Freak Show Friday: Pete Burns

All photos via Google Image Search

Yes, Pete Burns is still technically a man, but I wouldn't blame you for thinking otherwise. In fact, if you knew him back in the 1980s as the lead singer for Dead Or Alive, you might not even recognize him now. He always WAS flamboyant and a bit of a diva, but after he became addicted to plastic surgery, the freak-factor really started to climb! Just LOOK at those lips!

The last several Dead Or Alive albums have seen band members come and go, but Pete has been the one common thread holding the act together. However, in my opinion, nothing they've done since the album 'Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know' has been any good. And that's probably because they did not retain the same fun, edgy, slightly goth dance vibe that drew them so much attention and success in the '80s. I know that it's usually better for bands to change or evolve, instead of just continuing to crank out the same sort of material and stagnating... But that applies to the artists who take it seriously, and I think we all know that Dead Or Alive was always pretty much disposable. Plus, it would seem that the ONLY thing Pete has ever taken seriously is his appearance!

See, he's not a woman...

Those are man breasts, baby!

I have to say that 'Youthquake' will always be my favorite Dead Or Alive album, and I certainly think that Pete's dark, and almost spooky look during that time was the best. Here, take a look at the album cover, below.

Their look and sound just seemed so

different than anything else at the time.

And Pete had great hair!

In a dramatic, blue mood...

There's that wild & sexy hair, again!

It's like a lion's mane, and I soooo

wished that MY hair would do that!

Now, I get to be the spooky one and show you something REALLY scary. As perhaps a modern-day cautionary tale, Pete details his truly horrific experience with cosmetic lip surgery gone WAY wrong in his autobiography, 'Freak Unique'. Take a look, below, for just a sampling of what he went through.

WARNING: The following images most assuredly will disturb you and/or make you sick to your stomach. View at your own discretion!

You KNOW that's gotta hurt!
It almost looks like how people used
to stitch a dead person's mouth
closed for burial...

It got so bad that his lips were actually

oozing pus! Now, tell me, is ANYTHING

worth going through this?!

Now, you'd never know that those

plump, voluptuous "mouth pillows"

weren't natural... Yeah, RIGHT!

Here's the book.

Not only does Pete talk about all

of the plastic surgery, he also shares

an intimate behind-the-scenes look

at his life as a pop star.

Tommy was a big Dead Or Alive fan

too, so we're planning to read it

out loud to each other, and giggle a lot!

Well, that about covers it. For a general overview of a man who would become a lady-like man, anyway. Have a great weekend, everybody! And try NOT to think of those scary lip photos the next time you go to kiss your honey...

Show & Tell: Henry

Here is yet another post unrelated to pop culture, but I so enjoyed Heidi's post about her kitty, Dizzy, over at her Gold Country Girls blog, that I felt inspired to share with you MY late Tonkinese cat, Henry.

Gosh, I guess it's been about a decade now, since we lost him to kidney failure. That was very hard. We actually had to have him put to sleep, after he had been through all that the doctors could do for him. And, I think, that was the most DIFFICULT thing I've had to do in my life. If you have ever owned pets, odds are that you probably know what it feels like. I'll never forget how paralyzed I felt when I was trying to sign the release form authorizing Henry's euthanasia...





Henry, in the thick of it all!



In case you aren't sure what a Tonkinese cat is, it's a Siamese/Burmese cross-breed. I much prefer it over a normal Siamese because Henry did not have the typical eyes that they do. His were the same pretty, light blue, but they did not look crossed. I was so glad about that since I've always thought that the cross-eyed ones look really DUMB! (Sorry, if you have one. I'm sure that yours is just lovely.)

I can remember Henry's coat being VERY soft, which made it especially nice whenever you held him. And I miss how you can usually hold a cat in the same manner as you would a baby, cradled in your arms. Every once in a while, I attempt to hold Mr. Scoots that way, but he wants NO part of it! Oh, well...

I asked Tommy what quirky things he remembers about Henry, and he mentioned how, at Christmas time, Henry absolutely loved to lay under the glowing tree for hours in an almost trance-like state. While under there, he also enjoyed selecting one particular hanging ornament (usually something irreplaceable) to bat at, and then eventually squirrel away with to nibble on!





Tommy & Henry, caught playing
their reindeer games!






Oh, to be a cat... Wouldn't that be nice?



I'd like to have a cat again, someday. I love Mr. Scoots, but there's just something about having a cat for a pet that is sooo different from a dog. And vice versa, of course! Even if we did get another cat, I doubt that we'd ever find another one as SPECIAL as our Henry was!

Freak Show Friday: Marilyn Manson

Photo via Google Image Search

O.K., this guy WANTS us to think he's a freak. That's his whole shtick. And, clearly, it IS working for him. But I, for one, am not buying it! It all just seems soooo forced to me. I guess that on some level I do appreciate his theatrics. I mean, there is no denying that he's a pretty dynamic performer, albeit a little disturbing at times... But I find him coming across as way too desperate, like he's always saying "Look at ME, I'm f*ckin' CRAY-ZEE and sh*t!" He just proves that you gotta have a gimmick.




Photo via Google Image Search

Umm, Marilyn? Do you know where those

fingers have been?




'The Golden Age 1' photo by Gottfried Helnwein

Mommy, I don't like Mickey Mouse

anymore... He scares me!

As far as Mr. Manson's talent as a singer, I'm NOT that impressed. The only real exposure to it that I get is when my husband Tommy plays one of his CDs. I certainly don't CHOOSE to listen to it! And most every time, I bark at him like an old biddy to "turn down that racket!"

Photo via Google Image Search

Well, what do we have here?! It looks like yet
another ringmaster wants to conduct my circus...

Have a nice weekend, everyone! I hope you can "get your FREAK on"! Or, at least have fun trying!

Freak Show Friday: Lady Gaga

All photos via Google Image Search

Where DO I start with Lady Gaga? Well, I should probably start out by reluctantly admitting that I do (err...), I mean DID, have a small sort of fascination with the Lady. Just a tad "gaga" over the lady, if you will. But I think that I'm OVER it, now. Then again, maybe NOT, if I'm doing this post...

I know that she isn't a "freak" compared to the likes of Michael Jackson, however she IS one on a whole other level. One would almost have to agree that she's a bit of a fashion-freak, at the very least! Anyway, for the TWO of you who aren't familiar, continue below for a little background.

"Umm, Gaga? When we said

you could bring your beau,

this wasn't what we meant..."

(Lady evidently improvised when she ran out

of normal hair bows.)

"I'm out-of-this-world!"

(Guest appearing on 'Ellen', sharing what

looks like an interactive science project...)

Born Stefani Joanne Germanotta to an Italian New York family, she assumed the stage name Lady Gaga, at the age of 19, as an homage to Queen's song 'Radio Gaga'. She first broke onto the Lower East Side club scene with the dance-pop song 'Beautiful Dirty Rich' while also gaining attention for her very theatrical "shock art" performances. Dressed in her own hand-made costumes, she would strip down to just hot pants and a bikini top, light cans of hairspray on fire and strike a pose as a disco ball lowered from the ceiling to the orchestral sounds of 'A Clockwork Orange'. Wish I could've seen THAT!

She went on to become signed with Streamline/Interscope Records by her 20th birthday and wrote songs for other artists, such as the Pussycat Dolls, before her debut album 'The Fame' was even released. Gaga, now 23, describes her sound on 'The Fame' as being "two parts dance-pop, one part electro-pop, and one part rock with a splash of disco and burlesque generously poured in."

Watch the music video for her latest single, 'Love Game', below...

"Tiny bubbles... tiny bubbles,

make me feel fine... make me feel fine"

(Lady must've stepped out of the bath just in

time for this performance!)

"Bitch, where you at? You were

supposed to meet me here at

the mall, right by Orange Julius!"

(Lady, out shopping for a new D&G jet-pack

to match her dress.)

"I'm a little teapot,

short and stout..."

(On stage, performing with the Pet Shop Boys.)

"What? This wasn't supposed to be

a MASQUERADE pool party?!"

(Lately, she's dripping with success.)

Now, do you see what I was talking about when I called her a "fashion-freak"?! She's ALL over the place! And a bit skanky, too! There are even MORE skanky fashion oddities where these came from, so maybe I will share those with you at another time...

Have a great weekend, everyone!

"My future's so bright, I've gotta wear shades!"

Movie Moments: Disney-Pixar's 'Up'

All photos from Disney-Pixar's 'Up'



Yay, I finally got to see 'Up', Disney and Pixar's latest collaboration! And it was REALLY good! Of course, that came as no surprise. Everything that they do is top-notch quality and a whole lotta FUN! I saw it in 3D, too. Not sure if you can see it without...?

Anyway, it's got a wonderful story (My author husband said afterward that he was impressed with the screen writer's ability to formulate a story that encompassed so much and evoked such emotion.), terrific animation, awesome sound, VIBRANT colors and excellent characters. What more could one want from a cartoon movie?!

The story begins to take flight!

Old fuddy-duddy, Carl Fredricksen.

Perpetual optimist, Russell.

Ever faithful & furry, Dug.

Here is the official movie synopsis from Disney ~

"a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell."

And if I told you any MORE than that, I'd surely ruin it for you. So, do yourself a favor and see this film. Unless you're a curmudgeon like the story's protagonist Carl, it will most certainly BRIGHTEN your day!

Amusing & colorful, 13-foot-tall Kevin.

Freak Show Friday: Michael Jackson

Photo via shamelesshype.com


I can't think of ANYTHING to say about Michael Jackson that hasn't already been said a thousand times, elsewhere. So, I will instead let these photos speak for themselves. Or, I might just say a little something...

Photo via Sally Swift's blog, Daily Sally

What the HELL?





Photo via forgottenjournal.com

Something tells me Michael didn't just
cut himself while shaving!





Photo via Chicago Tribune

Now, WHAT was wrong with this, Michael?
It was 1979 and you were a young, attractive
"Afro"- American man.

Photo via thegreenhead.com

YIKES! You can have all the candy you

want, Michael, just don't take my boy!

That last one is just a Halloween mask, although it's NOT very far from reality!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Make sure to "pop" in every once in a while to see the latest act!

A Boy's Toy Joy: The Fisher-Price Musical Ferris Wheel

Photo by Allison Jones

It is time, once again, for me to reflect on another one of my favorite childhood toys. Today, I am talking about the Fisher-Price Musical Ferris Wheel!

This toy was MAGICAL. Not only did it play music when you wound it up, its wheel also spun around, and around, and around as the "mad boy" cranked it! AND you could put your Fisher-Price Little People (Even the dog!) in the chairs so they could go for a ride! You'd have to ask my mom, but I'm pretty sure that this toy had the power to entrance and almost HYPNOTIZE me. Even today, if I just think about it, I can still hear the tune it played, 'In the Good Old Summertime'. It was such a cheerful little song!

Photo by Raya


As I've mentioned in at least one other post, I LOVE to collect the toys that I can remember having enjoyed the most when I was a child. It's sort of my way of recapturing the innocence of my youth, I guess. Maybe, that's the basic reason why, as an adult, I still enjoy toys in general? Of course, I also just like having fun... Whatever the reason may be, toys, especially the best from my childhood, make me HAPPY!

Photo by Raya

Hopefully, one day I will own this toy again. Yes, I know that I could buy one on eBay or from any number of other vintage toy retailers, BUT it must be just right! I cannot accept just ANY old Fisher-Price Musical Ferris Wheel... It must be absolutely perfect, or as perfect as it could possibly be for a vintage toy. I'm very persnickety when it comes to these things, what can I say? It's most likely psychological, same as with the whole "recapturing the innocence of my youth" thing. At least, I'm aware of this "problem". And isn't THAT the first step to recovery?