BSR

YEEEEEEEESSSSSSS! My favorite quarter of the year -- Masterchef Spain finally started!! The season is short, only 13 weeks; but since each episode runs 3+ hours (no commercials because it's public television), watching just one episode qualifies as a binge. I already have a favorite, a handsome 35yo fireman. Here's a funny clip where he admits to buying women's jeans because they make his ass look good ("me hacen culito de caramelo"). Even if you don't understand a word of Spanish, it's worth watching for the visuals. Does anybody watch the US version of Masterchef? A friend says she hates it because she thinks Gordon Ramsay is too mean, to the point of abusive. But given the show's popularity, Ramsay must have his share of fans. PS: I can't get the pix to show up,, but here are links to pix of Season 5 winner Jorge and Season 7 winner Aleix. Both guys are great chefs, but come on. Only 16 finalists are selected out of 100,000 who audition. You're telling me looks have nothing to do with making the cut? Yeah, uh huh.

I'm a big believer in honesty too, even when it's awkward or uncomfortable. Better to pay now (suffer a bit of discomfort or awkwardness) than to pay later (the fallout from any dishonesty, even "little white lies"). Specific to the Gucci bumbag, there's a difference between being honest and too much honesty. The $1000 bumbag is indeed nice, so you are being honest about that. But I don't think it's appropriate to tell an acquaintance that he's an idiot for spending that kind of money. Your brother, cousin, or best friend, on the other hand, go ahead and tell him he's crazy to spend so much money on a status symbol if that's what you really feel. Back to the OP, we often handle situations less than perfectly when put on the spot. But @FreshFluff gained a bit of wisdom from reading this thread, as did I, and will be better prepared should the situation come up again. PS: when a woman asks you if X (these jeans, this dress, whatever) makes her look fat, the correct answer is an immediate and unambivalent NO. Lie through your teeth if you have to.

For those wondering what "perrear" means, this brief video shows you. Even if you don't understand Spanish, it's worth watching just for the visuals. MasterChef on Twitter

"A better, more equal place" says the guy born into royalty who inherited tens of $millions ...

That video got 11 million views. Wow, Sean Murphy now has a very famous ass, if it weren't already.

Apparently other countries (Portugal, Latin America) have nonlethal bullfights, but in Spain, the bull always dies. I saw a documentary about bullfighting which said that the crowd can call for the bull to be spared if it has put up an exceptional fight, but the president of the bullring can overrule and usually does. In any case, a critical part of any bullfight is bleeding of the bull because a full-strength bull is too strong for even the best matador. Before the matador enters the ring, a man on horseback drives a lance into the bull's back hump. It's not painful because the bull has few nerve endings in that area, but it is bloody. So no, doesn't sound like it's for you. I've only been to the bullring 6 times (so 36 separate bullfights) -- 2x in Madrid, 3x in Salamanca, and 1x in a small town (can't remember the name). The only time I was really scared was the small-town one. Instead of a real bullfight with a skilled matador, it was a "capea" with teenagers in training. The boys looked 14-16. One kid got knocked down twice and managed to scramble away from the charging bull by just a split-second. As if that weren't scary enough, another kid got gored yet stayed in the ring to keep fighting. The crew was about to jump in to save him, but he kept holding his hand up telling them to back off. Mind you, this was a skinny little 9th grader bleeding and obviously outmatched. The capea went on for a few more terrifying minutes until the kid got knocked down (just fell, not gored again). This time the crew sprang into action, half of them to drag the boy away and the other half to distract the bull. We later learned the kid was fine, thank goodness. This kid got gored because he lacked training & experience. But even skilled matadors occasionally get gored because they want to be as daring as possible. Either way, bullfighting is not for the faint of heart. You might want to stick to your steaks.

Ah, another bullfighting fan in this forum! Something I've found helpful in getting people to accept bullfighting is to correct the notion so many have that a bullfight is a contest in which the odds are stacked horribly against the bull. Fans of la tauromaquia see it as an art in which the matador displays great skill and courage. Even with that explanation, some people will still hate it, but others come into it with a more open mind. If you're open to seeing a bullfight, look for a rejoneo (bullfight on horseback). They're much less common, but in my opinion, so graceful and elegant. The whole spectacle of a bullfight, whether on horseback or on foot, is an experience rich in Spanish culture and tradition. I get goosebumps when I hear the trumpets before a bullfight, but I realize not everyone will feel the same way.

Sorry, I couldn't find any shirtless shots, but here is a video of my latest crush, 20yo Lorenzo Musetti. This is a clip from his presser, after his match against Novak where Musetti was able to win the first 2 sets. The eyes, the olive skin, the silky wavy hair ... Musetti is your classic Italian beauty.

Not attending the Oscars for 10 years is more reward than punishment.

Hermès Birkin bags sell from $40,000 to $500,000. Millions of Americans, especially in the ever expanding service sector, don't even make $40K, forget $500K.

This guy swings a beautiful bat (photo shows up cropped, click open to see uncropped)

I don't know if tattoos are considered "traditionally unattractive," but a number of forum members hate them with a passion. Well-done tatts on the right physique are sexy as hell, imo. This is Diogo Piçarra, winner of Portugal's 2012 season of "Pop Idol." The left pic is after a 4-month training program. As much as I prefer beefier guys, I actually find the skinny version sexier. Either/or is so much sexier, to me, than no tatts.

Anyone who doesn't want to discuss or hear about Novak at #1 always has the option of avoiding this thread.

I found the 2021 version of the iconic "America" number last night on YouTube. Gotta say, I much prefer the 1961 original. Every dancer in the 2021 cast is superbly well-trained whereas the 1961 cast has one notable exception. Rita Moreno was not a trained dancer before auditioning for the part. As much as I love her, you can kinda tell. What Moreno lacked in formal training, however, she more than made up for with her fire and passion. While as a dancer Moreno falls an eensy bit short, as an actress she delivers perfection. David Álvarez (Bernardo) is a helluva dancer, but the 2021 choreography (granted, I saw only the one scene) doesn't showcase him enough. Plus, as good as he is, he lacks George Chakiris' panache and elegance. Chakiris hits lines and positions like no other dancer I've ever seen. Overall, I thought the 1961 version captured the humor of the song better. Even though I've seen the 1961 "America" 100+ times on YouTube, the corny sense of humor still makes me smile every time. Of course, I'll keep an open mind about the remake, but I can't say I'll be rushing to see it. One thing I gotta do is stop comparing the remake to the original and just appreciate the 2021 version on its own merits. Anyway, here are both the 1961 and 2021 "America" numbers ...

Singer Diogo Piçarra, winner of Portugal's "Pop Idol" in 2012.

Thanks for the review links. It's good to know that the play is well worth seeing on its own merits, with the full-frontal visuals as a bonus.

So many things can cause the same person to look very different in different photographs -- makeup, lighting, a good/bad night's sleep. Nonetheless, I am still struck by the change in Zelensky's appearance from Feb 23 to today ...

Hold the phone! Because Medvedev lost in the Miami QF, Novak hangs on to the #1 ranking by the skin of his teeth. Just 10 points separate Novak (8420) from Medvedev (8410). Since Meddy will be out for at least a month with hernia surgery, Novak should be safe at #1 until Roland Garros. #3 Zverev could conceivably take over the top spot if he wins every tournament he enters, but he's been playing like sh*t lately. #4 Rafa is also out 4-6 weeks with a cracked rib. #5 Tsitsipas is too far behind. For those who don't follow tennis that closely, 8420 is a very low point total for the #1 player. The #1 usually racks up between 10,000 to 12,000. At the peak of his dominance, Novak set the record for ATP ranking points -- 16,950! Novak does not have the record low for a #1 player, however. That dubious distinction belongs to Rafa, who took over the #1 spot on 8/21/17 with just 7645.

I remember watching the US Open boys final that year between Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. While I usually don't bother with junior Slam finals (they're horribly unreliable predictors of future success), I tuned in to this one because it featured 2 Americans. My reaction, as Roger Federer once famously said of a young upstart named Novak Djokovic, "Honestly, not crazy impressed." I have since changed my tune about Fritz. While I can't imagine he'll contest Slam finals or come close to the #1 ranking (just too slow), I can see him as a consistent top 10 player (he's currently #13). If he can get to the ball, as he often did on the slow-as-clay IW hardcourt, he can wallop the cover off the ball on both sides, plus he has a good serve. If Fritz ever figures out the whole sliding thing, he could do really well during the clay season. Since he has only 180 points on clay to defend from last year, the 2 months on terre battue are a great opportunity to move up the rankings. Taylor has surrounded himself with a great coaching team. Unfortunately, none of those guys (2 Americans and a South African) ever figured out how to move on clay either.

I'm also a huge fan of the 1961 film, the only version I've ever seen (no stage productions nor the Spielberg remake). I've come to realize that I'm not a fan of the music (which is great, don't get me wrong) as much as the dance. Of course, I've watched the "America" number at least fifty times, maybe a hundred, nah, probably more. I've watched other dance scenes -- the prologue, dance at the gym, "Cool" -- more times than I can count. Oddly enough, I'm not a fan of Jerome Robbins' ballet choreography, or at least not the three I've seen. But his choreography for West Side Story is simply magic.

I am always uncomfortable with selective prosecution. Imagine a similar incident between two not rich, not famous guys: John Doe makes a joke about Joe Schmoe's wife, Joe laughs at first until he sees his wife upset, then Joe slaps John, and everything is caught on video & witnessed by a large crowd. Does Joe get prosecuted for assault? Yeah, duh. So why should Will Smith get special treatment? Yes, I am well aware that in the real world, the rich, powerful, famous, and well-connected live lives of privilege denied to the great unwashed. Nonetheless, the more our legal system treats all citizens equally, celebrity or not, the better for everyone. With a bit of googling, I found out that someone convicted of misdemeanor battery can get their sentence reduced to just probation (and you don't even need to be famous!). I doubt Chris Rock wants to see Will Smith do serious jail time, but if Smith gets convicted and sentenced to probation, then at least justice is served.

Small endowments I can understand, but I didn't realize hairiness was considered by many to be unattractive. I'm kind of obsessed by body hair and actually have a tough time getting turned on by a smooth guy.

For those of us who know nothing about Inside Hollywood, what are the other "perks"?

Not really funny, more like freaky. Watching the robot sludge move is almost hypnotizing. Pretty cool how it works, but I don't ever want that stuff moving around inside me.

The morning after the Oscars, people used to talk about who won, who got shafted, who looked great, who didn't, etc. Today, nobody is talking about a single film or actor because everyone is buzzing about The Slap. Must be a bit of a bummer to win an Oscar yet get totally ignored.