The Useless Critic 2.0

Most of you know that I adore Gwen Stefani. I have most of my life! Even at the end of the day while I stand bewildered by her current choices, I still very much am a fan. Perhaps not as fervently as I once was; I think that time might be over. I think my Twitter bio has been updated to reflect this sentiment.  The last year has been ... trying for us OG Gwen/No Doubt fans. A lot of us fell in love with her because she was punk lite, the quirky girl next door who was kind of a badass but also kind of a dork. She was sweet but she was powerful. And as she got older, she became more of a badass, more defined in her own confidence. Remember "Rock Steady" era Gwen or when she dueted with Eve? Fuck yes, for lack of a better term.  But somewhere in the past year she has gone into soccer mom on steroids mode. And I mean, at first I was like, whatever. I should be supportive, you know? Okay, so maybe "This Is What the Truth Feels Like" wasn't the best album ever, bu...

The film of the year for me is Precious. I haven't seen it and I probably won't see it until it comes out on DVD, but it is absolutely the film of the year. Everything about this film speaks to me: the idea of feeling worthless, of having dreams, of hitting the breaking point. Every time I see a commercial for this movie on TV I stop what I'm doing and watch, and I've watched virtually every trailer and interview I can find on YouTube. The film is about an abused, illiterate, and obese 16 year old girl who is pregnant with her second child by her father. What scenes I've seen have all been absolutely phenomenal. Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, who plays the eponymous character, is a true find, and I think she has the potential to become one of the most successful actresses of our time. Same with this movie. Mo'Nique's performance as Precious' mother has already won awards. Same with a virtually unrecognizable Mariah Carey as Precious' social worke...