Hey there, good afternoon, welcome to the Phile for a Thursday. How are you? I feel like I just blew a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl. I haven't seen a lead blown that badly since Hillary's 2016 campaign.
Speaking of the Super Bowl... Lady Gaga's been insanely popular for a while now, as anyone who watched Sunday's Super Bowl half time show started to remember as she blasted through a medley of mega hits from the last decade. By 2012, she was already famous enough for the "Simpsons" to envision her inevitable Super Bowl performance. Since Lady Gaga voiced herself in the episode, maybe it's unfair to say the "Simpsons" "predicted" her performance. Maybe they just inspired her.
So in case you missed that episode of the "Simpsons" from five years ago, and the Super Bowl half time show, here's a side to side comparison.
Sunday's show had just less boob glitter.
In her first official taped statement since President Donald Trump's yuuuuuge, record-breaking inauguration, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just reminded everyone that she's still as feminist as ever. HRC recorded the statement in support of MAKERS, a feminist leadership conference happening this week in California. The theme of the gathering this year is #BEBOLD, and hey, it doesn't get much bolder than being the first woman to run for president of the United States, so Clinton was a fitting choice. In the MAKERS video, Hillary Clinton gave a shoutout to the women's marches that took place worldwide in January, saying, "Just look at the amazing energy we saw last month as women organized a march that galvanized millions of people all over our country and across the world." Clinton encouraged women to "step up and speak out. We need you to dare greatly and lead boldly." Even after all she's been through, her takeaway message was strong and hopeful, "I remain convinced that yes, the future is female." After the election, most Hillary Clinton sightings occurred deep in the woods of rural New York, but she's been busy behind the scenes, working on new books and speaking engagements. Plus that whole supporting her old rival at his inauguration thing. Good to see Hillary Clinton back in the feminist empowerment game.
Amidst all the talk about Nordstrom dropping Ivanka Trump merchandise altogether comes news that T.J. Maxx and Marshall's are no longer pushing any of their Ivanka Trump-branded merchandise, according to the (not really failing) "New York Times." A note they obtained from TJX, the parent company of both retailers, instructs employees to mix all the items from any current Ivanka Trump displays in with the “runs" (meaning the clothing on the racks) and to straight up throw any signs for Ivanka Trump merchandise into the trash. A spokesperson for TJX, Doreen Thompson, told the "Times" via email, "The communication was intended to instruct stores to mix this line of merchandise into our racks, not to remove it from the sales floor. We offer a rapidly changing selection of merchandise for our customers, and brands are featured based on a number of factors." But an employee for one of the companies said that in the several years she worked for them, she'd never before received instructions to throw away a brand's signs. Just saying, this doesn't bode well for the future of Ivanka Trump's business with TJX.
A new memoir by Judy Garland's late ex-husband, movie producer Sid Luft, includes a disturbing allegation: Garland was reportedly molested by the actors who played the Munchkins in 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. "People" reported an excerpt of the book, which will be published posthumously in March. "They would make Judy's life miserable on set by putting their hands under her dress... The men were 40- or more years-old," said Luft. Garland was 16 at the time. "They thought they could get away with anything because they were so small." As both "People" and the Huffington Post point out, Judy Garland once gave an interview with Jack Paar, in which she described the actors as "little drunks... they got smashed every night..." Besides that interview, which was lighthearted in tone... if cringeworthy and offensive by today's standards... Garland does not herself seem to have ever leveled any accusations of sexual violence against the actors. In 2009, two of the actors who played Munchkins told The Independent that the Hollywood legends about their group's behavior... of drunken and debaucherous antics... were untrue. "There was no rowdiness or anything like that, and those stories are very upsetting," said Jerry Maren, who played one of the "Lollipop Guild" that sang upon Dorothy's arrival to Oz. Luft and Garland were married in 1952, 13 years after Garland starred in The Wizard of Oz. Their divorce in 1965 included accusations against Luft by Garland of domestic violence and abuse.
While the Wizard of Oz is on my mind they are remaking it, and I have an exclusive screen shot never before seen before.
Here's another one...
That's so stupid. That's as stupid as this...
Haha. Since Trump has been President he's been writing a lot of executive orders. Today he did another...
I have idea what that is. So, I saw this pic of Kellyann Conway...
And it reminded me of something. And then it hit me.
Hehehehehe. Hey, wanna do something fun? Turn your computer upside down.
Hahahahahahahahaha. Oh, my. I'm literally crying. Hahahahaha. Shit. Alright, moving on... there's a new international choking symbol that just came out. Here's the old one...
And here's the new one...
And did you see what the official drink of the Atlanta Falcons is?
Haha. I liked how they had Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy come out before the game...
Ha. So, there's so many Trump products out there... some are not that flattering. Like the "Make Donald Drumpf Again" caps...
Valentine's Day is next Tuesday and if you don't know what to get your loved one I am here to help. How about this?
Flowers die but unicorns are forever, especially plush ones. The Plush Unicorn Bouquet comes with a herd of 11 little plush unicorns in a bouquet wrapping. Each unicorn is on a stem, like a flower except way cooler, and of course they can be detached and placed anywhere you want. My sister Lucy would love that. And here's a real vintage Valentine you can print out...
A love so thick you can cut it with a knife. Okay, so you know I live in Florida, right? Well, there's some crazy stuff that happens in Florida that happens no where else in the Universe. That's why I have a pheature called...
One restaurant in Florida is doing its part to help women escape bad dates. A discreet sign in the restroom of Iberian Rooster in St. Petersburg gives instructions on how women who feel unsafe on a date can discreetly ask a bartender for help. "Are you on a date that isn't going well?" the sign reads. "Is your Tinder or Plenty of Fish date not who they said they were on their profile?" "Do you feel unsafe, or even just a tad bit weird?" the sign continues. It then instructs them to order an angel shot. If customers order an angel shot neat, a bartender will escort them to their car. If they order it with ice, the bartender will call an Uber or taxi for them. And if they order it with a lime, the restaurant will call the police. "The goal for this place was to be a safe place where people can go on a romantic date," owner Russell Andrade told the "Tampa Bay Times." "We don't want someone else to ruin a good a time." Iberian Rooster isn't the first establishment to come up with a code like this. A bar in London posted a similar sign in its restroom, and Andrade and his staff were inspired by this one at another bar in the U.K., which went viral on social media. Andrade said that, thankfully, no customers have had to order the angel shot yet. "I'm surprised to hear people are just talking about this," he said. "We didn't put the sign up for any attention. That sort of goes against the point."
If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. Okay, it's a few days after the Super Bowl and it's time to talk to my good friend Jeff about it. So, for the last time this season, it's...
Me: Hey there, Jeff, welcome back to the Phile to talk football for the last time of the season. How are you?
Jeff: Hey, Jason. Always great to be back here on the Phile. I'm surviving. How's about you?
Me: I'm happy, which is rare. Haha. Okay, so, that was a pretty good game on Sunday... I can't believe the Falcons gave up a 25-point lead. Were you surprised?
Jeff: We saw history on Sunday. It was the first Super Bowl to go into overtime. Am I surprised that the Falcons choked? Yup. That was a horrible second half collapse.
Me: Myself and a lot of other people think that the NFL wanted to Patriots to win... and wanted the game over when it went into half time. Clearly James White's knee was down before the ball crossed the goal line. Am I wrong to think that? Take a look...
Jeff: I agree that his knee was down. But it would have been third and goal from the 1. The Falcons defense didn't look like they could stop them in the 4th quarter or overtime. I'm not going to say there was a conspiracy. I think the last thing Commissioner Goodell wanted to do was hand the trophy to Brady. Not after the last two years.
Me: Good point. So, did you hear that stores in Atlanta started to fill the shelves with Falcons Super Bowl Champs gear and then had to take it down and throw it away?
Jeff: I honestly can't blame the stores. No team had come back from more than a 10 point deficit. Let alone a 25-point one! The good news is third world countries will get those awesome Falcons Super Bowl LI championship shirts and hats now. Way to go!
Me: And I thought this was funny... someone stole Brady's game worn jersey from the locker room. Who would want his fucking jersey? Hahaha.
Jeff: Sadly there are a lot of people that would have wanted his jersey. I know staunch defenders of Brady and the whole team. Not to mention the President is a YUGE fan of theirs.
Me: So, what did you think of the game, Jeff?
Jeff: It was a tale of two halves. Atlanta dominated the first half. New England controlled the second half. Say what you will but that Edelman catch was one of the greatest catches in NFL history.
Me: I agree with that. Did any commercials stand out to you? None did to me except the one from Honda with the year books. I loved that one.
Jeff: The year book commercial was good. The John Malkovich one was good. I did enjoy the Christopher Walken Justin Timberlake one as well. My favorite would probably be the Terry Bradshaw has a stain on his shirt commercial. But there wasn't anything that really blew me away this year.
Me: Okay, I mentioned the Lady Gaga half time show in the monologue how "The Simpson's" "predicted" her Super Bowl performance. What did you think of that performance? I thought it was okay.
Jeff: I'm not a fan of Lady Gaga. I can tell you maybe four of her songs. So honestly, I didn't watch the half time show. I had it on mute and I did some other work instead.
Me: Alright, so, we both predicted the Falcons to win and they didn't so none of us got points for the Super Bowl... so, should I now congratulate you for winning this season?
Jeff: I beat you by 4 wins and a total of 10 points thanks to two more Steeler wins as well. The final score was 65-55. I compared it to last season's numbers. We both did much better this year. You only had 42 points last season. I didn't do much better than you last season with 46 points.
Me: Congrats. Well, this was a great season, wasn't it? We'll do it again later in the year with the 7th season we did this... I will call it Phootball Talk with Jeff: Touchdown. Cool, right? Seventh year? Get it.
Jeff: I see what you did there. It gives me time to come up with a great logo for next season.
Me: Alright, I will have you back here soon when your next book comes out... are you working on it now?
Jeff: Yes, I am working on my next book. If you can believe it, I'm working on a kid's book. I can't even believe that!
Me: Very cool. Take care, Jeff, I will talk to you soon.
Jeff: See you later, everybody!
When Cate Barrett bought a jar of tikka masala sauce from her local Asda store, she was expecting it to contain a bit of a kick. But what she wasn't expecting to find was the dead mouse which had somehow ended up in the jar... along with the rest of her favorite sauce. The nursery worker had begun making dinner for herself and her boyfriend, Nigel, when she poured the sauce into the pan, and noticed it was a little lumpy. As she began stirring the sauce through, she noticed what looked like whiskers and a tail... and immediately knew it was a dead rodent. The couple took the dead animal and the jar of Asda Extra Special sauce back to the shop where a manager apologized and said it would be sent for examination.
Ack. I hope you weren't reading when you read that. So, my son and I were talking about the times when he was little we used to watch "Sesame Street" together. Well, since then the show has changed a bit...
It's 5:35pm, 81° and Kelly's doctor accidentally diagnosed her with cancer. The 2006 Grammy Awards ceremony was an emotional experience for Kelly, and not just because she won two awards. Kelly recently told Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast that she had gotten some really, really bad medical results the morning of her first Grammy Awards. As if she weren't already nervous enough about the show, her doctor called that morning to let her know a test had come back positive for cancer. "I was told that morning that I had cancerous results for something. Here’s the horrible part: I went the whole day crying. They redid my makeup, like, four times because I was like, ‘Wow, so young.’ I was just completely freaking out. Then when I won, I thought, ‘Oh, my God. This is like God giving me one more thing before something horrible happens.’” Somehow Kelly was able to make it through not just her acceptance speeches, but a performance of her hit song, "Because of You." Now here's the craziest part... apparently Kelly goes to the doctor from "Arrested Development" because the day after the show, the doctor called and told her the diagnosis was a "mix-up." “I was like, ‘You completely ruined my entire [Grammy awards experience]. The first time for an artist… as a kid watching the Grammys, that was a big dream! It was kind of the worst/greatest day. And the next day was also the worst/greatest day because I wanted to punch someone. I was like, ‘Who mixes up results? Why wouldn’t you test again?’ It was very much a roller coaster ride, that day, for me. So, it’s kind of unfortunate, but a lot of the moments got stolen from that mishap. But hey, I didn’t have cancer!” Hopefully Kelly got a new doctor after this experience.
The Oscars are in a few weeks so leading up to it I thought it would be fun to give you some Oscar facts you can share at your Oscars party. Actresses go under a lot of stress to choose the right outfit to step into the red carpet. What's the big deal? The red carpet at the Kodak Theatre, where the ceremony is held, is about 500 feet long and 33 feet wide. In this 500 feet long space there are over 100 photographers and almost 300 TV press members, including camera operators, audio technicians and other crew members.
Richard Hatch
May 21st, 1945 — February 7th, 2017
Down the... well, you know.
Irwin Corey
July 29th, 1914 — February 6th, 2017
They called him "The World's Foremost Authority." No idea for what.
Alright, today's pheatured guest is a Canadian singer/songwriter whose new album 'Coffee House" is available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile the lovely Katie Bulley.
Me: Hello, Katie, welcome to the Phile. How are you?
Katie: I’m feeling groovy, thanks.
Me: Katie, you're from Canada, am I right? What part?
Katie: The part by the Great Lakes.
Me: So, I ask all my Canadian guests if they are a fan of one of my favorite bands from Canada... Barenaked Ladies. So, are you a fan of > theres?
Katie: I haven’t heard a full album so I guess I wouldn’t know.
Me: Being from Hamilton, I am betting you know Adam Bentley... am I right?
Katie: Kind of!?
Me: Did you ever hear his band The Rest? I had him on the Phile years ago when he was in that band.
Katie: Yeah, we we’re on the same bill at The Lyric Theatre in 2013.
Me: I also believe you did some shows with another Phile Alum... Amber Edgar... am I right?
Katie: No… I'm reading Earnest Hemingway… and I have a long list of authors I'd like to get to before I even consider Edgar Allen Poe.
Me: Ummm... okay. So, you have only been a musician for the last 11 years, as long as I have been doing the Phile. What were you doing before that?
Katie: I loved theatre and acting camps. I had a few gigs through school and an agency but I was mainly a dancer. My sister and I were blessed with a strong generous single mother who supported our dreams (without child support!) Hi, mom!
Me: What made you decide to be a musician?
Katie: Probably the encouragement I received when playing to others.
Me: How old were you when you started to play guitar, Katie?
Katie: Seventeen or eighteen. My friends were over and one of them had a guitar. They went outside for a smoke and I asked him if I could try it out. I quickly picked it up by ear so I saved up to get my own.
Me: You have a great singing voice... did you sing growing up?
Katie: Thanks... I think everyone sings growing up, but not everyone wants to develop their voice.
Me: Who were your influences?
Katie: A lot of 90s pop artists, my favorite CD was "Tragic Kingdom" by No Doubt.
Me: Before you were a solo performer you were in an all-female band called The Barettas. Where did that name come from?
Katie: A woman with a frozen pie came to me in a nightmare and said, "You are Barettas with an A." Just kidding, I’m just a bad speller.
Me: Did you like being in a band?
Katie: The majority of the time it was fun but I feel creatively liberated now.
Me: What happened to the band, did you guys break up?
Katie: Yes. I’ve put out 3 albums since then.
Me: What kinda music did The Barettas do?
Katie: We couldn't decide.
Me: I have to mention I saw a cool pic of you smoking... and when I say cool, I mean smoking is not cool and you should stop but the photo is a pretty cool shot. I have to show it here...
Me: Do you ever worry smoking is gonna ruin your wonderful voice or don't you smoke that much?
Katie: I’ve been off and on for a long time. I was never a heavy smoker and I’ve always been very in tune with my body, taking breaks when the time was right. Currently it’s been 8 months I’ve been smoke-free. So no need to worry, thank you though.
Me: When you started playing guitar you were busking, right?
Katie: When I started, I was going to open mics and jamming with friends. I went busking two summers ago.
Me: What was that like? Were you scared to do that? Did anybody ever give you grief or bother you?
Katie: It was alright. The only thing that bothered me was not seeing the footage random photographers were taking.
Me: Did you do originals when you busked or covers?
Katie: I mostly tested out new songs.
Me: You recorded your first album in Memphis at Sun Studios? How did you end up there?
Katie: Yes, that’s correct. I think it was my love for Elvis that got me there.
Me: What was that experience like?
Katie: It was like going back in time and jumping into the silver screen. Very surreal.
Me: Was Tennessee the first U.S. state you ever went to?
Katie: It was New York!
Me: Ever been to Florida?
Katie: Not yet. I hear it’s nice down by the Keys.
Me: So, a few months ago you released your third CD "Coffee House." I love this CD... it's just you and an acoustic guitar, right?
Katie: Yes, and harmonicas.
Me: I I love your version of Robert Johnson's "32-20." I wanna hear you do "Terraplane Blues" or "Sweet Home Chicago." You know when Johnson wrote "Sweet Home Chicago" he thought it was in California. Anyway, what made you chose that song?
Katie: Keith Richards.
Me: Are you a fan of the blues, Katie?
Katie: Sometimes.
Me: Did you write all the other songs on the album?
Katie: Every syllable.
Me: There's one song called "In the Catskills." Ever been to the Catskills? I grew up on Long Island, New York but never made it up there.
Katie: Yes, it’s a beautiful place.
Me: What was the inspiration for that song?
Katie: Looking for cheap thrills.
Me: What's the best thing to do up there?
Katie: I wouldn’t know, I was just passing through.
Me: So, where was "Coffee House" recorded? Was it recorded in a coffee house?
Katie: In a Canadian home.
Me: Where did the title come from then?
Katie: Sometimes, an open mic is called a coffee house and I felt the songs had that raw vibe to them.
Me: I love the album cover... where was it taken? The pics on the wall are pretty cool.
Katie: Thanks, it was taken in Hamilton, Ontario by Amber Edgar.
Me: I saw you did a video a few years ago with famed photographer Bob Gruen... he's known for being John Lennon and Yoko's photographer... I think he took the famous pic of Lennon with the New York City t-shirt. How did you meet him and get to work with him, Katie?
Katie: He did take that photograph, and he gave him that shirt to. Working with someone like him is all about timing, co-operation, temperament, and common interests.
Me: What was it like shooting all over NYC?
Katie: I felt like a tourist until I got to Bob's studio rooftop. It was the reward after all the leg work was done.
Me: So, do you think you'll be making any videos for this new album?
Katie: I’d prefer to work with a professional, but I might try again.
Me: Alright, so, any big plans for this year, Katie?
Katie: Humongous… ly planning to work hard.
Me: Thanks so much for being on the Phile... I am a big fan and I hope this was fun. Go ahead and mention your websites and I hope you'll come back again soon.
Katie: Katiebulley.com.
Me: All the best, take care, and no more smoking. Hahaha.
Katie: I’ll try my best.
That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to my guests Jeff Trelewicz and of course Katie Bulley. The Phile will be back Sunday with singer Spencer Anthony. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.
Not if it pleases me. No, you can't stop me, not if it pleases me. - Graham Parker
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