TresSugar

Flashback: Keanu Reeves Reports On Teddy Bears

GiggleSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0700

Keanu really knew how to deliver the hard(ly)-hitting news in the early eighties. I don't know what's funnier: Keanu Reeves trying to pose as a serious journalist; Keanu Reeves interviewing teddy bears; or the awkward little teenager who tries to act cool by stressing that he doesn't actually play with the bears in his collection. Mmmmkay. See for yourself.

Product of the Day: Teddy Bear Lamp

GiggleSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Who needs a nightlight when you've got a headless Teddy Bear Lamp? Sure to terrify all of the tots on your holiday shopping list this year! Of course, it's also recession friendly: Give another kid the head, and it's two gifts in one.

The Dark Side of Cute

TresSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0800

Kittens in casts. Babies nudged to laugh every five seconds. Stuffed teddy bears left at killing-spree sites. We are so surrounded by the tyranny of cute that even multibillion-dollar corporations have cute names like "Google" and "Twitter," and the uncute business of insurance is represented in ads by a cute lizard with an English accent. (And yes, I too am guilty of spreading cuteness.)

What's up with the cute? Writer Jim Windolf has had enough and decided to try to get to the bottom of what he calls the "self-infantalization" of Americans. His conclusion? There's a dark, manipulative side to cute. If you want to know what it is, read more.

In Daniel Harris's book Cute, Quaint, Hungry, and Romantic, he says that there's a hidden sadism to our love of cute, citing the barrage of images of cats falling, puppies slamming into mirrors, and even babies trapped in high chairs being prodded to laugh.

"The process of conveying cuteness to the viewer disempowers its objects," he writes, "forcing them into ridiculous situations and making them appear more ignorant and vulnerable than they really are. Adorable things are often most adorable in the middle of a pratfall or a blunder." In other words, they are cute insofar as they are helpless, and we, conferrers of cute, are all-powerful.

Becoming cute, conversely, is one way of disarming opponents or critics. It's not incidental, argues Windolf, that the cult of cute in the US emerged during the Bush years, when "the American image went from that of protector to invader, from defender of human rights to aggressor on the lookout for loopholes in the Geneva Conventions." Cuteness then, according to this theory, "came about as some sort of correction, as a way for us to convince ourselves and our friends that we're not as bad as our recent national actions have made us seem." (It reminds me of smiley emoticons at the end of passive-aggressive email messages and instant messages. In this case, American cute is like a ginormous cultural smiley face emoticon tacked on the end of dubious actions telling our allies we're not all that bad.)

Windolf traces American cute back to Japan's kawaii culture, which got huge 10 years ago but actually emerged at the end of WWII after it was "humiliated and emasculated." If you're interested in political and cultural psychoanalysis, I suggest reading this long essay. But whatever you do, remember - ~~sometimes a cigar is just a cigar~~ sometimes a cute kitten isn't just a cute kitten.

Source

Cute Alert: White Naped Mangebay Baby Loves Her Teddy Bear

GiggleSugar — Sun, 18 May 2008 01:00:00 -0700

Holy smokes, this thing is freaky cute! Ignore the elevator music (which inevitably swells to - groan! -a guitar solo) and focus on the cute. It's hard to miss!

Tip No. 5: Surviving Valentine's Day When You're Coupled Up

DearSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:30:00 -0800

I was surprised to see that over 60 percent of you think classic Valentine's Day gifts are cute over cheesy, but if you're looking for something new and exciting to give your special someone on Feb. 14, check out what Patty suggests by clicking here to read more.

Looking for a gift that's a little sexier than chocolates and teddy bears? How about shaking things up by giving your sweetie a book that will promote added intimacy. Books like The Erotic Massage Book offer a wide range of sensual massages; make it extra interesting by folding down the corners of the pages you would like to try that evening!

To see all of Patty's tips, click here.

Source

Bernie Mac: 1957 - 2008

GiggleSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Bernie Mac, the tough-talking, controversial, big teddy bear of a comedian died Saturday at a hospital due to complications from pneumonia. Mac had a rough childhood growing up on the South Side of Chicago, but rose to prominence doing standup, ultimately shining in television (The Bernie Mac Show, in which he played a grumpy dad who often directly addressed the viewer) and starring in movies (Ocean's 11, Charlie's Angel's, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner). The anti-Bill Cosby, Mac was a straight talker whose salty talk and bawdy topics got him into trouble just as recently as the past month during a fund-raiser for Barack Obama. And, like many people of color doing comedy, the question of race and audience were a dilemma. About The Bernie Mac show, he said in an AP interview in 2001, "Now everyone telling me what I CAN'T do, what I CAN say, what I SHOULD do, and asking, `Are blacks gonna be mad at you? Are whites gonna accept you?'" As the above clip shows, Mac wasn't afraid to show that he wasn't perfect, but did his best. Rest in peace, Bernie!

Bear Says to Tree: "You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours"

GiggleSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:30:00 -0700

This bear has an itch that he just can't scratch and it's a little hard to find help in the woods. All them humans take one look at him and head for the hills screaming. So what's a teddy to do? Rub up against a tree for a quick scratch. But before long, our boy looks like he's having too much fun. On a dance floor. At a rave. Throw in a few glow sticks and we'd have one wild party. Aha! Is this the bear that inspired the painting?

Flashback: United Airlines Ad

GiggleSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0700

I'm about to take a mini-vacay, and I can say that I'm very happy that I don't have to do what these women in this '60s United ad had to do: ask the ol' hubby to "take me along." And just like children, the little ladies get a discount! All that's missing from this commercial is for these wives (dressed like toddlers but dancing like the Rockettes) to suck on lollipops and play with teddy bears. WTF?!

Anti-Polar Bear Propoganda

GiggleSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Ever since Knut became the object of public fascination a year ago, vids of adorable baby polar bears have proliferated across the net. But these babes grow up fast and, especially in Knut's case, we see their more aggressive (teenager much?) instincts take over. Can these teddies be trusted as adults? There's a "nonpartisan" group that doesn't think so and they'll tell you why. . .

Cute Alert: Sleepy Baby Bear

GiggleSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:00:00 -0800

Shhh! It's just about bedtime for this sleepy lil teddy bear and he's getting the ol' night-night song and bedside belly rub. He's a little on the spoiled side, but watching him purr (who knew?) and swim off into a deep "zzzz" while dreaming of his "real bear mom" makes it all worthwhile. I want me one of him!