GTL: An Ode to the "Jersey Shore"

It was late November '09 when I first started spotting trailers for "Jersey Shore." A fan of MTV's "True Life" docu series, I'd been mesmerized by the hour they'd devoted a couple years back to the Garden State's summer resort. A group of 20-somethings descended on it each balmy weekend looking for love (and trouble).

The reality series premiered on Dec. 3, with a cast of eight self-proclaimed "guidos and guidettes" and a quiet storm of controversy from offended Italian-American advocacy groups. Holy Outrageousness! The show was riveting for all the right and wrong reasons.

But when I asked around, it seemed only a select band of my pop-culturally attuned friends were watching. The rest, as you know, is television history.

"Jersey Shore" and its cast are a bona fide phenomenon, excoriated in The New Yorker, spoofed and lampooned on late night shows, and the generator of nicknames so inventive, the tags are rivaled only by Mob nomenclature.

G.T.L. Gym, tanning, laundry. I laughed, I cried, I "beat the beat," I related to all of that passion and familial loyalty, the (neighbor) hood slang...

And now lensman Terry Richardson will immortalize them in Interview (l. to r. "The Situation," Vinny, Richardson, Ronnie, and DJ Pauly D) Salute!

You Want Love, John Mayer?

I ventured into enemy territory on Thursday when, in the wake of a blustery snowstorm, I scored tickets to John Mayer's two-night stand at the world's greatest arena.

The singer/guitarist of the bluesy, pop catalog, made headlines again when his apparent lack of a filter in the face of recording devices led him to give Playboy mag one of the more glib celebrity interviews I've read in a while.

He went in on exes Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson, deconstructed his porn addiction, and had this to say about black girl fans. Turns out John-John, 32, doesn't think a black woman's body is a wonderland:

PLAYBOY: Do black women throw themselves at you?

MAYER: I don’t think I open myself to it. My di*k is sort of like a white supremacist. I’ve got a Benetton heart and a f***in’ David Duke co*k. I’m going to start dating separately from my di*k.

PLAYBOY: Let’s put some names out there. Let’s get specific.

MAYER: I always thought Holly Robinson Peete was gorgeous. Every white dude loved Hilary from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And Kerry Washington. She’s superhot, and she’s also white-girl crazy. Kerry Washington would break your heart like a white girl...

So with the Karyns (Parsons of 'FPoB') and Kerrys in mind, went to the concert sure I'd be sour. I won't even get into the racial politics in this space. But (good) music transcends.

Mayer's latest, "Battle Studies," is evolved and hearing his live rendition of its gems like "Assassin" and "Who Says" (the latter, aptly in New York City) was uplifting, literally; I was out of my seat.

He apologized yet again for being "an a**hole." Hard not to forgive - at least for the night.

Skater Girl

Have to admit, I've been largely taking in Olympics coverage in a peripheral manner, reading the sports section and catching highlights (skier Lindsey Vonn, snowboarder Scotty Lago and his legion of female medal-lickers, the four-man U.S. bobsled teams, et al).

But for all the success the U.S. Olympians have enjoyed in Vancouver this Winter, I'm really moved by the performance of South Korean gold-medal figure skater Kim Yu-Na.

Her programs have been as elegant as they are technically proficient.

Everyone from Dorothy Hamill to Michelle Kwan has taken notice. And it's not just the double axels: Yu-Na's costumes, including a beaded ombre number, are to die. Worth checking out.

Rogers and Heart

I can't say for sure, but somehow I think First Lady Michelle Obama may have had something to do with this.

Desiree Rogers announced last week she'll step down from her post as White House Social Secretary. The designer dud-donning Ms. Rogers (pictured here in Comme des Garçons at the Nov. 24, 2009, State Dinner) made Mrs. Obama, in her J.Crew and Jason Wu, look like a fashion lightweight when it came to dressing.

I mean sure, Rogers suspended all etiquette and protocol to seat herself as a guest at the aforementioned state dinner, when she should have been manning the door against fame-seeking gatecrashers. And yes, she loved her Vogue spreads, but she was fabulous! [Laughs.]

Here's hoping her return to the private sector includes all the step-and-repeats she can accommodate.

Mr. Carter Goes to the Dentist

Whenever my friend M meets a new guy, I know we'll be discussing his mouth first, and not how he kisses, nor an assessment of how good he is with his...but rather an evaluation of his orthodontia. Teeth, their general cleanliness and professional maintenance, are key, lol.

Hearing Weezy had to undergo eight root canals (Dirty Mouth?) to repair damage wrought by his grills (and probably other neglect), including major surgery to implant new choppers, made me think of her.

She'd approve of the improvements but I don't think she'd ever have, say, shared a Lollipop with him, his sexy "On Fire" video notwithstanding.

All of those hours slumped back in the dentist's chair are of course in preparation for the Young Money capo's 12-month bid, which begins March 2, in New York.

"Opening" Night? Let Denim Rule

Attending a good number of museum and gallery exhibition openings means getting to see not just great art, but also great fashion.

I think if ever there's an atmosphere where sartorial rules don't apply, it's in the company of art - whether fine or flaky. I love to see girls and boys make an effort.

At my last outing, I wore the cutoffs, tights, and military boots I'd had on all day and just added a chunky metallic knit wrap. And with spring in the offing, I totally co-sign another denim chic look: the ever-fresh Zoe Kravitz, pictured here (in fedora).


For downtowners, Damon Dash (here with daughter Ava, and ex-wife designer Rachel Roy) recently entered the gallery fray with a three-storey space in TriBeCa. It'll be fun to see what hipster-b-boy fashion turns up there.

Paparazzi

Hopped on the 7 train and was drawn to my fellow commuter's "ears." On a subway line not particularly known for its stylish straphangers, I loved that she seemed to have fallen out of the pages of some gothy, "bad romance" novel. Asked to take her picture, she was bashful but acquiesced.

P.S.: I Love You

Definitely one my favorite moments at the 2010 edition of the Grammy Awards was Bey accepting her golden gramophone with an "I love you" to her "husband" Jay - in front of millions.

I found it refreshingly unscripted; seemed spontaneous, especially for a couple that takes care to manage and guard its public image.

That's what Valentine's Day should be about, right, being able to proclaim your love purely and at high volume;)

Reflecting on Haiti: Tragedy to Triumph

I've always been fascinated by the enclaves in which immigrant communities will attempt recreate "home" (has a bit to do with how I ended up in my current neighborhood).

For first generation Haitian-Americans who were born and reared across what we call the diaspora, I find our experience is marked by certain shared memories.

These days, I cherish that culture, history more than ever. Wrote a little post about it over at the super blog of the gentlemen of Coup d'etat Brooklyn. Check it out here.

Unlocking Pandora

I'm still basking in the 3D glow of James Cameron's billion-dollar baby, Avatar. Critics have assailed it for an oversimplified plot, but I'm not bothered so much by the facile natives-good-corporations-bad storyline.

It was a marvel to watch, and I felt as close to what I imagine it must have been like to see talking pictures projected onto a large screen for the first time. Did you feel the same way, once the Hallelujah Mountains, for instance, came into view? Or the lush, pinkish green forest, where Neytiri and Jake Sully first encounter each other?

Reading that Cameron had initially come up with the idea for Avatar in 1996 - stalled waiting for the technology to catch up to his vision - was even more interesting to me. How often do we sit on a great idea or a plan without ever bringing it to fruition?

It takes some kind of singular focus to stay with it as Cameron did. But too many times we don't even get close to tapping into that spirit.