If my Halloween costumes continue to be predictors of future trends, prepare yourself for the comeback of massively teased hair. I’ve always loved ’80s pop trio Bananarama … Embed from Getty Images … so I recruited my gorgeous friends Kara and Stacy to dress up as the group for an early Halloween celebration on Saturday….
Arts & Entertainment
RIP, Pete Burns. Plus, Nothing Is New About Patient Zero.
The year 2016 must really hate us because another musical icon is gone. Pete Burns of Dead or Alive died of cardiac arrest this Sunday at age 57. Pete never achieved the lasting fame of David Bowie or Prince, but he was a big deal to me and a lot of other 1980s kids. The…
Oldchella and a Straw Hat Argument
In a debate, a “straw man argument” is a way of misrepresenting (or oversimplifying) your opponent’s position in order to make that position easier to defeat. For instance, in an April article in Foreign Policy magazine, Paul D. Miller wrote that Donald Trump’s “America First” policy is a straw man because it offers “a stinging…
Oldchella Day 3 and Bob Dylan the Nobel Winner
Yesterday, Bob Dylan became the first musician to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. That makes him one of the 11 men — all aged 65 and up — to be honored in the six Nobel categories this year. No women won a Nobel Prize in 2016, for the first time since 2012. (Nobel…
Oldchella Day 2: Neil Young’s Smile, Macca’s Shade
Two years ago, when I saw my celebrity crush Neil Young perform solo at Carnegie Hall, I thought, “This is the way to see Neil. Without the distraction of a band.” On Saturday, when I saw Neil Young perform on the second day of “Oldchella” — aka the Desert Trip music festival, in Indio, Calif….
Oldchella Day 1 and Thoughts on the Trump Tapes
I’m enjoying a weekend at “Oldchella,” aka the Desert Trip music festival, in California. Last night, I saw the Rolling Stones. I missed the opener, Bob Dylan, but the reason why is kind of great; you’ll get that story later. Tonight I’m seeing Neil Young and my almost-husband, Paul McCartney. Sir Paul showed up last…
New York Times Review of “Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939”
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book review quite like Michiko Kakutani’s take on Volker Ullrich’s Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939 for the New York Times. The review generated headlines of its own. The Huffington Post said, “New York Times Brutally Subtweets Trump With Hitler Biography Review.” The Washington Post’s take was, “This New York Times…
First Day of Fall, Last Dresses of Summer
Every year, as fall approaches, I realize I haven’t worn all my summer dresses. I raced to squeeze in a few of them recently. For a nonprofit organization’s cocktail party and dinner, I wore a JC de Castelbajac dress that I bought in Paris in 2013. What Wendy Wore Dress (with pockets!): JC de Castelbajac…
My Best Dressed at the 2016 Emmy Awards Is …
The television folks at the Emmy Awards don’t always give great red carpet, but tonight’s 2016 event impressed me. First of all, Kristen Bell’s Zuhair Murad was one of the most beautiful gowns I’ve seen in a long time. Embed from Getty Images I would wear that in a hot second! Like Bell, Sarah Paulson…
The Weeks in Review and Classic Music Videos
In case you missed it, here’s what has been on the blog recently. Monday, Aug. 15: When you see Pucci boots in a thrift store, try them on. Tuesday, Aug. 16: Simone Biles, Simone Manuel, and Gabby Douglas. Wednesday, Aug. 17: Talking platinum in Riverside Park. Friday, Aug. 19: More impressive women from the Rio…