Saved By The Bell - The Slater T-Shirt Collection

I have to confess that 80's sitcom "Saved By The Bell" was never a favorite of mine - bad acting, bad fashion, bad plots... But as true nostalgia lover I can't help to succumb to the charm of these "homage" T-shirts to SBTB's Latino resident-hunk AC Slater - better known now as "Dancing With The Stars" hottie Mario Lopez. He has come a long way from that curly mullet and has even showed his muscle-y bottom on TV's "Nip/Tuck" a couple of seasons ago, but still that dimply smile is quite irresistible so get yourself a Slater tee and show him some love, will'ya?

''Black Slater" - US$20.00

"Don't Be A Slater Hater." US$20.00

Both available at 80'sTees.com.

"It's hot, turn up the AC" - US$18.00
Available at CrazyDogTshirts

Make Me A Supermodel: Holly Talks

So you thought I was all done with MMASM? Not yet, buddies! Holly Kizer just gave an exclusive interview to Papermag and here's the complete transcript:

Holly Kiser, the newly-crowned Audrey-Hepburn-esque winner of Bravo’s surprise hit Make Me a Supermodel, is feeling good. Only a few months ago, the Virginia native was living in Miami with her fiancé and trying to recover after being dropped from her modeling agency, who claimed she “couldn’t take a good picture.” Well her former agency is probably kicking itself now because Holly’s picture perfect look won her a contract with New York Model Management, $100,000 and a spread in GQ. We recently got a hold of Miss Holly to chat about her recent win.

Blaire Huntley: All my friends are super jealous that I'm interviewing you right now. We all loved the show!

Holly Kiser: Awww!

BH: What are you doing now that the show has ended?

HK: Well I just came home to Miami. Now I'm in L.A., but I move up to New York soon.

BH: So you're not going back to Miami?

HK: No, I'm over Miami! I want to start working in New York as soon as possible. The 13th I think I’m going up there.

BH: You had mentioned before in a video diary that you wanted to give your $100,000 check to your parents. Did you really give it to them?

HK: Yeah, I'm giving the money to my mom to her pay off her credit cards bills, because she's supported me financially. And this just proves that she really believed me. But, say, if I needed something for my apartment, if I needed an outfit to go to a casting -– she would take care of it. My parents are always there.

BH: They always called you the emotional one in the house. Do feel you've changed in terms of developing a thick skin?

HK: I just feel like I'm the type of person that just wears my heart on my sleeve. People just don't know that what I feel at the time is exactly what I'm feeling. If I'm feeling sad, you know I'm sad; if I'm feeling happy, then you know I'm happy. I don't know -- it worked in my favor I guess. I wear my heart on my sleeve and that's just who I am.

BH: What do you think was the hardest challenge on the show?

HK: Well, all of the challenges were hard, but I guess the hardest physical challenge would probably be the snake challenge because I had bronchitis and I'm very afraid of snakes and it was 17 degrees! And there were just all these difficult things. Plus, just being away from your family! If you had a rough day you couldn’t go back and tell them about it.

BH: You were the lone girl for a while there. How did you deal with all the testosterone in the house?

HK: It's so crazy. I don't know! If I hadn't won, it still would have been a huge accomplishment in itself right there, being the last girl in the competition. It’s a great honor, it really is.

BH: Who did you get along with best in the house?

HK: Stephanie was my best friend in the house. She was totally there for me and we confided in each other. When I won she was totally bawling her eyes out! She was so proud of me! It just proves that you can make friends even in these types of competitions.

BH: So, my final question is more for me. Do you think you could get Tyson Beckford's number for me?

HK: Haha! Oh my God! I don’t know Tyson’s phone number, but I probably will be calling him with a lot of questions!

Via Papermag

Make Me A Supermodel: Holly Wins!

America has voted and Holly is the winner of Make Me A Supermodel! The results did not surprise me at all and I even voted for her through the Bravo website. The models had one last catwalk before the results were unveiled and Holly aced as usual. She did these great hunched-forward shoulder stances as she entered the runway and once again in front of the judge panel and she looked like a superstar! She won a modelling contract with a NYC model agency, a layout in GQ magazine and a US$100,000 cash prize. Not bad at all!

My boy Ronnie was the first runner-up and I did feel for him as Holly was announced the winner. Ronnie was a great contestant and his charm and personality won me over from the get-go. He was a gracious looser and was all smiles and apparently happy for Holly, that by this time had her face covered in dripping mascara. They hugged. It was sweet. I will miss you Ronnie... Call me, will you?

The models had surprise visits at their townhouse the night before the result final. Check out Holly's boyfriend!! Can you believe she claims they don't have sex? They look gorgeous together and he even brought her this mushy Lladro-style porcelain figurine of a couple embracing. She kept holding it the whole night, the figurine I mean. Actually they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Ronnie's visitor was his mom and I could tell where he got his grace and personality from. She was a very sweet lady and this apple did not fall far from the tree. She was very cute telling Ben's wife, as soon as they met, that Ronnie and Ben were just friends! Loved that!

"What's up? What's up?" That what I kept hearing dull-as-doornail Ben say to his visiting wife. He looked so-not excited to see her at the door. He couldn't even give her a genuine hug. Ronnie jokingly said "awkward" as he is first introduced to her but awkward to me was how Ben couldn't hide his discomfort when seeing his wife after 3 months away in NYC. She wants everything to go back to normal. Ben wants to move to the Big Apple and be a model. I smell trouble.

The night's biggest surprise visit was Perry's allegedly cheating girlfriend Amanda knocking at their front door. Perry froze as he opened the door and saw her standing there. Amanda is gorgeous but I couldn't shake off the feeling that she was there for some TV-time exposure. She refused to talk about her alleged affair with Britney Spears' paparazzo boyfriend and her denial put a big "cheater" stamp on her forehead. How can Perry be so blind? Love is the answer to that, I guess. They acted like all was well and nothing ever happened. Whatever!

So from now on my Thursday night 10 PM slot is vacant as MMASM wraps up and I'll miss those guys. Hopefully Bravo's Sheer Jenius and Top Design will resume soon so I can get some excitement in my life again.

Make Me A Supermodel: The Bronnie Tee

Last night I sat through the yawn-inducing "Make Me A Supermodel" reunion show. The event was hosted by Bravo's Andy Cohen, doing the "sleaze" job by trying to instigate the contestants against one another. The 14 original hopefuls were all back together, sitting by the show's catwalk, and were also joined by their hosts and judge panel. This episode's editing was shoddy and seemed to cut off when things were about to get good. Not many unseen behind-the-scenes snippets unfortunately, though Holly telling her squirrel stew hunting story was pretty priceless. She let her inner Virginia hillbilly out once and for all, and she came out cuter than ever. The bulk of the show was dedicated to Ronnie & Ben's bro-mance and Bravo's shameless plug of their "Broonie" T-shirts, available for sale at their website for US$19.95. One contestant even dared to wonder whether both models would have stuck out this long had their "relationship" never gotten so much air-play. Makes me wonder too, bud...
The final episode is this coming Thursday and I will let you know who gets the big bucks.

Images Via Show Patrol

Ugly Betty Doll

Here’s a gift for the true “Ugly Betty” superfan in your life. In fact, I think Betty Suarez herself would probably have something like this.
Madame Alexander has created two Ugly Betty dolls that will be available in June at FAO Schwarz and specialty doll shops. The 18-inch Cloth Ugly Betty and the 8-inch Vinyl Ugly Betty both wear the “Guadalajara” poncho that Betty (America Ferrera) wore on her first day at Mode magazine. The vinyl Ugly Betty has a suggested retail price of US$69.95, while the Cloth Ugly Betty is US$44.95. Wish list!

Via Red Eye Show Patrol

Make Me A Supermodel: The Final Four

Last night's episode of "Make Me A Supermodel" was a feast for the eyes, serving what the home audience most likes to savour: nudity, nudity and more nudity! The episode started on a sad note with Shannon's early departure from the show. I did believe that she would make it to the finals but she did not get enough votes to stay in the competition and I am sure that her smug attitude didn't help her in the end either. Holly couldn't hide her disappointment with Ronnie's return to the model's townhouse and this is making her seem very petty to me.

Tyson shows up at the house with guest visitor Naomi Campbell so the models can "ooh ahh" over her. It was just purposeless as she didn't give them any tips or constructive advice besides taking a look at their portfolios. It read like Tyson was just kissing her ass for jobs that she got for him in the past, my opinion. She came across fake-y and vapid, am I wrong?

Their last main photo assignment was a session with renowned photographer Matthew Rolston and the theme was the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water. That was the perfect excuse to get the models naked again (thanks Bravo!) and expose plenty of skin on the late night cable show. The models were shown baring all, being oiled up and having their privates intimately groomed. Perry had the most daring shoot going full-frontal, even if the had his manhood tucked between his legs, shaved crotch and all. He was "water", dripping wet in all his glory. Trés gay! Ronnie was "earth", covered in dirt in a woodland setting, looking like a wood nymph. Ben had it easy this week as he got the "beauty shot" of the guy's assignments. He was "wind" and just stood there with his "angry stare", covered in sheer black chiffon and even I will admit that the images came out great. He had no heavy make-up like the other guys did so that was to his unfair advantage. Holly, gorgeous as ever, was "fire", in a bald skin-tone cap and severe make-up. Later on flames were digitally added to her head making her image simply superb. The following night the models are taken to a SOHO art gallery opening and are surprised to find their photos blown up wall-size as part of the exposition.

For their last runway assignment they were coached by the fabulous Christian Siriano, of Project Runway fame. Christian is a natural-born superstar and he gave them the best straight-up advice, with his trade mark quick wit and sassy humour. He even designed a dress specially for Holly to wear, though it looked too similar to the one he did for Victoria Beckham on his Bryant Park presentation, just in different colors. The models each had to wear and perform three diverse looks , going from barely-there swim wear, via a really silly casual look and to a serious/chic evening wear mood. The judges gave them their final criticisms: Perry - weird shoulders, Ben - still lifeless runway, Ronnie and Holly - lose some weight.
These are the final four contestants and now America will choose through votes who gets the big prizes. I LOVE Ronnie but I did give my 10 votes for Holly. She is the only one that has a chance, once she trims up, to really achieve any success in the business. The truth is that only female models really make it big, as you can count on one hand the male models that reached that level (Tyson, Markus...err...help me here). Ronnie will be a celeb in gay circles and probably will get a GLAAD award next year. He'll make the cover of OUT, Genre and The Advocate but sadly that will be it... As I said I've voted for him all along but this should be about who can be made into a supermodel not a popularity contest, what the show turned into sadly. America voted to re-elect Bush, so what do they know about supermodels anyway?

Celeb Mural Art

These are a few more images of my adventures here in South Florida. I am always on the look-out for cool stuff for the blog and nothing like some celebrity homages to adorn the pages of Little-Pumpkins. I am very drawn to illustration, cartoons, advertising and visual images in general. I love cute icons, mascots, murals and specially when these images try to portray recognizable pop figures. I grouped a few images that caught my eye starting with a (still) pretty looking Britney Spears, followed by a very bad Tom Selleck portrait at an amusement park. Do they really think that the kids that ride those crappy rides will even know who Magnun PI is? Then a Barbarella-looking hybrid of Jane Fonda and once again Britney. Following that is a really good rendition of Pink and Robbie Williams (whom I am a HUGE fan). I am not too sure if the skinny figure in the back is meant to be Michael Jackson or not ( I hope not). At last, a photo of some guy trying to fool us to think that he is the real Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Yeah, right...

Make Me A Supermodel: Bye Bye Casey

I was so bummed last night watching my new favorite TV show when I heard the news that Casey had been the one chosen to go home. "Make Me A Supermodel" eliminations are based on viewers voting to keep their favorites on the run to snag the modelling contract and the 100K cash prize. Casey was by far the best looking guy in the house - model-wise I mean - and he was the sensitive, easy going token guy too (plus great hair). Somehow viewers chose to keep Ben, the prison guard/hick, that is so stiff and dull that baffles me that he is still on the show. Thankfully one of the judges, Cory Bautista, had the guts to say that America made the wrong decision in keeping him this week. Ouch!

The theme this week was Goth, flying the aspiring models to New Orleans for a photo shoot in a grave yard. The images did come out great and the styling (for the girls) was flawless as always. They tend to make the guys up too much for my taste and that doesn't work quite as well as with female models that are expected to be fully done. The idea to go Goth was a bit dated in my opinion and not really avant-garde anymore, as most past themes have been. I must say that whoever is styling the show has a very keen eye for picking great editorial-looking clothing, worthy of any big international publication. There was also a "sob moment" when they later take the models to aid in building a home for a Hurricane Katrina victim, along with Habitat For Humanity. Pure "Extreme Makeover" cheap shot.

Once back in New York the models have to come up with a Goth choreography for their runway presentation. In real life there would be coaches and directors telling them exactly what they had to do. No big-time fashion house which is spending tens of thousands of dollars in a fashion show would give carte blanche to the models to decide what to do, so this challenge was kind of pointless to me, unless the objective was to make them falter. It came out very school-play and overdone.

Holly was once again the winner this week to no one's surprise as she is fab beginning to end. She does need to work on her squeaky voice though, as a judge pointed out. I will be very surprised if she doesn't win this show.

To my dismay Ron, my favorite contestant, was up for the vote again. From this week on only two models with be selected to be voted off or not. Ben did well on the photo shoot and therefore safe from the elimination and so was Perry, even if plagued by his (ex?) girlfriend's tabloid scandal. Did Tyson really need to show him the National Enquirer's article insinuating that she is having an affair with Britney Spears paparazzo boyfriend? That was purely an attempt to instigate reality TV drama and uncalled for, specially right before the trip to New Orleans. By the way, what was Perry doing scratching his balls so intensely in bed last night?? I almost choked on my home-made cosmo!

Ron is running against Shannon, who had never been in the bottom three before. Editing made it sound like that she knows she is good so she doesn't need to try that hard. She is actually a great model and will surely have a career in fashion regardless of the show's final word, but she is coming across as too hard-ass and home viewers might not find that too endearing.

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I was really torn who to vote for this week, as in past times it was a no-brainer. Though I love Ronnie's personality and enjoy watching him on screen, Shannon is simply a better model altogether. Ronnie has a more commercial/pretty look and Shannon is far edgier and interesting, even if not as likable. I voted 6-4 for Shannon, though I felt guilty by betraying my favorite model but I thought it was the fair thing to do.

Eartha Kitt - Catwoman At 81

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Well, now the Catwoman trilogy is complete. I just found this recent image of Eartha Kitt, TV's last Catwoman and had to post it here too. Ms. Kitt appeared as one of Batman's top arch-enemies in just three episodes during the series last season only as Julie Newmar was unavailable. Most of the villans were simply guest stars and not part of the permanent cast. Julie Newmar (13 episodes) is still my favorite Catwoman ever, though Eartha Kitt did a good job too. Lee Meriwether was cast as Catwoman for the Batman movie only as Julie Newmar was busy filming a movie during the series first season hiatus.

I actually met Ertha Kitt once a few years ago. She did a concert in Provincetown, Massachusetts one summer and I went to a meet-and-greet with the star after her show. I had been a fan of her for many years and actually owned a few of her albums and CDs, so meeting her was a dream come true. She is after all a huge icon, that had been friends with James Dean and still very active in the cabaret world. Meeting her was a total let down. She was just so bored and uninterested being there to meet her fans that she wouldn't even fake a smile when people approached her. She was just sitting there behind a table, signing autographs (I got one) and barely would look up when people praised her. Maybe she was tired or bored but she probably shouldn't have agreed to these contractual clauses if she wasn't going to even try to appear friendly and nice.

Via PopBytes

SNL Does Project Runway's Christian Siriano

Saturday Night Live did one of the funniest TV skits that I've seen in a really long time. I almost peed my pants watching Amy Poehler do a dead-on Christian Siriano impersonation - full of "fierces", "trannies" and "hot messes" - Siriano's way-overused jargons during his successful stint on Project Runway. She picked up all his over-the-top queeny mannerisms perfectly! Bill Hader does a too-perfect Tim Gunn and his "Don't bore Nina!!" is priceless.
If SNL picks you as a character for a skit it means that, Christian, you have arrived!

Holly Madison for PETA

You might see Playboy model Holly Madison, star of The Girls Next Door, wearing bunny ears, but one thing you’ll never see her in is bunny fur—or any animal’s fur, for that matter. Hugh Hefner’s number one honey bunny—who shares both Hef and his home, the Playboy Mansion, with fellow Girls Next Door stars Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson in the popular E! channel reality show—is so passionate about saving animals killed for their fur that she posed naked for not one, but two new PETA anti-fur ads!

Via Fur Is Dead

Wonder Woman x Catwoman: Then & Now

TV's beloved Wonder Woman, actress Lynda Carter in an image taken this week. She is still glorious at 56, as gorgeous as ever. I remember being a kid and gawking at Wonder Woman on TV thinking how could anyone be so beautiful. Every so often I catch her on the telly doing some bit part in one of the many series on American TV or at a made-for-cable movie.

Below we see actress Julie Newmar, at 74, also during an event this past week. She played the original and hottest Catwoman ever, in the campy Batman TV series in the late 60's. Sadly she does not look as elegant and poised as this other former Catwoman as her outfit of choice is very inappropriate for her age. Considering is 74 she does look fab (thanks doctor!) but still not as her fans would like to remember her.

New Obsession: Make Me A Supermodel

Now that Project Runway is (sadly) over I can turn my full attention to Bravo's "Make Me A Supermodel", a reality TV competition for aspiring models. Prizes included a modeling contract with some chi-chi New York agency, a spread in GQ magazine and a hefty US$100,000 check. The show is presented by the lovely Nikki Taylor and hunky Tyson Beckford, both hot commodities in the mid-to-late 90's supermodel world.

The original group of 12 contestants has been cut down to 6, as of this Thursday, and home viewers can vote by phone or web to keep their favorites in the competition. Each week the 3 models with the lowest performance scores are put up for the vote and one is eliminated on the following show.

My two favorites contestants are Holly (above) - the sweet ingenue beauty/Christian/no sex before marriage good girl from Virginia - and Ronnie (below) - the sweet/cute gay blond/home wrecker from Chicago.

I said that because Ronnie has a crush on his roommate and fellow contestant Ben, a married hick from Tennessee that has no business trying to be a model. Ben might be secretly gay as he doesn't seem to mind much of Ronnie's advances.

Like most reality TV shows this one has plenty of real drama, though not quite as trashy as Tyra Bank's "America's Next Top Model". Other contestants include Casey (below) - the 19 year-old sensitive long-haired singer/songwriter from Atlanta. Very handsome but inexpressive.

Perry - the cocky a**hole from Los Angeles, whose real-life girlfriend seems to have left him for that paparazzo that was dating Britney Spears - so says The National Inquirer. Perry just found that there's something fishy going on last episode but has no clue exactly what.

And at last Shannon - the statuesque brainy brunette from Fort Lauderdale, Florida (!), that doesn't mind to speak her mind to her rowdy house mates. Both Shannon and Perry are also great models and possible winners of the show's big prize.

I will keep you posted on the development of the show as I still have plenty to say about it!