Latest news with #Cher
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Lewis Treston: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)
I am a playwright and PhD candidate, so I've wasted much of my life watching crap online. To give you an idea: during Covid, my housemate and I painstakingly ranked different performances of Chicago's final electrifying dance number, The Hot Honey Rag. Regrettably, this article isn't about critiquing toe-tapping murderesses vying for a comeback; it's about what I find funny on the world wide web. These days, my algorithm mostly alerts me to red flags of narcissistic abuse, OnlyFans creators testing Instagram's boundaries, and some harmless astrology. Sadly, none of the current content is particularly funny, but I've gone to great lengths scrolling through innumerable chat histories to a time when the internet still made me lol. Words fail when it comes to David Lynch and Cher. Sure, this clip is funny, but it's Cher's profound vulnerability ('I get very busy being Cher then I wonder who that is?') and David Lynch's meditation on the colours of a traffic light that have compelled me to revisit this conversation time and time again. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Last year I adapted Pride and Prejudice with Wendy Mocke for Queensland Theatre in something like six months. The pressure was on, and I had two crutches to get me through: hot yoga and this rather sharp takedown of the Regency period heroine cliche. I've watched this clip countless times, and many of the lines have become everyday parlance for me in much the same way we all reference Shakespeare without even knowing it. Barry Humphries may have fallen into disrepute, but his megastar Dame Edna has an unassailable place in the pantheon of Australian talent. I want to take this opportunity to put my hand up to write on the free-to-air miniseries that will eventually get made and then nominated for a few Logies. I'll save you the trouble of trawling through hours of content – this is Dame Edna's funniest TV interview. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Sticking to the theme of megalomaniacal superstars, Alex Hines's monstrous creation Juniper Wilde is surely due for another comeback. This must be from a show that has long since closed, but the line 'I'm a shareholder; I have a right to finish' will live for eternity. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. A friend gave me a weird side-eye look when I said I wanted to include this reel, but I'm doing it anyway. This presumably AI-generated dark fable had me in tears of laughter for reasons I'll eventually unpack with my mental healthcare team. For the 0.05% of people who find this hysterically funny, we must have some serious in-yun (past life connection), and it's now your job to seek me out IRL. To paraphrase Stefon from SNL, this speech by Elaine May has got everything: wit, heart, the second page of a letter written by Einstein. Honestly, I rewatch this clip whenever I need to prepare an effortlessly amusing five-minute spiel for a friend's wedding, an opening night speech or a first date. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Louis Hanson specialises in cheeky, effervescent and digestible hot Melbourne boy content. Sometimes his comedic faux-naivety is all I can handle when I'm rotting on the couch too lazy to find something real to watch. The definition of comedy is a supercut of Shelley Duvall saying her own name again and again … I am only realising now how esoteric my sense of humour might appear to the good people who read the Guardian. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. It's funny because it's true – but when you realise that he's not actually joking, you can only laugh ruefully. Tears will do you no good in the face of the late capitalist technocracy where human connection is just another opportunity to create more content. Lewis Treston's recent productions include IRL at La Boite, Hot Tub at Belvoir 25A, Follow Me Home at Australian Theatre for Young People, and Hubris and Humiliation at Sydney Theatre Company. His published work is available for purchase on Playlab.
Vogue
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Boho Haircuts Are Trending for Summer
Cher, Brigitte Bardot, Diana Ross, Farrah Fawcett, and Jane Birkin: When it comes to the 1970s, these were the icons in bohemian and disco circles. It's a style (both beauty and fashion) that's still referenced today—just look at the recent Chloé runways if you need some proof. So, what really is a bohemian hairstyle—and how do you find the right style for you? Below, the experts break down five hugely popular current hairstyles that have their roots in '70s style. The Butterfly Haircut Farrah Fawcett, 1975. Walt Disney Television Photo Archives Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Hill Farrah Fawcett's layers are still going strong almost half a century on. According to celebrity hairstylist Guido Palau, the look is easy enough to achieve at home with the right technique. 'Take a hairdryer and run a round brush underneath, then part the bangs so you get that '70s look,' he says. Round-brush shy? A blow-dry brush may be your new best friend. Sabrina Carpenter's take on the look (called a butterfly cut) has a modern edge. For a look that's less voluminous and shaggy, leave the layering until a point just past your bangs, at about chin length. Super Long and Natural Cher in 1973. Getty Images Sacai, Spring-Summer 2025. Cher has had many hairstyles over the years, but her silky, super-straight '70s mane is a real favorite. There were echoes of her peace-and-love look on the runway at Sacai's spring/summer 2025 show. Face-framing Layers and Fringe Jane Birkin. Reporters Associes. Chloé Spring-Summer 2025. Jane Birkin (or, in an alternative universe, Dakota Johnson) is a forever muse for all fans of the boho aesthetic, so it's little wonder that the hallmarks of her beauty look were all over Chloé's spring/summer 2025 runway. Curls and Volume Diana Ross on the set of Mahogany. SilverNEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 05: Simone Ashley attends the Amazon MGM Studios' "Picture This" New York Screening at NeueHouse Madison Square on March 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by)To recreate these glamorous waves, scrunch up your natural curls with a styling cream and style into a side parting for even more volume. Braid-outs can add extra definition for afro-textured hair, or copy Diana Ross in Mahogany and opt for a bouncy blowout. The Wavy Bob Twiggy in 1974. Bettmann Christopher Esber Spring-Summer 2025 Justin Shin / Getty Images Her pixie cut helped to kickstart her career, but the bob that she wore in the '70s signaled a growing up for British supermodel Twiggy. Her chin-length haircut was styled with pronounced waves that appeared to inspire the beauty look on Christopher Esber's spring/summer 2025 runway. Have a beauty or wellness trend you're curious about? We want to know! Send Vogue's senior beauty & wellness editor an email at beauty@
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'My last stage appearance was the nativity - here's how I landed West End break'
Our journalist hadn't stepped foot on a stage since a child - then she was thrust into the spotlight in Clueless The Musical in front of hundreds of people 'Fancy a part in Clueless The Musical?' an enthusiastic PR asks me out of the blue. My initial reaction, in the style of Cher Horowitz herself, is 'As if!' I've been asked to do the weird and the wonderful in this job – but this is right up there. I'd been to see the show at London's Trafalgar Theatre a few weeks before and was blown away by the slick performances, particularly that of lead Emma Flynn, who plays entitled Cher. These guys are pros. My acting experience, however, extends to two nativity plays. And in one of those, I merely shook a bell. But, as Clueless celebrates its 30th anniversary and the stage show gets ready to tour the UK, now is a wonderful time to get involved. Even if I am flushed with fear… and if all the nervy public-speaking moments I've ever done are flashing before my eyes. The week before my West End debut, I pop in for a meeting with the wardrobe department. A checked skirt with cute cardigan helps transform me, a 38-year-old mum-of-two, into a US high schooler from the 90s. That's no mean feat. Then I get my brief: I'll be treading the boards in the party scene. As a huge fan of director Anne Heckerling's 1995 movie starring Alicia Silverstone as Cher and Paul Rudd as her brother Josh, I was delighted to see they'd stayed true to it in the stage show, which included a raucous gathering at a Valley house. This is where I will appear – at the bar, my spiritual home. I am tasked with knocking back shots of vodka (fake, of course) and dancing (awkwardly) in the corner. It sounds a lot like my uni days. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. The big day finally arrives. My name may not be up in lights but I will be slightly illuminated in the corner of a two-minute scene with no lines. Believe me, it is the safest possible option. I thought I'd be – in Clueless speak – totally buggin' with nerves but I am strangely calm. I have a job to do. The show must go on. I share my limited past experience with the lovely cast. I tell them how I played Mary in Year 4. I had three lines, which I still remember to this day – 'I am very tired', 'Let's take it' and 'I can't walk another step'. There were a few whoops from the nativity audience but I think they were just being kind. Now, running through two speedy Clueless rehearsals, I am struck by how fast-paced everything is. As a journalist, I'm used to a deadline – but this is something else. There is no time to dilly-dally as the audience will be here in less than hour. Eeek! I am whisked off to a makeshift dressing room (someone's office) where it is left to just little old me to get myself stage ready. Even the proper cast don't have full hair and make-up at their disposal so I simply slap on five more layers of make-up than I'm used to. 'More contour!' implores the lovely PR who lined me up for this gig in the first place. The five-minute call rings out over the tannoy. It is almost show time. I joke to resident director Kirsty Malpass that maybe I need a bit of Dutch courage. Apparently that's a big no-no in theatre, I'm told. Sober it is, then! I make my way to the wings, ready for my call, and pop on my costume's final touch – sunglasses. I can barely see a thing. All I can think is, 'Please don't trip'. Isaac J. Lewis is my patient and reassuring chaperone. He plays Christian – Cher's love interest. He leads us out on to the stage, carrying light-up snowmen and the next couple of minutes are a blur. As the ensemble crack out their choreographed dance moves, I do a little shuffle in the corner as my alter ego, the new girl at school. The persona develops at lightning speed and before I know it, I am being called out on stage by Dionne (Chyna-Rose Frederick) for flirting with her boyfriend Murray (Rabi Konde). Well, I did want to make an impact, didn't I? Before I know it, I'm stepping back out into Trafalgar Square wondering if it ever really happened, or if it was all just a dream. Later, when asked how it went, a Clueless quote comes to mind, Cher speaking to Tai: 'No, she's a full-on Monet. It's like a painting, see? From far away it's OK, but up close it's a big old mess.' Sounds about right.
Refinery29
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
30 Years Later, Clueless Fashion Is 'Still Totally' Iconic: Revisiting The Looks With Its Costume Designer
For Clueless costume designer Mona May, there's a psychology to crafting a character's wardrobe. 'I think authenticity is one of the most important things when you design costumes, to make sure these characters feel real, and not just like talking Barbies,' she tells Refinery29. 'You want the audience to leave the theater and feel like, 'There was something about that character that felt like me.'' For a film as far-fetched as the 1995 classic, starring Alicia Silverstone as a spoiled Beverly Hills high school student, grounding the characters in reality was crucial. Yes, these affluent teenagers had access to runway fashion and daddy's credit card, but May also wanted to portray girls who loved the mall and were youthful and vibrant. While May — whose book The Fashion of Clueless is coming out in October — had no idea what a cultural phenomenon the movie, which celebrates 30 years this month, would become, she knew the costumes were crucial to the storytelling. From the introductory shot — which showed a montage of glitzy high schoolers poolside, cruising in high-end cars, and shopping in their finest threads — fashion was the focus. 'It was colorful, it was California, it was high-fashion, it was teenage fun. It had to immediately grab your eye,' she says. Pulling together thousands of costumes — 63 of them belonging to Cher (Silverstone) alone — on a $200k budget was no small task, according to May: '[We had to find] every headpiece, every backpack, every pair of sunglasses, every piece of jewelry seen. I don't even know how I did it, seriously, but we just went for it.' She emphasizes that the film was made in the mid-'90s, before social media made it easy to discover and access fashion. 'It was just the beginning of computers and cell phones, so my research was different. People behaved differently. There was a certain kind of innocence to the time as well,' she says. Because of that, May felt it was important to establish sartorial social cues (ie: graphic tees for the skaters, exposed slip and stockings with runs for a scattered teacher, etc.), as well bring attention to culturally relevant designer labels (the Calvin Klein slip dress that Cher's dad refers to as 'underwear,' and 'totally important designer' Alaïa dress) to the audience not privy to Melrose Avenue. Because the cast was fairly unknown at the time, there were no giant 'PR machines' sending boxes from fashion houses to dress the actors. Still, May enlisted luxury labels for looks such as Cher's iconic yellow plaid skirt set by Jean Paul Gaultier, along with pieces from Fred Segal and Anna Sui. She also pulled pieces from secondhand stores, army surplus shops, and then-popular mall brands: Body Glove, Roxy, BCBG, Gap, American Rag, Esprit, Vertigo, and Wet Seal (RIP). By combining designer names with mall mainstays, May says she was able to bring out the multifacetedness of each character. 'Dionne [played by Stacey Dash] is a really good example of that. She wears a lot of different things, from high-end Chanel to the leopard jacket that was thrifted and the vinyl skirt that was from a rave store on Melrose,' May explains. Cher also embodied the juxtaposition, sporting preppy co-ords as much as she did cap-sleeved dresses, while also dipping into the soft grunge looks popular at the time, like her layered black sheer top and chunky jewelry. 'She's not just one kind of girl. She's good-hearted, discerning, but can also be a bit of a mean girl, too.' May believes the style holds strongly three decades later because, in many ways, the cult classic was ahead of its time. The movie was nuanced in its portrayal of teenage girls, who were fashion-obsessed and naive, but also quick-witted and opinionated. There was a complexity to them — one May felt a responsibility to translate through their clothing. 'It was hard to make that movie,' she says. '[Director] Amy [Heckerling] said that many studios passed on it because they didn't want girls to talk like this. They wanted movies about boys. It was important to introduce young girls speaking that way: being smart, being self-assured, and knowing what they want. Smart girls deserved smart clothes.' May made sure that the outfits reflected each of the characters' personalities: Dionne's bold accessories and prints spoke to her spunky personality, Cher's meticulously coordinated shoes and outfits spoke to her perfectionism. Meanwhile, Tai (Brittany Murphy) had an evolving wardrobe — which went from baggy flannels and graphic tees at the beginning of the film to Cher-approved plaids and finally a happy grunge-meets-girly medium — that spoke to her journey of losing, rediscovering, and coming into herself. With so many characters to dress, the looks had to work together as well, like Cher and Dionne's coordinated school looks. On one hand, it brought to mind a familiar scenario of phoning your friend to plan outfits the night before school and, on the other, it symbolized that the two were counterparts. 'Throughout the film, I wanted to make sure that they were equally fashionable, equally important,' says May. Given that the film was set in Southern California, May felt it was important to also portray the many subcultures, from the posh upper echelon to skaters, stoners, and the business-casual kids who took themselves too seriously. Though they were all living in this platinum credit card world, Dionne's and Murray's style, for example, was culturally relevant for Black American teenagers at the time, with the Kangol hats, leopard print, and gold jewelry. May accomplished this authenticity by working with each actor to build the character's wardrobe together. Dash, for example, was slightly older, from New York, and had a strong sense of personal style, which played a huge role in constructing her character's look. In turn, according to May, 'Murray [Donald Faison's character] had to look really good too, because she would never date a slacker.' The same care was extended to Christian Stovitz (Justin Walker), the suave transfer student from Chicago, who we later find out is gay. May wanted the clothing to lead with his personality and interests — like fashion, which resulted in him wearing hats, a blue tuxedo, and slicked-back hair — and not be a reductive version of what a gay character might 'look' like (which wasn't a given at the time for the industry). The fashion in Clueless cemented May's signature style across all her works — which later included other cult classics like Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and Never Been Kissed — and gave the movie its staying power. It's the reason why not a single Halloween goes by without a Cher and Dionne recreation, why clothing collections in 1995 and thereafter exploded with Clueless -inspired threads, and why 30 years later, we are still celebrating the film that introduced Alaïa into many of our vocabularies. 'It's just incredible that this movie has lived in so many people's hearts. It's changed them and made them feel good. I'm so proud, I'll have a pink bow on my grave.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Won't Watch "Clueless" The Same Way After Reading These 34 Fascinating Behind-The-Scenes Facts
This week marks the 30th anniversary of Clueless — and what better way to celebrate than to learn some fun facts about the classic? It's greater than a game of suck and blow... Amy Heckerling originally pitched Clueless to Twentieth Century Fox as a TV series called No Worries — but the executives thought it "needed more boys". when working on it as a movie, it took awhile to settle on the title Clueless. Before that, Amy Heckerling used the titles I Was A Teenage Teenager and later Clueless in California. was partially inspired by Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which Amy Heckerling also directed. She recognised he was the most popular character she'd created and decided that that was because he's "positive", so she wanted to create a lead who was positive and happy — which became Cher. was when she was re-working the idea from a TV show to a movie that Amy Heckerling revisited Jane Austen's Emma and realized Cher was basically a modern Emma, and she could base the plot of Clueless on Jane Austen's novel. she was writing the script, Amy Heckerling pictured the Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz as Josh. Witherspoon, Alicia Witt, Keri Russell, and Tiffani Thiessen all auditioned for the role of Cher — and so did Brittany Murphy, who went on to play Tai. / WireImage, Jim Smeal / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Affleck and Zach Braff both auditioned for the role of Josh, as did Jeremy Sisto, who got the role of Elton, and Justin Walker, who went on the play Christian. Ron Davis / Getty Images, Getty Images being cast as Josh, Paul Rudd originally asked to read for the role of Murray, not realising the character was black and thinking he was a "white guy who's trying to co-opt black culture". He also read for Christian and Elton before Amy Heckerling suggested he try Josh. Green — who is Breckin Meyer's best friend — was the other top choice for Breckin's role of Travis. Terrence Howard, who is close friends with Donald Faison, was a top contender for the role of Murray. Hill auditioned for the role of Dionne. Michelle Gellar was offered the role of Amber, but couldn't get out of her obligations to All My Children, which she was working on at the time. Silverstone thought Cher was a "materialistic, annoying little bitch" when she first read the script. She changed her mind when she realised how much Cher cares about her dad and other people. had no idea that Clueless was based on Emma until after she'd finished filming. Dash, who played Dionne, was 27 years old and had a six-year-old son at the time of filming. making Clueless, Jeremy Sisto had previously worked with Alicia Silverstone on a movie called Hideaway — he played a serial killer who goes after her character. Heckerling based the role of Mr. Hall on a friend of hers who was a teacher, who helped her observe real classes while she was working on the script, and even had a cameo as the principal in the final movie. she always had Wallace Shawn in mind to play Mr. Hall — and he was actually a teacher for three years in real life. Heckerling had a cameo as a bridesmaid for Miss Geist's wedding to Mr. Hall — she is best friends with Twink Caplan, who played Miss Geist, in real life. Heckerling borrowed the unique slang used in the movie from a bunch of places, including real teens at Beverly Hills High School and those auditioning for the movie, the castmembers and crew, the queer community, and, of course, her own brain. wanted Josh and Cher to be next-door neighbours because they thought the ex-step-sibling relationship was "too incestuous" — but Amy Heckerling pushed back, arguing (truthfully) that her own grandparents had been step-siblings who met as teenagers. Meyer sprained his ankle while rehearsing one of the skateboarding scenes, and subsequent scenes that featured him had to work around the fact he couldn't really walk. 23.A fake, cardboard credit card was used for the "suck and blow" scene because some of the actors couldn't "suck" on a real credit card long enough to film their shots. filming Clueless, Paul Rudd's real life echoed the movie in a scary way — like Cher, he was robbed at gunpoint after he'd been out with a friend one night. 'This is an Alaïa' dress wasn't originally part of the script — the dress was chosen first, and then written in. Silverstone had a massive 63 costume changes over the course of the movie. Rudd wore a lot of his own clothes to play Josh — including the Amnesty International t-shirt. Faison didn't actually have braces in real life — he wore them as Murray to hide an extra tooth he had (a baby tooth that had never fallen out). hairclip Cher wears in the concert scene was later used on Amanda Bynes' character in She's the Man. Paramount Pictures, Miramax costume designer Mona May later worked on Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, which she described as a "grown-up" version of Clueless, aesthetically. the iconic opening looks Cher and Dionne wear, the plaid suits were meant to be reminiscent of schoolgirl uniforms, while the over-the-knee socks were inspired by Cabaret. Silverstone kept a lot of Cher's outfits, but ended up giving them all away. extras were randomly paired to makeout for a party scene — they later went on to get engaged in real life. Rudd gave everyone one of those necklaces with their name written on a grain of rice as a farewell gift when shooting wrapped. Clueless on Hulu.
