Who was Belle (the Disney Princess) modeled after?

Search: disney character modeled

Why: I am reading "6 Beloved Characters That Had Undiagnosed Mental Illnesses" on Cracked. Nevermind that I have never seen Beauty and the Beast (but, in fact, recorded it this past weekend and sat down to watch it for the first time ever just last night [but did not make it past the opening credits because Chandler wouldn't shut up about Angela Lansbury]), but I just noticed that she sort of looks like a Kardashian.

Answer: Oho, jackpot! There's a whole list of Disney Characters and Who They Were Modeled After. Get ready to learn, everyone (even though many of these are just bodies, not face). First of all:

Belle (Beauty & the Beast) - Audrey Hepburn and Vivien Leigh

(also pictured: what those 2 would look like if they mated)

but also!

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) - Audrey Hepburn

Esmerelda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) - Demi Moore (who also voiced her)

Ariel (The Little Mermaid) - Alyssa Milano

Ursula (The Little Mermaid) - Divine

Tinkerbell (Peter Pan) - dancer and mime Margaret Kerry

The Evil Queen (Snow White) - Helen Gahagan in the film She (1935)

Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) - dancer Marge Champion (also the model for the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio and the Dancing Hippo in Fantasia)

and some boring ones:

Alice (Alice In Wonderland) - Kathryn Beaumont (her voice, and also Wendy in Peter Pan)
Captain Hook (Peter Pan) - Hans Conried (who also voiced him) & a Spanish King
Pocahontas (Pocahontas) – Irene Bedard (who also voiced her)
Jasmine (Aladdin) - Beth Henn, animator Mark Henn sister

Source: Screen Team Show

The More You Know: And also:

Peter Pan (Peter Pan) - Bobby Driscoll

who also played the little dandy kid in Song of the South!!

and is therefore tied up in 2 of my favorite things at Disneyland, Splash Mountain and this sign.

What's the name of that disorder where you can't recognize faces?

Search: disorder can't tell faces apart

Why: Chandler basically just asked me if Jude Law and Andre the Giant were the same person. Like, based on their facial features. Racial!

Answer: Prosopagnosia! (from Greek: prosopon = "face," agnosia = "inabilty to recognise/identify familiar people or objects"

I am reading this guy Bill's personal site about his prosopagnosia. Here is what he has to say:

I was born with a condition that makes it difficult for me to recognize faces. There is a small part of the brain that is dedicated to that job, and though it is small, when it comes to recognizing faces, it is very very good. In me, that part doesn't work, making me blind to all but the most familiar of faces. To help you understand this, let me compare it to two conditions you are probably more familiar with.

People who are "tone deaf" are not deaf to tones. They can hear tones, they just can't tell them apart. People who are "color blind" can see things that are in color. They just can't tell colors apart. Similarly, I can see faces. I just can't tell them apart.

"Face blindness" is either associated with damage to the temporal lobe or it is congenital, in which case it actually runs in families. It also usually comes along with a bunch of other neurological conditions - not specific ones, just other ones. Bill says (eloquently; you should read this someday):

When I was a kid my dad would bring home geese he had shot, and we'd have to eat them with care because we never knew where the pellets would show up. Every goose would have them, though. And that's how it often is with neurological stuff. Each guy who gets blasted gets his own unique bundle of problems depending on where the pellets ended up. I got distorted hearing, an unusual walking gait, face blindness of course, and a few other minor things that really don't affect my life much.

A lot of face blind people have Asperger's (Bill doesn't), and many have "topographic agnosia," which is an inability to visualize geographical space - the literal inability to read a map.

When he was young in the 50s and 60s, he learned how to tell people apart by the jeans they wore every day and, later, how long their dirty hippie hair was. He tells a few anecdotes where he doesn't recognize a police woman directing traffic or a park ranger (he thought big hat = cowboy), though those sound like bigger issues than just not distinguishing facial features, right? I don't know.

Anyway, because of the a disproportionate number of people with face blindness are gay men with long hair (gay longhairs). Take that to trivia night!

Source: Wikipedia, Face Blind!, Neurophilosophy

The More You Know: "Tip of the tongue" phenomenon - failure to retrieve a word from memory - is called dysnomia when it is a learning disability present since childhood, but anomia when acquired by brain damage. I can never remember that. In French, it's called presque vu, "almost seen."

I want to see a picture of Kalle Blomkvist

Search: calle blomkvist

Why: I am halfway through The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, and for the 23rd time, Lisbeth has referred to Mikael Blomkvist as "Kalle fucking Blomkvist." I understand this character to be some sort of friend of Pippi Longstocking, who I now know is Swedish. He seems to be a well-known kind of guy in Sweden - and Stieg Larsson seems to have been making some sort of huge joke about these names - but I've never heard of him.

Answer: Well, here are some versions:

I don't know which one he is. ^

Those movies ^ are from 1996 and 1997. Lisbeth was born in 1978, so she totes would have known about these films.

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: In these great United States, Kalle Blomkvist's name is Bill Bergson. He is the Swedish Veronica Mars, except younger and dumber and probably less hilarious. Adults ignore him!, so he solves murders and kidnappings and whatnot with the help of his ragtag gang of charming names: Anders, Eva-Lotta, Sixten, Jonte (Jonte!!), and Benka - but not Pippi. Author Astrid Lindgren wrote 3 books about him:

• Bill Bergson, Master Detective (1946) (original title: Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist)
• Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously (1951)
  
• Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue (1953)
  

I want to see some pictures of the band Cults

Search: cults band; madeline folin

Why: Oh my god, I can't take them out of my ears. I found them on my iPod last night on the airplane (thanks Kylie), and I haven't changed the channel since. Have you heard this superdarling beef jerky* for the ears?

Did you listen to them?

Answer: Here they are! Their names are "Brian Oblivion"** and Madeline Folin. Look how eXoTiC:

They're both 21ish and a couple A COUPLE OF KNUCKLEHEADS. Read their interview here on Pitchfork THANKS PITCHFORK YOU ARE ALWAYS ON TOP OF THINGS. I don't know why I keep doing that IT'S BEEN A LONG WEEK I'M FREAKING OUT.

I kind of wish he would cut his hair omg KatriNA HOW DID YOU GET IN THAT PHOTOGRAPH? ^^^

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Let's go see them soon!***

• Jul 26

  Mondrian Skybar

  Los Angeles, CA

• Jul 27

  The Echo

  Los Angeles, CA

• Jul 28

  Eagle Rock Center for the Arts

  Los Angeles, CA

Oh my god!

*Full disclosure: I had beef jerky for the first time this past Friday (in Texas, natch) and I've consumed 3 full sacks of it since then. Life starts now!

**Nathan Explosion?

***I just found out I have already seen this band open for The Morning Benders. Well, goddamn.

Who are America's Most Wanted?

Search: america's most wanted top 10

Why: They caught Whitey Bulger, who I was coincidentally just researching just days ago because I saw this on the Internets:

Topic: I think I found "Whitey" Bulger

The answer was right in front of our faces all along:

(That is Dr. Christian Shephard.)

When we all said we didn't know who Whitey Bulger is (except those of us who researched him in relation to The Departed), Ace was all:

You people didn't know who Whitey Bulger was!?

Whaaaaat?

You don't keep up with America's most wanted? How would you identify criminals!?

I guess that's a good point.

Answer: Well, the good news is that there are only 8 (because 2 of them have been caught!!). The bad news is that the FBI website insists on spelling Osama Bin Laden's name like Usama. What in the.

Here they are. Keep your eyes peeled!

Jason Derek Brown - 5'10, 175 lbs., b. 1969
(has ties in California, Arizona, and Utah; speaks fluent French)

• Wanted for murder and armed robbery in Phoenix, Arizona. During November of 2004, Brown allegedly shot and killed an armored car guard outside a movie theater and then fled with the money.

Robert William Fisher - 6', 190 lbs., b. 1961
(from New York; has ties to Arizona and Florida)

• Wanted for allegedly killing his wife and two young children and then blowing up the house in which they all lived in Scottsdale, Arizona in April of 2001.

Alexis Flores - 5'4, 135 lbs., b. c. 1980
(from / probably around Honduras)

• Wanted for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a five-year-old girl in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The girl was reported missing in late July of 2000, and later found strangled to death in a nearby apartment in early August of 2000.

Victor Manuel Gerena - 5'6, 165 lbs., b. 1968
(from NY)

• Wanted in connection with the armed robbery of approximately $7 million from a security company in Connecticut in 1983. He allegedly took two security employees hostage at gunpoint and then handcuffed, bound and injected them with an unknown substance in order to further disable them.

Glen Stewart Godwin - 6', 200 lbs., b. 1958
(probably in Mexico or Central or South America)

• Wanted for his 1987 escape from Folsom State Prison in California, where he was serving a lengthy sentence for murder. Later in 1987, Godwin was arrested for drug trafficking in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. After being convicted, he was sent to a prison in Guadalajara. In April of 1991, Godwin allegedly murdered a fellow inmate and then escaped five months later.

Semion Mogilevich - 5'6, 300 lbs., b. 1946
(probably in Russia, probably Moscow, but also with passports for Israel, Ukraine, and Greece)

• Wanted for his alleged participation in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of investors in the stock of a public company incorporated in Canada, but headquartered in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, between 1993 and 1998. e scheme to defraud collapsed in 1998, after thousands of investors lost in excess of 150 million U.S. dollars, and Mogilevich, thought to have allegedly funded and authorized the scheme, was indicted in April of 2003. Womp womp.
  

Eduardo Ravelo - 5'9, 170 lbs., b. 1968
(probably in Mexico or Texas)

• Wanted for his involvement in racketeering activities, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and conspiracy to possess heroin, cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute. His alleged criminal activities began in 2003.

Joe Luis Saenz - 5'11, 180 lbs., b. 1975
(from LA, probably in Mexico)

• Wanted for murder, rape, and kidnapping. On July 25, 1998, he shot and killed two rival gang members in Los Angeles. Less than two weeks later, on August 5, 1998, Saenz allegedly kidnapped, raped, and murdered his girlfriend. Saenz allegedly murdered a fourth victim in October of 2008 in Los Angeles County.

Source: FBI.gov

The More You Know: But who is Whitey Bulger?

James J. Bulger is being sought for his role in numerous murders committed from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s in connection with his leadership of an organized crime group that allegedly controlled extortion, drug deals, and other illegal activities in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. He has a violent temper and is known to carry a knife at all times.

Bulger is an avid reader with an interest in history. He is known to frequent libraries and historic sites. Bulger may be taking heart medication. He maintains his physical fitness by walking on beaches and in parks with his female companion, Catherine Elizabeth Greig. Bulger and Greig love animals. Bulger has been known to alter his appearance through the use of disguises. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and Mexico.

Not James Bulger. A different guy. He was the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character in The Departed. Remember when he threw a fistful of coke at those hookers? That was so weird.

Who is Boris Becker?

Search: boris becker

Why: In "The Office," Angela described Hilary Swank as "a female Boris Becker."

Answer: He is a retired German tennis player who was good and famous when I was a small child! Also called "Boom Boom" (and "Boom Boom Baron von Slam"), he is 6-time Grand Slam singles champion (between 1985 and 96), an Olympic gold medalist (92), and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17. He retired in 1999.

The truth is that I probably watched him play before. We used to watch a lot of tennis in the summer.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Do you know the last names of all the characters on "The Office"? I just realized that I don't think I do. The ones I couldn't name off the top of my head are:

• Angela Martin
• Erin Hannon (and her real first name is Kelly)
• Gabe Lewis
• Holly Flax
  
• Meredith Palmer
• Oscar Martinez
• Phyllis Lapin Vance
  

Who is that actress in the "Day-O" scene in Beetlejuice?

Search: beetlejuice

Why: Katrina went to see Twin Sister in concert, which I kind of can't believe because when we saw them open for The Morning Benders, we couldn't stop talking about how they were the worst opening band in all of history. The lead singer Andrea Estella reminds me of that lady.

Answer: Adelle Lutz! She is a costume designer by day. And she was - get this - married to David Byrne from 1987-2004! WHAT! Together, they have a daughter named Malu Valentine (b. 1990).

(Their kid: )

Lutz also played a TV anchorwoman in Silence of the Lambs, so now I guess that's what I'll be looking for for the rest of the evening.

Source: IMDb

The More You Know: That character's name is Beryl, by the way. Pretty!

Day o, beetlejuice by speedy94200

Kids! You know I love them. Fun fact: Harry Belafonte is my favorite singer.

What is Brad Davis up to?

Search: midnight express

Why: Chandler made me watch his "favorite movie" Midnight Express last night. In sunglasses, that guy looks exactly like Brad Pitt.

Answer: Nothing! I mean really nothing - he died in 1991.

Davis was married to Susan Bluestein, who later became an Emmy Award-winning casting director. They had one child, Alexandra.

Death

Diagnosed with AIDS in 1985, Davis kept his condition secret until shortly before his death. Although the announcement said he died of AIDS in 1991 in Los Angeles, he actually died of an intentional drug overdose. Near death and in severe pain in a hospital, he opted to return home and end his life on his own terms. With his wife and a family friend present, he committed assisted suicide. Susan Bluestein Davis continues to campaign to combat AIDS.

Davis was referred to as "the first heterosexual actor to die of AIDS," although he reportedly was bisexual, a claim disputed by his wife in her book. When asked if he considered himself bisexual, he replied, "Didn't someone once say everyone's bisexual, deep down?"

What a bummer.

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: The real Billy Hayes - the character Davis portrayed - is alive and well, writing and acting in such fan favorites as Shakespeare's Plan 12 from Outer Space and "Babylon 5: The Gathering." In real life, he didn't push the guard Hamid ("the bear") to his death by coat hook.

In fact, the prison guard was killed by a recently released prisoner, whose family Hamid insulted while beating the prisoner, years before Hayes' actual escape.

No word on whether or not he really said "no" to that handsome Swede who tenderly made out with him in the shower (Chandler's favorite scene, btw) - only that:

Billy Hayes never claimed to be raped by his Turkish wardens or that he ever suffered any sexual violence. He engaged in consensual sex, but the film depicts Hayes rejecting the advances of a prisoner, and the warden.

On June 30, 2010, the National Geographic channel aired "Locked Up Abroad: The Real Midnight Express."

Where have I seen Megan Bailey before?

Search: the one with the cheap wedding dress

Why: I haven't posted about "Friends" in a while, but believe you me, it's not because I haven't been watching. Megan Bailey threatens to sign the Swing Kings the weekend of Monica's wedding if she doesn't give her the dress they both want. Yipe!

Answer: "Seinfeld"! That actress's name is Andrea Bendewald, and she is Celia, George's convict in "The Little Jerry." She does the break-out/pop-in.

She is apparently old friends with Jennifer Aniston and was a bridesmaid in her wedding to Brad Pitt. They starred together in The Thin Pink Line in 1998.

Source: IMDb

The More You Know: BUT! the truth is that I was thinking she played Ashley Bartlett Bacon in While You Were Sleeping, which I have, for some reason, seen like 2 dozen times. Turns out that actress Ally Walker plays Pammy Pam Pam-ela in Singles, which I have seen like 6 dozen times (one of them just last week). Twins, no?

Not really.

Who is Harry Knowles?

Search: harry knowles

Why: On the fourfour recap of "America's Next Top Model":

8. And so, in sum, "Oh, here comes a crow."

Just kidding, it's Harry Knowles.

Just kidding, it's Kayla. But she looks like a shrunken, upright Harry Knowles. And I don't like that.

Answer: Oh, it's that guy:

Knowles runs and reviews movie reviews for Ain't It Cool News.

Source:

The More You Know: That site is really ugly.