Wife Swap Australia on Foxtel

If you have watched the US and UK versions of this show, you'll be an instant fan of the long-awaited 'Wife Swap Australia'.

Screening on Foxtel's LifeStyle YOU channel from tonight, Monday January 9 at 8.30pm and continuing every Monday for several weeks it is total fly on the wall viewing. I am already hooked.

Here is the teaser:

It's the classic case of 'grass is greener on the other side of the fence' - because you know deep down... it never is.

Wife Swap Australia is a reality show... but it's not your standard fodder from that genre.

There are lessons to learn, examples to set, and breakthroughs to be had... and all while uncovering the deeply ingrained habits and secret ways of a clan. And you can bet the families that are matched up will be vastly different in every way.

What I do love about this show is that it proves that families of any kind can learn new ways to live and coexist. And it is certainly not always the affluent families who do the teaching, either.

Another certainty is that once parenting styles are scrutinised and criticised you have an outburst brewing, leaving egos bruised in the aftermath. But hopefully also some lessons learned and applied to the new and improved way of family life.

As a mother I can vouch that along with the drudgery of the everyday comes a [sometimes] stale approach to parenting, which can lead to planting the seed for bad habits - and a jaded outlook on the everyday is imminent.

The big point of difference is that in this show, there is no voting off the island/house and the ultimate prize is self improvement and a more unified, happy family post-Wife Swap experiment (well, that's after all four adults meet and deconstruct their experiences, with often a few not so nice words thrown in to emphasise their points).

My fave part of every episode is when the couples are reunited and hug and kiss like they haven't seen each other for a year, and declare they have missed their partner, and love them just the way they are.

It always reminds me to appreciate my own partner, however much he [possibly] annoys me on a daily basis - I wouldn't swap him for anyone. Oh, it also reiterates for me that reality shows are for watching, not participating. I could never throw my doors open for someone else to dissect my life.

But watching it happen to someone else? So. Much. Fun.

For more, see: http://www.lifestyle.com.au/tv/wife-swap-australia/

And if you watched tonight's ep and want more (remember, it is repeated on LifeStyle You + 2 at 10.30pm), watch the Barry and Montford family video diaries:

Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta - SBS doco series. Starts tonight.

Tonight, the premiere of 'Once Upon A Time In Cabramatta' screens on SBS, and it's a three part doco not to be missed.

Gritty, factual, thoroughly researched and rather confronting to watch at times (especially when screen grabs of public - and pollie - reaction to early Vietnamese migration is on screen) it is essential viewing for all Australians.

In many ways, it demonstrates growth: how far the famed, previously notorious suburb has come and how far those living there - and especially those who don't, though have been quick to judge - have come in their perception of Cabramatta.

I asked executive producer on Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta, Sue Clothier, more about the brilliant series.

Josie's Juice: What prompted you to start this journey to explore Cabramatta?

Sue: I've always been interested in telling compelling stories about real people and when Craig Graham, my co-producer said to me "we should tell the 35 year history of the Vietnamese in Cabramatta," I was immediately interested. The boat people issue is so topical that I thought it would be interesting to look at an earlier arrival of refugees and find out the whole story. I had been to Cabramatta in the early 90s so knew a little bit about the area, but it wasn't until we started to do in depth research that we truly knew we had an incredible opportunity to tell this unique part of Australian history. John Godfrey, Commissioning Editor of SBS encouraged us every step of the way.

What were your own (possible) preconceived ideas about the suburb?

Sue: To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Cabramatta has had a dark and traumatic past, but I also knew that time had passed and so I was curious to find out just how much Cabramatta had changed.

What it difficult gathering your interview subjects, and then getting them to be open?

Sue: In many ways, yes it was challenging. It was very important for us that Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta was a story that was told by the people who were there and lived through what happened from 1975 to today. We spent a lot of time researching and trying to find people who were willing to share their stories with us. Some people felt they wanted to leave behind the past and just look ahead, which is fair enough. For the Hoang and Ngyuen families especially, who were willing to tell their personal story, it was a way of being able to explain to the rest of Australia just what it was like to start a new life in Australia and the hardships they faced in that process. As producers, we had a responsibility to ensure that their stories were told respectfully and we are incredibly grateful to each contributor for their trust.

What will viewers be most surprised about after watching this series?

Sue: I think viewers will be take different things from each episode. Most people will remember the news headlines, like gangs, drugs, crime and political assassination, but what we have tried to do is give the context for how and why things happened in Cabramatta. I feel sure our viewers will be touched by some of the personal stories. Younger viewers may not have any idea that these things ever happened in Cabramatta and so for them, it will be "wow" did all that happen. Overall, viewers will be surprised at the strength and resilience of the Cabramatta community at large.

In your own words, how would you describe Cabramatta today?

Sue: Cabramatta today is a real success story. I love going to Cabramatta and experiencing the vibrancy of the street life and culture. It has an even more special meaning to me now that I know what this community has been through. It's not just about great food (and plenty of it!), there's a general vibe of optimism. Cabramatta is a great place that everyone should visit.

Once Upon A Time In Cabramatta starts Sunday January 8, 2012 at 8.30pm on SBS, and continues on Sunday January 15 and Sunday January 22.

Andrej Pejic - Fashion Magazine, February 2012

Andrej Pejic - intrigued, appalled, or fascinated?

The young man from Melbourne - born in Bosnia-Herzegovina - is making huge waves in the fashion world, thanks to the most androgynous of looks the catwalks have ever seen.

As a man, he makes an extraordinarily good looking woman.

He appears on the cover of the latest issue - February 2012 - of Canadian 'Fashion Magazine.'

What do you think of his look?

For more on this shoot, see:

http://www.fashionmagazine.com/blogs/fashion/2012/01/03/andrej-pejic/

And for a behind the scenes clip of the shoot, watch this:

http://www.fashionmagazine.com/blogs/fashion/2012/01/03/andrej-pejic/#andrejvideo

Shit Black Girls Say... To White Girls + more!

It never ends... and seems to get better!

Shit Black Girls Say... To White Girls:

And this: Things Drunk Girls Say:

And ep two of Shit Black Girls Say:

Kourtney and Kim Take New York Season 2 - on Foxtel January 3

And here we go again.

That famous made-for-reality-TV family is back again and this time, the 'Kourtney and Kim In New York' franchise is wheeled out for a second season.

They're a curious lot, the Kardashians.

Masters of the reality TV realm (I've said before I think they'd make a brilliant PR case study: http://www.josiesjuice.blogspot.com/2011/11/kardashian-phenomenon-why-plus-sunrise.html), they've succeeded in sucking all of us (well, millions at least, including me) in to watch their shenanigans. Almost everything you see on screen (cough, all of it) is staged, all invariably about maximising their airtime/column inches/and prolonging their relevance to 'noughties' pop culture.

Everything they do is about extending that infamous '15 minutes of fame' to 5 years, and longer if they possibly can.

Indeed, momager Kris Jenner makes no bones about being all about business opps, and about crafting new and clever ways to keep the girls enjoying fat bank balances and from ever seeing the insides of an office cubicle, or getting up at 5am for work (no, Kardashians - early starts for exotic location fashion shoots don't count as 'making sacrifices for work').

The year 2011 was most definitely the one when the family over-stayed their welcome in our loungerooms, especially after, you know... that wedding.

The hysteria witnessed in Australia when Kim and Khloe came to town was... beyond.

Having announced her marriage split a mere 72 days after tying the know for all the world to see (in a two part E! special), Kim hopped on a plane and was greeted by the world's paps the second she touched down in Oz.

Sullen and sour-faced, Kim maintained the wedding was definitely borne out of love and not the results of a monolithic marketing machine:

Thing is, I kinda believe her. I also believe that once she got on that wedding planning whirlwind and got caught up in 'getting all the details right' for the TV special, she kinda lost sight of what she was committing to.

And, the variable she couldn't control was Kris Humphries 'calling bullshit' on the whole family and why they operate the way they do.

And now, with the aftermath of the divorce, there is renewed interest about the clan; enter 'Kourtney and Kim In New York' season two.

With the ink barely dry on their wedding certificate Kim and Kris have packed up and moved to New York with Kourtney and her boyfriend Scott Disick.

The cracks show instantly, which ultimately spells the end for Kim and Kris.

The series returns with eight one-hour episodes and two half-hour episodes starting Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 9.30pm on E!.

True Kardashian fan?

Then you'll love all of the below:

Web: eonline.com/on/shows/kourtney_and_kim_kardashian/index.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kktakeNYC

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kandktake

Oh, and here is a trailer for the new series:

Thoughts? Are you done with the over-exposed family? Or is there still a sense of intrigue for you?

Kristian Anderson dies. A tribute.

In sad news just in today, the man who created a video with some serious star power when he was diagnosed with cancer, (Hugh Jackman, New Zealand PM) and then went on to feature on one of Oprah's Australian shows, has finally succumbed to cancer - Kristian Anderson died this morning.

Here are several TV appearances from the couple, including this one with Oprah (where she donated $250,000 to the family to help pay for bills):

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprahs-Surprise-for-Kristian-and-Rachel-Video

And this one where Train sings the song Marry Me, live to the couple on Sunrise:

And this one on the Today Show:

RIP Kristian.

Such a sad day.

Here is his final blog post on his site How The Light Gets In (deeply moving stuff):

http://howthelightgetsin.net/

Pirelli Calendar 2012 - plus behind the scenes video

The 2012 Pirelli calendar is out - shot by renowned photog Mario Sorrenti, it features Kate Moss, Isabeli Fontana, Lara Stone, and Milla Jovovich.

Arty... or just porn?

You decide.

Watch the making of video, below.