BuzzSugar

Hot Buzz Time Machine: There's No Crying in Baseball!

Lauren Bradshaw — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:30:00 PDT

The majority of you are following this year's World Series, but even if you're not a baseball fanatic, you can still appreciate this week's special Hot Buzz Time Machine. In honor of America's favorite pastime, may I present this classic Tom Hanks scene from A League of Their Own. Hanks plays Jimmy Dugan, manager of the female baseball team the Rockford Peaches. When his player Evelyn starts sobbing on the film, Jimmy isn't exactly sympathetic. Watch the scene that spawned one of film's most memorable lines!

Get Motivated: Remembering Pitcher Dottie Collins

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:00:00 PDT

A League of Their Own always makes me teary-eyed. Not only is it a funny, bittersweet, and touching sports movie, but the true story behind it - of the short-lived All-American Girls Professional Baseball League - is incredibly inspirational. Even watching the fictional movie, I'm always moved by the idea of so many talented female athletes playing together and capturing the nation's imagination during a difficult time.

I got all teary again this weekend, when I read that AAGPBL pitcher Dottie Collins recently passed away at age 84. Not only was Collins an incredible ballplayer (in 1948, she even pitched until she was four months pregnant!) but she was also instrumental in creating the Baseball Hall of Fame's exhibit on the women's professional league. Without her, we may have never learned about this very cool period in history. To find out why, and to see one of my favorite moments from the movie,

According to the New York Times obituary of Collins:

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., had been considering an exhibition on women and baseball during the mid-1980s, but, as Ted Spencer, its chief curator, recalled in an interview, it had little material to display until Collins approached him.

“When I connected with Dottie, the ball started to roll,” Spencer said. “If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know where it would have gone.”

In 1987, Collins helped form an association of former players in the All-American league. She drew on her contacts to provide the Hall of Fame with memorabilia from the league, spurring creation of its Women in Baseball exhibit in 1988. Now an enlarged, permanent collection, the exhibit inspired the 1992 Hollywood movie A League of Their Own, a reprise of women’s pro baseball during World War II.

Cool, right? I guess we have Collins to thank both for pioneering women's professional sports and for making sure the AAGPBL wasn't lost to history. One of my favorite scenes in A League of Their Own is actually when all the women reunite at the Hall of Fame exhibit dedicated to them. I just got all choked up again watching it, so view with caution, then share your thoughts below.

Photo Courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library and Source

Movie Night: The Material Girl Turns 50!

BuzzSugar — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:00:00 PDT

Madonna turning 50 is practically a holiday around here at Sugar HQ. I know one mega-fan here in the office who couldn't be more excited about the Queen of Pop's birthday. While many appreciate Madge's tremendous impact on popular music, I am equally appreciative of some of her movie roles. You'd think that Madonna's off-screen persona might overwhelm her characters onscreen, but that hasn't really been the case. I consider her a capable and engaging actress, and I've picked out a few of my favorite titles in her filmography. So, happy birthday Madonna - this Movie Night's for you!

Dick Tracy
I love that Netflix describes Madonna's character in this awesome '90s movie as the "seductive and sultry torch singer Breathless Mahoney." Dick Tracy was pretty much panned by critics, despite its star-studded cast. Regardless, the visual setting is vibrant, the costumes are neato, and to this day I still watch Madonna's performance of "Sooner or Later" and want to be her for Halloween.

For the other two Madonna movies on my list, just

A League of Their Own
Even though Madonna was a big star by the time she did this movie, she humbly fit herself into the ensemble cast, and her character is a huge part of what makes this Penny Marshall classic so great. Her dynamic with Rosie O'Donnell's character is so perfectly rendered, the two of them endeared themselves to me when I saw this movie for the first time. Aw, how can you resist A League of Their Own?

Desperately Seeking Susan
How fun is it to re-experience the '80s Madonna in all her dark-roots glory? Sure, you can pop in some of her greatest hits, but there is nothing like seeing her on your TV screen. A bored housewife (Rosanna Arquette) becomes infatuated with Susan (Madonna) through the classified ads (remember those?) in this 1985 classic. And who wouldn't get obsessed? Susan is a free-spirited Holly Golightly-type but with a lot more lace. As the screwball comedic plot twists ensue, you're reminded why Madonna became one of the world's biggest stars.

Source and Source

Buzz Brainteaser

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:30:00 PST

Welcome to Buzz Brainteaser, the trivia feature on BuzzSugar! Every weekday I'll test your knowledge about TV shows, music and movies. If you enter in the correct answer, you win points! In the movie A League of Their Own, the main women's baseball team in the story is called the Rockford ______ .

What's Buzzworthy: Baseball Movies

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:55:56 PDT

In honor of the beginning of baseball season, I asked you guys to bookmark your favorite baseball movies for last weekend's Buzzworthy challenge. America's favorite pastime has inspired countless films, and you guys did an excellent job finding the diamonds in the rough. (Although I am apparently the only one who likes Rookie of the Year, but that's ok.) Here are my favorite picks from BuzzSugar readers.

Bull Durham, bookmarked by Sweet Tea, who calls this minor-league baseball movie "guy and gal friendly. Great for date night at home."

A League of Their Own, bookmarked by several users, including WhiplashGirlChild, who says: "I hate about 90 percent of all sports movies, but there are a few baseball movies that I love. This one is my favorite sports movie ever. I'm such a GIRL."

Cobb, bookmarked by Yiddidea, who calls it a "non-reverential Hollywood biopic about one of baseball's greatest players."

To see three other great baseball movies,

The Natural, bookmarked by Linda McP, giving us this eloquent description: "Robert Redford stars in this fable about an unknown player who, after fashioning his bat from a tree, fulfills his dreams on the field."

Field of Dreams, bookmarked by Wynter and Missyosigirl, who claims "Field of Dreams is not only about baseball. It's also about second chances, and fathers and sons."

Fever Pitch, bookmarked by Missyosigirl, who explains: "The romance part clicks because Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore have amazing chemistry together - I'd like to see them in a follow up film."

Still not sure how to create a Buzzworthy bookmark? Don't worry: TeamSugar makes it easy to bookmark and capture anything on the Web that you consider "Buzzworthy." If you already have a "That's Fab" button on your browser's tool bar, you can use that to bookmark your Buzzworthy items. If you don't have the TeamSugar bookmarking button on your toolbar, you can learn how to get it by watching this video.

Watch a Fifty Shades of Grey Parody With Selena Gomez, "Fifty Shades of Blue"

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:14:52 PDT

Funny or Die is getting in on the literary and pop culture phenomenon Fifty Shades of Grey, and in their spoof of the sexy sensation, Selena Gomez plays a girl who's been a little too into reading the book. She develops an unlikely obsession with her decidedly unsexy house painter, Carl Blue (played by The League's Nick Kroll). Watch Gomez in "Fifty Shades of Blue" as the Anastasia-like character, complete with an inner monologue full of the word "flushing," a penchant for biting her lip, and a weird liking for her own older man.

What to TiVo: Friday

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Shark Tank (new)
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do (new)
10:00 20/20 (new)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (repeat, with guest Scarlett Johansson)

8:00 Undercover Boss (new)
9:00 CSI: NY (new, season finale)
10:00 Blue Bloods (new, season finale)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guest Jon Cryer)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Larry King and Anna Chlumsky)

8:00 The Finder (new, season finale)
9:00 Fringe (new, season finale)

8:00 Who Do You Think You Are? (new)
9:00 Grimm (new)
10:00 Dateline NBC (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Jenna Fischer and Jay Mohr)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Steven Colbert and Nick Cannon)

8:00 Nikita (new)
9:00 Supernatural (new)

Summer Music Festivals That Offer Fun Ways to Stay Fit

Lizzie Fuhr — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:32:49 PDT

Summer music festival season is in full swing, and we can't wait to get in on all the action. While all these adventures are certainly a fun way to head to a big party, sometimes the whole thing can become a little too much. After all, if you're taking your vacation time to head to one of these events, don't you want to come back at least a little revived and rejuvenated?

The Wanderlust Festival set the precedent, but lots of other festivals have taken notice of the close-knit relationship that can exist between music and fitness. You're going to be burning some serious calories by shaking your thing as your favorite musicians perform, but if you want to get more fitness into your festival experience, here are some of our favorite festivals that offer options to complement the whole experience.

Hangout Music Festival

When: May 18 - May 20, 2012
Where: Gulf Shores, AL
What They Offer: This year The Hangout is offering a series of mellow morning yoga classes taught by Kelly Morris. Live music from double bassist Garth Stevenson will accompany the Rock Your Body yoga experience that welcomes yogis and yoginis of all levels. Did I mention this whole thing is situated on a beautiful beach?

DelFest

When: May 24 - May 27, 2012
Where: Cumberland, MD
What They Offer: DelFest is a festival that understands the connection between mind, body, and spirit. They hold activities coined movement playshops open to all festival attendees. Yoga and hula-hooping are the stars of the fitness show at DelFest.

Lightning in a Bottle

When: May 24 - May 28, 2012
Where: Silverado, CA
What They Offer: Lightning in a Bottle created a special environment called the Lucent Temple of Consciousness dedicated to workshops, speakers, and lots of yoga classes. We also love that at LIB you can take a workshop and learn how to grow your own spirulina!

Keep reading for three more festivals that offer fun ways to stay fit.

The Avengers: Assemble For Awesomeness

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:23:37 PDT

Ensemble romantic comedies are a dime a dozen these days, and let's face it: most of those star-studded flicks aren't even that good. But an ensemble superhero movie? Now that's an idea I can get behind. The Avengers rounds up an all-star group of comic book heroes who must get over their inflated egos and differences to take down a villain and save the world. It's a simple enough concept, and the combination of eye-popping special effects, humor, and a stellar cast makes for one hell of a blockbuster movie.

The cast of characters - and each one is very much a character in their own right - is mostly composed of people you've seen before and are happy to welcome back. There's Chris Evans as Captain America, whose situation as a '50s guy living in a 2012 world is funny to the audience, if not to him. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Iron Man, and his wisecracks and borderline obnoxious behavior carry the film and much of the dialogue; Chris Hemsworth is back as demigod Thor, though his role feels a bit downplayed in the midst of the rest of the hubbub. Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner return as Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who kick butt but are never really as much fun as their power-wielding cohorts. The only guy who's new to the group is Mark Ruffalo, who takes on the role of Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk) for the first time, and Ruffalo's so quietly engaging that you won't even remember Eric Bana or Edward Norton in the role.

To see what else is great about The Avengers, just

Taking on this team of good guys is Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's maniacal brother who's literally plotting world domination. His quick wit and completely deluded view of the world make him a layered villain who's incredibly fun to hate. The fun doesn't even stop there: the film is chock-full of cameos and appearances from characters from The Avengers prequels, which is an added bonus for fans that have been following The Avengers since the beginning. You don't need to be a fanatic to enjoy the movie though; the film has nods to the previous films but it still makes for a nice introduction to each of the characters as they're rounded up one by one.

Writer/director Joss Whedon goes from Buffy to the big leagues here, and he masterfully puts together a film that goes big, but doesn't let action overshadow the script. The dialogue is packed with so many one-liners that you'll likely miss half of them because the audience is still laughing at the most recent joke. Though the humor pretty much writes itself with characters like these, Whedon is wise to make it obvious that the film doesn't take itself too seriously.

The action sequences are also handled with care; the fight scenes don't linger too long, and most of the scenes showcase each of the Avengers, which helps keep the pace moving right along. I'm not usually one to gush over special effects, but I literally gasped when Mark Ruffalo transforms into The Hulk for the first time. The scene, in a way, is like the film's secret weapon. The first transformation is teased throughout most of the movie, and the suspense builds to a moment that feels perfectly constructed to grab the audience by the throat.

The only downside to The Avengers is that with so many characters, you just wish you could spend a little more time with each of your favorites. The good news is that we'll probably be hanging out with them in many sequels to come.

Photos courtesy of Disney

Earning $50,000 Will Make You Happy

LearnVest — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:15:28 PDT

The magic number for happiness is apparently $50,000. LearnVest tells us more about it.

Good news! Apparently, happiness is on sale for the new, low price of $50,000.

Nope, we’re not talking about private trips to outer space, or even tuition for an Ivy League college. Apparently, all you need to be happy is $50,000 in yearly income.

That’s the finding of a recent poll by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which saw big differences in almost all facets of happiness between those who earn less than $50,000 and those who earn more.

Call it the happiness tipping point, if you will.

Respondents to the poll who made more than $50,000 were more satisfied with their lives concerning factors ranging from friends, to health, to how they spent their time. Unlike getting a raise from $35,000 to $40,000, or even $60,000 to $65,000, “$50,000 is the mark where you start to see significant differences,” researcher Susan McCulloch told LearnVest.

Happiness: Now 33% Off!

Depending on your own situation, $50,000 might sound like a lot. But this is actually a steep discount from what studies previously cited as the golden number: $75,000. A 2010 study from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School found that, up to $75,000, each boost in income increased participants’ happiness. But after that, bringing home more income ceased to matter in their overall life satisfaction.

Read on for more.