How do you prefer your queen;English or Evil?

An interesting convergence of royals is taking place this weekend,as the second Snow White film of the year,Snow White and the Huntsman,debuts at theaters and over in England,they're about to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth,who has reigned for sixty years in good times and bad.

No matter how you feel about any sort of monarchy,fictional or otherwise,the appeal of being a queen holds a powerful fascination upon our imaginations
and an indelible part of our pop culture realm. With that in mind,let us look over a few prime examples from both sides of the regal coin and then decide
which type of queen intrigues you the most,English or Evil:

FURY UNDER FIRE

One of the hazards of wearing a crown is facing invading armies lead by those eager to take that shiny headgear off of you. Some bear the situation better than others,even if they're not allowed to enter the fray directly.

On Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister-Baratheon of Westeros would rather be out in the streets with a sword in hand but instead,must stay inside the Red Keep with the ladies of the court,awaiting word of their fate. Her tactic in handling this situation is to drink as much wine as she can,while giving out some less than encouraging advice to Sansa,the intended bride of her twisted son Joffrey.

While one could understand some of Cersei's complaints,her gleefully gruesome pronouncements about what lies in store for the women if the men can't keep the enemy out of the city drains away a lot of that sympathy:

When real life Elizabeth the first had to deal with the Spanish Armada threatening to hit her shores,she was able to take charge and manage things more on her own.

She did make a rousing speech to her troops,as depicted in the 1998 film Elizabeth:The Golden Age,although the actual words she spoke to them are some what in dispute. Nevertheless,Elizabeth's presence at the front was considered to be quite inspiring:

FLIRTY SCHEMERS

While Elizabeth I never took a husband,that didn't mean she disdained all men. However,none of those dalliances got in the way of running the kingdom or making plans against her enemies.

In an Errol Flynn classic,The Sea Hawk,she is seen as headstrong when plotting to outwit Spain but even Elizabeth was not immune to the charms of Flynn's rascally character. Granted,he did have a cute little monkey on hand to help soften her up:

Of course,tempting a man to go along with her plans has always been a key tool in any evil queen's kit.

Even the likes of the Borg Queen in Star Trek:First Contact had plenty of womanly wiles on hand to appease the cool logic of Data in order to claim the security codes needed to fully take over the ship.

Data did offer up some resistance but she had home field advantage in a sense,particularly with that memorable entrance of hers.When it comes to seduction,cyber chicks are not without game,especially for the geeks:

DANCING DIVAS

From Elizabeth's day,we jump to Queen Victoria for whom an entire era was named after. While she maintained a reputation for strict propriety not only
for herself but those around,the lady did possess very passionate feelings yet learned early on to keep them closed off from others.

One passion she did have was for her husband Albert,who understood her struggles to figure out who to trust all too well. Many scenes in the film The Young Victoria showcase their relationship nicely but their opening dance at her coronation ball speaks volumes without saying a word:

Not every dancing queen is safe to waltz with, such as the undead patrons of a vampire bar found out in Queen of the Damned when "the mother of all vampires" paid them a visit.

Queen Akasha was seeking her dark prince Lestat and became rather displeased when the bartender informed her of the plan to do him in. Instead of taking a moment to calmly consider her options,Akasha quickly took matters into her own hands,along with a few hearts:

So,English or Evil-it's a hard choice indeed. Perhaps having a bit of both at the proper times is what's best.

As for this weekend,most of the ceremonies for the Queen of England's Diamond Jubilee will be televised,so if you can go out to the movies for Snow White and the Huntsman,chances are that a replay of the events will be easy to find.

Royal ladies may appear to have the ultimate good life,yet if you look past the glittering jewels,massive castles and mandatory bowing from all and sundry,they have a pretty hard row to hoe there.

Even a queen without any major responsibilities regarding the welfare of her realm has to adjust to the winds of change or be removed from her throne(even if it's metaphorically speaking).

I suppose that is why queens,whether based on real people or not,are going to continue to be influential figures in the pop culture world for ages to come,no matter how modern they may get:

GOT's Battle of Blackwater,The Next Food Network Star gets Chopped and a compromising Mad Men situation

A major highlight of it's second season,Game of Thrones presented the Battle of Blackwater in all of it's glory as Tyrion and company prepared to fight off Stannis's army and naval forces as they reached the edge of King's Landing.

While Cersei was tucked away with the other ladies of the court(and coping with the threat of the siege by drinking copious amounts of wine and shocking Sansa with some of her less than encouraging thoughts),King Joffrey was on the battlements,watching his uncle's plan to smash the invading fleet unfold.

The first assault from the Lannister forces went off without a hitch,as the wildfire that Tyrion discovered some time ago was put to extremely good use. Not even Davos,the most experienced sea man amongst Stannis' men,was able to figure out what was up until it was far too late. Granted,I've read A Clash of Kings,so I knew what to expect,but this sequence was a stunning surprise,nonetheless:

That massive display of fire power was not enough to deter Stannis,who took what men he had left ashore. With the city gates being pounded upon by the enemy, it soon fell to Tyrion to lead his forces outside via an underground tunnel on a map provided by Varys.

Morale amongst the troops was low after The Hound abandoned the fight due to his fear of fire overwhelming him and Joffery taking the first excuse from his mother to flee the scene. Tyrion had no choice but to take command and inspire the men with a rousing yet realistic appeal.

Tyrion may not be tall in stature,yet when he speaks,the man is truly majestic. It's such a shame that his family refuses to appreciate his good qualities and it is something that they will regret in the future. While Tywin does save the day with his fortuitous arrival,there would be no city around to preserve if it were not for the "half man" in charge:



The second season finale is this coming Sunday,and it's supposed to be an extra ten minutes long. Considering the number of story lines to settle and cliff hangers to set up for next time,that additional time is crucial. Dany's visit to the House of the Undying alone should be just as show stopping as the wildfire explosion,if not more so. Also,keep an eye on Arya,whose business with Jaquen is far from over:

The challenge this week for the folks on The Next Food Network Star was to play a round of Chopped,with three of the toughest judges on that show to cook for(Scott Conant,Alex Guaranaschelli and Marc Murphy)ready to add their two cents in.

Each team had a dessert basket featuring some form of Hershey product and a few wild card items(pineapple,panchetta and pop corn,for example)and instead of facing off on the other teams,they all had to compete against their own team mates.

That meant that every team had to send one person up for elimination and that came down to Josh from Team Giada,Nikki from Team Bobby and Martie on Team Alton. Martie's excessive talking nearly did her in,but her camera challenge saved her bacon,so to speak.

Nikki was spared by the same challenge,so Josh was sent packing. He wasn't much of a cook to begin with and his constant rock n' roll talk was getting tedious. Next week,the contending teams have to make stylish dishes for Fashion Week and hopefully make a tasty turn on the catwalk. Sounds like flavorful fun!:

On Mad Men,Joan was out and out asked to sell her body to a Jaguar executive in order to help SCDP land that much needed car account. It wasn't totally surprising to see Pete pursue this,but it was sad to see most of the partners(except for Don)go along with this sleazy arrangement.

At least Joan was savvy enough to take Lane's advice and hold out for a partnership,even if he made that suggestion only to cover his rear on the embezzlement he recently made from the company.

*sigh* You might want to think that this whole plot line is very contrived but I have no doubt that things like this went on more than you would want to believe back then. Joan's pragmatic nature will pull her though this and those guys may be startled at just how much power they've given her now.

Speaking of power,Peggy has decided to make a move of her own and accept a better paying position elsewhere. Tired of being second guessed by her co-workers and occasionally bullied by Don,she gave her resignation to him in person,as the office was busy celebrating their latest victory.

Don wasn't too thrilled at this news,but in the end had to accept it. That exchange between them was intensely heartfelt,with Don going through the five stages of grief right before our eyes. Hopefully,this will not be the last we see of Peggy,who may have jumped ship at just the right time:



RANDOM NOTES:

DESIGN STAR: The new season has already begun,with the designers tackling their regular first challenge of making over the house they're going to stay in. It's a little too soon to tell who will last but a good sign of longevity in this game is being able to work well with others. Some people have
passed that initial test nicely,while you can see trouble coming down the line for those with cranky "Do it my way!" attitudes. Play smart,not hard,folks!:

Some prominent paperbacks of summer

The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly offered up several "must have" lists for summer time fun. Books were naturally included,and I noticed a nice
selection of softcover titles for folks to catch up on those highly touted hardbacks that just didn't fit into their reading budget when first released.

One novel that caught my eye was The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach,a baseball themed story which usually makes a non fan of the game like me run the other way down the New Fiction aisle.

However,I have read a number of great reviews about this tale of a college athlete whose doubts about his talent affect more than one life around him and since it was on so many Best of the Year lists,it is at least worth a try in paperback(which I'll be borrowing from Booksfree).

A good writer can make just about any subject intriguing,so why deprive myself of what could be a fabulous read?:

A book that I was happy to see on the EW list was one that I was fortunate enough to enjoy when it was in hardcover and hope that readers gobble up like Pac-Man pellets in paperback.

Ready Player One is Ernest Cline's fictional tribute to pop culture and video games as a futuristic society in dire straits finds it's only solace in a worldwide online game called Oasis,where a set of three keys hidden within can grant the lucky finder complete ownership and vast riches.

The hero of our story is Wade Watts,a teenager with little social status in the outside world but his internet persona becomes an instant superstar when he stumbles upon the first key. He also turns into a target by a rival corporation and a possible romance with a mysterious new ally is on the horizon. I won't say anything more but even if you're not a video gamer,this book will send you on a true wild ride:

You might think that interest in Julia Child is over and done with,after the film release of Julie and Julia,yet more and more books about that grand
dame of cooking keep on rolling out. One of the non-fiction titles on the EW list was the reissue of Noel Riley Fitch's biography of Child,Appetite for Life.

Fitch includes diary and letter extracts from Ms. Child,that add a rich flavor to his descriptions of her life and times. While I haven't read this biography,I did read Fitch's take on Sylvia Beach a few years ago and was thoroughly enlightened,so this portrait of a culinary genius should be just as stunning:

Last but far from least,Alice Hoffman's stroll into historical fiction earned a spot on the EW paperbacks of summer shelf. The Dovekeepers relates the siege at Masada from the point of view of several women,some of whom were assigned to tend the dovecotes yet a few had plans of their own for the coming battle.

This blend of historical retelling with feminist insights may sound like ultra serious reading,but if you're in the mood for something more to chew on mentally after devouring a few amusing beach books,Hoffman's lyrical style and sense of story may be the bridge between brain candy and food for thought:



There are plenty of other titles on that list,too and which ever one you choose,enjoy it to the fullest. Reading is fashionable at any time of the year,even during the months where outdoor activity is all the rage. Books are more enduring that say,designer perfumes that just about anyone can have named after them these days. Perhaps,they should make a special scent for readers,that would certainly be worth mentioning in EW,if you ask me:

Partake of some pop culture barbecue this holiday weekend

Memorial Day weekend is, for most people,the traditional start to the summer season and the usual way to celebrate this festive time of the year is with a barbecue.

People do flock to the beach and the multiplex as well,yet, the lure of that excuse for cooking outdoors that always gathers a crowd of hungry friends and family who share a few helpings of fun and frenzy along with the burgers and hot dog buns is hard to beat.

For some indoor amusement,here are a few clips from pop culture past that have a barbecue flavor to them. Most of these morsels are TV related but they're just as tasty as anything off a major motion picture menu:

MAKING YOUR APPETITE GONE WITH THE WIND

One of the best sequences in the early part of Gone With the Wind is the barbecue at Twelve Oaks,where Scarlett hopes to get Ashley alone and find out if the rumors about him marrying his cousin Melanie are true.

She has to do more than prepare her thoughts,however,since proper young ladies of that day were required to stuff their faces(after being laced up in corsets that literally took your breath away)before arriving at any party,in order to be able to "eat like a bird."

Scarlett never did like obeying the demands of polite society but when it comes to claiming your true love,she reluctantly gave into the game,thanks to some smart maneuvering by Mammy:



A MEATY MOTHER'S DAY

By the time the likes of Roseanne came about,barbecues had become less formal affairs. On a Mother's Day episode,The Connors had everyone over for a backyard grilling party that had a lively debate about the best way to lit charcoal,servings of guilt trips from neglected moms and a load of laughs from Nana Mary,the greatest great-grandma ever.

Nana Mary also contributed her special potato salad,that she whipped up on the premises and even kicked Roseanne out of her own kitchen to make. Since it was supposed to be an excellent dish and Nana Mary tended to be less than tactful in her speech,that was probably a good move there:

POTATO SALAD FUMBLE

Speaking of potato salad,that side dish caused quite a ruckus on a Reba episode,when the wrong brand was bought for Van's football team's pre-game dinner. While this wasn't a strict style of barbecue,it did have all of the food fixings that most of those meals would have,plus the added bonus of long standing traditions that many folks adhere to for such occasions.

Reba couldn't understand what the fuss was about,considering that Jake's bubble gum in the iced tea seem more of a fatal faux pas to her. One lesson to learn from this is never underestimate the special food needs of a football team,particularly right before the big game:



A BUNDY BURGER TO REMEMBER

While the Bundys and the Rhoades on Married With Children rarely got along,they did spend a few festive moments together. One barbecue meal bought them a little closer than intended,due to the unexpected flavor twist given to the burgers from a quick fix to the grill's ashes,courtesy of dimwitted Kelly. That unsavory sizzle was repulsive to most of the Bundy clan but amusingly enough,not to Steve who had a real bite of personal satisfaction that day:



Hopefully,any barbecue that you attend this holiday weekend is much more enjoyable than that and that you get to truly savor the beginning of these warm days. Barbecue isn't just a summer time treat but it does suit the season well and the mere thought of it in winter can make your heart and taste buds sing:

GOT players rethink their strategy,The Next Food Network Star takes a tongue tied tour and a not so merry Mad Men Christmas

We're getting close to the end game on this season of Game of Thrones and already,some folks are considering their previous moves.

Arya,for one,in her deal with Jaqen regarding the three names to give him to settle their debt. She wants to stop Tywin from marching on her brother Robb but he departs with his men too soon for her to cash in that final chip with the mysterious assassin.

With Tywin too far out of reach for elimination,she forces Jagen's hand to have him help her and fellow enforced laborers Gendry and Hot Pie to escape. By naming Jagen as the last to die,Arya manages to use her advantage well but there is still bloody business between these two that will be concluded before all is said and done here:

Meanwhile at Winterfell,Theon's sister Yara arrives with only a handful of men,causing Theon to wonder why his family isn't sending more support his way.

Turns out that the Greyjoys have no interest in Winterfell due to it's distance from the sea and that Yara has arrived to take her baby brother home for a chat with Dad.

Theon is less than thrilled with that response and even less receptive when she proceeds to tell him how stupid his actions have been,especially in killing the Stark boys(who are not dead,rather hiding in plain sight,thanks to Osha and the Maester).

Once they are alone,however,Yara does give him some heartfelt advice,which if Theon had any sense he would take. He'll regret his ruse regarding Bran and Rickon soon enough and with worse consequences that he thinks:

The challenge this week on The Next Food Network Star was for each team to act as foodie guides for a group of tourists on board a bus.

They were assigned different New York neighborhoods and eateries to highlight-Team Alton had the Lower East Side,Team Bobby was given Harlem and Team Giada wound up with Arthur Avenue,which plays into her specialty nicely. They also had to make a dish related to the places they were taking about and add their own twist to them.

Speaking of specialty,I'm starting to notice a trend rather quickly amongst the contenders who wind up in the Bottom Two. Both Judson and Kara were not happy with the food choices being offered to them at their respective locations(pickles for Judson,chicken and waffles for Kara)and therefore,let that lack of enthusiasm show in their presentations and in the food.

The same thing happened last time,with Kistie's displeasure over the soup course leaving a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Guys,you can't expect to play in your own ballpark every time-what kind of contest would that be? Judson stayed and Kara left,which I think was the right choice since his presentation was much more polished and he can learn to blend in more sincerity in his persona. Next time,the teams will be facing a Chopped challenge and Chopped judges,which should be fun and then some:

Christmas time arrives on Mad Men and Santa has quite a few interesting gifts in his bag for the gang at Sterling Cooper Draper Price. Don gets a frustrated wife and a broke plate of spaghetti,Joan gets a summons for divorce and the firm is granted another shot at landing a huge car account.

Some folks decide to treat themselves,such as Don and Joan who take a break from work with a test drive and a lovely flirtation at a bar. Neither of them will ever hook up with the other,since they are both up on each other's game too well for that. It is nice,however,to see them enjoy the moment away from familiar eyes for once.

Lane's gift to himself is a forged bonus check,to pay off some back taxes back in England. Oh,Lane,this is going to end so badly,I can feel it in my bones. Then again, he might get a special Santa surprise with the possible new deal coming though. I hope so,for his sake:



RANDOM NOTES:

TRUE BLOOD: A delightful addition to the cast this upcoming season is Christopher Meloni,best known as Eliot Stabler from Law and Order:SVU. He'll be playing Roman,the leader of the vampire officials called The Authority and he certainly has the commanding presence for that part. Meloni has been on a HBO series before,the prison drama OZ and fans will have to see for themselves whether or not his new role is more threatening than that previous jailhouse stint:

Setting out a sample tray of sweet BEA Buzz books

The annual convention for folks in the book business,BEA,is set for early June and this year,the show is starting to get a bit more open to the reading
public. Not only is there a day being set aside for a selection of indie book store patrons to check out what lies ahead for fall reading,a downloadable sampler featuring excerpts from over 30 titles to be showcased at BEA is available for free online.

Since I now have a Nook(it was a gift from my family,upon publishing my first E-book),I was able to browse through the selections and found a few that were worthy of extra early attention. Take note,book lovers,of this six pack of sizzlers coming to your shelves soon:

A CRIMINAL PAST

Dennis Lehane follows up his historical saga novel The Given Day with a look at the Roaring Twenties in Live By Night,due out in October. The plot chronicles the rise of a young gangster who uses his charms in the era of Prohibition to gain power and prestige. Film rights to the book have already been sold and earmarked for Leonardo DiCaprio,no stranger to Lehane's fiction from his performance in the adaptation of Shutter Island.

This new book is the second in an intended trilogy but no doubt,it will be as compelling a page turner as The Given Day was on it's own merits. As to the
movie,hopefully DiCaprio will team up with Martin Scorsese again since that man has a definite feel for the flavor of that time period:

Memorist J. R. Moehringer tackles a real life anti-hero in his first novel,Sutton. Legendary bank robber Willie Sutton started his life of crime in the hey day of the twentieth century,becoming well known for the subtle style of his heists and the many successful escapes from the hands of the law over the years.

The story of his life is told here,in an imaginary interview as Willie has finally finished up with his bandit ways and willing to talk about what motivated him more than the money to do what he did. This riveting story is scheduled for a September release and will hopefully be flying off the shelves in a legal fashion:

DEBUT DARLINGS

Amanda Coplin introduces herself to readers with The Orchardist,a novel set in the rural Northwest around the turn of the century where two pregnant girls on the run from trouble take refuge at the home of a reclusive fruit grower.

Talmadge has been used to a quiet existence,untroubled by strangers but the pair of lost sisters find their way into the deep recesses of his heart. That new found companionship is further disrupted by the invasion of armed men on Talmadge's land and he has to choose between slamming shut the doors to the outside world and staking a new claim for the sake of his new friends. The Orchardist will be on sale by late August and should be ripe for the literary picking by then:

Iris Anthony's debut novel,The Ruins of Lace,unravels the lives of Lisette and Katharina during the craze for Flemish lace in France during the 1600s. One is a lace maker who defies the ban on the precious trim in order to fulfill her inner artistic passion,the other a lady determined to use it as
a weapon in a deadly game of wits with a powerful noble.

Now,while this book is the first by Iris Anthony,she is not an entirely brand new author. She is using this pen name to separate herself from her previous eleven titles under her better known nom de plume. Who Iris Anthony actually,I don't know but it does add a nice air of mystery to this intriguing tale and should hold up by the time it arrives in October:

SOME TASTY TINES

Food writer Bee Wilson explores the impact that cutlery and other kitchen items have had upon our lives this October with Consider The Fork:A History of How We Cook and Eat.

From the seemingly simple spoon to forks,chop sticks and cooking pots and the gadgets of molecular gastronomy ,Wilson traces the changes in culinary tools and how technological advancements can be tracked by them. A fork may not appear to be such an important or influential thing at first but it's the little things that can mean a lot,even on the dinner table:

WARRIOR MAIDEN GAMES

Arriving in late August, Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass should be a welcome adventure for teen readers(and even non-teens,I suspect). Upon serving out a sentence of hard labor for her crimes,eighteen year old assassin Celaena is offered a chance at a full pardon if she participates in a contest to select the next royal assassin.

She is the only female in the competition,up against hardened criminals for a chance to give three years of faithful service to Prince Dorian before being set free. Her training brings Celaena closer to the captain of the guard yet doesn't prepare either of them for the sudden deaths of the other contestants. Celeana must find out who the killer is before she becomes the next target but her investigation leads her down a rather unexpected path. Looks like Katniss has some formidable competition in tough gal territory:



I hope you get a chance to look over these and other tempting new reads coming our way,even if you can't get to BEA this year. Trade shows are incredibly fun and informative,however,they can get a little hectic at times,too. So,just enjoy the bounty of great books heading out for bookstores and libraries and be glad that you're not caught tongue tied in front of some of your favorite authors(trust me,it can happen!):

Magic Mike and the male stripper advantage

The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly has a big fold-out cover highlighting the male stars of the upcoming movie Magic Mike,which is about the world of male stripping. The main character is played by Channing Tatum,who happens to have been a male stripper at one point in his life and some of his experiences have been drawn upon for the screenplay.

In the interview that goes along with the cover,Tatum was asked if he was concerned about people respecting his acting abilities due to his past and he replied that no one cares about that,if you have talent. He even said if Meryl Streep had been a stripper,that wouldn't have been a big deal.

As much as I would like to believe that honestly made statement,the same standards simply don't exist. So far,Channing's extra special connection to his new film has gone under the radar of the censor happy folk but if this was a movie about female strippers and the lead actress had some real life experience in dancing on a pole,plenty of eyebrows would be raised and protests announced. Magic Mike,however,appears to be getting quite a bit of respect in some circles since Steven Soderbergh is the director and his art house credits help to raise the bar here:

The movie may well turn out to be a good one but I find it rather annoying that for men to be strippers on film,it's seen more as a power trip and/or a joke whereas women are usually depicted as being losers in every way for the same thing. Granted,a campy flick like Showgirls makes that image hard to ignore but why is it that something that is considered a negative for women being made a positive for men?

On the other hand,there are those in the audience who are happy to see more male nudity and any excuse for that is great in some quarters. Perhaps this is a way to mainstream that other inequality in Hollywood,where most of the leading men aren't as exposed as their leading ladies.

After all,if The Full Monty can become a Broadway musical that still gets performed in repertory companies today,maybe this is a sign of better things to come:

Then again,I can't help but think about what happened with the 1996 movie version of Striptease,based on Carl Hiaasen's humorous crime novel about a woman who had to resort to stripping to pay for legal counsel in a child custody case and gets tangled up with a lot of shady characters in the bargain.

The book was smart and funny,but the film was not and most of the promos for the film focused on Demi Moore's physique. Moore was happy to oblige in that department, showcasing her body as much as possible in the ads and TV appearances. Unfortunately,her good looks weren't enough to save a film saddled with a sloppy script and a buffet of overacting.

Striptease was a box office bomb,followed by bad reviews and several Golden Raspberry nominations(it won six of the seven it was up for). It's a shame that such a prime opportunity for a strong savvy and sexy fictional female to be presented on screen turned out to be a real bust:



So,you can see why I can't resist giving the side eye to Magic Mike. While folks can argue over whether a positive pop culture image of a stripper of either gender is something to promote,I don't think it's too much to ask that women at least get a bit of the respect that men do when playing similar characters on film or TV.

Perhaps this isn't the most serious subject to make a fuss about,however,it would be nice for gals to be in on the joke instead of being the punchline. Some guys have all the luck in this category,one way or another: