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Toronto Life - The Hype

A critical guide to Toronto’s cultural events, TIFF and high society. Plus, local celebrity news. Sign up for Preview newsletter for weekly updates

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April 4, 2012 | 4:29 pm

General Idea man A.A. Bronson to receive honourary doctorate from McMaster University

A.A. Bronson (Image: Ari Marcopoulos)

General Idea co-founder A.A. Bronson blurted out on Twitter last night that he’d received word he’ll be presented with an honourary doctorate at McMaster University on June 11, from the dean of Humanities and Arts and Sciences, Dr. Suzanne Crosta. We spoke with Bronson, who says he received a formal letter yesterday while tending to his thrown-out back. He told us he’ll be receiving a Doctor of Letters from the university on the date, but that he didn’t know much else about it (the university declined to comment on the reasoning behind the offer, but we can only imagine it has something to do with his impact on the international art scene, or perhaps someone from the university just really liked their massage). Bronson is no stranger to accolades—he received the Governor General’s award for visual art and media in 2002 and became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2008—but he seems pretty excited about this one, even if it is in Hamilton, and not at Art Basel.

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March 22, 2012 | 2:36 pm

Friends sell art to save author Derek McCormack’s life

Novelist Derek McCormack was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the appendix last fall, and on April 10, a group of writers, artists and friends will be hosting Corm-A-Rama, a fundraiser at The Garrison with music, merriment and celebration. All charitable donations will go towards McCormack’s living expenses, treatment and travel to New York (he visited the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center seeking a second opinion), but those who can’t make it can also purchase art from Art for Derek (featuring works from Micah Adams, Vincent Fecteau, Robert Fones, Geoffrey James, Linda Jones, McCormack himself and more) or make an online donation.

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February 27, 2012 | 3:06 pm
Drake and Common feud is officially over (celebratory Canada Dry for everyone) 

We thought the tiff between Drake and rapper Common was already over, but now it’s, like, for real over, Common says. The Chicago MC squeezed one last bit of publicity out of the feud late last week, telling MTV News that he and Drizzy met backstage at this year’s Grammys and talked it out. Common suggests that “it was a face-to-face, man-to-man, a positive thing…It was just a respectful conversation that needed to be had, so he knew that I’m not at him trying to destroy him as a human being” (because being called “Canada Dry” would destroy anyone, right?). The former feuders were snapped yukking it up together at the NBA All-Star Game over the weekend, which tells us Drizzy was willing to forgive and forget—or never really cared in the first place. Read the entire story [MTV News] »

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February 2, 2012 | 4:09 pm

Vampire Diaries heartthrob Paul Wesley, one-time sexy borg Jeri Ryan and more at this year’s Comic-Con

Like cosplay? Like observing people who dress like Sailor Moon, Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Doppelmeyer, Halo characters, Princess Leia, Edward and Bella and more? Comic-Con is coming to Toronto on April 14 and 15, so start DIY-ing moon scepters, vampire teeth and whatever else you can think of, because there’ll be stars to impress, like Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley, Angel’s Amy Acker, Quantum Leap and Star Trek Enterprise’s Scott Bakula, Star Trek Voyager’s Jeri Ryan and Serenity and Firefly’s Sean Maher. We figure this is a great place to meet a boyfriend or girlfriend.

(Images: Sean Maher, Raven Underwood; Paul Wesley, Rach; Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars, screengrab; Jeri Ryan, Gary Burke; Enid and Rebecca, screengrab)

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December 20, 2011 | 12:07 pm

Canada’s year on YouTube: the tragicomedy to end all tragicomedies

Of course Rebecca Black made the list (Image: Rebecca Black)

Remember when home videos were so painfully boring, but you were happy to sit through them if doing so made a loved one very happy? Well, now the videographers in our lives don’t really need us anymore, especially if they’ve got access to the Internet and a hook like “baby scared at mom blowing nose” or an eight-bit space/Pop-Tart cat named Nyan that doesn’t really do anything at all (except, perhaps, bring joy to those who view the delightful little scamp). These are just two of the top 10 YouTube videos viewed by Canadians this year. Find out how Canadians have wasted their time this year, in our crimes against humanity YouTube’s most watched videos list of 2011 (you should be ashamed of yourself).

Click on to see who took the tenth-place spot »

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December 19, 2011 | 3:48 pm

Episode 2 of Shit Girls Say has arrived—without Juliette Lewis

Episode one of Shit Girls Say exploded and has already hit over four million views, and today was the launch of the follow-up. A lot of the mise en scène is the same, but this particular episode includes a lot of eating, from chips to yogurt. Does this taste funny to you?

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December 19, 2011 | 10:00 am

Zac Efron gets a Drake tattoo because, let’s face it, he’s an idiot (just kidding, it’s fine)

Zac Efron gets branded (Image: Jun Sato/WireImage)

By now, most people are familiar with the Los Angeles woman who stupidly got “DRAKE” tattooed on her forehead (if not, check it out). Now, onetime teen heartthrob and former High School Musical rapscallion Zac Efron has unveiled his very own Drizzy tattoo. The tattoo says “YOLO,” which is a reference to a Drake mantra and song meaning “You Only Live Once.” Sure, it’s not on his forehead, but Drake’s infectious influence has now infiltrated the Tiger Beat demographic (he’ll lose them, of course, when some idiot gets “BIEBER” tattooed on their forehead).

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December 14, 2011 | 12:27 pm

Woman gets “DRAKE” tattooed on her forehead because, let’s face it, she’s an idiot

Drake tattoo (Image: Norm from Will Rise tattoo parlour)

In one of those “so sad you have to laugh” stories, a Los Angeles woman has had the name of Toronto rapper Drake inked across her forehead. We quickly disproved any relation to the hotel, coffee cake, pirate or winged reptiles; rather, she appears to have gotten her inspiration from some not-so-subliminal messages in Drake’s song “Free Spirit.” From the song: “Tat my name on you, so I know it’s real/ Tat my fuckin’ name on you, so I know it’s real/ I know it hurts, but I ain’t trying to hear it/ ’Cause when I’m not around, I still be there in spirit.” It’s certainly one of the more idiotic tattoos we’ve seen, and there’s quite a bit of competition. The hooligans at Vice managed to track down the man responsible: Kevin Campbell from the parlour Will Rise. He revealed that while “her attitude changed pretty drastically once the tattoo was finished” (surprise, surprise), the idea was totally premeditated—she had even picked out the font. The whole story makes us cringe, but at least it proves the Toronto artist is having an impact internationally, right? Not according to Campbell. “The funny thing is, I didn’t know who Drake was. I figured it was her hood or some shit, not some goofnugget R & B dude,” he said. “I guess I feel bad that this dumb-ass got the name of the softest motherfucker in hip-hop tattooed on her forehead.”

• The Story Behind Drake’s Best Headline Yet [Vice]

[UPDATE] Check out Zac Efron’s Drake tattoo »

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December 12, 2011 | 4:43 pm

VIDEO: Toronto comedy duo Kyle Humphrey and Graydon Sheppard make a short with Juliette Lewis

Listen, listen, listen… local filmmakers-comedians-writers Kyle Humphrey and Graydon Sheppard released a YouTube video today titled “Shit Girls Say,” a comedic look at the many catchphrases women have in their arsenal. Juliette Lewis makes a cameo and does some gleeful squealing, on top of just being really funny. We promise you’ll laugh a lot (but there is no refund on your time if you don’t).

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December 7, 2011 | 12:49 pm

Ryan Gosling portrays the Invisible Man for the New York Times

Screengrab of the New York magazine feature

Any and every publication can (and does) make a “best of” list, but the New York Times magazine has taken it a step further by featuring every hot film star of 2011 as a vamp, crook or killer in a video directed by Alex Prager. Some of the best include Brad Pitt’s Cosmo Kramer-channeled “Eraserhead,” Jessica Chastain’s fire starter (she’s a redhead, if you didn’t know) and the most beloved Ontarian, Ryan Gosling, portraying the Invisible Man. Check out the slideshow on the Times website, and make sure not to miss Mia Wasikowska taking an axe to a room full of mirrors (one of our personal favourites). We suggest skipping Gary Oldman’s puppet boy, because it just creeps us out.

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November 29, 2011 | 2:16 pm

Five things we learned about celebrity interior designer Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz (right) (Image: Elhormiguero)

Lenny Kravitz is a name we haven’t heard in a long time, save for occasional radio play of “American Woman” and news of his daughter Zoe’s exploits. It was recently announced that Kravitz has been pegged to design a 10,000-square-foot floor at Toronto’s Bisha Hotel and Residences downtown, and we’re intrigued at the idea of Kravitz extending his unique aesthetic sensibilities to interior design (although we can’t help but imagine snakeskin and leather everywhere). Check out five things we learned about Kravitz and his love for design below.

Read the rest of this entry »

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November 29, 2011 | 10:49 am

The Power Plant’s new director is Quebecer Gaëtane Verna

After an “extensive international search,” the Power Plant has found its new director right next door in Quebec. Gaëtane Verna is currently executive director and chief curator at the Musée d’art de Joliette in Lanaudière, and from 1998 to 2006 was curator of the Foreman Art Gallery of Bishop’s University. “Gaëtane Verna comes to Toronto with an outstanding set of achievements, exemplifying her competence in all capacities of museum operations,” Power Plant president Shanitha Kachan said in a release. Verna will be taking over from acting director Christy Thompson, who has been keeping order since the fabulous Gregory Burke’s departure. Visitors will be able to see Verna’s handiwork in March, when the whole gallery becomes free to enter.

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October 28, 2011 | 1:46 pm

Six Toronto Halloween costumes, from Ryan Gosling’s Driver to Krista Ford

Rachel McAdams at Occupy Toronto
What you’ll need: McAdams’ hair has gone from brunette to pink-striped over the years, but she’s best known as the blonde bombshell in The Notebook. Grab an appropriately coloured wig and don some protest-chic outerwear, including a hooded Mountain Equipment Co-op raincoat, floppy hat and knit scarf.
Extra credit: McAdams is notoriously green, so we recommend toting a houseplant or two around town, complete with appropriate signage.

Read the rest of this entry »

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September 22, 2011 | 3:12 pm

Five things we learned about Peter Gatien’s quiet Toronto life

Peter Gatien’s story is legendary to a generation of New York club kids and would-be New York Club kids who had the bad luck of living elsewhere. In the ’90s, Gatien made NYC’s Limelight an institution for creatives who wanted to party (hard) and express themselves by wearing outrageous outfits, including Madonna, Michael Musto, Chloe Sevigny, Michael Alig and James St. James. He made millions, but ended up broke following a series of legal battles, including investigations that attempted to link Gatien to the sale of party drugs in his clubs (the case was later dropped, but he was left with hefty legal fees), and a tax conviction that led to his deportation from the U.S. and brought him to Toronto in 2003.  Limelight, a documentary about the rise and fall of the one-time “King of Clubs,” opens tomorrow. In anticipation, the New York Times sat down with Gatien at his Queen West apartment wherein, it seems, the once fast-paced life of a New York club overlord can very quickly turn to a life of quiet reflection. What we learned after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

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July 6, 2011 | 1:05 pm

The Toronto Kiss Map—funded by the awesome Awesome Foundation—shares stories of the city’s sweet embraces

A screen shot of the Kiss Map (Image: Firefly Creative Writing)

We enjoy a good interactive map, and we suspect you probably do too. So, just for fun, we think you should check out the brand-spanking-new, cheesy-but-still-cool Toronto Kiss Map. The brainchild of Firefly Creative Writing’s Chris Kay Fraser, the Kiss Map tells Toronto’s smooching stories by having users plot their most memorable make-outs on an interactive map, accompanied by a brief (and usually entertaining) summary. Again, just for fun, two of our favourites include: “At Pape and Withrow. Drunken. Sloppy. Delicious” and “At Avenue and St. Clair: I had the hiccups. You cured them.” While currently operating on a Google Maps interface, the Kiss Map will soon have a home of its own at torontokissmap.com, thanks to the appropriately titled Awesome Foundation, which awards monthly grants to people with great ideas—like this one. Finally, Torontonians can be more like Vancouverites (we kid!) and document their public displays of affection in a very public way.

• Toronto Kiss Map [Firefly Creative Writing]

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