Who Are The Influencers?

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of some of my family come into the city to visit. My aunt, cousin, and two younger second cousins ventured down to Little Italy for some amazing chicken parm at Sophia's followed by even more amazing desserts at Ferrara's. The eclair is amaze balls.

After dinner, my little cousins and I were walking and talking. They are 10 and 12 year old little girls. They are both so smart and have such great personalities! I feel like at that age I was very shy. We chatted about school (boring), boys (cute!), and Instagram (so cool). I was even tagged in one of their posts. It's wild to me how involved with social media children are these days. One of my cousins posted an picture of a decorative cake she saw at Ferrara's and had over 15 likes in 20 minutes. If I can get 15 likes on a picture... ever, it's been a successful day on The Gram.

 We walked around Soho for a bit before it started to rain and then headed back to their hotel where I was educated on what sports they play and their summer plans, while they both played a game on their iPhones. I was very intrigued as to what was so interesting, I asked what they were doing. They introduced me to 2048, the popular new game app. I had seen this game show up on the most popular list in the App Store, but never truly understood how to play nor was I interested in learning.

My cousin was teaching me how to play before I could get a word in. All I saw was little fingers swiping like crazy across her bright iPhone 5 screen. (I only have an iPhone 4s.) The next thing I knew she was handing me her phone and telling me what numbers to swipe. I am not certain I can explain how to play, but I can tell you I am hooked! Hook, line, and sinker.

I went home that night and downloaded 2048 to my phone and have been playing ever since. My high score is 12,292, and I'm quite impressed with myself for being a rookie.

As I played this game and it became more and more apart of my go-to app collection, I realized how influential my cousins had been without even knowing it. Maybe they downloaded the game because they were bored or it looked fun. Then they showed it to me, I showed the game to my roommate and my friends, and this big circle of 2048 lovers emerged all because my little cousin introduced it to me once night laying on their hotel bed stuffed with pasta and pastries. Thank you little cousins, thank you. You are little influencers. 

I Only Watch Jimmy Fallon for the Lip Sync Battles... And Everything Else He Does

This clip from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon features Emma Stone as his guest and competitor in the amazing Lip Sync Battles. Jimmy Fallon lip syncs Mr. Roboto by Styx, while Emma Stone slays us with some serious rap and her crazy eyes. The best part about Emma's performance is how intense she gets, and then you notice her darling collared dress and stilettos and it makes the battle that much better.

For more hilarious Lip Sync Battles, you have to check out Joseph Gordon Levitt and Stephen Merchant. As if JGL couldn't be any more adorable. His smile is infectious!




If you just can't get enough and want to keep procrastinating, here is Paul Rudd's battle. You will actually LOL! Paul can put on a performance. Enjoy!

WTF Wednesday: Old Spice Commercials

Mom Song




Boardwalk




Okay, so you watched those right? No!! Well, get to it! I'm waiting...

O.K., let's try again. You watched those commercials, correct?? Thank you! Now... HOW CREEPED OUT ARE YOU?!?!?

The first time I saw these commercials my jaw was on the floor. The song from the Mom Song is weird, but my first question is why are all the moms homely and fat?

The Boardwalk commercial is not much better. It may be worse actually. The wig that crawls off the good looking guy and works the claw machine. And then the claw brings up a baby?!?!

If Old Spice was trying to shock people. It worked, okay Old Spice. It worked. But now I do not want my guy to be using Old Spice products for fear of premature balding and a creepy wig that comes to life. No thank you.

2014 Met Gala: Gowns and Frowns

Last nights Met Gala did not disappoint. There were some show stopping numbers, such as Sarah Jessica Park (duh!), Karlie Kloss, and my personal favorite Karolina Kurkova. But alas, there were also some duds. I have broken down the worst looks of the night into some categories: Damsels in Dress Distress, Too Short for Court, I Just Can't , and Moo moo Mamas.

Damsels in Dress Distress

 I'm not quite sure what looks Katie Holmes and Sandra Lee were going for, but they both were clearly influenced by Disney princess, but in the worst way possible.

Too Short for Court

 I love both of these women, but unfortunately, I have to give these ensembles a big ol' thumbs down. Lena Dunham, I can handle the dress, it's your 5 year old bob that is making me cringe. And Elizabeth Olsen, two of your siblings own numerous clothing lines, and you show up in an ice skaters outfit. Don't even get me started with those shoes. Very disappointed in you girls.

I Just Can't

This category... I just can't. Kate Upton looks like she walked out of a 17th century brothel, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is basically wearing a mod colored Twister dress.

Moo moo Mamas

Okay, so they are not moo moos per se, but they have the same effect. Hiding a figure and looking oversized and awful. Florence Welsh went with the typical floral moo moo, and Janelle Monae had more of a tapestry print. Both equally as terrible. 

Oh, Met Gala thank you for your beautiful gowns, as well as a few frowns. 

Photo source: Daily News

Let's Recap: Met Gala 2013

But, first.....

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Okay, not back to more serious topics, such as clothes.

Today is the 2014 Met Gala. This evening the Upper East Side will be swarmed with celebs and onlookers trying to catch a peek of the action. The Met Gala is actually  more than just a another event for celebs for dress up, it serves a purpose. A tickets to the annual Met Gala is around $25,000 and the money goes towards the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "It also serves as an opening celebration for the institute's annual fashion exhibit. It is widely regarded as one of the most exclusive social events in New York and one of the biggest fundraising nights of the city with a reported nine million dollars raised in 2013" (Thanks, Wikipedia).  But for the rest of us, it another opportunity to see some great designs and love to hate the fashion choices. In honor of the Met Gala, let's take a look at some of my personal favorites from last year.

 Anne Hathaway in Valentino. Not everyone is a fan of Ms. Hathaway, but I cannot deny this look. It's edgy and perfect for the Met Gala. When I think Met Gala, I think taking a fashion risk with some edge and class. From her hair to the feathers around her wrist, it's a 10 for me.

 Emma Watson in Prabal Gurung. With this look, I love the simplicity of the color and material, but it's the cutouts and dramatic train that makes this look great for the occasion. Even her shoes tie in with the dress.

 Elle Fanning in Rodarte. While this look may be a bit juvenile, that is what I like about it. Elle Fanning is a young actress and this look is perfect for her. I love the tie-dye and her eye make is fierce.

 SJP. What can I say? She was the belle of the ball. I hope people took notes for this years gala. SJP is wearing a Giles Deacon dress and Philip Treacy hat. This is the epitome of Met Gala attire. A big billowy dress and a headpiece to die for. Well done, Parker.

Now, I stated these works were some of my favorite, but this particular look is my favorite love-to-hate ensemble.  Kim K in Givenchy. This look got so much flack, and frankly it for two reason. One, it does not look very good, and two, it's Kim K. Whenever I look at this dress, I am reminded of a hilarious Carol Burnett Show skit about Gone with the Wind. The main difference being that Kim's dress was more of a couch resemblance than a curtain. 

I can't wait to see what tonight has in store!

Just a Few Reasons to Love Leo Even More

Leonardo DiCaprio. Where does one start? I am a big fan. It all started when he was on Growing Pains playing Luke, a homeless teenager taken in by the wacky but loving Seaver family. Then came Titanic, and it's all uphill for him from there (aside from never winning an Oscar). I recently read a great Buzzfeed article that lists 34 things you never knew about good ol' Leo. For example, he was once stuck in a shark cage with a shark. Yep, and he lived to tell the tale on Ellen. There are other random facts like having his own fair trade coffee company and, of course, mentioning the small island he owns. Must be nice Leo. Who needs an Oscar when you have an island!

You can check out his shark story here, and for a good laugh at poor Leo's expense, check out this awesome article.

Don't worry Leo, we still love you, and there's always next time... Maybe?

Movie Review: Noah

SPOILER ALERT!

On Friday night, I went to see Noah. I had heard great things about this movie, but the selling point for me was a review I read about Emma Watson's performance. I have always been a fan of hers. I purchased my tickets, smuggled some snacks into the theater and was ready for what I thought would be a great movie about Noah, his family and the arc. What I saw left me confused and frustrated.

I am not an extremely religious person, but I know the story of Noah and the Arc very well. I do understand this movie was made in Hollywood, which means there will be some changes and tweeks to make the movie more appealing. But for anyone who went to see Noah expecting an adaption of a religious story, but in for some major surprises.

There were three main aspects of the movie that really irked me. The first being that there were mystical "things," for lack of a better word. Old snake skin that glowed when a boy was becoming a man and giant rock creatures that were fallen angles. Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't you think that a movie about one of the most well known biblical stories that is being released right around Easter, should stay true to the story? I feel as though people will be upset about the idea of magic being involved. Look at how outraged people were with the Harry Potter books, and those books were not related to religion. Noah is a religious story.

Another interesting aspect of the movie was that the term God was not used. Not once. God was called The Creator. I just found that strange.

The last and final problem I had with Noah was Noah. I love Russell Crowe, but the character of Noah was lost, confused, heartless, and just plain horrible at times. I won't give away too much more than I already have, but trust me, if you go see this movie there will be numerous times you wish you could just shake Noah and knock some sense and mercy into the man.

Not everything was bad. The images  of the landscapes were beautiful and the acting was wonderful. Emma Watson was truly captivating, and Jennifer Connelly, who played Noah's wife, pulled at your heart strings. But the meat of the move, the story, was too far fetch for my taste.

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth: Target

Yesterday, my roommate and I decided to go to Target. She needed a new bathing suite for her trip and I was just tagging along. Sixty dollars later, my tag along turned into a full fledged shopping spree.
We started out in the bathing suite section, I quickly moved on to clothes with a bit more material. Not quite ready to even think about bikinis. As I skimmed the clothing racks I hit the jackpot. The Peter Pilotto collection on sale for 70% off! Bingo! Grabbed one of everything and hit the fitting room. Tried everything on, in record time may I add, and luckily for my wallet I didn't love anything. After leaving the fitting room, walking through Target became an intense inner battle between purchase or put down.

Next, I find myself meandering towards the shoes. Oh, those are cute Ked-like sneaks. No, no you have a pair of converse you barely ever wear. Alrighty, moving on to accessories. I do need a new belt. My favorite belt is about to fall apart. A new belt is a smart purchase. Let's just look at the sunglasses. I just bought a new pair last week, but these are so cute with the pink! Put them down. What's over here? Ohhhh! Cute PJ shorts! I have been wanting some new PJ shorts. And these are only ten bucks. Another smart purchase. Go me!

I knew I would want to check out the book section. I just finished Divergent, I should get Insurgent. I was going to buy it on my Kindle, but let's just check it out. Ohh, they have so many copies! And it's on sale! Okay, I'll just hold it and decide when I get to the check out. Let's get to the check ou.... OMG! Movies for $5!!! I just ahve to look. It's a rainy day I could use a good movie! Awww, Joseph Gorden Levitt. I love him. Okay, let's get 50/50. It looks great.

Now to the registers. Walking, walking. Don't look around. Ohh, I see pastels in my peripheral! Okay, just a peak. CANDLES! My weakness. You just bought some. I mean, I can smell them. Maybe I won't like the smell. Ohh, they are only $5! Target has the best prices! This blue one.. UGH! Awful smelling. The white one.. Yum! I definitely need this! They have a Clean Linen scent. My favorite! I need it! Okay, two candles, $10, not bad. Okay, this time to the registers for real!

This line isn't too long. Yay! Ohh, I need gum. Ooooo, those M&Ms look good. No. Yes. No. No... Okay, my turn to check out..... $60! Geez the belt, PJ shorts, book, movie, and candles really added up. Grrr, Target. You got me again! But I still love you! I definitely need to come here more often!

#TBT: Sky Dancers

Do you remember the days of trudging down the sidewalk backpack in tow due to the exhaustion of learning the multiplications tables? I do with great fondness. I would somehow make it home, give my dotting mother a hug at the door, while she takes my backpack and ushers me into the kitchen for a snack. I would sit, half asleep, eating cookies and once I had my last bite, a second wind came over me and I was back to my old energetic self again. That is when the real fun began. I would run up to my room and grab all the toys I could fit into my little arms.
Toys in the 90s are so different from what I see my younger siblings playing with now. Half of the time, physical toys are not even involved. They are staring at the television playing video games. I was thinking back to some of my girly toys I had growing up and one in particular came to mind: the Sky Dancers. Do you remember those? Little fairy-like dolls on a stand and when you pulled the string they would fly up into the air, well, at least 50% of the time they did. The other 50% they barely took off and just pathetically plummeted to the ground.

My neighborhood girl friends would come over and we all had a Sky Dancer, of course. So we would count to 3 and all of our fairies would take flight at once. The beauty, the magic, the terror. Yes, terror. One wrong angle and these babies were flying at your face. Once the boys discovered what damage these angelic faced dancing dolls could do, no one was safe. My brother and his gang of hooligans would steal them when we weren't paying attention and use them against us. Our own dolls turned into monsters. That would end rather abruptly when one of our parents caught sight of 4 girls running around the backyard frantically covering our heads for protection. I guess it is no surprise when researching these toys that they eventually became banned. This is why we can't have nice things. Even the most innocent looking toy can be a weapon of destruction.

But banning the Sky Dancers hasn't stopped some other uncreative soul from making Flutterbye Flying Fairy Doll. Available at your nearest Toys R Us for the low, low price of $34.99. I give it a few months before these are also taken off the shelves for scratching one too many retinas. 

I mean, looks how sweet and fun these are.. until somebody looses an eye. Forget the Red Ryder BB gun, the Sky Dancers/Flutterbye Flying dolls are what we should really be concerned about! Maybe if a pair of safety goggles were included, we could all feel a little bit safer.

Lady Gaga Does It Again

Lady Gaga's new music video for G.U.Y. from her Artpop album is another tastefully confusing arrangement of clips.

We have the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills all wearing pink shift dresses and "playing" instruments.

Giggy even has a moment of spotlight. 

Andy Cohen also makes an appearance and references God or possibly Zeus. 

There is "dance" number that may rival the Kama Sutra. 

Jesus and Michael Jackson make an appearance, and so much more. If you have 7 to 11 minutes to spare, you can watch the crazy (read: normal) Lady Gaga video. But don't say I didn't prepare you for this odd ball. 

Dear Vogue

Dear Vogue,

What, what, what are you thinking?! (See hilarious video related to that line here)

People are outraged! Sarah Michelle Geller was upset! I mean, Vogue ticked off Buffy. That's pretty serious. Her tweet and many others were quite interesting. You can check out more about that here, as well as other upset tweeters who are thinking about ending their Vogue subscription.

Personally, I am not upset about this cover choice. A little confused, maybe. I thought Anna Wintour was not the biggest fan of Kim K. so I find it odd to have her as the cover start when she has so openly been opposed to her. I will most likely be purchasing this issue if only to read Anna's editor letter. 

What do you think about this cover star choice? Will you be purchasing this issue?

WTF Wednesdays: Dog Strollers

Hello! And welcome to the newest (and first) weekly series of Culture Shock. The Wednesday Edition of WTF. This series will touch on various topics that just make you say "WTF?!" The first topic will be something that has, and will always, elude me: Dog Stollers.

Dog Strollers. Oh, you have never heard of them? You already think they are obsurd? Why yes, yes they are. And they are real. Feast your eyes on the image below.

Walking around the Upper West Side, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this very sight. I have even witnessed a double stroller fit for two dogs. Dogs have two more legs than us, they do not need to be in a stroller! Perhaps if the dog was injured, maybe it would be appropriate to cart it around in a stroller until the little guy was healed, but I have only seen healthy, four legged pups strapped into these strollers. What is going on? Dogs are man's best friend, not an American Girl Doll to dress up and push around! I just can't. 

And if the strollers were not enough, take a gander at this puppy purse.

Yep, that happened. 

See you next (WTF) Wednesday!

The Truth About Online Dating (From a Girl Who has Given Up Online Dating)

I have always learned things the hard way. Online dating was not an exception.

I would call myself an optimist. Meeting people in the city is difficult. This you have heard many times, I am sure. But it is true! So, being the optimist that I am, I signed up for OkCupid. While filling out my profile and trying to paint an accurate portrayal of myself using a combination of whit and charm,  I think I had a modern day Cinderella love story in my head. I swear I am not completely delusional.

After 3 days, based on the very strange messages I was receiving, I knew Prince Charming was going to be hard to find through the thick of the fog, but I trudged on. I chatted with a few possible bachelors and went on some dates. Some promising and others over before they began. I was starting to give up hope after quite a few dates that lead no where. Either I was interested and they were not or vice versa. It happens. Just because OkCupid said we had a 91% compatibility, does not mean it's meant to be. See, I can be realistic.

A few not-so-great dates later, I thought I had hit the jackpot. My date and I hit it off and things were looking up. We even made it to date numero dos! On our second date, we grabbed brunch in Astoria, walked along the water, and just when I thought the date was coming in an end, he asked if I'd like to come back to his place and watch a movie. Now, I know what you all are thinking, and I can honestly tell you it crossed my mind, but I pushed it aside because I was excited to spend more time together. Needless to say, he had other ideas. I will let you know now, he was unsuccessful. I was not ready for that nonsense.

On the subway home after the movie, I battled with myself as to whether getting me back it his apartment had been planned all along. I let my optimism cloud my vision and I convinced myself it was not. A few days later, as if the dating gods were looking out for me, I stumbled upon a very insightful article. (Thank you, Betches.) The article confirmed my fears and also gave me the wake up call I needed. Strongly Worded Letter to Guys Who Invite Me Over to 'Watch a Movie' was my reality check.

Okay, so now that I got that off my chest, you might be wondering what is the truth about online dating? Get to the point, lady! Okay, I am getting there.. Are you ready? Guys on OkCupid are not looking for a relationship. Even if they write under the 'Most private thing I am willing to admit section' that, "Unlike other guys on here, I am interested in a relationship," they are not. I may be behind the times and perhaps you have read or experienced this already (Like I said, I learn things the hard way), but OkCupid, and mostly likely other dating sites, are just hubs for guys to easily take their pick of women. From my experience and what I have heard of others, OkCupid is not going to help you find Prince Charming, just frogs. Lots of frogs.

Over the weekend, I deleted my OkCupid account. So, let the search continue... without using a Search Engine.

Image source.

#SuccessfulAppProblems: Flappy Bird

If you are someone who was looking for a new game because your Candy Crush has cobwebs and is so 2013, then you probably downloaded Flappy Bird. If you haven't, you missed out on angry rants and truly wanting to throw your phone at the brick wall in your apartment. Oh, that doesn't sound appealing? Well, I guess you are just great then, aren't you? I apologize, that was rude. The side effects of Flappy Bird are anger problems and thumb spasms.

Yesterday, the creator of the app removed Flappy Bird from the Apple and Android app stores. Why, you may ask? Well, according to Dong Nguyen, the app was ruining his simple life.

Is it just me or does this upset anyone else? I am not upset the app was been deleted. I would be alright if I never play that game again. I am angry that Ngugen is whining about his success. So many people have tried to create something that would be received the way Flappy Bird has been and Nguyen beat the odds, but now he can't handle the pressure? How terrible it must be to have all this pressure of a successful application that is loved (hated) by thousands and brings in about $50,000 in ad revenue per day! (Techcrunch.com)

This situation rivals the First World Problems hash tag that was become widely popular. I think a new tag trend is in the works: #SuccessfulAppProblems.