Amanda: Failure Princess

Well-armed

I wish there was a way to tell you this without sounding like I'm just picking on myself (which I normally do endlessly and without shame, so that right there should tell you something), but I have gigantic arms. Yes, I am a fat woman, but they are disproportionately large, even so. I've tried to imagine why this could be, and how surely there must be some kind of evolutionary benefit, but nothing beyond the ability to naturally hang glide comes to mind, and I haven't thrown myself off a cliff. Just yet. This year I decided once and for all to try and love my body and accept the love that my partner has for it, but nearly 30 years of deep shame is hard to erase permanently, and the temporary relief that hard drinking brings is not without it's own consequences.

Around 6 years ago, I lost a lot of weight (over 50 pounds), and I learned a few things. The first is that, sadly, it's true, most people are way nicer to you when you lose weight. The second is that being thinner didn't make me feel much better about myself, at least outside of the dressing room. The third thing I learned is that no matter how much weight I lost, my arms refused to join the party. Of course, now that I've gained back all that weight and then some, my arms are participating with glee, growing to proportions that ensure I will never comfortably wear such seasonal trends as tailored blazers or sleeveless shirts.

Well, when it comes to sleeveless shirts I've been giving it my all to get over this fear. I mean, everything in my feminist, fat-positive soul tells me I should be flaunting my voluminous limbs for all to see, but again, changing one's lifelong feelings about themselves is no easy feat. I randomly had this idea that fully growing out my armpit hair would help me feel more liberated, but it's not working and sort of itches. Now I'm too lazy to shave it because I know I'll have to pre trim or risk busting my razor. Seriously, backfire.

(Side note: This Christmas I asked for a bunch of Jockey granny panties as part of my "No Ill-fitting Clothing or Shoes Campaign 2011" [working title]. This was another total failure because it turns out that, while offering unsurpassable ass coverage, the underpants have these little side seams on the waist that dig into my flesh. Back to the thong, I guess. I've always found them more comfortable, but I switched because I wanted to wear all cotton, plus I didn't feel awesome about being THAT LADY in line at Target buying the 2XL thong three pack.)

Anyway, usually with sleeveless things I wear a tiny black bolero of some kind and often I have to giggle/panic about how that looks. It's not like it's a fucking arm invisibility cloak. It's two giant arm hams wrapped nice and tightly in black polyester! And I know the best and most fashion-forward look would be to get the fuck over it and realize that nobody gives a shit about my huge (I mean, seriously, enormous) arms, and anyone that does, including me, is kind of being an asshole.

spanx

i'm still here, you know. i know some people read this every day and i'm sorry i am a bad blogger (friend? i'd like to think we are friends).

my life is so hectic right now, and yet nothing has changed except my job status, i'm back on the pill (emo wreck but no more epic periods), i now own a pair of very uncomfortable spanx, and i have put way more things in my vagina and ass since last time we talked.

oh yeah, i guess i officially have no shame. before it was like, "OMG, does she have no shame?" and now it's like "SHE HAS NO SHAME!" but i don't care because it's a living. i feel like i am being more true to myself than ever. wait, i just realized that sounds like i am totally a prostitute. i'm not, even though it would be completely valid and okay if i was (but probably not okay with joe). actually,  as i mentioned, i work in a sex shop now.

it has taken over much of my life and, as i said, i cannot figure out how to write about it, or even how to fit writing into my daily life other than the writing i do for work. writing about working and it's many pains is one of my favorite things to do, but right now i love my job, and to write too candidly about it would be betraying a certain trust. i feel like it can, or must, be done for the survival of this blog, but i have yet to figure it all out.

anyway, re: the spanx, i only bought them because i had to go to a wedding. normally i shun spanx and other control top hosiery because, while we can all use a nip in the tum, i don't really like restraining my bubble butt. it's one of my few physical features i actually like, and although it seems to get flatter with age and weight gain, i still try to flaunt it as much as possible. i always thought they should make those things assless. the other reason i hate them is that they tend to roll down at the waist band, which, instead of a flat surface, bisects the tummy area and creates TWO distinct rolls. unsexy. 

i decided to give these a go because i really needed a smooth back silhouette for the thin fabric of my dress, and these particular spanx promised to be high-waisted, thereby doing away with waist-roll and smoothing all the way up to the bra line. well, they work. the reason they work is that an ULTRA TIGHT band at the top goes around your ribs. it took me about 10 minutes to get them on and the whole time i was wearing them, i literally could hear my bones straining. now, three days later, i still have bruises on my ribs. i ended up taking them off halfway through the wedding because after the second time of having to painfully remove them and squeeze them back on to use the toilet, i was done.

i wish i could say that i am totally done with this torture device, but alas, i feel like they could come in handy at some point. plus, and i didn't notice this until i took them off, the crotch is actually open. there are like, two overlapping flaps instead of solid fabric. could this convenient hole be what i think it is? probably not, but i'd be lying if i said i'm not entertaining the idea.

full-figurative

i wish i could say that i have any news, but alas, i cannot. you will be happy to know that i have finally decided that i have come to a point where i can commit to a certain lifestyle. and by that, i mean diet and exercise. i have been trying everything for this to avoid being an option, because i am an intelligent woman whose ass could never grow bigger than her heart, with a sharp wit enjoyed by everyone around her and, by god, one of the keenest senses of style around. also, i am in love with a wonderful boy who loves me just the way i am. also, i REALLY REALLY like spaghetti.

alas, i have come to accept that size acceptance is just not for me. it took losing 40 lb and gaining it back for me to realize that i never needed to be and never will be a size 6, but i was feeling pretty good at 10 and i don't care what i have to do to get back there. the thing is, it really wasn't that hard. all i had to do was stay away from bad carbs and fats, snack a lot during the day on healthy foods, go for a walk at least 5 days a week and/or dancing every night. sure, i was really sad every time someone said "let's get a pizza!" but for the love of god, i felt so free in every other aspect of my life. perhaps too free, as there were several instances of public nudity during that time, but i was having fun. still, i don't think it will be like that this time around. i dunno, i'm just tired of feeling tired and sick all the time. it's bad enough i am almost legally blind and have a case of acid reflux disease that is growing more severe by the day, do i really need to add diabetes to the mix? the answer is no. this is a personal choice, for me. i don't think fat people should have to be ashamed or feel marginalized by society just because of how they look. i will always struggle with my weight, mentally, no matter how i look physically because i know what it's like to be treated like less than human because of my size. actually, i keep forgetting that i gained weight, so the truth is, i feel it all the time when i go out. it's the strangest thing to be growing larger and feel more and more invisible. the point is, i'm all about size acceptance, but i will not be accepting a damn thing until i fit back into my favorite dress.

in related news, i have discovered something that will offer a bit of good cheer to we zaftig women. it seems that this summer the fuller-coverage retro bathing suit is all the rage. this happens once in a while. i used to find it comforting because i thought "AHA! they won't all be wearing their teeny bikinis this season!" but then i realized that since i never wore a bathing suit anyhow, i still stuck out like a sore thumb in my shorts and t-shirt. these days, i take an entirely different approach. i want to see more skin on the beach. bring on the nip and lip slips! i think it's hysterical, plus then you get to see pretty much naked girls all over the place. at dinah, my favorite game became "spot the razor burn" on the bikini line. still, no one can deny the classic elegance of a 1950s/1960s swimsuit. as some of you will remember from this post, i bought my first bathing suit in YEARS to wear at dinah. it is a fun, flirty, retro-inspired suit (wet-able dress). i actually got a lot of compliments on it and like it a lot, but it's not nearly as cute as the real vintage thing. back to the point, in my research for that post i found a picture of the thin girl in an all-black one-piece on google image search, but now i realize that was part of this new trend. urban outfitters is selling all kinds of new vintage-inspired swimwear looks, and here's the good news: these bathing suits look awful on super-thin models! don't get me wrong, i love super-thin models and think they are beautiful, but much like fat women should probably never wear capri pants, tall girls look ridiculous in leggings, and pointy shoes are the elf-ish enemy of the petite, the retro-inspired bathing suit is best left the curvy girls among us. the skinny models just look weird in them. the material bunches at their crotches, the bust embellishments overwhelm their bony chests, and the amount of coverage combined with a busy pattern kind of makes them look like a folded umbrella. hehehe. score one for the big team!

still, i would sell one of my kidneys to be able to, just once, have a space between my thighs large enough for a marching band to pass through when my heels are placed together.

you win some, you lose some.

even my makeup is gay

i am currently on a mission to try and not look like a sea hag every day. it's not really that hard, i guess. the hardest part used to be doing my hair, but when i became a woman (three years ago), the ability to style my hair properly finally took hold and now, for the most part, my hair always looks presentable-to-nice-to-luscious.

one thing i have had trouble with over the last several years is being too damn lazy to do my makeup. i know this is shocking to those of you who know i own a mountain of cosmetics, the monetary value of which could probably send two or three orphans to college, but it's true.

i must first note that i totally respect the decision some girls make not to wear makeup at all. most of my most beautiful friends don't even know how to hold a mascara wand. but the fact remains, however shallow, that makeup makes ugly people look way less ugly, sometimes even pretty. i discovered when i was around 21 that when i go out, even grocery shopping or to the mall, that people are WAY nicer to me when i'm wearing a full face than when i am makeup free (aka foundation only... ha! like i'd EVER leave the house without foundation). the radical, status quo-hating feminist in me understands fully that this is wrong and everyone should be treated equally despite how they look, because we all have something special shining inside, but my fug-hating eyes know exactly how they feel.

the point of this all is that recently my quest for simple beauty was made much easier. i have been using and enjoying MAC studio fix liquid in NC25 with MAC mineralize skinfinish in medium over it. i love the way this looks. the studio fix liquid is a dream foundation, with great coverage, blendability, the famously wonderful MAC color selection, and none of the pore-clogging effects i have found with studio fix powder (which it broke my heart when i had to stop using it. best powder foundation EVER other than that.) right before dinah, though, i decided i needed a makeup that would be a little more hassle-free, sun, and sweat-friendly, so i repurchased bare minerals at sephora. every time i stop using this stuff then buy it again, i am reminded of why i love it so much. the coverage is brilliant, it looks like real skin (some people call that "shiny" but i always get compliments on my "glow"), and it stays on really well, even through a night of dancing. i apply it with the MAC 182 buffer brush, which is a short-handled, ultra-fluffy kabuki brush. I LOVE THIS BRUSH! it's so soft and luxurious, and at $45 it's cheaper than many luxe brushes on the market. it applies the minerals perfectly, with plenty of coverage but not too cakey.

what i'm REALLY excited about from MAC, though, is the recent launch of their Heatherette for MAC line. for those not in the know, Heatherette is a design duo out of NYC. richie rich and traver rains create outrageous, fun, over-the-top designs that are inspired by glitter, club kids, and self-described freaks. the fabulous amanda lepore is one of their muses. one of their runway shows featured lepore and recently-retired porn superstar jenna jameson as models. i was looking forward to the MAC launch because i knew that the colors would be very girlie and hopefully involve a lot of pink. then, when the Fafi for MAC line came out and the colors were so blah, disappointing, and overly-glittery, i became worried. luckily, i had no need to fear! the Heatherette line is absolutely GORGEOUS! i seriously would have bough every single lipstick, lipgloss, and powder if i could. in the end, i bought the beauty powder in "alpha girl", a warm, sheer pink with a slight sheen. it's very pale, but as colors tend to oxidize and darken on me, it shows up nicely as a natural flush. the compact is so so pretty too (bright bubblegum pink with a Heatherette logo disco ball). i also got the lipstick in "melrose mood", an opaque pepto-pink, and "lollipop loving", which is a beautiful medium peach with a green/gold shimmer. "lollipop loving" is the more wearable of the two, but i really love oddly opaque light-colored lipsticks like "melrose mood", especially with a summer tan.

the collection is mostly sold out on MAC's website, but i had no trouble finding it in stores a few weeks ago. i would definitely recommend the beauty powder and "lollipop loving" lipstick. all i have to do is dash these on, along with some black eyeliner on my lower lids and a coat of mascara, and i look summer-ready. if i'm feeling sassy, i have been wearing a bit of eyeshadow again as well, which is a nice touch. if all goes well with my new non-haggard look, i will be earning less and less disdain everywhere i go!

p.s. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD go here to watch the Heatherette for MAC video. there is no way to embed it here, but it is the gayest thing ever and makes me feel all warm inside. why was i born with a vagina? i was meant to run free with the fags!

p.s.s. this man, andre j, international model and covergirl, is my new favorite person. i'm SO OVER lesbians with mustaches. drag queens with full beards = so all about.

swimwear scare

so this will more than likely be my last post before dinah shore. there have been numerous bumps in the road on the way to getting me there, and surely i will encounter many more, but i am looking forward to this lesbian spiritual journey.

oh, and by "looking forward to," i mean "in a state of absolute panic about," as that is my nature.

although this weekend is set to be the first time i have appeared in a bathing suit since 1989, i had virtually abandoned the fear of looking like a beached whale in public because a) most of the women there will be terrifying mullet lesbians in cargo shorts and i don't really care what they think, b) while i do care what my friends think, i figure if they do think any cruel thoughts, they will be nice enough to keep them inside, c) i have a boyfriend waiting at home who loves me and thinks my body is beautiful, and finally, c) a more accurate description of the garment in question, as opposed to "bathing suit" would probably be large, black tent.

in fact, i could have probably saved a healthy penny if i just skipped the chase and went straight to home depot, but as luck would have it, i spied a decent-looking impostor of swim garb during that fateful trip i took with my mother to kohls. it is actually kind of cute in a retro fat lady way, black with brown polka dots, a tie at the chest, and a little skirt. i'm so self-conscious i normally don't even bother with bathing suits and just wear little shorts and a tank, but i have been to a few pools where they won't let you swim that way and i didn't want to take any risks. sometimes i just sit in the sun and don't swim, but in palm springs i will need to get in the water!

well, if you were reading closely, you would know that although i previously decided not to be apprehensive about this bathing suit business, i am now kind of really dreading the whole thing. i officially haven't been as fat as i am now in two years and i don't really know what to do with myself. i still feel the same most of the time, and it's only when i am trying to get into some of my older clothes or see myself in a photo that i realize things have changed. still, i don't know if i can really relax in public in a bathing suit, albeit the worlds' least-revealing, least-sexy one.

sometimes it is sexier to leave things to the imagination, but i think people who say that one-piece bathing suits are sexier than bikinis have the picture on the left in mind, while my bathing suit looks a little more similar to the one on the right. oh dear god, what have i got myself into? my road to a healthier weight and body (thanks queen latifah for the inspiration!) is well underway, but i don't feel good about how i look at all right now. is it really the best time to go on a vacation that will include thousands of half-naked lesbians? probably not, but there is no turning back now.

well, goodbye for now dear readers. wish me luck! i will return with tons of photos and hopefully lots of great stories to tell.

the sweet smell of moderate success at things no one cares about but me

first things first, i am pretty sure you guys all understand this, but i want to remind you just in case you forgot: i write these generally between 2-6 a.m. because i am a crazed night owl, so when i say "today" it means yesterday to you, and "yesterday" means the day before, etc etc.

so, regarding "today," i had one of those not leaving the house all day life sucks bummer bummer days again, but that's mostly because i cannot seem to shake these cold-like symptoms and also i went to long beach last night to hang out with the lbc crew and i drank a little too much because... well... i was in long beach.

i'm having serious self-esteem issues right now on account of the feeling that i'm wearing a fat suit on the day to day, so it was probably not the best idea to then, as my only outing of the day today, go try on a bunch of hideous clothes, but my mom came home and insisted that i go to kohl's with her, so i did. YES I SAID KOHL'S. my mom loves the new kohl's they put in in our neighborhood something awful. man, does she love it! it was actually a kind of nice outing in which we bonded over choosing colorful new bathroom rugs and a shower curtain, but then she asked me to look for something to wear to the women's luncheon we are going to this weekend. trying on clothes at kohl's of all places is not what you wanna do when you are depressed and fat. it's a wonder i didn't kill myself then and there with the pointy end of a clothes hanger, but somehow i made it out with a very simple but cute black blouse for saturday. when i get fat i instantly go goth, it's actually very sexy. hahahaha.

speaking of sexy, my friend baby d always smells really good and she refuses to tell anyone what it is she wears. i tried to explain that it's not really my jam anyway and i just wanted to know out of curiosity, but her lips are sealed. i think this plan is actually quite genius, very sexy and mysterious-like. i would steal it, in fact, but i already told the world that my signature scent is christian dior miss dior cherie. this truth was threatened recently, however, when my mom found this extra bottle of it she bought last christmas when she bought one for me. one morning i woke up with a start, sniffing like a hound because i smelled it in the air as she was leaving for work. the following evening i politely (shrilly) explained to her that as my mother she is not allowed to jack my signature scent! first of all, the strawberry, raspberry sorbet, and caramel corn notes in the scent are far too unsophisticated for a woman of her age and stature, and secondly i have a very very strong sense of scent-memory, and i cannot feel like i smell like my mother when she's headed to work in the morning as i do the things i do on a daily basis, which generally involve booze and sex. just kidding! mostly. i don't drink every day. usually.

i do, however, usually wear miss dior cherie every day because it is heavy and womanly enough for night, but also young and fruity enough for warm weather, day, and a girl my age. good stuff. some days i switch it up though, because even though i decided when i turned 25 i needed a signature scent, i am still a perfume whore. for xmas i got a bottle of yellow mat by masaki matsushima, which i have been dying to have for AGES. it basically looks and smells like sunshine in a bottle, with notes of citrus, watermelon, and then watery woods. the only problem i have with it is that it doesn't seem to me that it lasts at all, but when i wear it i always get compliments, so i guess maybe it just wears off for the wearer. oh, also, it is this close to smelling like d&g light blue and moschino i love love, both of which i love in the bottle and on others, but smell like ass on me. yellow mat smells good on me, but it has similar dry down notes so i always get nervous for a second.

then there is the matter of the new scent joe got me for vday, escada moon sparkle. i feel like that one is good for layering because it adds that fruitiness that i like. people always wrinkle their nose at fruity of foody perfumes, but i found i get so many compliments when i wear them! weird. joe does really hate my comptoir sud pacifique vanille abricot though. he makes a hideous face every time i get in the car wearing it, opens the window, and says "babe, you smell like ice cream!" EWWW ICE CREAM?!?!?! whatever, joe, what do you know? i had to explain to him that that fragrance is very popular, somewhat expensive, and from france! he did not care. the good news is i think i have discovered my new backup signature scent, should my mom, my grandma, or, say, joe himself ever decide that they too must smell like fruity lady popcorn. the new one from versace is super feminine and very floral, as you can imagine by the maker and the bottle, but it is also has a freshness to it and a slight sparkle that makes me want to check it out. i know it's the last thing i need, but what do i need really? besides money, stability, and the sweet relief that my injured mind craves day-in and day-out?

oh crap.

whatever, i also need a decent fucking mascara. i still have not found my holy grail of mascaras, but i have been buying and enjoying telescopic by l'oreal since i made this post, which is a big deal for me because normally i have no mascara attention span what-so-ever. recently i decided to stray, though not too far, to try l'oreal telescopic clean definition mascara. HUGE mistake. let me give you a tip that i have finally learned for myself: in the mascara world, "clean" means "invisible," at least on me. i have decent eyelashes, but my eyes are really tiny, so i like lots of drama to make them stand out. i'm not talking drag queen-style (well, sometimes i do break out the falsies), but i want big, full lashes. no go with this, folks. it has the same shape of brush as original telescopic, meaning it's one of those comb-style brushes that should apply a lot of product for volume, but still define the lashes well once you learn not to be too heavy-handed. what they have done with this version is made the brush out of that squishy rubber all the companies are using now to tout their wands as "clump-free." the problem with "clump-free" is it usually also means there won't be too much volume, so i would only recommend this if you already have lots of lash or if you are looking for the natural look. even then, though, this stuff if a little too gooey and wet upon application and smears and flakes a bit. no go. oh ps i also tried that new cover girl mascara "lash blast" that drew barrymore is whoring and there is NO BLAST. same problem with the rubber bush, no volume. nothing. invisible. i guess there are bigger problems in the world, but it would be nice to settle this mascara thing once and for all. i think i will try one of the newer MAC formulas next, since i can buy them for cheap with my pro card.

well, this weekend is going to be another mellow one in preparation for good times ahead. the next three weekends are going to be kinda crazy so i better rest my pipes. my throat feels like it's bleeding. no bueno.

old-fashioned, modern, gay romance. and surf 'n' turf.

alright alright, some of you are not going to be very happy with this post, but bear with me, and i promise you very soon i will post something either about getting reamed with a huge silicone cock or crying hot, bitter tears into my vodka soda, whatever floats your boat. i am also working (really hard) on my condom story, so stay tuned.

on to business: my valentine's day gifts! joe and i did i wonderful job of gifting. i know that presents are not the most important thing in the world (HAHA), but when someone gives you a gift that is just so absolutely you, or remembers something you said you liked, it just makes you feel very loved. well, when joe took me to my first gift, i felt more than love. i also felt sheer panic. you see, he took me to sephora, set me loose in the store, and told me to pick out whatever i wanted, within reason. i swear, i almost passed out just then! i wandered aimlessly around the store, then finally had to beg him for help because we were on a time constraint due to our dinner date, and everyone knows i have never actually been inside a sephora for less an hour and a half unless i am making a return. luckily, joe was paying attention and knew exactly what to tell me to buy. i got the new escada seasonal fragrance, "moon sparkle", which is insanely fruityliscious and a must of you're into that sort of thing. it's very close to the one from a few years ago called "ibiza hippie" (bad name, awesome scent. if you ever see an old bottle of this, buy it for me!). the fragrances that come out each year all have similar notes, but some of them, like the last one, "pacific paradise", have this powdery dry-down that i am not fond of. "moon sparkle" is pure, sparkling berries, but also has musk and sandalwood notes, making it a little richer and more womanly than past escada scents, which also makes it perfect for all seasons! in keeping with the dark and sexy theme, i also got a NARS lipgloss in the shade "revolt." it looks kind of scary-chola purple in the tube (although i love that look, it doesn't look ironic enough on me to work that well. i still try though.), but because the gloss inside is completely sheer, it really just glazes the lips in a deep grape. i like it a lot, but i love all of NARS' sheer glosses because they are extra sticky-shiny and for that reason have staying power. plus, i have to love a company that still makes true, bold colors and doesn't put frost and glitter in every single thing. i'm looking at you, MAC. shape up! i haven't seen it in person, but based on my online peeking and other's reviews, the fafi for MAC line looks very blah.

after that, joe took me out to dinner at a secret location. i had no idea where we were going to go until we pulled up. somehow he remembered that i once said, as we drove by, that i had always wanted to eat at clancy's crab boiler! it was the perfect date. i drank a chi chi (pina colada made with vodka instead of rum. delicious, but embarrassing to order if you grew up mexican and to you chichis are BOOBS!) and ate shrimp and filet mignon. really, it was so perfect and fab. joe and i are perfect for one another because we both like things that are kind of crappy, but also great. we both have good taste, but like things that are kind of divey and hilarious. i hearted him extra after that, but the gifts didn't end! when we got back to the house i got a wonderful card he made in printing class and the piece de resistance: this pin! i saw it a while ago and fell in love with it even though i am not much of a dog person. let alone scottie dogs, but it is SO HILARIOUS. it is a double pin, with one part being one huge gold scottie dog and the other two smaller gold scottie dogs, CONNECTED WITH CHAINS DANGLING TWO MORE TINY SCOTTIE DOGS. so fucking fierce! i can't believe he went back and bought it for me. so sweet!

in case you are wondering what i got him, i will tell you. it might sound kind of or not at all strange, but joe is really into skulls right now, so i went to necromance on melrose, which is actually a really rad store, and bought him a coyote skull. he was totally pleasantly surprised because i was sort of anti about the animal skull thing for a while, but the lady in necromance was really cool and she assured me that the animals weren't killed just for their bones and she also said that the coyote was the best seller (wtf?) so i did some research on him and he seemed like a pretty cool spirit animal. joe loved it and said i was the best girlfriend ever, so all in all, it was a success!

i guess that's all i have to say about that. i really need to make a "romance/barf" tag for these types of entries, but i have about 12 tags and i am way too lazy to make new ones. in fact, i have also been thinking about making a a "gay" tag, but since i am a flaming queen, pretty much all of my posts are gay.

and speaking of the gays, i am sooo excited to watch tonight's episode of "project runway." it's the recap episode, which would normally annoy me, but there was so little drama this season, and i can't get enough pure tim gunn. sweet raging crap, i need a guy like him in my life! what ever happened to the genteel gay man? i'm all about the perverts, the bears, and the twinkies (you know this), but i long to meet an older, refined gentleman who will drink tea and go shopping with me.

as for someone to party with, i would love to hang out with christian siriano. i am basically the female version of him without the self-confidence, and i do love him so. he is so amazing, i really hope he wins the show! here is a strangely long, obsessive fan video with some of his fiercest moments. it's worth the length though for some of those golden moments of his this season. my personal fav is "i am not feeling fierce right now." hahahaha. television gold.

Gay Sex and the Failure Forest

as you all probably know, there are few things i enjoy more than ranting about things i have limited information about. it makes the rant far more belligerent and ill-advised, two concepts upon which i believe humor might just be based.

anyway, today my subject of choice is the new series set to air on NBC called "lipstick jungle" (preview video behind the cut at the end of the post). it is based on a book by the author of "sex and the city," which, as we all know, is tv legend, in a way. to understand where i am going with this, you must first understand my feelings on "sex and the city."

SATC, in my opinion, was an extraordinarily offensive television show. it is, however, tolerable to me for only 3 reasons.

1) it is a classic. much like a time-honored racist, sexist story we still read/show to our children (disney's peter pan, for example), it will continue to be adored and accepted by many even after the advancement of women makes shows of its variety a small blip in our feminist history (am i being wishful?)

2) despite the deplorability of some of the characters (more later) the choice of actors and their performances were phenomenal.

3) for the love of bloody hell, i cannot tear my eyes away when it's on!!!!

a) the clothes! the shoes! good or bad, the parade of fine fashions is addicting.
b) the breasts. the naked breasts.
c) for a show about straight ladies, it could not have been any GAYER.
d) the poorly-written dialogue they give the carrie character is super funny, between cringes.
e) sometimes... it just speaks to me.

look, i love that show as much as the next girl, i'll admit it. the problem is, that love came only after i could get over the fact that, at least the carrie character, is totally demeaning and insulting to intelligent women everywhere and that the show's stylists were simply never going to stop putting her in belly shirts, no matter what the mandates of fashion prescribe.

as we all sit in anticipation of the "sex and the city" movie, we are offered "lipstick jungle" to chew on for the time being. here is my problem: i can already tell this is gong to suck. first of all, it's on network television, which means NO BOOBIES. lame. secondly, at least from the ads, there does not appear to really be a "quirky" carrie-like character. for all her bad dialogue and penchant for falling in love with her abusers, carrie was the heart and soul of that show. if not for her neurotic asides, then for her kooky hats and bags. by god, without her it would have just been a soap opera about a pointy-nosed prude/ho with daddy issues, an inexplicably misanthropic closeted lesbian with bad hair, and an older broad with a bangin' body who would do it with just about anyone... wait, that show still sounds good! that's my point, i guess. the characters were probably well-written in the first place (i dunno, i never read the book. this is the part where i don't know what i'm talking about), but also, you can really tell how much the actors brought to the table. the casting choices for carrie, charlotte, miranda, and samantha were fucking awesome. i honestly feel like so much has changed in the industry (for the worse) since that show began, that, if it were to be casted today, there might be much less-interesting types of women in those roles, and that would be sad.

i am sick and tired of watching shows on tv about women where the women look exactly the same. it is boring. the other night i was watching "law and order: svu" aka my reason for owning a tv, and there were not one but TWO female actors in the episode with very obvious, hideous plastic surgery (not as part of the plot). wtf? are kids now going to grow up thinking that's simply what women all look like? essentially, white ladies who look like they have been repeatedly dried-out and then re-hydrated like a cinnamon-bread raisin? this is terrifying. i know tv is all about entertainment, but i don't think it's too much to ask to see some real people on there. not even reality shows have real people on them except for "the biggest loser" and those people are dying to change. not that there is anything wrong with being thin and white, but good heavens, give us options! and no more frightfaced, botoxed bitches!

oh, and by "options" i don't mean the one that looks kinda asian-y on "lipstick jungle." back to my point, i am dreading this show. it looks like such a boring mess with boring clothes and formulaic story lines about giving good blow jobs. and, seriously, brooke shields? obviously the simple solution is not to watch, but a combination of morbid curiosity and a real passion for self-inflicted punishment will certainly lead me to check it out. i read an article in one of the gossip magazines about how this is only one of THREE new shows coming out soon with a similar theme: wealthy "power" women shopping at saks and looking for love in the big city. i don't know how much more of this i can handle. when are they going to make a show about women like me? middle-class fuck-ups who hunt thrift racks by day, haunt gay bars by night, and give great blow jobs to dildos.

WHEN? you know you'd watch.

clothes minded

luckily for me (and you) i have a lot of time on my hands lately to think about how annoying everything is. oh man, not having any money around this time of year is so depressing. don't get me wrong, i know it could be worse, blah blah blah, you don't read this blog for my astounding amount of social-awareness and grateful attitude, and you know it. all i'm saying, though, is that i hate that i am probably going to have to spend ANOTHER christmas with no money to buy presents for my family and friends, not to mention my lovely boyfriend. ugh, it almost makes me glad i still haven't set up my plastic surgery savings because then i would probably be dipping into if for things like "emergencies." better to be completely broke than wasting my eyebrow lift money on food and tampons.

the impending holidays, my recent extreme weight gain, and unemployment have led me back onto the path of rage drinking. when i drink like this, i seriously have no control over my mouth and i seem to forget who my real friends are and who i can trust and it gets me into trouble. all i want to do is have a laugh, but i usually end up falling asleep in a blind, drunken rage. wha? no more. i am limiting myself to three drinks a night when i go out, including beers. also, i am going on a diet. i was toying with the idea of becoming fat-positive and trying to love myself as i am, but three things have stopped me dead in my tracks: 1) thigh chafing. GOOD LORD. i lost "the weight" (i love when people say that) so long ago, i forgot what this was like. ouch. i mean, it's not like i am fixing to start any major fires under my pencil skirt, but there's a rub and it is not pleasant. 2) i am too broke to afford a new wardrobe, and all my clothes are getting too tight. last winter i was considering having my favorite slacks tailored because they are just so lovely, but they literally were falling off me, looked sloppy, and i couldn't wear them without a belt. today, they fit like a second skin, and not in a good way. 3) i am working on a top secret film project and i had to see myself on film today. i looked absolutely fucking HUGE! it was all i could do not to weep openly right there in front of the camera crew. wtf?

i also realized that my face looks terrible when it moves and that my voice is really weird and annoying. it's a good thing i deal primarily in print, because sweet jesus! ugh. i am going to start practicing faces in front of a mirror a la "america's next top model" and take some voice lessons. this combined with the weight loss i am expecting from my new diet (dubbed "the lettuce/mustard diet" because that's all i am going to eat), i should be skyrocketing to superstardom in no time. i will post the info on super-top secret video project #1 as soon as i can.

now, i know i complain a lot about how i look and that probably gets pretty old. i was going to try and make myself feel better by writing a post about how badly everyone is dressing now and how everyone looks the same and it makes me want to cry, but then i realized that i am way above that. not because i found out that the true secret is tolerance and it's what's inside that counts, but because bad fashion actually makes me feel WORSE in general, even if it makes those of us who know how to dress look better. it is just really depressing and wears me out. i feel weak and tired even thinking about this girl i saw at ikea the other day....

but i will save that one for next time. until then, i love you all. i will leave you with this: when the line between "hipster" and "safari leader" gets this fine, it's every man for himself. it's a jungle out there.

notes on the fall

as you probably know, my lack of blog entries lately and the fact that i have pretty much fallen off the face of the earth is due to a plethora of preoccupations you could care less about. given that you somehow knew that, i am going to assume that you are a regular Failure Princess reader and are fully aware that i am going to tell you what some of them are anyway.

1) things at work have been pretty darn sweeet. the girl who was pretty much my supervisor/buffer between me and the boss/officemate/hardworking, competant, goodtime gal completely walked out a few weeks ago with no notice after two years of working there. this was directly following an incident in which our boss screamed at her. as you can imagine, this has done wonders for morale around the office and for my stress levels. it's not so much that a bunch of extra work is falling onto me, but that there are suddenly new people in the office that i have to train and talk to all the time when i barely have all my training done and hate talking to people at work. the good that has come out of this is that for some reason our boss decided to finally spring for real office chairs (with wheels and adjustable arm rests!) and new mouse pads (with gel wrist cushions and a leather-like covering. i feel like a princess!) i dunno guys, what's next, electric staplers??? if that really happens i might just have to start paying HIM. oh man.

2) it's true, i have fallen in love. i have been "subtly" suggesting that in my most recent entries, so i won't mention much about it again, but let me just say that it is doing crazy things to my brain. i have come down with a gnarly case of what i can only describe as baby fever. that's RIGHT, you heard it here first. the only reason i can be so calm about it now is because everyone i have talked to about it has said it's a being in a new relationship/being in my mid-late 20s thing and it will go away soon. i sure as shit hope so because this is getting disturbing. today i was waking by the park and some parents were putting their screaming, crying five year-old in the car and a looked over and involuntarily said "aw, poor little tired guy." WTFFFFF???? intellectually, i realize that there is no excuse for that kind of public outburst and that kid should be ashamed for allowing his weakness to show, but in that moment i just wanted to hug him. hellllp meeeeee.

3) fall is fast approaching. look, i don't care what anyone says, we TOTALLY have seasons in l.a. in a few days, the glorious autumnal glow will be upon us, and i for one am excited. maybe the leaves don't set the sky and streets ablaze with color, but the air turns crisp and you can just feel it and smell it and i love it. first there is back to school shopping. i plan to partake in that, despite my lack of interest in furthering my education. i looove school supplies. bring on the economy packs of pens and compostion books, oh hell yes! also in fall is my favorite holiday, halloween, which i also sometimes like to call "drinking christmas" because christmas is my other favorite holiday, but i don't get to get drunk on christmas. i still haven't thought up my costume, though, and that is a real bummer. usually i am on that shit by about july. anyways, i'm pretty into fall fashion as well. i love how every year they come out with "new" fall fashions but really they are recycled menswear looks and ripoffs of my catholic high school uniform. OMG, i saw these hideous shoes at h&m a few weeks ago and got mega-depressed because a) ugly makes me sad, b) the 90s are officially back, and c) europe clearly hates us. why else would they sell these shoes this close to the streets of pasadena, where they could so easily fall into the wrng hands and hurt someone (my eyes). maybe some hot, finnish supermodel with pink, pillowy lips and four-foot legs wearing a silver pinafore could pull this off, but i can guarantee you there is not one single person who fits that description in the san gabriel valley or surrounding areas. geez! i'm sticking to my usualy autumn essentials: tights under everything, colorful, often ironic sweaters, and classic early-mid 80s boots. i am toying with the idea of accepting the 90s revival and rocking the ripped tights, but i am affraid this might remind me too much of high school and i might start writing in my journal with my own blood again, so i dunno about that one.

well, folks, it's late, and this has taken me entirely too long to write. i am creaky and out of practice. i wish i could find a job where i could just sit and write all day and when i'm not writing i could be thinking about writing or sex. instead, today at work i had no time to daydream so i frantically made UPS labels all the while consuming at least 10 halloween oreo cookies, which feature orange-colored cream filling and four fun halloween designs right on the cookie. what have i become? i am my own worst enemy. it's okay though, because this has been one of the best/most interesting years of my life and i plan on ending it on a good note, at least to the best of my abilities. i am formulating a plan. diet and otherwise. starting with tomorrow, as i am getting a pedicure after work to remind myself how great it is that i can still see my feet. hopefully that will light a fire under my ass.

until next time....