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The ending of a comedy doesn’t need to make us laugh. The humorous parts of a comedy occur in the rising action and the climax; we laugh during the journey. By the time we reach the final scene, the jokes curtail, almost by necessity. For example, everyone remembers Don Quixote tilting at windmills in chapter eight, but not his death. In Twelfth Night, we remember the stiff Malvolio being made a fool of in his yellow stockings more than the weddings at the end. The ending acts as a tying together of humorous scenes, and while the success of a tragedy leans heavily on the ending, a comedy does not. 

The old adage says that tragedy ends in death and comedy ends in marriage. These stereotypes work only as a generality. Many cross-pollinations of genres exist today, such as tragicomedy and dark comedy, and endings have diversified as well. However, the formulaic happy ending of comedy remains a staple in film and literature. The four comedies to be examined here all have different endings: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Moliere’s Tartuffe, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and Cervantes' Don Quixote. The different types of endings have different effects on the reader, but the most powerful ending in these four comedies is Don Quixote, which ends like a tragedy, with the death of the hero. 

A traditional New Comedy, the ending of Twelfth Night ends in marriage. Actually, the play ends with a triple marriage, the couples being Viola and Orsino, Sebastian with Olivia, and Toby and Maria. The ending of the play is a foregone conclusion from the beginning, and there is never a question of whether or not the couples will fall in love. What makes the ending interesting is how the couples fall in love. New Comedy is like a song, with formulaic verses, choruses and no real surprises. We don’t come back for the last chord of a catchy song, but for the chorus and verses that makes us sing out loud. Shakespeare uses mistaken identity and disguise to mix up the characters, and the exposure at the end unties the knots in a believable manner. He unties the mess and then unites the characters again. The stress builds quickly as the twin siblings Sebastian and Viola cross paths, with each one foiling the other. Shakespeare manages to create traditional New Comedy endings better than anyone else, but even so, the ending leaves the audience without any deep or self-reflective feelings about the characters. 

Tartuffe by Moliere also follows the format of New Comedy, with a resulting marriage that restores the status quo to power that existed at the beginning of the play, while at the same time hanging Tartuffe out to dry. The difference between this ending and Twelfth Night, however, is that Moliere makes use of a deus rex machina, a “king from the machine,” as Louis XIV appears and rectifies the deception of Tartuffe: “The King, by royal order, invalidates / The deed which gave this rascal your estates” (Moliere 162). 

Unfortunately, for the same reason readers decry the usage of divine intervention, the deus ex machina, this ending does not satisfy. Twelfth Night cleans up the story with sophistication and, for the most part, plausible reasons, but Tartuffe builds up a situation that puts the hero against the wall, and by no action of his own, his situation gets resolved. The comedy at the end relies entirely on the delivery of the actor playing Tartuffe when he says: “Who? I, sir?” and “To prison? This can’t be true” (161). When his usurped world falls apart, a rapid denouement brings us to the ending. The falling action of Twelfth Night takes a long time, and raises many questions to entertain the audience. Therefore, in regard to New Comedy, an effective ending arrives at the last line gracefully, and between these two plays, Shakespeare outdoes Moliere in terms of satisfying the audience. 

In Waiting for Godot, the ending leaves Gogo and Didi pushing and pulling against themselves, as they have throughout the play.

VLADIMIR: “Well? Shall we go?”
ESTRAGON: “Yes, let’s go.”
They do not move (Becket 60).

The end comes abruptly, with no definite closure, such as would happen with a marriage or a death. Instead of tying up loose ends, the play ends with a continuation of the play. They will be forever waiting. It is not a happy ending or a sad ending, but it is somehow miserable because of the essence of indecision and anticipation. Estragon says, “I can’t go on like this,” and Vladimir replies, “That’s what you think” (60). In other words, Vladimir knows that they have to go on waiting. Waiting for Godot doesn’t really have an ending, but since they have made no progress as characters, the ending invokes little or no emotion from the audience. 

Characters that convince us enough to care about them have the greatest effect on an audience, and when they take us through a series of humorous events, a powerful ending can be a simple return to reality. In the ending of Don Quixote, Cervantes places his hero on his death bed with his friends weeping. Sancho Panza says, “Don’t die senor; your grace should take my advice and live for many years, because the greatest madness a man can commit in this life is to let himself die” (Cervantes 937). After over nine hundred pages of laughter, Cervantes beings us back to reality, prompting us with, “let us put all jokes aside” (936). Even the author becomes sad, saying, “For me alone was Don Quixote born, and I for him” (939). As Robert Frost said, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” Cervantes leaves us with the impression that he is staining the page with goodbye tears. In this type of ending, our affection for a character can only come about if we enjoyed the ride.
Some great modern comedy films have successfully used a Quixotic ending. Planes, Trains and Automobiles reveals John Candy as a homeless man, and The Big Lebowski has Steve Buscemi suffering a heart attack. In endings like this, the text subtly asks a question: was he or she funny enough to care about? In Don Quixote, the foolish knight errant has become reasonable again, and they implore him to remain a dreamer: “now that we are on the point of becoming shepherds and spending our lives in song…now your grace wishes to be a hermit? For God’s sake, be quiet, come to your senses, and tell us no more tales” (936). Like Sanson, we don’t want to see Don Quixote become normal again, because his devotion to his dreams has convinced us that the fantasy is the reality. 

A tragic ending to a comedy takes us through a spectrum of emotion, and leads to introspection. That is to say: a great comedy can make the audience cry. Reality has bite after a fantasy becomes real. It can wrench the viewer. A traditional happy ending invites the audience to be happy for the character, but a Quixotic ending invites us to feel for the character. Just as role reversals in the narrative affect us, the Quixotic ending creates a role reversal in the reader. 

Today, with marriage declining as an institution, perhaps we should change the mantra to say: comedy ends in death, tragedy in marriage.  In my first two novels, Memoirs of a Virus Programmer and Immaculate, I've used this as a rule. 

By Brent Lang, The Wrap

Does this mean it's curtains for "FlashForward"?

The ABC supernatural drama logged its worst ratings yet on Thursday, but the network's other heavy hitters, "Greys' Anatomy" and "Private Practice," recorded strong numbers against stiff competition from CBS' "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" and "The Mentalist."

FLASHFORWARD TO CANCELLATION: ABC dramas performed reasonably well despite being weighed down by "FlashForward." "Grey's Anatomy" was No. 1 in the 9 p.m. timeslot with 10.7 million total viewers and a 3.7/11 in the key 18 to 49 demographic. "Private Practice" drew 8.3 million viewers and a 2.8/8 demo score. "FlashForward," though, was down 19 percent from last week, attracting 4.7 million viewers. Among adults 18 to 49, the series drew a 1.3/4.

SORTA MUST SEE TV: Though it beat Fox's "Bones" (2.5/8 demo, 8.88 million viewers) and "Fringe (2.2/6 demo, 5.85 million viewers), NBC's comedy block was dwarfed by ABC's dramas and "Survivor." Holding steady were "Parks & Recreation," with a 1.9/ 6 and 4.1 million viewers overall, and "30 Rock," with a 2.7/7 and 5.6 million total viewers. "Community" (2.0/7) saw a modest 5 percent bump in the key demo and 4.5 million viewers overall. "The Office" (3.5/10, 6.8m) slipped slightly, but managed to tie "Grey's Anatomy" for first place in the demo. At 10 p.m., "The Marriage Ref" (2.2/6) had its highest score in the key demo since April 1 and drew 5 million viewers overall.

PARTY LIKE A CASTAWAY: CBS won Thursday for the eighth consecutive week. "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" (4.0/13, 12.8m) was the night's top program in 18-49, while "The Mentalist" was tops in total viewers (3.3/10,14.7m). "CSI" (3.0/9, 14.7m) also won its 9 p.m. hour

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I’m pretty sure capitulations, like the way this fella is thinking about don’t happen near the beginning of a bear market, nor after a few days of selling after more than a year of basically an up market. No, any selling climax, or capitulation, occurs after months and months of relentless selling.

Oh…and chewy the lab, your sale would depend on if you had a stop market or a stop limit order. A stop market order would have gone to market as your specified price was triggered. Where that order was eventually filled is unknowable, but in yesterdays action, it would have more than likely be below your triggered price. If you had a stop limit order, that would have resulted in you having an asking price for your shares. Under the limit scenario, prices may have been moving down so swiftly, that your sell order would be higher than current prices, and you would still be left holding them.

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While comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Rodney Dangerfield riffed on matters ranging from Superman and cereal in one and the eternal quest for respect with the other, there seems to be a new generation of foul mouthed comedians hitting the circuit and laying their unequivocal and undeniable stamp on material laden with expletives.

Comedy with an edge is nothing new; nor is comedy filled with expletives all that original. Denis Leary came to fame with his edgy humor including things like his song about American men, “Asshole,” his breakout comedy record, “No Cure for Cancer,” and, later on, the EP Merry F#%$in' Christmas.” Loudmouth talk show host and general agitator, Morton Downey Jr. would often put the edge on everyone who disagreed with him, laying the framework for future comedy mavens Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and even big mouthed sportscaster turned lib turned Sunday Night Football co-host Keith Olbermann (just because you're liberal does not preclude you from having a big mouthpiece.) Regardless the content, the tenor of edgy opinions is still there and has been in a variety of platforms.

However this latest run in with comedy-come-lately could be pushing some boundaries. Take up-and-comer comedian Michael Mattera. In response to a discussion we had been having about a piece I'd written, I did some admittedly elementary research on this comedian and was nonplussed as to my discoveries.

From a YouTube video which came up in a search for more information on this comedian, it seems that Michael Mattera has something of a scathing lip. In his short routine Mr Mattera lays jokes laden with F-expletives. Moreover he has some strange infatuation with the vagina of one of pop music's most discussed mavens, Brittney Spears. It is the contention of Mr. Mattera that Ms. Spears have her vagina taken from her; the benefit to the world would be in that she would not be able to “F#*k anyone else's life up.”

I could tell Mr. Mattera is a different kind of comedian from the moment I first encountered him. My confusion lay in the motivation for all this pent up rage. Is he just an angry young man? Is he playing off his audience's understanding? Is there still room for this type of discourse in the increasingly fey world of modern entertainment? What lays ahead for the comedy dynamo? It's tough to say. But it is the contention of this reviewer from my cursory exposure to his rap that he might want to clean his thing up a little bit if he is to achieve any modicum of comedy success. Rodney Dangerfield's jovial delivery lends itself to a warm place in our minds and heart; at an arms length Jerry Seinfeld has achieved wild success in television, commercials, and film; Denis Leary has ditched the hardcore stuff and amped up his style in cable TV's firefighter drama “Rescue Me”. Even names like Dennis Miller, who is opinionated, has his comedy laced with subtext which doesn't blunt his audience over the head with vulgarities.

Have we reached the limit for foul mouthed comedy? It will undoubtedly always have its place in society, though the roars from the pits grow further and further dim.

TUESDAY 4/27

Writer’s Bloc: Carol Burnett & Tim Conway, 7:30p Saban Theater. Two comedy legends get together on stage to talk about her new book and reminisce. Probably the coolest thing you could go see all week.

Tremendosaur, 8p Comedy Central Stage. Tremendosaur is one of LA’s most beloved sketch comedy groups, and they’ve been working hard to put up a whole bunch of new sketches that are practically guaranteed to kill.

WEDNESDAY 4/28

Past Her Prime, 6:30p UCB. This great sketch show by Justine Barron is going up at UCB for one show (so far). Go give it some love.

Conan O’Brien’s Writers Room, 8p Hollywood Improv. The writers for Team Coco have all been crafting their stand up routines in the intervening months, and they’re ready to show off their considerable skills.

THURSDAY 4/29

Mash Up, 8:30p Hollywood Musicbox. A great Comedy Central TV stand up taping, this set features the hilarious Matt Braunger, T.J. Miller, Hannibal Buress, and Kumail Nanjiani. Oh, and it’s effing FREE, for all my pimps-on-a-budget!

4 Stories & A Cover, 9:30p UCB. Andy Daly, Matt Price, and Greg Behrendt are all taking part in this great storytelling show,with a little bit of music thrown in to boot.

FRIDAY 4/30

Tig Has Friends, 8:30p Largo. The cast of the Sarah Silverman program steps out to Largo on La Cienega for some stand up.

Sam Tripoli, 9p Downtown Comedy Club. Sam is a longtime LA stand up comic who is taking his comedy stylings to the woefully under-served downtown area.

SATURDAY 5/1

Jon Dore, 7:30p Hollywood Improv. Canadian comedian Jon Dore drops in for a single show that should be required viewing for anyone interested in funny, off-beat, nice-guy humor.

Tang, 10p iO West. These lovely award-winning sketch comedy ladies are back doing a full show for your giggling pleasure.

Quick & Dirty Musicals, 10p UCB. A phenomenal line up of musical comedians, including John Ross Bowie, The Apple Sisters, and Chris Farah.

SUNDAY 5/2

Harland Williams, 7p Brea Improv. Go out and get weird with Harland Williams in Brea.

Bobby Slayton, 7p Ontario Improv. Bobby is a gravely, energetic comic with a voice and stage presence all his own.

NEW YORK — Having already caused a fuss this spring with the depiction of the prophet Muhammad on “South Park,” Comedy Central said Thursday that it has a cartoon series about Jesus Christ in the works.

“JC” is one of 23 potential series the network said it has in development. It depicts Christ as a “regular guy” who moves to New York to “escape his father's enormous shadow.”

His father is presented as an apathetic man who would rather play video games than listen to his son talk about his new life, according to Comedy Central's thumbnail sketch of the idea. Reveille, the production company behind “The Office,” “Ugly Betty” and “The Biggest Loser,” is making “JC.”

It wouldn't be the first time Jesus Christ has been on a Comedy Central cartoon; he's a recurring character on the long-running “South Park.”

Comedy Central was the target last month of an Internet threat for a “South Park” episode that supposedly showed Islam's prophet in a bear costume.

Whenever “South Park” features Muhammad in an episode, Comedy Central obscures the character with a black box; Muslims consider any physical representation of their prophet to be blasphemous. Following the Internet threat, Comedy Central angered “South Park” producers by editing out a character's speech about intimidation in a subsequent episode.

“It's not certain what is more despicable: the nonstop Christian bashing featured on the network, or Comedy Central's decision to censor all depictions of Muhammad,” said William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights.

Comedy Central wouldn't comment on Donohue's statement, said network spokesman Tony Fox, who declined to give further details about “JC.”

A development deal is a couple of steps ahead of a series making it to air and, in fact, most such deals don't result in series. The network would have to like the scripts enough to produce a test episode, then like that enough to put it on the air.

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While comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Rodney Dangerfield riffed on matters ranging from Superman and cereal in one and the eternal quest for respect with the other, there seems to be a new generation of foul mouthed comedians hitting the circuit and laying their unequivocal and undeniable stamp on material laden with expletives.

Comedy with an edge is nothing new; nor is comedy filled with expletives all that original. Denis Leary came to fame with his edgy humor including things like his song about American men, “Asshole,” his breakout comedy record, “No Cure for Cancer,” and, later on, the EP Merry F#%$in' Christmas.” Loudmouth talk show host and general agitator, Morton Downey Jr. would often put the edge on everyone who disagreed with him, laying the framework for future comedy mavens Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and even big mouthed sportscaster turned lib turned Sunday Night Football co-host Keith Olbermann (just because you're liberal does not preclude you from having a big mouthpiece.) Regardless the content, the tenor of edgy opinions is still there and has been in a variety of platforms.

However this latest run in with comedy-come-lately could be pushing some boundaries. Take up-and-comer comedian Michael Mattera. In response to a discussion we had been having about a piece I'd written, I did some admittedly elementary research on this comedian and was nonplussed as to my discoveries.

From a YouTube video which came up in a search for more information on this comedian, it seems that Michael Mattera has something of a scathing lip. In his short routine Mr Mattera lays jokes laden with F-expletives. Moreover he has some strange infatuation with the vagina of one of pop music's most discussed mavens, Brittney Spears. It is the contention of Mr. Mattera that Ms. Spears have her vagina taken from her; the benefit to the world would be in that she would not be able to “F#*k anyone else's life up.”

I could tell Mr. Mattera is a different kind of comedian from the moment I first encountered him. My confusion lay in the motivation for all this pent up rage. Is he just an angry young man? Is he playing off his audience's understanding? Is there still room for this type of discourse in the increasingly fey world of modern entertainment? What lays ahead for the comedy dynamo? It's tough to say. But it is the contention of this reviewer from my cursory exposure to his rap that he might want to clean his thing up a little bit if he is to achieve any modicum of comedy success. Rodney Dangerfield's jovial delivery lends itself to a warm place in our minds and heart; at an arms length Jerry Seinfeld has achieved wild success in television, commercials, and film; Denis Leary has ditched the hardcore stuff and amped up his style in cable TV's firefighter drama “Rescue Me”. Even names like Dennis Miller, who is opinionated, has his comedy laced with subtext which doesn't blunt his audience over the head with vulgarities.

Have we reached the limit for foul mouthed comedy? It will undoubtedly always have its place in society, though the roars from the pits grow further and further dim.

By Brent Lang, The Wrap

Does this mean it's curtains for "FlashForward"?

The ABC supernatural drama logged its worst ratings yet on Thursday, but the network's other heavy hitters, "Greys' Anatomy" and "Private Practice," recorded strong numbers against stiff competition from CBS' "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" and "The Mentalist."

FLASHFORWARD TO CANCELLATION: ABC dramas performed reasonably well despite being weighed down by "FlashForward." "Grey's Anatomy" was No. 1 in the 9 p.m. timeslot with 10.7 million total viewers and a 3.7/11 in the key 18 to 49 demographic. "Private Practice" drew 8.3 million viewers and a 2.8/8 demo score. "FlashForward," though, was down 19 percent from last week, attracting 4.7 million viewers. Among adults 18 to 49, the series drew a 1.3/4.

SORTA MUST SEE TV: Though it beat Fox's "Bones" (2.5/8 demo, 8.88 million viewers) and "Fringe (2.2/6 demo, 5.85 million viewers), NBC's comedy block was dwarfed by ABC's dramas and "Survivor." Holding steady were "Parks & Recreation," with a 1.9/ 6 and 4.1 million viewers overall, and "30 Rock," with a 2.7/7 and 5.6 million total viewers. "Community" (2.0/7) saw a modest 5 percent bump in the key demo and 4.5 million viewers overall. "The Office" (3.5/10, 6.8m) slipped slightly, but managed to tie "Grey's Anatomy" for first place in the demo. At 10 p.m., "The Marriage Ref" (2.2/6) had its highest score in the key demo since April 1 and drew 5 million viewers overall.

PARTY LIKE A CASTAWAY: CBS won Thursday for the eighth consecutive week. "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" (4.0/13, 12.8m) was the night's top program in 18-49, while "The Mentalist" was tops in total viewers (3.3/10,14.7m). "CSI" (3.0/9, 14.7m) also won its 9 p.m. hour

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I’ve watched South Park for years, and have watched other Comedy Central programming more occasionally, believing until recently that it provided a cutting-edge environment for satire.  Unfortunately, the network has now caved twice to radical Islamist terrorism, once in 2006 and again last month, in two episodes of South Park that skewered major religious figures while censoring the satire of Trey Parker and Matt Stone on Mohammed.    Instead of staying out of religious satire altogether, the brave souls at Viacom have apparently green-lit a new series that will poke fun at Jesus … again:

Comedy Central might censor every image of the Prophet Muhammad on “South Park,” yet the network is developing a whole animated series around Jesus Christ.

As part of the network’s upfront presentation to advertisers (full slate here), the network is set to announce “JC,” a half-hour show about Christ wanting to escape the shadow of his “powerful but apathetic father” and live a regular life in New York City.

In the show, God is preoccupied with playing video games while Christ, “the ultimate fish out of water,” tries to adjust to life in the big city.

“In general, comedy in purist form always makes some people uncomfortable,” said Comedy Central’s head of original programming Kent Alterman.

Yes, Kent Alterman, you’re quite the brave individual for making “some” people uncomfortable.  Those would be the “some” people who won’t issue threats of violence for your satires.  Comedy Central and Viacom have no appetite for making some other people uncomfortable — the very people who would not waste a moment in shutting down Comedy Central if given the opportunity.

South Park takes an honest approach to satire by skewering everyone equally.  They lost a major cast member when they satirized Scientology, and no doubt have had complaints from many groups about their portrayal of Jesus, Buddha, Joseph Smith, Lao Tze, and other religious figures.  But one never got the sense that Parker and Stone had it out for any one group because their satires ran the entire gamut, at least until Comedy Central began censoring them.

And even that would have been understandable — had CC made the decision to avoid religious satire altogether.  Instead, they’re launching a new effort to parody Christianity while imposing the rule of radical Islamists on satires of Islam.  There’s a word for the kind of people who only pick fights with no risk whatsoever: pussies.

Update: I agree with The Anchoress on this one:

As a Christian, I am unoffended by this move. The Triune God has awfully big shoulders; he can take it.

It is Comedy Central that betrays the tiny fragility that lies behind its strut.

I am embarrassed for them.

Offended?  Not really.  It’s more like utter contempt for their blustery cowardice.

Update II: The Verum Serum headline sums it up: “Comedy Central: Unlike Mohammed, Jesus a Constant Source of Amusement.”

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Julian Rouas Paris Shop

From a smoker’s point of view, the bans on smoking may be going to far. I can understand a ban on smoking indoors – I’m okay with that. But, what I can’t understand is a ban on smoking in the great outdoors. Most smokers are courteous and will walk away from a crowd in order not to offend anyone. But, what about people who follow you when you walk away from the crowd? Has this ever happened to anyone?

While attending my daughter’s softball game, I walked away from the crowd to smoke. I walked almost to the parking lot, where there was no one near me. I lit my cigarette and after a few minutes, a woman arrived pulling an oxygen tank. This woman saw me smoking and walked about 40 steps out of her way to walk near where I stood – for the single purpose of being able to make a comment about the fact that I was smoking in public!
So, my question is this. I understand why people who do not smoke do not want to be subjected to my second-hand smoke – and I respect that. But, what do you about people who choke you with their perfume? Where are the rights for people who suffer from migraines, asthma, and allergies?

I once worked in an office with 200-300 hundred other people. In the beginning, we had a smoking and a non-smoking break-room. The two break-rooms were on opposite ends of a hallway and well ventilated. But, that was not enough for the non-smokers. They wanted us outside of the building – exposed to the elements. But, this still wasn’t enough for them – because they liked to sit outside at the picnic tables in warm weather, and there we were. So, the non-smoker’s petitioned until the smoker’s had to completely leave the property in order to smoke. They won – or did they?

I suffer from migraines. One thing that causes the onset of a migraine is strong smells, especially in the form of perfume. I pulled into the parking lot one morning as another person was going in the front door. I stepped out of my car and was almost blown away in the wake of her perfume – a wake that followed her into the building. Sometimes, a migraine hits like a bomb – out of nowhere. One minute you are fine – the next minute, Wham! By the time I got to my desk, I could barely see – and a coworker had to drive me home. I lost a day of work because of perfume!

So, the smoker’s struck back – we petitioned until we succeeded in having perfume and strong colognes banned. And, I never had to miss work again. The smoker’s were still banned from the property, but so were the days of migraines for migraine sufferers and sneezing for allergy sufferers.

If you do not want to be around the smoke from my cigarette, just ask me politely. I will gladly walk away and enjoy my cigarette in peace. But, return the same courtesy. Don’t expose me to a migraine by wearing overpowering perfume or cologne. This infringes upon my rights – and the rights of all sufferers of migraines, asthma, and allergies. So, next time you bathe, before you cover yourself with that perfume or cologne that you think makes you more appealing, think about that person who may lose a day’s pay so that you can smell nice!

Julian Rouas Paris Fragrances

Have you ever gotten ready in the morning, spritzed on your favorite scent, and a couple of hours later you got nothing? This can be exasperating. Why bother to apply scent if it's not going to last? In order to make sure that your uplifting scent lasts through the day or your sexy perfume lasts until the end of your romantic date, follow some or all of these suggestions.

First, be aware that there are different types of scent formulations. Each has a different concentration of fragrance oils. If you use body splash, it literally means to splash it on your body. It is the most diluted type of fragrance. Perfume is the strongest. Depending on the scent itself, it takes very little perfume. You could be having the opposite problem and overwhelming everyone. Be certain that you don't overdo it.

Second, be aware of pulse points. These are the areas of the body that have blood vessels very close to the skin. As the blood pulses, it produces heat. This in turn releases the scent of your perfume. The pulse points are located at the temples, behind the ears, the base of the throat, between the breasts, the wrists, the bend of the elbow, the backs of the knees, and the ankles.

Pay particular attention to the pulse points at the backs of the knees and the ankles. Since scent travels upward, these scent locations are very important. And most people skip these pulse points when applying perfume.

Another reason scent evaporates quickly is because of dry skin. Perfumes contain alcohol. So they can evaporate quickly. A way to prolong this is to apply lotion before perfume. A lotion that is the same scent is an excellent way to extend your perfume's lasting power. But if you don't have a matching lotion, apply an unscented lotion. If you decide to use a lotion with a different scent, make sure that it doesn't clash with your perfume. Often you can come up with unique and pleasing scent combinations. An example would be vanilla scented lotion applied before using a musk perfume.

Along the same line as using a lotion with the same scent is using soaps, body washes, powders, and even shampoos with the same fragrance as your perfume. Many more perfumes are coming out with extended product lines of their scents using additional bath products.

Your perfume can also be extended by spraying some onto your clothing. This should be tested first on a small inconspicuous area on the inside of your garment. Check to make sure that the perfume will not stain before applying it to the outside of your clothes.

An alternative to actually spraying perfume onto your clothing is to wear a scent locket or a scent ring. If you like this type of jewelry, it works great. A scent locket or ring contains a small compartment to place a small piece of cloth or cotton ball which has been sprayed liberally with your perfume. The rings are often called poison rings. An internet search turns up many websites that sell this unique jewelry. The heat from your body releases the scent as you wear the jewelry.

Then, of course, as a fail-safe guarantee, carry a small travel-size spritzer bottle of your favorite perfume to give yourself a quick spritzer during your lunch break or while in the powder room.

Comments (31)

1. I LOVE Chanel No. 5. I have a small bottle, and because it’s so expensive I don’t wear it everyday, only special occasions.

   I don’t find it to have a chemical smell, it smells powdery to me.

   posted by Amy D on
   5-5-2010 at 6:23 pm

2. It smells like old ladies.

   And, how do you have no sense of smell?

   Are you smell-blind like Dewey Cox?

   posted by Kristyn on
   5-5-2010 at 6:28 pm

3. I cannot specifically remember what I disliked about No.5 but I do know I disliked it. Maybe it was an old lady smell. I love Chanel Chance and Chanel Chance Fraiche (I think) they smell delicious. I’m more of a Burberry Girl when it comes to fragrances (that might have something to do with the fact that half of their perfume line has the word “Brit” in it and also that I’m a serious Anglophile).

   Also– Thanks for letting the kid lit thing rest for a while.

   posted by Brit on
   5-5-2010 at 6:50 pm

4. I haven’t worn perfume for years because they aggravated my late husband’s allergies. My dad gave me a small bottle of Chanel No 5 for a high school graduation present. It was such a high-end item for me that I never wore, didn’t want to use it up, and kept it in the box in my bathroom vanity for years.

   I don’t know what has become of it… maybe in storage in a keepsake box because it was pretty important to me at the time.

   posted by Sarah in CA on
   5-5-2010 at 6:50 pm

5. My Daddy bought me my first bottle of Chanel No 5 as a special treat when I was 15. Now 59, it is the only scent i have ever worn. My husband took it on as his responsibility to keep me liberally supplied with all things Chanel and did so till the day he died. Now i must buy it for myself, so use it a bit more sparingly!

   posted by Dustoffmom on
   5-5-2010 at 7:01 pm

6. Always reminds me of getting old. I think you have to get used to the stuff. Much like your first taste of beer.

   posted by lisa on
   5-5-2010 at 7:14 pm

7. I wore Coco by Chanel during college — and I still love it. I wanted to like No. 5 because the story (as you so aptly wrote) is very cool, but it was just not for me. In general, Chanel makes fantastic fragrances.

   I am tempted to wear some No. 5 if it will help me locate Mr. Right!

   posted by Amy on
   5-5-2010 at 8:10 pm

8. I’ve never been a fan of liquid perfumes. They all smell like the generic ‘perfume’ scent to me. The one I use is a beeswax-based balm I bought from Lush. Chanel no. 5 was always equated with old bygone glamor to me, not really sexy.

   posted by heather on
   5-5-2010 at 8:16 pm

9. I agree with Heather, it represents bygone glamour.
   I don’t like it at all and I love scents. Have full unopened bottle courtesy of SAnta Claus if any1 wants it!

   posted by Vee on
   5-5-2010 at 8:23 pm

10. I’ve never actually smelled Chanel No.5. O_o I’m also a bit weak in the olfactory department, so it might not matter…

    posted by Ashley on
    5-5-2010 at 8:42 pm

11. I agree with Chanel no. 5 being for old ladies. I want to like it because it is so classic, but really cannot stand the smell. I stick with Burberry Brit.

    posted by Chloe on
    5-5-2010 at 11:21 pm

12. I don’t have a sense of smell either! I get really excited when I find someone else who can’t smell, because people never believe me when I tell them about it.

    posted by Vera on
    5-6-2010 at 12:37 am

13. I have to agree with Chloe on this one: I feel like I should like it, but I just don’t. It *is* too chemical-y for me. I prefer perfumes that DO smell like other things, like flowers or citrus. I want to smell like something natural, not a composition of chemicals.

    posted by Amber on
    5-6-2010 at 1:13 am

14. I love it, but coz it’s for older ladies I’ve tried to find something else that I like as much. Any suggestions? Recently I ‘ve tried clinique sunshine(?) and Beckham, I really like Beckham but it doesn’t last long at all.

    posted by codsWallop on
    5-6-2010 at 1:17 am

15. My mom wears N5, because it’s the only perfume she isn’t allergic to (and likes). once my dad gave her the WRONG PERFUME so I have a bottle of N19, which is more citrus-y. Dad only made that mistake once )

    posted by bet on
    5-6-2010 at 7:44 am

16. I like chanel no. 5 -I’ll take your bottle, Vee – if you don’t want it

    posted by jen on
    5-6-2010 at 9:02 am

17. I remember being awe-struck when the Ridley Scott commercial came out, at the time it was the height chicness. I also couldn’t believe that he used Vangelis’s music, not many had heard of him then; this led to the two collaborating on Bladerunner.

    posted by Will on
    5-6-2010 at 10:07 am

18. It reminds me of my great-grandmother, since she wore it so often. A sweet memory (she’s still alive though @ 93!!)

    posted by Elle Sees on
    5-6-2010 at 10:40 am

19. was not a fan of the smell, as with most people here it was too old smelling to me….i prefere VS, in particular the black nior and cashmier(sp)…..

    posted by Jennifer on
    5-6-2010 at 10:58 am

20. I love how it smells, to me it’s more powdery than anything chemical. The whole glamour from another era is part of the reason I wear it. Even if I’m wearing jeans and a tshirt it makes me feel just a little bit more pretty.

    posted by Lili on
    5-6-2010 at 11:38 am

21. My husband hates all artificial scents – he vastly prefers that women smell like women. He refers to perfume/scented lotions as “husband repellent.”

    That works for me, since I was never all that into smelling like flowers, fruit or chemicals.

    posted by Kristin on
    5-6-2010 at 11:38 am

22. I lost my sense of smell when I was 10 years old due to an apple thrown to my forehead. That means that I can’t do anything about that. The last perfume I smelled, and liked, was Lauren of Ralph Lauren.

    posted by Yessika on
    5-6-2010 at 12:32 pm

23. #5 is my second favorite scent. I like YSL Opium best,but it’s more for evening. Chanel #5 is okay for both day and evening wear. It’s a classic, timeless, scent. It makes me feel like I smell classy and sophisticated.

    posted by Melissa on
    5-6-2010 at 12:43 pm

24. I don’t care for No. 5 b/c I think it smells like old ladies. I do however love Coco Mademoiselle.

    posted by sjms on
    5-6-2010 at 1:15 pm

25. My mom loves No 5! When I was a little kid, she kept a bottle of it on the spice shelf over our stove. Probably to keep it out of my reach is my guess.

    Anyway, one morning when I was a kid I decided to get up and cook scrambled eggs for Mommy. I knew that she seasoned her eggs with stuff on on the spice shelf, and the liquid in the square bottle smelled good, so it must taste good too, right? So I added it… the entire bottle. And some ketchup.

    Needless to say, Mommy didn’t eat the breakfast I made her. )

    posted by Tara on
    5-6-2010 at 1:23 pm

26. OMG @ Tara… Did YOU eat breakfast that morning? Much less sit down for a month?!

    I have not had a whiff of No.5, but then, I’m not a big perfume wearer. The one time I was let loose in a perfume store, my absolute fave was Dior’s j’Adore… I absolutely love it. I received a sampler box of select Dior perfumes as a gift recently, and I’ve come to realise that I do like the line.
    Most are light enough not to affect my sinuses, and they do smell appealing.

    posted by Dionne on
    5-6-2010 at 1:56 pm

27. Ive never cared for floral scents. I like fruit scents. One of Harajuku girl perfumes smells like pineapple. Thats my new favorite.

    posted by lewen on
    5-6-2010 at 2:57 pm

28. I cannot do alcohol-based perfume, much like Heather. I have a mild obsession with oil-based perfumes, particularly natural ones–black phoenix alchemy lab, to be precide–and always thought No. 5 stunk to high heaven. I understand that it’s intentionally artificial, but that artificial scent isn’t for me.

    My current perfume is a mostly-natural oil based scent with carnation and plum in it. Vastly preferable to No. 5.

    I can forgive Miss Coco anything though. Even making No. 5.

    posted by Nicole on
    5-6-2010 at 4:15 pm

29. I’m with you sjms, i love Coco Mademoiselle too! Been in love with it since it first came out while I was in high school. Dolce & Gabbana red is a great winter scent!!

    posted by izzi on
    5-6-2010 at 5:51 pm

30. Chanel No5 always make me think of my mother (not a bad thing at all!) but I’ve never worn the stuff myself. I prefer YSL Paris. I got a gift set for my 18th birthday and use it sparingly, so I still have some now at age 32!

    posted by RoseyPosey on
    5-6-2010 at 6:28 pm

31. I love perfumes but rarely wear them. When I do, my husband only asks me “what is that?” when I wear Chanel No. 5. So anymore, it’s the only one I wear (and I do love it).

    posted by Stephanie on
    5-7-2010 at 12:46 pm

70 Responses to “Jennifer Aniston Releases A Fragrance Called Lolavie”

1. MiKiE Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:35 am

   if you hate Jen so much why do you post about her? she’s way more interesting than that blonde hag you post about going to mcdonalds or going shopping with her nips popping out and weave falling off hahaha

2. ewwwww Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:36 am

   She looks like she just washed up on shore.

   Or is that the ocean she likes to SCREAM at like she told vanity fair

   She looks freezing and lonely. And again she is covering her plain face with her hair!

3. Susie Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:38 am

   In that pic she’s got the whole “I just washed up on shore after making a deal with the Sea Witch” thing going on.

4. No Way!!!!!!!! Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:39 am

   No MIkie, there is NOTHING interesting about Jen.

   I feel like I lose brain cells whenever I hear her speak or read an interview!

   All she talks about is her hair, body, Mexico yada yada. She seems to do nothing great or new with her lonely life.

   And her quotes all seem straight out of self help books. probably are since she has a therapist!

5. ummmmmmm Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:42 am

   Jen is slowly entering D-list status with a perfume.

   She will never be known as a movie star, she will forever be Rachel and a TV actress.

   And this picture makes her look like someone just dumped her and she looks cold.

6. Drew Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:50 am

   The hate for Jennifer is ridiculous. Its not like she’s Paris or Lindsay. Jen never did anything to anyone. Oh and this “I cant imagine that anyone would want to smell like Jennifer Aniston” ummmm, but u can imagine them wanting to smell like J.Lo or Britney or SJP? Dumb.
   I Agree with Mikie – If u dont like Jennifer dont post about her every other day.
   (I dont agree with the his Brit comments tho… Britney is God )

7. nicole Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:50 am

   kinda harsh there dont you think?
   i personally like the name. and i dont mind the picture…its better then some other promo pics people use.

8. Trent Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:53 am

   @Drew — Nope, I don’t understand why anyone would want to smell like J. Lo, Britney or SJP either. I don’t dislike Jennifer Aniston, just her crappy movies. I wish she’d do something that hasn’t already been done, and better.

9. Trent Says:
   

   April 18th, 2010 at 11:53 am

   @nicole — What exactly did I say that was harsh?

10. Trent Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 11:55 am

    @MiKiE — I don’t hate her but I’m curious, what do you find so interesting about Jen? I’m just curious as to what her fans are intrigued by.

11. the skinny Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 11:59 am

    @nicole- I think Trent could have said much more, if he were that type of writer. If you want some true Jen ( beige ) Anniston then go check the A.V. Club’s hater column. As for me, I fail to see why she gets attention, she is the personification of dull.

12. clerk Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:06 pm

    Aniston is neutral to me as an actress. However, I’m actually not a strong perfume type girl either so her new fragrance which isn’t supposed to have a strong scent is appealing. And of all the celebrities, I think I’d choose hers out of the rest.. I definitely don’t want to smell like paris hiltoon lol.

13. krissy Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    I am not a “fan” of hers, but I don’t understand why people dislike her so much. In interviews she seems pretty humble and down to earth, and for some reason other people interpret that as a pity party or something. I would actually be interested in this fragrance, not because of her, but because I don’t like too heavy of perfumes either. So much stuff out there smells like old lady or cheap to me.

14. krissy Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:23 pm

    I think she is a good actress. I don’t like romantic comedies at all, but that is what so many women go to. It boggles my mind when I hear women complain about the movies that are made for them…while at the same time they are the ones that are lining up to see these films. You vote with your money. People will pay to see Jennifer Aniston in rom-coms, and not in movies that challenge her like Derailed, Friends with Money, and The Good Girl. You can’t act as if she hasn’t tried to do anything other than romantic comedies.

15. patches Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:34 pm

    i bet if someone asked you and gave you a bunch of money for a “Pink” fragrance you’d jump at the chance too… its business, she’s a product and selling herself to make herself more money, big deal! people just like to hate. She looks good in the photo!

16. MiKiE Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    as I said, she’s WAY more interesting than that blonde hag = britney spears. Meaning, Jennifer is more interesting in my mind to read about her perfume, mexico, or whatever the eff she’s doing because in my mind it’s better than reading about how Britney went to Mcdonalds with Jason and then gave her kids some fries. (same goes for how Lindsay went to a club and got drunk, cuz doesn’t that happen all of the time! lol) and I don’t mean to offend anyone…. well I do mean to offend Britney and Lindsay hahah but as if they really care what people actually think of them.

17. ashley Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:41 pm

    She has always kept her cool, been easy to respect and a lady. Unlike many others in her industry…so lets just lay off her.

    Just don’t buy the perfume if you don’t want to smell like her or add to her wealth.

    SJP’s fragrances are really nice, in my opinion and it has nothing to do with the name attached…everyone is entitled to their opinion at the end of the day. My opinion, I like the bottle, and I like JA.

18. kristy Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    i think lolavie means lol-a-vie.. as in laugh out loud at life

19. meh Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 12:58 pm

    i just don’t find her interesting at all- she always kind of seems sad and lonely to me no matter how much she denies it. i loved her during friends though..

20. CHASE Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 1:08 pm

    I’m sorry but it really pisses me off when people give Jennifer Aniston such grief about her movies when ANGELINA JOLIE PLAYS THE SAME CHARACTER IN EVERY ROLE!!!!!!! Hello, her new movie, “Salt”, looks like it could be a sequel to “Wanted” or even “Tomb Raider”! She plays the same God damn character in every movie and it’s OK because she’s the one who became a husband stealer but yet Jennifer Aniston gets scrutinized because she’s the victim. Yeah, makes a lot sense!

21. nancy Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    I think she is so pretty. But here is a tip. Name your perfume someting you are willing to talk about. Not some ridiculous name that you are unwilling to elaborate on. If you didn’t want to share what Lovavie means to you then name your perfume something else! Like Lonely.

22. mae Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    Dude, even if you don’t find her interesting or you think she’s “bland” or whatever word you choose to describe her, you cannot say that she has ever been anything less than classy. I am not particularly a fan of hers, she’s just any other actress out there, but even though her rom-coms might not be the greatest she’s not hurting anyone, is she? If you don’t like her films, don’t go see them. I can’t help but wonder how you would know her films suck so much unless you have paid to see them. You didn’t say anything overtly offensive, but for us regular readers it was a little uncalled for, I think. I’m just trying to understand why you would pick on somebody who just goes about their life and minds their own business.

23. matty Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    i like jen because she seems real and honest. i can imagine hanging with her. id buy this. i didnt know her movies were “awful” but i really dont pay attention to reviews or anything i like what i like and will listen too/see what i want to see without regard to the general publics opinion of it. its how i was a britney fan for years before being a britney fan was “cool” again.

24. lady surgeon Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    not a forever fan of JA but i think she looks so pretty here!!! and the setting is stunning!

25. You must be a dummy Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    Who did you pay money to write this article?let me guess…

    Someone who can not stand the fact that she continues her life, trying to be happy, mind her own business, still being loved by Americans!!!

    I think her parfume sounds very sexy. I do not agree with the person who said she should have named it something she wants to talk about. Then it wouldn’t be personal would it be???
    Amoung all the parfumes that other famous people have, I would choose Jen’s. Because she is an expert on how to look good, what to wear, I am sure she did a great job on her parfume. And I am not even a fan of hers. But wanted to write this comment because it’s very obvious why you chose Jen to write this article and why you are so rude to her. Next time you want to kiss a skinny ass do not make it too obvious!!!

26. mikey Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 4:57 pm

    I love Jennifer Aniston and I really liked the Bounty Hunter..I don’t follow reviews on movies in the paper or tv or on blogs as I always feel you get a bias opinion or someone reviews it who is not in the films demographic. I’ll see what I want to see and generally not swayed by what a critic says…I also agree with Krissy…its not like Jennifer hasn’t tried to branch out, she has tried more serious films and I think the Good Girl is my fave film of hers. But these films are not what people want to see her in. Romantic comedies are what the majority of the public end up wanting to watch. There are plenty of actors who stay in their genre..Kiera Knightly, Adam Sandler, J.Lo, they all just stick to their niche but no one seems to be bothered about it…No one tells Tim Burton not to make a film that isn’t some dark, depressing twisted movie, coz that is his thing…people want to see Jen in films like Marley and Me.. Also I don’t see how people can hate on someone that has worked hard through their career, whos talented and well put together, but still like people like Heidi Montag or any one else from the Hills or the Kardashians or that Jersey Shore crap or the Hiltons?? But if people will buy a fragrance from Paris or Avril or Beyonce, people will buy anything

27. b Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    i’m not going to comment on the “is jen awesome or crappy” debate but i will say that i like light scents, and i’m definitely going to check it out when it comes out to see if i like it enough to wear it!

28. r Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 5:38 pm

    reading that post, i felt i was on perez’ site. the only thinkg missing was a penis drawn next to her face. i agree the tone of the post was harsh (you don’t think the kmart crack was harsh?). i don’t remember you dissing j-lo or sjp or anyone else who’s had a perfume named after them.

29. dana j Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 6:30 pm

    yo, people. THIS IS A BLOG. if you freaking read the comments he made, you get the intonation here: there are WAY too many celebrity perfumes out there as it is and Jennifer Aniston’s perfume isn’t going to be out there in Macy’s and whatnot like other celebs because many places just aren’t going to carry it. plus, in contrast to other celebs with perfumes, JA is being seen as a “sad person” who can’t get a break in movies or in her love life, she’s oversaturating her exposure horribly and she’s gonna run herself out with the perfume. Seriously, why the FUCK would you make a perfume and Not give a reason for it if it’s personal? now people are going to speculate it has something to do with Brad and no one will go after it except for die hard fans.

    I like JA and I feel for her having to see Brad and his whore and their kids all over the news and mags, but she WILL HAVE to change up her image to shed her victim look and overcome her rut.

    But this post turning into HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED’s website is uncalled for. Damn, Trent could have been HARSH, but again THIS IS A BLOG.

30. Kendra Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    I dig the picture and I dig Jennifer Aniston..Granted, I don’t see most of her movies cuz I’m not a romcom kind of girl, but she seems harmless enough..I love her style and it seems really fitting that she would do a really light scent..Having said all that, I’m not going to hate on Trent for not having the same opinion..And yes people, he wonders who would want to smell like ALL of those celebs who put out perfume! He’s always saying that!

31. Yori Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    Come on giirls, might as well add to her wealth and buy her new “toilet water” she’s peddling to the masses, then you too can smell just like Jen Asston!!!! Should be in full stock at your local Walmart shortly.

32. Jaded Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 7:32 pm

    @Chase – I’m not a huge Angelina Jolie fan, but I do think she has a much larger range than Jennifer Aniston. Yes I agree she does quite a few movies that are the same genre, but she has also done Girl, Interrupted, Gia, Beyond Borders, Pushing Tin, Playing by Heart, The Good Shepherd, and The Changeling. Plus, the slew of voice over work she’s done for Kung Fu Panda, and Shark Tale.

    What I don’t understand is why she is brought up whenever someone needs to make a comparison for Jennifer Aniston. The only thing the two of them have in common is that they are actresses and they have both boned Brad Pitt. I don’t see people comparing either to Gwyneth Paltrow or Juliet Lewis who also dated Pitt.

    If you want to compare Aniston’s career to someone the better bet would be Courtney Cox or Kristen Bell, Christina Applegate or even Sally Field. These are women who were popular on tv and moved to features.

    I do though have to agree with Trent. Why would anyone want to smell like her? Or any of them for that matter?

33. Jelousy Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 7:40 pm

    Yori what kind of name is that?

    If JA smells great, I won’t mind smelling like her. Isn’t it why we buy the parfumes, for the smell? Sometimes we buy them just because they have a brand name. There are tons of parfumes out there there are not great at all but we still pay alot of money becuse it’s a famous brand.
    Why don’t you start commenting on those parfumes first???
    Also NEVER CRITIZE SOMETHING BEFORE YOU EVEN TRY. You look jelous and sorry but stupid.

34. Jaded Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    Jaded
    Because all AJ fans compare JA to AJ. Maybe that’s why. They are the ones making fun of JA’s movies, giving her names and whoever wrote this article sounds so much like one of Angelina Jolie fans.LOL

    But I agree with you!!!

35. Annie Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 7:50 pm

    I love Jen!

    Her perfume is Lola Vie, which is “laughing at life” in French. It’s most likely due to all the shit she’s been thrown in life, but she’s still enjoying it!

36. CC Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 8:23 pm

    What is parfume?

37. Sophie Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    @annie… lola vie isn’t french… looks spanish?

38. Steph Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    JA is so boring…. I honestly have nothing to say about her.

    Trent, love your blog. Keep up the good work!!!

39. D Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 10:11 pm

    I still don’t understand why people still see her as depressed and don’t think she’s over her ex-husband. That’s so dumb and there’s no need for any argument ’bout that.
    And lolavie…. Hum that doesn’t mean anything at all. It would mean “laughing at life” if it was “lolalavie” but it translates into “laughing on life” which makes no sense at all. I agree with Trent, that’s the dumbest name for a fragrance.

40. 2 cents Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    I’ll check out her fragrance; she always looks very fit & together & like she’d smell yummy (& clean too, not like alot of the greazy celebs); also Jen doesn’t do alot of product promotions, so I’m curious about what she came up with; I’ve been nicely impressed with SJP’s cologne’s–not the same ol’-same ol’; although I L-O-V-E Kylie, her men’s cologne was way too pretty for me (or on me at least); I’m actually curious about Gwen Stefani’s line too; some celebs seem more involved in what has their name on it than others & she seems fairly discriminating

41. Elaine Says:
    

    April 18th, 2010 at 11:22 pm

    i think it’s so funny people are all upset even though Trent criticizes celeb perfumes all the times. relax people

42. Kel Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 2:06 am

    What I dont understand is why people expect celebrities to explain everything to them all the time like we are entitled to know every little detail about them. If Jen’s reason for calling her perfume “lolvie” is personal, who cares? No one has a right to know personal things about celebrities just because they are famous. What difference does the name really make anyway? I would think people would buy or not buy the perfume because of how it SMELLS, not what the name of it means.

43. Annemarie Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 2:57 am

    Absolutely. A perfume that smells natural is right up my alley. Lolavie means laughing at life. She said. Btw.

44. K Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 6:37 am

    @Kel — “What I dont understand is why people expect celebrities to explain everything to them all the time like we are entitled to know every little detail about them. If Jen’s reason for calling her perfume “lolvie” is personal, who cares?” Are you kidding me? She’s trying to sell this shit to customers and when they ask what the name means her answer is, It’s a secret – just buy it anyway! LOL!! She’s an idiot and if you’re dumb enough to buy something that the seller won’t even explain to you then you are just the kind of sucker she is marketing to.

45. Grace Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 6:43 am

    Well, I’m French, and “vie” is French – it means life.
    But “lola” is not a French word. It’s actually a given name. Like Lola Aniston, for example.
    I think the interpretation “LOL at life” is probably the most accurate one.

    That is, if JA is not trying to say something else altogether… HA!

46. Masher Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 7:07 am

    @ Mikey “No one tells Tim Burton not to make a film that isn’t some dark, depressing twisted movie, coz that is his thing”.

    I so have totally asked that Tim Burton stop making the same old shit!!!

47. jellybelly Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 7:28 am

    jeez its just an opinion I never get why people go crazy over people they have met. While I like to read interviews do you really believe they are being honest all the time? Of course they seem humble lol if they seemed anything but you wouldn’t see their movies. Its pr most of the time but sometimes you find a star who is really nice. I stay neutral on all this lol its not worth getting worked up over

48. jellybelly Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 7:28 am

    oops i meant never met lol

49. Sarah Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 7:59 am

    Love Jen, not feeling this picture or name of frag, but will most def sniff and maybe give it a shot.

50. Laura Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 8:39 am

    dont be such a jealous bitch trent.

51. Trent Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 8:48 am

    @Laura — Oh yes, I’m SO jealous of a celebrity perfume? LOL

52. Heather Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 9:32 am

    I find it odd that you would name your perfume and when asked where you got the inspiration for the name, refuse to say. If you make something public, how could it be personal?

53. jj Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 9:33 am

    She has more personality than that ummm, shanon doherty, you loved so much no DWTS and got kicked off the first night… lol.

    I think it’s a great name, so what if YOU don’t understand it.

54. Trent Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 9:43 am

    @jj — So you’re saying it’s a competition between celebs? What? If you like Jen and her perfume then Good for you! Yay!! You understand the name of her perfume, you win! It’s not worth getting all riled up about.

55. SuziLee Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 10:06 am

    Damn! A lot of comments for this post!! I agree that Jen’s movies have been sucky lately – but for some reason, I still love her. Think it’s cause she’s very humble and down to earth. I actually am interested in smelling this perfume cause I too am not a perfume-y perfume girl – just like a clean scent.
    The name of the perfume – while it’s sweet it means something personal to her – it blows. LOL

56. Nae Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 10:19 am

    yikes. she’s gone to the dark side now releasing a perfume. le puke.

57. Kelly Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 10:27 am

    @K–I don’t appreciate/understand your comment at all. I can see your point for certain products, but not a freaking perfume. All that matters about a perfume is the way it SMELLS. Its not the name of it, the person who made it or whatever else, and if you are the kind of person who buys something based on the meaning behind the name then you are dumber than you say I am. Thats like only listening to a band because you like its name. WTF does a name have to do with it??

58. K Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 10:51 am

    Kelly, if you don’t understand then I’m afraid I can’t help you. I mean, I’d LOVE to help you out but … it’s too personal for me to share.

59. Franki Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 10:53 am

    Wow 57 comments? Really?! Come on people…it is just another celebrity perfume, buy it or don’t….love her or hate her…agree or disagree with Trent but don’t be rude…just my .02 cents.

60. Kat Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 11:17 am

    Let’s talk about something less controversial shall we?

    How about those lame tea party ?

    Religion?

    Ok… well on Anniston, I find her interesting because she’s funny.

    I’m allergic to all perfume and I think anyone that buys fragrances and douses themselves in it thinking we all want to smell that — are insane. So the fact that her’s sounds light is nice maybe I won’t want to gag next time I’m in an elevator.

    Re: post being slanted against Anniston, the Kmart comment was a little on the mean side, but that’s it.

61. Desdemona Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 11:30 am

    I like Jen and I like what she said abt the perfume.. W it not being too strong etc. I thk she does a lot of dumb movies, but rom-coms seem to be the money making thing for actresses. Most of them r dumb and stars like K Hud, J Lo et al do them all the time.
    Why I like jen, Trent? She is pretty and has a casual natural style. She was publicly dumped and handled it with grace and aplomb. She’s over 40 and going strong. I do think trent was harsh but he can post it it’s his blog. That said we can comment on it. Diff strokes for diff folks. Luv ur blog

62. Desdemona Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 11:37 am

    Also u know how some people pronounce lovely lovalie? Maybe that’s it? Is it really that much worse than Beyonces True Star or Ashantie’s Precious Jewel? Lol

63. Believe me it's true Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 11:44 am

    Hellooooooo.. Do you people really think her perfume smells like her??? Really?? Wait!!! Does her perfume smell like Gerard Butler?? Isn’t that who she’s “with” now???

64. Rebeca Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 11:47 am

    Ok, so I wear lovely by SJP and I love how it smells (sorry!!) don’t wear it because it has her name on it, i just like the smell, i could care less who it’s by, as for Jen’s perfume, I can’t judge until I smell it, sounds interesting thought, the promo pic is nice but it does have a touch of “lonely” if she was going for sexy she could have chosen a different setting (IMO) I didn’t think Trent was being rude, it’s his blog and his opinion, it’s up to you if u agree, disagree or r indifferent, I only commented because I noticed some people appeared to be taking this a bit personal….

65. Kitti Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    Jennifer is awesome. She’s a great actress and an extremely lovely person. She has that charisma in her, the same way Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts do.

66. sarah Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    Trent why do you bother even responding to some of the comments. They are just Jennifer Aniston stans and it’s YOUR blog and you can say whatever the hell you want about her! If THEY don’t like what you say about Jen, why dont THEY start a blog worshipping Jen? Dumb hoes…

67. bumblebee Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    If you think she’s so boring why do you bother posting stuff about her? Is it because she attracts so many commenters? Must not be that boring then…

68. Trent is right Says:
    

    April 19th, 2010 at 10:56 pm

    Trent, whatever you do please do not stop being you. Everything you wrote I agree with. JA fans from anistoncenter were told to come over here and give you shit. Please don’t do what they are hoping you to do which is kiss JA ass.

69. Guest Says:
    

    April 20th, 2010 at 2:17 pm

    Agree with others who have said this was a harsh and uncalled for post. But, I will also add that the majority of it is false – Jennifer’s movies actually do well at the box office, including her latest, The Bounty Hunter, despite the fact that it has wrongly and falsely been reported as a flop. It has already grossed more than $111 million dollars worldwide in just 5 weeks release with a production budget of $40 million. It is on course to make more than triple its production budget at the box office alone (not to mention it will surely do well on TV and DVD deals – as all Aniston pics do). It may not be a runaway hit, but it will certainly turn a decent profit for Sony. People wonder why she is still making movies – The Bounty Hunter is a great example. Despite terrible and scathing reviews (which IMO were uncalled for…it was by no means a great film, but most reviewers took their hate too far with some even commenting on her love life, appearance, and choice of roles), this film was still able to earn what it has. Why? She has star power. Add to this that she was the 6th most bankable actress on Forbes list last year and it isn’t hard to see why she has more than 10 movie projects in various stages of development. Anyone thinking she is on her way off the A list or her career is in jeopardy better get used to the fact that she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. She has several films lined up to film or release in the next couple of years, is planning to direct, and has her own production company with a first look deal with a major movie studio.

    It seems its become an acceptable past time of the media/bloggers to mock Jennifer and spread the lie that she is box office poison, lonely, desperate, etc. I have no idea why she has become such a target. As many have pointed out – like her or not as an actress, there are far more offensive actresses and celebrities out there to pick on. Jennifer has done nothing to anyone, she goes about her work, tries to stay out of the public when she isn’t filming or promoting a project, and has always remained classy despite how she’s been treated in the press. If you don’t like her, the simplest thing to do is stop seeking her out.

70. Kate Says:
    

    April 20th, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    Lol! But really, why do you hate Jen so much? I happen to think I have great taste in film and I LOVE a lot of Jen’s rom-coms, most notably Management, Picture Perfect, The Good Girl, I mean come on she has had some really good ones! She has a beautiful, dark quality to her romance/humor at times that I love. Not to mention that she is a true professional. Just consider the sheer number of films she’s been in, and she worked on Friends for 10 years straight while doing this! Can you say something like this about L-Lo? Can you even say it about Angelina? No! Angelina has definitely won more prestigious awards, but what has she done that I would even give note to (other than maybe Girl, Interrupted)? Tombraider? Cyborg 2? Are you joking? Give Jen a break. I love Jen. There, I said it.

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Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: Introduction

The Britney Spears Curious perfume hit store shelves in 2004 and was marketed by a very sensual commercial in which Britney Spears had starred in. The commercial depicted Ms. Britney Spears fantasizing about a man in the next room. The commercial hyped up the perfume so much that women all over rushed to store shelves to buy the Britney Spears Curious fragrance. With all the hype surrounding the commercial, is the Britney Spears Curious perfume appropriate for all women of age?

Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: The Product & Packaging

The Britney Spears Curious fragrance comes in a package that is a black box decorated with metallic blue and pink flowers all over. The fragrance bottle itself is of turquoise color and made of glass. The bottle is very elegant and that it can be compared to antique perfume containers. The perfume bottle is odd shaped, almost like of a spaceship. Pink removable heart charms are added around the spray top of the Britney Spears Curious fragrance. All fragrance bottles are equipped with a silver push down spray top; however, larger sizes of the perfume can purchase an attachment that you squeeze a bulb to make the fragrance dispense such as how antique perfumes used to be. Gift sets for the Britney Spears Curious perfume are available as well as numerous sizes of the perfume. Fragrance sizes vary and mostly consist of 3.4 ounces and 1.7 ounces. The Curious scent line also has a Britney Spears Curious Perfume Body Soufflé and shower gel that are perfect for layering the fragrance.

Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: The Fragrance

According to the advertisements of the Britney Spears Curious perfume, the fragrance can be described as sensual and romantic. The perfume is created by using Louisiana magnolia flowers, vanilla, musk, golden Anjou pear, and dewy lotus flowers. The perfume is on the lightweight in terms of powerfulness. Thus, the scent wears off rather quickly and must be reapplied within several hours. The Britney Spears Curious perfume is appropriate for all women of age. The scent is neither too trendy or overbearing.

Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: Conclusion

The Britney Spears Curious perfume is widely distributed in most retail outlets such as: Wal-Mart, Macys, Dillards, and numerous other vendors. The fragrance can also be found online at discount prices. A 3.4 ounce bottle of the Curious perfume will cost between $40 to $50. The fragrance is one of those perfumes that a consumer will either love or hate. I would recommend buying a smaller version of the Britney Spears Curious perfume and trying the scent out for a week until investing in a larger bottle of the perfume.

Women who avidly read magazines know that the perfume ads sometimes get in the way of actually reading the magazine.

The perfume ads are printed on thicker paper, and can make magazine pages misbehave. Some perfume ad scents are also overwhelming when there are three or more in one magazine.

For these reasons, I typically tear out all of the perfume advertisements in fashion magazines before I read them. Over the years, I have found some creative uses for these scented papers.

Because I don't like to apply perfume to my skin by rubbing paper on it, I rarely ever take these new scents for test drive. I have found other ways to explore these perfumes.

Here are 5 uses for perfume sheets in magazines:

1. Drawer Liners

You may already line bureau drawers with some kind of kitchen liner, or special drawer liner. In “the old days” people used folded newspapers to line dresser drawers. I find that using one scented perfumed sheet in a drawer not only lines the drawer, it also adds a pleasant aroma.

This is a free way to keep clothes freshly scented.

2. Car Freshener

For a scent different than “new car” or vanilla, place an opened perfume sheet from a magazine under a seat in your car. You can enjoy a new scent every week, when you use the advertisements you have collected.

3. Linens and Towels Freshener

Another place to use these free scented sheets is to place them in cabinets where linens or towels are stored.

4. Closet Freshener

Another way to use perfume sheets in magazines is to tack them up in a closet. This works great for closets that do not get much uses, including closets which house seasonal clothing.

5. Under the Sink

Underneath the kitchen sink in a house may not be the best looking or best-smelling place in the house. Use these free scented sheets to make those dark places smell a little bit better.

6. In Your Gym Bag

You may empty your gym bag every time you go to the gym. If you go to the gym three or four times a week, you may only wash the gym bag itself once a week or less. Tame any odor emanating from your gym bag when you travel to and from the gym, toting around sweaty exercise clothing or wet bathing suits and towels.

Place a scented magazine sheet in one of the pockets of the gym bag. It will keep the gym bag, and the gym locker smelling a bit more fresh.

Any of these six ideas are great ways to scent your personal spaces, when you use free scented perfume advertisements from magazines.

Perfume is one of those films I desperately wanted to work, but ultimately, no matter how I tried to fit its pieces together in my head could not make a coherent peace with.

Perfume is the story of a boy, Jean-Baptiste, who is born with an extraordinary sense of smell. Desperately wanting to preserve the smell of a girl he has accidentally murdered, he endeavors to become a perfumer and embarks on a series of murders to create a perfect and powerful perfume made from the scents of 13 girls (3 chords of 4 scent notes, plus a thirteenth, the magical one to bind them all together).

Jean-Baptiste's story is a compelling one, thanks largely to the strange, scuttling and nearly mute performance of Ben Whishaw who manages to make Jean-Baptiste both an innocent and a dangerous obsessive. Without such fine work from Whishaw, Perfume may well have been unwatchable in its many distracting and contradictory flaws.

Among Perfume's many problems is its inability to settle on a tone. Is this a dark fairytale? Is it magical realism? Is it a cautionary tale? Historical drama or romance? Quick cuts to various scenes of odiferous grotesquerie and an excellent voiceover open Perfume, and it seems, at first that we're bound for something very serious that's fully willing to embrace the discomfort of discussing smell, both good and bad. This promising, if difficult, opening is soon utterly pushed a side by an intolerable performance by Dustin Hoffman as an Italian perfumer. His accent isn't just terrible, but inconsistent and his mannerism absurd. Is it bad acting or bad directing? It's unclear, but it's the first of Perfume's massive and poorly handled tonal shifts.

Other problems, that might be less noticeable to a less punctilious film-goer, include the accidental strangulation of Jean-Baptiste's first victim (death by suffocation isn't that quick or that not noticeable), massive anachronisms in costumes and custom, and poor science on the subject of perfuming itself. And with the exception of costuming, these are not subjects on which I hold significant knowledge, but any thinking person in pondering how they are presented has to go “but that makes no sense!”

When Alan Rickman shows up in the second half of Perfume, it's a disappointment. The character (the father of the victim Jean-Baptiste wants most, because she visually resembles that first girl he killed — how are looks and scent possibly related?) is underwritten and Rickman is clearly just there to do what he does so inimitably, that is talk very slowly in a very menacing way about the terrible things he's going to do to someone. It's as effective as ever, but it's a waste of an acting talent.

Perfume ends as it begins at the scene of Jean-Baptiste's execution for his crimes. And execution which, with the power of his perfume goes far differently than expected. Here Perfume had a real chance to make a statement, be uplifting or condemning or even bring in a hint of the supernatural (which is the only thing that would explain certain other facts we get in the course of the film, but I don't think there's supposed to be a supernatural element to the story, I think those are just mistakes). Alas though, we get a big dose of anachronistic heightened reality and our drama is transformed once again, this time into an absurdist fairytale for adults, that is not so enticing as it should be (I must also note irritably that when the most powerful aphrodisiac in the world is unleashed apparently the world is populated merely with heterosexual couples and lesbians. It's a little quibble, but exactly the sort of little quibble that run rampant all over this film).

Sadly, it is also at this point that the voiceover, so effective in other parts of Perfume, lets us down, by implying that Jean-Baptiste has acquired a worldliness on his journeys, but there is no evidence of that in what we have just seen and it weakens those parts of the film that do succeed in catching our attention and even charming us.

Perfume is interesting and may be worth renting for those with particular interest in the story or the struggle to tell stories of this nature, but prepare to be disappointed.

PEOPLE ON THIS SITE NEED TO QUIT MARY CAME OUT WITH THAT HAIRSTYLE BACK IN THE 1990'S AND ROCKED IT THEN AND STILL CAN ROCK IT NOW BUT MARY COPYING ANYBODY NEVER SHE STARTED ALOT OF HAIRTRENDS AS WELL AS CLOTHING TRENDS AND HER PERFUME SHOULD BE CALLED MY LIFE THAT IS WHTA WE KNOWN HER AS SHARING HER LIFE WITH US DIE HARD FANS AND PLEASE BELIEVE MARY WILL ALWAYS STAY RELEVANT BECAUSE SHE GOT STAYING POWER IN THIS INDUSTRY MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU MARY FAN FOR LIFE!!!

Comments (14)

1. I LOVE Chanel No. 5. I have a small bottle, and because it’s so expensive I don’t wear it everyday, only special occasions.

   I don’t find it to have a chemical smell, it smells powdery to me.

   posted by Amy D on
   5-5-2010 at 6:23 pm

2. It smells like old ladies.

   And, how do you have no sense of smell?

   Are you smell-blind like Dewey Cox?

   posted by Kristyn on
   5-5-2010 at 6:28 pm

3. I cannot specifically remember what I disliked about No.5 but I do know I disliked it. Maybe it was an old lady smell. I love Chanel Chance and Chanel Chance Fraiche (I think) they smell delicious. I’m more of a Burberry Girl when it comes to fragrances (that might have something to do with the fact that half of their perfume line has the word “Brit” in it and also that I’m a serious Anglophile).

   Also– Thanks for letting the kid lit thing rest for a while.

   posted by Brit on
   5-5-2010 at 6:50 pm

4. I haven’t worn perfume for years because they aggravated my late husband’s allergies. My dad gave me a small bottle of Chanel No 5 for a high school graduation present. It was such a high-end item for me that I never wore, didn’t want to use it up, and kept it in the box in my bathroom vanity for years.

   I don’t know what has become of it… maybe in storage in a keepsake box because it was pretty important to me at the time.

   posted by Sarah in CA on
   5-5-2010 at 6:50 pm

5. My Daddy bought me my first bottle of Chanel No 5 as a special treat when I was 15. Now 59, it is the only scent i have ever worn. My husband took it on as his responsibility to keep me liberally supplied with all things Chanel and did so till the day he died. Now i must buy it for myself, so use it a bit more sparingly!

   posted by Dustoffmom on
   5-5-2010 at 7:01 pm

6. Always reminds me of getting old. I think you have to get used to the stuff. Much like your first taste of beer.

   posted by lisa on
   5-5-2010 at 7:14 pm

7. I wore Coco by Chanel during college — and I still love it. I wanted to like No. 5 because the story (as you so aptly wrote) is very cool, but it was just not for me. In general, Chanel makes fantastic fragrances.

   I am tempted to wear some No. 5 if it will help me locate Mr. Right!

   posted by Amy on
   5-5-2010 at 8:10 pm

8. I’ve never been a fan of liquid perfumes. They all smell like the generic ‘perfume’ scent to me. The one I use is a beeswax-based balm I bought from Lush. Chanel no. 5 was always equated with old bygone glamor to me, not really sexy.

   posted by heather on
   5-5-2010 at 8:16 pm

9. I agree with Heather, it represents bygone glamour.
   I don’t like it at all and I love scents. Have full unopened bottle courtesy of SAnta Claus if any1 wants it!

   posted by Vee on
   5-5-2010 at 8:23 pm

10. I’ve never actually smelled Chanel No.5. O_o I’m also a bit weak in the olfactory department, so it might not matter…

    posted by Ashley on
    5-5-2010 at 8:42 pm

11. I agree with Chanel no. 5 being for old ladies. I want to like it because it is so classic, but really cannot stand the smell. I stick with Burberry Brit.

    posted by Chloe on
    5-5-2010 at 11:21 pm

12. I don’t have a sense of smell either! I get really excited when I find someone else who can’t smell, because people never believe me when I tell them about it.

    posted by Vera on
    5-6-2010 at 12:37 am

13. I have to agree with Chloe on this one: I feel like I should like it, but I just don’t. It *is* too chemical-y for me. I prefer perfumes that DO smell like other things, like flowers or citrus. I want to smell like something natural, not a composition of chemicals.

    posted by Amber on
    5-6-2010 at 1:13 am

14. I love it, but coz it’s for older ladies I’ve tried to find something else that I like as much. Any suggestions? Recently I ‘ve tried clinique sunshine(?) and Beckham, I really like Beckham but it doesn’t last long at all.

    posted by codsWallop on
    5-6-2010 at 1:17 am