Etsy Love: These Freddie Mercury Pins Are the Champions

Freddie MercuryIn case you weren’t aware: Yes, I’m still obsessed with all things Freddie Mercury and Bohemian Rhapsody!! Four months after seeing the movie, which was LIFE CHANGING, I’m still playing Queen’s songs on repeat, watching endless clips on YouTube and over the weekend, I even stayed up late reading an article about Mercury.

The verdict: I. Am. Obsessed.

And speaking of obsessed, I’m in love with these pins on Etsy that honor the genius that was Freddie Mercury!!! From his signature pose to some clever Queen-inspired picks, there’s something for every fan to love!! Here are four of my favorites, starting with this one ($11) of Royal Freddie…

Freddie MercuryClassic concert pose, $9.95

Freddie MercuryCute cat shot, $11

Freddie MercuryQueen lyrics, $1.90

Have you seen Bohemian Rhapsody, friends? Do you have a favorite Queen or Freddie Mercury song? I’ve always been partial to “Somebody To Love” and “Save Me” — the melody, the lyrics, the emotion! I could go on for days, obviously!! xoxo

Thoughts on Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and THAT Electrifying Oscars Performance

Lady Gaga Lady GagaDid you watch the Oscars on Sunday? I just had to tune in, despite Bohemian Rhapsody being the only award-worthy movie I’ve seen in the last year! Pitiful, I know, but I’m willing to bet that a lot of people tuned in for the same reason I did. And, guess what? That reason had absolutely NOTHING to do with the films or the red carpet fashions or even the fact that the show was without a host this year. Let’s just be real and admit it already: We sat on the edge of our seats waiting for that much-anticipated performance from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper…

And, my capsule review in as few words as possible? They didn’t disappoint. #Whoa

Now, before I get long-winded about all that passion, I suppose I should get a few disclaimers out of the way: No, I am not a homewrecker. No, I don’t advocate breaking up relationships. But there’s nothing wrong with a little harmless fantasizing, is there? Of course not! These are merely my observations.

Anyway, back to that Oscars performance. I felt like I started holding my breath the minute Bradley Cooper started singing and didn’t exhale until the very end, when they sort of leaned their heads into each other and Lady Gaga shot him a look that could sink a thousand ships. Those three minutes sort of felt like an out-of-body experience, and I had no idea what was even happening! Well, I guess I do have some idea because the electrifying magnetism was undeniable. The passion! The connection! The sparks! The unbridled chemistry! Literally, it was almost too much; I’m actually surprised my TV didn’t blow a fuse from all that sexual tension — it was palpable even through the screen!

Mind you, I say all this as someone who hasn’t even seen A Star Is Born and who thinks “Shallow” is lukewarm at best. But like I said, that performance was anything but lukewarm. It was hot, and while Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper can deny it all they want, there’s is something there. Yes, even I, with my nonexistent track record in the romance department, can see it. And, look! Twitter agrees with me!

So, I hereby crown Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper the “will they/won’t they” couple of 2019. This is feeling like it’s going to be on par with David and Maddie (remember Moonlighting?), and I predict that we’ll be on the edge of our seats for much of the year — and maybe even beyond? After all, there’s no way the flames from this fire are going to die down any time soon.

Lady Gaga Lady GagaWhat’s your verdict, friends? Am I reading too much into things or is there chemistry simmering under the surface for these two? What did you think of their Oscars performance? If nothing else, Lady Gaga’s fashion was on fleek!! That necklace… xoxo

[Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

What Adam Levine and His Super Bowl Performance Says About Women’s Bodies

Adam LevineSo about Adam Levine and that shirtless, tattooed-torso Super Bowl performance of his last weekend. I. Just. Can’t. And I’m not just talking about that giant “California” tattoo scrawled across his stomach! It’s just more than I can, well, stomach.

After watching the Super Bowl Halftime Show, I reacted like lots of people on social media: shocked (but not surprised) at double standards yet again. Here was the uber, excessively confident Maroon 5 rocker, loud and proud in front of thousands, singing his band’s greatest hits. Just when you think things are winding down, BAM! He rips his shirt off and flaunts himself across the stage like he was auditioning to be the next Magic Mike. It was sure a sight, trust me.

Some people were losing it over their love of Adam’s tats and six-pack abs, seemingly forgetting about the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 that saw Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake embroiled in controversy following a “wardrobe malfunction” that accidentally exposed Jackson’s breast. Well, it was mostly just Jackson who bared the brunt of criticism since Timberlake pretty much escaped unscathed.

Did I mention that said wardrobe malfunction wasn’t even Jackson’s fault? That didn’t stop people from shaming and shunning her for YEARS. Ooooh AND?!?!? The kicker is that Jackson’s gaffe even earned its own name: Nipplegate.

So, let me make sure I’m understanding this nonsense correctly: Levine gets photo galleries dedicated to his nakedness, but Jackson is made to wear the Scarlet Letter and blacklisted in the industry. Hmmm, OK, sadly, that sounds about right, but I sure wish we were farther along as a society in 2019. Have we not even progressed or grown that much?

Adam LevinePeople were so offended over over Nipplegate. Apparently a woman’s body is a crime on par with Watergate. Apparently, a woman’s body is something shameful, something that can’t be shown and must remain hidden at all times. This attitude only reinforces dangerous and sexist stereotypes, as well as send the message to young women that they can’t have the same type of body positivity as men do. If they do, they’ll be criticized and shamed for it.

I mean, the fact that the whole thing sparked a name in the first place is unbelievable. Back in 2004, memes didn’t really exist, but can you imagine the types of memes people would make about Jackson if this had happened today? They’d be ruthless! Instead, they’re out here praising Adam Levine…

What are your thoughts on the Adam Levine Super Bowl performance controversy? Do you think we’ve made any strides toward bridging the double standard gap, friends? xoxo

On the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” Song Controversy

Baby, It's Cold OutsideI’m sitting here in the doctor’s office waiting room and thinking about the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” song controversy. I’ve always had mixed feelings about the song itself. But in light of everything that’s happened since the #MeToo movement galvanized the public consciousness, there’s no denying the song’s deeper, lecherous undertones. To put it mildly: It’s dangerous.

We’ve all heard the winter ditty, which was written in 1944 by Frank Loesser as a duet that he and his wife Lynn Garland performed at parties. The song went on to win the 1949 Academy Award for Best Original Song for Neptune’s Daughter and has since been recorded by the likes of Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Robert Palmer, Zooey Deschanel, Rod Stewart and Meghan Trainor.

It’s not without its detractors, though, despite the song’s endurance and longevity. This year, some radio stations banned the song following complaints from listeners. Still, Loesser’s daughter Susan Loesser maintains that her father didn’t have any malicious intent with the song.

Yet in 2018…? Things just aren’t that simple.

On the surface, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” just looks like a fun, harmless song. It’s full of flirty banter — banter that tries to play itself off as a coy cat-and-mouse chase. Oh, look at this cute couple! How romantic that the man wants the woman to stay! The woman is trying to resist, but gosh darn it, the guy is just so charming and she wants to say “yes“!! He’s making his case and doing everything he can to get her to stay just a little longer — warm fireplace, no cabs in sight, all that treacherous snow out there! It’s just too dangerous! This guy is shameless!

But, just like those dangerous men (coincidence? I think not…), looks can be deceiving. Very deceiving, if you will. Our little jaunt eventually leads us to lines like this: “Say what’s in this drink?”

DANGER, DANGER.

Let’s just be real for one second and get to the root of the problem. People objecting to “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (and rightfully so) is only a symptom. It’s not the cause. Instead of being mad at people who object to the song, maybe we should be mad at men for ruining our ability to enjoy a Christmas bop. Maybe we should be mad at their entitled behavior. Maybe we should be mad at their failure to understand what the word “no” means. It’s the whole displacing blame that I have no time for! It’s akin to victim-blaming. It’s men who have done these horrible things. Time to place blame where it’s deserved.

And also, maybe we should also stop shaming ADULT women for wanting to enjoy themselves. In the forties, a woman who decided to stay would be slut-shamed, even though she’s an adult and capable of making her own choices. Yet she’s worried about how people would perceive her — her sister, father, brother, the neighbors, I’m sure. IF this man wasn’t a lecherous creep and she genuinely wanted to stay longer, my gosh, let the woman enjoy herself without all the side-eye judgment!

As Emily Crockett wrote for Vox, the dangerous undertones can’t be ignored, especially in a climate where men seem to feed off the power of chasing a woman (and not in a good way)…

The “rapey” reading, on the other hand, finds the events of the song troubling given our modern understanding of how sexual consent and sexual assault work. Regardless of what Loesser intended, it’s a lousy model for romance that normalizes sexual coercion and date rape.

The “rapey” reading allows for the possibility that the woman really does want to go — and if that’s the case, it becomes much more obvious why the man’s behavior is a problem. Sure, maybe she’ll end up staying because the man won’t stop bothering her and it seems easier to just give in at a certain point. But just because she gives in doesn’t mean she really wanted it, or that she’ll feel good about it afterward. And whether or not she enjoys herself, and whether or not she feels violated or ashamed afterward, the ends of how she feels about it later still don’t justify the means of how he got her to stay.

Decision time, friends: Where do you stand when it comes to the “Baby It’s Cold Outside” song controversy? Is it romantic or rapey? Flirty or fearful? Innocent or icky? Let’s chat about it… xoxo

P.S. Remember Tuesday Tunes?

[Photo and video of Neptune’s Daughter]

Motivational Quotes Monday: Why Music Is Such An Awesome Force

Happy Monday, friends!! Winter is a-coming and it’s SO cold outside, so I decided to hibernate at home today! I hope you’re having a good week so far! This Wednesday is a very big day for my blog and the excitement hasn’t fully sunk in yet. So what am I doing? Overanalyzing about why. Typical me, right? But anyway, today’s motivational quotes are inspired by none other than Freddie Mercury! Ever since we went to see Bohemian Rhapsody last week, I’ve been listening to Queen, singing their songs around the house and watching countless clips on YouTube. I’ve always been a fan, but the movie gave me a new appreciation for the band, especially when it comes to the power of music. Music is the ultimate form of self-expression. It transcends every language and can pierce your heart with just one note. On that note (see what I did there??), here are five quotes all about the love of music…

Music Music Music Music Music