<![CDATA[Jezebel: Angela Bassett]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jezebel.com.png <![CDATA[Jezebel: Angela Bassett]]> http://jezebel.com/tag/angela bassett http://jezebel.com/tag/angela bassett <![CDATA[ Angela Bassett Leads The Cutest Safari Ever ]]>

Santa Monica, CA, October 25. Image via Filmmagic.

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Jezebel-5068885 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EDT hortense http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5068885&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The Top 10 Female Product Advertising Icons & The Actresses Who Could Replace Them ]]> From Tony The Tiger to the Michelin Man, every pop culture kid is exposed to product advertising mascots and icons. Most of these critters are male, but sometimes — especially with baking and food products — the icons are female. Or were female. An image of "Betty Crocker" used to be on boxes of cake mix; now her face has been replaced by a spoon. And most advertisers would prefer to use celebrities to shill their products these days. But have you ever thought about what would happen if some of the best-loved advertising characters were replaced by Hollywood stars? We have. The top ten female product advertising icons and the actresses the casting agents could choose to replace them, after the jump.

1. Land O Lakes Indian Maiden
The company explains: "Because the regions of Minnesota and Wisconsin were the legendary land of Hiawatha and Minnehaha, the idea of an Indian maiden took form." This is a whitewashed way of describing how they hijacked the image of indigenous people to sell dairy products, but whatever. The first painting was done in 1928; it was "modernized" in 1939 to look the way it does now. As a kid, I honestly thought that this was my mom until I realized it was Cher.

Hollywood Casting: Q'orianka Kilcher






2. Mrs. Butterworth
This woman was not always made of plastic. She used to be real glass. She had a bun and she was heavy and sweet and you respected her, because she didn't need (the noticeably absent) Mr. Butterworth to get the job done.

Hollywood Casting: Queen Latifah

3. SunMaid
The young woman on the raisin box has evolved since 1916. She's lost about 20 lbs., but she still has the red bonnet and the basket of grapes. And she still smiles.

Hollywood Casting: Minnie Driver


4. Aunt Jemima

Advertising gimmicks are not always politically correct. The pancake icon was based on a blackface "mammy" character; but R.T. Davis Milling Company hired a woman named Nancy Green to play Aunt Jemima from 1890 to 1923. She was paid, but the ads were disgustingly racist. (Try finding a syrup that is not oppressive! Even Log Cabin gives me pause.) In 1989, Aunt Jemima lost her kerchief, got a relaxer, some pearl earrings and a slimmer look. She kind of resembles Roxie Roker now. But who is woman enough to take on the challenge of playing a controversial character?

Hollywood Casting: Angela Bassett


5. Utz Girl


The rosy-cheeked chick has
been around since 1921, though she's had some anti-aging procedure and now seems much younger now. Her huge eyes and happy smile let you know her potato chips are damn good.

Hollywood Casting: Christina Ricci


6. Little Miss Sunbeam
This blond-haired blue-eyed little girl was on the table before wheat and oats crept into our sandwich bread. Little Miss Sunbeam was born in the 1940s, and she seems part Shirley Temple, part Doris Day and part Buffy and Jody from Family Affair. Or Cindy Brady. An "American Girl" full of "sunshine"…

Hollywood Casting: Abigail Breslin


7. Morton Salt Girl
When it rains it pours, whatever that means. The first umbrella girl appeared in 1914, looking like a toddler; she's grown up some since then. The angled haircut and the umbrella make for an inspired celebrity choice…

Hollywood Casting: Rihanna

8. Coppertone Girl

Introduced in 1959, the impish child whose blue swimsuit bottoms get pulled down by a cocker spaniel was played by a three-year-old Jodie Foster in 1965. Did you know that they changed the logo later because some thought her bare buttocks encouraged pedophilia? Now that the company makes sunscreen instead of tanning oils, the "paleface" message is no longer appropriate and she's been phased out.

Hollywood Casting: Dakota Fanning

9. Tropic-AnaThe Polynesian pretty who used to be topless has since been replaced with an orange and straw. It would be fun if they brought back a female icon who loves exhibitionism, wouldn't it?

Hollywood Casting: Bai Ling

10. Chiquita Banana
Born in 1944, Miss Chiquita was sometimes a lady, sometimes an actual fruit, as seen in this Disney commercial. Her jingle is awesome, even if she was pretty much just a Carmen Miranda rip off.

Hollywood Casting: Salma Hayek?

Don't like these choices? Have some of your own? Suggestions welcome.

[Celebrity images via Getty. Tropic-Ana photo by Michael Poulin via Flickr.]

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Jezebel-5026093 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT Dodai http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5026093&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Angela Bassett: Boarding The <i>ER</i> Ship To Troubletown ]]> bassett043008.jpg

*Inspired by Shirley MacLaine's assertion that the best parts for actresses fall into one of the above categories.

This week in Hollywood casting announcements: plenty of potential victimization for Tinseltown's bold-faced beauties. (Victim characters, of course, are easy to spot: They're usually described as "troubled" or have a "tortured past," have "suffered" a "crisis," are "surviving" and "learning to move on" from their rape/brutal attack/illness...take your pick!) After the jump, take a look at the newest roles for Angela Bassett, Nicole Kidman, and America Ferrera and see how they stack up on the actress-cliche scale.



Angela Bassett, ER: Bassett will be playing a troubled doctor who comes back to Chicago after doing tsunami relief in Indonesia. Her arrival promises to "shake County General's ER to the core." Verdict: Well "troubled" usually translates to "victim," although a victim usually doesn't shake a television series to it's "core." She might be playing a shrew as well.

Nicole Kidman, Dusty Springfield Biopic: Novelist Michael Cunningham (The Hours) has revealed that Kidman will star in the upcoming Dusty Springfield biopic he's writing. The film will explore Springfield's tortured, drugged, and depressed years, as well as her successes. Verdict: No one does victims quite like Cunningham, and Springfield's biography is not lacking in victimized and depressed elements.

America Ferrera, An Invisible Sign of My Own: Ferrera will star in this coming-of-age film about a 20-year-old loner who turns to math for salvation when her father becomes ill. [Uh, isn't that a play called 'Proof'? -Ed.] When the character becomes an adult, she must teach math to students using her crisis as inspiration. BO-RING. Verdict: All of the victim keywords are here: "crisis" "salvation" and "ill father," but the character might overcome her own victimization in the end, so we will have to see how the movie plays out. The only thing that is unfortunate about this is the talented Ferrera starring in another snoozer.

Shenae Grimes, Beverly Hills, 90210: Former Degrassi: The Next Generation star, Grimes, will play Annie in this 90210 remake on the CW Network. The Annie character will be based on the character played by Shannen Doherty in the original. Verdict: Although Doherty was a decent character on the show, off-set, she was generally too busy victimizing people to be a victim herself.

Angela Bassett Makes Rounds For Last ER Shift [Reuters]
Nicole Kidman Playing Dusty Springfield In Biopic, Says Michael Cunningham [NY Mag]
America Ferrera Joins Invisible [THR]
90210 Cast Continues To Grow [Variety]


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Jezebel-385780 Thu, 01 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT maria http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=385780&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Ooh La La! Angelina & Brad En France ]]> angebrad043008.jpg
  • Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and all of their kids have hit the French Riviera. They're staying in a villa owned by Microsoft's Paul Allen that has breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. A source says: "They love France and will now be here until after the babies are born and Angie is looking at Marseille hospitals as a potential place to give birth." [E!]
  • These rumors about Mariah Carey marrying Nick Cannon will not die. Could they possibly be true??? [People]
  • Gossip Girl gossip: Girl-on-girl action is on its way! [Perez Hilton]
  • Plus! Lisa Loeb will make a cameo on Gossip Girl, playing a socialite. Hee! [LA Times]
  • Paula Abdul spaced out or went cuckoo or something on American Idol. You can watch it here. [EW]

  • Gwyneth Paltrow has broken her toes 30 times. She says: "I don't know what's wrong with me. Say there's a coffee table that's been there eight years. One day I'll just not know it's there and bash into it and break my toe." Is her macrobiotic diet giving her brittle bones or something? [Mirror]
  • Gwyneth was also seen visiting a back specialist. And yet! She wears high-ass heels on the red carpet. [Daily Mail]
  • Another story about Charlie Sheen and hookers, yawn. Although: His silk robe with"C. MaSheen'" embroidered over the pocket? Nice touch. [Page Six]
  • Britney's brother Bryan Spears is dating actress Ivana Milicevic. You've seen her, she's been on TV and in a bunch of movies. [Page Six]
  • Britney was seen walking around a spa in just her towel? Not sure why this is news. [The Sun]
  • Newly sober Kirsten Dunst has been taking her All Good Things costar, Ryan Gosling, with her to 12-step meetings. But are they more than just costars? [Page Six]
  • Dina Lohan: Seen "dancing, drinking and playing with her hair extensions." [Page Six]
  • A judge has dismissed Ron Burkle's lawsuit against Italian businessman Raffaello Follieri, aka Anne Hathaway's boyfriend. [Rush & Molloy]
  • Blind item! "What notoriously stingy actress buys books at her neighborhood Barnes & Noble downtown, only to try to exchange the dog-eared copies days later for cash?" [Rush & Molloy]
  • Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff have not, repeat, NOT broken up. You may now return to your regularly scheduled apathy. [People]
  • My Name Is Earl star Jason Lee is expecting a baby with girlfriend Cenren Alkac. Lee has a 4-year-old son, Pilot Inspektor, with his ex. So what kind of name will this kid get? [People]
  • The title of the season finale of The Office is called "Goodbye, Toby." Plus: Spinoff rumors! [E!]
  • Rapper T.I.: Has a new single, is hot. [ONTD]
  • Diddy is hosting a $4 million "mega-party" to celebrate getting his name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. David Beckham is helping him. Diddy will have 10 private jets; five different custom-made Sean Jean outfits, including a tux, a smoking jacket, and a top hat and tails; $400,000 worth of booze; and goodie bags with his own damn perfume in them. [Mirror]
  • A former UCLA Medical Center hospital worker has been indicted in Federal charges for the theft of medical records of celebs like Farrah Fawcett, Maria Shriver and 60 others. She accepted $4,600 from "an unnamed national media outlet" for the info. [Reuters]
  • Is Amy Winehouse leaving her record label? [The Sun]
  • There is video proof that Ashley Dupre agreed to be filmed for Girls Gone Wild. [Yahoo News]
  • Is Ashlee Simpson returning to reality TV? [MSNBC]
  • Grammy-winning singer Mya was scheduled to being performances in Chicago on Broadway, but she's broken her foot! Sucks. [Playbill]
  • "We pray for Brody. Honestly, Brody was such a good friend to me. He hooked Heidi and I up, and I think that everything will work out eventually. I wish that Brody and I were still best friends, I pray every day that everything works out between us." — Spencer Pratt. [People]
  • Uma Thurman's parents testified in court yesterday regarding her stalker case. Uma's mom said she believed the stalker, Jack Jordan, "was someone who would benefit from medical attention." [AP]
  • Vanilla Ice is off the hook for domestic battery charges because his wife recanted her original statement. [Yahoo News]
  • Simon Cowell pays no attention to smoking bans. "He lights up where he likes - and pays the fine if he has to," says a source. [The Sun]
  • Edie Falco battled breast cancer in 2003 but never told any of her Sopranos costars. [Page Six]
  • SO MANY blind items from Michael Musto! "What hyper-quirky stage actor (who's also known for movies and TV) does lots of coke and has sex in club bathrooms when the boyfriend's at home? What fashion-magazine editor—no, not the obvious one—still has no idea how to use the Internet? (She has to have e-mails read aloud to her and then dictates the reply.) What current anchor is said to have been lesbian lovers with that unhinged late anchor, according to ancient legend? Which female rocker best known from the '70s and '80s recently got so plowed she blew chunks all over a nightclub? Which star who went from Hollywood hotshot to joke to rebounding talent has an impressively large member to go with his award? What longtime r&b singer was spotted in Harlem, where she told a fan who accosted her: 'If you ain't the crack man, don't come near me!'? Which legendary actor's bisexual father is murmured to have died of AIDS, not of "cancer," as the family officially reported? Which scandal-ridden ex-TV personality would have gotten a gay record deal, but he wouldn't come out of the closet? Shouldn't someone say, 'Who do you think you are?' Which star who denies being gay used to give so-so head and has a penis that's even less than four and a half inches? What famous grandson is so delightfully kinky he recently lodged M&Ms up his butt, turning his hole into a veritable McFlurry of sexual delight? (Alas, they melted before they could be of any use.) About which talk-show host's supposed girlfriend was Rosie O'Donnell heard to say: 'Look at her nails! She could never be a lesbian with those nails!'?" [Village Voice]
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Jezebel-385558 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EDT Dodai http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=385558&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Lindsay Might Have A BJ Video, But This Ain't It ]]> LINDSAY032108.jpg
  • A blog called The Blemish says that grainy BJ picture from yesterday is most decidedly not Lindsay Lohan. They have proof, but be warned: It involves a link to porn site XTube. [The Blemish]
  • Meanwhile, Lindsay is spending Easter visiting her terminally ill grandfather on Long Island... And she took BFF Samantha Ronson with her. [E!]
  • Renée Zellweger says she's dyed her hair so many times she's amazed "it's still attached to my head, by the grace of God." She doesn't talk about what she's on, though. [Page Six]

  • Did Michelle Williams try to save Heath Ledger's life right before he died? [TMZ]
  • A woman is suing Harpo Entertainment, claiming that crazy Oprah fans stampeded and pushed her down the stairs when she was an audience member. Orit Greenberg claims she has "severe and permanent injuries" and is seeking $50,000. That's a big give! [TMZ]
  • Tori Spelling says she'd love to be in the 90210 remake. "Maybe I could be one of the main character's young step mom," she says. Well, Tori, first they have to ask you. [People]
  • Jackass star Steve-O: "I was always powerless over alcoholism ... I haven't mentioned nitrous oxide, the drug I 'fiend' for, by far, the most. I used to inhale this gas by cartridge, specifically, by the case." [People]
  • Jennifer Aniston is teaming up with Courteney Cox in an effort to raise $1 million for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare and potentially deadly skin condition that mainly afflicts children. [ET]
  • Chris Brown is still denying that he's with Rihanna. "I am a single guy," he says. "I have a close friend but it's not like a relationship. I'm just living my life and having fun." Jerk. [Mirror]
  • Pamela Anderson is on the safety patrol at her sons' school. "You have to do it," she says. "And I love it." Surely she has a knack for stopping traffic. [Mirror]
  • Aw, cute picture of Amy Winehouse when she was a schoolgirl. [The Sun]
  • Angela Bassett was in tears yesterday as she got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Congrats! [Concrete Loop]
  • Legendary screenwriter Buck Henry has been diagnosed with cancer. [Page Six]
  • Chris Rock says a black First Lady could be a problem: "Because a black woman cannot play the background of a relationship. Just imagine telling your black wife that you're president? 'Honey, I did it! I won! I'm the president.' 'No, we the president! And I want my girlfriends in the Cabinet! I want Kiki to be secretary of state! She can fight!'" [Page Six]
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Jezebel-370563 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EDT Dodai http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=370563&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ <i>Maxim</i>, <i>Entertainment Weekly</i> Agree: Jews, Blacks, Asians Not So "Sexy" ]]> halle102507.gifCollagen-and-silicone championing Maxim magazine has just named the world's five unsexiest women alive and according to the boy-mag brain trusts, the two most unfortunate looking ladies around are Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Winehouse. Aside from shockingly-low BMIs, what do these women have in common? That's right, pronounced noses and Jewish heritage! (Although Parker is only a four-candler.) But Maxim isn't the only mass-market magazine with seemingly anti-ethnic standards of beauty: Entertainment Weekly just released its list of Ultimate Female Hotties and there's nary a chosen person to be seen (save bleach-blond halfsie Scarlett Johansson ). Not only that, but the magazine's list doesn't feature a single black or Asian woman.

In fact, of EW's twenty-five "Ultimate Hotties," the only ethnic ones are Latina: Half-Bolivian Raquel Welch, Mexican Salma Hayek, half-Mexican Jessica Alba, and half-Spanish Rita Hayworth. What about Rachel Weisz? Angela Bassett? Lucy Liu? Or, really, anyone who doesn't inspire girls to ask for nose jobs, $300 highlights or eyelid-surgery for their sweet sixteens?

Sarah Jessica Parker named world's unsexiest woman [Sydney Morning Herald]
Ultimate Female Hotties: Pick the All-Time No. 1 [Entertainment Weekly]

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Jezebel-315003 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:30:00 EDT Jessica http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=315003&view=rss&microfeed=true