lollipop_monkey

The original is already on Mikasounds I almost didn't notice it because you have to scroll the homepage to see it:

http://www.mikasounds.com/blog/post/4230646773

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I was late. Traffic in London on this February night, had brought the city to a standstill. It was the premiere of the highly anticipated Anna Nicole Opera at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. I abandoned my taxi and ran. A red carpet greeted celebrities as they walked in and the entire run of the show had long sold out. This was not a normal premiere, but it was not a normal show. Telling the story of American TV and tabloid celebrity Anna Nicole Smith’s life, this was a new commission and had been in development for over 5 years.

I had been so excited that I had specifically requested to review the opera for La Repubblica. By the next morning I had cancelled my piece. Angered by what I had seen, I didn’t want to contribute to the media frenzy surrounding something that had missed the point in so many ways.

Since I saw the first episode of her reality programme in 2002, I always liked Anna Nicole Smith. I respected her story, I liked the way she smiled and more than anything I felt compassion for her. I found her eccentricities funny but over all I felt sorry for the tragedy she endured in the last few years of her life. Anna Nicole was born in a small town in Texas, moved to Houston as a single mother at the age of 20.

She found a job at a strip club and within a few years was posing for the cover and centrefold of Playboy magazine. It was at this time that Anna began her relationship with J. Howard Marshall, a billionaire oil tycoon. They eventually married, she was 27 and he was 89. She was successful as a model, even replacing Claudia Schiffer as the face of Guess. At this stage, her classic beauty didn’t hint at her turbulent life, which would later steal the limelight.

Her billionaire husband died just over a year after their wedding. The legal disputes over Anna’s share of her husband’s fortune lasted over a decade. Anna eventually filed for bankruptcy and became a household name as a result of her much publicised case. In 2002 her reality TV show premiered on E Network. I was hooked. It lasted 2 years before being dropped. The show was a critical disaster and launched Anna into the final and most dangerous stage of her life. Now addicted to the media attention and living beyond her means, she became a parody of herself. Drug abuse became more and more evident. The worse she behaved the more attention she got. Once again, a celebrity’s demise became popular entertainment.

The death of her shy son Daniel was the beginning of the end. His death was as tragic as they come. He died from an accidental overdose, whilst visiting his mother in her hospital room and some reports say he was in her bed. Five months later Anna Nicole was found dead in her room at a Florida hotel, with seven different prescription drugs found in her body.

It is hard to imagine anyone reading this account of her life and not feeling some sort of compassion. The televised scenes of her sitting in the back of a limousine begging for pickled gherkins were ridiculous, but if you didn’t like her then you didn’t have to watch. Some women pass her off as a gold digging slut, who even posed for pornos. So what? Many people I know are gold diggers and they don’t get the same abuse she did. And why judge someone for making porn. It seems to be that as soon as a porn star becomes more than a faceless piece of meat, they become reviled.

The only reason she was so hated by American media in particular, is because her and her situation got ugly. It was too in our face, there was nothing hidden. Anna became a mirror to the over medicated and indulgent and a parable to the dangers of exploitive media. She became too real.

I went to the opera with a hope that some part of this story would be put right. I wanted the audience to see part of themselves in her. The first half was full of promise. The score by Mark-Anthony Turnage, was undeniably brilliant. Flicking between a-tonality, jazz and even hints of Sondhime melodic lyricism. The Libretto by Richard Thomas was eloquent and unapologetic, even if it did feel insincere. Storming through her life the audience laughed and laughed but that never that transcended into worry, compassion or self examination. Instead of black comedy or a Brechtian montage, Richard Jones’ direction left us with clever but cynical pantomime. Throughout the first half no empathy was established between the audience and Anna. Her son’s death in the second half comes as a sudden bump with no real emotional pay off.

The saddest thing of all was that that was exactly how it felt when it happened in real life. The Opera could have done this mother and son story more justice. Anna was sacrificed for a laugh and made a villain in the media. The Opera could have created and reinvented an archetype and tragic protagonist as meaningful as any other operatic heroines. Sadly for Anna Nicole the opera failed to do that. It made many people laugh and made me sad because it seemed such a waste of a modern tragic true story.

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I expect that'll be when the original version will be released.

I'm actually starting to embrace the delay. Last month I tried reading it line by line in Italian, seeing how much I understood, then running it line by line through Google Translate.

Your Sydney collection is fantastic!! I especially like the pics from the Australian Idol rehearsals:thumb_yello:

Me too. He looks really great dressed like that.

Happy Ending

 

http://pann.nate.com/video/216302861

2010.6.12 mika live in seoul. kick ass high view, if you want omre,please check the right video

 

http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do?cateid=0&ref=search&sort=wtime&clipid=25825776&searchType=0&svcid=&svctype=1&q=mika+seoul&lu=v_search_01

LOVE TODAY!!

 

you can see clearly.

 

mika jump into the fan:mf_lustslow:

 

These are all awesome. I can't believe how many people are in that venue! Clearly South Korea LOVES Mika.

Here i am again...

Guy just sent me because of this....

 

 

Arrrrrggghhhhhh, i stucked my one foot boy on the f........ keyboard!

 

 

So i'm starting the clean up...

 

 

Wonka you managed to stay out of the naughty corner for a whole month! I think this may be a record!

I dreamt that Mika slept with my mother.

Well hey, if he's getting friendly with your mother you should at least be able to get an autograph out of the deal.

I dreamt Mika updated us all on his album...

Well THAT was clearly a dream.

I saw a pic of your tattoo the other day when I was looking through my photo bucket pics. I am glad that you still like it......I still love mine too. It's a good job of course as they will be with us for life.

It's already been over a year and a half since you got yours, hasn't it? It wasn't long after Blackpool, if I remember correctly?

And yes, that's a very good point. I guess someone should ask us in 20 years how we feel about them... but I can't imagine feeling any different.

Awn, I also love these vids

 

You're collecting hugs-after-giving-him-the-yearbook, right??

 

Mana, BTW, I have to say that your tattoo is AMAZING. Really, I want one for me SO BAD. I wish I could write "golden" behind my ear Do you still like yours?

Hey now, he hugs me in that video from LA too. Good thing too, or I'd think he's only up for hugs when he's receiving elaborate, time consuming gifts.

And I still love my tattoo. Maybe even more than when I got it. I can't believe it's already been over two years. Time flies.

That's a great video! I wonder what he will say about the 2010 yearbook! LOL

Did you see the video of him receiving the 2009 yearbook in Copenhagen? He was doing one of his my-throat-hurts-so-I'm-not-talking things, but you can see his face when he feels the weight of it.

[YOUTUBE]ZOGUzLHdsjk[/YOUTUBE]

Sigh. I love looking back on these vids.

hahahah after alot of moments

 

I rarely like colored tatoos, but I really liked yours!

 

wah! I didn't know the dog was a gift!!

I'm learning alot tonight

 

Thanks! I didn't want to get it unless they were sure they could accurately recreate the pink of her dress, but they did an awesome job. And yes, you have no idea... four years of moments is a lot.

oh that was you! cool! shame the tatoo can be seen in the vid

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16875

ok mika was definitely thinking ":loco:"

After all this time, you could say Mika "understands" us.

:aw if you have more M&G vids like this let me know

pretty please

I like this one. This is when I gave him MFC's 2008 yearbook, in Amsterdam. This is the same night IngievV gave him the toy dog that makes a cameo in the WAG video.

[YOUTUBE]3rGiwoF7rHU[/YOUTUBE]

now THAT'S a M&G!

Yep, it was a really nice one... He was happy, relaxed, chatty, etc...

That was when I showed him my tattoo!

And yes, that's how M&G's should be. So chill and relaxed, just chatting with Mika like a normal person. I've seen some M&G's where people are so desperate for an autograph that they're practically climbing on his head.

Many (or even most?) employers provide the private health insurance here, which can be very handy for certain things to 'complement' the NHS state care for things which would take very long on the NHS.

Out of curiousity, what sorts of services/treatments are not covered or are not handled in a timely fashion by NHS?

Here in Alberta, Canada, for example the government healthcare program covers most things but many people also have employer-sponsored insurance to cover things like presciption drugs, dental care and ambulance rides.

Reading about Paloma's accident in his own words is just... ouch.

I can't imagine what she's been through, how he felt that night when he first saw her like that...ugh. It's just unthinkable.

I can totally understand why he's thinking about different healthcare systems now, and how grateful they are to not have to pay out of pocket for Paloma's care. Those of us with effective, accessible universal healthcare are so freakin' lucky.

I still think this was one of his best performances ever, and I didn't even experience it firsthand. Lucky, lucky people who got to see this live.

thanks...i may stop and have a coffee too

be back soonish

How very Italian of you!

I wanted to get a summary out there for everyone to understand as quickly as I could.

Thank you Nerys! Much appreciated, as always!

What I didn't know is that Paloma had been conscious all the time. That's terrible.

That's what I was thinking too. I had been hoping that she had either lost consciousness naturally or that the paramedics had given her something. Wow. I just can't imagine.

I was in a coma for 20 days after a stroke and trust me, it's not good to wake up and find out u have a bill of almost 50,000 euros to pay...

What a nightmare! Being Canadian I hear these horror stories coming out of the US all the time, but I'm rather far removed from how it works in different European countries. That's just brutal.

That said I'm so glad you got the care you needed, and that you're still here with us.

So our state-financed health care is not for free, either. I would not even have my arm plastered without giving the doctor some money or at least offering it, as you simply can't expect to be looked after without 'bribing' them.

I can't even imagine bringing money to a doctor's office. We're really lucky in Canada.

That is really shocking Wonka. I'm sorry they had to add financial insult to injury. It's just awful to think it could completely wipe out a family when they are already struggling with health issues. Outrageous.

 

We don't have a two tiered system in my province in Canada. The government pays for primary health care no matter who your doctor is or what hospital you go to. I've never seen a bill from a doctor or hospital in my life. I can't even imagine. I'm just glad you're still here.

Same thing in my province. Pretty much the only things you pay for are prescription medications (outside of a hospital; your meds while you're an in-patient are covered), dental care, ambulance rides and vision testing.

Anything else, from a broken arm to a fall in the street to a stroke are all covered by the government. Like Christine said, you never even see a bill. They just make a note of your provincial healthcare number and it's all taken care of.

the guy asked me if I had any private health plan. I said "yes" and asked him to get the card in my wallet. He took it and said "oh, I'm sorry, but we don't know about any hospital that accepts your plan, we're gonna take you to a public one" and I was like "noooooo :shocked:".

Wow. I can't imagine what it's like to have a parallel public/private system with medical personnel making decisions in the street as to where to take patients. Unbelievable.

The US's healthcare is ridiculous, it's over $1,000 for one night in a hospital.

A friend of mine in California gave birth to a baby who was born with a hole in his diaphragm; what that meant is that most of his organs that were supposed to be in his abdomen migrated through this hole and into his chest cavity.

Between the extra care my friend needed plus all the surgeries the baby needed, their total hospital tab was well over $300,000. Thank god she and her husband have great insurance that covered nearly all of it.

If I saw that pic and had never heard a thing about Mika I'd think of the face as belonging to just another featureless prick who happens to be somewhat handsome. I wouldn't google for his name or want to find out what additional talents he might have besides facing a camera with that rather blank look.

Same here. I just would have assumed he was another random male model, or at most a soap opera star or something. I certainly wouldn't expect to find a stupidly talented popstar behind that ad.

But who knows, maybe people who recognize his name but had forgotten about him since Grace Kelly may see this ad and go "wait, that's Mika? That dorky kid with the fluffy hair and the weird red outfit in that song about being like Grace Kelly? He got HOT! :shocked:"

I agree with you, missy, even the slogan has to do with him. Of course I'd love to know that he's hiding 'cause he's working in his music, but he also said he's working on different projects. And I really can't believe he'd lose himself with stupid things, leaving music behind. Actually, I can't see him working with something that's not related to music, and he always says that what he wants most is to continue doing what he's doing. So, I'm definitely not "worried".

I agree with you on all points.

 

Having said that what bothers me about this is that Mika tries to paint a different picture of himself to his fans/in interviews. "I don't like fashion/labels" - except that I wear bespoke Louboutins almost exclusively, host parties with Lanvin, endorse designer fragrances.

 

"I've been losing myself...the hiding is working" - except when I'm not doing corporate gigs, endorsements deals and being seen around town at premieres.

 

Mika can do whatever he wants but if he tells me one thing and does something else...

I think it all comes down to learning to speak Mika-ese.

For example, over the past four years I have learned that in Mika-ese, "acoustic gig" means "with loads of drums and amplification, just without backing tracks." And apparently "hiding away working on my third album" means "working on my third album... in between parties, premieres, and making some side cash with corporate gigs and big name ad campaigns."

It's the lack of little amenities, like not freezing all day, not being able to afford five minutes to leave your coat in the cloakroom, having to carry everything with you.

All four Japanese gigs I went to had lockers at the venue. Lockers! It was terribly civilized.

I'm totally with you on the freezing thing. Copenhagen was a traumatic experience for me.

This has been my favourite since 2007.

I have always had a problem with standing in line to meet Mika. I mean, I realise that in most circumstances it is just about the only way to do it. But it just seems very wrong to me. It is like being an animal in a zoo, standing at one side of a barrier when he is at the other side.

I find the worst is when Mika (or any artist, really) stays in one spot and the people in line to meet him are expected to file past. That's SO awkward. At least when he's moving down a line he is in control of how long he talks to any given fan. When the fans are moving past the artist it creates an uncomfortable dance in terms of just how much of his time to take.

I'd rather have an Imaginarium tour dvd:naughty:

Yes! Antwerp would be good, like that rumour that went around. Sigh.

If you’re feeling sad that there are no more Mika Magic Numbers videos, don’t be - the online store will be featuring some new additions in the next few weeks.

 

 

This eyeball t-shirt will be available on 28th February as well as many more new items, so make sure you keep checking the online store for your very own happy ending.

"If you're feeling sad that there are no more amazing, intimate, exclusive videos from a once-in-a-lifetime gig, never fear! As consolation, soon you'll be able to drop your hard earned cash on a bizarre, shapeless eyeball t-shirt!"

If it wasn't for the internet, I wouldn't have met a whole bunch of fantastic people! Needless to say, of course there were some rotten apples in between the bunch, but you learn to pick those out of the basket.

Same here. I think meeting friends online is easier than meeting potential partners, simply because you don't have to worry about friends just being out for a shag. Well, most of the time.

I know three couples who met online that are very happy. Two are happily married and one couple is living together.

I also had a friend who met a girl on the internet and moved across the country to be with her after six weeks. It ended in disaster when she threw his computer off the balcony and the cops were called.

I have to agree with the coffee shop girl that I wouldn't give out my Facebook info to some random guy I met on the street (assuming I wasn't already married). If I thought he was attractive/interesting/etc I'd give him my email address or my phone number and tell him to text me. It's not that there's anything terribly incriminating on my Facebook page, but I wouldn't want some random guy seeing everything from a few scanned childhood pics to pics of my parents' dogs or whatever. That's TMI too fast.

OMG! i know this guy!

 

he "befriended" me too!!

 

HE FRIENDED ME TOO!!!

 

Did you date him for two weeks before he moved onto his next target?

Yus, you can haz!

 

Ok, so adding to what Robi said, this article deals with friendships and relationships in the age of Facebook...

Thank you!

I'm going from a kind and fine Google translation, but what's he saying with "...non sapevo che esistesse un'etichetta degli appuntamenti via Internet. None e come fare sesso occasionale."...?

Google translates that to mean that basically there's an understanding with online relationships that they are about casual sex, and that he's not into that sort of thing. Is that what that actually means?

I so can't wait for the original.