TresSugar

Introducing Anne, From Little Britain

GiggleSugar — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:00:00 PDT

Little Britain is a hilarious sketch comedy show about the "idiosyncrasies" of the English. I've never seen it before, but CasaSugar sent me this insane compilation of clips featuring a character named Anne, who appears to be a very tall man-woman in a house-dress and fetching pink cardigan sweater. Anne has some mysterious disorder which causes her to cluck like a peeved chicken (ehn ehn EHNNN!), that is, unless she's on the phone. This clip may turn you into a nutter, but you have to watch it till the end...

Men Behaving Badly on British TV

GiggleSugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:00:00 PST

Watch this "Little Britain" clip and try to imagine it on mainstream American television. In the first part of the clip, a woman meets her boyfriend's parents only to find out this dude has some major mommie issues. Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. Masterpiece Theatre this ain't! (Thanks, uberfrau--now I'm scarred for life!)

Kate Moss Takes to the Stage While Pete Heads Back to Rehab

PopSugar — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 11:19:04 PST

Like Kate's new look? Lucky for us this is not her latest trend for us all to get suckered into. She's just putting on an act - literally. While Pete has supposedly checked back into rehab, Kate's been keeping her mind off of him by adding "actor" to her already expanding repertoire. Recently she took to the stage to perform as a delinquent teenage mother on the popular English sketch show, Little Britain. One of the show's actors, David Walliams thinks she's really got what it takes. He said, "Kate has natural comic talent. It's just that most people don't know it because they see her in pictures and beautiful people aren't allowed to be funny." Here's more:

Moss joined Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas for a cameo appearance at the Hammersmith Apollo in London for a Comic Relief version of the famous television comedy series.

Details of her role were kept under wraps before she appeared shellsuited pal of "yeah but no but" teenager Vicky Pollard.

Walliams persuaded Moss to take part after she and boyfriend Pete Doherty went to see a Little Britain show.

Standing next to Lucas, she mimicked his expressions of a delinquent teenager.

Moss then joined the Little Britain star next to a line of six buggies, posing as a teenage mum on benefits.

Well, that's as close as Kate will ever get to being on welfare. Her career is taking off in all different directions. Maybe we can get her to do SNL next! For more pics of Kate acting goofy just

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Diane and Josh Celebrate CK at Cannes With Isla, Naomi, and More

Allie Merriam — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:14:02 PDT

The stars at Cannes gathered to celebrate euphoria Calvin Klein last night at a bash held just outside the center of town at the opulent Villa St. George. A few of Calvin's ladies were on hand for the Belvedere-sponsored bash. Model Lara Stone, who's in the CK Jeans campaigns, made the rounds with her comedian husband David Walliams, of Little Britain. Diane Kruger fronts the brand's beauty ads and arrived on the arm of boyfriend Joshua Jackson. It's a busy week for Diane, one of the Cannes Film Festival judges. She managed to have a night of fun, though, and caught up with friends like Isla Fisher, Naomi Watts, and Jessica Chastain.

Fellow Australians Isla and Naomi spent a good portion of the night chatting in a corner together. Jessica and Shailene Woodley were among the last to walk the press line before heading up into the house for drinks and snacks. Alec Baldwin arrived on the arm of his fiancée Hilaria Thomas, and they mingled with other funny guys like Chris Rock and David Schwimmer.

We managed to snap pictures on Instagram and PopSugar's Twitter - make sure to check back for regular updates on all our coverage from the Croisette.

Julie Andrews on the Importance of Princess Culture, Princess Kate, and Her Favorite Roles

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:32:56 PDT

It's hard not to become giddy when talking about Julie Andrews. The legendary actress's career spans more than 50 years, with multiple generations of families still enjoying her library of work together - from Mary Poppins to The Princess Diaries. What many people don't know is that the 76-year-old Academy Award winner is also the coauthor - with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton - of more than 20 children's books, including the just-released The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl!, part of the "Very Fairy Princess" series.

As far as meeting her in person - well as someone who can still recite virtually every line of The Sound of Music, it's a totally surreal experience. From the beautiful English accent that spoke to me from my favorite films to the fact that she still exudes the authoritativeness of the governesses she played, the experience was almost regal - which is why Andrews is perfectly cast as the spokeswoman for Disney and Target's first National Princess Week, which runs from April 22-28. I met up with the living legend, her daughter, and her granddaughter at a princess-themed tea - feather boas, scepters and all - to discuss the relevance of princesses today, working motherhood, and her favorite roles over the years.

On why playing princesses is really OK:
Julie Andrews: "My personal take on it is that they may be trying on for size what it feels like to be, say, a real lady. [It] perhaps, in some way, helps them find their own identity later in life. I do think fantasy and play of this kind - whatever it is, if you want to play at being a nurse, or if you want to play at being a florist - it's all important and should be allowed, because it would be an awfully sad place if we didn't try on those airs and have fun doing it."

On raising strong, independent, confident women in a culture saturated with princesses:
Emma Walton Hamilton: "Sometimes I think princesses are given an unfair rap. We compiled a list of over 70 contemporary princesses. In doing the research for that, I was reminded once again of the extraordinary work princesses do in the world. The charitable contributions, the causes they champion, the amount of good and service they contribute and provide. I think they're a wonderful example of being strong, feminine, and kind, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

On her favorite Disney princess:
Julie Andrews: "Mine has to be, because I've been involved with it, Cinderella. I played Cinderella when I was about 17 years old in England, and then when I came to America it was the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical they wrote for me. So for me Cinderella has always resonated. And I love the rags to riches, kind of like my own story in a little way."

Keep reading for Andrews's thoughts on Princess Kate, the state of motherhood today, and her favorite role.

12 Things You Might Not Know About Queen Elizabeth II

Annie Scudder — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:20:35 PST

Sixty years ago today, Queen Elizabeth II started her reign. Each year, the queen quietly marks Accession Day, since it is the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI, but today, the queen also made note of the celebrations that will come later this year: "I hope also that this Jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart as we join together in our celebrations."

Over the past six decades, Queen Elizabeth has witnessed much change across the world and in her own family, while always remaining a constant herself. To mark the Diamond Jubilee, the royal family will tour the world on her behalf, while the queen will participate in events across Great Britain. To mark her 60 years on the throne, here are some little known facts that will help you get to know Queen Elizabeth II. And if you'd like to know more, check out must read Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, by Sally Bedell Smith.

Downton Abbey Beauty: No Mascara, Please, We're Edwardians

Allure — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure:

Fans of the PBS blockbuster Downton Abbey don't need us to tell them that season two has arrived, ending a painfully long wait for the return of the period drama set in a spectacular English country house stuffed with spoiled aristos and scheming servants. How ever did we survive? One bright spot was the video parody that appeared on YouTube with Joanna Lumley, of Absolutely Fabulous fame, playing an Edwardian housekeeper with Sephora tastes.

"Is that lipstick you're wearing?," a butler asks disapprovingly.

"Just a bit of gloss," replies Lumley. "Her ladyship doesn't mind."

The joke left us wondering what the Crawley sisters of Downton might actually have have in their medicine cabinets; or rather at the mirrored vanities where they seem to linger for hours, as a loyal maid brushes out their hair and listens to their secrets. That part, as it happens, has the ring of truth: Edwardian ladies never (no, never) cut their hair, according to makeup artists who work on the show, which has an on-set historian to police every gesture and costume. Find out what they had to say about Edwardian beauty now.

Is Pregnancy a Disability?

BabyCenter — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:16:40 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Stacie Lewis about considering pregnancy a disability.

Shortness of breath. Inability to lift heavy objects. Need for specific seating. Exhaustion. Months of nausea followed by months, possibly a year, off work. Are these the markers of a disability?

Sorry, ladies. You aren’t disabled. You are pregnant.

A month ago I pulled my car into a disabled space in front of a baby store. My daughter is disabled, and we have a badge. Next to me a man waited in his car, also in a disabled spot. No badge.

I knocked on his window. I tried - and probably did not succeed on any level - to not sound annoyed. “Sorry, but you are parking in a disabled spot.”

“But, my wife . . . ,” he sputtered, “she’s pregnant.” He gestured toward the baby store. “She’s inside, and I’m waiting for her.”

First of all: disabled spaces are not for “waiting” in. They are for ease of loading and unloading people in wheelchairs. They are for people, like my daughter, who suffer from seizures and might need be rushed back to the car and then the hospital, so need to be as close as possible to the car.

Let’s be clear, if his wife can stroll through a megababy store - it is literally the size of Kansas - she can walk the extra 10 feet across the lane to the nonhandicapped parking. She is not disabled.

However, as The Huffington Post reported this week, Jeannette Cox, a law professor at the University of Dayton in Ohio, thinks pregnancy is a disability. According to her research, the Americans With Disabilities Act should be expanded to include pregnant workers.

"The recent expansion of the ADA’s protected class now includes persons with minor temporary physical limitations comparable to pregnancy’s physical effects," said Cox. "This invites reexamination of the assumption pregnant workers may not use the ADA to obtain workplace accommodations."

To some extent, I agree with Cox. There is a culture of discrimination in America about pregnancy. I live in Britain and I am astounded by how little time and leeway American pregnant women are accorded. Policies and legislation that encourage women to work up until the moment of birth (and Cox encourages employers to consider that, with proper accommodation, women would be more able to do this, not less) and to return to work as swiftly as possible or else lose their job, are irresponsible in the extreme. Establishing breast-feeding, recovering from a C-section - these things all take time, and I doubt any health professional thinks only a few months, or as is the case for some women, a few weeks is long enough for mother or baby.

But a disability? Sorry. No.

Disability is a serious, life-altering complication. As such, the classification should be assigned only to those that need that level of protection and assistance. Return to my initial list of conditions: pregnant women do not require oxygen masks, care workers, wheelchairs, tube feeding - the symptoms of pregnancy are not such that a woman’s life is irrevocably and devastatingly changed long-term.

As soon as we start calling pregnancy a disability, disability itself is reduced to the challenge level of pregnancy. Never forget that - though exhausting and nauseating - pregnancy will pass. Feel grateful for that and the glimpse it gives you of a more challenging life.

Do you consider pregnancy a disability?

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
Mom jeans no more!
Did you get the name you wish?
Getting highlights gives me guilt
How to overcome the baby blues
Katherine Heigl on "failing" as a mom

Source: Flickr User elicash

Australia's Leader Says Curtseying to Queen Is "Just Not Me"

Annie Scudder — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:45:47 PDT

Queen Elizabeth arrived in Australia yesterday, and it must have been a little awkward when she greeted the country's prime minister, Julia Gillard. The Aussie leader, who was born in Britain, is a self-confessed Republican, meaning she supports a republic for Australia, rather than a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as its head of state, as is the case now. Since the meeting at an air-force base, Gillard has been forced to defend herself for breaking protocol, as she declined to curtsey for the queen and chose to forgo a hat.

When asked if curtseying to the country's symbolic leader was demeaning, Gillard said, "Some things are you, some things aren't." While Gillard also maintained that she's a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth, we shouldn't be surprised Australia's first female prime minister did things her own way. The redheaded 50-year-old doesn't fit the politician mold necessarily. She's been dating a hairstylist since 2006 and has frankly said that not having children has helped her succeed.

When it comes to breaching protocol, Gillard isn't alone anyway. Michelle Obama famously touched (gasp!) the queen in 2009, during a reception at Buckingham Palace. See more photos of the queen's Australian arrival now. She and her 90-year-old husband Prince Phillip sure get around!

Etsy Finds: Absolutely Autumnal Acorn Motifs

Elka Karl — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:00:51 PDT

While acorns and oak leaves are a common Fall motif, the use of acorn imagery is actually quite ancient. This widespread symbol of regeneration has meant many things to many cultures. In Britain, many people carried an acorn as a sign of good luck. In Norse mythology, the oak tree, and acorn, were symbolic of protection against storms. And the acorn motif, which has been found on Celtic and Greek goddesses, is a symbol of fertility and immortality. However you choose to think of it, the acorn is an undeniably powerful symbol. It's part of nature, after all. As a 14th-century proverb notes, "Great oaks from little acorns grow." Here are some modern, retro, and altogether lovely ways to decorate with this ancient symbol.