show’s preliminary list of performers include Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez and Adam Lambert (making his post-Idol performance debut). Check out a full list of the nominations here.

(Source: EW)

Kelly Clarkson’s set list at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Tuesday night was filled with several familiar cover songs including “Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes), “Lies” (The Black Keys), “Walking After Midnight” (Patsy Cline) and “That I Would Be Good” (Alanis Morissette) mixed with “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon.

Kelly’s cover of “Use Somebody” just adds to the impressive list of artists who have covered the hit Kings of Leon song including: Paramore, Tyler Hilton, Bat For Lashes, and Pixie Lott. What do you guys think - who does it best? Do any of these covers match up to the original song? Are tired of hearing this song and all it’s different manifestations??