Dead in jail, aged 19

An article (in French) with a terrible realization: overpopulation in French jails. Can a young 19 year-old boy, whatever the crimes he committed, die this way in prison...?

Mort en prison à 19 ans
LE MONDE 05.04.08

©

Dignity

Question: Which one of these characters keeps his dignity?

Remark: Ray-Bans for more discretion? Not sure...

Another so-called "stolen" picture...

Francesco Vezzoli - Marlene Redux

Francesco Vezzoli (born in 1971, in Brescia, Italy) is an incredible artist. At the "Passage du Temps" exhibition in Lille 3000 - which I already mentionned here - I saw his movie "Marlene Redux" which is a fake biography of his work, like a parody of an American TV documentary. It's just amazing, the artist portrays himself as if he were dead, his friends and foes bringing their testimony while footage of archives and excerpts of his works are displayed, with an apropriate soundtrack. Between two dramatic and funny plot twists, the pop and artistic references are numerous!



The installation, on a multitude of screens, gives another depth to this fascinating work and also enables the capture of the gap between reality and fiction. This piece of work also allows us to have a glance at this artist's potential. I'll try to know more about him soon.



Unfortunatly, the video found on YouTube is a split footage of poor quality (the sound is particularly terrible).

The Girls Next Door

I don't think I'll ever be able to explain my infatuation for "The Girls Next Door". This show from the E! channel, tells the story of the Playboy Mansion, the luxurious home of Hugh Hefner, the founder of the magazine of the same name. Like its title indicates, the show focuses mainly, on Hefner's 3 girlfriends: Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt et Kendra Wilkinson.



Why do I like it?
- the (very light) tone of the show: watching is like eating candy
- the editing and the cartoon-like sounds: brakes, skiping record, off the track music
- the ongoing humor: the girls always laugh hysterically and often, very stupidly too, but glamor and humor make a perfect blend
- Hefner's career: I can only respect the apparent integrity of the work of his lifetime
- the reflection on life's futilities: the girls are not as dumb as they look, they often have more second degree than you and I!



Another reason why I love that show is its opening theme! Here is a rendition by Madonna of "Come on a my house" from the mediocre 2002 movie "Swept Away" by Guy Ritchie.



And here is Rosemary Clooney's famous version of the same tune (yes, she was Dr. Nespresso's aunt).




Bonus: free mp3 download {Nasty Tales - Come On A My House (Big 60s Radio Edit)}

Tragedy in Northern France...

An article in French newspaper Libération told me everything about a new scandal about an online posted video about a drunk woman from the North of France.

Sorry for those who don't understand French, I'll post the video anyway, you can still see the embarassment caused by the player's behavior...



I think it's funny at first, then it gets really sad and even if it's a 14 year old extract, I can imagine why the family is suing