Thursday, December 22, 2011

Cineplexed: Live-Blogging "Brokeback Mountain"

Hello one and all to the live-blog of "Brokeback Mountain," one of my very favorite films ever made!

If you've never read a movie live-blog before, what it is is basically me commenting on the movie as it happens complete with timestamps and pictures to help you follow along. I suggest that you grab a copy of the movie (and a DVD player natch) and open up the blog at the same time so you can get the full experience.

As this is a live-blog, I'm not really gonna talk much about what happened with the movie in terms of reactions or awards, so if you want to know that stuff, click the title and read the Wiki page. It's good btw. The only piece of information you should know beforehand is that when "Brokeback" premiered in New York City in December 2005, I saw it in theaters three times because I'm the gayest man in the entire world! Anyway, I will reference the different audience reactions to when I saw it but other than that everything you need to follow along is in the movie. p.s. if you haven't seen the movie, I wouldn't read on because we're breaking it all down. Be warned. p.s.s. this S is long so get comfy.

Ready to begin? Let's do this!



0:00 -- Like I said, I saw this movie in theaters 3 times. The second had the rowdiest crowd. Those people were ready for this movie. See, I saw it the Friday night it opened and that crowd was very quiet because none of us knew what to expect. By the time Saturday night rolled around, people--gay men mostly--knew what the movie was about and were ready to get down. The second time crowd were the ones who clapped and cheered the moment the title flashed on the screen. Also, this shot: the reason why director Ang Lee is God.


0:01 -- Our first glimpse of the late, great Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar.


0:01 -- The helpful intertitle tells us that it is 1963 in Signal, Wyoming, which does exist, and I'm sure is thisclose to being the next metropolitan center of the world. Except no. We are to assume that Ennis, although we don't know his name yet, has hitched here on a truck for some as yet unrevealed purpose. Hotness, perhaps? Listen, I'm telling you now that we're stopping the live-blog at any point Heath or anyone else in this movie looks incredibly hot.

Which will be a lot obvs. I wanted to talk about trucking for a second. I was recently driving to my parent's house and stopped at a truck stop in Eastern Pennsylvania to get gas. There, I noticed a Mini Mart and decided that my trip could not commence unless I had some Cool Ranch Doritos. So I went inside where I encountered two burly truckers talking about how it was a b!tch to cross Jersey to get to New York. Yes, these truckers were handsome but that's not the point. This story isn't like that. My life is not a Julius cartoon (NSFW).

As I listened to them--one had come from Arizona, the other Ohio--I was amazed that this was their job. Driving a truck across the United States was their job. Can you even imagine? I can't. Like to see so much... You know what? The movie just started and I'm already on a tangent. Let's continue...


0:03 -- As you can see, Signal... Not much to do. Anyway...


0:03 -- Ennis (still don't know his name) is waiting around looking all gorgeous. I really miss Heath Ledger. Like a lot.


0:03 -- When this dusty old truck put-puts up and we all prepare for our first glimpse of Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist, the best named character in the history of characters.



0:03 -- First of all, Ennis is giving the first of many "Who does this b!tch think she is?" faces at Jack, and Jack is serving us all the first in many of his "This is me werking it" poses. I will document these faces and/or moves as the movie goes on. Back to when I saw this in theaters. The second time crowd like I said was rowdy and very, very horned up. These guys were ready to see Ennis and Jack get it in and we hadn't even learned their names yet. This entire sequence of the two of them staring at each other as they assessed the other literally garnered hoots and hollers from the second time crowd. They were ready.

Side Discussion: When do you think Ennis and Jack fall in love? I like to play this game every time I watch this movie and it is to decide exactly at what point do the men fall in love with each other. I think it happens at different times and for different reasons so we'll discuss as the movie goes on...


0:04 -- Finally, Joe Aguirre shows up and we get some forward momentum. Can we get a moment of silence for Randy Quaid's sanity? Was that a "no"?

Okay then. Inside Joe's office, he tells the boys that he needs two ranch hands to herd sheep up on (the fictional) Brokeback Mountain. Quaid proceeds to give an awful line reading about "allotments" and "pup tents" and pretends to get mad during a phone call that sounds clearly fake and the boys generally look unhappy, which makes sense because I mean come on.


0:06 -- The boys touch for the first time. They also introduce themselves so we know what their names are. Those names. Good work, Annie Proulx.

Side Discussion: Is Jack gay? My response: Hell yes, Jack is gay. Jack is very primarily sexually interested in men. I believe that he's attracted to Ennis from the first moment he sees him. He's not in love with Ennis, but he'd sure hit that.

We'll talk about Ennis later because his emotional life is SO much more complicated and we're only 6 minutes into a 2 hour and 15 minute movie.


0:06 -- I just love this shot. That's all.


0:07 -- So to get to know one another because they will be herding sheep together for several months, the boys go to a bar. At the bar, Jack, who I just mentioned is very gay, does this amazing thing of questioning Ennis about his life. My favorite question being "What, your folks run you off?" (all quotes I provide are from my memory of the movie as I am literally writing this from memory, that's how many times I've seen this movie. I know.)

If anyone at any time thinks Jack has not slept with men he's picked up at bars, this question proved them wrong. Why would a frontier family run off an able-bodied young worker in the 1960s? Perhaps because of The Ghey?

Jack's not a dumb boy. He knows what to ask.

There's more of the live-blog after the jump. Like the rest of the movie more...

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Ridiculous Gay Profile of the Day


Anyone who would use this as their profile picture on a site to meet gay men has accomplished a few things right off the bat:

A) They've won life.

B) They've won the Internet.

C) They've won the battle and the war.

D) They've won Final Jeopardy.

E) And they've won... my heart.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Paid Programming: De-Creeping That Incesty Folgers Holiday Commercial (You Know the One)!



Several years ago, coffeemakers Folgers decided to release the above commercial... You know what? I was gonna be all "Folgers probably had no idea that said commercial was going to be the poster video for the Brother/Sister Incest Alliance, which is something that I just made up that probably exists but I dare not Google it to find out," but now that I think about it, I think Folgers probably knew the commercial was crazy weird and decided to release it anyway because they knew it would get people talking. And how.

Several years after this commercial premiered, they still show it and it still gets people feeling all strange inside. Yes, there's nothing overtly wrong with it, I guess. It just feels wrong. A part of me was all "No, we're the creepers for thinking that this beautiful commercial about a brother and sister reunited is creepy" but now that I see it again on TV, I think that there were definitely some script and style choices made that amp up the creepiness to an unnecessary level. Because I'm always one to help, I've decided to offer my services to Folgers should they want to film this commercial again removing all of the creepy weirdness this time. The bones are good. The details are wrong.

Here's how to De-Creep this commercial:


Recast This Actor


I'm sure he's an amazing actor. He probably had a wonderful audition that was full of nuance and depth. He's obviously attractive and noticeable, all things you want from a commercial actor. The problem is when he got to set. When he got to set, for some reason, he replaced his normal eyes with crazy sex eyes in every single shot. Don't believe me? Exhibit A is above. Here's Exhibit B.


And Exhibit C.


I'm not trying to take away any of his ability as an actor. I'm sure he's amazing, and it was partly the director's fault for wanting to be done and not wanting to get a shot of the actor where he didn't look half on the road to full release, but he's not the right actor for this part. There's nothing about him that says "warm brotherly affection." There is a lot about him that says "Take my pants off."


Rework the Sister's Story


I don't have a problem with this actress. She's playing younger than she is. It's a little annoying but I'll forgive. However, the story they've built into the commercial for her is what is so creepy. First of all, she's waiting at the window for her brother to arrive while her parents, who should care just as much about their son coming home, are upstairs asleep. Then, when she answers the door, she just says "Sister!" which leads me to believe that this girl may be special needs and the brother is just playing some cruel joke on her, which is just wrong and not particularly heart-warming.

Either start the commercial with sister and parents waiting by the window or sister and parents asleep. Then, the sister can be the first to notice that brother has come home and they can all share in the glee.


The Gift & The Parents


So brother gives sister a gift. That's fine. Nothing weird about that. Sister in turn takes the bow off the gift, slaps it on her brother's chest (um), and says "You're my present" (ummmm). Then the aforementioned actor playing the brother gives one of his trademarked sex faces. No. Incorrect.

How about this? Folgers, you're already paying two other actors to play the parents. How about we use them. I gather the point of the commercial is that sister makes the Folgers coffee that brother likes and in keeping with the "Best part of waking up" thing, the parents smell the coffee, realize their son is home, wake the f*ck up, and all is well.

Instead of having the parents essentially interrupt the creepiest brother/sister moment ever, how about they come in earlier and the sister PRESENTS THE BROTHER WITH THE BOW ON HIS CHEST AS A GIFT TO THEM. We can even keep in the weird "You're my present" line by adding "To mom and dad! You know, our parents that we share because we're brother and sister and we're not hooking up because that's wrong."


I think with these changes, we'll have a commercial that doesn't give me the heebies every single time I watch it.

Question Time: Have you seen this commercial? How would you de-creep it if you had the chance? Another thought I just had: the music isn't helping. It's a little Lifetime TV movie... Although a Lifetime TV movie about a mom discovering her grown children are having an incestuous affair sounds like something I'd watch on a Saturday afternoon.

It'd be called something like "Siblings in the Shadows: The Millicent De Peppermint Story" and it'd star Jo Beth Williams, and at some point in time the daughter would scream "But you just don't understand!" and Jo Beth Williams would cry back "But what you're doing is wrong!" And Jo Beth would only tell her best friend who lived across the street played by Patricia Kalember, thinking she would be compassionate, but the friend would just shun Jo Beth...

Sorry. I'm done. I'm so done.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Best of 2011: The 25 Sexiest Men of the Year List, This Time With ACTUAL Sexiness

Welcome to another Best Something of the Year post. I think you'll find this one to be as, if not more, fun than the last.

This time, we're talking about the 25 sexiest men in entertainment and pop culture for 2011. Now media places like People and Salon do these lists and media places like People and Salon are always wrong. It's not because the men on their lists aren't attractive. Most of them are and some of them look amazing.

It's that attractive does not equal sexy. I know this difference because I am not sexy. There's nothing about me that screams take my clothes off, and that's what you need to be sexy: an indescribable thing that makes you irresistible to carnal thoughts. All of the guys on my list have it in spades.

Let's begin.



Sean Blakemore - TV

This St. Louis-born actor and his arms are currently starring as... Shawn on ABC's last remaining soap opera "General Hospital" (listen the writers on the show aren't that creative. It's why Sonny's been doing the same thing for 10 years). He started as a goon who stood in doorways while other people talked, but has since been upgraded to regular and has a romance with Carly Corithos-Jacks-Whomever Is Next in Line. We are very glad to get to see him everyday.



Andy Butler - Music

(Sunday Swooned on 7/31) Butler is the DJ and chief songwriter for NYC group Hercules and Love Affair, whose second album "Blue Songs" was one of my favorites. Also, the only ginger on the list. Color yourself shocked.



John Cho - Film

(Past Sunday Swooner) South Korea-born Cho's latest film "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas " received an A-grade from Entertainment Weekly. Cho's face always receives an A-grade from me.



Chris Colfer - TV

On his hit show, "Glee," Colfer's character, Kurt, had sex with his boyfriend Blaine this year, which is a sentence I never thought I'd type when I was a kid growing up. Colfer, who is working on movies too, will soon take over the world with his fully grown adorableness and latent epic hotness.

Just you wait.



Mike Colter - TV

This year, the South Carolina native has appeared as baddie Lemond Bishop on CBS' "The Good Wife" and as Sarah Michelle Gellar's confidant on The CW's "Ringer."

Bad or good, we'll take Colter anyway we can...



Michael Fassbender - Film

This Irish-German actor has appeared in several movies this year including "X-Men: First Class," "A Dangerous Method," he simmered with Mia YouWhoKnow in "Jane Eyre," and "Shame" where he gives full frontal and has sex with many, many people. I'm probably not going to see "Shame," however; it just feels like he's trying to taunt me now. I get it. You're hot.



Donald Glover - TV & Music

Glover has built a rabid following appearing both on culty NBC comedy "Community" and releasing rap as Childish Gambino. I care mostly about the tight body hiding under those preppy clothes.



Ryan Gosling - Film

The Canadian who would be the Sexiest Man Alive is not hurting in 2011. "Drive," "The Ides of March," and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." have made him THE movie star for women to lust after (sorry, George) and he's even hot enough for gay guys to like him too. F Yeah, Ryan Gosling.



Jonathan Groff - Stage

The Pennsylvania-born actor just finished a run in the acclaimed play "The Submission" Off-Broadway and will certainly be gracing the stage or the screen (he guests on "Glee") in the near future. Yes.



Neil Patrick Harris - Film & TV

(Past Sunday Swooner) With CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" still going strong, guesting spots on TV talk shows, and film appearances (he was in "Harold & Kumar" with Cho), NPH is still rocking our world. So much so, we'll forget that he has a husband.



Cheyenne Jackson
- Stage & TV

(Past Sunday Swooner) Jackson regularly appears on stage and TV, however, it is his marriage to Monte Lapka that caught my attention this year. Definitely the hottest married guy on the block!



Steve Jones - TV

Jones is a Welsh UK TV star and former model who has jumped across the pond to host the American version of "The X Factor" on FOX (maybe not for long). The show may be middling, but there's nothing small about the statuesque and cheeky Jones.



Ricky Martin - Music

(Past Sunday Swooner) Latin music superstar Martin released his first album since telling the world what we already knew in January. The album has my favorite title of any album of the year, and you have to say it in Spanish. Ready? Música + Alma + Sexo. Don't you want a cigarette after that?



James Murphy - Music

Murphy is the front man for NYC dance funk punk outfit, LCD Soundsystem, which retired, playing its last show this year. I happened upon LCD Soundsystem late so I never got a chance to see Murphy & Co. perform. I would have liked to especially because Murphy is hot to me like your father's cool younger brother whom you have inappropriate feelings for. So wrong.



Isaiah Mustafa - Film & TV

Oregon-born Mustafa rose to fame appearing in nothing but a bathrobe for Old Spice commercials. This year, he went on to be the best thing about ABC's "Charlie's Angels" reboot and appeared in "Madea's Big Happy Family" among other projects. To answer your question, yes, he's still taking his clothes off for Old Spice and no, it never gets old.



Zachary Quinto - Film & TV

Even if Quinto hadn't come out this year, his year would have been fantastic. In addition to starring in films like "What's Your Number?" and "Margin Call," he has a recurring role on the buzzy series "American Horror Story" on FX. And he has those brows. Those brows, I tell you!



Daniel Radcliffe - Stage & Film

Radcliffe starred in one of the biggest movies of the year (Harry Potter and the You Know the Rest, Part II) and appeared on Broadway in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" all while being pale and English and adorable. There's nothing he can't do... Except tan natch.



Redfoo (Stefan Kendal Gordy) - Music

Despite my pleas to the contrary, LMFAO are not going anywhere. "Sexy and I Know It" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year and their second album released this year, has also been doing well. Thus, I shall enjoy them for only one reason: Redfoo is cute as all what?!

Good work, Berry Gordy.



Mitt Romney - Politics

Despite that I'm sure we disagree about most things and the fact that he is a Republican (I shuddered as I typed), one cannot deny that Mittens (thank you Sam for teaching me that nickname) has a handsome, giant plastic head.



Tate Taylor - Film

Taylor is a Mississippi native and sometimes actor who directed the excellent screen-adaptation of his friend, Kathryn Stockett's book "The Help," which opened this year and is getting raves. Tate, darling, you can open something else this year too. My legs... There goes the last of my dignity.



Mike Vogel - Film & TV

Speaking of "The Help," if you saw it then you know, throughout much of the movie Jessica Chastain's Celia is all a-tizzy because she's worried that her husband might leave her. Then, you discover that her husband is played by Pennsylvania native Vogel and you understand why Celia's worried. Vogel is startlingly handsome, almost too much and turns in "What's My Number?" and the probably going to be canceled ABC show "Pan Am" have only helped bring that face to the forefront.



Paul Wagner (NSFW) - Personal Entertainment Video

Reinventing yourself in the fickle, short-attention span world of gay porn is no easy feat especially when you've been around the block. That's why New England native Wagner is such a welcome exception to the rule. Starting out playing the "bottom" role for most of his scenes (which is a term I hate but moving on), Wagner has been switching it up to go "top" more often this year. To top (no pun intended) it all off, he's shed a significant amount of heft to his frame, coming off less as a scruffy bear and more as a slinky sex machine. Either way, we love him.



Washed Out (Ernest Greene) - Music

Washed Out is the stage name of Georgia-native Greene. This year, he released the chillwave opus "Within and Without" that features one of my favorite songs of the year, "Amor Fati." Add in the fact that he looks like every boy you would have fallen in love with while going to that hippie liberal arts college that you didn't go to and his music happens to be very good. It's just not fair.



Jesse Williams - TV

(Past Sunday Swooner) Williams has been enchanting us as Dr. Jackson Avery on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" for several years. This year, he finally got a storyline that plopped him in the middle of a love triangle and gave him a sassy mama in the form of Debbie Allen. Finally, we put his talents (and those eyes) to good use!



Brian Wilson - Sports

Brian Wilson plays baseball. Yeah, off the top of my head, that's all I know. However, after doing some research I discovered that this year hasn't been the best for the San Francisco Giants pitcher. But then he showed up to the ESPY's in a spandex tuxedo, so that's all I need.


Question Time: Hey, stop looking at the pics and read some questions! Who's your favorite guy on this list? What about in general? Any hot guys of 2011 you think should have made the cut?

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Best of 2011: The Year in Music!

Kylie. BoA. k.d. Capitan Melao. Phoenix. What do these artists have in common? They have all been named as having the Juice with Junior Album of the Year. Who will have released my favorite album of this year? Read below and find out not only who released my favorite album, but also my favorite singles, album tracks, music videos and more. Click the artist name for more info and a song title to go to YouTube or another site that will let you indulge in the music.

Lastly, this is my list, but I want to hear your list too! What are your favorite albums and songs of 2011?! Share so they can become my faves too!


Album of the Year


Raphael Saadiq, "Stone Rollin'"

2008's "The Way I See It" proved that the former Tony! Toni! Toné! music man could expertly craft soul music that sounded like it was recorded during some summer of the 1960s. "Rollin'" proves that Saadiq can create 60s-inspired soul and make it sound fully modern, so that it's not just a perfect recreation of a time, but it is also an enjoyable listen for our time. No set of songs this year have made me smile harder than the tracks on "Rollin'."

top 4 (in order of preference):

Teddy Thompson, "Bella"
Steely and strong contemporary country folk pop

Oh Land, "Oh Land"
The Danish pop princess US debut is priceless electropop

Will Young, "Echoes"

Young is finally sexy and not a moment too soon

Beyoncé, "4"
A superstar makes an album, not a gathering of singles

runners-up:

Hercules and Love Affair, "Blue Songs"
Washed Out, "Within and Without"
Pnau, "Soft Universe"
James Blake, "James Blake"
ADELE, "21"

honorable mentions:

The Young Professionals, "9:00 To 17:00, 17:00 To Whenever"; Justice, "Audio, Video, Disco"; Kelly Clarkson, "Stronger"; Jonathan Johansson, "Klagomuren"; The Black Keys, "El Camino"


Single of the Year


Washed Out, "Amor Fati" (video above)

At first, you think "Amor Fati" is kind of a throwaway. The tempo never really changes, the vocals capitulate from a soft hushed to calm hushed, the rhythm is quick but doesn't immediately call for dancing. Then, you listen to it again, then again, then again and again and again and again. Then, you can't imagine a day going by without having listened to it at least once. Then, it's a religion and like any religion, then you have to tell people...

top 4:

Oh Land, "Son of a Gun"
A peppy, twinkly ode to terrible love

Chris Brown, "Beautiful People"
Saying nothing about him, this track is Benny Benassi heaven

Raphael Saadiq, "Movin' Down the Line"
Put on your best 1961 duds and dance on the rooftop

Azari & III, "Into the Night"
This song is 1994, and I'm loving every minute of it

runners-up:

James Blake, "The Wilhelm Scream"
Moby, "After"
Grouplove, "Tongue Tied"
The Young Professionals, "D.I.S.C.O."
Katy Perry, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"

honorable mentions:

Jennifer Hudson, "Don't Look Down"; Björk, "Crystalline"; Robin Thicke, "Love After War"; Feist, "How Come You Never Go There"; Matt Nathanson, "Faster"


Album Track* of the Year
*Song included on an album in 2011 but not released individually as a single


Hercules and Love Affair, "Leonora" (listen above)

This song shot to the top to become my favorite song of the year after only a few spins. Now that my iPod tells me I've listened exactly 262 times, I have some thoughts. The NYC electronic music masters took a slow rolling beat, dual male/female vocalists, sparkling pings and pangs, a seductive piano string, and an ode to the gods themselves to make this affecting masterpiece.

top 4:

Beyoncé, "End of Time"
Afrobeat meets Kanye West meets awesomesauce

Pnau, "Twist of Fate"
Feels like you're living atop a skyscraper in NYC/LA/London/Tokyo combined

Lights, "Siberia"
Sugary pop ladled over hard-driving power synths

The Young Professionals, "Young Professionals"
Play at your next party and things will get started

runners-up:

Will Young, "I Just Want a Lover"
Oh Land, "Voodoo"
Teddy Thompson, "The Next One"
ADELE, "Rumour Has It"
Com Truise, "VHS Sex"

honorable mentions:

The Sound of Arrows, "Conquest"; Cold War Kids, "Sensitive Kid"; Justice, "Ohio"; Tori Amos, "Job's Coffin"; M83, "Reunion"


Non-Traditional Release* Track of the Year
*Includes compilations, extended plays, soundtracks, singles, remixes, demos, deluxe album tracks, and independent/unofficial releases


AlunaGeorge, "You Know You Like It" (video above)

George is the producer and Aluna is the vocalist and together they crafted this catchy pop song that takes elements from electronica, pop, disco, R&B, and so on and melds them into something loose and enormously fun.

top 4:

Phantogram, "Don't Move"
A sick beat, horns, and cooly confident vocals make me eager for the new album

Lady GaGa, "Black Jesus † Amen Fashion"
If Liza knew how to use a computer

Model Worker, "Automatic Love"
late 70s/early 80s inspired electroclash

Bombs and Bottles, "When the Lights Go Out"
The sexiest song of the year

runners-up:

Nicole Scherzinger, "Tomorrow Never Dies"
Beth Ditto, "Do You Need Someone"
Morgan Page feat. Tegan and Sara, "Body Work (Club Mix)"
Delilah, "Love You So"
Lana Del Rey, "Blue Jeans"

honorable mentions:

Madonna, "Give Me All Your Love"; Florence + the Machine, "Strangeness and Charm"; Kelly Clarkson, "Alone"; High Highs, "Open Season"; Rebecca Black, "Friday"


Breakthrough Artist


The Young Professionals

The Young Professionals are Israeli pop star Ivri Lider and producer Yonathan Goldshtein, who really shouldn't be in this category as their preeminence and talent have of course broken them both through long before now. However, this new venture, a fearless dance pop collective that transcends genre, is so good that here's hoping they each continue with their own excellent solo work while not forgetting about the baby they birthed this year. And I say this all knowing that it's very possibly that Goldshtein is dating my Ivri. It's fine. I'm fine with it.

top 4:


Washed Out
Ernest Greene's the face of chillwave; thankfully he's that good


Azari & III
These Canadian DJs have rejiggered the 90s sound for today


James Blake
The UK dubstep darling has enough technical chops to go the distance


AlunaGeorge
Pop needs something interesting and they certainly are

runners-up:

Nicole Scherzinger
Beth Ditto
Lana Del Rey
Bombs and Bottles
Com Truise

honorable mentions:

The Sound of Arrows; Delilah; Foster the People; Jessie J; Class Actress


Music Video of the Year


AlunaGeorge, "You Know You Like It" (video above)

This simple two-shot video is technologically deceptive, featuring dancing mirror-images, quick, careful editing, Aluna's nimble choreography, the enviable wardrobe, and lights, because lights make every video better. Certainly I've seen videos with more bells and whistles this year, but none I've wanted to live in more than this one. Watch.

top 4:


The Young Professionals, "D.I.S.C.O." (video above)
Do you even have to ask.


Oh Land, "Son of a Gun" (video above)
Pretty and Gothic at the same time


Katy Perry, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" (video above)
Epic fun (with a hot guy to boot!)


Robin Thicke, "Love After War" (video above)
The two sexiest people in the world being sexy because they are

runners-up:

Beyoncé, "Countdown"
Rihanna, "We Found Love"
Feist, "How Come You Never Go There"
Rebecca Black, "Friday"
Will Young, "Jealousy"

honorable mentions:

Florence + the Machine, "Shake it Out"; Lady GaGa, "The Edge of Glory"; Katy Perry, "The One That Got Away"; Rebecca & Fiona, "Jane Doe"; Azari & III, "Into the Night"


Question Time: What have been some of your favorite albums/songs/videos of the year? Any artists that have just blown you away that I should listen to before 2012 arrives?

I still have time to revise my list!