Uffie - hot new talent!

I have been seeing posters for her debut album, 'Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans', for a while now so I decided to check out her new single 'ADD SUV', which features Pharrell. Uffie's sound is raw and playful - it's synthpop electronic hawtness! 'ADD SUV' is produced by Mirwais, who produced Madonna's 'Music' a decade ago. I like the backstory of this girl - she was born in Miami but grew up in Hong Kong and is now based in Paris. I'm intrigued to see how such a cosmopolitan upbringing will inform her music and I will definitely be checking out her 'Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans'.

A 'Splash' of Aphrodite

No, that's not a drag queen - it's the one and only Kylie Minogue. This past Saturday night, Kylie made an appearance at New York nightclub Splash, which is a bit of a gay institution located in the heart of Chelsea, and performed her new single 'All the Lovers' and some other tracks from her new album 'Aphrodite'. Man, I wish that I could have been there....and not just coz of Kylie.....check out the go go boys on stage with her!

Starstruck by her Disco Stick

I went to The Monster GaGa, hosted by the one and only Lady GaGa, with my sister in Manchester last night. It was my second GaGa concert experience. The first time that I saw her perform was almost a year ago, back in London. The first time was a barebones affair with sets that looked like a bunch of GaGa's friends got together and used their DIY tools to produce them. It was also a much shorter set; one that lasted just under an hour. A lot has changed since last July - she's won a truckload of awards (including two Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards), been the subject of an episode of Glee (which puts her on par in terms of cultural impact as Madonna!), been namechecked by President Barack Obama (at the Human Rights Campaign's 13th Annual Dinner back in October 2009) and released the successful companion piece to her debut album 'The Fame'. With 'The Fame Monster', Lady GaGa's expanded repertoire of songs allowed her to put together a much longer show, one that lasted almost two years and it's rather incredible how many hits she has accumulated in such a short time. Above is a clip of 'Paparazzi' that someone kindly recorded and uploaded from the concert in Manchester the night before I went.

The show began, appropriately enough, with 'Dancing in the Dark' and it was a rather intriguing beginning to the show - as the curtains lifted, we set GaGa already standing at the top of a staircase on the stage, where she remained motionless for most of the song. Not only were the sets bigger and better, employing lots of hydrolics, there were more dancers and much more costume changes. My favorite song from 'The Fame Monster' is 'So Happy I Could Die' and GaGa performed this number in an ensemble that resembled a wedding dress made from folded film that opened and closed like a lizard. That number has so much beauty in its simplicity and serenity and this was literally heightened when she was lifted up high to create the impression of her ascending into heaven. Another striking moment came during 'Monster' when GaGa and her bevy of bodaciously-built male and female dancers acted out the line 'He ate my heart and then, he ate my brain', resulting in GaGa being smeared with red body paint on her chest.

As a live performer, this Lady is pure class and charisma. I am just so awestruck by how someone so young can have such a commanding presence. GaGa's obvious pleasure, comfort and confidence at being onstage and adored by thousands of fans puts the likes of Britney Spears to shame. That she manages to create intimacy that belies the size of the venues that she's performing in nowadays is incredible. That she's a gifted vocalist and musician (she plays GaGa also engages her audience in spontaneous, effortless banter through out the show. I couldn't help but be reminded of Madonna watching GaGa, not because I see GaGa copying Madonna (although we all know that every female pop icon that came after Madonna is indebted to her in one way or another), because both of them embrace the power of image and self-expression and the necessity of projecting all of your dreams and fantasies. My sister and I were on the standing floor and we were literally two meters from the stage. We were on our feet for two hours before she came out and another two hours for the show itself. My feet and my back were aching like mad but I just danced away all the mundane frustrations of daily life and for one night, we were all her little monsters.

Sex and the City: Sinking in Quicksand?

Tonight, I went to see 'Sex and the City 2' and I had a blast. The reviews for the sequel to 2008's smash hit silver screen adaptation of the long-running HBO series have been mostly negative. Criticism ranges from charges of racism (a large chunk of the movie is set in the United Arab Emirates and the way these American women view the traditional Muslim culture of their host country is surprisingly condescending considering that they are supposedly cosmopolitan New Yorkers), misogyny (due to references to Samantha's desperation to maintain her youthful vitality) and being cultural irrelevant (for a film that was conceived, written and produced during one of the worst global economic downturn in recent history, the film's blatant materialism could be viewed as either much needed escapism or a film about four white women with the kind of problems that the rest of us could only dream of having). Worst of all is the charge that the movie is completely lacking any genuine drama. Considering that the movie has already earned $14.2 million at the North American box office on Thursday alone (presumably from midnight screenings since the movie officially opened on Friday), it looks like what critics have to say won't affect the film's commercial success too much.

As someone who loves the legacy of the groundbreaking original series and was genuinely moved by the dark places the first film dared to go, I must confess that I found it slightly disappointing that this movie does not have the same emotional impact as its predecessors. Furthermore, it was not the smartest decision for Michael Patrick King, the writer and director of both films and the main creative force behind the latter, and arguably best, seasons of the show, to lose the so-called fifth lady of this group - Lady New York herself. When I saw the preview for the film for the first time, I thought that the trip to the desert would be a brief retreat from the Big Apple but I was wrong. Still, there is so much to enjoy. The movie is a visual feast with lush cinematography and production values truly worthy of an old Hollywood musical. What the movie has to say about the challenges of sustaining romance and 'sparkle' in a marriage when domesticity starts to take over is interesting and there are some very enjoyable moments that shine in their high camp appeal, like the four stars singing karaoke to 'I Am Woman', Liza Minnelli performing 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)' at a gay wedding (the film's not so subtle wink to its gay audience) and a fun flashback sequence when we see what the women looked like in the 80s.

However, the film's biggest assets continue to be the four actresses who have brought these characters to life for almost 14 years. After all this time, these ladies can work miracles with even the most limiting of material. Sarah Jessica Parker is never less than engaging as the iconic Carrie Bradshaw (now Carrie Preston, as Stanford reminds her) while Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis are endearing in a scene where they discuss the pressures of modern motherhood. Best of all is Kim Cattrall as the insatiable Samantha Jones who refuses to give into both menopause and the conformities of a conservative society. Seeing these four women continue to be fabulous as they grow older is a testament to the lingering theme of female empowerment of the original tv series and honors what fans have always loved about this enduring cultural phenomenon.

Thai Palme d'Or

A Thai film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the very first time on Sunday. As well as having the most original title amongst the competition at this year's festival, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' also won the top prize from the jury, which was headed by US director Tim Burton. The timing of this crowning achievement for Thai cinema comes as the country is reeling from months of civil unrest and bloodshed so it is particularly poignant that the people of Thailand have this source of pride to briefly distract them from the political turmoil that they have been enduring at home. The movie has been getting positive reviews from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety but it was still considered a longshot for the top prize, especially when there were more popular contenders like the UK's 'Another Year', directed by Cannes favorite Mike Leigh. Mr Weerasethakul is not exactly a newcomer to Cannes himself, having won a Jury Prize at the 2004 Festival for 'Tropical Malady'. This win is significant not just to Thai cinema but to Asian cinema as a whole as it is the first time that a film from Asia won the top prize in Cannes since 1997, when Japan's 'The Eel' tied with Iran's 'The Taste of Cherry'. Accepting the award, Mr Weerasethakul said: ' I would like to thank all the spirits and all the ghosts in Thailand who made it possible for me to be here. '

The actor and actress prizes went to European stars who are best known to international audiences for their respective Oscar-winning turns. France's Juliette Binoche was recognized for her performance in Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's film 'Certified Copy' while Spain's Javier Bardem shared his Best Actor award (for his work in Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu's 'Biutiful') with Italy's Elio Germano for 'Our Life'.

Golden Girl meets Golden Boy?

Following the successful Facebook campaign to get her to host Saturday Night Live and her stellar performance on the show last weekend, Betty White is finding herself at the centre of a brand new Facebook campaign – this time, her fans want her to be appointed the host of the next Academy Awards. At last count, the group already has over 13,000 members.

As much as I love Betty and thought that her stint as SNL host was a true class act, I wonder how much sense it would make for her to host the Oscars. Sure, the lady is a pro at performing live, having come in the entertainment industry at the advent of radio and live varieity shows on television but the gig itself is a demanding one for anyone, let alone someone who’s pushing 90. It would be too much to ask of the fabulous Ms White but who knows? The woman is still a ball of energy and charisma that most people a quarter of her age can’t muster so if anyone can defy our expectations of senior citizens, it's Betty.

As for whether or not the Academy would even consider this idea, I say, they would be stupid not to! After all, the ideal host for the Oscars should be someone who’s funny and charming and most of all, so beloved by their peers that they can get away with poking fun of any of them. Furthermore, can you imagine the ratings bonanza that it would create? Betty’s stint as host was the highest-rated episode of SNL in 18 months, since the height of the 2008 US Presidential Election. Finally, never underestimate the power of a grassroots campaign!

Speaking of Betty White on SNL, how awesome was it to see on the same show the return of many former female SNL cast members (such as Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer) from the recent past in this Mother’s Day-themed special. It was like 2006 all over again with Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph popping up in support of Betty White. What a treat to see many past favorite characters like Maya’s Whitney Houston and Amy and Tina on Weekend Update doing a ‘Really!?!’ segment with Seth Meyers.

The end of an era...

After 13 years of Labour rule, the United Kingdom has a new Prime Minisiter in Conservative Party leader David Cameron, who, at 43, becomes the youngest British PM in almost 200 years. Gordon Brown resigned today and in his speech, graciously took full responsibility for Labour's defeat in last Thursday's General Election. It is going to be interesting to see Mr. Cameron lead a minority government in coalition with the Liberal Democrats and I sincerely hope that they can bring about some positive changes to the UK. Even if it is for just one day, as we acknowledge the dawn of change, we must put aside our cynicism because now is the time for optimism and action.