There's no love lost between Katherine Heigl and much of Hollywood, but she is going out of her way to publicly discuss her mistakes. In an appearance on The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday, she gave Stern the full backstory about the Vanity Fair interview that came out right before Knocked Up premiered — in which she called the film "a little sexist."
Heigl insists that what she didn't like about the movie had more to do with her portrayal of the character than the actual film. "I liked the movie a lot. I just didn't like me," she told Stern. "She was kind of like, she was so judgmental and kind of uptight and controlling and all these things and I really went with it while we were doing it."
Heigl doesn't quite take back her take on the film, but she does say she owed Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen a heads-up. "I don't mean to imply on any level that [the journalist] trapped me... she just said, 'You know a lot of women felt that it was a little sexist,' so then I felt obligated to answer that and so I tried in my very sort of ungracious way to answer why I felt that it maybe was a little.
"I've thought about like, writing a note. I feel embarrassed. I don't want it to feel insincere on any level," she said. "It was an immature, dumbass moment." Looks like Rogen and Apatow will be getting a bouquet of flowers sometime soon.
There's bad erotica and there's good erotica. Then, there's bodice-ripping, hard-humping, rock-star erotica.
Bridging several decades, I've found some of the best sex scenes around. Read on, and prepare to be breathless. WARNING: These books may cause spontaneous kissing attacks, fake sick days from work and lots of dirty laundry.
"God, David." I arched against him when he moved to my other breast. Two fingers worked inside me, a little uncomfortable but nothing I couldn’t handle. Not so long as he kept his mouth on me, lavishing my breasts with attention. His thumb rubbed around a sweet spot and my eyes rolled back into my head. So close. The strength of what was building was staggering. Mind-blowing. My body was going to be blown to dust, atoms, when this hit. If he stopped, I’d cry. Cry, and beg. And maybe kill... I came, groaning, every muscle drawn taut. It was almost too much. Almost.
When she saw that he was dissolved with pleasure, she stopped, divining that perhaps if she deprived him now he might make a gesture towards fulfillment. At first he made no motion. His sex was quivering, and he was tormented with desire… Marianne grew desperate. She pushed his hand away, took his sex into her mouth again, and with her two hands she encircled his sexual parts, caressed him and absorbed him until he came. He leaned over with gratitude, tenderness, and murmured, “You are the first woman, the first woman, the first woman…”
He drove his tongue inside her, setting off another shattering moan that was music to his ears. She was quite an instrument to play, so finely tuned, and if he touched her right, she made the most glorious sounds — raw, intense, absolutely delicious noises of pleasure as he plundered her with his tongue. She grabbed his hair, yanked and pulled him closer as he’d told her to do. He thrust one finger inside her, crooking it and hitting her in the spot that turned her moans into one long, high-pitched orgasm. She shuddered against him, her legs quaking, and when he finally slowed to look up at her, he saw her hair was a wild tumble, and her face was glowing.
Then his hands came to life. He went as if to rub his wrists, then he reached for the blindfold, his fingers dancing right in front of it without touching it, and then he reached out for me. I jumped. He caught me by the arms, wrapping his fingers all the way around them and bringing me forward. And then he realized I was naked, and he felt my sides and my breasts, giving a little startled noise. And before I could stop him, he had pulled me to him, forcing me against his chest. His cock was thumping against my sex, and he kissed me in that shocking way and I realized he had lifted me off my feet.
5. The Sexual Life of Catherine M by Catherine Millet
Ringo came and took his place on top of me, while the third boy, who was more reserved than the other two, rested on one elbow beside us and ran his hand over my upper body. Ringo’s body was very different from Andre’s, and I liked it better. He was taller, more wiry, and one of those men who isolate the action of the pelvis from the rest of the body, who thrust without smothering, supporting their torso with their arms. But Andre seemed more mature to me, his flesh was not so spare, he already had less hair and I liked going to sleep bundled up next to him with my buttocks against his belly, telling him we were a perfect fit.
"You are mine," he grunts out, pumping into me, the length and level of his arousal brutal. "Mine," he swears, as he releases my mouth and turns me around, pushing me forward as he yanks my legs back, one hand hard on my back, the other gripping my ass. He doesn’t slow the movement, giving me full, hard thrusts, my breasts bouncing from the top of my dress, the mirror above the sink giving me a full view of my slutdom. Paul, in worn jeans, a white tee-shirt, light hair mussed, mouth open, intensity over his face. His reflection pulls at my hair, tilting my head back, and I find his eyes on mine in the mirror.
I slowly moved up and down, timing my thrusts with the second hands on the clocks. As they began their final rotation of the year, I increased my speed. Ben wrapped his arm around my waist and dug himself further into me, which I didn't think was possible. My breath caught.
"Five ... four ..." he said in my ear.
The tram slowed and my heartbeat accelerated.
"Three ... two ..." his voice taunted me.
Every point in my body sparked with desire until I hit the golden spot. Then my back arched, my mouth opened and I lost all control of my senses. "One," I screamed and collapsed against him.
He spread her wide and she closed her eyes at the touch, lewd and lascivious and lovely, at once thankful for the darkness and quite desperate for the light. "Did you touch yourself?"
She shook her head, her hands searching for him. Finding his soft hair. "No." He stopped again and her fingers curled against him. "It's true. I didn't. But ..."
He blew softly on the exposed center of her. "But?"
She inhaled, the breath ragged and not enough, and though it was he who knelt, it was she who confessed. "But I wanted to."
He rewarded her honesty with his mouth, consuming her like fire, his tongue stroking in long, slow licks, curling in a slick promise at the hard center of her pleasure, and she lifted her hips to meet his remarkable mouth, not caring that the action could be called nothing but wanton. She did want. She needed.
“Kiss me, Avery,” I whisper. He slips his lips against mine once before opening my mouth with his tongue. I moan and pull his body down tightly against me, skin to skin. No teasing this time, my journalist. I will feel you. All of you. He sucks on my lower lip. He runs his fingers through my hair. Then his hand is on my breast, thumb on my nipple.
Noelle is at our side, watching, touching herself. Only once does she lean forward and suckle at his shoulder. His mouth leaves mine and finds hers. He earns a delicious purr before I pull on his hair to get him back to me.
I am dripping, and I can feel Avery, hard against my stomach, bigger than my husband. I wonder if Timothy will like that or turn Avery into a submissive pet, punished for his obscene show of masculinity. Then, he’s pressed to my opening, but he freezes. I look into his curious eyes. “Yes,” I sigh.
He kissed her ear, as he said, "I don't want either of us to ever forget this night."
She answered by plastering her mouth on his and kissing him in a way she'd never thought possible, her hips moving against him, knowing there must be more. Ben settled himself between her legs. She cradled his hips with her thighs. And then he was at the portal. The sharp pain she had once endured was a distant memory, and nothing, absolutely nothing in this world, felt as good as the sensation of him slowly sliding into her.
"Are you all right?" he asked. He sounded as if he was holding himself in check, as if it took all of his will to do so.
Elin arched and stretched beneath him. Her movements sent him deeper, and she liked that. "I've never been better," she practically purred.
Jonathan sinks to his knees in front of her, while reaching behind him to pull a condom from the pocket of his rumpled jeans. Once he's sheathed, he takes her ankles in both hands. His muscles ripple and tense as he finds the perfect aim against her wet, throbbing pussy. He locks eyes with her as he presses into her.
The sudden, delicious sense that Jonathan is hers, for now, entirely and completely hers, fills her with as much force and speed as his hard cock. As his thrusts gain a steady tempo, she brings her hands to his pecs, his nipples, down his abs, clamping her legs around his waist, driving him further into her until their sweat-slick bodies are sliding together, and he's whispering in her ear, "I never knew you were such a dirty girl, Emily Blaine."
When at last I entered his chamber, I was positively quivering with excitement. The Beast was sitting in a chair in a remote corner of the darkened room. Removing my robe, I positioned myself on the edge of the bed in just the way he liked best, as was my habit. Within seconds I was soaking wet and aching for him. That's the way it was for me with the Beast. It was enough just to wait there, trembling and poised on my hands and knees, anticipating what was to come, to bring about that kind of response in me.
I had not even heard him move when suddenly I felt his crude hands caressing my soft skin. "Turn around," he said suddenly in a gruff whisper.
I paused for a moment, stunned.
"I want to see your face tonight," he said simply.
In the late '90s/early 2000s, it was hard to find a girl who didn't melt into a puddle of her own saliva at the sound of Nick Carter's voice. The former Backstreet Boy, who was most recently showing off his moves on Dancing With The Stars, is now trying his hand at fatherhood. On Tuesday, Carter and his wife, Lauren, welcomed their first child into the world — an 8 -pound, 11-ounce baby boy named Odin Reign Carter.
Carter's wife endured 30 hours of labor before she delivered baby Odin at home via water birth. The couple is reportedly through the moon, and given their rocky road while trying to conceive, their elation is completely understandable.
Carter has been very honest with the media about the struggle he and his wife had becoming parents. Last November the singer revealed that he and his wife had been trying to conceive for a year, and that they had also suffered a very difficult miscarriage in the process.
Given the couple's painful struggle to become parents, they wanted to give their first child a powerful name, and we've got to say that the meaning behind the name they chose for their baby boy is perfection. Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom and law; it is also associated with strength, power and charm.
Reign — which has been gaining popularity since Kourtney Kardashian chose it for her little man in 2014 — means "to rule." Pretty fitting for a baby who has undoubtedly already got his beaming parents wrapped around his tiny little finger.
Carter has gushed about his wife's strength in the past and has admitted that seeing her become a mother has made him fall even deeper in love with her than he was before. He's not been shy with his emotions or their fertility struggle, so there's no doubt that getting to hold baby Odin in his arms for the first time played a note on his heart strings that even he had never heard.
Congratulations to the new parents, and thanks for sharing your journey with us. Now, we're going to go cry happy tears and listen to our favorite Backstreet Boys songs.
Last night's premiere of The CW's new virus outbreak show Containment was definitely terrifying (in a good way). But what wasn't terrifying was Chris Wood's performance in the series as police officer Jake Riley.
1. How do you like your coffee? "Black... I like to make it myself though. I have a very fancy Wilfa precision coffee maker."
2. What is your favorite CD/record/album of all time? "This is so hard. I'm going to go with the Led Zeppelin Mothership compilation."
3. Favorite exercise? "Baseball." He even plays softball every week on a team.
4. Least favorite exercise? "Probably sprinting."
5. What is a recurring dream you have? "I often dream that I am showing up for a job, and I'm supposed to have been fully prepared, and I don't know any of the lines. The actor's nightmare. I have it all the time. Where I'm just completely unprepared. But I always go for it. I always give it a shot and everyone's always looking at me like, 'That's not the scene. What are you doing?' But they never cut. They always keep rolling."
6. What is your favorite animal? "A monkey."
7. Do you believe in ghosts? "No."
8. What is your favorite movie ever? "Singing in the Rain."
9. Puberty — hard or a piece of cake? At this point, Wood let out a strangled laugh, "Hard."
10. What is your first kiss story? "I was on the playground, and I wasn't prepared for it. I think I was in second grade. There was this club called The Kissing Girls, and they would run up to boys and they'd kiss them. And I got sneak kissed."
11. What was your first job ever? "I worked at Panera Bread."
12. How do you like your pizza? "I like Hawaiian."
13. What is the scariest thing, in your opinion, about the future? "That technology will evolve so much that it attacks us." No, not deadly virus outbreaks.
14. Do you have any tattoos? "No."
15. Tell a story about a scar you have and how you got it. "I was making a blackened chicken pizza for some friends and splashed cooking oil on my arm. So I had really bad burns." He said that it took him about two months to heal.
16. What is your favorite curse word? "Fuck."
17. What is the best date you've ever been on? "My girlfriend and I went on a wine country tour. It was sort of a five-day date."
18. What time is your bedtime? "Midnight."
19. Who was your last incoming call? "Hanna, my girlfriend." (Wood is currently dating his Containment co-star Hanna Mangan Lawrence.)
20. What inspires you the most? "Good art. I love everything. I'm sort of a classical music nerd so I go to the LA Phil all the time."
21. What was the last movie that made you cry? "Room. It's very upsetting."
22. Who is your celeb crush? "Meryl Streep. I mean, give me a break. Can there be anyone else?"
23. What is a philanthropic cause that's important to you? "Mental health. Anti-stigma and awareness."
24. Where do you see yourself in five years? "Hopefully still alive and kickin'. Hopefully it's like the sixth season of Containment. Doing that, and hopefully having some interesting roles under my belt and still have time to read books."
25. What's your favorite book? "I'm just finishing Anna Karenina right now, which I had not read before. And it's incredible. It is so beautiful. I think it's an amazing book so it might end up being my favorite, but I haven't finished it yet."
26. What are you most excited for people to see in Containment? "I'm excited for people to see how these relationships flush out and how these characters' stories intertwine as the season progresses."
27. What was your favorite episode to film in Season 1? "'Seven.'" But he's keeping why a secret...
28. Tell us one spoiler from the show. "There will be an unexpected death." And by unexpected death, he means a Game of Thrones-style unexpected death.
Containment airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
What did you think of the first episode of Containment? Will you keep watching?
The Bella Twins have landed their own spinoff, and it promises to be even wilder than things ever got in the ring.
Total Divas Season 5 is dunzo, but fans have something huge to look forward to: the premiere of Nikki and Brie Bella's new show Total Bellas. In it, fans will get a deeper glimpse of the sisters' personal lives, including Nikki's harrowing neck surgery and her recovery.
"It's basically a show about Brie and I and our family, more about our life outside the ring," Nikki told E! News. "You get to see my surgery up close and personal."
Brie added, "You get to see Bryan's retirement up close and personal."
In the wake of Nikki's surgery, the whole family came together to help out — a situation Brie called "a lot of chaos under one roof.
"I couldn't leave my house for three months, so my family decided to come bombard John and I and just fully take over our house," Nikki said.
But according to Brie, they could hardly take over because John Cena has some pretty strict house rules, and they feature heavily in the show.
"You will see him a lot because he made a lot of rules, and he makes sure they're all enforced," she said. "Like, making our bed every morning! Josie had rules! My French bulldog had rules from John!"
The twins tweeted their excitement over the coming show to their fans.
What's cuter than Chrissy Teigen snuggling her baby while the family dog hangs his head, all bummed out that he's been replaced? Only the first official shot of baby Luna, bright-eyed and staring at a camera. And it's here!
John Legend shared the first "real" photo of the couple's baby girl today, ending the debate over who this baby was going to look like. The verdict? Luna — or Lulu as they're calling her — is daddy's girl all right!
Now, she's only a few days old, so we may start to see more Chrissy in her as time goes on, but you may have heard the old wives tale about the caveman paternity test? Legend has it (seriously, there's no science behind this that we can tell) that children tend to come out looking more like daddy because way back in the day, it meant dad would be more accepting of the child.
It may be all hogwash, but many a mom can attest to being handed their baby in the delivery room after nine loooong months and the pain of contractions, only to take a look at that sweet little face and realize they don't see any of themselves in there.
Of course, the good news (for moms anyway) is that babies' looks change a whole lot over time. In a week little Luna could be looking a whole lot more like her gorgeous mom. Then again, it looks like John's genes are pretty strong.
Here's a truly beautiful and heart-wrenching love story that will bring a tear to even the most stoic. Joan and Craig, two 44-year-olds from Liverpool, have known each other for 30 years. Even though they met when they were only 14, Craig immediately knew Joan was the one for him.
"I fell in love with her as soon as I set my eyes on her when we were 14. I was a bit shy about it and Joan has been married previously, but it has always been about Joan for me — she is the woman of my dreams," Craig said to the Daily Mail. Nearly three decades later, Joan and Craig reunited and started dating. Eighteen months ago, he confessed his love to her aboard a ferry on the River Mersey and later proposed to her while holding a milkshake at McDonalds. "That is our little heaven, enjoying the simple things, as long as we're together," Joan said to CBS News.
They finally got married last week, and while it was ultimately a happy occasion, tears of sadness were also shed, because Craig has less than a year to live.
This past August, Craig was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The couple dealt with the devastating blow the only way they knew how — they set out to enjoy every moment they had left together. "We decided to do all the things we wanted to do but never did," Joan said to CBS. One of those things was get married to each other, but Joan had another first up her sleeve that she revealed to her now-husband at their reception.
With the help of her good friend Amy Walsh and Craig's barber, Joan shaved her head in honor of her husband in front of him and all her guests. Naturally people were shocked, but all Craig could see was this amazing woman who he knew would stand by him, no matter what.
"It was the obviously the first time I had seen Joan without her hair, and she looked beautiful, absolutely stunning," Craig told the Daily Mail. Anyone not sobbing their faces off right now?
"It was very emotional... seeing the love and pride Craig had for his wife," said the couple's wedding photographer, Kimberley Struth. Craig and Joan received Struth's incredible photography skills free of charge as part of a charity program called Gift of a Wedding. The organization helps provide a wedding to couples who are dealing with terminal illness.
However, Joan and Craig took it one step further. They used their wedding to raise money for various charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Zoé's Place Hospice and Woodlands Hospice. Joan's hair went to Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children who've lost their hair due to cancer treatment.
"In the face of some really bad news, they are courageous enough to keep raising money for other people," Struth told CBS."It takes a really special person to be able to do that."
Despite Craig's diagnosis, the couple remains happy newlyweds. Joan considers herself lucky that such a wonderful man chose her, and that she gets to spend any amount of time with him.
It's incredibly rare to meet such strong, generous people, or to witness such selfless acts of love. While I wasn't there, knowing their story exists restores my faith in humanity, at least for now.
A melodious baby name is the perfect choice if you or your partner is a musician — or has a love of music, no matter the form. Do you fancy a pleasant tune as you go about your day? Do you pick up a clarinet or a guitar when the mood strikes you? These names may be just up your alley.
These names have a few different sources, and all are musical in nature. While the musical term allegro means "in a rapid tempo," that doesn't mean it wouldn't make an amazing baby name, especially if you have instrument-playing experience. A more feminine version of the same name has a similar meaning — Allegra — but if you're turned off because it's also the name of a popular medication, Allegro could work quite well, especially as a middle name.
The inspiration doesn't stop there. We explored the names of musical instruments, methods of play, types of music, and the names of some of our favorite songbirds to come up with ultimate musical baby name list for little girls. Check out these harmonious baby names to see if one (or more) makes its way to your baby name list.
Image: Design via Karen Cox/SheKnows; Image via Getty Images
There are even more music-inspired names to come by if you delve into the meanings of names. Some of these beauties literally mean "song," and some have similar meanings that may be completely perfect for your little girl.
Eileen Davidson isn't interested in drama — she's interested in the truth. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion got heated as always, and Eileen Davidson got the last word in a Bravo blog post. She wants fans to know that sometimes the Housewives' actions aren't just for plot contrivance.
Davidson and Lisa Rinna called out Lisa Vanderpump for accusing Yolanda Foster of faking her lyme disease. Some skeptical fans believe Davidson and Rinna jumped on Vanderpump's words to cause a scene, but Davidson maintains that they really were standing up for their friend.
"Neither Lisa R. nor I have anything to gain by calling out Lisa V.," she writes. "It’s not like we get a bonus check from Bravo or a new BMW with a bow around it. No one throws us a pizza party. Nobody hands us a bunch of balloons. In fact, it makes our lives harder. Our honesty has made us targets for the hate and vitriol unleashed by Lisa V., her husband and her die-hard followers. So, I ask you all, with nothing to gain, and possibly our future on the show to lose, why would we do it?"
Davidson maintains that she's telling the truth about Vanderpump's manipulative nature. "We both knew it was the right thing to do, but, rightfully, it was hard," she says of calling out her costar. As she mentions in her post, cast members who don't play well with Vanderpump tend to get cut from the show. We applaud Davidson's honesty... no matter what the reason.
Kelly Ripa was totally blindsided by Michael Strahan's huge GMA announcement, and now she is boycotting her own show. Could this be the end of Live!?
Ripa by all accounts had no idea Strahan was even considering leaving their incredibly successful morning show, and she is absolutely furious that she was nearly the last to know. Basically, she completely lost her shit.
"She went crazy," an insider told People magazine, adding that she reacted "like a lunatic. Crazy."
A network source added, "It's a corporate decision. And that came from the top people and the president of ABC, and Kelly is probably enraged because she gave him a shot and he ran with it."
Ripa is so angry that she didn't show up for work today, leaving producers scrambling to find a sub for her (Ana Gasteyer jumped in the hot seat). "She called the network at midnight last night to say that she said she wasn't coming in," the source said. "People love this guy. She should be mad at the network. Not be mad at him."
And why is that? Because by all accounts, the decision to switch shows wasn't Strahan's — it came down directly from the top in an attempt to breathe new life into GMA's lackluster ratings.
"GMA has been in freefall," the network source explained. "Their show has been number one for four years, and GMA was freaking out because Today is getting better and getting younger fans, and therefore they moved Michael because they are trying to close the gap with a younger demographic."
But the decision could mean the end of Live!, because apparently the network is also considering axing the show for a third hour of GMA.
"Company executives have wanted to extend GMA to a third hour for years — fixated on it, really," the source continued.
"Now, Live!, because it's syndicated, also brings in hundreds of millions, so this is a huge risk," the first source told People. "This was bigger than just Michael wanting to do more, because of the money involved. This would have been a company decision."
If Live! continues after Strahan's exit next fall, Anderson Cooper and Neil Patrick Harris are reportedly being considered as replacements.
As far as Ripa goes, producers "don't know yet when she'll be back."
Giudici's snapshot garnered many responses, many of which speculated on if she is having a girl or a boy — and those opinions were based on the shape of her belly and how she is carrying. While the opinions seem to be split 50/50 on whether Giudici and Lowe are expecting a boy or a girl, the fact remains that the info they are basing those opinions on is nothing more than old wives' tales.
Some say that Giudici must be having a girl because she appears to be carrying high. Not only is that impossible to tell from the angle of the photo — she is reclining on a pool chair — but the position of the bump has no direct correlation to the sex of the fetus. For example, I carried high during my first pregnancy and had a boy, and low during my second with a girl — the direct opposite of what the old wives' tale says.
Regardless, Giudici and Lowe are impervious to the rampant speculation. They are loving their babymoon in Palm Springs, a place that holds special meaning to the couple.
"We picked Palm Springs for a couple of reasons — it's warm and sunny, and it also holds some sentimental value with us," Lowe wrote on his blog.
"After we had filmed The Bachelor but before it had finished airing, the production team would fly us both to a secret location in L.A. every couple of weeks for the weekend," Lowe continued. "Our last secret weekend, two of our favorite producers, Pete and Cassie, drove us to Palm Springs and put us up in a really cool house with a pool for the weekend. To this day, we still talk about how much fun we had just hanging out at that house, swimming, grilling, and watching movies. So next week, we're going to try and recapture those memories and make some new ones too."
Giudici is currently 29 weeks along, placing her due date at the end of June.
He's baaaack! As previously reported, Rob Benedict returns to Supernatural in Season 11, Episode 20 (airing May 4) as the beloved Chuck. Details surrounding his episode, which is appropriately titled "Don't Call Me Shurley," are being kept under wraps.
Even though information about how and why Chuck is coming back into the lives of Sam and Dean remains uncertain, at least The CW was nice enough to give fans a glimpse at photos of his anticipated comeback.
As you can see below, Chuck hasn't changed a bit and is still his adorable self. Also, notice the microphone in the header image. Does this mean he is now a lounge singer? Here's hoping he sings a song or two. Based on the computer and those glasses, it also appears that Chuck is still writing. Either this means he is still the all-knowing prophet, writing more Supernatural novels or maybe he most definitely is God recording the events of his sister, Amara/The Darkness.
Per the episode description, Chuck returns "with an interesting proposal." Meanwhile, Amara continues to wreak havoc as she unleashes her dark fog and a plague on a small town causing everyone to go mad.
So, now that Chuck is back, does this mean he really is God, like fans have suspected since Season 5? If so, then maybe his "interesting proposal" has something to do with getting rid of The Darkness. Maybe he'll give Sam and Dean a helping hand for something in return. If not, why is Chuck popping up now?
Whatever the case, it will be good to see him back in his element. Also, let's keep those fingers crossed that Chuck can answer Sam and Dean's prayers when it comes to saving the world, again.
For those of you playing along, I'm still binge-watching Gilmore Girls, and still noticing things about it that make my younger self weep. This time, it's the subtle yet crushing awfulness of the sexual politics on this show, and I don't just mean the scourge that is Lorelai sometimes being naked after sex (Max, Luke) and sometimes not (Jason). The basis of this show is that Lorelai was a teen parent, which probably had something to do with Emily and/or Richard and/or Strobe and/or Francine never talking to her or Christopher about sex or contraception. And yet, direct conversation about sex between Rory and Lorelai is basically a non-thing, and that might not even be the worst of it. And for the record, yes, I am aware that the show ended almost 10 years ago, and that much has changed politically since then. Here's to doing better in the revival and proving that you can discuss important topics while making good TV.
1. Rory talking about not getting pregnant
In the early days of the show, we saw Rory affirming that she wasn't going to get pregnant at least twice: once after she and Dean accidentally spent the night together, and another time after she brought Dean to dinner at Richard and Emily's, and Richard had a total meltdown about it. It's the omission that's upsetting here, the lack of honest discussion of any options beyond just not getting pregnant, the assumed inevitability of having to stay pregnant, give birth and parent, as opposed to the other choices that would be available to her if she did get pregnant.
2. Never mentioning the word "sex"
Spoiler alert: Rory doesn't have sex until the end of season 4, although she does entertain the possibility in season 3, when she's dating Jess. At first, she tells Lorelai she's not thinking about it but then she changes her mind, and mother and daughter have an amazingly stilted and awkward conversation in which Rory says "it" might happen. That's right — the word "sex" isn't used, even when referring to possibly having it. You could make an argument that this is part of Rory's withholding, squeamish nature, but if ever there were a time to encourage her to bust of out her shell, it would have been then.
Somewhere in season 7, Lorelai sleeps with Luke, apparently without any birth control, starts craving fruit and fears she might be pregnant (she's not). While she's freaking out, though, she calls Rory to discuss the potential issue, and they talk around again, most awkwardly, Rory's own birth control methods, which they never actually clarify, except that she's using something. Is this the first time they've talked about this, or does it just seem that way? I can't believe that they haven't talked about it before, given that Lorelai was a mom at 16 and there's so much hand-wringing about the possibility of Rory getting pregnant and being just like Lorelai. You can take a second and write something into the script like, 'Mom, it's OK, I'm on the pill," or because it's this show, make reference to a GYN appointment in which Lorelai asked a funny question. The point is, you can do it, and to avoid it when writing a show that's about a unique mother-daughter relationship is to waste an important opportunity.
4. Lane, Lane, Lane
There is a part of me, which is getting larger as I type this, that will never, ever forgive the Gilmore Girls writers for what they did to Lane. Not the getting married part but the bad first-time sex resulting in being pregnant with twins. It's the "pregnancy as inevitability" that really gets me, the way Lane is resigned to her fate, the "Well, I guess I'm just dealing with this," the exact opposite of the Lane Kim we've known throughout the series. She parents on her own terms ultimately, but why does she have to get pregnant the first time she has sex and give up the band and stay in Stars Hollow? Are we shaming Lane for something? It sure seems like it.
I'm not ranking these, but if I were, what happens between Sookie and Jackson in regard to pregnancy and babies would be among the worst things... ever. First, there's the troubling fact that they got married without apparently ever having discussed how many kids they wanted, and on what timeline, resulting in Jackson telling Sookie he wants four kids in four years. Caught off guard, she agrees. I can't even emphasize how much this not a guide to effective communication in your relationship. Allegedly, they work out the kids issue, but wait! Not really, because after Sookie gives birth to their second child, she orders Jackson to get a vasectomy, which he doesn't do, resulting in a third pregnancy. I have no sense of humor about this situation, because it's not funny, it's some straight-up reproductive coercion.The storyline that followed it should have been Sookie and Jackson getting divorced.
Gwen Stefani is a true style icon. The woman looks stunning whether she is playing in the park with her kids or performing on stage. Unfortunately, she has a fatal flaw in her wardrobe choices: She tends to be a fan of cultural appropriation. The singer posted new photos to her Instagram account that showed her dressed in Native American-style clothing and it was enough for one fan to finally put her in her place.
Gwen Stefani's style issues
Gwen Stefani's style issues
The commenter’s main point was, “There’re so many other ways to be creative than to take very recognizable pieces of other cultures and exploit them. When indigenous cultures get upset it’s because our cultures are not costumes or fashion statements.”
From her famous bindi in the No Doubt days to her most recent photos, it is easy to see how Stefani could be labeled as a star who frequently practices cultural appropriation.
I don’t think the argument is that black and white, though. If we give her the benefit of the doubt, Stefani is probably trying to create new styles, expose people to the beauty of other cultures and step outside the box. You can’t fault her for being inspired by other cultures and paying homage to their style.
What you can fault her for, however, is not taking the time to research what she is wearing herself and what she’s dressing her dancers in. We live in an age where we have access to instant answers from people all around the world, so surely she could fact check some of her style choices. If she wanted to celebrate Hindu culture, she could have picked something less sacred than the bindi. If she needed to know how to make Native American style mainstream, she could have asked a group of them what is OK and what is off limits completely.
I think it’s close-minded and unfair to limit people’s wardrobe options by the culture they were born into. But I also agree that a little research and compassion should go into choosing what you’re going to wear, especially if you’re Gwen Stefani.
Swoosh! Survivor viewers are dribbling drool as one of the game's biggest bullies bit the dust in an amazing blindside. Scot Pollard, a former NBA player, was sent to the sidelines to join the jury in one of the best strategic slam dunks we've seen all season.
Image: CBS
Here's how the complicated scenario played out. Jason won Immunity, so he was automatically safe. Having found a hidden Idol, he gave it up to Scot, so he, too, had a safety net. Tai, their third ally, also had possession of his own hidden Idol. They really felt invincible, especially since the two Idol halves could be combined to create the so-called super Idol, which allows the eliminated castaway to save themselves after the votes are revealed.
Still with me?
When the majority of ballots piled up against Scot, he turned to Tai with a pleading stare for the other half of the super Idol that would have spared his torch from being snuffed. After a few nail-biting seconds, Tai shook his head in apologetic refusal, which sent Twitter into a frantic frenzy as Scot was sent packing with an Idol in his pocket.
Not to brag, but I predicted this turn of events on Twitter about 15 minutes before Tribal Council even began. Tai's struggles were such a strong focus of the episode, and Scot's perceived security was at an all-time high that it seemed obvious something big was going to happen.
Ryan Haidet tweets on Survivor vote
Ryan Haidet tweets on Survivor vote
This was exactly the move Tai needed to make. He was clearly at the bottom of the bad-boy trio. Anything he suggested seemed to fall on deaf ears as Scot and Jason would steamroll his strategies and concoct their own plans. Sure, Tai would easily beat both of them at the final Tribal Council, so it would be smart to keep them around, but they were planning to take him out before ever reaching that point. Tai also redeemed himself as viewers had previously expressed deep disappointment that he was working alongside such despicable personalities who gleefully sabotaged their own camp.
It's the perfect story arc for Tai, who has been one of the most compelling castaways Survivor has introduced in years. He would be an obvious choice for a season of returning contestants, based on his popularity alone.
What do you think of Scot's blindside? Are you happy he was eliminated? Did Tai make the right move? At this point, who do you think should win the entire game? Join the conversation by leaving a comment now.
There are very few things Oprah speaks out about (outside of bread, of course), so when she does, everyone needs to listen. In this instance, Live! With Kelly and Michael definitely needs to listen.
While at the Tribeca Film Festival, Winfrey was asked by TMZ what she thought about Michael Strahan’s exit, and she said that she was very excited for him. But when pressed to give an opinion of the way the show handled telling Kelly Ripa, Winfrey had a little less supportive an attitude.
“Nobody told Kelly?” Winfrey asked the reporter. “Well, she should have never found out, like, in the media, that’s what you’re saying? She shouldn’t have to find out that way.”
I completely agree with her. And not just because she’s Oprah, but because she’s right. Ripa has given more than 15 years to the show and has made it a success post-Regis Philbin. That is a huge accomplishment considering how much he meant to the show. To not give her a head’s up or an explanation is pretty low.
I find it very hard to believe that Ripa would be anything but supportive of Strahan’s move. She has an amazing gig and waking up at 3 a.m. five days a week is probably not something she wants to do with a house full of kids anyway. The show’s producers didn’t set her up to have a good reaction to this news and that isn’t fair.
And they probably feel really sorry now that Winfrey, the queen of all show producers, is calling them out for their bad behavior. Truly, I hope this does prompt them to issue an apology. Whether it’s public or private, Ripa deserves so much more than she’s getting right now.
What do you think about the way this was handled? Is Ripa overreacting or does she deserve more?
The New Zealand pair isn't really into Italian food; they're members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a religion that's gaining a big following in the country.
The religion started as a joke in 2005 in response to Kansas Public Schools' decision to teach Intelligent Design — that all worlds have one creator — in addition to evolution. Since then, the Church has fought for recognition around the world with beliefs that include that pirates are the cause of global warming and that there's a beer volcano in heaven.
That sounds pretty awesome, actually, so we can understand why they'd want to make this into a real religion.
Anyway, back to Toby and Marianna. The pair became the first couple to marry as Pastafarians — as the religion's followers are called — and they did it up big. The bride wore a colander and the groom promised to always put salt in the pasta water.
"The Flying Spaghetti Monster created the world. We know that," said marriage celebrant Karen Martyn, aka the Ministeroni, according to the Chicago Tribune. "We weren't around then and we didn't see it, but no other religion was around to see it either, and our deity is as plausible as any other."
Their wedding cake even had a Flying Spaghetti Monster topper.
Toby and Marianna have dated for four years but only decided to marry a few weeks ago — and marriage into this church was the only way they'd get married.
"I would never have agreed to a conventional marriage, but the idea of this was too good to pass up," the bride said. "And it's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate my relationship with Toby, but in a way that I felt comfortable with."
Bravo fans often complain that the Real Housewives franchise focuses too much on ladies wearing fancy dresses and bickering with their high society friends — and not enough on their everyday lives at home. For these dissatisfied viewers, There Goes the Motherhood is the epitome of be careful what you wish for.
Sometimes, watching mothers peacefully discuss valid concerns (and seeing their cute kids goof off) is not enough. Drama is what makes reality TV interesting, and drama was not in abundant supply during tonight's premiere. The only moments of note occurred when one mom paraded around in a tiny bikini and when another admitted to locking her kids in their rooms at night.
Image: Bravo
The locked-up kids bombshell was definitely interesting, but There Goes the Motherhood didn't bother to further explore this controversial approach to bedtime, or at least, not yet. The other moms are definitely intrigued, however, so more drama surrounding this admission may be in the show's future.
The promise of future drama was basically the only thing that kept disappointed viewers glued to the TV screen during tonight's lackluster episode. Occasionally, a cast member would say something that bothered some of the others, but since they were all still on their best behavior, nobody wanted to go on the attack.
Image: Bravo
Suffice to say, those who took a chance and tuned in for the first episode of There Goes the Motherhood were not impressed. A few claimed that the show is destined to be canceled after just one season because nobody really wants to see moms griping about nothing. This is a valid concern, but those with this opinion have conveniently forgotten how many people are obsessed with Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2.
The first episode of a new reality show is rarely exciting, for it takes time to establish story lines and create genuine drama among cast members. Thus, it's easy to see why the ladies of There Goes the Motherhood are not yet at each other's throats. But give it time and that drama will develop. In future episodes, the cast members will start to get a lot more judgmental about the show's many represented parenting styles.
What did you think of tonight's There Goes the Motherhood premiere? Do you plan on tuning in again next week? Comment and share your opinion below.
You've got to give it to Empire's writers — they have elevated drama to an art form. After last week's intense episode delved into the dark corners of Lucious' past, we learned his mother had committed suicide right in front of him following a manic episode.
Or did she?
On tonight's episode, there was a lot going on, per the norm. Anika finally revealed that she is pregnant with Hakeem's child. Andre told Rhonda he was having some serious spiritual doubts. Cookie tried to ice Freda Gatz out of any involvement with Jamal's new record.
And then there was Lucious. Such a mean-spirited man, that one. While he was busy trying to hijack Empire from Hakeem, his shadester lawyer Thirsty was busy creeping around doing all sorts of creeper things.
Like yanking a hair from the head of the little girl once believed to be Jamal's daughter, but more recently assumed to be the fruit of Lucious' loin. The biggest shocker, of course, is when he walks into some sort of institution and finds a woman who seems to be... Lucious' long-dead mother.
An actual representation of my face in that moment:
So, for real, what gives? Naturally, theories abound on the interwebz! Empire fans had some interesting ideas on what really went down with Lucious' mom back then.
1. Lucious lied about his mom being dead to get votes for the upcoming ASAs
Empire mom 1
Empire mom 1
I mean, we can't exactly put something like this past Lucious now, can we? We've yet to see a level to which the man won't stoop — it is not far-fetched to imagine he would lie about his mom's suicide to get the sympathy vote, as appalling as that thought is.
2. Lucious is hiding his mom out of embarrassment
Empire mom 2
Empire mom 2
This is intriguing because, if it is true, there was a bit of foreshadowing last week. Remember that horrible scene when Andre found out the truth about his grandmother, confronted Lucious and Lucious told him he was embarrassed of his mom just like he was embarrassed of Andre? Perhaps Lucious hid his mother away in a nursing home the first chance he got because he was so embarrassed to have a mother with a mental illness.
3. Thirsty knew but Lucious didn't, because Thirsty is Lucious' secret brother
Empire mom 3
Empire mom 3
This makes my head spin a little, but you know what? It actually makes a good deal of sense. If we think back to the way Thirsty came to be in Lucious' confidence, it is all very mysterious. He just kind of showed up out of nowhere and he knew all the right buttons to push to get Lucious to trust him. In this episode, he is creeping around pulling out hairs of possible heirs. The person who pushed Rhonda down the stairs was definitely wearing shoes that resemble Thirsty's signature style. So is he systematically trying to rule out heirs... because he knows he could potentially take over the Empire throne? Or, far less nefarious, maybe he suspected as much and is just trying to confirm.
4. Kelly Rowland's character was never Lucious' mom
Empire mom 4
Empire mom 4
It's hard to recall if the little Lucious (aka Dwight) ever did refer to Kelly Rowland's character as mom. We see their interactions via flashback, but I suppose there is only the implication it is mother and son and not, let's say, babysitter and little boy being watched by said babysitter.
5. Lucious shot his mom — or tried to, at least
Empire mom 5
Empire mom 5
Again, it's Lucious. This is certainly in the realm of possibility. Maybe he tried to pull something on his mom, he got kicked out and he just kind of rewrote his own history to suit his purpose.
6. The woman in the nursing home isn't Lucious' mom
Empire mom 6
Empire mom 6
Since Twitter is seriously up in arms over the disparity between Kelly Rowland's complexion and the complexion of surprise nursing home mom, 72-year-old Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Leslie Uggams, fans would likely be pretty happy to learn this lady is not in fact Lucious' mom. She obviously has firsthand knowledge of his childhood, so maybe she was his babysitter or even a relative.
7. Lucious' mom did try to shoot herself, but the gun jammed
Empire mom 7
Empire mom 7
This fan is certain that a previous flashback showed us the gun jamming. Another fan tweeted that there was a scene in which little Lucious beat his mom to the bullets. And another still explained that Lucious never explicitly said his mom died. He said she shot herself and everyone just assumed.
8. The little boy in the flashbacks isn't even Lucious
Empire mom 7
Empire mom 7
Now we're getting into some deep stuff, you guys. If the little boy in the flashbacks isn't young Lucious, who is he? A brother? Oh, shit! Could it be Thirsty? Perhaps Lucious ran away, abandoning his little brother in the process. So he remembers the horrible things that happened, but they didn't happen to him. Whoa, that's heavy.
This theory is sad, above all else. However, if Lucious' mom did suffer from bipolar disorder, she may not have been able to handle the stress of a small child. Or perhaps the guilt over nearly drowning him in the bathtub was too much. Either way, it's possible she wanted to free herself of him.
10. Lucious has his mom holed up at the nursing home out of spite
Empire mom 8
Empire mom 8
If the little boy in the flashbacks is Lucious and everything up until this point is essentially true, then Lucious probably does have an ax to grind with mommy dearest. Him holing her up in a nursing home where no one even knows she is could be his version of mental warfare against her — payback for all the damage she caused that Lucious referenced to Andre tonight.
Given the state of political unrest in some parts of the world, airport security is of unparalleled importance. Regulations regarding carry-on baggage are strict and often a sticking point with travelers.
Most travelers spend some time reviewing the latest aviation laws regarding luggage, but most of us gloss over the details figuring that we’ve got our bases covered.
A working mom found out the hard way at Heathrow Airport in London, that knowing what the rules are at various airports ahead of time will save you a lot of heartache. Jessica Coakley Martinez wrote an open letter to aviation security at Heathrow Airport on her personal Facebook page, detailing the horror of having to dump 500 ounces (that's nearly 4 gallons if you do the math!) of her breast milk in the trash.
breastmilk
breastmilk
Martinez is a mom of an 8-month-old breastfed baby and routinely travels for work. When she travels, she makes every effort to pump and store her breast milk for her child. She loves her job, but admits some of the challenges of finding the time to pump and the extra effort it takes to find a place to store the milk and carry it with her from country to country.
“It meant lugging this giant block of frozen breast milk through four countries, airports and security checkpoints and having them pull out every single ounce of breast milk and use mildly inappropriate sign language to convey 'breast' and 'milk so that they would let me through. Which they did. Every one of them. Except you.” she laments.
On her latest work trip, she was not allowed to bring her frozen breast milk on board with her because it exceeded the amount of liquids allowable for a carry-on bag. Worst yet, she offered to check the milk, but since it was an already non-compliant item, it needed to be confiscated. She had to throw it in the trash.
According to Heathrow Airport’s aviation laws, a “reasonable amount” of breast milk is allowed outside of the standard plastic 20-by-20-centimeter or 8-by-8-inch clear bag, if you are travelling with a baby or infant. Martinez admits that she should have reviewed the aviation law before she attempted to bring the breast milk on board. Still, it was very painful for her to watch weeks of hard work going into a rubbish bin.
Breastfeeding itself is not an easy task. And, pumping breast milk for storage is time-consuming and a lot of work. It’s a shame Martinez had to dump her own milk into the garbage. For all the working moms out there who are determined to store your breast milk while traveling, what can we learn from Martinez’s experience?
That it is vital to know the airport’s security laws before you enter the country. Martinez had to throw away two weeks of food for her child. Was it fair? For a mother, no.
Perhaps when terrorists cease to exist or when breastfeeding is accepted everywhere, working moms like Martinez will never have to endure the heartache of watching her breast milk being thrown away. Until then, always know your rights and the current rules when traveling.
