Not the Sharpest Christian in the Bible

I'll apologize in advance. The new film Easy A marks the big-screen return of one of my favorites, Ms. Amanda Bynes. Here she plays Marianne, a devout Christian high school student who likes wearing short, short skirts and argyle sweaters. Alright fine, and she is the antagonist of Olive (Emma Stone), who lies about her sexual activities and brands herself a modern-day Hester Prynne — minus the Demi Moore part. (Full disclosure: the movie's really about Olive, and how she goes from nobody to somebody based on those lies.) Thankfully, Amanda is not just nice to look at in the movie, she's also genuinely funny. So take that all you Chicky haters. (I'm hoping a few other positive reviews will convince Amanda to stay unretired from acting for a while longer.)

Actually, to get serious for a second, Easy A is a better than average teen-oriented film. Featuring a notable cast that includes Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as perhaps the loosest, most freewheeling and modern parents I've seen on screen in a long time, as well as Thomas Hayden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Penn Badgley, and Malcolm McDowell, Aly Michalka, and Fred Armisen, the film's often a smart, very self-aware, and enjoyable look at teenage sexual politics. Much of the film is relatively unbelievable, and there's no actual sex involved, but Easy A manages to avoid most of the cheese and cliches of other such films in the genre — and when it veers in that direction, it acknowledges that it's doing so, or previews it before it happens. By no means is this a film that will appeal to anyone over the age of 25 (ahem, myself included), but it's not a cringe-worthy embarrassment to sit through, either.

Which brings us back to Ms. Bynes. I doubt I'd have been interested in seeing Easy A were it not for her, and I'm glad she's good in it, but I'm even happier that the movie is not the lame-o type of film I'm used to seeing her in (Hairspray excepted). And that's why I'm giving Easy A, no, not an "easy" A, but a "better than expected" B.

Follow Me

It's no secret that I love Facebook. I enjoy reconnecting with old friends, getting to know new ones even better, keeping up-to-date-with people I know (even if we're not actually "in touch"), sharing interesting items and news stories, and most fun of all, coming up with amusing status updates — even if many of them are just song lyrics. Facebook has become nothing short of an addiction for me; it's a routine, a site I check often throughout the day, and one I genuinely love visiting and spending time on. Facebook's a community site, and while it's not perfect, I tend to find value in being a part of it every day. And, it's a site I feel I've become "good" at using.

On the other hand, I've never quite understood Twitter. How can you really say anything of value in 140 characters? Do I really need to see the random Tweets of random celeb folks and other people? Why would I want to "follow" someone if all they did was link to other sites? What is with the people who seem to Tweet all the time? And isn't Twitter really just a marketing site now — a place for companies and celebs to promote themselves? Sounds like a waste of time to me. You can have your Twitter, thanks. I'll stick with Facebook.

But last week, when I was at the MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Mixer, everyone, it seemed, was on Twitter. It was topic number one in a few of the sessions. One of my coworkers was meeting all kinds of people he had Tweeted with in the weeks leading up to the event, and adding new Tweeters to his Follow list. And I was actually enjoying following the Twitter stream of the folks in attendance, and Tweeting on my company's corporate handle.

Not surprisingly, then, over the weekend, I finally decided to sign up for my own Twitter account in an attempt to understand just what all the hoo-hah was about — and, you know, because of my need to be in "the cool crowd" and all. My first Tweet? "As VP candidate James Stockdale once said, 'Who am I? Why am I here?' Thus begins the search for intelligent life on Twitter." Cute, perhaps. Maybe even a little cliched. But you'll surely agree that it's nothing terribly exciting. In truth, it's about as deep as my first blog post was four years ago. Then again, I think it's appropriate for the medium.

So I've been Tweeting, and a few days into my Twitter Adventure, I'm still of mixed opinion on the site. On the one hand, I enjoy the challenge of condensing my thoughts to 140 characters or less each time I post something, and I like Tweeting random non sequiter statements. I like that I don't have to write every "status" as a third-party statement about myself, like I do on Facebook. I like some of the back-and-forth "dialogue." John Mayer lives up to his billing as an engaging Twitterer, as does Jimmy Fallon. (Mindy Kaling, from The Office, is good too.) I think it's cool that the official handle for the TV show Modern Family is following me. And I like being part of an international conversation.

But I still think much that passes as "content" on the site is just text messaging on a public scale. Not having too many followers yet, it's hard to really feel "engaged" on the site. I prefer how you can comment right below people's posts on Facebook, and not how replies get lost in the endless stream of Tweets. And the celebs I'm following? Do I really need to know that a certain young starlet (who shall remain nameless) just got a new cell phone? No, and that was one of the more interesting things she's Tweeted recently. (They can't all be John Mayer, I guess.) This particular Tweeter is, like, all about the site and she post all the time. Seriously, girlfriend needs to step away from the computer a bit more often. (Though full disclosure: I am going to keep following her.) I think my lowest point so far was when I actually considered Tweeting a message to another beloved of mine on Monday night to tell her I didn't enjoy the latest episode of her TV show. (Thankfully, I didn't do it.) Oh, and I still refuse to follow Ashton Kutcher, so I guess that's a good thing.

I guess the question is, do I really need to be a king of all media? No. So for now, I'll reserve judgement on Twitter and I'll keep devoting more of my attention to my Facebook account — and this blog, of course.

That said, I'm not giving up on Twitter just yet. I'd like to try and make my Twitter feed something as fun as my Facebook page is, and not become a statistic. So, if you'd like to help me grow into my Twitter handle (and I hope you will, despite the absolutely glowing endorsement here), go ahead and follow me: I'm @martinlieberman. I'll try and make it worth your while.

Hooray for Bar Stools!

No one ever tells you how difficult it is to decorate an apartment, especially when you're not the savviest of designers. But today I can cross one to-do off the decorating search list: I got bar stools! (Actually, I ordered them about a month ago, but I picked them up today.) It only took me three months to find the right pair (and by the way, they look better in person than they do in that photo). They're nice: comfortable to sit in, they swivel, and they're made of microfiber, so they're easy to clean. And, now I have the option of sitting at my kitchen table or sitting at the counter when I eat. And when I use my computer, now I don't have to stand. Oh, happy day. Thank you, Chair Fair. Now if I could just find some nice things to put on the walls (other than Amanda Bynes posters, thank you) ... then my new place wouldn't seem so "new" anymore. But hey, what's the rush? I'll find stuff I like all in due time.

The Beat Goes On

I have to say, I really enjoyed the movie adaptation of the Broadway adaptation of the film Hairspray. It's so much fun that even non-fans of Broadway shows might like it. It's bright, colorful, full of great songs and showstopping musical numbers, and it just leaves you with a huge smile. Director Adam Shankman seems to have perpetual jazz hands on and directs in a style where every song seems engineered to be a crowd pleaser. And thankfully, most of it works pretty well.

I mean, don't get me wrong, Hairspray is not as slick or impressive as Dreamgirls is. There's no Jennifer Hudson–caliber performance here. But as an emsemble, all the pieces come together nicely. And there are plenty of surprises. Among them is Zac Efron, from High School Musical, who proves he's the real deal when it comes to star quality. "Ladies Choice" is a great scene, but "Without Love" is a good laugh, thanks partly to his charming performance. And James Marsden, from the X-Men movies, has a Michael Bublé-ish voice that's quite good, and impressive moves as a dancer. (Who knew?) You'll never look at Cyclops the same way after "The Nicest Kids in Town," and that's a compliment.

And then there's John Travolta, who plays the role of Edna the only way you can — by going all out and saying "To hell with it." And even if he is a little too lady-like, he's pretty funny. Totally bizarre looking, sure, but it's an endearing performance that you have to applaud. Granted, I still think Harvey Fierstein is better suited for the role, but Travolta fits perfectly with the mainstream tone of the movie. He and Christopher Walken have some real fun with "You're Timeless to Me." Also notable is "Welcome to the 60s," where Travolta's character breaks out of her shell.

Additionally, Elijah Kelley, who plays Seaweed, is great. He's got charisma to burn, and in "Run and Tell That," he practically oozes cool; it's one of the most exciting scenes you'll see in the movies all year. Nikki Blonsky, who plays Tracy, has a huge voice that's, well, as big as she is. And while I prefer Marissa Jaret Winokur in the role (Winokur originated it on Broadway), Blonsky's performance is sweet, perky, and full of so much joy that you love her from the second she appears on screen singing "Good Morning, Baltimore." And you know how I feel about Amanda Bynes. She's goofy fun, she looks great, and is irrestible in the role of Penny Pingleton. (Mmmmmm ... I loves me some Amanda Bynes.) Queen Latifah also gives a very good performance (no surprise), and cameos by John Waters, Jerry Stiller, and Ricki Lake are fun as well.

I don't think Hairspray is the best musical ever, and I think the movie cleans up a bit too much of the rawness and inappropriateness of the Broadway version (which in turn cleaned up the original John Waters movie), but damn are those songs catchy and do they ever make up for the sanitizing and some pat resolutions in the plot. And Shankman found a non-theatrical style that works for the film and makes Hairspray feel like an actual movie — as opposed to an adaptation of a Broadway show (like, say, The Producers did). I really liked Hairspray, so I'm giving it a very strong B+.

Can't Say It, Can't 'Spray It

I saw a really fun movie Thursday night, but I was asked to hold off on publishing a review until next week. So, don't consider this post an official "review." I can't even mention the film by name. But this movie — I'll call it Airsprayhay so you'll never figure out what I'm talking about — is totally bright and colorful and fun and perfect for the summer. AND, I am totally and completely in love with Amanda Bynes now — even more than I was. The girl is totally adorable in this movie, with her sunkissed tanned skin and cute cluelessness and upbeat teenage playfulness. How many times did I turn to Farrah and say, "I love that girl." (And yes, Amanda is legal.) But alright, I've probably said too much already. More on this film when my thoughts have a chance to gel.

What I Like About Her

Alright, so this posting may make me out to be a giant perv, but I can't help it: I loves me some Amanda Bynes. Her cherubic face, her smile, her girl-next-door charm, her comedic skill ... the girl's just dreamy. How appropos that she's on a TV show called What I Like About You. For me, it goes back to when she was in Vanity Fair, which remains one of my favorite issues of all time. So I was really excited to see her new film, She's the Man, tonight. Really. And it's not just because of how good she looks on the movie's poster.

I won't make too much of a big deal about the film because let's be honest, it's not Shakespeare — even if it is based on a Shakespeare play (really — Twelfth Night). Amanda's character masquerades as her brother in order to play soccer, and in the process falls for her roommate, the team captain. All the expected plot twists follow. The movie has plenty of Amanda Bynes charm, and she's fun to watch, but it's not as good a movie as What a Girl Wants was. Now there is an Amanda Bynes classic. If you see that movie and don't fall in love with the girl, well, then you just don't have a beating heart. I think it has to do largely with the fact that here, she's essentially playing a boy for much of the movie. It conceals just how attractive she is. In What a Girl Wants, she looks downright hot. (And she's 20, thank you very much.)

So ... She's the Man is fine and cute and harmless, and I was smiling from start to finish. If it's not Grade-A Amanda Bynes, then so what? I'm sure when it's on cable, I'll still watch it over and over and over again ... just like I do each and every time What a Girl Wants comes on. I'll give She's the Man a B–.