I Haven't Blogged In How Long?

Holy crap! Well, I promise that I will have a lot more time for this soon.  Meanwhile,  here's a guy in a Speedo to keep you occupied.

Blatant Self-Promotion

Here's what I've been doing for the past two months instead of blogging regularly:  Rehearsing a musical.  If you are in the Iowa City area and you've always wanted to see me play Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum, now's your chance, for the next two weekends.

It's May Day!

Feel free to dance around the Maypole of your choice.

R.I.P. Deanna Durbin

 

 

Deanna Durbin has died at the age of 91.  She was a huge star in the 1930s and 40s. How huge? Well, it's pretty clear that if it weren't for her, Universal Studios would not exist today. 

It's a well-known story, but I'll tell it anyway. In 1936 MGM signed two 14-year-old girl singers, Miss Durbin and Judy Garland, and paired them in a short subject called Every Sunday.  Deanna sang "opera" and Judy sang "swing.'  According to one version of events, Louis B. Mayer told his minions to fire "the fat one," and  Durbin was mistakenly let go. I don't really believe the story.  It's abundantly clear from watching Every Sunday that neither of those girls could be considered fat, even by Hollywood standards. Nevertheless, MGM dropped Durbin's option and Universal signed her, put her in a movie called Three Smart Girls, and a star was born.  Meanwhile,  MGM didn't know what to do with Garland and her career took several years to get up to speed. Durbin remained Universal's top draw until her retirement in 1948.  When she retired she really retired, no concerts, no comebacks, no retrospectives. .

Meet Felix

Who is this faunlike creature, you might ask.  Allow me to introduce you to Felix Reiss, who started modeling about five minutes ago. Not much to say about him yet, as  all I really know about him is that he's from Deutschland, but was scouted while vacationing in Australia.  Sehr herrlich, nicht wahr?

Cody: Buff, Blond, Tattoo-Free, And Frequently Shirtless

16-year-old Cody Simpson came to America from his native Australia in 2010, discovered on YouTube and promoted as a baby Bieber. Shortly thereafter, Bieber's management signed him. No longer a baby anything, Simpson has carved out a nice niche for himself, releasing innocuous pop music. Although he has never approached Bieber's level of commercial success (perhaps because he is nowhere near as girly as most teen idols, and more quirky in his handsomeness ) he is sexier than Bieber by far. Unlike The Biebs, no one ever tells Cody Simpson to put his shirt back on.

Cody and his "Tribe."  Includes Billy Unger and Jake Thrupp.

Mystery Solved

In September I posted photographs of Jorge Padro, and asked the burning question, "What has become of this beautiful boy?"  I advanced several ideas that might have explained his absence from the modeling scene, but the real reason was not one that had occurred to me. Jorge has not been modeling full time because he has been busy with the Spanish equivalent of high school. According to Models.com (and would they lie?) Jorge will be relocating to Paris next season to start his career in earnest.  Can't wait!

Una Grande Collezione Di Fotografie Di Simone Nobili

 
I have adored Simone Nobili for ages, but for some reason I've never done a real post about him.  How did I let that happen?   I think I was a little late to the game, he kind of snuck up on me,  and by the time I was savvy to his charms he was everywhere, and it would have seemed like I was jumping on the bandwagon.  Well, I must have reached a tipping point, because I can no longer deny him.  Jump I must.

 

Just in case you are also a little late to the game, I'll fill you in.  Simone is from Italy and he's 21 years old. Currently ranked #9 on Models.com's Top 50, and named this year's top male model at Spring/Summer Fashion Week by FashionTV,  he has done campaigns for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Cavalli, Moschino, and Sisley,  and walked for... just about everybody. Not only is he gorgeous, but he speaks Italian, which next to French is the language I most like to hear people speak. I love the fact he wants to be a psychologist when he grows up.

 

Compared to other male models there seems to be an abnormally large amount of pictures of Simone smiling; a big, generous smile that takes up his whole face.

Have I ever told you that in my opinion it is a person's so-called flaws that make them perfect? I really think that's true.  On Simone it is the scar across his left eyebrow. (Sometimes you can see it, other times you can't) Without it he would be just another pretty boy. OK, that's probably not really true, but that scar makes him hotter than the surface of the sun.  Bask in his heat.

Lots more photos and video after the break.