“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

When I looked up the origins of the expression “Rally ‘Round The Flag”, boy, was I stunned. Conceived by John Mueller, a political scientist in 1970, the concept—referred to as a syndrome—reduces criticism of governmental policies and increased short-run popular support of the President of the United States. And here I thought is was a song about freedom and boys, not to mention a film with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.… Read More »

The expression “politically correct” or “political correctness” can be traced back to 1920s Germany, when communist academia sought to impose their views on students. The term became more frequently used in the 1960s and 1970s by suburban bleeding-heart liberals, feminists and progressives who were intent on impacting the media, while leaving an emotional imprint on the Baby Boomer generation. … Read More »

Just when John Galliano thought it was safe to go back in the (fashion) water, rather get out from drowning under water, comes The Galliano Conundrum-Par Deux. The Galliano Conundrum started that fateful day two years ago when John was drowning his sorrows in a pub in Le Marais when his barrage of hateful anti-Semitic comments came spewing out of his mouth like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. Galliano looking and sounding like a tragic mess was caught on camera saying shit like “I Love Hitler”, a seminal moment that changed his life on a dime, like a crippling car… Read More »

Our Mothers, Our Fathers is a mini-series in Germany that The New York Times asserts is trying to “airbrush” a particular time in history, that lovely era when the Nazis were in full bloom. When you think about Nazi regalia, thigh-high leather boots, jodhpurs and cropped jackets adorned with heavy metal pins and colorful emblems that today we would coo if that same ensemble came waltzing down a fashion runway in Paris as opposed to storming into your home. No one was safe back then in Europe, unless of course you were blond and organized. What we now call OCD… Read More »

Ooh, La La Charlize.
Nothing comes between me and my Therons?
Somebody stop me.… Read More »

Matthew McConaughey What? Anyone who is anyone knows that I Mean What has been a voice against celebrity designers. These Johnny Come Lately non Academy Award winning, or Emmy, or Tony, or any any award winners try their hand, rather, they sell their name to a schmatta peddler and take some dosh. Lindsay Lohan, the slew of Kardashians, heck even Sarah Jessica Parker threw her hat in the ring at Halston, and today the news is that Matthew McConaughey has entered the ring for a bout of utter nonsense. This is more than anyone should bare. And when I say… Read More »

All I want to know is whether Tom Ford’s intern had the dress dry-cleaned, or wet cleaned, since Anne Hathaway wore it.… Read More »

Finally, black is the new black. We have been swathed in jewel tones, neons, sherbert colors, and even Fifty Shades of Fruity Pebbles have ended up on a runway or two. … Read More »

Hedi Slimane vs. Cathy Horyn “Let’s get ready to rumble!” Yikes, talk about “In this Corner”. That silly Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey dust up comes off like two kittens playing compared to the battle royale between Hedi Slimane of Saint Laurent Paris versus Cathy Horyn, The New York Times fashion critic. I mean… brew-haha, only no one is laughing. What has bubbled up to a fever pitch between the fashion designer and the critic is beyond beyond. Let me preface this with, I am a huge Cathy Horyn fan and though she might be getting bad press these days… Read More »

When I walked out of Bryan Bantry’s screening of The Intouchables, France’s most successful film of all time, I turned to my friend Sam and said, “Harvey Weinstein better not remake this movie.” She instantly agreed and we both started vomiting at the thought of an American remake of such a sweet, poignant film. Let’s face it, “poignant American” is an oxymoron and those words cannot sit comfortably in the same sentence. The conversation went something like this:… Read More »