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Sons of Anarchy actor Johnny Lewis was found dead yesterday and is also being considered a murder suspect. His body was found at the home of a 70-year old woman who he is also suspected of murdering. Johnny Lewis previously had roles on The OC (my favorite,) Criminal Minds (where he played a murderer,) and Quintuplets. I actually met him when I was 14 and have pictures with the guy!
This is all a little bit strange though…
[Source]
On the season finale of The Glee Project, my favorite contestant Cameron returned for the final episode. While I was extremely happy that Damien took home the win, I don’t think I paid that much attention to him as much as I focused on the scenes Cameron was actually in. Bree and I agreed last night that while it is obvious that he is talented, there is definitely something that draws our eye towards him throughout the entire episode. Sure, it’s his voice and the hipster attire, but another part of me thinks that it is because he represents a group of people that has never been a part of the in crowd: the nerds. There’s no one like him on Glee or even on television right now.
As we all know, I’ve got a pretty sweet spot for the nerds – as do many girls. Can you really find a reason to not like one? I mean, have you ever seen a douchey nerd? And I’m not talking about those pretentious characters in television shows, I mean in real life. They don’t exist! They never cheat, except for that one episode of Saved By the Bell. They are known for being the shy smart types. They’ve got a type of style that isn’t mainstream and they always seem to know what’s going on before everyone else. A blogger’s dream right? Today, I learned from HelloGiggles that there’s actually a distinction between geek, nerd and dork. Who knew, right?
In short:
“Geek- Smart but not awkward
Nerd- Smart and awkward
Dork- Smart in less useful areas, awkward but proud regardless”
Feel free to read the rest of the article here:
What I also recognized today was the similarities between a nerd and a hipster. The same transition process occurs when scenesters become hipster. In this case, you start out being a nerd and develop into a full-grown adult-sized hipster. I’ve decided to highlight some of my favorite nerds in this post, but I’ll let you be the judge as to whether or not they are really as hip as they appear to be.
[Cameron Mitchell – The Glee Project right]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVRNMlFwqhU]
I think I’ve talked enough about Cameron in the text above so I won’t exhaust you anymore. He is basically the proudest nerd I have ever seen promoting the “Nerd Herd” in his YouTube videos, on the television series, and even in his music.
[Michael Cera]
Self-explanatory.
It is really no secret that I have a huge crush on Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds, 500 Days of Summer.) I think my heart melted a little when I came across this photo shoot for MR PORTER. I would totally be guaranteed a hipster wedding…
– Matthew Williamson’s collection for Macy’s is now out and it is packed with beautiful party dresses and prints for the spring/summer. View and purchase the collection here.
– J. Crew will open their first International store in the UK at the end of the summer. [Source]
– Last season, Miu Miu’s appliqued dress made on the cover of nearly every magazine. This season, it is Prada’s entire Spring collection that has earned 48 covers. [Source]
– FOX News makes a huge deal over a J.Crew ad in which creative director Jenna Lyons is painting her son’s toenails pink. [Source]
– Incubus will release their new album “If Not Now, When?” on July 12th. [Source]
– Glenn Beck has been using Metric’s music and Emily Haines is weirded out. [Source]
– Taking Back Sunday’s new self-titled album will be released June 28th. [Source]
– My favorite former boy band member Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees has decided to join the Chippendales dance crew at the Rio in Las Vegas from May 12 thru June 5. [Source] The little girl inside of me is swooning.
– And in case you haven’t heard yet, Nicki Minaj will be touring with Britney Spears this summer. [Source]
– LCD Soundsystem will be releasing their final show on DVD. [Source]
– Nickelodeon has renewed iCarly for a fifth season. [Source]
– ABC is cancelling All My Children and One Life to Live. [Source]
– AJ Cook is planning her return to Criminal Minds full time again. [Source]
– Cannes has announced their film festival line up. [Source]
– Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, and Alec Baldwin have signed on for Woody Allen’s new film set to be shot in Rome this summer. [Source]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeeWmjB9uJE&feature=player_embedded]
– Monte Carlo starring Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, and Leighton Meester with an appearance by Cory Monteith. I don’t think anyone actually believes that all of them are supposed to be just graduated seniors.
– Moe bar will be streaming live coverage from Coachella this weekend for free! Still not the same experience, but it’s the thought that counts. [Source]
– This Saturday is Record Store Day! Tons of record stores in Seattle will be having special events including band signings and special band performances. For the full schedule, check out The Stranger here. Also, a new record store called Spin Cycle is opening TODAY on Broadway at 321 Broadway on Capitol Hill.
– Yogurtland’s opening is tentatively planned for this weekend! [Source]
– A man is auctioning off a jelly bean that looks like it has an imprint of Kate Middleton’s face. [Source]
– NBA has fined Kobe Bryant $100,000 for his offensive slur at a ref. [Source]
– Seann William Scott has checked out of rehab. [Source]
– Catherine Zeta-Jones is currently being treated for bi-polar disorder. [Source]
– Scarlett Johansson has moved in with Sean Penn. [Source]
– Emma Roberts is covering the May issue of Seventeen Magazine. [Source]
– Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright is engaged to Jamie Campbell Bower. [Source]
– A two-year old boy was given sangria instead of orange juice at a Florida Olive Garden. [Source] rookie mistake
– Learn how to be a jetsetter with Refinery 29’s useful infographic. [Source]
– The world’s oldest man, Walter Breuning has passed away at age 114. [Source] Damn.
Hooray. This is the longest In the News…posting I have ever made.
Ever since Dov Charney announced the hipster era was “out” several months ago, I became concerned. As a part-time hipster, I guess I don’t really understand how it can go out of style. Being a hipster is not just about the fashion or the music. It is a culture. It is a way of living.
Okay, who are we kidding? While I accept the hipster lifestyle, there’s still something about it that makes me giggle. I actually am amused by the hipster culture. While the rest of the world slash the bros at my school find that it is something to joke about, you’d be surprised at how ahead of the game they are. Hipsters all over have paved the way for various trends that began years ago, but are just now turning mainstream as described in a recent Flavorwire post. When I think of this, I am reminded of the scene from The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda puts Andy in her place by telling her that her retail store sweater was hand picked for her by the people in that room because they made that sweater what it was. I know that that movie has nothing to do with hipsters, but all you need to know is that the hipsters ARE Miranda.
Below are some of my favorite hipsters of our time today:
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman has been a bad ass ever since she made her acting debut back in 1994 with The Professional. Since then, she has blown us away with her acting abilities and even her rapping skills. She may have portrayed hipster-ish character Sam in Garden State, but we know that she’s a true one at heart. Natalie is a Harvard grad, vegetarian, and an activist!
The other day Bree told me that the actor who plays Aaron Hotchner in Criminal Minds is the same actor that played Greg in Dharma and Greg. Mind blown.
It was only just a year ago that I had started doing interviews for Yow Yow! and the first person I asked was Jessie Payo. Earlier that year, her band Jupiter Rising, had released their second album The Quiet Hype, which was packed with both pop-rock and hip-hop influenced tracks. Their songs were picked up and featured in episodes of The Hills, Criminal Minds, and The City. Jessie was the first person I wanted to interview because I was a huge fan of Jupiter Rising and had also met her for the first time a few years back. Anyways, a year went by and I decided to reach out to Jessie again. Luckily, we were able to get this going the second time around. She is an absolute sweetheart! I hope you enjoy this everyone.
Q: How old are you and where are you from?
Jessie: I’m a youngster from Los Angeles.
Q: Growing up, did you always see yourself becoming a singer? How did your career first start out?
J: When I was little I wanted to be a painter, then a dancer, then an actress. It never really crossed my mind that I would want to spend my life as a musician. My parents were very artistic and they had all sorts of artist friends that would come over and play music. One time at a backyard party, there were a bunch of musicians jamming out to a Janis Joplin song…at the time I had become a huge fan of Janis. So when the song began, I started singing really loud into the mic. I surprised my parents…and myself. Soon after that, my father started a band with a bunch of our church friends. We played coffee houses and small festivals with Aretha Franklin covers and blues songs. After that, I knew I wanted to keep on playing live. It wasn’t until later that I started writing my own songs.
Q: So Jessie, I actually met you three or four years ago at the black Friday event at Alderwood Mall in Washington. I’m sure you don’t remember meeting me, but I caught your performance w/ Jupiter Rising and after the show I met you and your band manager. I remember being so excited because I had never met a band that wasn’t local before. Back then, I told you that I was interested in booking you guys for a show at the venue I worked for so I was in shock when I received my first business card from your manager. Who was the first person that you met in your music career that has left you speechless?
J: Wow, Katie! That was a really fun show…really freezing too;) I’m so happy you remember that show because I had a great time at that show! Well, the first person I met that left me speechless was Jonny Lang when I was, like, 15…I’m not sure if you know who he is but at the time he blew up as this teen, blues prodigy! I was really into the blues at the time and it was so inspiring to meet someone that was young and playing music so enriched in the roots of American music. I was soooo in awe of his talent…and not to mention his amazing smile. Later on we got to share the stage together, and that was killer!
Q: You recently told me that you are no longer with Jupiter Rising. I’m sad to hear that especially because I still listen to both of your albums pretty often. What made you decide to end up going solo?
J: Yes, it was a sad breakup but a lot of things happen for a reason. Spencer Nezey is one of the most talented producers out there and he is now working on a project called Her Majesty and the Wolves. I felt I wasn’t being honest in myself as an artist and I also felt it was unfair to Spencer because he knew exactly where he wanted this band to go. I needed to step away to ask myself that difficult question “What is it that I want?” So now I’m feeling incredibly amazing writing new music and laying the foundation for more exciting things to come.
Q: I follow your Twitter as well and heard that you were trying out for American Idol. Is it true? If so, that’s very exciting! Are you able to tell us anything about it or is it pretty hush hush?
J: I can’t really share the details but it was a great experience.
Q: Who are you usually compared to? And do you think that this person and you are alike?
J: I’m usually compared to Nelly Furtado, Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt and Nikka Costa. I totally see the comparisons yet these four artists have completely different sounds. I take them all as a compliment
Q: Who were your influences growing up?
J: My first influence was Madonna. I would imitate her dance moves and bring my “Like a Virgin” cassette to kindergarten…where it was deemed inappropriate. Haha! After that I was heavily influenced by Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Eric Clapton , Big Mama Thorton, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, Nikka Costa and PJ Harvey…that’s quite a list of random.
Q: Who is your guilty pleasure collaboration? Who would you like to collaborate with that your fans might find a bit surprising?
J: I would LOVE to work with Jack White….DONE!
Q: The music industry is tough business to get into, what has been your biggest challenge and what piece of advice would you give to those who aspire to become a successful musician.
J: My two biggest pieces of advice is: Don’t stop working…there’s always something to be said about being a hustler.
Second piece of advice is never make any apologies for the work that you put out there .
Q: At the end of the day, what makes it all worth it for you?
J: What makes it all worth it at the end of the day, is the endless amount of support I get from my friends and family. Whenever I feel like I’ve reached my breaking point I always have a good friend or family member to remind me to get some perspective. Leaning on them at times and a good way to step outside of myself when it gets too hard.
Q: Who are you listening to these days?
J: I’m listening to the new Black Keys album “Brothers”, The Avett Brothers, Marina and the Diamonds and the new Weezer Album. Great stuff!
Q: What’s a typical day for Jessie Payo?
J: I’d like to say that I have a typical routine, but I don’t. A lot of it consists of running around from rehearsals to shows to sessions to vocal lessons. Each day brings its own adventure. Right now I’m working on building the next Empire that is Jessie Payo.
Q: Jessie, you are dating magician Justin Kredible. Has he ever played a trick on you?
J: There’s always magic in the house. But once he put my head into a vintage head chopper to test it out and it scared the crap out of me to have my head locked into a contraption with a huge blade above it. Thank goodness nothing went wrong…my head’s still attached to my body.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btbBLGGM1h8]
Q: Where can we see you next Jessie?
J: Keep on the look out for a brand new Jessie Payo EP that’s in the works as we speak! Also, I’m starring in a film called “Rising Stars” that’s soon to be out!
Q: Anything else?!
J: Check out more to come from Jessie Payo on www.jessiepayo.com
And follow me on twitter at @jessiepayo
Thanks Jessie! We wish you the best of luck!
Monday: World of Jenks & The Buried Life
Tuesday: Glee
Wednesday: Criminal Minds & Hellcats [overlapping schedule shiiiii….]
Thursday: Vampire Diaries
Friday: – – – –
Saturday: JONAS LA
Sunday: Keeping Up w/ The Kardashians & The Spin Crowd
Oh…I must have forgotten I was still in college
Would you wear it?
Last night, my friend Max and I were hanging out in his room getting ready. Scratch that He was getting ready and I was watching my new favorite show Criminal Minds to keep myself busy. The recent crime had taken place in Seattle (Imagine that!) and the plot was getting juicy until – commercial break- but not just any commercial. The commercial was trying to sell a T-Shirt with the entire cast of Criminal Minds on it. I love Matthew Gray Gubler I really do, but that doesn’t mean I want him and the rest of the cast on a t-shirt. So I have to ask, have you ever been that big of a fan for a show that you would buy a shirt with them on it and actually wear it in public?
I just made the swift decision that I would not be doing my theology reading for tomorrow. This is not because I am a student that slacks off. I don’t. It isn’t really because I have anything else more important to do (but I do)
For the first three weeks of my quarter, I’ve been sticking to my syllabus in my classes. I stayed in all weekend and did homework while swooning over actor Matthew Gray Gubler on Criminal Minds. I felt much older than I really was. I should probably have been out w/ my friends like every other college student in the country on a weekend. Also Matthew Gray Gubler is 30 years old. (sidenote)
So being the age that I am – and a college student, I feel old. I no longer I have that energy that I used to have. I have no desire to pack on those numbers (or the pounds) that come with age, but why does it seem like the rest of the world is? There are the child stars, the infamous bloggers that have become household names at the age of 13, (Yep, I’m talkin’ about you Tavi!) and the ones in grade school, junior high, and high school that cannot wait to get older. They do the things that make us cringe and confuse us. Our society has come to terms with the idea that with age comes privileges and independence. This idea is stomping on our youth. Hard. There are some decisions that we think we are ready to make when we are younger, but there’s a reason why people warn us about them. I believe that making mistakes are lessons to be learned, but some lessons do not need to be learned until later.
I decided to ask some of my friends the question:
“High school is our only time that mistakes are acceptable. Then we get into college and we are automatically thrown into this world of “what do you want to do with your life” and honestly, we are in our twenties. No one should want to know what they want to do with their 60 + years yet. i think that our generation needs more time for self discovery and exploration.”
