Cat

To the shock of absolutely nobody, 5 women are accusing James Franco http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-james-franco-allegations-20180111-htmlstory.html

My mom is French and I discussed this with her. She is a lady of a certain age and grew up in a different time... a time when French women were expected to be flirtatious and the 'object of men's affections,' to quote her words. I noticed that a lot of the French actors who published that denunciation are in that similar age group. That includes Catherine Deneuve, an actress who was celebrated for her looks for decades, who lived the swinging sixties lifestyle a la française... but who is now a bit older, losing some of the attendant male attention that comes with those looks. These people have a different mentality, and are a little brainwashed from decades being objectified, for lack of a better word. They also have no clue what it means to take the subway late at night as a woman on your own, etc... they live in a protected bubble where people defer to them automatically. It's really hard talking to my mom about these things because she is all "I support #MeToo but sometimes these girls go too far and want to hate all men!" It's a myopic, simplistic view. But Frenchies my own age group and younger, both women and men, are pretty furious about this denunciation. They think it makes the French look like idiots, and that the actors who signed it have no clue what goes on in the real world. Lots of women in France have to fight back against harassment every day, whether its going to work on the metro in a skirt and getting felt up or receiving unwelcome comments, or some guy in the office being too friendly and never taking no for an answer. It's really frustrating that these so-called artistes/celebs have set the women's movement back, acting like they speak for the nation's women (many of whom were hoping #MeToo would take off over there and trigger some positive change).

BH: Was looking forward to seeing this episode featuring Tokyo. It was a dream come true for me to go to Japan a few years back. I'm disappointed the episode did not really showcase anything really special. Instead as I feared, we got the glazed looks while a geisha sang, and jokes about raw fish. Tokyo has some of the most delicious (and varied) food in the world. Have these women really never eaten eel sashimi? I expected this from Rinna but I thought Anime Dominitrix Barbie, aka Erika, was better travelled than this. Also: why bring your glam squad for a trip that is NOT about business? I think Erika's marriage with Tom Girardi is dead, and Mikey and the glam squad are the closest things to friends she has left. Also x2: anybody believe those 3 paps and 5 'fans' swarming Rinna's progeny were real? Me neither. Rinna is really trying to push Amelia as a bargain Gigi Hadid, and Delilah (with her brand new nose and jaw) has been primped and tweeked to be a discount Bella. It's unoriginal and I feel bad for these girls who can never live up to the OGs they are trying to mirror. Yolanda must be laughing her ass off into a plate of almonds! Kyle and LVP being passive-aggressive... I smell a betrayal coming! I'm sort of over LVP's animal menagerie. Dorit showed her ass tonight. Even PK was shushing her to keep quiet. I'm glad we saw a little of Camille's bitchy sass come out. Judging by the previews though, she doesn't appear to be in next week's episode. Instead we have Rinna trying to besmirch LVP by bringing up a lawsuit that was presumably filed against her. I thought Camille was bringing in David Foster as her new boyfriend for a second! That would have been amazing frankly and VERY Camille Season 1.

I am transfixed by your sig @Gray Bunny ! Back when soaps had a real budget. "feeding us a lot of appetizers with no main course" -- perfect summation of ATL currently. S5 and 6 of NYC deserve to be revisited. I used to rate S6 as my worst NYC season but having rewatched it, I change my view. There is lots going on, lots of detail and relationships between people. I didn't even mind Kristen Taekman that season! Getting rid of Jill, Kelly, Cindy was a ballsy move of much-needed evolution that the NY franchise needed. It liberated the show, made it lighter, and restored a real feeling of Manhattan life to the show.

Agreed. When Hollywood gets onto its high horse about something, it preaches condescendingly. A bit "I'm talking slowly so the people at home will be able to understand what I'm saying." It's also very much an easy advocacy of the 'I'll hastag something on my Twitter and raise awareness by my mere celebrity presence' kind which, as we all know, you can do while lying in bed. (One of the reasons why Lena Dunham's 'feminism' so irks me). It's like Hollywood is waiting for us peons to do the gruntwork. Obviously we have to if we want to see change across the board but... it feels very easy on their part. It's also hard to know who means it and who is just doing it to be seen. Also I know this is sacrilege because Oprah's speech was so incredibly written and delivered (even though she failed to mention the men and boys who have been abused and spoken out! I found that omission noticeable)... but there was one point where I thought she was going to say "And YOU get a car! YOU get a car!" lol

I can't speak to black experience, and can only speak as someone who hated school and the disciplinarians who didn't care about fairness but just wanted to keep kids in line. When you said the word 'temper,' it really struck me how that word projects on black kids sometimes. Instead of treating a perfectly normal temper tantrum, you get the knee-jerk reaction of containment. Contain the threat. Take a time-out. Avoid confrontation at all costs! Nevermind that sometimes you need to address conflict directly -- rather than sweep it under the carpet or make a false equivalency out of it ("She says she's sorry, so you have to say you're sorry"). With black kids that fear of 'containing the anger' is pretty high among white parents and teachers etc and pretty instutionalized. And it's been that way a long time. I think we all know why it's that way. It's about black kids being dehumanised. As for Beckys and white girl pettiness, sigh. Yes, I can speak to that experience. Some of us are taught to be passive-aggressive early on. It's sneaky, throw-the-rock-but-hide-the-hand behaviour. Some of us grow out of it, but in the case of Taylor Swift, the need to always PUBLICLY be the good girl, to always take the opportunity to play the victim and milk that sympathy, is strong. Because that's what gets you results. It was so easy to milk this, I'm sure TayTay didn't consciously think twice about it. It was a no-brainer who America would support. It's only now that we are shaken out of our apathy a bit and getting a tiny bit more aware (and also thanks to the nation's pettiest Valley girl, Kim Kardashian West, who sat on her revenge for months until it could be served deliciously cold -- I've got to admit my admiration for her methods and motives) that we are reminded of how psychologically attitudes are deliberately constructed and entrenched in our society. Anyhoo I sound as annoyingly precious as Lena Dunham so I'm going to stop. As for Wendy Williams, she's always been off. The lack of food got to her brain.

I WISH this idiot had some shame in her game. Creeping into that photo shoot, pretending like she's been hanging with these women for months talking women's issues. She's about to pounce on an unsuspecting Emma Stone and make a beeline for Reese Witherspoon. It's so obvious she doesn't give a F*** about anything involving sexual harrassment/abuse. She just wants an 'in' with the cool Hollywood squad again. I assume it's because it used to be so easy to make the black person look like the angry ranting unhinged one, and the white girl like the poor widdle victim. Nobody asked why someone might be angry in the first place. I remember the drip-drip-drip of media attacks against Kanye West after TayGate, speculating that he was unhinged, bipolar etc. Wendy Williams still calls him the Mad Man. In actual fact, Kanye wasn't even angry at Taylor, he was probably somewhat drunk. And he picked the wrong moment. He interrupted Taylor Swift's victory lap and her fake modesty and her thanks to all her famous friends. How dare he?? Thanks to Yeezus, he saved us from yet another excruciating acceptance speech from Perky McFakePerson. He should be applauded. And I do applaud his wife for showing the receipts and exposing TayTay in 2016. Back to Becky Lena, I'm especially mad that Lena's quickly-timed passive-aggressive boo-hoo poor-me press statement she issued was designed to force some kind of... if not apology from Tessa, then at least force her to backtrack on her statement. What Tessa said initially about Lena's presence being a surprise was totally appropriate and the truth. She shouldn't have to re-explain her words. Also I assumed the "highly personal reasons" Lena cited for not initially participating in #TimesUp was the fact that everybody was shunning her ass. It turns out she also released a statement yesterday that she and her BF broke up. Boo hoo! Look at me! I'm the victim!

With ATL I appreciate that the tripledoublecrosses have been on screen and that everybody acknowledges them. That's what people do in real life. On BH or NJ, a lot of stuff happens bts and that's what drives me nuts. The HWs start talking obliquely and around stuff. I like that people like Nene, Kenya and even Kim bring it to the table and lay it all out there. That social media roachfest Brielle pulled a few months ago? I'm willing to bet Nene is going to bring that mess up on the show, and I am here for it. I do think there are some true-blue friendships on ATL, and that would be Nene-Cynthia and Kenya-Cynthia. They hang out off-season. Too bad Cynthia's story is such a bore this year! With BH, I question whether LVP & Kyle are actually friends. Their interactions seem a bit scripted for camera. Both of them need backup after Kyle lost Cujo Kim and LVP alienated most of the cast. Old-time fans apparently loved their friendship so they feel the have to keep delivering it. As for Dorit/Erika, talk about strategic. But yes, I miss the old friendships. I think LVP-Brandi was a real friendship until Brandi became Yolanda's flying monkey. Personally, I'm not that thrilled with the casting on this show which has been showing diminishing returns in recent seasons. If Camille and Adrienne are coming back, they need to COME BACK for real. I am sad that Kathy Hilton never said yes to join the show as her palpable hatred of Kyle was glorious and that sisterly relationship is as real as it gets. I am even sadder that the late Jackie Collins is no longer on this earth. She lived in Beverly Hills. She would have been great on BH, with the audience following her on her book tour or looking in on her gossip sessions with friends and acquaintances. Plus Joan popping in on regular visits. Jackie would have been great at reality, because she was always comfortable with being herself and larger than life -- her sister Joan Collins is actually much shyer IRL. Jackie's tagline could have been "If you intrigue me enough, I *MAY* put you in my next blockbuster!" with a toss of her hair. She would have also intimidated the great LVP and that snob Erika. Anyway, I am getting OT. Long story short: BH needs a boost, and the Kemsleys ain't it. You... you... have not watched the early seasons of NYC?? Please PLEASE do yourself the biggest favor of your life and watch Seasons 1-5 if you can! They are glorious! I love them and when repeats come on where I am, I DVR them because they are that watchable. People talk about Ramonja but as far as I'm concerned, Luann & Sonja was the friendship that transcended the fact they were in different cliques. BTW, Dorinda appeared on S4 in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment -- one of Jill's charity functions, and she was seated next to Ramona. She's been friends with both for some years, and I think she's known Lu for a while too. What I love about Dorinda is her incredible compassion for all the women, even the ones she has beef with. This is her strength. Last season Bethenny & Dorinda had a fight in Mexico, but you could tell that while that was going on, Dorinda understood Bethenny's anger and where she was coming from. Dorinda also understands that sometimes you can leave fights and resentments behind after a big blow-up.

Agreed. I mean, I do think she has let the 'fame' go to her head and is completely delusional for real. But as far as all the onscreen stuff? She is playing a role. Looking for a fight. Trying to be the centre of the drama. Yes, I think a shorter season packed with less filler is the way to go. The only exception I would make to a longer season would be NY seasons 2 and 3. It was long but it was PACKED with greatness. Production couldn't afford to leave anything out. NJ: I am absolutely on the Caroline train and I know why you are suggesting Jacqueline... because her relationship with Danielle was particularly intense. However, Jacq burned that bridge with S8. She's another special-snowflake delulu who thinks she's the star of the show and every tantrum is TV gold. And when it comes to the big showdowns, she has no balls. She always walks out in a huff to go sit in her car or is a no-show.

Lena Dunham is back, unfortunately. This weekend amid all the Golden Globes stuff, she showed up at a #TimesUp event and shoehorned herself into the photo of the activists and actresses. Then she posted the pic on her IG with this caption: "Humbled to stand alongside these amazing women and say #TIMESUPon systemic oppression, underrepresentation, discrimination, abuse and violence in all industries. 🖤" This chick is shameless! Piggybacking on other people's work and then swooping in at the end to take credit for it. She called Aurore Perrineau a liar when she went to the police about her rape! Has she apologized to her since? And yes, I know that Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon are there too, and they are problematic also. Anyway, Tessa Thompson, who has been involved with #TimesUp since it started, responded to questions on her social media about Lena's inclusion in the picture with this: “Lena was not anywhere present in our group during the countless hours of work for the last two months. We hosted an open house for the actresses for red carpet messaging and Lena presence was a surprise to us all. This is a time of reckoning. And for many, a re-education. So many women also have real work to do. I’m afraid it’s too nuanced a conversation to have on this platform. But I hear you, and know that your thoughts and words are not lost on me. It’s been discussed.” Ever one to jump on an opportunity to have the media talking about her, Lena issued this statement 0.03 seconds afterwards: “I was honored to be invited to the meeting by a close friend and to observe the work that these amazing women have been doing the past few months. For highly personal reasons, I’ve been unable to join previous efforts but being asked to be a part of this celebratory moment was truly beautiful. I’ve worked with Tessa and respect her artistry and admire her consistent candor.” So then Tessa was put in the position of posting this: https://twitter.com/TessaThompson_x/status/950671186735742976 Will Lena ever stop promoting herself and acting like the world revolves around her ass? This snowflake outstayed her welcome ages ago!

Totally. The PSA apart, the show feels contrived, disconnected and with no heart. No one's heart seems in it this year. For me, i would say Dallas was the revelation last year. NY -- the true-blue relationships between the ladies make this show my fave (and yes Luann and Dorinda are love!) OC -- horrendous. Cancellation worthy. NJ -- better than the last 2 seasons but... does anyone here miss Caroline Manzo? The show lost something when she left which it has never recovered. ATL -- missing its old magic. It feels a little lost and scripted and by numbers. BH -- looks like a carbon copy of last season. And that was not a vintage year. Btw Yolanda Hadid's new show Making the Model starts on Thursday. Just an fyi.

Teresa open to a more expansive role?? For sure they are closing!

It may be too early in the season to call it but I think Dorit may be getting the bitch edit, not Rinna. Or MAYBE there is no bitch edit and these idiots just do it to themselves? Certainly Dorit has been set up to be the main character this season. She was in almost every scene this episode. How much money must the Kemsleys be spending. On the ridiculously expensive Hermes china, the 24-hour nannies, the assistants, Dorit's hair and makeup posse, launching her swimwear line, renting that appalling McMansion and Bentley? I feel like any minute now PK and Dorit are going to steal out of the backdoor in the middle of the night while their creditors (+ Boy George) try to break down the front gate, hiding out in the UK or Israel and reinventing themselves again. Dorit & PK = the new TayShanna & Russell.

NJ isn't over yet? Siggy is still talking about Hitluh? That's what I felt too. I wonder if she cannot empathise with people outside her own realm of experience. Like she seemed unable to empathise with Erika for never having known her father, for the simple reason that Teddi's dad was more or less in her life. I don't believe you necessarily need to have lived something to be able to empathise, you know? I felt she was a little judgey of Erika because of that. She was also judgey of Dorit & PK but that is understandable. They were showing their ass this episode and are clearly frauds.

BH: Not really liking Dorit so far this season. Yes, she has amazing hair. Yes, she had an incredible David-and-Goliath moment in Hong Kong last year. But PK is still a pig. That rented McMansion is ugly. This whole Kemsley situation is a house of cards about to crumble imo. And showing off not just the Hermes packaging of your dinner service but also the SALES RECEIPT is tacky as f. I think I disliked Dorit this episode more than Rinna, which is saying something. I enjoyed Rinna and LVP's banter together at the horse show, especially the bit about Rinna needing to go to church. Rinna and LVP could make a great pair but they won't. Because LVP does not trust Rinna (I don't think anybody on this show trusts Rinna with anything), and Rinna cannot stand LVP judging by her oh-so-spontaneous 'first time' viewing of S1 RHOBH on her Instagram stories. I am surprised how traditional Teddi is coming across regarding women & babies. I like Teddi for being upfront and making up her own mind about things and having her own views which run counter to some of the 'oh so cool' pronouncements made by the other women. But I think she may have difficulty empathising with people outside her own realm of experience. Like when Erika had to apologise for making Teddi uncomfortable for mentioning the father she never knew?? Did I hear that right? That was an odd moment. I can't believe Kyle went to Croatia and all we saw of it was her Face-Timing Rinna? Couldn't she have provided some footage of her vacation? So weird seeing her house renovations and knowing she didn't want to leave her BH home in light of the massive robbery that happened on their new Encino property. Apparently the Umanskys forgot to set the alarm on their place and now all her jewellery and bags are gone as well as his watches. I wonder if they will sell off the Encino manse once renovations there are complete and just stay in their now-redone BH home. Next week: Tokyo! The city that made me fall in love with all things Asian. I hope they do it justice but I fear we will get lots of loud "EW RAW FISH" jokes while polite Japanese folk look on, appalled. lol Yep! Even Rinner! Actually I would never wish bad things on her, or any of the HWs. Even Witchy-Poo Carleton, who apparently is being sued by an assistant/nanny who I think is Elizy, her sex dungeon participant from S5. Looks like Carleton has been on a downward spiral with booze, and her hubby is now divorcing her. Now she's turning physically on her 'assistant.' Talk about a bad year for many HWs. Next thing you know, we are going to have Bethenny unable to fit in her 6 yr old's pajamas, and it will be a full-scale meltdown. http://tamaratattles.com/2017/12/27/carlton-gebbia-sued-by-longtime-housekeeper-nanny-for-abuse/

Well, if she's friends with that professional hustler/blackmailer.... Rinna needs better chums lol. The timing of this is most interesting. BH is done with principal filming but Reunion hasn't filmed yet. Erika, Dorit and Teddi won't care about this, but Kyle, LVP and possibly Camille will. Sounds like Rinna is trying to do some instigating herself. Mostly to antagonize LVP who doesn't seem to be bothering much with Rinna this season. This makes me wish they'd bring back Taylor for s9 because it looks like Rinna is targeting her too. The sad thing is Rinna talking about the White Party, shrieking that she was there, however I doubt she would be an honoured guest this year, even if production does lean on Kyle to invite her. Rinna annoys me so much when she does these things lmao. She's trying to stay relevant by doing this, almost like she wishes she was part of the early seasons of BH. IA it really was lightening in a bottle and I loved all these women's relationships. You could tell most were pals before filming. In fact I think Kyle recommended Camille, LVP and possibly Taylor to join. My fave moment by far was the dinner party from hell. Truly unexpected, unscripted magic where production just filmed these women going off. And yes Camille was perfection. Smart and shady. Kyle was totally outmatched. My feeling was that Camille blew the lid open.on the Taylor abuse secret in a way that no-one anticipated. Taylor spent the rest of the season trying to cover it. My feeling was that it was the truth, otherwise Russell wouldn't have threatened Camille with a lawsuit. He totally panicked, especially because he was doing dodgy things with other people's money. TayShanna and Russell were both grifters, not just trying to hide his abuse, but trying to avoid jail time for fraud. That was the real reason for his suicide, I believe. Happy New Year, RH fans. Hope 2018 is better than 2017!

@DaytimeFan @Nothin'ButAttitude so I broke down and went over to Rinna's IG to check out her story about S1 BH... Her latest story doesn't seem too hateful, she's talking about Kyle's 'famous' White Party and LVP barely gets mentioned. Maybe I missed the earlier ones where she spent more time hating on Vanderpump. Anyhoo, just wanted to say It looks relatively innocuous -- for now -- and LVP is still following Rinna on Instagram. I still dont believe this is the first time Rinna has watched these early seasons, though. I trust she'll be graduating onto S2 and Russell's suicide shortly. Kind of hard to make jokes about that, though. I don't think she's talked about "YOU STOLE MY GODDAMN HOUSE!" "YOU'RE SICK AND AN ALCOHOLIC!" yet either. Lord help us when she does.

Sounds like she already hates LVP and is projecting those feelings on her S1 viewing (which I don't believe she has never watched before). Apparently she hates Kyle too lol. Is it worth watching her IG would you say? I love S1 but I don't know if I want to see a constant barrage of LVP hate. Imo she was golden that season.

While her statement is partly for PR and for the court, I hope that the whole thing is a wakeup call for her. For a long time I was a supporter of Luann's lust for life and fun. I was definitely Team Luann when Heather, Carole and later Bethenny tried to slut-shame her. Even with the pirate, there was a certain hilarious veneer of elegance to Luann's game. She found him so gorgeous lol. But this latest incident has illustrated a darkness in Luann's life ever since the Count divorced her; she had something with Jacques but he could be quite mocking, Parisian, and cold. I'm not sure he gave her the validation or status she wanted. Since then, she's made terrible choices in men (never mind Tom -- who could forget that coked up psycho Rey?). Its been a a couple of steps downward for her, a bit like Lily Bart in Edith Wharton's novel The House of Mirth. It reflects on her self esteem issues as she grasps helplessly at any guy who promises her good time. She can do better but I don't think she realises that -- yet. Rehab might not be a bad thing either. There is enjoying your drink, and then there is locking the bathroom door as your drunk friend tries to distract the policeman while you flush the coke down the toilet. Just speculating, but I can't be the only one who thought that when I read that part of the report. I admire her for doing this while RHONY is filming, and for apologizing to the police. You know that apart from Dorinda and possibly Tinsley, the others have a giant opportunity to dine out on this. I feel like Carole and Bethenny are so protected by their friendship with Andy Cohen that they are audience-hate-proof. And I can definitely imagine the bitchy talking heads from both of them. I hope they have empathy for Lu in a "where but for the grace of God go I" kind of way. Ramona tho...

That is called 'posting pics of everybody in Aspen on Instagram, and the burglars targeting rich, famous socialites knowing that's a good time to drop by.' Def sounds like an inside job linked to either the staff or the workmen. They knew exactly where to go. Plus the alarm was not on. I don't think either Kyle or Mauricio are dumb enough to leave for vacation without turning on the alarm. Which means someone disabled it. I feel bad for the Umanskys. Having your home trespassed and burglarized is a violation. You feel unsafe in your own home, exposed, and as if the place has become contaminated by a faceless enemy. Still, thank goodness no-one was home when they broke in. Kyle has her kids and her husband safe and that is by far the most important thing. Watches are replaceable! Especially if you have contents insurance.

I think Adrienne has been burned badly by what happened in S3. She shouldn't have lied and said outright in interviews that she gave birth to her kids when she is plainly 50+ years old, but she got exposed publicly and it signaled the death knell of her marriage too. She is a bit of a control freak so I imagine even being a FOH is out of her comfort zone. When Camille relives her Club MTV dancer days, it is so amazing. I notice Kyle ALWAYS comments snarkily on her dancing, but I think she is just jealous because nobody is noticing her whipping her hair or doing the splits in the corner. Sigh. The Camille vs Kyle rivalry! I know Camille was meant to be the most hated HW but I was so Team Camille S1! I can't believe I missed that A+, gold star, elegant shade! It's like the old Camille came back for a second. "The morally-corrupt Faye Resnick." Faye should have showed up on this Vegas trip too! When Adrienne walked into the room, I was shocked at the aura she projected, like that of a little old lady. The cat-lady work could be part of that. Dorit is laying it on thick with the Erika love, and it is so odd given how much Erika targeted her last season. If Teddi won't kiss Erika's ass, she might not be here next season. Sigh, I still say Kathryn should have been given another chance.

I'm glad you weren't horribly affected by this -- it's hard news to take. Yes, I also have been drifting away from kpop. This death and TOP's treatment by so-called fans and YG really highlight the dark side of this industry and the society over there. I keep up with EXO and maybe a few other songs but the Twice/BTS stuff driving kpop at the moment doesn't do much for me.

RHoBH: I found this latest episode rather slow-going. When Erika's Gestapo dominatrix outfit, and Lisa Rinna in a procession of bikinis, are the talking points of the episode, you know it's not going to be a banner one. Still, it's early days. Also, Adrienne and Camille were there but they barely got a look-in! The show really has drifted from some of its original roots.

I'm sorry not to have mentioned anything to you, Cheap. TBH when I found out last week, it hit me hard, and I was kind of in shock for the whole week. He was a lovely guy, his sweetness and vulnerability really came through his performances and interviews, and in his solo music. Hearing about his struggle with depression and feelings of failure... he was so talented a shining talent, and yet felt like he was worthless! I am finding that especially hard to accept. Seeing his SHINee bandmates and fellow SM idols at the funeral on the news was especially painful. I kept away from online forums as a result, including this place. So please forgive me for not breaking the news to you beforehand. How are you doing? I know it must have been a shock. These idols live under immense pressure from their companies and the fans who criticise them... it's not an enviable life, is it. I hope you are doing ok -- it's an awful shock, I know.

Since Lu was totally dickmatized by Tomcat, I assume you are talking about Lizzie & Christian. And if so, I totally missed that exchange. The story she was selling was that they had a scorching sex life, interrupted only by the toddler terrors they had, but clearly I snoozed through that scene you mention!