#elvis awards campaign media

[bcofl0ve]

new austin butler fan? start here!

hey there girl/pal/buddy/friend! welcome to the crazy train the endearing mad house that is the austin butler fandom. i joined the party after seeing elvis 2022 with my dad on a whim opened my third eye and have adored austin ever since. if you have any questions please please send an anon or send me a message, but i hope this post is useful as well!

media

congrats, i have a hyperfixation on being an update blog which means i have a masterpost of where to stream everything he's ever been in since he's started acting!

my personal favorite thus far is shocking no one, elvis 2022, but i'm really excited for everything coming out in 2024!

interviews

if you want to get to know austin the person outside of being an actor, i highly recommend checking out his episode of the marc maron podcast. content warning for talk about losing a parent- austin's mom who passed when he was 23 from cancer, and some allusions to domestic violence re: a step father. but that to say it's imo the most personal interview austin has ever given (and it makes me cry when i listen to it). i linked to apple podcasts but it's also on spotify!

austin's first ever interview from when he was 16 years old (article)

long- and personal, interview/profile via esquire from 2024 (article)

ruthie’s table interview - 2021 podcast with his good friend, chef ruthie rogers. some very sweet childhood talk in here.

austin butler drives greg williams back home (austin going back to his home town and visting his childhood home and elementary school)

austin butler plays with puppies - what the title says

in conversation: baz luhrmann and austin butler (article) - a very funny joint interview where baz and austin talk about filming elvis

austin butler @ the oscar nominees luncheon - the interviewer is jason kennedy, a long time buddy of austin's who also knew his mom. this was my favorite interview of awards season.

austin giving his publcist kate an honorary oscar - also from the oscar nominees lucheon press junket, so sweet! we love his ginger publicist around here (:

austin and lisa marie presley joint interview - lisa adored austin, and he mentioned in a different interview during awards season that when he was at graceland she took him upstairs for *3 hours*. if you're unfamiliar with the presleys, that is point blank unheard of for someone that isn't a blood relative. lisa passed away in january 2023 just two days after watching austin win his golden globe, and is very very missed. (lisa and austin at the globes)

another little lisa and austin interview, my personal favorite because of the hug!

so who's the girl?

austin is currently dating kaia gerber and has been since december of 2021! i'm working on a masterpost timeline of their relationship which will likely take...a while. but in the meantime the basics are that they like to make out in public while also being quite the private couple.

here is a very cute little video of the two of them after the elvis premiere at cannes and my favorite deuxmoi sunday spotting of all time- someone saying they were making out *in face masks* in line at erewhon.

like i said, they are veryyy private but that means the little tidbits we get are a treat! austin 'gushed' about seeing her walk in a celine show here, and here's a little clip of his smiley little self in the front row.

the two share a dog milo, who is the shining baby boy light of ausitn's life and came up no short of two billion times when austin was doing press for his ysl campaign this past summer. we love milo!

(and i also love that austin wears his gf's clothes sometimes, king!)

misc fun stuff

austin is close friends with ashley tisdale, and has been since the two of them met filming the movie aliens in the attic in new zealand in 2008. he's 'uncle austin' to her little girl jupiter, and they're also distant cousins!

speaking of aliens in the attic, 300 years ago in 2008 austin ran a little blog for his fans throughout filming which is just the darn sweetest most endearing thing to me. you can read the entries that i pulled from the wayback machine here and here.

some other austin-isms that i love

his habit of wearing shirts inside out

how everyone that works with him gushes about how kind he is

this little video of him when he was four years old

his dear sweet publicist kate having to hand hold his golden retriever self on track

the 27 he has tattooed on his wrist bc it was his late mom’s god number

and so many other things that would take me too long to list

if you have any questions that this post doesn't answer pls slide me an anon or a direct message! happy to have you here! <3

[destinyc1020]

Austin and Kaia were seen together he was waiting in the car while she picked up food so either they were on a break or the DM tip about her was bullshit and they’ve just been keeping quiet especially while he’s campaigning he probably wants or has been advised to keep his love life on the DL so that those old ass academy voters don’t have an excuse to snub him

I heard....

And see, this is why I always say: take DM with a huge grain of SALT! Cuz if nobody got pictures of her actually kissing this other guy, then it could have just been some silly person on the internet making stuff up and submitting it into DM. 🙄

I have to admit though, it did seem like they had quietly broken up. The signs seemed to be adding up to that. They hadn't even been seen together since August, then she's pictured recently hanging out with some "guy friend", and then DM submits claims that she was seen kissing some other guy who's NOT Austin👀, and then he attends the Governor's Awards without her, and she attends the after party with a couple who are friends of hers and Austin is nowhere to be seen. 👀

Chiiiiiile....lol.... Idk what's going on lol.😅🤣 Maybe they DID kind of cool off some, and then he came back in town....You know, it's the holidays...who wants to be alone? LOL... And you know how it is when the ex comes back into town lol.... 😏

Either that, or (more likely) they've been kind of keeping a lowww profile lately since he's been getting more and more Oscar buzz for his performance in "Elvis".

Since it's awards season, I'm sure his people probably told him that it might be better to lay low for a while during this time so that his work can be the topic of conversation/in the media as opposed to the focus being on his relationship w/Kaia....or anyone he dates for that matter. 🤷🏾‍♀️

That's just my guess??

[pop-pop-pop-popculture]

I know you hate "influencer culture" but I actually think it's a nice fresh breath of air to see someone who was never famous to begin with (i.e.; film/television star, musician, fashion model) have a positive impact on someone. It's insane that the person "rose to fame" through their large follow count on social media such as YouTube (the OG social media platform before Instagram and TikTok) or Instagram for example, but in the end, if you think about it, like your favorite film actor, that YouTube vlogger earned a ton of followers and subscribers because people became a fan of their videos. You know what I mean? Anyways, for a long, long, long time it was always legit celebrities (film/television star, musician, fashion model) that were the OG influencers, and the reason is self-explanatory. I'm talking about pre-2005 here. Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, the 80s, 2000s Disney Channel, Lindsay Lohan, Dakota Fanning, Josh Hutcherson, etc. Bonus: NO social media (specifically YouTube, Instagram and TikTok)! Chat rooms similar to AIM, MySpace, and Facebook don't count! Anyways, they were the ones starring in commercials for a skincare product, fashion designer or retail clothing campaign, restaurant and fast food commercials, etc. Times have changed and technology has become incredible advanced! We are so heavily dependent on technology and social media alone, which all goes to say that, like you, although I also dislike the rise of "social media star" and "influencer" culture (or whatever the correct terms are), I find it bizarre yet kind of neat to see someone who was never famous to begin with (i.e.; film/television star, musician, fashion model) have the same impact that an A-list celebrity (dead or alive) can/did have on someone. I feel like I got off topic but I hope this still made sense?!

That is honestly a nice way of looking at it you insightful, optimistic human being.

(I still heavily disagree with social media "stars"/influencers being invited to prestigious awards and events, such as the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and MET Gala, though!)

[dualredundancy]

DR414: Poker Face Premiere and Quick Checks: Tar, Elvis, Pressure Cooker and All Quiet on the Western Front

In this week's episode David, John and Kyle discuss the filming conditions of the Squid Game reality series (1:50), the Writers Guild Award nominations and what this means for the Oscar best picture race (8:45) and how The Academy is looking into Andrea Riseborough's possibly concerning social media Oscar campaign (15:00). We also review the series premiere of the Peacock mystery series Poker Face (22:10). Finally, we have mini-reviews of Tár (32:30), Elvis (36:05), All Quiet on the Western Front (40:45) and Pressure Cooker (45:00). 

This episode was originally recorded on January 30th on Twitch and can be replayed on YouTube. For our full Oscar nomination reactions click here. Want more Dual Redundancy? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast!

Here is a freshly posted brand new episode of Dual Redundancy!

[judesbelligoal]

Sorry but I didn’t go trough an entire Elvis (2022) phase, campaigned for austin butler for the 2023 academy awards, survived his online hate train for two years for a random person on tumblr to tell me im doing it to score points with *checks notes* JUDE BELLINGHAM??? 😂😂 i dont get triggered easily on social media but this pissed me offf lmaoo

https://www.tumblr.com/judesbelligoal/765359331230220288/httpswwwtumblrcomjudesbelligoal7653549166592?source=share

Girl the i don't want to seem rude but the elvis recs are SUS not saying that you don't like elvis but since we know who likes elvis sound a bit unoriginal 😬

Literally what are you talking about?

[evilovesyou]

So I have a couple unsuspecting friends who were lovely enough to get me this book for my birthday:

Over the approximately 150 pages of this book there are many more or less insightful passages about Harry and his fashion throughout the years.

He’s compared to every superstar you can imagine, from the “usual” Bowie, Mick Jagger, Elton John and Elvis to Johnny Cash, Janice Joplin, Princess Diana and many more…

There’s a specific passage about his rings where he’s compared (by no means the only time in this book) to Prince along with this text:

“Conspiracy theories surrounding the significance of Harry's favourite rings have flourished on social media, especially as he's been wearing a stainless steel 'peace’ band on his right middle finger on and off since 2013. Superfans who know Harry well are savvy enough to recognise that his jewellery wardrobe - like his fashion sense - is a bit of a playground. One fact is for sure: Harry adores adornments. Even among his considerable collection, the antique micro-mosaic Georgian digit-dazzler featuring a Goldfinch, which he wore at The BRITs in 2021, is serious treasure.”

There’s another passage under the heading “Blossoming” that I thought was actually quite nice (as opposed to the phrasing of the conspiracy theories comment):

“Harry's fondness for floral suits has opened up an exciting new wardrobe for all kinds of folk. He wore one such garment at the Greek Theatre gig in LA as part of his 2017 Live on Tour shows, which had the self-proclaimed 'QueerPop’ band Muna opening for him. His LGBTQ+ friendly concerts that year saw him dancing draped in rainbow flags while the audience cheered him on. Banners in the crowd asked everyone to 'Always Choose Love'! Inclusivity is part of Harry's DNA, and in April 2021 he was shortlisted as an icon for the British LGBT Awards, while 2022 sees him playing a gay policeman in a new Amazon Studios film, My Policeman. Dressing in blossoms isn't a big deal for Harry, who has an assertive approach to clothes, but choosing to do so helps his campaign for kindness. Truly, clothes speak volumes.”

[tim-hoe-wan]

I'm super intrigued! How are studios choosing which film to back? I get Fabelsman is Spielberg but I really want Nope to be pushed. Is it not possible for two films to be pushed or Nope getting prioritized over Fabelsman? Like how is WB choosing that Harry movie over Elvis?

Usually big studios greenlight one or two films that are potentially oscar worthy. They base it on the the plot or premise as well as the strength of the director/producer/writers. For example, WB simply greenlights and give or gave Nolan the budget cause they know his films are both oscar baits and commercial success. They don't need to oversee how the whole plot actually goes, as long as the premise screams Oscars. Some genres like biophic, musical, thriller, drama, historical drama, war movies get more buzz from film execs as oscar baits. While names like Spielberg, Scorsese, Nolan, Tarantino give them ideas it's oscar bait despite whichever genre they tackle. They then pay out social media marketing and magazines to say this movie is oscar buzz despite not even being released or filmed yet. The earlier it is, the better. Especially since there's more chance you and I have seen all the films than the voters.

By oscar promo season proper they create this for your consideration pamphlets full of reviews from respected critics, rotten tomato score, a basic pitch, the awards they've already garnered. Studios also have these parties and networking events they hold. It's basically all politics at this point and why big studios have the advantage. It's also why they channel their effort to at least just one movie, it's expensive to do this campaign and will divide their attention. Of course, it's not impossible for them to campaign for both especially if they have two films heavily touted and critically acclaimed. For example, Paramount did not expect Top Gun to perform the way it did and might be campaigned along with Babylon.

I haven't seen Nope, but it seems Elvis and Nope have the same situation wherein they seem very oscar bait but the critical reviews wasn't what the studios were expecting. In Nope's case, the Fabelsman could grab Universal's attention if it turns out being really good. For Elvis, they have a way better shot considering it ticks all of the oscar things. Just that the reviews weren't as critically acclaimed as they expect. Again, it's still the priority over the other film.

Smaller studios have a harder time with campaigning except if they're directly tied to a larger studio such as Searchlight. The Oscar voters also tend to vote on trends so they can nominate a poc or a woman just to pretend they're woke. But overall, it's all politics.

[zeldamonroe-a]

                                        meet zelda monroe / wanted connections.

                       romantic -

her estranged husband / ( 0 / 1 )                to say zelda lost her mind a little bit during this past year would be an understatement. hitting twenty six isn’t exactly a big milestone by any means, but it seemed to mean one thing to zelda: she wasn’t a kid anymore, or even a teen. she was an adult who needed to make big decisions about the rest of her life. [ YOUR MUSE ] seemed to understand what she was going through - a little bit older, a little bit wiser, the two fell head over heels in love in a matter of weeks. it all culminated in a ceramony performed by a los vegas elvis, of course - with rings on their fingers, and a promise of ‘forever’. but that promise faded as soon as the sun came up, and zelda ran - back to new york, back to home, to figure out what she’d just done. they haven’t spoken in over six months, though legally they’re still bound to one another - and whether it was just momentary insanity, or true love, zelda still isn’t sure. [ MALE, 28 - 35 ]

PR stunt / ( 0 / 1 )               living life in hollywood, it seemed like every move she made was calculated by a team that rarely thought about how zelda herself felt about it. this relationship was no different - she had just put out a new album and was about to go on tour, [ YOUR MUSE ] was about to launch a PR campaign of their own. the relationship was mutually beneficial for their bank accounts, but also became somewhat real, somehow - after all, no one understands the pressures of the famous quite like someone else famous.

the one that got away / ( 0 / 1 )               zelda lived as ‘normal’ a life as she could while also starring on primetime tv. she wasn’t on set, she was in a private school in manhattan, ruling with fluttering eyelashes and swift revenge on anyone who tried to undermine her. [ YOUR MUSE ] was her other half - not bothered by her occasional mean girl streak, or the fact that she had to cancel dates in order to appear on jimmy kimmel. but college came for them, zelda was launching herself as a singer, and the two drifted apart. her third album - accurately entitled ‘the one that got away’ - was laced with hidden meanings about their relationship, but [ YOUR MUSE ] and zelda haven’t seen one another in a decade. old feelings couldn’t possibly be rekindled...could they? [ ANY GENDER, 26 ]

                       platonic - 

til death do us part / ( 0 / 1 )               they say that no one knows you as best as your closest enemy, and for zelda and [ YOUR MUSE ] it couldn’t be more true. on the surface, they’re best of friends - smiling on each others social medias, wrapping their arms around each other for pictures. but as soon as one of them crosses the other, it’s a damn near war zone - and anyone who gets in between them better watch out.

there’s no one like you / ( 0 / 1 )               zelda’s never paid much attention to the ‘underlings’ in her life - she was, after all, the best of the best and those in her life had to keep up in the same way. but since coming to the hamptons and all but hiding from her previous life, [ YOUR MUSE ] has won her over - sure, maybe they’re not world famous and shining their oscar’s every other night, but they’re teaching zelda some new perspectives - like how to enjoy clam in a hot dog bun while wearing cheap $3 flip flops. [ MUST BE A HAMPTONS NATIVE, NON - RICH / NON - CELEBRITY ]

what is you is me / ( 0 / 1 )               they say that there’s no real love like your first best friend. zelda and [ YOUR MUSE ] have known each other their entire lives - they were her date to the first award ceremony she attended at age 15 by herself, the one she turned to when she was debating going to college or pursuing her life in the entertainment industry, and the one she called when she found herself married in vegas wearing a cheap off the rack dress. they have their ups and downs, but zelda would kill for them - and vice versa. their friendship is legendary, and their love is pure. [ YOUR MUSE ] is more like a sister than a friend, and zelda would be lost without them.  [ FEMALE, 26 ] 

                        misc. -

friends 

flings / hook ups / etc.

minions 

enemies

past costars/coworkers/etc

more !

unless otherwise specified, all connections are open to any age range & gender !!!

[go-redgirl]

31 Hollywood Icons Who Served in the U.S. Military

On this Memorial Day, millions of Americans across the country are honoring our military heroes, observing, and reflected on those who made the ultimate sacrifice. This list highlights some of the actors, directors, singers, producers, and entertainers who’ve served in the U.S. military.

From Hollywood’s earliest days, artists have served in the U.S. armed forces. Some had broader experiences than others in service to the country And many Hollywood greats served in World War II.

Jimmy Stewart

James Stewart not only joined the US Air Force in 1941, he ended his service in 1968 as a Brigadier General in the USAF Reserves. Stewart’s service was not for show, either. He flew many bombing missions over Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe.

Kirk Douglas

The famed movie tough guy joined the US Navy in 1941 and served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare. He received a medical discharge thanks to war injuries in 1944.

Clark Gable

Though he was already a veritable old man in soldier years, Gable joined the U.S. Army Air Corp at 43 and few five combat missions as an observer-gunner. Gable joined after his wife, Carol Lombard, died in a plane crash while flying home after a tour to promote war bonds.

Audie Murphy

Maj. Audie Murphy went into the Army as a private and won many battle field promotions. He is one of the most widely decorated actors in Hollywood history. He is the only actor/celebrity to be awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor. In addition, he was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, a Legion of Merit with Combat V, and two Bronze Stars with Combat V. He also received several foreign awards were especially impressive. He received the French Forrager, Legion of Honor, and Croix de Guerre with Palm and Silver Star, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm.

Other stars of the era who served include Jason Robards (Navy 1941), Paul Newman (Navy, 1943), and Mel Brooks (Army, 1944). Then there was singer and dancer Josephine Baker who was a secret collaborator with the French Resistance to the Nazi invaders and was even awarded the Croix de Guerre as a spy for her work to defeat the Nazis. Several others served in the forces of their native nations including David Niven (Royal Army), Sir Alec Guinness (Royal Navy), and Audrey Hepburn (Dutch Resistance), and Star TrekActor James Doohan (Royal Canadian Army). Doohan was part of the D-Day invasion forces, was wounded six times losing a finger in the process, and later joined the Canadian Air Force as a pilot.

Ronald Reagan

Our 40th president, Ronald Reagan, was already a star when he joined the war effort. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II, enlisting in the Army Enlisted Reserve on 29 April 1937 and ordered to active duty on April 19, 1942. Because of his eyesight, he was not assigned to an air crew and instead helped make over 400 training films for the Army Air Force.

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier, the first black American to win an Academy Award, enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II in November of 1943. He served as a physiotherapist for almost a year, even though he lied about his age, as he was only 16 when he joined.

B.B. King

B.B. King, one of the greatest blues guitarists, was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1944, but was quickly released back into civilian life following boot camp because the government deemed his original profession — a tractor-trailer driver — to be vital to the war economy.

Hugh Hefner

Later to be known as the swinger editor of Playboy Magazine, Hugh Hefner joined the U.S. Army in 1944 after graduating high school. Hef didn’t see any acton, though, and was discharged in 1946 after serving as an Amy newspaperman and infantry clerk.

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett, the legendary “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” crooner, was drafted during World War II in 1944 and assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division, or “Blood and Fire” division, fighting in France and Germany. Being a “replacement” was not an easy job as the war was winding down in Europe. About half these soldiers died in the months after basic training in 1944 and the end of the war in Europe in Sept. of 1945.

After the big war, many others continued the tradition, of course.

Gene Hackman

The actor, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in The French Connection, enlisted in the Marine Corps the year after World War Two ended in1946. He lied about his age to get accepted, as he was only 16 when he enlisted.

Willie Nelson

The Always On My Mind singer volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1950. However, he only served nine months and was given a medical discharge due to severe back problems.

Johnny Cash

Johnny “The Man In Black” Cash enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and technical training at Brooks Air Force Base, both in San Antonio, Texas, he was assigned to the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile of the U.S. Air Force Security Service at Landsberg, West Germany. He mustered out in 1954.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood was drafted in 1951 for service during the Korean War. Eastwood saw no action, though, and spent his service at Ft. Ord in California, where he was appointed as a lifeguard and projectionist of training films.

David Janssen

Perhaps best known as the man on the lam in the 60s TV series, The Fugitive, Janssen didn’t escape the U.S. Army having served from 1952 to 1954 at Fort Ord, California. He saw no action during the Korean War as he served in the entertainment division during his two-year stint.

Martin Milner

Like his army pals Clint Eastwood and David Janssen, Adam 12 star Martin Milner served a two-year stint in the Army and was based at Fort Ord, California. Also like his buddies Eastwood and Janssen, there he worked in the entertainment sector. He mustered out in 1954 and went right into TV and film work in Hollywood.

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Principia College in 1953. Duvall has disputed early biographies that claimed he fought during the Korean War, though. He has joked that he “barely qualified” with his M-1 rifle in basic training. He served two years, and never got past the rank of private first class.

Leonard Nimoy

Later to become famous as Star Trek’s half human, half alien Mr Spock, Leonard Nimoy enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He served for 18 months between 1953 and 1955. Nimoy also worked in the Army’s Special Services narrating plays and performing in training films.

James Earl Jones

The voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, a man who has been referred to as “one of the greatest actors in American history,” served in the Army during the Korean War, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. Jones missed the war, though, as he started his service in 1953 just as the war was coming to a close.

Alan Alda

Best known for playing an Army surgeon in the TV series M.A.S.H., Alda did serve in the actual military when he volunteered after finishing his studies at Fordham University. He served as a gunnery officer during a six-month tour of duty in the Korean War.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman turned down a scholarship for acting and instead joined the Air Force in which he served from 1955 to 1959. He served as a radar technician and mustered out as an Airman 1st Class. Freeman has said that he enjoyed his service experience until, that is, he was being scouted to be trained as a jet pilot. He said the reality that war means killing dawned on him at that time and he began to look for the exit door to get back to life as an actor.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley’s drafting in 1957 was huge news and the media followed him throughout his years of service. Elvis honorably served his term and mustered out as a sergeant in 1960.

Chuck Norris

Famed martial artist Chuck Norris joined the U.S. Air Force in 1958 and served his full term, being discharged in 1962. He was ultimately assigned to Osan Air Base in South Korea where he began to develop his signature martial arts style, Chun Kuk Do.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix had a bit less gratifying service having been forced into the Army or face jail time for car theft in 1961. He served only one year before being discharged for an ankle injury. Some researchers suggest that the injury was just the Army’s excuse to be rid of the troublesome rocker.

John Fogerty

Singer-songwriter John Fogerty joined up in 1966 when his draft number neared. He signed up for the United States Army Reserve as a supply clerk. However, he was switched to active duty for six months, anyway, but saw no service under fire. He was discharged honorably in 1968.

Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck was already an actor when he was drafted during the Vietnam War in 1967. He served six years in the the 160th infantry regiment of the California National Guard.

Oliver Stone

The famed director of Platoon served during the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968 and was wounded twice. He earned the The Bronze Star with V’device and a Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster.

Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1968. While he saw no battlefield action in Vietnam, Sajak did serve as an Army Radio disc jockey and ended up in country, anyway, when he was assigned to host a radio program on Armed Force Radio broadcasting in Saigon.

R. Lee Ernmey

Everyone knows R. Lee Ermey as the intense drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, but some may not know that he served in the Marines for a decade, was a real Drill Instructor, and saw service in Vietnam in 1968. He started out as a Repair Shop Mechanic and went on to earn the Good Conduct Medal (x2); the National Defense Service Medal; the Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star; the Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device; the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit; Meritorious Unit; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and a Meritorious Unit Citation.

Ice-T

Musician, songwriter, and rapper Tracy Lauren Marrow — better known in the music scene as Ice-T and also for his long-running starring role on TV’s Law & Order SVU — joined the U.S. Army in 1979 after graduating high school. He served the 25th Infantry Division for four years.

Drew Carey

TV funny man and game show host Drew Carey served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves starting in 1980. He was honorably discharged in 1986 and he says that he adopted the Marines crew cut and horn-rimmed glasses as his trademark look due to his service.

Adam Driver

Adam Driver, who found fame as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars series, joined the U.S. Marines shortly after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He was briefly assigned to the Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, before being medically discharged due to an injury.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.

EntertainmentNational SecurityMemorial Day

[fredseibertdotcom]

WHN Radio, NYC commercials 1975-77 on Vimeo

Advertising for WHN Radio, 1975-77 by Dale Pon

My mentor Dale Pon didn’t get much public recognition for his smart, strategic and wildly successful creative work in media promotion. I’m posting about a few projects I was lucky to work on with him. . . . . .

Ironically, my television career started at a radio station.

WHN Radio in New York was a storied station that took to the air in 1922 from the top of the Hotel Navarro (HN) and went through several popular formats. In 1973, someone had the bright idea of programming country music in the sophisticated home of Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, and the New York Philharmonic. They were shocked that it didn’t work, then General Manager Neil Rockoff came aboard and put together a team that defied gravity.

Ed Salamon was the innovative programmer who took the failed early 70s country format into the “second biggest radio station in all the world.” He partnered with the equally pioneering media promoter Dale Pon and in 1975 they were able to launch an advertising campaign that walked the line between traditional country music like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell and Elvis Presley, Top 40 radio programming tactics, and the late 70s rock artists –including the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, John Denver and Kenny Rogers– who had absorbed country into their contemporary pop– and, using extensive, award winning television and transit advertising succeeded beyond all expectations.

Ed and Dale shared a unique alchemy of math and magic. They each did the complex, strategic homework on the finite pieces of the radio puzzles, and then had that creative poof! of fresh ways they could put them together so that their audience could be amazed, excited and loyal. Astonishing.  

WHN was my first real commerical radio gig, I came in as a junior member of Dale’s team in 1977, so I’ll add my comments after Ed’s.

Ed Salamon, WHN Program Director 1975-1981:

Country radio in New York was considered an impossible challenge, but Dale Pon's advertising helped to turn WHN into the most successful country radio station of all time.

When WHN radio General Manager Neil Rockoff introduced me to Dale Pon shortly after I went to work there in June 1975, the first question that I remember Dale asking me was …

"What is the main reason that people will want to listen to WHN?"  

I replied that WHN would give them music they wanted to hear.  

When Dale was hired at WHN, he made that the focus of his first WHN advertising campaign. The slogan was …

"WHN gives you the music you wanna hear."

Importantly, it did not use the word "country." Research had shown that after more than two years already in the country format, all listeners in the market who were fans of country music already knew about WHN. Unfortunately, there were not enough of them to make the station successful. Both Dale and I believed that country music would appeal to a much larger audience, if more New Yorkers would sample it.

Dale's advertising did just that, and proved us right.

Dale's WHN ad campaigns featured artists that  the station played and, in order to be effective, it was important to him that when someone tuned in, they would soon hear a song by one of those artists. Therefore I had to commit that all of the artists used in the campaigns would be heard frequently on the station. Initially, there was concern whether we could get the right artists' cooperation to endorse WHN, since the artists we wanted were also seeking airplay on other New York radio stations.  

There were about a half dozen that were key to WHN, and we were  immediately able to secure the participation, at no cost to the station, of everyone we wanted, except Elvis Presley. After the first campaign, we were granted what we were told was the first authorized use of Elvis Presley to promote a radio station.

Dale developed creative that included both television and three by five foot posters in New York City subway stations, which constituted more exposure for most of these artists than had ever been done in the New York market by their record companies. The creative was exceptionally attractive and the artists were all pleased. We only received one complaint from an artist: Anne Murray said that she could no longer go shopping in Manhattan without being recognized. Later subway posters reflecting Dale's and my belief in a diverse audience for WHN  included Freddie Fender, some with text in Spanish in high density Hispanic neighborhoods, and Charley Pride in high density Black population centers. At the time, there was an emphasis in measuring ethnic listeners accurately and WHN did well with them, to the surprise of those who did not consider them potential country listeners.

The campaign could not have happened without Neil's ability to get the budget from owner Storer Broadcasting and benefitted from his critiques of our creative effort as well as his support.

Dale Pon's advertising for WHN helped change not only the station, but also the radio and music industries. WHN became the most listened to country music station of all time (based on average quarter hour audience as measured by ARB/Arbitron). More importantly, it became the #2 radio station in the New York market in adults 25 to 49 years of age, which at the time was the demographic group most desired by advertisers.

Since the #1 station was Top 40 formatted WABC, Dale designed a trade ad proclaiming WHN "The biggest thing since rock 'n' roll." 

In 1975, Neil Rockoff had also hired Nick Verbitsky to head advertising sales. Dale's success in getting New Yorkers to try WHN and my success in keeping them for a longer than normal time spent listening would have meant little if it didn't result in increased revenues. Dale's ads helped Nick able to overcome advertisers' negative stereotypes of country radio listeners which had only been reinforced by WHN's previous ads featuring cowboy hats and blue collar listeners. The value of the station increase dramatically. When WHN was sold to Amway's Mutual Broadcasting in 1979, the Washington Post reported the selling price of $14 million as the second highest ever paid for a radio station – by far the most for which a country radio station had ever sold. As a result of WHN's success with country radio in America's biggest market, many stations in other urban and northern markets switched their format to country – which until then many considered viable only in southern and rural markets, and the late 70s became the format's greatest growth spurt.

Today, there are still more Country radio stations than those of any other format. Although the artists in Dale's earliest WHN advertising were already successful, they became even more so. As country record sales grew in the New York area, stations of other formats began playing more artists who until then had only been heard on country radio, resulting in their "crossover" onto stations including WABC, which monitored record sales in New York and was influenced to add records accordingly. When WABC added a Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabbitt or Ronnie Milsap record, similar formatted stations in other markets followed and the records crossed over to the Top 40 charts.

Much more detail is available "WHN: When New York City Went Country" by Ed Salamon (Archer Books).

. . . . .

Having joined the WHN Radio Creative Services as a freelance promo producer almost by accident at the beginning of 1977, I realized their first wave of advertising had even made an impact on me, a pop music loving, post college, jazz record producer. Little did I know that I’d learn enough from Dale Pon and, by osmosis, Ed Salamon to fuel my work for the next several decades.

The original advertising (with shifting slogans, demanded by a general manager who got anxious when things stayed the same for too long) had catapulted the station into the world’s top echelons of the almost-ready-to-fade AM music radio stations. Ed commanded more and more respect and attention from artists and their managements and record companies, and Dale had richer budgets to create more sophisticated and targeted advertising.

We started together on a new campaign in 1978, and I took away lessons in almost every aspect of media promotion. In no particular order, here’s what I took away from this once in a lifetime experience.

LANGUAGE: There was no end to things to be aware of with actual language and copywriting.

The call letters were the most important thing because the ratings were determined by a listener actually writing in a book supplied by Arbitron. So you want them to remember those call letters. Use them twice, more if you could, without driving folks crazy.f

“WHN gives you music you wanna hear. WHN 1050.”

Oh yeah, write the way people talk. “Wanna.”

“You is the most important word in advertising. Don’t you notice that McDonald’s makes some of the world’s most effective advertising? And what’s their best ad? ‘You, you’re the one!’ They use ‘you’ twice!” 

My favorite thing he did in all his work was get at the pure emotions of human beings. I’ll write more on this in his other work, but for WHN it’s right there, up front. Want. Right there in the first campaign. Music you wanna hear. (He did it again in our first MTV campaign in 1982. “I Want My MTV!”)

When his longtime companion and often his copywriter, Nancy Podbielniak, worked on further WHN variations, the plain language, the visceral feeling in country music was there too.

“Thank you being part of our country.”

“There’s a whole lot of good in this country.”

“Your heart’s in the right place.”

DESIGN: Dale loved all aspects of graphic design. My big take away: “Dominate the space!” he’d shout, over and over. He make his point by asking me to name the greatest album cover, which was –no surprise– the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper. I was bewildered at #2, but he was right, with almost a negative dominant, The Beatles’ ‘white’ album.

When it came to WHN, to the chagrin on traditional designers, it meant that to Dale everything had to be bigger! A person was defined between their eyes and their mouths. Oh, and make the logo(s) bigger!

As a practical manner, he was almost maniacal about not only getting the best photograph. We had to beg and cajole the art directors to let us work director with the photographers to get the original transparency or negative; a duplicate wouldn’t do since the enlargement to subway poster size (60”x40”) the dupe would look grainy and crappy.

LOGO PLACEMENT: By the time we worked together, Dale explained that he’d evolved his view of doing logos different in print from TV & radio spots.

“In English, we read from left to right. The less important part of our logo is the dial position (1050), so make WHN big on the left, 1050 smaller on the right. In audio, we remember the last thing we hear, so always have the announcers say “1050, WHN!”

TV PRODUCTION: For me, this is where things got interesting and affected things for many years to come. (Sadly, I don’t have any of the WHN spots we made together. If I find some, I’ll update this post. ...:::Update: Ed Salamon tracked down a reel of these later, live action spots, embedded below. :::...)

Just as a quick background, I was an audio guy only, I’d never done any film or television work. I’d produced radio spots in college, and engineered and produced blues and jazz albums. My work for WHN started as on-air radio promotions.

The 1978-80 WHN Radio commercials Show Reel on Vimeo.

WHN Radio TV commercials #36-70 December 1979-January 1980 from fredseibert on Vimeo.

So when I started working on the 1978-1980 versions TV campaigns, I was a babe in the woods who did whatever I was told. As I said before, the success of WHN allowed Dale a greater creative and financial latitude in these productions. (A note about these two embedded video. The top one is a best of “show reel”. Underneath, the video is a series of separate spots that shows, in detail, the number of variations we prepared on each artist.)

The new spots would feature the artists –eventually, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Freddy Fender, Anne Murray, Crystal Gayle, Elvis Presley* and Kenny Rogers– actually speaking and singing, no ‘Ken Burns’ photo montages like the originals up above. Dale would direct the film shoots and then send me to the audio studio to cut the 30 seconds the way he wanted them.

(By the time Dale left for a competing New York radio station, I also inherited the director’s chair for Dolly Parton. An amazing experience of sitting less than six feet away from a genuinely beautiful woman and charismatic talent.)

I’d was to go to the video editing editor with my audio, and synchronize the video to my edits.

Editor: “You know, television isn’t made like this. In film and TV, we cut the video first, then you go to an audio suite and mix. This way is wrong. It’s backwards.”

Dutifully, I’d telephone the office. “We’re paying them to do what we want!”

The editor would shake his head and patiently explain that if I wanted to succeed in television I needed to do it the right way.

Dale would almost rip my head off. “Look, there’s no one better at audio than you.” Blush. “You make the spots perfectly, and the rhythm of the audio is ultimately more important than the picture.” When I tried this on the editor he just sighed that we were such idiots. “Besides it being better creatively, the audio studio at the station is free, we save a ton.” And he was right, our cost per spot was probably under $100, rather than thousands.

Later, when I was running promotion at MTV I brought the same “backwards” system with me. I figured it worked before, I was basically training students to become producers, they didn’t know any better, and after all, it was music television, the sound was everything.

About 20 years after I left MTV I went back to visit “my” promo grandchildren. When I introduced myself someone said, “You! You’re the one. We make all of our promos the wrong way, audio first! They tell us it’s the MTV way! Grrrrr!”

* Yes, Elvis had indeed passed on when this campaign was conceived. We tracked down some footage from a New York press conference on June 9, 1972, got permission from the Colonel,  and I was able to fashion it into spots that almost perfectly matched the original footage we shot of the others. Linda Ronstadt hadn’t died, but it was made clear to us there was no way she would sit for an interview. Instead they provided us with some roller skating footage that perfectly matched her album image of that moment.

MEDIA BUYING: “Whatever anyone else normally does, we do more!”

Dale Pon started his career as a media buyer, and that’s how he trained me too. At the start of our relationship I spent most of my time planning billboard and subway transit platform buys, eventually graduating to TV spot buying.

For most companies that buy subway posters a giant campaign is one 30”x40” vertical poster per stop. WHN bought two 60”x40” horizontals –with a different artist on each poster– per stop. No wonder I’d been aware of his campaigns even if I only listened to jazz! We eventually would have about a dozen artists blanketing New York’s five boroughs, talk about saturation.

The television spots were variations on a theme, the theme being a simple, super close up of the artist, speaking in his/her own words, and singing a bit of their hit song(s). Dale had me cut the audio for at least 10 varying spots per artist –remember the audio was free– and we’d pick the best several, sometimes I hit it right and we’d use all 10. Since the content and the timing of the audio was fixed we could zip through the video and end up with a bunch of spots that looked the same and were kind of the same enough, while always feeling fresh. All in all, we ended up with more than 70 spots in total for the campaign. The viewers were always getting something new.

“Someone needs to see a spot at least three times before they register it. We need to make sure they see ours.”

When it came to buying, Dale followed the same pattern. If an average buy was 100 rating points a week, we’d buy at least 300. (Reach x Frequency = rating points. “Advertising is a frequency medium,” he would say.) We carefully looked for the least expensive shows that our target audiences watched to keep our budgets efficient.

Then we’d have a lot of fun in the spot placements. Some days we run every artist we had. On others it would be all 10 variations of the same person. (I think we did a lot of those with Kenny Rogers). One way or the other, viewers saw a lot of our commercials, but I never heard of anyone who was bored, because we kept things fresh everyday for weeks.

THE MUSICIANS: The artists included in any campaign was to some degree a crap shoot. We made a list of the most popular records on the radio, the ones with the most longevity, and split them as to the veteran, legacy, authentic country stars (like Johnny Cash) and then the artists who’d “crossed over” either from Top 40 or rock radio, or from country radio over to pop.

Then of course, we needed to figure out who would cooperate, give us permission, and not charge a fee. It might seem obvious that the free publicity would be worth it to anyone selling concert tickets and records, but it wasn’t always so easy. The campaign featured here could only get the photo permission. When we moved into live action, it required a lot more collaboration and coordination. We would often agree to fly to far flung venues where an artist was performing and set up in the basement of a stadium or a nearby hotel room, with skilled cinematographers setting up makeshift studios that cleverly disguised their actual locations.

The first live action musician we filmed was Freddy Fender. He had a hit, for sure, but he seemed like small fish to me. Dale patiently explained that Freddy was eager for the exposure and was the first one to agree to our terms. When we cut the final spots they’d be demos to the bigger stars who’d see we were serious about treating them well. He was spot on, the strategy worked and it helped us get the biggest recording artists of the day, and once the spots hit the air we would get a deluge of calls from artists from the smallest to the biggest begging for a shot in a WHN campaign. It was a strategy he  successfully followed for the rest of his career.

. . . . .

Was there more I got from Dale? You can’t imagine. But Ed’s recollections and mine have gone on long enough for this post. Check out the rest of my ramblings on Dale Pon here.

[saucylittlesmile]

Post-One-Year Anniversary to PyeongChang Timeline

links to post-Sochi, post-comeback, and post-PyeongChang timelines

2019, continued:

February 22 -- Scott poses with several junior ice dance teams on the ice at Toronto Cricket Club and is thanked for his help (Toronto)

February 23 -- Tessa posts from Florence, Italy + Scott at Ilderton Arena + Scott posts a video from Thank You Ilderton + attends Paul Brandt concert that night (London)

February 25 -- Tessa posts with Carolina Kostner and Anna Capellini (Florence) + VM confirmed as skaters for Fantasy on Ice + Great Kitchen Party/b2ten release video about their organization's partnership with an interview with VM

February 27 -- Tessa's Nivea Urban Skin commercial debuts + Scott's Leaf Nation interview game session Guess Who? is released + Scott posts on twitter regarding a Leafs game + Tessa posts from Tuscany, Italy

March 2 -- Scott at a Blue Jays spring training game (Dunedin, Florida) + Tessa posts from Tuscany

March 3 -- Tessa posts from Tuscany

March 4 -- Scott works with Carreira/Ponomaranko at Novi (Detroit) + attends a celebratory dinner + Tessa posts her new Nivea commercial + Toys R Us/Barbie announces Tessa as one of their choices as a Canadian role model and an appearance

March 6 -- Tessa announces partnership with Barbie

March 7 -- Scott tweets about Tessa’s Barbie partnership

March 8 -- Tessa appears on several morning shows with her Barbie “Close The Dream Gap” promotion and a Barbie event (Toronto)

March 9 -- Tessa at Toys R Us as an appearance in partnership with Barbie/Mattel as a Canadian Role Model for Barbie's 60th birthday (Mississagua) + Tessa and Scott individually post about Lajoie/Lagha’s Junior World gold medal win

March 11 -- Scott’s Leafs TV interview is released (taped February 19)

March 14 -- Tessa tapes commercial for Air Miles partnership (Toronto)

March 17 -- Tessa appears as a presenter for the Juno awards (London)

March 19 -- Tessa spotted at The Root Cellar for dinner (London)

March 21 -- Tessa attends Nivea UrbanSkin launch event (Toronto)

March 22 -- Scott in an Instagram story doing coach duty (Montreal)

March 23-24 -- Tessa and Scott doing choreography with Sam (Montreal) + Tessa spotted on a flight back to London

March 25 -- Scott coaching Lajoie/Lagha (Montreal)

April 1 -- Scott and Tessa speak at M&M Food Market partnership rally (Mississauga, morning) + Tessa and Scott 'London Sportspeople of the Year' celebrity dinner and auction (in support of Thames Valley Children's Centre) (London, evening) + Tessa’s Nivea No Limits peacock commercial is revealed + Tessa’s cover on Glory magazine is revealed and Tessa is named as one of Canada’s 30 under 30 leaders by Bay St. Bull

April 2 -- Tessa appears on several shows to promote Nivea No Limits campaign (Toronto)

April 3 -- Tessa posts about Scott making a coffee purchase with their Visa card + VM spotted at lunch at King St. Eats + Tessa and Scott tour the Walter Carsen Centre with Canadian National Ballet’s Heather Ogden and Guillaume Cote and announce an upcoming project with Cote

April 4 -- VM working with Ogden/Cote again + filming a segment for Hello Fresh + attend Air Canada Wanderluxe gala in support of SickKids Hospital and Herbie fund + Tessa revealed as a guest judge for upcoming season of MasterChef Canada

April 5 -- VM spotted at Granite Club on the ice (Toronto)

April 6 -- Scott in Calgary participating in a development camp for skaters

April 7 -- Scott continuing at the development camp (Calgary) + Tessa in photoshoot (London)

April 8 -- VM release a short, silly segment promoting their appearances April 9 + Tessa posts from Toronto

April 9 -- media day for Rock The Rink (RTR) - most cities and dates are released for the fall tour + VM appear on several radio and TV shows promoting it

April 10 -- day 2 of RTR media day

April 11 -- Tessa in London, England

April 13 -- Tessa with Lilah and Sasha Fear (London)

April 14 -- Tessa on the ice and at tea with the Fears (London)

April 16 -- Tessa and Scott in practices for Ice Fantasia (South Korea)

*****Ice Fantasia (April 19-21) (South Korea)

April 24 -- Tessa at a photoshoot (Toronto)

April 25 -- Tessa appears on Anastasia Bucsis’ podcast Player’s Own Voice (to air in June) + Tessa at Jessica Mulroney’s One Connection event with Bumble Bizz (Toronto)

April 27 -- Scott in a photo with a fan in a restaurant (exact date unverified) (Ilderton area)

April 29 -- Tessa in a dance studio with TVA Sports (Montreal)

May 1 -- Tessa appears at Villa Maria College to promote FillActive FitSpirit (Montreal)

May 2 -- Tessa at a photoshoot for BonLook (Montreal) + Tessa attends the Canada Youth Summit as a guest speaker with FillActive FitSpirit with Sophie (Ottawa) + Scott coaches for his mom/aunts’ skating school (Komoka)

May 3 -- Tessa and Scott at a restaurant with Rock The Rink’s band Birds of Bellwoods (Toronto) + Tessa and Scott attend CSOI ‘incognito’ (Toronto)

May 4 -- Tessa attends Jordan’s barre class at BarreBelles + has an outdoor photoshoot with Adidas (Toronto) + Scott spotted arriving at Tampa airport

May 5 -- Tessa attends Run for Women (Moncton)

***** Canada's Great Kitchen Party Auction Trip, Mallorca (May 9-16)

May 16 -- Tessa’s Air Miles commercial drops

May 17 -- Tessa’s 30th birthday!  posted pictures, location unknown

May 19 -- Tessa spotted out for a meal (Stratford?)

May 20 -- Tessa at the Budweiser Stage in partnership with Air Miles (Toronto)

***** Canada's Great Kitchen Party Auction Trip, Newfoundland (May 22-27)

May 27-28 -- Tessa and Scott give a talk at Investor’s Group Presidents Academy conference (New York)

May 29 -- Tessa posts as a partner of Colgate + Tessa and Scott are named as guest judges on the upcoming fall season of Battle of the Blades + spotted in the Sendai train station

*****Fantasy on Ice Tour (May 31 - June 16) (Japan)

May 31 - June 2 -- FOI, Sendai

June 3 -- Tessa goes out with other skaters to karaoke + Tessa’s episode as a guest judge on Master Chef Canada airs (taped in December 2018)

June 7 - 9 -- FOI, Kobe

June 14 -16 -- FOI, Toyoma

June 20 -- Tessa posts a picture from the cottage

June 21 -- Tessa at a shoot for MAC

June 22 -- Tessa attends Jordan’s Barre Belles class + Tessa, Jordan and the McMorris brothers attend the Arkells concert at Budweiser Stage (Toronto)

June 24 -- Tessa in Prince Edward Island + night out with other celebrities attending the Special Olympics gala (including Elisha Cuthbert Phaneuf)  + renovations begin on the new location of Moir’s Skate Shop

June 25 -- Tessa attends the Special Olympics Enriching Lives Summerside Luncheon + the Enriching Lives gala (Charlottetown) + Tessa’s new collection with BonLook is revealed

June 26 -- Tessa spotted at the airport (Charlottetown)

June 27 -- Scott attends Canada Day celebrations at Parkhill-West Williams Public School

June 29 -- Scott takes a photo with a fan in his local area

June 30 -- Tessa posts Instastories of an at-home outdoor workout BarreBelle style with Jordan + a picture of her at the cottage

July 1 -- Tessa posts for Canada with a cottage pic

July 2 -- Tessa shares and IG story from the cottage featuring her Olympic gold medalist beer fridge from Molson

July 3 -- Tessa posts a picture with Jordan from the cottage

July 6-13  -- Tessa on vacation in Vancouver and California with Liz, Madori, and others (exact dates unknown)

July 15 -- Tessa posts herself at London airport

July 16 -- Tessa at a photoshoot (Montreal)

July 17 -- Tessa has a reunion dinner with queenopain, Jaime from b2ten/Reconditioning/P2 (Montreal)

July 18 -- Tessa and Scott give a talk at Deloitte Canada financial advisory summit (Mont Tremblant)

July 20 -- Tessa and Scott each post to social media to encourage people to go to Tim Horton’s to buy a Special Olympics doughnut to support the cause (Scott’s photo was taken with Dave Campbell, osteopath from b2ten)

July 26 -- Tessa attends a MAC meet and greet at Yorkdale Mall (Toronto)

July 27 -- Tessa does a Shopper’s Drug Mart Nivea ‘fireside chat’ at Vaughn Mills (Toronto)

July 31 - Aug 1 -- Tessa does a photoshoot for Adidas (Montreal)

August 2 -- Tessa attends Osheaga and has a meet and greet with the winner of a Nivea contest (Montreal) + Tessa and Scott release an Apple playlist 

August 3 -- Tessa attends Osheaga

August 6 -- Tessa attends Walk of Fame Hometown Stars celebration for Chris Hadfield (Sarnia)

August 7 -- Tessa and Scott each receive their Walk of Fame Hometown stars (Ilderton and London) + Scott’s engagement to Jackie becomes official public knowledge + Tessa and Scott do several interviews

August 8 --  Moir’s Skate Shop re-opens in their new location (Komoka)

August 12 -- Tessa does a photoshoot with Paul Buceta (Mississauga)

August 13 -- Tessa and Scott have a media day for Rock the Rink, with Kaetlyn, Elvis, Jeremy, and Birds of Bellwood (Toronto)

August 14 -- Tessa and Scott in the dance studio with Guillaume Cote (Toronto) + Scott does a coaching session at Granite Club (Toronto)

August 16 -- Tessa’s Adidas ad comes out

August 17 -- Scott attends a wedding

August 18 -- Tessa and Scott’s Hometown Stars events air on local TV

August 21 -- Tessa is announced as an ambassador for RW&CO + she attends an event to promote their collaboration (Toronto)

August 22 -- Tessa has a photoshoot (possibly MAC) (Toronto)

August 28 -- Tessa and Scott spotted practicing (Komoka?) + Tessa has a shoot with new partner Yves

August 29 -- Tessa spotted out (possibly the 28th) + Tessa gives talk at private Adidas event + has a possible interview at Assembly Chef’s Hall

August 30 -- Tessa and Scott practicing (Komoka?) + Scott posted out with Jackie

September 7 -- Tessa has a meet and greet for The Brick at West Edmonton Mall (Edmonton)

September 8 -- Tessa attends the TIFF Dior launch party Toronto + Tessa and Scott have a late night practice session with Gui Cote

September 9 -- Tessa and Scott spotted for another practice session

September 11 -- Tessa has a shooting day, for unknown reasons relating to Team Canada Champion Chats (Classroom Champions)

September 12 -- Tessa’s Adidas VRCT jacket ad drops

September 15 -- Tessa posts about packing for RTR rehearsals

September 16 -- Scott borrows AC/DC lyrics to tweet about leaving for Vancouver for RTR rehearsals with the cast

September 17 -- first glimpse of on ice RTR rehearsals with the cast via Jeremy Abbott (Abottsford) + Tessa and Scott announce they are stepping away from skating after RTR

September 19 -- Tessa and Scott guest judge on the premiere of Battle of the Blades (Hamilton)

September 20 -- Tessa and Scott are back to rehearsals for RTR (Abbotsford)

September 21 -- Tessa and Scott attend an Elton John concert with Jeremy Abbott, Kaetlyn Osmond, and choreographers Matheiu and Randi

September 23 -- Tessa and Scott drop the puck at a Vancouver Canucks/Ottawa Senators (Abbotsford)

September 30 -- Scott visits a local dance school with other members of RTR (Abbotsford)

October 1 -- Tessa attends We for She as a keynote speaker (Vancouver)

*****Rock The Rink tour (October 5 - November 23)

October 5 - RTR, Abbotsford + Tessa and Scott have photo taken with a fan at a liquor store (exact date unknown)

October 6 - RTR, Penticton

October 7 - RTR, Vancouver

October 8 - RTR, TBA  (removed from lineup)

October 10 - RTR, Red Deer

October 11 - RTR, Dawson Creek

October 12 - RTR, Prince George

October 13 - RTR, Grand Prairie

October 16 - RTR, Calgary

October 17 - RTR, Lethbridge

October 18 - RTR, Regina

October 19 - RTR, Medicine Hat

October 20 - RTR, Brandon

October 22 - Tessa and Scott spotted travelling from Toronto to London

October 23 -- Tessa and Scott to be awarded honorary degrees from Western University (London)

October 24 -- Tessa and Scott guest judge on Battle of the Blades (Oshawa)

October 25 - RTR, Winnipeg - removed from lineup

October 26 - RTR, Saskatoon - removed from lineup

October 29 - RTR, Sault Ste. Marie

October 30 - RTR, London

October 31 -- Tessa and Scott guest judge on Battle of the Blades finale (Toronto)

November 1 - RTR, Sudbury + Tessa and Scott do a radio interview via phone

November 2 - RTR, Kitchener

November 3 - RTR, Kingston

November 5 -- Scott does several joint television interviews with Special Olympians (Toronto) + individual radio interview (including information that his wedding will be in July) + Scott attends a Maple Leafs game with Max, Patrick, and Andrew Poje

November 6 - RTR, MIssissauga + Scott announced as a Board Ambassador for Scott Hamilton’s Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer (to unite skaters and communities)

November 7 - RTR, Ottawa + Tessa and Scott along with Patrick, Tatiana, Max, and Jeremy are spotted having breakfast at Sunset Grill (Ottawa)

November 8 - RTR, St. Catharines + Impact magazine releases interview with Tessa + Tessa spotted out to dinner with friends before the show at Merchant Ale House (St Catharines)

November 9 - RTR, Oshawa

November 10 - RTR, Cleveland - cancelled + Tessa attends a Barre Belle class (possibly with Jordan)

November 13 - RTR, Peterborough

November 14 - RTR, Laval + Tessa announced as part of Classroom Champions

November 15 - RTR, Quebec City

November 16 - RTR, Moncton + Jeremy shares a video of the RTR cast watching Austin Powers on the tour bus

November 17 - RTR, Halifax + Jeremy’s personal takeover on IG for Edges of Glory shares behind the scenes and short chats with the cast and crew as the tour comes to an end + Tessa and Scott film a segment for This Hour Has 22 MInutes + the cast is spotted at The Press Gang Restaurant and Oyster Bar and at The Lower Deck (Halifax)

November 18 - Scott out at a Karaoke Club

November 20 -- Tessa spotted at Winsor House (St. John’s)

November 21 -- Tessa tapes a television interview for “Out of the Fog” + Scott spotted out and about (possibly with Patrick, Max, and Tati) (St. John’s)

November 23 - RTR, Saint John’s, with family in attendance

2020

******May 12-19 - GKP Ireland (Galway and Conmerra)

******May 20-27 - GKP Italy (Matera)

[bcofl0ve]

bewbie left the house 2 days in a row!

[helloyoucreatives]

Cadbury Creme Egg, the Mondelēz-owned chocolate brand, has revealed a major new integrated campaign, ‘Hunt the White Creme Egg’. The initiative was developed in partnership with creative agency ELVIS.

The campaign, which includes TV, print, OOH, digital, social, instore, PR and media partnership activity, announces the return of the coveted white Creme Eggs. It seeks to build on the success of last year’s award-winning ‘It’s Creme Egg Hunting Season’ push which caused a frenzy amongst consumers.

In a unique series of partnerships, Cadbury Creme Egg has worked with other advertisers to create the ultimate ‘Easter eggs’, hiding Creme Eggs in selected outdoor and press advertising, as well as on their websites and social feeds.

The campaign drives people to the campaign hub HuntTheWhiteCremeEgg.com,

[gothify1]

Below-freezing temperatures and bulky outerwear can make winter a challenging time, sartorially speaking, but come January, the gloves are off—both literally and figuratively—when Hollywood’s jet-set touches down in sunny Los Angeles for award season. Thanks to a blockbuster year in film, music, and television, the 2019 red carpets are an opportunity to make a major statement. Here, we’ve shown an early spotlight on 23 actors and musicians guaranteed to land spots on the 2019 awards season’s best-dressed lists. Let’s start with a red carpet renaissance woman: Lady Gaga is going to have an epic award season. We can’t wait to see what she wears to the Golden Globes, the Oscars, and the Grammys when she wins big for basically everything A Star Is Born is nominated for; her style evolution has been a true Hollywood glow-up! A close second and perennial team Who What Wear fave, Emma Stone is bound to inspire your next black-tie event look when she hits the red carpets in 2019. Think she’ll take any notes from her character, Abigail Masham, in The Favorite and go full baroque, or keep it completely contemporary with the latest from Louis Vuitton? Speaking of The Favourite ,  Joe Alwyn , aka Baron Masham, aka the first earl of Leicester in Mary Queen of Scots , is guaranteed to have a memorable awards season (especially if Taylor Swift is on his arm). The 27-year-old British actor had a banner year with four movies premiering in 2018, and undoubtedly cribbed a few style notes from several of Hollywood’s leading ladies—we have a feeling his star status is about to skyrocket. Of course, award season wouldn’t be a must-watch moment if not for a little healthy competition. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie , two of 2018’s best dressed and co-stars/rivals in Mary Queen of Scots , are absolutely going to slay—sartorially speaking. Spoiler alert: There’s a clear winner in the film (and, um, history), but we’d be absolutely thrilled if the top red carpet ranking featured a tie between these two sensational style stars. While we’re revisiting history, let us remember the ground-breaking, earth-shaking, and red carpet–rousing movie of the year, Black Panther . Boasting an all-star lineup and memorable world premiere in which the cast paid homage to African royalty, we hope this stylish crew—especially Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Leticia Wright, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, and Angela Bassett —continues its winning streak throughout award season. Wakanda forever! Crazy Rich Asians , one of the most over-the-top and enjoyable fashion films of the year, was a feast for the eyes both on screen and at the red carpet premiere. Constance Wu , the movie’s leading lady, worked with celeb stylist and Who What Wear contributor  Micaela Erlanger  for the press tour last summer, creating gorgeous looks for a range of appearances. We love how they play with fashion together and can’t wait to see which designer is selected for the Globes in January. Fashion’s latest It boy, Timothée Chalamet , had an incredible 2017 with Oscar-nominated films Lady Bird and Call Me by Your Name , and this year, he added Golden Globe nominee to his list of accolades. Not only does the Beautiful Boy star embrace bold colors and prints, but he’s also reportedly self-styled. We’re impressed! If you haven’t already heard of Kiki Layne , don’t worry—you will soon. Her breakout film, If Beale Street Could Talk , an adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1974 novel by Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins, has already been nominated for several Golden Globes ahead of its premiere. Kiki has a major year ahead of her with at least two other projects in the can, and we’re excited for her red carpet debut with Regina King, her fellow Beale Street star and Golden Globe nominee. Rounding out our list of film favorites is a newcomer, Elsie Fisher . At just 15, she has captured hearts as the cringe-worthy (in the best way!) ingenue of Bo Burnham’s directorial debut, Eighth Grade , which premiered over the summer. Elsie has already made an impression at smaller red carpet events, and she recently spoke to Vanity Fair about her affinity for suits, remarking, “I feel like suits are very me… I look poppin’ in ’em!” We couldn’t agree more. As far as red carpet style goes, we find musicians tend to be a bit more daring than actors, which is why we’re especially excited for the 2019 Grammys. One woman who never ceases to surprise us with her style chops is Cardi B, who is up for album of the year for Invasion of Privacy . Whether Cardi goes full-on glam, breaks a piece out of Versace’s archives, or debuts her upcoming collab with Fashion Nova, we know she’ll dress to impress—red bottoms, guaranteed. It’s no surprise that with the rise of the rosé wave in pop music came the return of cowboy boots . At the center of this ethereal yet empowering moment is singer Kacey Musgraves . The “Velvet Elvis” singer has already racked up several Country Music Awards but was recently nominated for album of the year for Golden Hour , transcending the confines of her genre, and presenting an opportunity to show off her unique mix of vintage-meets–high-fashion style at next year’s Grammys. We’ve had our eyes on Dua Lipa ever since she explained “New Rules” to us in 2017, and we were thrilled by her two Grammy nominations this year. Up for best new artist and best dance recording, this edgy British singer and street style star will undoubtedly make a major red carpet splash throughout 2019. Is there anything Tessa Thompson can’t do? In addition to her appearance in Janelle Monae’s much-buzzed-about “Pynk” music video, the Creed and Westworld star is a style chameleon who’s bound to thrive during award season—even if she’s just there to support her friends and castmates, the similarly suave Michael B. Jordan and Thandie Newton. Let’s talk about Lili Reinhart for a minute: Not only has she captured hearts as Betty (and Dark Betty!) on Riverdale for the past three seasons, but she’s also become a media darling, sharing insights into acting , acne , and of course, all things Archie. Notably, we love her brand-new campaign photos for the Mighty Company x Ilaria Urbanati celestial-inspired charity collection—hey, if anyone can pull of stars and stripes on a red carpet, it’s Lili. See you at the Emmys? If you haven’t already caught up on Atlanta , consider this an official mandate. You’ll probably recognize Zazie Beetz as Vanessa Keefer, Donald Glover’s character’s ex-girlfriend. Or maybe you remember her from Deadpool 2 as Domino, a mutant whose superpower is luck. Either way, Zazzie is definitely one to watch this red carpet season, especially since she’s being styled by Jason Bolden, whose other clients include Yara Shahidi and Sasha Lane. Be sure to look for her at this year’s Golden Globes supporting Donald, and hopefully again on the Emmys red carpet next fall. Finally, we’ve got the one and only  Busy Philipps. Unless you’ve completely opted out of pop culture and social media this year, Philipps has been on your mind—or more accurately, on your phone! A forever fave from early aughts teen dramas Dawson’s Creek and Freaks and Geeks , Philipps has BLOWN UP in 2018 thanks to her hilarious commentary, candor, and colorful style which is broadcast via her Instagram, recently released memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little , and new E! show, Busy Tonight . Working with stylist Karla Welch (who also counts Tracee Ellis Ross and Sarah Paulson as clients), you know Busy’s bound to bust a move, whether on the red carpet, in her nightgown, or at a tiny trampoline class. Think I missed any potential red carpet style stars of 2019? Hit me up on Twitter or Instagram at @Drewblahblah and we’ll put them on Who What Wear’s radar before the New Year. Up Next:  From the Oscars to the Golden Globes, Cannes to the British Fashion Awards here’s where you’ll find the most glorious red carpet looks .

[dualredundancy]

DR413: Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards (Oscars 2023) and That 90s Show Premiere

In this week's episode David, John and Kyle react to the 95th Academy Award nominations including all the surprises and snubs (2:15). Throughout that segment we also discuss Austin Butler's possibly permanent Elvis voice, Andrea Riseborough's successful social media Oscar campaign and what films may have the best shot to win on Oscar night. Finally, we review the series premiere of That '70s Show spinoff That '90s Show (45:00).

This episode was originally recorded on January 24th on Twitch and can be replayed on YouTube. Want more Dual Redundancy? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast!

Here is a freshly posted brand new episode of Dual Redundancy!

[areacodefan]

This might be my only post about this because TBH the drama is kind of annoying to me and even my commenting does feed it. But here’s my $0.02:

I don’t really think any of this will impact Austin’s Oscar chances. It took 40 years to find someone with the heart & talent to truly convey the soul of Elvis in a movie and that shit doesn’t fall off trees. Anyone who would sign up to portray Elvis at this moment is taking a huge risk because now we have the Platinum Standard of Austin/Baz to go by. It might seem unlikely from the outside but in truth, many aspects of Hollywood operate like a small town. It’s a weird, insular world of connections and opportunities (and opportunism). So the fact that more rumors or movies or plans or stories are happening is par for the course.

So I think the only thing that could come close to him in the Oscar scene will be Brendan Fraser and that’s because he is so widely loved by his peers and fans and has reportedly delivered a stunning performance in The Whale. But I suspect Academy voters aren’t really going to care much about a bunch of internet drama between “rival” exes and movie sets. That’s the stuff that social media eats up & obsesses about — and, yes, a big part of awards season is about the campaigning. But Austin is so profoundly engaging and sincere in his interviews that I’m pretty sure he will win over anyone with a beating heart.

With Elvis, Austin has skyrocketed to a level of fame AND acclaim that is rare. I can’t even imagine what kind of adjustments he is making at this point. But he spent 3 years merging with the man who was both beloved and destroyed by the pitfalls of intense celebrity. Elvis had no predecessor to learn from and no one to unselfishly guide him professionally. Add the drugs/addiction it’s just heartbreaking. We can all see Austin’s sensitive, shy, vulnerability — but clearly he’s also tough and determined or he wouldn’t have pulled off what he did. Austin’s been in show business since he was 12 so he understands the machine. He also appears to be highly intelligent and he wisely steers clear of social media due to its toxicity. He has referred in interviews to his deep friendships and to having a therapist. In grieving his mom, he lives every day with much, much, much greater heartbreak than a bunch of Hollywood snark and gossip. I would imagine that actually breaking up with his partner of 9 years was a lot more painful than any of the crap that might be said about it after the fact. Plus they each lost a parent during that time and supported each other. Nine years is a LONG time and from all indications were deeply and truly in love — but it ended. So that’s a lot. A lot more than Kaia/Jacob/Austin/Vanessa/Olivia drama. In fact, when Priscilla is leaving Elvis in the movie, Austin’s performance is so heart wrenching that I can’t help but think he is drawing from his own painful split.

So the Oscars… I have myself said I will riot if Austin doesn’t win the Oscar because let’s face it he did the impossible. And I have to say, I will be UTTERLY crushed if he is passed over for the win — but if Brendan does get it instead I would be able to cope, largely because Brendan in his heyday was a sweet and genuine as we perceive Austin to be now. And Brendan has gone through some hell. But since neither of them (no one) is even nominated yet, this is all speculation. And I mostly dislike speculation.

Anyhoo, those are my thoughts.

For Aus,

Okay, at the core of it, I just want Austin to know that he is LOVED. Terribly, aggressively, wildly loved. None of what’s happening right now is fair to him and I don’t want this to ruin his confidence.

It’s sad that the Jacob thing and Vanessa’s shady ass interview both came out within a couple of hours of each other and so close to the Oscar campaign. But I hope the Academy can see through all these desparate attempts of other people trying to ride off his, albeit recent, but hard earned fame. 

It’s ironic because throughout the press tour a common theme the cast and crew focussed on was “giving credit where credit was due.” This is literally something I have heard at least Austin, Baz and Olivia say and it’ll be a fucking pity if they themselves are robbed of that in their careers and lives (especially for Austin and Olivia who are fairly new to the scene).

There are a lot of aspects to this whole thing and frankly if I start on that this post is going to be longer than anything I’ve ever written but if you want to have a conversation about the Presley family, Sophia, Kaia and of course Jacob and Vanessa (or any other aspect of this) with me - feel free to shoot me a message or an anon request or whatever and I can let you know what I think.

Having said that, I want to reiterate my main point for this particular post - we love Austin and Elvis (2022). Period. And if I could have ever had direct contact with him or anyone associated with this film I would just say that I’m sorry for the way things are unfolding. Austin has a bright future ahead of him with Masters of the Air, Bikeriders and Dune 2 and I very very veryyyy sincerely hope that these projects open even more (hopefully non-problematic) doors for him.

- Fantasia <3