If You're Sexy And You Know It....

put your hands up in the air.

Or as Chris Brown sings it: put your handz up inda air.

Or maybe Pitbull (oh how his mother must just love hearing her boy being called that) advising: If you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands.

Akon must have liked it because he used the exact same line in one of his songs: If you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands

Or perhaps Jesse McCartney when he sang: you're sexy and you know it, know it.

And I can't leave out LMAO's: I'm sexy and I know it ....................................
(you know - going from second person singular to first person singular -  just to spice it up y'all)

As well as whoever else has decided recently that this line rocks and included it in their pop ballad because I'm sure I've missed a few.  Whatever.  I wanted to thank all of you.  Because now I can sashay into any nightclub, whisper a request in my friendly DJ's ear and instantly know who the sexy people are.

The ones with their hands up.

Obviously.

But what makes sexy?  I'm not sure if Mr Brown urged me to put my hands up if I knew I was sexy I would actually feel comfortable doing that.  Well not Mr Brown personally, because like I wouldn't even let him buy me a drink.  But that's not the point.  The point is: how do you know when you are sexy?  What's the criteria?

Is it:
a) someone (not drunk or under the influence of any substance that would impair their eyesight) has in the recent, or not so recent, past called you sexy?
b) when you look in the mirror the only adjective that could possible work is: sexy? 
c) you physically resemble a well-known, media certified sexy person ie you look like Megan Gale?
d) you are Megan Gale? or
e) you have that 'it' factor thing going on?

I like that old adage: Beauty is in the eyes of the beer-holder beholder.  And I kinda think that sexy falls into the same category.  You know, each to their own.  Personally, I find hairy men sexy as hell.  Not the scary kind of hairy like this:

That's just not right.

No I mean the sexy kind of hairy, like this:

And may I jsut add a few other names to the list:

• Ryan Reynolds
• Hugh Jackman
• Jude Law
• Armie Hammer

But I know not every woman shares my opinion (otherwise we wouldn't have seen a spate of gloriously hairy men shaving their chests......Reminder to self: google 'celebrity chest shaver' as a career).

So, if sexy is subjective, how do you write a sexy character that will appeal to a majority of readers?  Or is it enough to ensure that your character is found sexy by their patnering protagonist?

Whatever the answer, maybe next time I'm gettin' down with my bad self at 'the club' and Mr Brown encouarages the sexy people to reach for the sky - maybe I'll hedge my bets and just put one hand up.

Adaptations - Part I

With all the hoopla about The Hunger Games on just about everyone's blogs at the moment, I got to thinking about other books that had been adapted into films.

There are two camps: those who like adaptations and those who do not (and of course to make things even more confusing, those who do not do so because they either a) prefer the book or b) prefer the film).  Me?  I'm a take it as it comes sorta gal.  I've seen some film adaptations that left me feeling flat, some that made me want to go back and read the book again, and still others that made me promise myself I would always watch the film and not bother with the book again.

Want a great ice breaker/conversation starter?  Try these: "The original Star Wars films were much better than the second lot."  Not a science fiction fan?  Rouse a romance aficionado's passions by stating: "Keira Knightley was by far a much better Elizabeth Bennett than Jennifer Ehle."  Or you could try: "The Lord of the Rings films were much better than the books."  I'm sure you can think of many other book to film adaptations or even stage to screen adaptations that stir up vehement responses from friends or family.

But what I wonder is this: what about the films that were written first as a screenplay?  Does anyone know of films that have been adapted into books?  I know a few films that I would love to read as a book.  Amelie being the first that leaps to mind.  Or Sleepless In Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Mrs Brown, As Good As It Gets, The Sixth Sense, Gosford Park, Pan's Labyrinth, even Knotting Hill - I'd be happy to sit down with a paperback copy of any of them.  But has it ever been done?  I found some evidence of TV series becoming novels but none of movies.

So what original screenplay would you like to transform into the written word?

Well Hello Groove Thang!

So I took my little ol' self off to the picture the-atre and saw myself a movie.  A movie that I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy because it had Ms Julia Roberts in it (which in itself is not a guarantee that it's going to be good - *cough*MonaLisaSmile*cough*) but this time she's in a romcom.  And I loves me a romcom.

Now Julia and I share a lot of things in common - one day I'll tell you all about it - but suffice to say when her jaw dropped when the lead male role swanned in sans shirt (thankyouverymuch), I was SOOOO there in the moment with her!

What movie?  What male lead, do I hear you eagerly whisper?  This one:

Playing the charming Prince Andrew Alcot in the movie Mirror, Mirror is Armie Hammer. Yes he is young.  Too young to even think about ....... well okay not too young to think about but I would definitely have to hand him back his hotel key (if you know what I mean). 

Some stats:
* he's 6 foot 5 inches tall.  For real.  198.5cm of manliness.
* he has a hairy chest and he's not afraid to use it.  In fact he actually refused to shave it for the movie and I, for one, am very grateful the young lad has principles.
* he has an incredibly deep voice.  You know the kind you can close your eyes and just listen to - for like, forever!
* he has sparkly blue eyes and perfect teeth and that mouth.......swoon!
* did I mention he's 6' 5"?  With a hairy chest?  And a deep voice?  Can anyone say perfect????

Any man who can look macho in a puffy-sleeved shirt, (as well as all the above positives) gets my vote of approval.  I know the movie has been panned by a lot of cynics critics, but honestly, I enjoyed it.  It's light hearted and cute and the colour is so unbelievably rich and gorgeous that you come out of the cinema thinking someone has tweaked the colour lever on real life - everything looks washed out until your poor brain adjusts.  And don't get me started on the costumes - I want every single one of Julia's gowns.  Of course I'd need a whole new wardrobe the size of my house to store them in, but hey: minor detail.

The movie did what I wanted it to: I emmerged, blinking rapidly, into the pallid real world with a big smile plastered on my face and my heart chock full of the kind of happiness only a fairy tale romcom can inspire.

It's amazing how the appearance of a Prince Shirtless Charming can help a gal get her groove thang back!