The film, which premiered on HBO last night - full schedule here - is a horrifying depiction of how domestic violence (check out Michelle Cottle's take on the term) took root in one family, and how the situation escalated for years. Wendy Maldonado was young when the relationship began: she was fifteen, and the man who would become her husband, Aaron, was sixteen. They were wed by the time she seventeen. This segment seen above reveals the depressing juxtaposition of home videos detailing a happy Wendy on her wedding day mashed together with her husband playing with a dead deer and Wendy's narration of how her husband dreamed of being a serial killer. (Warning: the clip is upsetting and has disturbing visuals.)

As the documentary goes on, the extent of the violence Wendy suffered is made painfully clear. Her son, Randy, and various neighbors all testify to the fact that it is amazing that she didn't die from all the abuse Aaron inflicted on her.

When conversations of domestic violence surface, people tend to wonder why women don't just leave. But as is made clear in the above clip, Aaron Maldonado made it clear that if Wendy ever left, he would begin to kill her family members, one by one, until he found her or until she returned. Donna, Wendy's mom, reveals that she was also in a abusive relationship and understood some of the dynamics at play. However, Donna says she was able to escape because most of her family was dead, and she felt she could flee her abuser without retribution. In Wendy's case, four small children, friends, and family kept her tethered.

The attacks on Wendy Maldonado were ferocious and brutal. Outside of what the children and neighbors describe, the Maldonado home was full of holes, holes made by Aaron ramming his wife into walls and doors. When he was gone, she would cover the damage with pictures that the children drew.

As the violence escalated, Aaron Maldonado would often refer to killing Wendy casually, one day even taking her to a designated "killing spot," a place high up on the Oregon trails near their home, where he began to strangle her. Wendy recounts that he stopped and fled before finishing the deed; she hypothesizes that Aaron stopped only because the crime would have been traceable - it's hard to point to a stranger abduction when a victim has month-old bruises and scars from beatings.

According to the resource guide included on the HBO site:

*On average more than three women a day are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States.

* Nearly one in four women in the United States reports experiencing violence by a current or former spouse or boyfriend at some point in her life.

* Women are much more likely than men to be victimized by a current or former intimate partner.

It is obvious that the Maldonado's children were irrevocably scarred by the violence - one of the children testifies at his mother's sentencing hearing that he knew everything started before he went to preschool, because he told his preschool teacher when he grew up, he wanted to kill his dad. Despite the children often being open to others about their suffering, little was done to stop it. Some family members testified Wendy herself hid the violence from them; her friends said they knew about the violence, but did not want to involve the police, since they knew Aaron would make good on his murderous threats. The neighbors recounted how police would stop by, but leave the house without going inside. When the neighbors chased down the cop car, and explained that they had heard what was going on in the house, the police officers merely said to call them back if anything happened...and drove away.

Randy Maldonado's testimony about police involvement was heartbreaking - in recounting how he and his mother actually decided to kill Aaron, he mentioned that in a last desperate plea for help, he called the police while his father was outside chasing his mother. The documentary provides the recording of this 911 call: in it, Randy hurriedly whispers his location three times into the phone to a less than responsive dispatcher before hanging up out of fear. Miraculously, the police did arrive, but Aaron told Randy and Wendy to "get rid of them," reminding them that the other three kids were with him in the house. After law enforcement left, a desperate plan was hatched and conceived in two minutes; Randy and his mother grabbed a hatchet and a hammer, and attacked Aaron while he slept.

Wendy and Randy seemed resigned to their fates after the murder. Both accepted a plea deal which guaranteed 10 years in prison. (When the sentencing judge opined that no jury would have convicted them, Wendy replied that her son was facing 25 to life, and she couldn't gamble that kind of time on a group of strangers.) Wendy, in particular, seemed almost carefree as the day of her imprisonment approached, baking cookies for the three remaining boys (Randy was already serving his time) and hugging and kissing them often. As she said at one point, "I know they will be safe."

Every F—-ing Day of My Life [HBO]
Every F—-ing Day Of My Life - Full Schedule [HBO]

Related: "Domestic" Is For House Cats [TNR}

The pictures in question were taken over the summer, and showed the pretending to kiss or lick "novelty phallus-shaped lollipops." Other images showed the girls in their underwear with dollar bills sticking out. The ACLU has become involved in the case, and they claim that since the incident occurred outside school, it should not effect their standing. •  A new study from Britain's Department of Health has found that new mothers feel most anxious around five months after giving birth. At this point, the excitement has supposedly worn off, and friends and relatives are supposedly no longer offering as much support, which leads many mothers to feel isolated and nervous. • Nutrition experts have complained that Kellogg's is falsely advertising that its Cocoa Krispies cereal can help "boost immunity." Currently, the Cocoa Krispies box reads: ""Now helps support your child's IMMUNITY," alluding to the addition of vitamins A, C and E. But Kelly Brownell from Yale University says, "by their logic, you can spray vitamins on a pile of leaves, and it will boost immunity." • Researchers recently found that 1/5 of smokers lie about smoking during pregnancy. The study, which looked at 3,475 women from Scotland, asked women to come clean about lighting up while pregnant and followed up with the revealing blood tests. •  The Cyprus Feline Society has identified two breeds of cat that they claim are "ancient breeds" and would like international recognition for them. The two breeds include the tall and elegant "Aphrodite," and short, broad-faced "Helen." •  A professor at Harvard has announced that next semester he plans a class based entirely on the HBO show The Wire. "I do not hesitate to say that it has done more to enhance our understanding of the challenges of urban life and the problems of urban inequality, more than any other media event or scholarly publication," said sociology professor William J. Wilson at a recent panel discussion.  • A new study found that while marriage rates are lower for women on welfare, receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, once they exit the system they are as likely to marry as women who were never on welfare. • International cancer specialists will meet this week to figure out how to combat the increase of breast cancer in developing countries, where almost two-thirds of women aren't diagnosed until the cancer has spread through their bodies. Doctors say part of the problem is that in some areas women worry that men will leave them if they lose a breast. "It's not a trivial consideration," says Dr. Lawrence Shulman of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, who is working to begin cancer care in parts of Africa where "the women are often seen as really either vessels for producing children or as sex slaves." • A mother in New York is challenging a judge's decision to 34 percent increase in the number of Down Syndrome births between 1989 and 2005, 15 percent fewer babies were born during that time due to prenatal testing. Some are worried that the decline in Down Syndrome cases will lead to cuts in research funding and that more people aren't even considering raising a child with Down syndrome. • A Texas health clinic operator CareNow says it regrets telling a Muslim doctor applying for a job that she couldn't wear her hijab. The company called it a "misunderstanding" after the American-Islamic Relations wrote to CareNow, explaining federal law requires employers to reasonably accommodate religious practices of an employee. • Today Michelle Obama is launching a mentoring program in which she and female White House staffers will mentor 20 high school girls from the Washington, D.C. area. The girls will get to visit their mentors' offices and gather for a group dinner. • Despite Liz Lemon's well-known love of the German language, 30 Rock is not popular in Germany. Its premiere last night on the German channel ZDFNeo earned a 0.0 rating, meaning it was watched by fewer than 5,000 people. Blerg. •

This is a fascinating look at a dying industry, from the days of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, when most garment workers were Jewish and Italian immigrants, to subsequent union organization, to 7th Avenue's glory days, in which the garment business was the biggest employer in New York City. The film has a strong bent towards the labor angle, and at times the juxtaposition and runways and sweatshops can feel manipulative. But it's also effective - and the contrasts are that stark and that tragic. The facts are black and white: from 1965, 95% of American clothing was made domestically; in 2009, all but 5% is outsourced overseas. The film gets into a number of the causes - deregulation, changing sensibilities, weakened unions, and increasing alienation from the day-to-day business of making clothes. We meet figures from the old guard - a hard-as-nails old-time shmatta exec, various craftspeople being put out of work - whose world is basically obsolete. Says one cutter, "The CEO is not a garmento, he's a numbers man."



Part of the change came from the 1980's emphasis on aspirational designer labels - as epitomized by Ralph Lauren's faux-WASP fantasyland.



And, of course, there are the other casualties: third-world laborers. It's interesting to see the range of attitudes, from pragmatism, to "conflict" to denial. Case in point: Kathie Lee.


The documentary drives home how far we've regressed in unflinching terms. (This clip is upsetting.) With the industry trapped in limbo between fast fashion and aspirational high-end, it's what one labor organizer terms "a race to the bottom" whose casualties, both here and abroad, are very high. A schedule of upcoming showings, here.

Sookie was discovering, with the help of nutty bride Maryann, that she might not even be human. Sookie is at her best when she is strong; "What the fuck are you?" is the kind of stuff she should be asking more often.

Zombie Layfayette was discovering that he likes being a bridesmaid.

Hoyt's mama was discovering that being a crazy black-eyed zombie is a whole lotta fun.

Question: if a demon forced you to be her maid of honor, would you lick the egg?

Queen Sophie-Anne was also dropping hints about Sookie's non-human qualities; there's definitely something going on that's making her attractive to vampires. And those of us who have not read the books are left wondering why the Queen has Eric selling blood for her, and what Sookie's cousin Hadley has to do with anything.

The wedding seemed to be, in part, a send-up of "Bridezilla" clichés, only more gory. Lafayette saying "Worship him, bitches!" ought to be a ringtone.

Like many nuptials where the ceremony is a bigger deal than the relationship between the bride and the groom, the wedding turned out to be BULL.

And Maryann turned into a Corpse Bride.

To be honest, I am glad to be done with her. It was interesting to see the town in the grips of blind faith, and there were many metaphors there — the black-eyed masses doing things without even knowing why could be applied to politics, religion, race issues, etc. In addition, the idea that because of Maryann, these people — who usually kept things like sex, drinking and hate undercover — were letting it all hang out was also a nod to the '60s counter-culture and sex clubs and the concept of freedom. That said: Happy to move on.

Sam's self-discovery had many different levels. He sacrificed himself for the town; allowed his nemesis Bill to save him; but was also mourning the loss of Daphne, the only one like him he's ever known. At one point during the episode, he said to Bill, "It took me this long to realize that you suffer in life more hiding something than you do if you face it," which is probably one of the lessons Sookie will have to learn as well, what with her telepathy and non-human powers. In any case, Sam looked up his adoptive mom, who apologized to him, and his adoptive father — on his deathbed — gave Sam some info on how to find his "real" parents. (Question: Does Sam have more powers, now that he's drunk Bill's blood?)

Eggs' self-discovery had the gravest consequences. He basically begged Sookie to help him remember what he'd done, but living with the knowledge that he'd been Maryann's assassin proved too much for him to take. Personally, I didn't like the way he died. I didn't like that it was Jason's fault, and I didn't like Andy covering up for Jason. The whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. I am glad that Andy is back on the police force, and that the sheriff has newfound respect for him. (He said: "You might have your faults, Andy, but at least you've got your pants on.")

Jessica The Teen Vamp's truck stop attack: WTF.

Lastly, Bill proposed to Sookie, throwing in plane tickets to Vermont, keeping up the vampires-are-like-gays analogy. Instead of immediately saying yes, Sookie was filled with questions and doubts, and this Sookie — the one who uses her heart and her mind is the one that makes the show more interesting. Since Bill's apparently been kidnapped, we'll be waiting a while to see how all this self-discovery plays out.

Overall, I'm not sure I liked this season as much as the first. While this finale was big and noisy, it lacked emotional depth, for me. The major plots this season: The Fellowship of The Sun and Maryann — meant that storyline, for the most part, revolved around non-vampires doing non-vampire things. Eric makes an excellent baddie. Lafayette needs more screen time. Hoyt and Jessica's relationship was a delight; and Hoyt's mama was a joy to watch, but orgy after orgy? Tedious. Here's hoping that the show focuses on a bloody good plot next season.

The confessional-style documentary, which premiered on HBO last night (schedule of upcoming screenings can be found here) follows McCabe (who narrates the film) n her quest to uncover why so many people will subject themselves to injections, surgeries, and peels to regain the appearance of youth. It is a siren song that McCabe is well aware of: At the age of 38, she reveals she has been scrutinizing her body ever since she came across her father's slides from his plastic surgery practice.

Refreshingly free of moralizing, McCabe establishes early on that she, too, struggles with the idea of aging. Setting a precedent for the rest of the film, she begins by analyzing how much money she dedicates to the pursuit of youth:

I found it amazing to watch her dollar costs unfold. McCabe, a smart woman who acknowledges up front that she is not making a wise decision, still cops to being close to $70,000 in debt, makes about $30,000 a year as a temp, yet finds $200 every six weeks to keep her gray hairs at bay.

As the viewer is reeling from the cost, McCabe says, "I may drop my health care coverage, but I'd never stop covering my gray. It may be insane, but it's the truth."

And...it is. Covering gray isn't something I am currently dealing with (and I think a silver afro would be kind of fierce), but I could completely relate to making bad financial decisions in the pursuit of beauty or fashion. How much money have I given to Zappos that could really be earning interest in my Roth IRA? Yet and still, I find myself trading long term financial security for a series of short term beauty boosts.

Looking specifically at the dollars and cents of it all, I am reminded of a series called the Cost of Beauty. PHDork examines the price women pay in pursuit of prettiness, noting:

[W]e can fairly surmise that the majority of harpies–70%–spend between $101 and $1000 per annum on beauty costs. Those numbers fit with both the mean and the median.

As to what sucks up all of those HarpyBuxx (they're not just good for abortions anymore!): our lovely, lovely tresses: 43% of expenditures go towards hair cuts, coloring, or other services. Make-up takes up another 29%. The rest:

Hair removal: 8%
Nails: 7%
Other products: 7%
Spa: 4%
Appliances: 2% [...]

A number of you expressed surprise at your spending, comparing it to X months of rent or groceries. It does add up: what else you might spend $613, or even nearly $800 a year on?

What else indeed? Most of us will never know. We're too hooked on beauty pimps and their products.

One person, who comes to illustrate how far people will go in their quest to find the surgical fountain of youth is Sherry Mecom from Texas.

(Is it just me, or does Sherry sound a lot like Ruby from the Style network?)

Sherry seems determined to use money to correct the past. She was once overweight until she had gastric bypass; she continually works on her body; and she is obsessed with the waterfalls and LG dishwashers she procures for her home. She alludes to a poor upbringing and being unhappy, but it feels like she is unsatisfied. Instead, she plans the next big purchase in her quest for a total life upgrade.

In the course of her travels, McCabe meets another daughter of a plastic surgeon - Erica Rose. However, the things that Erica has internalized about self-improvement differ dramatically from Mitch's low key messages from her father:

The quest for perfection is punishing, and not just for women. Youth Knows No Pain also reaches out to men in pursuit of camouflaging their ages. Men have their own hang ups, that just manifest differently and at an older age. The focus is more on hair transplants, face lifts, and lipo, less about botox and wrinkle creams. In an interview with New York Magazine, McCabe discusses some of the more obvious gender differences:

The women in the film were self-critical, and it was the men who were judgmental of others. What other gender differences did you notice?

We asked women why they were scared of aging, and everyone said, "Being alone. Being alone." You never heard that from men. Society is changing so much, and it's becoming more competitive and we have to stay in the workplace longer. Aging is affecting men in different ways, especially if they're in sales or something. When it comes to aging, men are concerned about being destitute, or in a nursing home. And being alone, but more in the sense of not having someone to take care of them.

However, it is interesting to note that the men seem more invested in critiquing the looks of others. While the women show a lot of competitiveness over beauty and aging (there's a great scene where McCabe asks the doctor if she has less wrinkles than one of his other, slightly obnoxious clients (cough, Mary Rambin, cough), and then cheers when he agrees), the men see no problem with informing women exactly what is wrong with them. Gary Baldassarre, one of the patients profiled, is documenting his own journey to regain his hair through a really graphic hair transplant operation. Yet, he sees no issue armchair analyzing women on television:

Another man, Norman Deesing, is an interview subject because he paid more than $50,000 to essentially look like Jack Nicholson. However, he has no qualms about turning to McCabe at some point during filming and pointing out to her that she's "let herself go [...] from the neck up." Admirably, McCabe brushes off the comment.

After the first hour of the documentary, the focus shifts a little from exploring what is happening to exploring why we seek these remedies. Who wants to go to a Botox party, being injected by a dentist who carries around the toxin in a cooler? Why do we pay so much money to distort our faces? Part of the answer lies in our need to conform to what society says is appropriate:

While most of our issues may stem from low self-esteem, "internet celebrity" Julia Allison's offhanded comment about "having an expiration date" struck hard. While she doesn't seem inclined at all to fight this idea of disposable women, it accurately summarizes the feelings of a lot of women in the documentary. They want to stay young in order to be relevant, to be seen as beautiful, to have access to society. It is this fear of obsolescence that drives the industry, which goes hand in hand with a fear of mortality. Some women, like How Not To Look Old author Charla Krupp, have acknowledged their enemy and have committed to fight literally to the death:

I laughed when I heard Dolly Parton unabashedly admit she was going to "get nipped and tucked until [she] is in a pine box," but for some reason, every time I watch this clip of Krupp, chills run up my spine. Are we really moving toward an era when it will be unacceptable to show any signs of aging?

And what happens when the potions and creams and procedures stop working?

Near the end of the documentary, McCabe sits down with Sherry. It has been three years since they first met, and Sherry went through a rough year. Sherry often uses plastic surgery as a mood boost, and after a bout with depression is actively planning her next procedures. McCabe switches between the first and third meeting to provide some insight into Sherry's development, while Sherry openly discloses her fears about not having the money to keep up the fight against time:

Youth Knows No Pain was engrossing, depressing, and thought-provoking, made even more poignant by the candid self-examination of its creator. After chronicling her memories of her father and her longtime fascination with mortality, she ends the film with an astonishing admission: after all that she's seen during filming the documentary, McCabe decided to take the plunge and start on injectables like Botox herself.

"What about spirituality? Inner peace?...Well, that didn't work." After struggling to make sense of why women subject themselves to beauty treatments instead of aging gracefully, she succumbs to the promises of younger looking skin and a small chance at cheating time.

McCabe's documentary ends with her undergoing different bizarre treatments. Watching her take a needle through the mouth in order to puff up some flesh in her cheek, I kept coming back to her opening admission: It may be insane, but it's the truth.

Youth Knows No Pain [HBO]
Youth Knows No Pain - Full Schedule [HBO]
The Cost Of Beauty, Part 1: The Research [The Pursuit of Harpyness]
The Cost Of Beauty, Part 2: The Numbers [The Pursuit of Harpyness]
The Cost of Beauty, Part 3: The Alternatives [The Pursuit of Harpyness]
Youth Knows No Pain Examines Anti-Aging Industry [New York]

Earlier: NonSociety Nincompoop Mary Rambin: Abortion Is Just Like Botox
How Not To Look Old Author Doesn't Look Old, But She Does Look Stupid

"Never underestimate the power of blind faith." Bill was looking for some help in defeating Maryann the Maenad; Queen Sophie Anne was just bored and teasing — but the Truth, as a theme, came up again and again. (Plus, she told Bill the Truth: A maenad can't be killed.)

Just a note: Lafayette with furry handcuffs and a shotgun is someone you want on your side. But while Tara was being held captive, she, also started spilling the Truth: Telling her (formerly drunk) mother that she'd never been a true woman of God.

Jason Stackhouse, in his own misguided way, attempted to deal with the Truth, telling Sam: "Sometimes you need to destroy something to save it. That's in the Bible. Or the Constitution." The question is, are traditional weapons the best way to defeat what's invaded his town?

Here's another Truth: Eric in Tara's mom's dress was freaky, yet awesome. Are Lafayette's hallucinations PTSD, vampire-related, or something else? And why haven't we been able to see his "nasty" and "fantastic" sex dreams about Eric? Boo.

With Bill out of town visiting the Queen, Sookie had to stand up for herself and be strong. Thank the Lord she's not the damsel in distress anymore! She actually threw some kind of kitschy ashtray at Tara's mom; rescuing Lafayette from gunpoint. Plus: She told Lafaytte to shoot Maryann if he had the chance, saying: "I mean it! Shoot her in the head!" This is the kind of Sookie you can root for! Poor Lafayette, he just seemed to have something else on his mind.

More Truth: Hoyt's mama lied about how Hoyt's daddy died. Also, perhaps Hoyt has been lying to himself about what it means to date a vampire; since Jessica bit his mother. And maybe Jessica has been lying to herself about how well she can control her urges. She is a new vampire, after all. And she was a young human when she was turned. The Truth is, she has a lot of growing to do. Another Truth: Actress Dale Raoul really just electrifies the screen playing Hoyt's mama, I just can't stop loving/hating her.

There are plenty of gory, bloody and disgusting moments on this show, what with people chopping off their own fingers and so on, but for some reason, Sookie having to lie on the kitchen floor where her grandmother died with some smelly possessed guy was one of the most disturbing things in the entire episode. A few moments earlier, she'd wondered, "How come there's so much wrong in the world?" She's dating a man who drinks blood; her grandmother was murdered, and Sookie is still disappointed that evil lurks. The truth hurts. Of course, elsewhere in her wold, Sam was making a deal with Eric and Sookie's boyfriend was turning down sex with a Latvian boy. Plus, Jason was saying: "This town might be full of crazy rednecks and dumbasses, but they're still Americans." Some good deeds to balance out the bad.

Toward the end of the episode, Bill was fed up with playing Queen Sophie Anne's games and she told him the Truth: the "God Who Comes" never actually comes. "Gods only exist in humans minds like money and morality," she explained. Something an immortal would say.

Lastly: What the hell is this? Is Lafayette making a big omelette dinner? The truth, please!!!

Earlier: True Blood: "She Wants To Cut Out My Heart While A Bunch Of Naked People Watch"
True Blood: Sookie's Dreamy Nightmare
True Blood: The Church Showdown & The Perma-Virgin

But it was also confusing to see him smitten with Sookie, and I was confused about the dream/fantasy/hallucination: Did Eric get into Sookie's brain, or were Sookie's desires bubbling up from her subconscious? Also, I like Eric and Sookie together better than Bill and Sookie right now. Should I feel bad about that? Anyway. The episode started out with a bang, when Luke suicide bombed himself inside the lair. Lots of blood and Luke's severed hand, with the Honesty Ring still on it. Eric protected Sookie from harm, but tricked her into sucking silver shrapnel from his body, and now that she's tasted his blood, they are linked. She's the heroine of the show. Why is she so dumb?
Additional highlights:

• Jessica musing, "I can't be the only vampire virgin."
• Arlene to Terry: "Quit being so much more peculiar than you usually are."
• Hoyt's momma's potato chip and grilled cheese sandwich, followed by Hoyt telling off his momma. (Plus, it seemed like there may have been some foreshadowing; I wouldn't be surprised if Hoyt's momma had a heart attack.)
• Sam turning into a fly to escape from jail (and Maryann).
• Lafayette stealing Tara away from the clutches of Maryann and Eggs.
• Bill saying, "We have a score to settle," and punching Eric, which is what you do when a dude tricks your girlfriend into sucking his blood.
• Godric's resignation as sheriff.
• Godric about to meet the sun, with Eric on his knees, sobbing "please."

• Oprah is being sued for $1 trillion. That is one trillion dollars. Here's the deal:

Author Damon Lloyd Goffe of the Bronx claims that in April 2008, Oprah confessed to seizing (?) and publishing (on the web) a first draft of his work, A Tome of Poetry, under the title Pieces Of My Soul. [National Enquirer]

• Newly unemployed Paula Abdul might go to The View: The show's rep says "She was always welcome on the program in the past and always will be in the future." Paula might fill in during Elisabeth Hasselbeck's maternity leave, but probably won't be offered a full-time job; the rep says: "We aren't hiring, of course." [E!]
• Apparently Paula's Idol resignation Tweet took many Idol staffers by surprise. When asked if Paula will be replaced, one exec said: "I have no idea." [MSNBC Scoop]
• Former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe says he's talked with Paula about coming to Fox's So You Think You Can Dance. "With Paula's background as a dancer, choreographer and reality judge now, I don't know anyone more qualified than Paula Abdul." [NY Daily News]
• "Who can replace Paula Abdul on 'American Idol?' Sarah Palin? Judge Judy?" LOL. [NY Daily News]
• You know who will be on American Idol? Victoria Beckham. Yes, Posh Spice will make a guest appearance on the judging panel. Zigazig-ah. [Daily Mail]
• Posh's appearance will be a one-off. [People]
• Britney wants to marry her manager-boyfriend Jason Trawick and have his baby (she wants a girl), but a source says: "Jason's last long-term relationship ended because he wouldn't pop the question." As always, consider the source on this. [MSNBC via National Enquirer]
• Kristin Davis is caught in the middle of Mideast politics — she is no longer a spokeswoman for human rights/relief organization Oxfam International because she endorses the Ahava cosmetics line, which is made by Dead Sea Cosmetics in the Mitzhe Shalem Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Oxfam considers this "disputed" territory. [Page Six]
• A new batch of nude photographs of Vanessa Hudgens hit the internet and her lawyer confirms that they are real and that she was underage when they were taken. You've got to wonder who keeps leaking pictures of the Disney teen queen, and how he or she is getting access to these images. [Perez]
• According to this report, the Vanessa Hudgens pix are actually old. Yet! Released just in time: There's a red carpet premiere of her new flick, Bandslam, tomorrow. [E!]
• Mischa Barton didn't go to some castmate's birthday party and we're supposed to read something into that. [Page Six]
• Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and George Clooney are hanging out at Cloon's luxurious Lake Como estate, like an Ocean's Eleven reunion. Except no Brad Pitt. [NY Daily News]
• Aerosmith's Steven Tyler was airlifted to a hospital after falling off the stage during a show in South Dakota. Not a joke: He went down during the song "Love In An Elevator." His injuries are reportedly not too serious: minor head and neck injuries and a shoulder injury. [AP]
• In a poll by lovefilm.com (?), Anne Hathaway was named best actress under 30. Keira Knightley got second place. [Telegraph]
• It's tough to describe the creeptastic pictures in the results of this "NYC Prep Meets Yearbook Yourself" post, but there are retro hairstyles and Morrissey quotes, so you'd better just click and see. [The Faster Times]
• Michael Jackson and rapper Fabolous are on the top of the Billboard charts. [Reuters]
• A South Korean newspaper is suing Michael Jackson's estate for $7.9 million over some canceled concert dates in 1990. As if Katherine Jackson's lawyers didn't have enough to worry about. [AP]
• Katherine Jackson will be telling Prince and Paris that their biological mom is Debbie Rowe in the next few weeks. [NY Post]
• A play at the Edinburgh Fringe festival — with an all-Malawian cast — is about Madonna's adoption saga and titled Mercy Madonna of Malawi. Her Madgesty is played by a black male actor in a blonde wig, and he looks like he's loving it. [BBC News]
• If you haven't seen it yet, the animated Modest Mouse video directed by Heath Ledger can be found at the link. [NY Daily News]
• Barbra Streisand is auctioning off more than 400 personal items to benefit her charity: A baby grand piano, a dress from Funny Lady, some outfits from Meet The Fockers. "What good does it do in storage?" Barbra asks. The Streisand Foundation supports women's, children's, environmental and political causes. [AP]
• Catherine Deneuve was booed at a performance in Italy, where she was reading at a cultural festival. Attendees may have been frustrated that she was reading in French and there were no subtitles. [AP]
• Pedro Almodóvar turns 60 next month, and is about to release his 17th feature film, Broken Embraces. He says: "I want to make more. Right now, I feel a sense of urgency that I never had before to make films. I feel much more in a hurry now than when I was 20 or 30. Time passes." And! On muse Penelope Cruz: "Hollywood doesn't take such risks with actors. They're not that rich in female characters either. I have the advantage that I know Penelope very well as a friend. She has such faith in me, so I can take more risks, bring out those unseen Penelopes, that other directors wouldn't dare to try or conceive." Be sure and click the link and watch the trailer, in which Cruz wears a bunch of different wigs and channels Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. [Telegraph]
• Liam Neeson will star in Unknown White Male, a thriller from the director of Orphan, in which Neeson will play a doctor who gets into a car accident and goes into a coma. When he wakes up, his wife doesn't recognize him — and she's living with another man who has assumed his identity. [Variety]
• HBO, which has been getting very lady-friendly lately, is developing a show for Laura Dern. The premise? A formerly self-destructive woman has a spiritual awakening and becomes determined to live an enlightened life, wreaking unintended consequences." Writer? Mike White, School Of Rock. [Women & Hollywood]
• Thomas Beatie, known as the "pregnant man," is pitching a reality series to Oxygen to TLC. [NY Daily News]
• Retrogossip: "Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis had affair while making 'Some Like it Hot,' Curtis reveals in book.… The 84-year-old actor writes that he and Monroe had an affair while making the movie in 1958 which left her pregnant. Had she not miscarried, Marilyn would have been his baby mama." [Gatecrasher]
• "He'd better start making some good films ... I'm not a great fan of Public Enemies, because I think [Michael Mann's] a fucking extraordinary filmmaker, but personally I didn't think Johnny had enough room to act ... He's making so much money. There was a piece in the Huffington Post today. It's a letter saying 'All right, come on, we all love you, but stop.' ... It's like, 'Come on. You've got the power to make some really good films happen. Why are you doing this shit?'" — Terry Gilliam on Johnny Depp. [NY Mag]
• "Chris Kattan wanting to be a leading man is a joke, and it's a great way to poke fun of myself. It's not so much about finding a gig but good, respectful gigs." — Chris Kattan, on his role in Bollywood Hero, in which he decides to head to India and reinvent himself as the star of a Bollywood epic, Peculiar Dancing Boy. [USA Today
• "My priorities have shifted completely, which has helped my career because there's this new peace that I have. If I never did anything again, I would be a mom and I'd be totally happy being a mom. Everything has fallen into place so beautifully because I'm not trying so hard. If my daughter's OK, I can concentrate on something else. So it's not like all day I'm thinking about me." — Milla Jovovich. [LA Times]
• "If this article comes out and we're not together, I'd still love [Tony]," she says. "And he'd still be a huge part of who I am today." — Jessica Simpson, to Glamour magazine. [NY Daily News]
• The thing is that American Idol obviously appeals to a massive audience, and they have everything from little teenagers that freak out and scream when they see me. Then there's the sort of weird kids that were a little bit different and alternative than everyone else and were getting into Idol, too. You have the single moms. You have the Oprah audience. You have the grandmothers. You have women that want a baby. Women that want to fuck you. Women that want you to fuck their daughter or people that want to make you cookies. So you have everything. But I'll tell you, I definitely have a pretty hard-core sort of middle-age woman following. It's awesome when anyone follows, but I think that if I had a new hit on the radio and I was playing shows, you'd see a lot more of the teeners there, but the women that are dedicated, that travel all over the country to see me, are from 30 to 50 and some older, definitely. You know that's all been really great and fun, but I'm very focused on the work and eventually settling down and finding one nice girl, preferably Greek." — Constantine Maroulis, former Idol contestant and current Broadway star in Rock Of Ages.[The Daily Beast]

The premise of the film came from Rock's own daughter, who asked him why she didn't have "good" hair. It looks like Rock talked to both men and women, celebrities and regular folks, for a spectrum of viewpoints. On question: Would any of the stunningly beautiful women in the clip — Salt N Pepa; Raven-Symone; Meagan Good; Nia Long — be celebrities if they had natural hair?

Coincidentally, there is a debate going on over a YouTube video called "Nappy Ass Hair," in which someone is seen (violently?) trying to comb out a little girl's hair. NPR's Dani Tucker notes: "Hair grooming is still a painful, or brutal, experience for too many young women of color." But isn't that because forcing black hair to fit a certain mold that is "acceptable" and "professional" in a white-dominated world is always going to be a struggle?

Good Hair: Chris Rock's Harrowing Investigation Into Raven-Symone's Weave [Movieline]
Good or Bad Hair?: Hair Combing Video Stirs Debate [NPR]
Beauty, the Brush and Black Girl Pain [The Root]
Nappy Ass Hair [YouTube]

And here's a question: If Godric is such an old and powerful vampire, how is the Fellowship of the Sun keeping him captive? Why doesn't he just slay mothertruckers left and right? Maybe he wants to die? And why would he give a crap about Gabe raping Sookie, since he's a Death monster and doesn't even know Sookie (clip above)?

Anyway. Among the things we witnessed, overheard and learned:

• Sam, who usually turns into a dog, turned into an owl when being chased by Beasty Maryann.
• Hoyt is a 28-year-old virgin.
• Jessica's way of dealing with Hoyt's virginity: "Just take off your pants."
• Eric cried blood tears over Godric. Romantic!
• In a fight between Jason Stackhouse and Gabe the burly bodyguard, Jason wins.
• Tara to Arlene: "Are you telling me you date-raped Terry Bellefleur?"
• At least we finally saw Godric, the vamp who made Eric a vamp, and who will hopefully inject some much-needed life into this draggy season.

In April, HBO announced plans for a show titled Women's Studies, which would focus on a feminist "it"-girl-turned-professor. This is also the network which airs The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a female-driven series and one of only two prime-time dramas with an African-American woman as its star. (The other is HawthoRNe). Perhaps HBO is trying to do penance for or regain female viewers lost after Sex And The City went off the air? In any case, Marti Noxon says she's wanted to do a show that touches on feminism for a while; she was 12 when her mom came out as a radical feminist lesbian and had to juggle her mom's beliefs with her own interests: "I wanted to be a gal, I was very interested in men, and I wanted to shave my legs," Noxon says. The concept of the Diane Keaton project — an older lady working at a porn mag — sounds awesome. As long as they don't call it Hot Flash.

Diane Keaton To Star In HBO Comedy Series [Reuters]
Earlier: HBO Majors In Women's Studies

Props to Jessica for bringing the guy home and making the first move and just generally being more entertaining than anyone else in this otherwise very lame episode. Although seeing Jason Stackhouse have homoerotic nightmares about a naked vamp in his bed and hearing the Reverend say, "Sarah doesn't whip out her pudding for just anybody" were also highlights. Still: Lafayette is not a vamp. Foaming-at-the-mouth Sookie is as annoying as naggy Sookie. And Maryann's Bacchanalia complete with pig, booze and gratuitous nudity was, in fact, boring. The only intrigue? The bullheaded-thing that scratched Sookie, and Jessica and Hoyt's budding romance (clip above).

In this interview, Stephen Moyer, who plays Bill, talks about how dating Anna Paquin in real life makes helps with love scenes:

I think we're able to do things that perhaps a couple that weren't together would never dare try. It certainly makes those moments much easier on the crew knowing that we feel comfortable. I'm so used to having them on set when Anna and I are having a love scene that when we get home and we're in bed by ourselves, I kind of miss them.

That said, seriously? Lafayette is the most interesting character on the show. Last night, he clawed through a dead man's bloody and viscous severed leg to find an artificial joint, which he then used to bust out of the damp basement where he'd been chained to a wheel. Once out of the dungeon, Lafayette was shot in the leg by a bartender, but still managed to sass and school his undead captors, trying to convince them that instead of killing him, they ought to turn him into a go-go dancing "bad-ass vampire." (Clip above.) Please, Eric and Pam. Make it happen.

This episode also featured:

• Jason Stackhouse and friend getting all Abercrombie homoerotic competitive on each other at Fellowship of The Sun's Light Of Day camp
• A girl at the camp singing "Jesus Asked Me Out Today"
• The shirtless chiseled six-pack of Eggs
• Police officer Andy describing his dancing as looking like "an epileptic on meth"
• Sookie crying and apologizing to Jessica for inadvertently making her a vamp
• Sookie apologizing to Bill for taking Jessica to see her parents
• The quote: "Muslim Buffy with a dick"

Next week looks very Maryann-centric, which is fine, but when will we find out what happened to Miss Jeanette? And will Eric get to use Sookie to find a missing vamp in Texas?

A Candy Q&A: 'True Blood' star Stephen Moyer answers your questions [USA Today's Pop Candy]
Earlier: True Blood Recap: Questions About The Teen Vamp & Mysterious Maryann