Salon.com > David Marchese http://www.salon.com Wed, 30 May 2012 06:12:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 The secret life of pimple poppers http://www.salon.com/2010/06/16/pimple_popping/ http://www.salon.com/2010/06/16/pimple_popping/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:37:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life//feature/2010/06/15/pimple_popping I have a friend with whom I often discuss things I don't discuss with anyone else. Bowel movements, infections, bodily fungi -- it's all fair game with him. But just the other day, I mentioned that I'd popped a large pimple on my back. A back-juicer, I called it. "Dude," my friend said to me, "that's gross."

On one hand, I understood. On the other, who hasn't popped a pimple? Who doesn't get a painful little prick of satisfaction from doing so? I didn't see why my revelation deserved such a disgusted reaction. In our current gross-out moment, when Lady Gaga's labia can become water cooler fodder, when Tiger Woods' golden shower-related texts are read by millions, and when there are popular websites -- and best-selling books -- devoted to excrement, pimples reside firmly in the socially radioactive TMI zone. Discuss at your own peril.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/06/16/pimple_popping/feed/ 28 Tales of the other Tony http://www.salon.com/2007/06/11/tonys_2/ http://www.salon.com/2007/06/11/tonys_2/#comments Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:18:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2007/06/11/tonys Crowds of beautiful people decked out in gorgeous clothing. Music. Dancing. Yes, one of New York's most vibrant communities threw itself an amazing party Sunday night. Unfortunately, the Puerto Rican Day parade was ending just as I was due to take my place on the Tony awards red carpet and await the arrival of luminaries like Donnie Osmond and Doogie Howser.

Bigger stars than Donnie and Doogie also strolled down the ruby rug, but the truth is, the Tonys, Broadway's big toast to itself, are a decidedly low-wattage event. For every star who strolls into Radio City Music Hall accompanied by a chorus of pleading and first-name calling (Liev Schreiber, Ethan Hawke, Felicity Huffman), there are two or three eager thespians who saunter down the carpet at a snail's pace, occasionally glancing over to the press gang with the hopeful look of dogs at the pound. Sorry, Xanthe Elbrick ("Coram Boy"), David Pittu ("LoveMusik") and Orfeh ("Legally Blonde: The Musical"): You haven't been in enough movies for earn the paparazzi's attention and you weren't in the night's big winners, the rock musical "Spring Awakening" and Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/06/11/tonys_2/feed/ 20 New music http://www.salon.com/2007/05/08/new_music_17/ http://www.salon.com/2007/05/08/new_music_17/#comments Tue, 08 May 2007 10:01:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/audiofile/2007/05/08/new_music "Volta," Björk

"Volta" has a lot of the things you can always count on a Björk album to deliver: those soaring moments when the avant-pop pixie lets loose with her magical, rubbery alto; some of the most surprising rhythms this side of R&B or jazz; and, of course, a bunch of stuff that sounds unlike anything you've ever heard. So why doesn't it measure up?

One of Björk's greatest strengths has always been the way her sense of experimentation, even in its darker moments, feels suffused with joy, an almost childlike glee at the array of possible sounds to play with and the multitude of emotions to explore. But that effervescent spirit is largely absent on "Volta," weighed down as it is by the thinly veiled politicizing on tracks like "Declare Independence" and "Earth Intruders" and, even worse, a generally turgid musical sense. Oddly enough, the prime examples of the latter problem are the three much-hyped Timbaland/Björk collaborations, in which the rap maestro's metallic, shifting beats fit awkwardly alongside the Icelandic songstress' swooping vocal melodies.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/05/08/new_music_17/feed/ 2 “Idol” slayer? http://www.salon.com/2007/04/11/sanjaya_2/ http://www.salon.com/2007/04/11/sanjaya_2/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/audiofile/2007/04/11/sanjaya Can one man topple an empire? "American Idol" has reigned supreme as a popular-culture juggernaut, scoring huge television ratings, turning unknowns into huge stars, and delivering barrels of cash straight to Fox's door. And up until very recently, "Idol" showed no signs of slowing down, as this season -- the show's sixth -- kicked off with the highest ratings ever. But out of nowhere -- well, out of Federal Way, Wash. -- came hope for resistance, in the form of a skinny 17-year-old named Sanjaya Malakar.

It was a mild surprise when the not overly talented Malakar survived the first cut, to 24 contestants. But mild surprise turned to shock when show after show came and went and Sanjaya was still around, smiling as he delivered one earnest off-key performance after another. Even withering comments from the judges (Simon Cowell went so far as to tell a tabloid show that he wouldn't be back if Sanjaya won) had no effect. It would be a stretch to say Sanjaya is thriving -- he seemed overjoyed when Simon said last night's performance of "Besame Mucho" "wasn't horrible" -- but somehow, some way, the kid is surviving.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/04/11/sanjaya_2/feed/ 63 Dixie Chicks win, Grammys lay an egg http://www.salon.com/2007/02/12/grammys_9/ http://www.salon.com/2007/02/12/grammys_9/#comments Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:13:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/feature/2007/02/12/grammys Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during the production meeting before last night's Grammy Awards. I imagine it went something like this: A hopelessly out-of-touch baby-boomer industry bigwig dumped a pile of his favorite albums on a boardroom desk, said "make it happen" to a bunch of yes people and walked out. How else to explain such a backward-looking and tone-deaf production?

Sure, the Dixie Chicks walked away with the night's biggest awards. In the evening's lone display of good sense, Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison's win for album ("Taking the Long Way"), record and song ("Not Ready to Make Nice") of the year was a thumb in the eye of all the conservative country radio yahoos who dropped the Chicks from their playlists after Maines criticized Bush at a 2003 London concert. But that was a rare reprieve from the nostalgiafest. It kicked off with a band, the Police, that hadn't played together in over 20 years. The shockingly well-preserved Lionel Richie dropped by to sing "Hello." Earth, Wind & Fire and Burt Bacharach made appearances. Smokey Robinson was dusted off to sing "The Tracks of My Tears." And, most mind-blowingly, there was a three-song tribute to those young tyros the Eagles. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 2007 Grammy Awards.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/02/12/grammys_9/feed/ 88 Ono? Oh, yes! http://www.salon.com/2007/02/07/yoko_ono/ http://www.salon.com/2007/02/07/yoko_ono/#comments Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/int/2007/02/07/yoko_ono For Yoko Ono, fame is a paradox. When Ono met and married John Lennon, she was already a well-known conceptual artist, drawing attention for work like "Cut Piece," where she sat onstage and invited audience members to use scissors to cut away at her clothing until she was naked. But once she married the smart Beatle, it might be fair to say that Ono became the world's most famous artist whose art you know almost nothing about.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/02/07/yoko_ono/feed/ 33 Cover girl no more http://www.salon.com/2007/01/31/jones_10/ http://www.salon.com/2007/01/31/jones_10/#comments Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/int/2007/01/31/jones It's not exactly Dylan going electric, but Norah Jones' decision to tinker with her multi-platinum formula comes as a risky move for a musician who, only three quiet and reflective jazz-pop albums into her career, has already enjoyed the success of a major star. Jones' first album, 2002's "Come Away With Me," won five Grammy Awards -- including album of the year -- and sold more than 10 million copies. Her 2004 album, "Feels Like Home," did almost as well. Where those albums mostly found the New York resident singing covers of songs by classic songwriters like Hank Williams and Hoagy Carmichael, the new "Not Too Late" consists wholly of Jones-penned material. It's a bold step for a singer and pianist who has proven herself to be one of the music industry's few reliable young acts. But don't expect much self-revelation from the songs. "There is a lot of personal stuff in there," the publicity-shy Jones, 27, told Salon, "but you'll never be able to pick it out."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/01/31/jones_10/feed/ 58 The Fix http://www.salon.com/2007/01/30/the_fix/ http://www.salon.com/2007/01/30/the_fix/#comments Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:46:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/col/fix/2007/01/30/the_fix Morning Briefing:
Brandy facing jail time: R&B star Brandy Norwood is singing the blues after the California Highway Patrol recommended she be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for her involvement in a fatal freeway crash last month. The CHP alleges that the accident was caused as a result of the singer's driving at a speed "greater than is reasonable or prudent" when her Land Rover hit a Honda driven by Awatef Aboudihaj, setting off a multicar collision. Aboudihaj later died from injuries sustained in the crash. The charge carries a maximum of one year of jail time. Brandy's publicist had no comment, but a witness at the scene told the press that Brandy "kept saying how she hit the lady." (Yahoo News, TMZ)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/01/30/the_fix/feed/ 1 The Fix http://www.salon.com/2007/01/29/fix_7/ http://www.salon.com/2007/01/29/fix_7/#comments Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:14:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/col/fix/2007/01/29/fix Morning Briefing:
SAG winners: Sunday night's Screen Actors Guild awards ceremony was a virtual replay of the Golden Globes earlier this month, as Helen Mirren ("The Queen"), Forest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland") and Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy ("Dreamgirls") all reprised their earlier wins. "House's" Hugh Laurie and "Ugly Betty's" America Ferrara also repeated their Golden Globe victories, as did the cast of "Grey's Anatomy" -- which accepted the award minus the rehabbing Isaiah Washington. "Little Miss Sunshine" put a slight damper on the déjà vu by bringing home the night's big award, outstanding performance by a motion picture cast. "Sunshine" costar Steve Carell proved to be a lucky charm -- his show "The Office" won the television award for best comedy ensemble. Julie Andrews received the Guild's lifetime achievement award. (Hollywood Reporter)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/01/29/fix_7/feed/ 11 After “Idol” http://www.salon.com/2007/01/24/mcphee_3/ http://www.salon.com/2007/01/24/mcphee_3/#comments Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:30:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2007/01/24/mcphee She may have been beaten by Taylor Hicks in the finals of last year's "American Idol," but Katharine McPhee has attracted a level of attention that bodes well for her recording career -- which kicks off on Jan. 30 with the release of her oft-delayed debut, "Katharine McPhee." The California native's freshly scrubbed good looks and her sure way with a ballad won her fans on "Idol," but it was her confession that she'd battled with bulimia and speculation about her dabblings in Scientology (and a possible invitation from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to sing at their mega-wedding) that kept her in the headlines. In the midst of a whirlwind promotional tour that includes the "Today" show, "The Tonight Show" and even an appearance on the heavily hyped Lonelygirl15 video blog, McPhee, 22, spoke with Salon about her self-image, the chatter around her personal life and why the "American Idol" contestants are like "inmates."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2007/01/24/mcphee_3/feed/ 18 The diva-making “Dreamgirls” song http://www.salon.com/2006/12/19/jennifer_3/ http://www.salon.com/2006/12/19/jennifer_3/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:15:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/feature/2006/12/19/jennifer While reaction to "Dreamgirls" has been mixed, the one thing critics seem to agree on is Jennifer Hudson's assault on the musical's anthem-of-the-scorned, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." The New York Times says Hudson's performance carries the "goose-bumped thrill of witnessing something new, even historic." The San Francisco Chronicle dubbed the performance "one of the most exhilarating scenes in this year's cinema." Rolling Stone simply called it "revelatory."

Hudson's version of the song is a big part of why the "American Idol" also-ran has some serious Oscar hype, but her performance also stirs up memories of another Jennifer -- one who also came out of nowhere and rode the song to stardom. Jennifer Holliday was the first Effie, and her performance in Michael Bennett's original production of "Dreamgirls," is a part of Broadway lore and launched the careers of a thousand drag queens. It also anticipated much of the same praise and criticism being levied at the new "Dreamgirls."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/12/19/jennifer_3/feed/ 17 Teach your pop stars well http://www.salon.com/2006/12/13/crosby/ http://www.salon.com/2006/12/13/crosby/#comments Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:30:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2006/12/13/crosby David Crosby may be best known for the dulcet harmonies he lent to legendary bands like the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash (and, depending on his mood, Neil Young), but he's comfortable going solo, too. In his new memoir, "Since Then: How I Survived Everything and Lived to Tell About It," Crosby, 65, picks up where he left off in his 1988 book, "Long Time Gone," recounting the health scare that led to his liver transplant, his decision to serve as a sperm donor for singer Melissa Etheridge and her then-partner Julie Cypher, his run-ins with the law and a certain hostility he has toward today's pop stars: "Their world is about celebrity," he writes. "They've been so sold on the bullshit idea of stardom and celebrity that they're slaves to the concept."

Salon spoke with Crosby on the phone as he prepared for his next tour, kicking off Down Under in February.

This year's tour with CSNY was the largest you've ever been a part of. Why do you think you were drawing such large crowds?

I think we're making the best music we've ever made and playing the best we've ever played. And more importantly, even though we were being really political, the people were really getting it. We could see some people getting up in the back rows and leaving -- [imitating a Southern accent] "What are they sayin'? You can't talk that way about our president." But overall it was great.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/12/13/crosby/feed/ 43 Love me tenor http://www.salon.com/2006/12/05/il_groban/ http://www.salon.com/2006/12/05/il_groban/#comments Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:23:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/feature/2006/12/05/il_groban Fans of lightweight schmaltz have more to be thankful for this holiday season than endless reruns of "A Christmas Story" and Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song": Il Divo and Josh Groban are back with new albums.

And lest you think the recent arrival of Groban's "Awake" and Il Divo's "Siempre" comes as good news to only a niche group of opera-lite fans, think again. These poperatic pretty boys may well have more festive holiday seasons than just about any recording artists with new albums -- Groban's output since the beginning of the millennium has outsold megastars like Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé, and boy-band Il Divo is not far behind.

That's because Groban and Il Divo are the latest in a long and increasingly diluted line of popular operatic entertainers like the great Caruso, Mario Lanza, the Three Tenors and, most recently, Andrea Bocelli. Arresto! That claim isn't as ridiculous as it appears -- the aforementioned legends were not above injecting a little cheese into their art. One listen to Lanza singing "just one breath of spring from the air/ and I'm feeling strong as a bear" on a bit of trumpet-blasted soundtrack pap like "Boom Biddy Boom Boom," or Luciano Pavarotti making a mess of "Singin' in the Rain" with his wobbly English on "The Three Tenors Live in Concert," suggests that the distance between those acclaimed performers and the Chef Boyardee version of opera being peddled by Groban and Il Divo is not as far as it looks.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/12/05/il_groban/feed/ 39 The Fix http://www.salon.com/2006/12/04/mon_156/ http://www.salon.com/2006/12/04/mon_156/#comments Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/col/fix/2006/12/04/mon Morning Briefing:
Richards to offer in-person apology: After making stops on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and the Rev. Jesse Jackson's syndicated radio show, the great Michael Richards apology tour rolls on -- this time to an in-person meeting with the clubgoers who were the target of his racist outburst. A joint statement released by Richards' press agent and the attorney for the men explained that the meeting -- to be presided over by a retired judge -- is necessary to continue the "process of healing and closure." Howard J. Rubinstein, who represents Richards, also noted that a cash settlement could be a part of that process too. (CNN, Hollywood.com, Fox News)

Larry wasn't the king of Miami: According to allegations in a recently published book by Joann Biondi, "Miami Beach Memories," about the town's "glory days" from 1920 to 1960, Larry King was prone to some less than regal behavior when he lived there years ago. The book portrays King as a gambling boozer constantly struggling to pay off his debts and creditors. "Larry King was a loser," said retired secretary and boutique owner Shirley Zaret. "Everyone knew it." A CNN spokesperson had no comment on the book. (Page Six)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/12/04/mon_156/feed/ 9 Pete explains http://www.salon.com/2006/11/15/townsend_2/ http://www.salon.com/2006/11/15/townsend_2/#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2006 12:30:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2006/11/15/townsend Power chords, rock opera, guitar smashing: Pete Townshend is the man to thank for all of them. As the main songwriter, guitarist and all-around driving force behind legendary rock band the Who, Townshend has contributed as much as anyone to the development of rock 'n' roll, from long-form narrative works like "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia" to three-minute bursts of adolescent angst like "My Generation."

"Endless Wire," released on Oct. 31, is the first album of all-new material to bear the Who's imprimatur in almost a quarter-century. Half devoted to thunderous rock songs and quieter, emotionally astute numbers and half given over to a dystopian "mini-opera" called "Wire & Glass," the album shows Townshend and lead singer Roger Daltrey working with a vigor and vitality that won't disappoint longtime fans, despite the absence of longtime bassist John Entwistle -- who died in 2002 -- and long-deceased drummer Keith Moon.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/11/15/townsend_2/feed/ 31 What’s real in “Borat”? http://www.salon.com/2006/11/10/guide_to_borat/ http://www.salon.com/2006/11/10/guide_to_borat/#comments Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2006/11/10/guide_to_borat The devilish pranks of "Borat" have made him the powder-blue polyester breakout hit of the season. But how many of Sacha Baron Cohen's gags are real, and which ones are staged? Which of Borat's victims were legitimately goofed, and which ones just played along for giggles?

With few exceptions, the real folks featured in "Borat," the movie, have been happy to talk about their experience, and outing them has turned into a mini-media craze, with tons of news outlets trying to sniff out the stories behind the making of the film. To save you time and satisfy your curiosity, we tracked down some of Borat's victims on our own and also compiled a guide revealing which figures were in on the joke (Pamela -- say it ain't so!) and which weren't.

But even after our sleuthing, some mysteries remain -- like where the heck did that naked wrestling match take place? No one seems to know. If you have a clue -- or any great additional information -- please send it to us. This is a work in progress, so be sure to check back in. We think you'll find it very niiice.

The Scene: Borat goes to the rodeo
Where: Salem Civic Center, Salem, Va.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/11/10/guide_to_borat/feed/ 63 Odds-on office talent show winner http://www.salon.com/2006/11/09/banker_song/ http://www.salon.com/2006/11/09/banker_song/#comments Thu, 09 Nov 2006 16:28:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/video_dog/2006/11/09/banker_song Watch this Bank of America employee celebrate a new corporate partnership with a song set to the tune of U2's "One," and get ready to raise your lighter. "We'll live out our core values/ while competition crawls." Awesome. But we also strongly suspect this is a spoof. Anyone out there know?


one bank on Vimeo

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/11/09/banker_song/feed/ 19 Fed up http://www.salon.com/2006/11/08/federline_2/ http://www.salon.com/2006/11/08/federline_2/#comments Wed, 08 Nov 2006 02:00:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2006/11/07/federline Just a few days before his very famous wife announced to the world that she was filing for divorce because of "irreconcilable differences," paparazzi punching bag Kevin Federline sat down and talked to Salon about his fledgling recording career, which officially launched last week with the release "Playing With Fire." The album -- which features the 28-year-old Federline rapping, primarily about his love of weed and his woman -- immediately received some of the year's most scathing reviews; Rolling Stone called it "reprehensible'' and "poison." Federline also had to deal with the cancellation of some concerts, reportedly due to low ticket sales.

But still, Federline seemed relaxed last Friday night, happy to talk about his new musical career and the scorn it's received. And while we were asked by his publicist not to bring up his better-known half, he brought her up before we he had a chance, speaking openly about why he thought the public didn't embrace him as Mr. Britney Spears. "They saw this street kid. The world doesn't want that for Britney Spears. That's their queen," he said. "They don't want some dude that looks like a hoodlum ... They want her to be with the all-American boy."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/11/08/federline_2/feed/ 38 Rough stuff on the Allen campaign http://www.salon.com/2006/11/01/george_allen_2/ http://www.salon.com/2006/11/01/george_allen_2/#comments Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:27:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/video_dog/2006/11/01/george_allen Political prankster Mike Stark was manhandled by George Allen staffers in Charlottesville Tuesday after he approached the senator with allegedly "inappropriate" questions about the sealed records from his divorce with his first wife. As far as we can tell, no racial slurs were involved.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2006/11/01/george_allen_2/feed/ 2 Orange crush http://www.salon.com/2006/10/31/pumpkin/ http://www.salon.com/2006/10/31/pumpkin/#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:58:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/video_dog/2006/10/31/pumpkin The creepy sound effects make this time-lapse video of a rotting pumpkin even more Halloween appropriate. But more important than that, we appreciate the fact that someone let a pumpkin rot in their basement just to make a video. Those things stink!

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