Random stuff

[apocalypsos]

-- You know what I could use right now? A website where you put in the physical attributes of a character -- short, fat, blond, freckled, whatever -- and it gave you pictures of people, famous or otherwise, who look like that. I like having pictures of people who look like my characters for inspiration, and I have a character who's an older woman with an olive complexion, a small athletic build, big pretty brown eyes, and close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair who's based on an actress I saw in what I think was an osteoporosis ad a few years back. Granted, I obviously have a detailed mental picture of her anyway, but still.

-- What if the Best Picture Changes Happened Five Years Ago? Essentially, Pixar's practically guaranteed a slot and science fiction and fantasy actually has a chance. It's annoying that they have to add five slots to both of those things to happen, but I'll take it.

-- Serious scenes we can't help but laugh at

-- The 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time

-- 5 Pathetic Groups That People Think Rule The World

-- 6 Items You Touch Every Day That Are Filthier Than A Toilet

-- 7 Hypocritical Moments in Fox's Palin/Letterman Coverage

-- Joe Jackson Uses BET Awards Red Carpet To Promote His Own Record Company Wherever Michael is now, I can only imagine him looking at stuff like that and, free from the influence of this douchenozzle, screaming, "KEEP THAT ASSHAT AWAY FROM MY GODDAMN KIDS!"

-- Speaking of Michael Jackson, you know what I'm getting really fucking tired of seeing? People talking about his kids going, "Those kids are NOT his biological kids! They're too white, you guys!" Okay, regardless of the fact that it is possible for biracial kids to be that pale, although a little bit much of a stretch for all three to be that pale, who gives a shit? I don't care who contributed the sperm, he's the one who's raised them ALONE since they were born, he's the only parent they know, HE'S their father. This is the same way I feel whenever I see an article referring to Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise's son and daughter as their "adopted" kids. Knock that shit off, I'm sure they know that by now, you don't have to be a dick about it, media.

Comments

[rhyana.livejournal.com]

I have a character who's an older woman with an olive complexion, a small athletic build, big pretty brown eyes, and close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair who's based on an actress I saw in what I think was an osteoporosis ad a few years back.

Sounds alot like Andrea Martin when she was in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

No, when I say short, I mean short. And she had a darker complexion, and she looked a LOT more like she worked out than that.

[opportunemoment.livejournal.com]

Have you ever tried playing with the Getty images website? Their tags list is epic and I think it does cover things like hair colour and height. You end up with pictures with massive watermarks, but if you're only using it for your own reference that doesn't really matter so much...

[dargie.livejournal.com]

I think that raising them alone might be slightly less than accurate considering the staff he probably had. But other than that I'd agree with you. It doesn't matter. They were his kids, adopted or not, and he loved them.

But I also get very tired of the fans who are so fixated on him having actually fathered them that they cannot bring themselves to consier the possibility that the children are essentially his adoptive children. In both cases, the problem I have is WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ADOPTION??

I admit it's a hot button for me since I was adopted, but still, it seems just wrong on a whole bunch of levels.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I think that raising them alone might be slightly less than accurate considering the staff he probably had.

True, but he was the only real parent they had. And they did have a weird childhood so far, but really, given the way he grew up, I always got the impression that he was doing his best to protect them from having to go through what he went through even though in doing so he showed a profound lack of "getting it," you know what I mean?

[dargie.livejournal.com]

Absolutely, which is why y'know, thank God for nannies. Unless he picked them from the Crazy Lady Nanny Agency.

But I do believe he wanted the best for his kids. Most parents do, no matter how bad they are at going about it. I actually feel profoundly sorry for the man. He had such a terrible life, really, how would he even begin to know how to make a decent one for his kids? And yet he did try. So mad props to him for that.

[all-shine-on.livejournal.com]

His kids have actually had the same nanny their entire lives, Grace and they love her very much. MJ was even rumoured to have married her a couple years back and people are talking about her as possibly getting custody of the kids in Michael's will. She's worked for Michael in some way for like 20 years or something.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

See, I'd totally support her getting the kids in a situation like that. I mean, if we were talking about someone who's not been there long it'd be a different matter, but if she's been there the whole time, she's obviously got to be good with and well-liked by the kids and Michael, is probably not in it for the money, and ... you know, isn't Joe Jackson.

[sabra-n.livejournal.com]

Wait, is anyone even thinking about giving Joe Jackson those kids? He's abusive. Everyone knows he's abusive. A lawyer with an IQ of 12 could make a winning "best interests of the children" argument against him.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I'm not even sure he lives with Katherine Jackson anymore. I can see giving them to her or anybody else in that family, but him? Oh, HELL, no. I wouldn't be surprised if Michael said as much in his will.

[xturtle.livejournal.com]

I agree re: adoptive children. I've only ever wanted to adopt (not a popular choice with one family member, who is convinced I just fear pain), so the "not his children" thing makes me roar. Parent is a verb, too, and that's the more relevant part of speech here.

[allthelivesofme.livejournal.com]

That website sounds like the best idea ever. :-)

[astaria51.livejournal.com]

Hollow-art.com can't do multiple tags, but if you have one particular trait you're focused on (or that you think will probably get fewer results than others) its tagging system is pretty freaking extensive, and the models/actors featured aren't particularly well known (at least, not exclusively).

It does have a focus on a younger (18-40) age range, but it's not exclusive to that.

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

My shit on "They're not his biologically" crap: If we're pulling that, someone take away all of Madonna and Angelina Jolie's adopted kids cause we KNOW thos aren't hers. Or are we getting all wanky cause it's Michael? Yes, sometimes we folk come out more white than black when we have white in us EVEN WHEN A PARENT IS BLACK. They just lost their father, GODDAMN. Shut up, haters.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I just keep thinking about that couple in Britain who's had two sets of twin girls, and in both cases one came out really white and the other one came out really dark, and in the end both sets of twins sort of evened out anyway.

Well, that, and the one episode of Maury Povich I saw where a very dark black guy was dating a pale blond girl, and they were testing her son against him for paternity because the kid was blond, blue-eyed, and probably paler than me. It turned it was his kid.

But, like you said, WHO GIVES A FUCK.

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

I came out quite pale as a baby, to the point that some folks actually asked my mother if the daddy was white. And, well, I'm not that pale no more.

I just want to scream "Skin tone genetics: ur doin it rong"

[crediniaeth.livejournal.com]

an older woman with an olive complexion, a small athletic build, big pretty brown eyes, and close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair who's based on an actress I saw in what I think was an osteoporosis ad a few years back.

Are you thinking of Rita Moreno?

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Well, it wasn't her, that much I remember, but the photo's not that far off. When I say short, I mean like my normal practically-a-buzz haircut. ;)

[hiddenw.livejournal.com]

God, I would love a website like that. I have such a hard time imagining people described in books.

[sabra-n.livejournal.com]

Essentially, Pixar's practically guaranteed a slot and science fiction and fantasy actually has a chance. It's annoying that they have to add five slots to both of those things to happen, but I'll take it.

Are they also getting rid of the separate animation category? Because otherwise, I suspect what might happen is 10 nominations for typical Oscar films, while Pixar continues to get left out. Look how well the Lauren Graham Rules worked out for Graham at the Emmys.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

They'll still have the animation category, but then again, if they're opening the Best Picture category to ten because they heard about it when they kept shutting out animation, action and sci-fi/fantasy, if they don't actually include any of them next year, they're really going to hear about it, especially when Pixar gave them a movie that's currently at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and has a $300 million box office. They need the ratings too much not to.

[agent-mimi.livejournal.com]

I think the kid issue is complicated. Jackson claimed the kids were his biologically (and Debbie Rowe spent years confirming it, only to finally deny it recently) yet most people assumed they weren't. And no one knows who Blanket's mom was, if she was a surrogate or if Blanket was adopted after he was born, or where from. It's part of the whole package of weirdness around Jackson, and complicated by allegations of child molestation. Many get caught up on the legalities, too, as though any of us know the legalities of child custody in this situation. LOL

The biracial thing is driving me nuts, though I gave up trying to argue the point a long time ago. I thankfully haven't seen anyone say that the kids should be take away from the Jacksons because they were adopted. I'd probably lose it if I did.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

and Debbie Rowe spent years confirming it, only to finally deny it recently

You mean that article in the British newspaper? 'Cause that one and the one about the condition of the body were pulled pretty quickly.

[agent-mimi.livejournal.com]

Wow, I did not know that. This is getting so insane I can't keep up with it.