BuzzSugar

Soapbox: Why You Should Watch "Significant Others"

BuzzSugar — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 06:30:44 PST

We all have TV shows that we champion long after they've been canceled, and one of mine is "Significant Others." Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the Jennifer Garner series of the same name that Fox canceled in 1998. This show, which aired for two seasons on Bravo in 2004 and 2005, featured a cast of unknowns and an almost entirely improvised script about troubled couples in therapy. It's still one of the funniest things I've ever seen on TV.

I've been looking for an excuse to write about it, so I was thrilled to discover all six episodes of the show's first season on DotComedy, NBC's answer to YouTube.

In case you missed it the first time (don't worry, almost everyone did), "Significant Others" focuses on four couples: Ethan and Eleanor, the overgrown indie kids who don't know how to deal when Eleanor gets pregnant; James and Chelsea, who got married after a weekend fling and discover they just piss each other off; Bill and Connie, who are stuck in a passionless marriage and split when Bill starts having an affair with Connie's sister Ginny; and Alex and Devon, whose biggest issue is their belief that they have no issues. It's often awkward, occasionally poignant and totally hilarious, so

The fast-paced show flips between scenes of the couples in the therapist's office (the actual therapist is never seen nor heard) and in their daily lives. A friend of mine called it "squirm comedy," and it can be truly uncomfortable when, say, James starts asking random guests at Chelsea's gallery opening how many people they've slept with.

But it's the kind of show that grows on you. Sure, the characters can veer into caricature, but they're funny - I love that Ethan takes his Game Boy to Eleanor's ob/gyn visits, and the second season episode in which Bill first introduces Ginny to his friends and they toast to things like "loyalty and sisterhood" gets me rolling on the floor every time. I wouldn't say "Significant Others" sheds light on what love and marriage are really like these days - for everyone's sake, I hope it doesn't - but it's a pretty good look at the worst-case scenario. And if nothing else, it will definitely clarify what you're not looking for in a mate.

If you get hooked, you can also Netflix the boxed set of both seasons, which came out last year on Valentine's Day (perfect!).

Source and Source

Video: Josh and Diane, Eva and Eduardo - See the Star Couples of Cannes!

Lauren Bradshaw — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:10:12 PDT

Hollywood couples are coming out for Cannes! The film festival kicked off last week, and the stars have been making their way to France with their significant others. We have your look at Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger, Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz, and more famous twosomes who've been spotted on the Cannes carpet and making the party rounds in PopSugar Rush.

What to Expect Director Kirk Jones Shares the Personal Stories He Worked Into the Upcoming Film

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:19:39 PDT

Chances are you probably have a dog-eared copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting laying around your house. The "pregnancy bible" has been the first stop for information for expectant mamas since 1985, and while the nonfiction book has undergone four significant updates since its debut, few readers probably foresaw it being turned into a movie - unless it was a film being shown in childbirth classes. But under the direction of Kirk Jones, himself a father of three boys between the ages of five and 21, the book makes the feature film transition, telling five interconnected story lines about couples trying to start their families. With stars like Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, and Brooklyn Decker all part of the ensemble, the movie is getting significant buzz prior to its May 18 opening. I sat down with the director to discuss his interest in the project, and what it was like directing so many stars who aren't parents themselves.

LilSugar: What attracted you to a movie about pregnancy and babies?
Kirk Jones: For 27 months of my life I've been attached to my wife who was pregnant. One of the things that attracted me to the movie was explaining what that journey is like for guys as well as girls. Understandably, over the years women have been the focus of pregnancy subjects in movies because they're the ones physically going through the changes and all that. Some of the language and comedy in the park with the dudes was raw and fresh.

LS: Did What to Expect When You're Expecting impact you at all when you were expecting your first child?
KJ: When you have that first one, everything is so scary! If you bought a refrigerator from a store, you get more instructions on how to work it than you do a baby when you come out of hospital. Its like bye-bye; good luck!

LS: Did you bring any of your personal experience with your wife's three pregnancies into the film?
KJ: I did. Unfortunately, it was the slightly more tragic one. As is really common, my wife and I, as have a number of our friends, experienced a miscarriage. So when I first saw the script I don't think that story was in [it]. So one of the contributions I made was asking if that story could be included, because I thought if we're presenting pregnancy, we should present the whole story and not just sweet, happy bits. And then just being on set, because I've been there and I just remember the funny little things that happen. Having been through it, I felt kind of qualified to add things here and there.

Keep reading to see what Jones says it was like directing Cameron Diaz with a prosthetic belly.

Intimate Inspiration For Boudoir Photos

Tara Block — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:11:48 PDT

This wedding season, why not show your sexy side to your fiancé with a boudoir session? Lingerie, dim lighting, and sex kitten beauty prep make for an ultrasultry big day surprise for your hubby-to-be. And although they are popular for gifting grooms, an album full of the sensual shots can also make an intimate present for your significant other, whether or not there's a wedding in your future. Nervous about stripping down in front of the camera? It's OK; the pics can be as wild or tame as you're comfortable with. Check out these inspiring boudoir photos that range from leaving much to the imagination to verging on blush-worthy. You'll be ready for your close-up in no time!

Video: Hot Guys Proposing

Karli Bulnes — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:54:02 PDT

No matter if someone's already asked for your hand, you're content with your single status, or you're still waiting for your significant other to get down on one knee, have some fun this wedding season by indulging in some eye candy as they play out one of the most intimate milestones in life - popping the question! Check out our special of Hot Guys Proposing, and if you're in the mood for more, watch Hot Guys Saying "I Love You" and Hot Guys Kissing in the Rain.

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.

New Girl's Max Greenfield Talks Schmidt and Cece and Says True American Is a Real Game

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:42 PDT

Max Greenfield plays Schmidt on New Girl, a character that has a tendency to be materialistic, inappropriate, shirtless at any given moment. He can also be a sweetheart, thanks to Greenfield's funny, careful portrayal of him. I recently chatted with Greenfield while he was promoting Zevia, an all natural soda with no artificial sweeteners. Zevia has launched a campaign against artificiality, and they chose Greenfield to work with since he's a person who says what's on his mind and, like Schmidt, isn't afraid to be real. With that in mind, Greenfield and I chatted about when Schmidt is being the most real, the relationship between Schmidt and Cece, the sexual tension between Nick and Jess, and how real the show's drinking game True American is.

BuzzSugar: When is Schmidt being the most real?
Max Greenfield: I honestly think he's never not being himself. And that's his best quality and his biggest fault. He's always being real. Sometimes it would be nice if he had a filter every so often.

Buzz: Do you feel pressure to work out because you know shirtless scenes are coming?
MG: Uh, would you? It's terrifying! I'm not one of these guys who's just like, "Yeah I'm ripped. I can eat whatever." I work out so hard. And I work out really hard to get to a decent point. But so easily I could go off and go on a three, four day bender where I'm just throwin' down cookies, bread, sandwiches, and at the end of four days, you're like, "Oh yeah, I can see a significant difference."

Buzz: You also have to wear stuff like tiny bike shorts; do you ever get resentful when you see your costars Jake Johnson and Lamorne Morris wearing jeans and t-shirts?
MG: I don't get resentful toward them. I get resentful every once in a while toward the writers, just because sometimes it's like, "Really, guys?" I'd just like to know this is happening. They're on set and they're watching it, they can see everything. They have seen everything. Our showrunners, and our crew, and everybody else, has seen everything.

To find out what else Greenfield had to say about New Girl, its budding relationships, and the confusing drinking game True American, just keep reading.

7 Strategies to Build an Emergency Fund

Kiplinger — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:15:32 PDT

Build up your emergency fund with these tips from Kiplinger.

You know you need an emergency fund - easily accessible cash to pay for unexpected expenses. Without one, you could find yourself looking around the house for valuables to pawn, racking up credit-card debt or maybe even considering a payday loan to cover the costs of an emergency.

But you may be wondering how you can find enough spare cash in your budget to set aside for a rainy day. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, I’m sure the thought of saving up enough money to cover six months’ worth of expenses (as is usually recommended) is especially daunting. The good news is that you don’t have to stash that much cash at once.

The key is to start setting aside a little each month to build your emergency fund. And that doesn’t require a big salary. After all, saving is a function of discipline, not income.

Here are seven ways to find enough money - and motivation - to create an emergency fund.

Save - don’t spend - your tax refund. About 75% of taxpayers received a refund last year, and the average amount was $2,913. A refund of that size can get your emergency fund off to a great start. Open an interest-bearing savings account and have the money directly deposited into it so you won’t be tempted to use it.

Pay yourself first. Rather than wait until next year for another refund to stash in your emergency fund, adjust your tax withholding by filing a revised W-4 form with your employer (see How to Adjust Your Withholding). This will put more money in your paycheck each month, and you can set that amount aside in your savings account so it can earn interest and grow. (That money won’t be earning any interest during the year if you leave it with Uncle Sam.) If possible, have your employer deposit the designated amount directly into your savings account so you don’t see the money in your checking account and aren’t tempted to spend it.

Read on for more.

When Status Updates Cause Couplehood Chaos

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:32:02 PDT

As a social media-obsessed public, we love sharing the quirks of life that make every day fun; but when it comes to relationships, when does posting a harmless picture cause waves with a significant other?

A recent New York Times article documents the problems that arise when one partner shares a personal picture or random status that leaves the other reeling in embarrassment. As the author notes, "what is fair game for sharing with the world?" Let's face it, social network updates with outrageous, funny, and sarcastic takes on life, and the people included in that life, make for better online fodder.

Think that picture secretly snapped of your sweetie in a face mask during an at-home spa session is adorable enough to share and tag with a couple hundred of your mutual friends? Sweetie might not appreciate the ensuing digital LOLs. Likewise, sharing details on the expensive new car you and your significant other just bought or your personal views on the other's habits and family may steer a happy relationship in a tense direction.

As a result of hurt feelings and embarrassment, some couples have set agreed-upon limits on what can and can not be shared with the world online. What's your take?

Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen Bring Their Onscreen Chemistry to the Pages of W

Lauren Turner — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:59:30 PDT

Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen strike a serious pose on the cover of W's May issue. They portray a married couple in HBO's Hemingway and Gellhorn, and translated their onscreen chemistry to the publication's pages in the sexy spread, which you can see more of when it hits newsstands April 24. Clive and Nicole spoke with the magazine about playing the historical duo, Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn, but also opened up about their own significant others. Clive even shared the moment he fell in love with wife Sarah-Jane Fenton, while Nicole got serious about her husband Keith Urban's recent throat surgery. Here's more from Nicole and Clive in W:

Clive on meeting his wife: "After drama school I did a seven-month tour of Europe performing in Romeo and Juliet. I played Romeo. I was at the first rehearsal, thinking, I wonder what Juliet is going to be like, and she came in. She had a corduroy jacket on and was carrying a pile of secondhand books, and her glasses were falling off. I kind of fell in love at that moment."
Nicole on being raw: "My husband says I’m raw. He thinks the world is not a great place for me because he fears that I’ll be hurt. He says, 'That’s my job: I’ll protect you.'"
Nicole on not being able to talk to Keith after his throat surgery: "All of those things make you closer. It was sort of profound: to go without his voice, and then to finally hear his voice. What if he sounded different? I was there for his first words, and then we cried. How many people experience their husband’s first words? If that doesn’t bring you closer, you’re not breathing."