Social conservatives are increasingly skeptical that John Roberts will vote their way in the Proposition 8 and DOMA cases, and are ready to turn on him if he does not.The Hill reports:The conservatives were angered by Roberts’s surprise backing of President Obama’s healthcare law last year, and they don’t want to see a similar surprise in the two marriage cases the court considered this week. “I certainly think his credentials were tarnished with the ObamaCare decision,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. “Does he care about his standing with conservatives? I don’t know.”Gary Bauer, the president of American Values, agreed, saying that if Roberts doesn’t vote with the other conservative justices “on another major issue … then I think the whole understanding of the current makeup of the Supreme Court would be in question.”Continue Reading… … Read More
Illegal Shades of Green
Last week I noted
the bizarre legal issues that come up when a literay creation is in
the public domain but certain elements of its world are still
protected by copyright. My example was Sherlock Holmes, but over
the weekend The New York Times published a
piece about an even odder case: the land of Oz.
All of L. Frank Baum’s original Oz books are in the public
domain, but the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie is not; and most
people’s impressions of Oz owe more to that film than to anything
else. So while Disney didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission to
make Oz the Great and Powerful, due to hit theaters this
weekend, the moviemakers had to tread carefully when including
anything that might seem to harken back to MGM rather than Baum.
Among the results:
Striving for a visage different from the one Margaret
Hamilton made famous, Howard Berger, an Oscar-winning makeup
artist, “was finally able to come up with a shade of green which
satisfied Disney’s legal team,” SlashFilm.com reported after a
visit to the set.
Copyright law is weird.
Bonus link: I recently re-read the Baum books with my
older daughter, and I’m happy to report that most of them hold up.
(Especially
The Tin Woodman of Oz, a gloriously weird story whose
identity games venture into almost Phildickian territory.) If
you’re thinking of plunging into the series yourself, Mari Ness’
Oz
Re-Read is a nice guide. … Read More
Did Entertainment Weekly spoil the ending of “Oz the Great and Powerful”?
The upcoming “Wizard of Oz” prequel film “Oz the Great and Powerful” features three new characters, all witches — played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Mila Kunis — all of whom, based on the trailer, seem to play for the side of good.Entertainment Weekly, though, may have spoiled the suspense as to which of them grows up to be the Wicked Witch of the West, with a cover featuring the recognizable face of one of the three under garish green makeup. (Click at your peril — or if you don’t care about the plot twists of “Oz.”)Continue Reading… … Read More
The brief, wondrous life of an Oscar gown
So maybe you spent the better part of last year eating oatmeal paste (or practicing the world’s best-ever dance sequence), and your efforts paid off. You’ve been showered with trophies since awards season started back in January, and now it’s time for the big finale.
The Oscars.
The impression you make at the Academy Awards is going to matter. And while you’ve worked hard to advance your career, been selective with roles and have only done nudity when it “made sense for the character,” a spot on the best-dressed list never hurts, either.
An iconic gown on the big night can separate the Meryl Streeps from, well, the not-Meryl Streeps.
So you employ a stylist, and he or she enlists a team. And there begins a dizzying constellation of designers, ateliers, tailors, assistants, hair and makeup artists and messengers, all working in service of something bigger than themselves: You.
Time to get ready.
* * *
7 Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Makeup Looks From Pinterest (PHOTOS)
Whenever you hear someone utter the words “Valentine’s Day makeup,” we’re pretty sure an image of red lipstick pops into mind. The classic lip color has become synonymous with the love fest holiday, but what about going with pink instead? It’s a fresher and more youthful alternative that any woman can wear.
Love a smokey eye? Put down your go-to neutral palette and pick up a shimmering scarlet-red shade. Trust us, it looks better than it sounds.
Whether you’re an adventurous or traditional beauty, we’ve rounded up seven Valentine’s Day makeup looks to get you inspired.
Grammys 2013 Beauty: Best & Worst Hair And Makeup On The Red Carpet (PHOTOS)
Music artists (and wannabes) have made the Grammys one of the must-watched events in Hollywood. From Nicki Minaj’s Bride of Frankenstein-meets-cheetah print pixie (looks like she skipped out on making a scene this year) to Christina Aguilera’s huge flop at looking like a flapper, not every beauty moment is a hit.
Red-carpet veterans Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez proved that simple hair and makeup is sometimes the best way to go, while songbirds Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift fell short a few notes in heavy eye makeup and a childish braided updo, respectively. But Estonian singer Kerli made up for Lady Gaga’s absence in the weirdest Grammys beauty look we’ve seen so far.
See these head-turning beauty looks and more in our slideshow below, then check out the fashion hits and misses at the 2013 Grammys.
New York Fashion Week Backstage Beauty: Cognac Ponytails At Alexander Wang Fall 2013 (PHOTOS)
Alexander Wang has proven himself year after year as a designer, sending out collections with a strong point of view and even stronger hair and makeup. His spring 2013 show featured models wearing electrical tape down their center hair part, and this season he delivered again with cognac-colored ponytails inspired by model Irina Kravchenko‘s fiery red locks.
Redken’s mane man Guido Palau explained that Wang wanted to do a “ponytail — very simple, but very dramatic because of the swatch of color in the back. It doesn’t have any reference to any period, though slightly futuristic.” The slicked-back hairdo, which he created using Redken Hardwear Gel, was meant to take personality away from the girls and their faces. He attached cognac hair extensions to a low ponytail. To hide the elastic, Palau soaked a strand of hair in strong hold hairspray and wrapped it around, securing with a bobby pin.
