Edge of Glory [Music Video]

Lady GaGa released the music video for Edge of Glory yesterday, and I'm sure everyone has opinions on it. Thankfully, I have hidden most people who post statuses about Lady GaGa from my facebook newsfeed, so I have yet to hear complainings and/or praise as of yet. I'm not sure how the rest of y'all feel, but I give an unenthusiastic thumbs up to this video.

Since GaGa has released such amazing music videos as Bad Romance and Telephone, I feel that expectations for all her videos are a little too high. There is nothing especially remarkable about this music video, but there is nothing bad about it either.

Edge of Glory is very straightforward. It reminds me of a pre-teen gay boy who got into his slutty sister's closet and had an impromptu one-man dance party on the set of Sesame Street in front of a homeless saxophone player. The dancing in this video is clearly not the best GaGa has done, but it is by no means bad. It reminds me of how I dance when I'm home alone with the music blaring (oh no, I've revealed too much!). The dancing feels familiar, fun, and playful. It's not bizarre or complicated, but we don't always need that from GaGa.

Besides all that, the song itself is amazing and as hairstyles go, the bob will never cease to be sexy.

Bridesmaids [Movie]

I tend to normally shy away from female driven casts although once in a while I will agree see one and surprisingly like it. For all you faithful Mormons, sorry it's R rated (plenty of penis, beaver and boob humor). Despite the bad breathed loud laughing woman sitting next to me, I found myself laughing every other scene. A small testament as to how much the movie with slight lesbian undertones kept me entertain.
Bridesmaids Trailer by teasertrailer

Lady GaGa Sings "Born This Way" with a Mariachi Band [Best Things Ever]

For reasons I cannot explain, I felt compelled to search for mariachi videos on youtube tonight, and boy did I strike gold. I found a video of a mariachi band covering Born This Way and I was thoroughly enjoying it. Then Lady GaGa herself took the stage and I nearly had a seizure. This is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. Oh my goodness... deep breaths...

New Harry Potter Trailer [Best Things Ever]

OMG. I just wet myself in excitement.

Songs I Love By Artists I Hate [Terrible/Good Things]

As one who is prone to judge and review pop culture, I tend to hate a lot of things. Often I have good reasons for disliking someone or something, and sometimes - like my hatred of Jennifer Aniston - I have no good reason to hate, but feel quite passionate about it.

As strongly as I hate some artists, even I have to admit when they make a decent song. It pains me to say it, but three artists I have hated for a very long time have each recently released songs that I can't get out of my head. Here we go:

Rihanna - S&M

I used to really like Rihanna back in her "Breaking Dishes" days, but something about the majority of her songs literally makes me car-sick, even when I'm sitting still. This song though returns to what made Rihanna good. She doesn't sound quite so whiny and the song is just plain fun. Well played, Rihanna. Please try to keep this up.

Ke$ha - Blow

There are few people I hate more than Ke$ha and it took me a very, very long time to admit that I like this song. I also hate to admit that I really quite like the music video. Damn you, unicorns and James Van Der Beek!!! You've made me like a Ke$ha video and now I hate you for it.

Katy Perry - Firework

This song for me will never get old, no matter how many times I hear it. I hate Katy Perry for making a song I love so much because I absolutely can't stand her. I hate the vapid look of her dead eyes, I hate her pillowy breasts, and I hate how edgy she thinks she is. I love this song though, I just wish someone more talented were singing it.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower [Books]

I almost stopped reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower after the first few pages simply because of the format. The book is written in a series of 1st person anonymous letters to someone the protagonist has never met before. It all seemed so cheesy and Go Ask Alice-y. This book however is not gimmicky in the least, and though it is very weird that Charlie, our protagonist, has never met the recipient of his very personal letters, it quickly becomes apparent that such a thing is normal for Charlie.

He is socially inept, he cries almost daily, and he has a crush he is obsessed with and can't get over. Despite all his faults, you can't help but love Charlie and feel immensely invested in all of his pains and struggles.

This book is a powerful account of the high school struggle to make friends and participate in the world rather than simply observing. Though Charlie hopefully has a lot more problems than most of us have to experience, we can all find a part of us in him to relate to.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a hauntingly brilliant book that will leave you feeling different. It is a book you can get lost in and almost experience firsthand, and you will not regret the experience.

[Editor's note: I just noticed that this will be turned into a movie to be released in 2012 directed by the author and starring Emma Watson as Charlie's crush. Needless to say, I just peed myself with excitement.]

The Fascinating Evolution of the Modern-Day Superhero [Literature]

There are many intelligent things I could say about Hero by Perry Moore, but all that comes to mind is: Damn this book is good.

Hero blends the genres of superhero fiction with gay and lesbian fiction, and in the process improves on both genres. The story focuses on Thom Creed, a high school basketball player, who happens to be coming to terms with his sexuality and also happens to be developing super powers. His father, a non-superpowered ex-superhero, blames all the evils in the world on two things: gays and superpowers. The story follows Thom's battle to keep up a good relationship with his father while trying to figure out who he is.

Thom receives an invitation to join The League - the same organization his father used to belong to - and learns to control his new powers, gains allies, and uncovers evils within the League.

Hero deals with Thom's orientation very well too. The book brilliantly doesn't focus too much on Thom being gay, instead letting that be just another characteristic of who he is. The issues and concerns every gay youth goes through are perfectly illustrated in the book, but Moore doesn't drown the narrative with it, instead letting Thom's orientation be just another aspect of a very well-crafted novel.

This book is a must-read for anyone who even mildly enjoys superheroes, and even for people who don't. Hero is a coming-of-age novel with so many fascinating spins. I literally could not put it down. I carried it with me everywhere I went since purchasing it, and now that I've finished I'm still holding onto it longingly wishing there were more.

Be Afraid of What Rebecca Black Hath Unleashed [Terrible Things]

Here at The Gilded Beaver, we strive to showcase the very best of music, television, movies, literature, art, fashion, and culture. However, sometimes it is in our readers best interests if we present what could be deemed the very worst of those categories. It is for this reason I present to you, Friday by Rebecca Black.



Where to begin? Should I start by making fun of her mouth, not only the horrible sounds coming out of it, but also the painful squinchedness of it, as though she were trying to hold several sweet tarts in her cheeks for the duration of the video? No, I think I'll start with the obvious 1st problem: the lyrics.

Could lyrics like "kickin' in the front seat, sittin' in the back seat, gotta make my mind up, which seat can I take?" really sound good if sung by someone with talent? If her Holiness, Our Lady of Gaga were singing this song, I think even I would be forced to say she'd bombed.

Then of course, there is the sickening monotone auto-tunedness. A lot can be said for and against auto-tuning. Auto-tuning covereth a multitude of sins, but there's not much it can do for Rebecca Black.

I wish there were more I could say about this, but I keep watching the video and the awful way she lets her eyes go dead when she sings "Friday, Friday, gettin' down on Friday" just renders me speechless. What has been seen cannot be unseen, and unfortunately for us, what has been heard cannot be unheard.

The Best Reality Program You're Probably Not Watching

Just about everyone has heard of the Fox hit show, Hell's Kitchen, which debuted on the network over 5 years ago. It is hosted by celebrity chef and all-around jerk, Gordon Ramsay, and has become one of the highest-rated shows on Fox, and one of the longest-running reality programs that doesn't feature celebrities. It's an OK show, filled with plenty of drama, but it's actually not the best Ramsay-hosted program out there. To me, that would be Kitchen Nightmares.

Now I used to have a Friday nightlife, which is seldom the case anymore. Most people do however, and Nightmares has found itself an unfortunate time-slot in Friday prime time. The show's premise is very simple - Ramsay, who is a skilled chef, stops by crappy restaurants across America and helps them change direction, often saving them from failure. Gordon Ramsay could easily be dubbed the Simon Cowell of the Kitchen - he is a belligerent a-hole at times, but he knows what he's doing. He also knows how to encourage people and motivate them when it's most needed.

I'm not a huge reality cooking show fan, but Nightmares is really more of a self-improvement show akin to what you might see on TLC or HGTV. Even with his relentless crustiness, you will find Ramsay endearing at his softer moments. Though it fares pretty low in ratings, it really is a good show, and if you find yourself in on a Friday night, this should definitely be a show you watch.

Give CocoRosie A Try [Music]

When I first heard CocoRosie, it took me a few days to decide if I liked them or not. In fact, I'm still not exactly sure if I love them, but I really do enjoy this song and the music video. So give CocoRosie a try, I think they might be worth it.

The Academy Awards

If you enjoy film, you live for the most anticipated awards show of the year. The Academy captivates us for many reasons: the fashion, the stars, the drama. This year is arguably the most competitive for Best Picture. You’ve undoubtedly seen The Social Network and may support the claim that it is the film that “defines a generation”. With the critic’s support of Fincher’s work and the box office earnings to reflect that, why wouldn’t it win? Social Network has a fantastic script and excellent directing with strong acting too. But I can’t bring myself to love it enough to support it as Best Picture. I guess I cannot empathize with rich nerds!

The King’s Speech, True Grit, Winter’s Bone, Inception and Black Swan are far more superior in acting, in editing, in costume design, and in story telling. My choice? Well, that's simple, The King's Speech. This, of course, is my humble opinion. However iconic they are, the Oscars are never accurate of what is “best”, so take the results at face value. A good film will always be a good film.(With the exception of last year’s Blind Side. It should never have been nominated.)

So my question to you is, what is your pick for Best Picture? Be Internet famous, leave your choice in the comments below!

Check out all the nominations here and don’t miss ABC’s socialite party of the year.

Favorites from New York Fashion Week [Fashion]

Pretending to know about fashion is something of a hobby for me. I wish I were able to attend Fashion Week and report a thorough analysis for each collection, but alas, I cannot. So Tim Blanks' style.com videos will have to suffice. Here are some of my favorites from this New York Fashion Week.

Proenza Schouler: Oh Proenza Schouler. I know that I've supposed to have been liking you all along. I watched the documentary about how you won that grant from Vogue to help your business get established, and I know that you're all legit now and everyone loves you, but until this collection you meant nothing to me. I love this collection though. Santa Fe is one of my favorite places in America, so I loved the modernized southwest patterns and styles. Beautiful.


Rodarte: I am crazy about this collection. I just love everything about it. These beautiful gowns give almost a sense of pastoral royalty. They have a certain folk elegance to them that incorporates glamour into prairie or pioneer clothing. It's like Rodarte has created a combination of the mid-western U.S. and the English countryside, and I love it.


Thom Browne: Okay, I'll admit, though I really like this collection I'm mainly posting it because I love what he's done in this runway show. Any time you strip a nun down and find she's wearing designer underneath is cause for celebration. I love the combination of beautiful, functional coats and less-functional art pieces. Once in a while we really do need to see a collection of crazy, uncomfortable, high-collared coats and egg-shaped skirts, so here's a big thanks to Thom Browne for that.

A Thorough Assessment of Black Swan [Movies]

Bitch be crazy.

30 Rock - Planes, Mobile Meth Labs, and Canadians [Recaps]

Last night's 30 Rock was one of the funny but not hilarious episodes that seem to occur every few weeks. Nevertheless, there were still some golden moments, and a heaping helping of Canadian jokes.

The episode opened with some Jack/Liz banter that was charming as usual. Jack and Liz establish that they are both leaving for vacations - Jack to be with What's-Her-Name-Elizabeth-Bank's-Character in Canada, and Liz to spend a weekend with Matt Damon (playing her pilot boyfriend Carol). Liz ends up having a pencil sticking out of her fly by the end of the scene. Absolutely delightful.


While in Canada, What's-Her-Name goes into premature labor. The more Elizabeth Banks guest stars the more I'm noticing that she's not a very good actor. At any rate, this scene makes fun of both Republicans and Canadians, so suffice to say, it's quite enjoyable.


In their desperation to make sure their daughter is not born Canadian, Jack and What's-Her-Name hitch a ride in a mobile meth lab. John Cho guest stars.


Meanwhile, Liz, on Carol's plane, is stuck on the tarmac and the passengers are restless. After unsuccessfully delivering the passengers' demands to Carol, tensions run high and they almost kill an old man. This, people is how you win a Mark Twain award.


Jack finally resigns to letting the baby be born in Canada, much to What's-Her-Name's chagrin.


And meanwhile Tracy, Jenna, and Kenneth were doing something that I found boring, so I can't even remember what the crap was going on.

Why You Should Be Watching Community [Television]

At the end of the last television season I pretty much stopped caring about all of my old favorite shows, and decided not to give any new shows a chance. Only 30 Rock survived and I still religiously watch it every week.

Then, two weeks ago, after I'd already watched 30 Rock on Hulu, I decided to finally give Community a chance. I was not disappointed. Community is fast, witty, and doesn't make any sense, but it's so charming you can't help but love it. Each of the characters seems like someone I should be annoyed with, but I find each and every one of them endearing.

Here is a clip of what I'm talking about. In this episode, the characters have banded together to play Dungeons and Dragons in order to cheer up a suicidal, fat nerd. Abed is the dungeonmaster and is playing the role of an elven maiden in charge of a herd of pegusi that the group needs. Annie decides to convince the elven maiden:

Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes [Book Review]

Sarah Byrnes is a burn victim with scars on her face and hands. Eric Calhoune is overweight. Their differences cause them to stick together and become inseparable friends. When Sarah is institutionalized after going into a seemingly catatonic state, Eric has to get to the bottom of whatever caused her trauma. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes is touching, humorous, and exciting, but at its core it is a book for and about misfits.

Though the format of at least the first half of the book is confusing, and in my opinion not well constructed, the messages and topics covered in the book make it a thoroughly worthwhile read. There are plenty of reasons for this book to be a recurring guest on banned book lists: abortion, suicide, strong language, child abuse, violence, etc. Of course, those themes are excellent reasons for why this book should be read.

For example, at one point in the book [spoiler alert] several of the main characters battle against an ultra-religious antagonist who treats everyone around him like absolute crap. When the main characters finally triumph in breaking the antagonist's self-righteous facade, the antagonist attempts suicide. What is most important about this theme of suicide is that several authority figures in the book (parents, teachers, pastors, etc) emphasize that the antagonist's suicide attempt is nobody's fault but his own. The suicide is not simply put in there as a gimmick, but to teach those affected by suicide of others how to cope. [end spoiler alert]

The book deals well with hard topics, it doesn't just throw in issues just to be edgy - "being edgy" doesn't seem to be the point of this book, in fact I thought it was fairly tame until several of my Adolescent Literature classmates went off in class about how explicit the book was - this book discusses issues to show solutions, and it accomplishes this purpose very well.

I would recommend this book to everyone, at least 9th grade on up. It is a slow read for the first half, but the second half kept my attention in a firm grasp. This is not a difficult book to comprehend, but it is a starting point to further discussion on important topics. This would be a good one to introduce to a book club because people will love to talk about it.
3.5 stars

Adele's New Album To Be Released Feb. 22, 2011 [Music]

Can I just say how incredibly excited I am for Adele's new album? Just listen to this and be amazed.