BuzzSugar

Nickelback: Even More Formulaic Than You Thought

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:12:58 PDT

On the rare occasions that I actually notice a Nickelback song playing - you know, like, "what is that mediocre rumbling sound? Oh, it's Nickelback" - I'm struck by how utterly indistinguishable one hit is from the next. (Who, exactly, are the fans fueling these hits? I have no idea, but that's a perplexing matter for another day.)

Anyway, there's a good reason I can't tell Nickelback's songs apart. The geniuses over at The Webshite have posted two of the band's big hits - 2001's "How You Remind Me" and "Someday" off 2003's The Long Road - so that one song plays through the right speaker and the other through the left. Normally, it would be irritating to have two different songs playing in my headphones, except, well, these aren't really two different songs. Listen at your own risk.

Source

Glee-ful Highlights From Season Finale "Goodbye"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:40 PDT

We say goodbye to McKinley High's graduating class of 2012 on this week's season finale of Glee, and while we'll be seeing a lot of these characters next year, for some, it was their swan song (pardon the pun). Everyone is feeling nostalgic, not the least of whom is Mr. Schue, who gives the kids an assignment of picking a goodbye song. The episode is mostly devoted to the characters giving each other touching send-offs, which made me feel sentimental too.

There's a pretty big development at the end of the episode that I was expecting, but it surprised me by how bittersweet it actually is. Ready to break down the highlights of the Glee season finale? Just keep reading.

How Not to Destroy Your Marriage

The Good Men Project — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:30:42 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Mark Tyrrell offers eight relationship tools to make your marriage work.

"All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble." - Raymond Hull

So how do you make your marriage work? Or do you just blindly hope it'll take care of itself?

Think of a hot, successful date with someone you’re attracted to. You have fun, great conversation and more sexual chemistry than a warehouse full of pheromones. You don’t have to “work at” the date because it’s self sustaining. It runs as smoothly as the gliding hand of a classical guitar maestro and you can’t wait for another rendition.

Teenage Dating in a Twilight-Hunger Games World

But marriage, or any long term relationship; well that’s a whole other caboodle.

If we’re not careful, marriage can deteriorate into little more than a torturous assault course; littered with routine boredoms, frustrations and resentments. Couple all that with external pressures and sometimes marriage feels not worth the effort. But there are major benefits to being hitched or committed, other than just a beneficial tax regime.

Healthy marriage; healthy people.

Being happily married bestows heaps of health benefits. You might be forgiven for thinking that if you’re married you don’t live longer it just seems like it but, no, a good marriage really can help you clock up more years (1) and married people are happier (2) even though they don’t always look it from the outside.

But when marriage doesn’t work it can feel being manacled to a maniac, marooned with a misogynist or nailed to a nag. And I don’t care what the studies say, that’s not healthy. You may hear couples say stuff like: “We are making our marriage work!” but how do we do this?

Making it work.

We pay lip service to “working on the marriage” but what is the work we need to do? Marriage vows such as “to love and to cherish” and “forsaking all others, for better or for worse” don’t really tell us how to make it work, although they give us a clue.

Fortunately a ton of research has been done on what to do and not do to make your marriage, or any intimate relationship work. Follow the guidelines here to become “good at marriage."

Tip one: Be romantic but keep it real.

We are all (force?) fed romance in movies and novels. The handsome man gets the beautiful woman. But what I wonder is what happens after our romantic couple ride off into the sunset together? What do they do exactly? Bicker? Moan at one another? Start to ignore each other?

After all that romance, our beautiful couple is bound to have massive expectations of their life together. But when rose tinted expectations clash with day to reality, watch out!

Romance is vital in any relationship. Always seeing the best in your partner helps to keep things intimate and love should be expressed. But if you have been raised on Mills and Boon Romance novels or feel-good movies, then your own romantic expectations can work against the sustainability of your long term relationship.

When day to day life fails to live up to the giddy, heady lust-filled days of the pre-settled down romance people can become angry, even blame one another: “This wasn’t what I signed up for." They find it hard to take the rough with the smooth because they never really figured there would be any rough.

Expectations not diluted with at least a dash of realism can be a royal road to relationship ruin. Your partner may be an angel, but they have feet of clay. You must learn to love those feet or at least accept them a bit!

Get the rest after the jump!

Glee-ful Highlights From Episodes "Props" and "Nationals"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:18 PDT

It's a Glee double whammy this week as the New Directions prep for, and then head to Nationals! As we've seen at the end of each season, emotions are running high, as the kids get ready to take on Vocal Adrenaline. The stakes are even higher this year since a lot of the seniors are graduating, and there's one gleek in particular who's feeling a little left out.

Season three has not been my favorite, but both of this week's episodes won me over in a big way. The first hour is both funny and poignant, while the second is very sweet and sentimental, as we get ready to say goodbye to some of the core cast members. The night definitely brings back memories from the first season when the show took the world by storm, and reminded me why I fell in love with it in the first place. Let's break down the highlights when you

I'm glad Tina finally gets a little time to shine, though it's a bit awkward that the opening voice-over is all about how the show has essentially ignored her for the first three seasons. Still, it's a nice break, and the sweet moments between Rachel and Tina feel authentic and are fun to watch, particularly when Tina offers to take Rachel on a road trip to see Carmen Thibedeau. And though it's not my favorite number of the night, I love that Rachel gives Tina her wish to duet on "What a Feeling."
Just because it needs to be mentioned: Kurt and Blaine's Halloween costumes as Snooki and the Situation. Amazing.
OK, the switcheroo moment was everything I hoped it would be and more. Though the sneak peek pictures gave away who would become who during Tina's dream, it's still amazing to see the kids all mixed up: particularly Artie as Santana. Genius. My head continued exploding throughout the entire sequence, especially seeing the reaction shots to Tina's rendition of "Because You Loved Me" (Mr. Schue's impression of Sue is spot-on). Speaking of which, Tina totally kills the song: are we getting a preview of what Glee might be like next season?
Coach Beiste has had to do some emotional heavy lifting lately, but this is one of the few times we see Puck truly vulnerable. His feelings of inadequacy about his future come to a head when one of the bullies at school challenges him to a fight in the schoolyard. After Beiste breaks it up, Puck breaks down in tears about feeling like garbage, and he and Beiste comfort each other in a truly touching moment. What's even better is that Beiste proceeds to dump Cooter, and she and Puck sing a sweet duet of Taylor Swift's "Mean." (Honestly I'm surprised it's taken Glee this long to get that song).
I love all the throwbacks to the first season in this episode; there's talk of Tina's first audition, some reminiscing about Puck's days tossing kids in dumpsters, and even an utterance of the Glee-patented insult "lima loser." Those were the days.
How is it possible that the New Directions are, yet again, about to perform at Nationals and they're still trying to slap together the routine just hours beforehand? It's no wonder they're all on edge, but at least they aren't trying to write their own songs this time around.
I can't even talk about how much I loved every one of the New Directions' performances at Nationals; this is by far and away my favorite performance episode. I had chills during "The Edge of Glory," which turned into goose bumps for "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." But the real kicker is "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" - the number is mesmerizing, and I felt proud of how far they've come. I can't remember the last time I was so caught up the performances of this show. They absolutely nailed it.
As for Vocal Adrenaline, well, they certainly bring the theatrics. I'm a fan of Unique's, but something about their numbers lacked energy. But maybe that's because the dudes were so tired from picking up the girls repeatedly and pushing those heavy-looking pinball machines around?
Giving Unique the suddenly existent MVP award is a nice consolation when the New Directions win the grand prize. I do kind of wish they'd give up the celebrity judges' shtick though. No offense to Lindsay Lohan, but getting a peek inside the self-involved judges' room used to be funny but now it just feels stale.
The scene where we get to watch the New Directions celebrating their victory feels like three years coming, and it actually could have been a very fitting end to the series as a whole. The kids are about to graduate and move away, and now they've finally got the biggest trophy in all the land. Hell, they even let Will and Emma finally do it (though did that really need to be shoehorned in with the confetti?). The icing on the cake, of course, is Mr. Schuester's Teacher of the Year award and the performance of "We Are the Champions." A perfect end to a great episode.

With only one more episode to go, it all culminates with next week's graduation episode. Were you touched by this episode like I was? What'd you think of the New Directions' showing at Nationals?

Photo courtesy of Fox

5 Things You Can Do For Your Mom This Mother's Day - and 5 She Can Do For You

Kate Stahl — Sat, 12 May 2012 05:42:34 PDT

Mother's Day is double the fun when you're a mom yourself. Not only do you get a day that celebrates you, but you have a whole new appreciation for your own mom, who definitely deserves some special attention. If you're both looking for ways to celebrate each other, consider the following 10 tips - five are just for you, and five are for her.

For You: She can offer perspective. When you're in the thick of sleepless nights, endless teething, and toddler temper tantrums, motherhood can seem overwhelming. But your mom survived it, and she can tell you how quickly "this too shall pass" and remind you to appreciate the fleeting moments.
For Her: You can allow her to revisit the early days of being a mom . . . without all the stress. Changing diapers, making bottles, and soothing baby breakdowns can actually be fun when you're grandma (or at least that's what our moms tell us), so let her step in and take a trip down memory lane.
For You: She can provide worry-free (and free!) babysitting. Grandparents are second only to you when it comes to caring about your kids. Take advantage of her desire to spend time with your lil ones and take a break!
For Her: You can give her your time. Offer to help her with a project in which you have expertise. Help her figure out that iPad or fancy camera, weed her garden, or just (finally) clean out your childhood closet.

Click here for six more Mother's Day gifts you and your mom can give each other.

The Vampire Diaries Season Finale "The Departed": The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:38:06 PDT

Season three of The Vampire Diaries has come to an end, folks, and forgive me if I am still sitting here with my jaw wide open. The finale is eventful, to say the least, and like seasons past, we saw the deaths of a couple of characters - along with the red herring deaths of a couple of characters. Oh, and by that I mean that something super crazy happens in the final moments of the episode that we'll be talking about all Summer.

I can't really talk about too much before the break without spoiling everything, so let's get to it. Dry your tears over that fact that there won't be any new episodes of The Vampire Diaries for a few months, and let's get to the final good, bad, and bloody of season three after the jump.

"Do I Have the Right to Be Upset?"

Tres Community — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I met this dude on an online dating site, because that's what people do nowadays and also I'm shy so it provides a medium for me that's less intimidating. I create a profile and in three hours we find each other and we talk from about midnight until 6am about everything pretty much. It was so rewarding after a long dry spell of nothingness and jerks. He said things like "I'd be an idiot if I didn't ask you to hang out. It would be like sitting in gold"

Anyway, we talk for a couple more weeks before we go out to dinner. HE asked ME on the date by the way. And during dinner he was very lovely, showing off his Spanish speaking skills to the busboy gal. At one point the waiter comes over and was like "wow she's so pretty" in regards to me, and he replies "yeah don't remind me. I'm like a 6 and she's a 9/10"

So he was very kind and sweet like that the whole night, saying I looked nice and asking about my life. The sentiment was returned and we ended up talking until the restaurant closed and afterwards we took a walk and talked more and more. (we went dutch by the way for the dinner)

After this we went to his friend's house, chilled, drank and talked around a bonfire. And we also kissed. And when he drove me home he was very grabby, holding into my hand and letting me rest on his shoulder.

LITERALLY the next day he calls me and says something along the lines of "I had a good time. You're so incredibly gorgeous and cool and I want to see you again." real sweet stuff

We make plans to hang out again the following week and during the interim we texted and chatted online DAILY and Skyped. During these conversations I remember him telling me explicitly that usually when he loses interest in a girl he will stop calling or texting and that he would "never" lead me on. When he hang out again it was magical and he stayed over in my apartment and we talked and kissed until like 3am before he left. During this he's saying stuff indicative of him wanting this to work out in the long run like how he wants me to meet his best gal friend and meet the parents. He's also more sexually experienced than me and he let me know that he'd "never do anything that would make me uncomfortable" and other reassuring things. Also he never really pushed for sex at all. I mean he was genuinely really sweet.

The next day we go see a movie with his friends and that's when things turned sour because I was under the impression that it would be just him and me hanging out, so already my expectations were shattered. Also he got really drunk after the movie when we went back to his friends house and he basically ignored me the entire night because you know he wanted to drink with his bros. and this is okay but my body language showed that I was bored and uninterested and he noticed and gave me a lot of shit for it. Eventually he said he could just walk me home if I was feeling uncomfortable (at this point we are already back on my campus) and so he did. All the while he was kissing me and saying things like "after tonight I'm all yours. I'll hang out with you on Sunday, I'm all yours" and I JOKINGLY said something about him wanting to get rid of me for the night and I think that may have scared him off because he went into this drunken rant about "you know, I can't be that guy who always does what you want him to" and blah blah blah. It came outta nowhere because I was literally just kidding.

More of this reader's dilemma below.

Buzz Blabber: We're Counting the Days to The Dark Knight Rises

Maggie Pehanick — Sun, 06 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

Last week we learned that Ian Somerhalder has his eye on the part of Christian Grey in the big-screen adaption of Fifty Shades of Grey. This week, it looks like he's got some competition, fellow member of the TV undead, Alexander Skarsgard. Rumors about the casting piqued your interest, and we were curious to hear what you had to say on the Ian vs. Alexander debate of 2012. Other topics that got you talking were the photos of the new lucky (or unlucky, depending on how the new season pans out) suitors vying for The Bachelorette's attention and the eerie third trailer for The Dark Knight Rises.

The new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises might be the best one yet

"I love it! I really like how Chris Nolan keeps every detail on secret. Can't wait to see it!" - Christie0010
"Wow, the suspense is killing me! Nolan is brilliant!" - gd101
"I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt and he so reminds me of Heath Ledger, wonder if I'm the only one who feels this way." - jaan_black

To see how guys felt about 50 Shades of Grey and more, just

Alexander Skarsgard as Christian Grey is a novel idea - or is it?

"If you read the description of the character, Alexander fits it perfectly. With the exception of his age, he could easily be Christian. His True Blood experience would give him an edge over the competition. Nudity? Check. Sexy? Check. Dark? Check. Smart? Check. Universal are you listening?" - pbartteacher
"Sorry, but I just don't see him as Christian. Ian is perfect for the part. Tousled hair, dark, smoldering stare - this is Ian, not Alex. I love him in True Blood, but here I say no." - emiad
"Yes please! I can absolutely see that. Give his hair some reddish tint, and um . . . yum. I may need to re-read now, just to cast it and watch it play out in my head. Girls, quit picking out cute, sweet looking boys with no fire. Christian has dark and evil inside him, with a puppy dog side that can get brought out. Christian needs real fire in him." - Cassie2645926

New Bachelorette Emily Maynard has quite the selection of suitors

"Yikes! I'm hoping it's just a bad picture for some of these guys." - likethedirection
"None of them look particularly clever. Let's hope they at least have a sense of humor." - noonehere
"Arie sure is cute!" - Angelica

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Julie Andrews on the Importance of Princess Culture, Princess Kate, and Her Favorite Roles

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:32:56 PDT

It's hard not to become giddy when talking about Julie Andrews. The legendary actress's career spans more than 50 years, with multiple generations of families still enjoying her library of work together - from Mary Poppins to The Princess Diaries. What many people don't know is that the 76-year-old Academy Award winner is also the coauthor - with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton - of more than 20 children's books, including the just-released The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl!, part of the "Very Fairy Princess" series.

As far as meeting her in person - well as someone who can still recite virtually every line of The Sound of Music, it's a totally surreal experience. From the beautiful English accent that spoke to me from my favorite films to the fact that she still exudes the authoritativeness of the governesses she played, the experience was almost regal - which is why Andrews is perfectly cast as the spokeswoman for Disney and Target's first National Princess Week, which runs from April 22-28. I met up with the living legend, her daughter, and her granddaughter at a princess-themed tea - feather boas, scepters and all - to discuss the relevance of princesses today, working motherhood, and her favorite roles over the years.

On why playing princesses is really OK:
Julie Andrews: "My personal take on it is that they may be trying on for size what it feels like to be, say, a real lady. [It] perhaps, in some way, helps them find their own identity later in life. I do think fantasy and play of this kind - whatever it is, if you want to play at being a nurse, or if you want to play at being a florist - it's all important and should be allowed, because it would be an awfully sad place if we didn't try on those airs and have fun doing it."

On raising strong, independent, confident women in a culture saturated with princesses:
Emma Walton Hamilton: "Sometimes I think princesses are given an unfair rap. We compiled a list of over 70 contemporary princesses. In doing the research for that, I was reminded once again of the extraordinary work princesses do in the world. The charitable contributions, the causes they champion, the amount of good and service they contribute and provide. I think they're a wonderful example of being strong, feminine, and kind, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

On her favorite Disney princess:
Julie Andrews: "Mine has to be, because I've been involved with it, Cinderella. I played Cinderella when I was about 17 years old in England, and then when I came to America it was the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical they wrote for me. So for me Cinderella has always resonated. And I love the rags to riches, kind of like my own story in a little way."

Keep reading for Andrews's thoughts on Princess Kate, the state of motherhood today, and her favorite role.

Part 2 of Our Interview With Hunger Games Set Decorator Larry Dias

Elka Karl — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:07:06 PDT

Earlier today, we shared the first half of our interview with The Hunger Games set decorator Larry Dias. Keep reading to learn more about what went into the process of creating the set!

CasaSugar: Where was the chandelier above the dining table sourced?

Larry Dias: The "chandelier" was actually comprised of 50 to 60 separate fixtures from Arteriors that we arranged off site and installed into the cantilevered overhang on stage. It was built into a wedge that floated over the dining table that came to a very shallow point. We had to put one of the set dressers inside the wedge to do the installation and wiring so we picked the smallest guy and in he went. A claustrophobic environment to say the least.

CS: The chairs at the dining table are so futuristic, and I love the pleating effect. Where were these sourced?

LD: Those chairs are made by the Phillips Collection [note: photo above is from Phillips Collection, not from the film]. Buyer Margaret Hungerford found them in High Point in North Carolina. We decided they were perfect for the set since we were looking for something that was a little "off center." They are made of strapping similar to seat belting and are woven around a wooden frame. The texture and silhouette of the chairs read wonderfully on film.

CS: Since Lenny Kravitz also has a design firm, did he have any feedback about the set? Did you collaborate together at all? (The high pile rugs in the penthouse reminded me a bit of his designs.)

LD: He gave some really positive feedback. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the sets. By the way, the high pile carpeting was area rugs that we fused together because we had to cover an area that was quite large.

CS: I loved Katniss's bedroom quarters. What went into your look for her room? How did you choose the color palette?

LD: Phil and I were trying to come up with a bed that anchored the room, and we were really playing with color. We couldn't find anything that wasn't too recognizable so he designed it on his computer and we built it. The paint is a high-gloss lacquer, and the upholstery was this amazing patterned velvet Margaret had found. The faux fur spread was an homage to Katniss's hunting prowess.

CS: I also loved the row of organic, macrame-look pendants behind Katniss's bed. Where did you source these? How did you come up with the idea for these lights as a focal point?

LD: Those fixtures are actually made of wire. They are a group of pendants from a company called Shine Labs in the Bay Area. I thought they had great silhouettes so I bought a number of them and played around with some configurations, and that's what we ended up with.

CS: What went into your inspiration for President Snow's Capitol home? What
time period particularly influenced you?

LD: This was a funny one. The script called for an opulent room in the Capitol, but being sort of landlocked in Charlotte limited the options available for Phil to choose from, and since it was at the very end of our shooting schedule it was impossible and not cost effective to do a big company move. A film crew has quite a lot of people working between all of the departments. So after futile attempts to find something appropriate, Phil asked me to join him to look at a space in the Philip Morris facility that we were using as our home base. The room was a former screening room/meeting room of sorts that looked out onto an amazing interior courtyard. We had the neglected plants pruned and added about 50 rose bushes to the garden. We built some interior walls that were clad in a faux travertine and did mica inlays that were very luminous. It tied into the brutalist architecture very well and to me had the feeling of the '30s Milanese Villa Necchi Campiglio, one of my favorite places ever.

Have you seen The Hunger Games yet? What was your favorite part of the set design? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Film photos courtesy of Lionsgate