Category: Cultural Commentary

PeaceBang has been a life-long adorer of drag queens and everything they’re about: over-the-top flair, unabashed excess in hair, make-up and the other accoutrements of outrageous femininity, sacrificing comfort for beauty, and using a combination of humor and sexuality to flaunt their stuff. They are about illusion, extravagance, in-your-face gorgeousness, bells and smells, baubles, bangles & beads. They are an ironic pageant of Womanhood, a reverent mockery and manifestation of Goddess Herself with man bits firmly tucked away beneath spandex and ace bandages. I am enchanted by and jealous of drag queens — they possess a wild, strut-your-stuff flamboyance that more women would have if that kind of Attitude hadn’t been beaten, and burned out of us over centuries of patriarchal abuse and control.

Viva la drag queens! There are many who are dear to my heart, but I have learned today that actor Patrick Swayze, the creator of one of my dearest and most inspiring drag queens in cinematic history, MISS VIDA BOHEME (from “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar”) has pancreatic cancer. I just want to say here that I sincerely wish Mr. Swayze healing blessings, and want him to know that for me, he is immortalized in his creation of Vida.

If you want to read more, I wrote about this over at PeaceBang blog, too.

Having just found, and reeled back in my chair from, this full-length photo of Daniel Day-Lewis and his wife, Rebecca Miller taken at the Oscars the other night, I just had to share the crazy:

Gentlemen. Tuxes. To be worn with black dress shoes. Not … suede brown loafers to match the bad piping on the tux that should not be there in the first place. But it’s Daniel Day-Lewis. We forgive. Miz Miller. Gorgeous. Talented. There is no earthly explanation for the gown (did those flowers come from the set of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?” Are they CANDY?). But, Lord give me strength, do I see wacky, ziggy-zaggy black and white pointy-toed pumps peeping out of that hemline?

PeaceBang feels a little faint and invites us all to offset the potential cosmic disturbance caused by this ensemble by dressing in extremely classic, elegant outfits tomorrow.

(Thanks to www.GoFugYourself.com for providing the full head-to-toe exposure.)

FIRST of all, this year’s Best Actress, Marion Cottilard, stole my heart. I could do without the fish fin motif on her gown but she’s stunningly gorgeous, her speech was a study in Gallic charm, and I’m in love:

Also a study in absolute elegance and soignee gorgeousosity from across the pond, I give you the incomparable Helen Mirren, who looked even more splendid this year than she did last (and who thought such a thing was possible?):

(THAT’s how you wear red lipstick, kids, and she looked much better on the stage). Cameron Diaz, get on out of town with your drunken pronunciation, inelegant carriage and your death-colored lipstick. Step out the way and let the real stars show you how it’s done, honey.

As for the rest of the crowd, we were a bit tired of seeing so many black gowns that reminded PeaceBang of a community theatre production of “The Merry Widow.” Penelope Cruz, I’m lookin’ at you. Jen Garner’s was nice, but I’m not so into the tatty bottom thing.

Tilda Swinton can do whatever she wants in my book. She’s a true fashion eccentric and she’s riveting. Anyone who could casually turn her Oscar speech into an absurdist riff on George Clooney’s “Batman” era has my attention and respect. She’s a big, weird, fabulous clothes hanger of a woman with some of the greatest bone structure God ever gave to one woman.
Also a winner in the “Know Thyself” PeaceBang Tribute is writer Diablo Cody, a former exotic dancer who won for Best Screenplay for “Juno” and who did a sort of Pebbles Flintstone look for herself. I LOVE that she shunned a pair of famous designer shoes as a “cheesy publicity ploy” and opted for gold flats.

It was unfortunate that the minimally-talented, over-exposed Anne Hathaway made her presenter’s appearance in a de trop red gown
only to be followed by the luminescent Katherine Heigl in a second memorable red gown. Heigl may as well have had a banner across her chest reading, “HERE’s how you do a red gown, Hathaway!” Indeed, Miss Heigl. Indeed.

Jon Stewart did a marvelous job, and the cutest moment of the evening was when he brought the adorable little songstress from “Once” back onstage to give her a chance to give her acceptance speech without being cut off by the infernal Bill Conti (love ya, Bill, we know you’re under strict orders from the producers — but in the future, cut off gushy Julia Robertses or Halle Berrys or whining, indulgently weepy Gwynny Paltrows, not sweet girls from Ireland who still have some perspective about themselves and what the award really means).

Well darlinks, some of you inquired so let me say this —

I have not seen any of the new season of “Project Runway” but I did go to the website to check out the new designers and watch some clips and I’m a bit WORRIED. If these are the promising fashion minds of the new generation, PeaceBang is biting her nails with anxiety. A leopard-print shirt with an acid green tie? Positively harrowing! Bleached white hair and a beret? How tired is that!? My god, I was doing the extreme hair color and beret look in 1985 — and let me tell you, I wasn’t exactly the fashion-forward sophomore at Northwestern University. And speaking of that decade, KEVIN, Dave Navarro called from 1982 and he wants his facial hair back. Aren’t you cute, though. And that bald boy who won the first challenge? Swoon! You don’t get biceps like that from hand hemming skirts, kids. That child works out.

Who is this person called Sweet P? What is that all about? How can I take you seriously with that name, and with that shapeless raspberry-colored thing you’re passing off as a dress? What a puerile combination! And Victor-YA? Victoria is a perfectly elegant name — it happens to be my own name, in fact — what were VictorYA’s parents thinking when they mucked up the spelling like that? Because by the looks of it, she’s the only one of the bunch who can actually dress herself, and therefore she gets PeaceBang’s Very Preliminary Vote for most likely to survive at least the next round. I can’t wait.

One more question, though: Is EVERYTHING going to be GREY this season?

Check it out for yourself here.