FeyPoe Hit a Home Run with Razor Sharp Wit & Saccharine Sweet Smiles - Red Carpet Manners at the 2013 Golden Globes

It’s been a stretch of unusually cold weather here in sunny California inspiring the Twitter hashtag #coldinLA for the past week, but last night’s female hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler brought some much needed warmth to our fair city with their razor sharp wit and saccharine sweet smiles. 

It was clearly ladies night at the 70^th Annual Golden Globe Awards with these two beauties knockin’ em out of the park prompting laugh out loud moments one after the other, with only a couple of jabs that solicited gasps from the audience.   Truly hysterical with a deadpan delivery, this dynamic duo sure knows how to party and make an otherwise monotonous ceremony seem totally fun. 

The opening sequence included many one liners that will go down in history.  One of my personal favorites was the joke referencing “The Hunger Games” and the many months of dieting that was required to fit into their formal dresses, followed by the “Life of Pi” which was what they admitted they would be eating to reward themselves in the months following.  My other favorite, that had the audience rolling, was the omnipresent Meryl Streep, who was unfortunately unable to attend due to the flu, but they “heard she was amazing in it” poking fun at her award honors for always sweeping in her category.  When Lena Dunham won for Best Actress in a Comedy (their category) and then proceeded to innocently reference her age difference, they were not deterred.  Instead they came back with a vengeance as two drunken sages, who may be losers, but who will never let age get the best of them.  These two ladies have honed their skills and earned their hosting stripes.  They’ve come a long way since their sketch days on Saturday Night Live and they are reaping the rewards of their success. 

As for the rest of the evening, it was a mixture of highs and lows.  In fashion, it was either a major hit or a massive mistake.  Noticeably missing was the lack of material covering a number of body parts.  Goose bumps were the popular accessory. Hair in elegant Veronica Lake side swoops and swept up-do’s were the most eye-catching.  The presenters and acceptance speeches had their fair share of hits and misses as well ranging from the uncommonly funny, to the dead serious, to the just plain weird.  Here’s what stood out for us in our red carpet manners commentary at this year’s Golden Globes.

Tattoos, Cleavage & Bare Midriff’s, Oh My!  The arrivals on the red carpet were a spectacle as always.  The surprising colors that reigned were a formal and sometimes shiny black, various shades of striking red, a sprinkling of pure snow colored white, rich burgundy, and some subdued nudes.  More apparent this year for us, was the amount of skin or tattooed skin that we noticed.  We were concerned all night that Amy Poehler, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Hudson, Claire Danes and Katharine McPhee’s,  daring décolletage, whether it was frontal or on the side, would dip into a wardrobe malfunction nightmare.  One raucous raise of the arms and the puppies were out!  Hale Berry and Kirsten Wiig both dressed like they were going to an outdoor summer affair flaunting their bare midriffs even in the dead of winter! Lena Dunham and Kelly Osborne seemed to enjoy the extra attention their body art attracted or, in my opinion, detracted from their voluptuous bodices. My favorite look of the evening was an exceptionally exquisite and lanky Taylor Swift. Jessica Alba should also receive top honors for a flawless look from head to toe.

Slits in the Skirt or Skirting the Issue.  We don’t want to raise a red flag here and all of these ladies are quite lovely, but we’re seeing a trend where the more leg you show, the less tangible your career.  Are these gals trying to keep themselves current around the water cooler?  We haven’t heard much about Eva Longoria since the days of “Desperate”, Halle Berry was in the press over the holidays, but not for anything pleasant and Lea Michelle’s “Glee” has been slowly losing steam with each year that passes.

Award Worthy Acceptances.  Jessica Chastain executed a perfect thank you for the encouragement and support she has received in her long, but steady career. She is an incredibly talented and daring actress who willingly acknowledges those who have helped her along the way including her grandmother who always encouraged her to believe in her dreams. Daniel Day Lewis dispensed a fluent, flawless speech that is expected from this caliber of an actor.  A very gracious, Executive Producer Alex Gansa, gave a heartfelt speech admitting how hard it was to follow such a successful first season of “Homeland” and made a point of thanking the actors whose characters were “sacrificed on the altar” this season.

Unrehearsed Speech.  The most surprisingly humorous speech came from a very unlikely source, the HFPA’s, Aida Takla-O’Reilly.  This is typically the time to head for a bathroom break, but this two-year term President was going to have the last laugh and instead gave us a nice jolt in our seats with one of the funniest, unscripted speeches of the night.  She began her goodbyes with a request to scan the room of celebs which fell flat when the producers did not oblige, but then proceeded to launch into some very clever commentary that mentioned how Jeffrey Katzenberg, producer and CEO of Dreamworks Animation, “will never forget her name because he never knew it in the first place,” and then ended with a “Call Me Maybe” shout out to hunk Bradley Cooper which garnered some very hearty laughs from the audience.

Squirm in Your Seat Moment. We weren’t exactly sure why Jodie Foster had garnered this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, after all she is a young fifty years as she made it well known to the audience.  Yes, she looked beautiful, was impeccably coiffed and dressed, but I felt sad for her nonetheless.  The speech was entirely too long.  It made me uncomfortable.  I had no idea where she was going with that setup to reveal something big and then was let down just the same when she made a pitch for her single status.  Her career is definitely noteworthy and deserves accolades, but instead we were left with the heartbreaking admission that she doesn’t want to go into the future alone.  The whole thing sounded like a premature swansong.

Unfinished Business.  We appreciated the great attention paid to the all-important thank you’s this year.  It seems that everyone was careful to make sure they did not omit anyone on their team.  Ben Affleck who was obviously nervous accepting his unexpected win for "Argo," started the trend when he asked his wife, Jennifer Garner, to give kudos to his producing partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov.  I mean how can you forget to thank George?  Anne Hathaway followed suit when Les Miserables won its top notch for Best Musical and she snuck in a an extra thanks that she had forgotten previously. Lena Dunham also got into the action thanking Chad Lowe, which was a promise she made way back when if she ever got the chance.  Remember Hilary Swank who forgot to thank her husband?  Ouch, the writing was on the wall with that one! 

How to Walk in High Heels – Cheers to Lena Dunham for raking in the awards at this year’s ceremony!  I have to confess that I detested “Girls” at first, probably because I have two young daughters and was scared $#!%less at what might befall them once they leave the roost. Now I am more forgiving and can see the beauty in the craft.  I just have one word of red carpet advice.  Practice walking in high heels at home before the Emmy’s later this year.  Lena’s seat halfway back in the ballroom didn’t help matters as she proceeded to walk towards the stage in what appeared to be a mile long stretch in which she was teetering on the verge of falling. 

All in all, we give the show a thumbs up.  Love the fact that we can watch it live on the West Coast and be in bed nice and early on a Sunday night!!  See you next time at the Oscars...

What did you think of this year’s ceremony?  Did we leave anything out?  Any other red carpet commentary that we missed?  Please share with us.  We’d love to hear from you. 

Flipping Out Over the Flu? - Manners to Help Take Back the Control

It’s all over the news in the New Year, flu season is in rare form and taking civilians down with a vengeance.  Just before the holidays, kids were dropping like flies at my daughters’ school with a super bad case of the stomach flu sending children home by the dozens!  Somehow (and I’m knocking on wood as I speak) we managed to escape in perfect health and are still going strong.  I am not sure if it is the fact that we all got flu shots back in November (my ritual just before Thanksgiving) or that I am a drill sergeant when we get home barking orders to make sure my girls run to the bathroom to do a Silkwood scrub of their hands with soap to remove any traces of germs from their day – but something is clearly working (knocking on wood again).

I will admit though that I am walking around with the equivalent of garlic and a cross around my neck (even though I’m Jewish) trying to ward off the impending evil flu for the remaining months where we are in potential danger.  Side note – garlic actually has powerful anti-viral, antibiotic and anti-fungal properties that help boost the immune system. 

I’m feeling quite productive right now and really have no desire to be slowed down by illness that sentences me or my family to the bed for days on end.  Here's what I recommend not only as a responsible parent, but as a respectful citizen to help minimize the spread of germs while maintaining my good manners.  

Symptoms & Signs. You’ve seen the commercials, the close-ups on someone coughing, sniffling or sneezing. We know when we begin to feel that tickle in our throats, the heaviness in our eyes or a queasy belly that something most definitely is awry. Most of the time, we ignore it and do our best to carry on and sometimes we are knocked completely off our feet and forced to lay low.  The important thing is to recognize our own bodies and know when we should stay home as opposed to going out and infecting others.  This is a sign of respect and others will thank us for it. 

Washing Hands. This is the number one rule to protect us against the spread of germs and infection.  Washing hands is also part of a proper hygiene routine.  Adults and children alike must remember to wash their hands with soap and warm water to protect themselves and maintain good health.  A good rule of thumb is to wash hands after bathroom use, returning home at the end of the day, before eating a meal and after shaking hands with someone who may be sick.  Children should also get used to washing hands the moment they come home from school. 

Boosting Immunity.  Eating warm food on a cold day not only fuels the body, but feeds the soul.  Adding preventative ingredients such as garlic, ginger and spice into our diets not only helps with digestion, but also assists with staving off colds and flu.  When we are feeling under the weather, a bowl of warm oatmeal for breakfast and homemade chicken soup for lunch or dinner is best. Liquids are also important for hydration and flushing out germs.  Drinking a hot cup of chamomile or mint tea with honey or a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice may be just what the doctor ordered.   

Dressing Warm.  I absolutely love the cold weather and I am the first person to break out the coats come Fall.  Although Southern California is warm by comparison to other parts of the U.S., we still have a cold day or two and it is necessary to know how to dress appropriately for the weather.  The key areas to keep warm are the neck, head and feet.  No matter how cold you may be feeling, if you put a scarf around your neck or a hat on your head, you will be just fine.  As far as shoes go, I am a huge proponent of wearing cozy Uggs or similar slippers around the house in the winter time rather than bare feet.  It turns out that I may be on to something.  Apparently, there is a connection between the walls of our nose and cold feet that actually breaks down our defenses.  If we protect our feet and keep them warm, we’re actually helping to fight off potential infection.  

Shaking Hands.  As an etiquette instructor, handshaking is a must.  I can’t tell you how many people I have come across who refuse to shake my hand due to illness.  Would they refuse the President’s hand if he had a cold?  I think not! My feeling is if you’re too sick to shake my hand hello, then you shouldn’t be wandering out of the house in the first place.  It is plain rude!  To bother to go out and socialize and then refuse to properly greet others is awkward and insulting.  If you are too sick to shake hands, simply stay home!  If you are the recipient of a handshake and worried about the spread of germs, discretely head off to the restroom to give a good Silkwood wash with soap and water.

Covering your Mouth.  Believe it or not, sneezing and coughing without covering your mouth ranked as one of the highest manners offenses.  Adults should know better, but how many times have we yelled these words to our children just after they’ve let loose and showered us with their germs.  They are constantly forgetting to cover their mouths when they cough or they sneeze.  And where are the little hankies or boxes of Kleenex around when you need one?  At school, children are taught to sneeze into their elbow (a/k/a “the Dracula sneeze”) and at home they are asked to use a tissue. Either way, the proper way to capture a sneeze or cough is to turn your head towards your right shoulder away from others to avoid spreading germs directly, or, if you are lucky enough to have advance notice, carry tissues and use them when you feel a sneeze or cough coming on. Finally, if you see a fellow sufferer let out a sneeze with no tissue in sight, be polite and offer them a Kleenex, it might actually save you from getting sick.

Acting Responsibly. As adults we know there is never a good time to get sick.  With the pressures of everyday life and a society that expects you to be available 24/7, getting sick seems like a luxury not many of us can afford.  With children, however, we have no choice but to stop and alter our plans. It is inevitable that a child will come down with a cold or flu at the most inopportune time and as parents it is our job to act responsibly and keep our children home, especially with fever or a stomach virus.  It is wildly inappropriate to bring them to school or schedule a play date unless they have had a minimum of 24-48 hours symptom free.

Have you fallen prey to this terrible flu season?  Know anyone who was a carrier and showed up in public anyway?  What did you do, how did you handle it?  Share with us your flu war stories.  We'd love to hear them!

Best & Worst Manners Moments 2012

Nothing screams “end-of-the-year” more than a recap of the best and worst moments that have managed to encapsulate the past twelve months.  This year was chock full of bad behavior with some of our most public figures going down the road of ruin due to some thoughtless actions or words that spread like wildfire and tarnished their futures. On the flipside, we did see our fair share of exemplary behavior that gave us a glimmer of hope and managed to lift us out of the depths of despair.  It appears there must always be a little yin with the yang. I suppose if we didn’t have a brash Honey Boo Boo to degrade us, we wouldn’t have such an appreciation for the elegance and poise of the royal family.  Just in time, our best and worst manners moments of 2012.  What struck us as either praiseworthy or a cautionary tale. 

The Famous & Infamous

Best: The Royal Family.  The Royals had a remarkable year and managed to handle every single event with grace from the Summer Olympics to the Diamond Jubilee and most recently the Royal Pregnancy of Kate Middleton & Prince William.

Worst: Honey Boo Boo.  This year brought us up close and personal with Honey Boo Boo and her Georgia clan.  The TLC reality series “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” quickly turned into a phenomenon and the world became instantly fascinated with their slovenly, outrageous, no holds barred behavior.

On the Political Front

Best: First Lady Michelle Obama. A consistent picture of calm, beauty and good health, the First Lady helped lead the President to a second term while simultaneously maintaining her own initiatives for childhood obesity, educational reform and work-life balance.

Worst: General David Petraeus.  The Director of the CIA was forced to resign from his position due to an extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell that created a storm of controversy and embarassing scandal for the U.S.

Picture of Health

Best: Robin Roberts.  The beloved co-anchor for Good Morning America took an extended medical leave earlier this year to undergo a bone marrow transplant.  Throughout her ordeal, she has been a picture of poise, with only smiles and positive messages for her fans. She has officially reached her 100 day milestone and we wish her continued good health and a speedy return to the job she loves.

Worst: Jessica Simpson.  We commiserate with the difficulties of keeping weight off and the battle to be thin, but we didn’t exactly see Miss Jessica tip the scales in a positive direction during her time with Weight Watchers and now with her newest bundle to be, the task may become even harder. 

In the Media

Best: Anne Hathaway.  Her “Les Mis” premiere was trumped only by the case of her missing panties.  While we highly recommend checking your undergarments before you leave the house, we do think Miss Anne conducted herself with the utmost dignity during in her live interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show when she cited the incident by saying how unfortunate it is that we live in a culture that “commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants” and tied the whole thing beautifully into a segue back her character Fantine in the movie.

Worst: Donald Trump.  The real-estate magnate should know better.  He is a public figure who has mistakenly used his position to espouse his every personal thought on record and on social media without any type of self-censorship.  His reckless tweets during the presidential campaign commented him as a buffoon that should not be taken seriously.

Divorced Couples

Best: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.  While we all saw it coming, no one could have foreseen how swiftly and under-the-radar this mega-celebrity divorce was handled.  There were no public fingers being pointed, no custody battles over precious Suri, only Scientology rumors to contend with. 

Worst: Christy Brinkley and Peter Cook.  This divorce has not gone away as quietly and Christy Brinkley’s sobbing interview pleading her case on The Today Show didn’t help matters.  Peter Cook may be a big fat jerk, but Christy would do better to keep her model game face on and show only the picture of smiles and happiness for the camera.

Our Star Athletes

Best: The U.S. female Summer Olympiads.  They not only won 58 medals, but they succeeded in winning over the hearts of the American public with their grace, their tenacity and their unwavering courage.

Worst: Lance Armstrong. The champion cyclist suffered major embarrassment and shame this year from doping allegations used to enhance his performance.  He lost three major sponsorships and was asked to step down as the chairman of the Livestrong charity he founded in 1997 to inspire cancer survivors and their families.

Man/Woman on the Street

Best: Lawrence DePrimo.  The New York Police Officer who took it upon himself to buy a pair of boots for a homeless man on a freezing cold night in NYC. He wasn’t thinking about the cost, only human decency was at work here.  This random act of kindness sparked national interest and massive support.

Worst: Patricia Krentcil. The New Jersey mother known for her perpetually dark complexion was charged with child endangerment when she tried to impose her bizarre struggle with tanning onto her 6 year old daughter by taking her to a tanning booth for a session.     

Manners Resolutions for 2013

Where did the year go?  If I had a dollar for every time I heard this question asked in the past month, I’d be a wealthy lady!  It seems the world is in agreement that time is passing at a breakneck speed and that our lives are becoming more and more complicated and less calm with each year.  The thought of sitting down and giving thoughtful consideration to our New Year’s Resolutions seems like a daunting task that requires way too much time and effort.  But the truth of the matter is, it is more dire now than ever.  If we don’t stop and give ourselves the luxury and benefit of this annual exercise, we are cheating ourselves out of a very important opportunity to clean the slate and begin anew.  

While you may have already begun writing your laundry list of resolutions for better health, better budgeting and better productivity in the New Year, we hope you’ll reserve a few spots on your list for better manners in 2013.   

1. Smile and be friendly.  Resolve to smile and be friendly with everyone you interact with this year.  Whether it’s a parent you pass in the hallway at school or the checkout attendant in the grocery store, everyone deserves a little acknowledgement.  It is not much effort, but makes such a huge difference.

2. Make a good impression on yourself first.  Take the time this year to focus on your health and well-being both physically as well as mentally.   Strive to be a bit more organized and efficient so that you can be your most effective self both personally and professionally. 

3. Be a good listener.  Humans thrive on relationships and connections with others.  One way to cultivate and nurture your communications with friends and relatives is to be a good listener.  This is the key to all great conversationalists. 

 

4  Choose to be optimistic.  We are beginning a new year, a clean slate, an opportunity for complete renewal.  Why not choose to proceed into these next twelve months with total and undeniable optimism.  Remember a positive and optimistic attitude is most mannerly and assures a successful outcome in anything we endeavor to do. 

5. Use your table manners.  Many of life’s pleasures and special moments revolve around the table and dining experience.  This year, aspire to be a bit more mindful of your table manners.  Begin with the most simple of tasks such as refraining from talking with your mouth full of food or putting your elbows on the table.  Make sure to sit up straight for good posture and say please and thank you when being served.  For goodness sakes, no cell phones at the table! 

6. Give thanks and appreciate.  We cannot say enough about taking a moment to be thankful and to appreciate what you have.  At a time when many are experiencing personal economic turmoil or major life crisis, it is more important than ever to try to find a glimmer of light and to acknowledge what you do have that is positive and encouraging.

7. Take a breath and think before you act.  This is so vitally important and can save a lot of heartache and headache.  We’ve all heard the expression “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” meaning everything we do has a positive or negative effect on one another.  Before you behave in a way that might upset or offend another, take a moment to think about how they might feel and choose to do the right thing.

8. Be courteous and patient.  We live in a 24/7, frenetic, automated world where common courtesies and human decency in general are threatening extinction.  Do your part to change the tide and make 2013 a year where you are more polite and patient.  From the people you stand in line with at Starbucks or share the carpool lane with on your way to work, to the caretakers who watch after your children and your families with whom you share a meal, aspire to be more considerate and a little more tolerant.

9. Be cautious with electronic communications.  Show some restraint before you type, text, post or Tweet.  Understand that everything you put in writing electronically is permanent and privacy does not exist.  Too many people have suffered major consequences due to careless communications.  Not thinking before you send an electronic message can ruin a career or sever a personal relationship.  Send only positive thoughts, comments or photos electronically.  Anything unflattering should be dealt with in person.

10. Don’t be stingy with the magic words.  The most commonly used magic words are: please, thank you, excuse me, I’m sorry and you’re welcome.  Use these words frequently and without discretion and witness firsthand a transformation from those who hear them.  Notice how a few kind words can help brighten someone’s day.

Manners Monday - "Bad Manners that Spook Me"

A black cat literally crossed my path this morning.  I was driving home from the gym at the early hour of 7am minding my own business when all of the sudden a cat popped out of nowhere and scampered across the street right in front of my car! I paused for a moment and wondered if the cat crossing was an ominous sign.  Did the cat know that Halloween was looming on the horizon?  Did he want to give me a little pre-Halloween scare?  I have absolutely no clue.  What I do know is that the silly cat succeeded in spooking me a little and became the inspiration for today’s Manners Monday post. 

Appropriately entitled, “Bad Manners that Spook Me,” I thought about the multitude of bad manners we have resigned ourselves to accept over the years that are natural repellents preventing us from being our best selves, as well as the collection of appalling manners we have come to amass more recently as a direct result of our deeply entrenched technological age and it scared the bejeezus out of me!  The bad manners examples  seemed endless with the most popular categories falling the three prominent areas of table, tech, and every day manners.  Below is just a smattering of what we found spooks us the most when it comes to bad manners.  What spooks you?  Share with us and let's see if we can make a dent to decrease our ill-mannered ways by next Halloween. 

Bad Table Manners that Spook Me

• Chewing with one’s mouth open.
• Talking with a mouth full of food.
• Using a finger to push food onto a fork rather than using a knife.
• Cutting ones food using the pitch-fork style rather than using the Continental style of dining.
• Cell phones on the table during the meal.
• Parents who let their kids use tech toys at the table to keep them calm.
• Relentless rudeness to the wait staff.
• Haggling over dollars and cents rather than just splitting the bill.

Bad Tech Manners that Spook Me

• Personalized smart phone rings that draw too much attention.
• Texting when in the company of others.
• Texting in favor of conversing with another who is well within ear shot.
• Texting a back-and-forth heated exchange instead of just picking up the phone!
• Irresponsible, thoughtless tweets. Who knew 140 characters could get us into so much trouble?
• Causing FOMO on Facebook by posting egotistical photos and captions of one’s fabulous life.  
• Emails with poor grammar, sentence structure and spelling.

Bad Every Day Manners that Spook Me

• Slow drivers who refuse to move into the slow lane.
• Someone who lets the elevator door close when another person is clearly approaching entry.
• A poor handshake that resembles a knuckle-cruncher.
• A loud talker who thinks the world needs to hang on their every word.
• Showing up to any party without a gift, unless it expressly says, “No gifts please.”
• Repeated tardiness from the same person.
• People who consistently exclude, put-down or are critical of others.
• Someone who continuously forgets your name and acts like they’re meeting you for the first time.
• Belching and passing gas in the company of women.

Feel free to add the manners that spook you the most to our growing list. Send them into us and we will be sure to incorporate them. Happy Halloween!!

Manners Monday - Get Your Digital Responsibility on in October!

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month and National Bullying Prevention Month, giving us plenty of pause and cause to become digitally mindful and make sure we think before we click. 

This month is a wake-up call reminding us to dig our heels in deeper and take a stand for our families and for ourselves. It’s time to put the kibosh on blindly entering our social security numbers and credit card information onto any old website that inquires, and time to instill some serious consequences for those children who blatantly harm others by spewing hatred online.  We have to be hyper-conscious about our internet safety and security, be fiercely protective of our privacy and warn our children about the dangers of cyber-bullying and the cautionary tales of online plagiarism so that we may all become responsible digital citizens from this point going forward. 

Simply put, we need to instill a little “netiquette” into our lives.  Netiquette, a combination of internet and etiquette, is a genius term that was coined to provide guidelines for acceptable behavior on the Internet.  It is meant to keep all electronic activity organized and civilized. It incorporates the more formal common courtesies online, as well as the less formal codes of cyberspace. 

Whether you are proficient online or a neophyte in the digital world, everyone knows the difference between right and wrong, and should act accordingly.  Here are five crucial reminders to help keep you on track.

1. Practice the Online Golden Rule. Treat others online with the same regard, or better, than you would treat them offline.  Go the extra mile to be respectful and courteous. Remember that while you may be tapping away at a keyboard, the other person cannot hear the tone of your voice or read the visual cues from your face and body to better understand your meaning. All of this is lost in online communication and can come across as mean or rude, even if you did not intend them this way. Avoid typing your communications in all caps.  IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING!  If you want to emphasize a word, use asterisks, italics or emoticons to evoke your emotion.

2. Preserve Your Privacy.  We have been reprimanded repeatedly to keep personal information to ourselves. Especially in our age of over-sharing, we must set limits and boundaries and be smarter about what we will reveal both personally and professionally, as well as financially.  It is not worth the gamble.  Do not willingly divulge details unless it is extremely safe to do so. Keep things closer to the vest.  A little mystery in these times could do us all a bit of good.

3. No More Bull!  There are new ways to tease and taunt online that result in ruining reputations and exposing people without their knowledge or consent.  This behavior is malicious and deliberate and has been labeled Cyber-bullying.  Never ever type or post anything, including messages, videos or photos that would be considered slanderous or negative content about another person.  It is reckless and harmful and only exposes the abuser as a foolish individual. Learn from the phrase, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all" and live it! 

4. Don’t Play with Plagiarism.  With the World Wide Web at our fingertips, it is way too easy to adopt another person’s words as our own.  Avoid any implication of plagiarism by making sure to cite and credit the author of your sources.  If you do not, be prepared to face the unpleasant consequences and embarrassment.  

5. Update Your Status Sparingly.  Online social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are meant to be used to enhance and complement your existing offline life.  You should not use them to create an imaginary life where you are more successful, interesting or attractive than you are in person. Apply extreme discretion when disclosing any type of personal information, you never know what might come back to haunt you in the future.

Do you have any personal stories you'd like to share about your experiences online? Any lapse in judgment with regard to your digital responsibility?  Share with us, we'd love to hear from you!

  

Red Carpet Manners at the Primetime Emmy’s 2012 - A Bit of Humor & A Hassle-Free Host

This year my Primetime Emmy experience began up-close and personal the night before at the annual “Evening Before” party to benefit the Motion Picture Television Fund.  Literally everyone from television was in attendance and I have to say looking quite fabulous in their casual chic attire.  A veritable who’s who of TV’s biggest celebrities mingled while noshing on food and sipping libations from Wolfgang Puck’s menu of selections.  Smiles, hugs, handshakes and good humor were on tap with cast members ranging from Glee and Girls to Mad Men and Modern Family chatting and wishing one another the best of luck.  Popular performance artists, Gil and Jill Bumby a/k/a the Bumbys, were on hand to give “fair and honest appraisals” of one’s appearance as celebs and regular folk lined up inside the Essie nail polish tent to obtain their readings.  (I have to admit I got sucked into this, but was happy to receive a 9.4 out of 10 on my style and will say that their written assessment was spot on!). 

What struck me the most was how much better everyone looked in person and how much smaller everyone is in real life!!  The camera really does add pounds and inches!  I was also surprised at how late everyone partied knowing they’d have to get up early, look rested, and do it all again the next day.

On Emmy night, the heat turned up literally and figuratively.  Stylists dressed their stars in this season’s hottest colors while they struggled not to sweat in the blistering heat.  On the red carpet, the ladies hit home runs outfitted in shades of grey, burgundy, blue and yellow.  My heart went out to the number of men who must have been sweating bullets in their Brooks Brothers Black Fleece label suits. 

Although it was Jane Lynch who hosted the previous year, the pressure was on for Jimmy Kimmel to perform and to perhaps try to top the other Jimmy (Fallon) who seemed to have so much fun hosting in 2010.  All in all, I think he did a pretty decent job delivering a hassle-free and humorous show.  Here is our red carpet manners recap on some of the night’s most noticeable hits and misses.

Style on Steroids – Okay, I love fashion as much as the next gal, but the gratuitous plugs for the designers are beginning to take the emphasis away from the celebrities actually wearing them!  Having to sit through the mispronunciations of the names and the laundry list of mentions from shoes, to jewelry to handbags has made the whole red carpet experience seem a bit vacuous.  E! has jumped on the bandwagon in a big way displaying their ginormous 360 Glam Cam, their Stiletto Cam, and now the debut of their Mani Cam (giving props to all the fashionable nails).  Yes, we know everyone is dying to see a close up shot of Kat Dennings’ cleavage and Sophia Vergara’s backside in circular motion, but I think I’m officially over it.  To me, it was much more interesting to see one of entertainment’s married royal couples, Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow, take to the cam for a traditional dip.  To me, that is true Hollywood glamour.

Combustible Busts – While we’re on the topic of bosoms. We simply cannot ignore the voluptuous Two Broke Girls Kat Dennings and Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks who both chose to emphasize their  G-d given gifts with figure hugging dresses that were conversation topics all to themselves.  Kat Dennings openly admitted to E! that she decided to flaunt them because “no matter what I do, they are there!”  She also confessed that her posture may be less than perfect as she favors the hunched over position which is better for keeping “the girls” inside the dress where they belong!   

A Hassle Free, Humorous Host – After sitting through two hours of red carpet arrivals, we caught a first glimpse of our host, Jimmy Kimmel.  The opening sequence for the Emmy’s involved him crying in a bathroom stall over a botched Botox session in an absolutely hysterical, if not irreverent, look at the double-standard females face to appear eternally young in the eyes of the media.  The pre-taped skit included TV’s funniest female nominees taking swings at Kimmel to help punch his features back into their original position.  Once he had everything back in the right place, a very fit and dapper looking Kimmel took the stage.  Although he seemed a tad nervous at first, rushing his lines without pausing for reaction, he quickly settled in for some truly funny and poignant jokes.  My favorites were the ones where he poked fun at the actors themselves speaking candidly about their most difficult roles when they have to play “an actor who is happy for the success of another actor.” When he addressed the audience directly assuring them that the show would end on time so they could go home and put on their “fat pants” was perfection!  There were no major offenses or risky behaviors a la Ricky Gervais to mention, only a prank that involved Tracy Morgan pretending to pass out on stage which fell short. Another attempt where his parents were escorted out of the audience for lying to him was more well-received.

Acceptance Speech Gone Awry – Our apologies in advance, Julie Bowen, but we have to make mention of your acceptance speech which had one too many mentions of “pesky nipple covers” for our liking. Picking up her consecutive second win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in the hit comedy, Modern Family, the striking vision in yellow seemed to struggle to be witty and went seriously south in her speech detailing what life on a TV set is really like underneath the clothing and makeup. 

Staples, Surprises & Spouses – Most everyone was expecting to see the list of staple winners and losers on Emmy night, but there were still a few surprises including the multiple wins for under-the-radar favorite, Louis C.K. and statues going to Jon Cryer for the first time as Outstanding Lead Actor and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who won for Lead Actress in Veep. Out of their 17 noms, not one award went to Mad Men.  Instead, the many awards went to new darling, Homeland which at last put Showtime on the map in the drama category beating out longtime competitor HBO.  On a separate note, one of the things we noticed in many of the speeches on Emmy night, was the showering of accolades to the countless spouses and partners of all the winners who so graciously remembered to thank their significant others for their unwavering support and love.  How sweet!