Why Seeing Benedict Cumberbatch on Sherlock Is an Aesthetically Rewarding Experience

I quite enjoy Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock.

I only gave the series a try after one of my best friends who came to visit me from Ohio a few weeks ago encouraged me to do so. And since I tend to share similar aesthetics with my close friends, I figured I'd enjoy it. And I did.

One of the things I quite appreciate about friendhsip is that it saves one a lot of time when it comes to selecting the right form of entertainment. And I am painfully picky about the latter.  Friendship is a good enforcer of efficiency. Ok, but why am I engaging in a non sequitur already? I'm not even past the third paragraph!

Alright, let's look at the trailer first and see if it suits your fancy:



I get a lot of work done usually with a particular episode of Sherlock in the background. I create a lot of work strategies as Cumberbatch utters the great script. The episode is called Scandal in Belgravia and it has replaced my quotidian dose of Curtis Hanson's Wonder Boys.

Aesthetically, this episode does something for me. I reckon I know what that is but it's far more interesting to talk about other things here. Like, the appeal of deduction. The big picture comes to light most beautifully in the end and the details are nicely delineated one by one as Sherlock deduces away.

By way of offering more context, Sherlock has a website called Science of Deduction and, funnily enough, the creators of the show have actually created a bona fide site that reflects what they mention in the series. Seriously, this series is so quirky it is bound to make one chuckle a few times. And Cumberbatch has some phenomenally gripping lines like: "Sherlock Holmes: Oh, enjoying the thrill of the chase is fine; creating the distraction of the game, I sympathize entirely but sentiment! Sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side," or "'You look taller in photographs.'" - "Take the precaution of a long coat and a short friend." Or my favorite: "stop boring me and think!"

This is a fun series. I'd recommend the second season over the first and the current third. Cumberbatch has an Asbergers-like delivery of lines that is quite something to watch. I didn't use to be a fan of his but after seeing him in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy I started to change my mind. I quite enjoy him now. And if you're looking for something fun and smartly written, give Scandal in Belgravia a try. It's available on Netflix as well as iTunes.

You might just keep revisiting it and use it as a background soundtrack too.

Harry: You look taller in your photographs.
Sherlock: Take the precaution of a good coat and a short friend. - See more at: http://www.planetclaire.org/quotes/sherlock/series-two/a-scandal-in-belgravia/#sthash.8iyzCoYD.

Harry: You look taller in your photographs.
Sherlock: Take the precaution of a good coat and a short friend. - See more at: http://www.planetclaire.org/quotes/sherlock/series-two/a-scandal-in-belgravia/#sthash.8iyzCoYD.dpuf

Harry: You look taller in your photographs.
Sherlock: Take the precaution of a good coat and a short friend. - See more at: http://www.planetclaire.org/quotes/sherlock/series-two/a-scandal-in-belgravia/#sthash.8iyzCoYD.dpuf

Harry: You look taller in your photographs.
Sherlock: Take the precaution of a good coat and a short friend. - See more at: http://www.planetclaire.org/quotes/sherlock/series-two/a-scandal-in-belgravia/#sthash.8iyzCoYD.dpuf

Harry: You look taller in your photographs.
Sherlock: Take the precaution of a good coat and a short friend - See more at: http://www.planetclaire.org/quotes/sherlock/series-two/a-scandal-in-belgravia/#sthash.8iyzCoYD.dpuf

Hair Is Rarely Inconsequential

I like my hair stylist. Unlike other stylists I've had in other parts of North America, he is somewhat introspective and talks sparingly. I like that. Plus, he is quick and fantastically accurate with his free hand cutting or 'precision cuts', as he refers to them. Guy knows how to measure length with his eye. In a mere 30 minutes he can produce a perfectly executed cut and he never makes you wait. A 2:00pm appointment means exactly that and at 2:30 you're free to resume your day. A man after my own heart.

Today, as he was educating me on the merits of a well-cut bob and why it's a good choice for certain face shapes, he noted that he finds it curious that I tend to answer his questions with questions.
I got a kick out of his observation as, well, he was right.
"What do you mean?" I added cheekily.

As he was working on his precision cut, I got to thinking more about his observation. The act of question acting is not just directly related to information gathering. Quite often, we ask for the purpose of evading additional questions we might be asked which we might be uncomfortable discussing or simply unwilling to entertain. Question-asking as a way of addressing a received question creates a space of comfort, a space in which attention can be shifted to other targets. I suppose that's why we have idioms like, "well, I asked you first." The idiom is not necessarily an infantile evasion as there's some etiquette-informed truth to it. Hierarchy matters in language and s/he who asks first needs to have first pick.

Certain spaces create better arenas of information gathering than others. Hair salons are one such space. I wondered why that was so today and I came to the same conclusion I've come to in the past. Aesthetic topics serve a litany of functions, a couple of which are the bringing forth of distractions and creating a venue in which to discuss substance. Aesthetics, as it benefits the self, helps lower one's guard and it ends up making one feel more at ease, more approachable linguistically.

And might even dare to answer a question in anything but the interrogative.
"So, how do you like your place?"
Instead of pulling an oldie but a goodie, "Yeah, yours is a short walk from here, right? The city smells great in the Spring, eh?"
I simply said, "I like it when I'm in it which is not a whole lot of the time." I wanted to add, "What about you?" You like yours"..., but I didn't.
I suppose, it's okay to answer certain questions when asked first whether one's getting a precision haircut or not.

Podcast: What is Beauty?

Much of my professional research in the realm of the Middle Ages has tackled issues of beauty and aesthetics. Naturally, a good measure of the same ideas are bound to inform my appreciation of modern themes. The latter is what this podcast discusses.

Recorded at The Ohio State University. Tip of the hat to Paul for the editorial assistance.

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Eyewear Matters

At a few points in time I have been known to sacrifice look and style to comfort. For instance, consider the sunglasses I have on here. We were in Los Angeles and if there's a place on Earth where eyewear is a must, it would have to be La-La land. The sun there is truly strong. Plus, I'm the kind that wears sunglasses all year-round, morning to night, whether it's raining or Los Angeles-sunny. These glasses are Versace and they seem to stand for much of what I do not. I generally tend to 'rock' RayBan aviators as they're more aligned with the school of minimalism to which I tend to subscribe with ever-increasing regularity.

The lenses on these Versace, however, are out-of-this-world fantastic. They especially come in handy when driving or doing outside activity. So, while I would tend to harbor some judgment when seeing other people wearing the same style, I still maintain that these shades are among the best quality lenses I have ever had. Aesthetics is important to me but in this instance I suppose I'm deviating. And that's fine. Every rule has an exception. Or a few.

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Distracting Beauty? Remarks on Aesthetics

The recent lawsuit of Debrahlee Lorenzana, a 33-year-old single mother, against her former employer Citibank branch at the Chrysler Center in New York made me think of a conversation I had with a dear, close friend the other day on the subject of, what I uneconomically call: "the quotidian ramifications of superior aesthetics i.e., beauty." I am told that I frequently observe the following in conversations: "aesthetics is never inconsequential." I believe that high-frequency phrases reveal much about our general attitudes about things. In my case, I pay attention to aesthetics because I see it - not only philosophically - as a reflection of content.

There are many recent studies that state that people tend to remunerate certain employees who are endowed with higher aesthetics much better than those who are not. Some studies say that employees get much better evaluations on their job performance if they are perceived as good-looking or that a better-looking person gets hired over one that is less good-looking and so forth. The moral of the story is that looks do matter and they are, indeed, never inconsequential.

In literature we are also exposed to the high frequency use of 'beauty' and its effect on other things. More specifically and historically, in many medieval narratives, beautiful people are, for most part, privileged of God. Interior beauty was seen as a reflection of divine favor. I could also mention Dante here but instead I'll tip the hat to Virgil, his guide. In pre-Christian literature whether it's Virgil's Ovid or Homer's Illyad and the Odyssey, beauty served as a text that begged for much attention. Think, Helen of Troy and her face that apparently was so beautiful that it "launched a thousands ships."

Usually, we are exposed to the positives of beauty, however. Many maintain that a person reaps more from life if he or she looks a certain way. More attention is given to the better-looking. I am not of this same belief, however as I do think that a generosity of good content is bound to generate more fruit than a well-moisturized face with the right aesthetics, proportions, and feature-to-feature ratio.

However, I also tend to think that even those who say they don't care about how they look, care about it. I'll present one fundamental reason here and that is the playground psychology. I've always been a kind of a jock. I was generally picked first on the playground. I only see romantically those who look a certain way, I have very clearly defined standards of beauty and I only give attention to those who look a certain way, or the way that I consider worthy of my attention.

But while aesthetics and presentation do matter, content matters just as much. The trick is in the balance. One can't privilege one at the expense of the other as, in the long run, this kind of modus operandi tends to lead to some kind of dysfunction. Good presentation and aesthetics take time, work, and resources. I am not sure whether we as a collective are perhaps somehow wired to pay attention to things that take time to prepare. What I do know, however, is that a good visage and get-up do surely take time.

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New Videocast: A Review of The Real Housewives of New York City

In this new episode I discuss the show The Real Housewives of New York City and how it has managed to be a success with different age groups. The main point I pursue is that at the core of the show's success lies the concept of marketability of sociality. By marketing their daily life experiencing, while sporting their own aspiring brands, the women manage to enter the world of quotidianity most naturally.

Big tip of the hat to Paul, as always, for his editing.

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NO, It's Not Hip to Be Round. I'm Calling 'Lazy.'

What a ridiculous premise this NY Times article has!
So, just because the economy is bad, we should forget about health and well-being. Since when was taking care of one's self a sign of decadence and having too much time?
I don't know Guy Trebay nor have I ever seen him in person but I would bet that he has, at least a mild form, of bicep-envy.

A bit says:

“I sort of think the six-pack abs obsession got so prissy it stopped being masculine,” is how Aaron Hicklin, the editor of Out, explains the emergence of the Ralph Kramden. What once seemed young and hot, for gay and straight men alike, now seems passé. Like manscaping, spray-on tans and other metrosexual affectations, having a belly one can bounce quarters off suggests that you may have too much time on your hands.

“It’s not cool to be seen spending so much time fussing around about your body,” Mr. Hicklin said.

And so guys can happily and guiltlessly go to seed.

No way, man, no friggin' way! How ridiculous is this?! Are the Times out of serious writers with credible stories and premises?
More here.

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Tip of the Hat to Vegas

Since I travel a good deal, I pay attention to airports. One of the first things that's important to me is free WiFi. Another thing is wider access to healthier food choices. Aesthetics and tidy spaces matter too.
Having these things in mind, the star of the year goes to the Las Vegas airport. I was amazed by how spacious, clean, well-kept, with-the-times, and overall interesting it was.
The last time I passed through the Vegas airport was in 2006 but at that time the airport was under construction and new repairs. Plus, since I used to get to Vegas by car when I lived out West, I didn't have much experience with it.
One thing I'm especially appreciative is the free WiFi.
Granted, it is Las Vegas and things and signs Las Vegas aren't everyone's bag of chips, as it were, but the overall quality of the newly updated airport is indeed impressive.
So, I give it my tip of the hat today.
Ah, yes, there are also tons of Barry Manilow, Penn & Teller, Bette Midler et al., posters around as well as gambling machines but as the saying has it, when in Vegas....

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What I've been Reading

In Pursuit of Elegance by Matthew E. May has been quite a find for me. If you're interested in the science/art dynamic, aesthetics, and symmetry this is a book I highly recommend.

The narrative style of May features a dose of classical philosophy and enough Americana references to make the reading experience most pleasant. If you liked the HBO series the Sopranos and are a fan of aesthetics, get to the nearest bookstore and check May's book out. You'll get into it after the first few pages. It's the kind of book that begs for constant attention, hence you'll be done reading it in a very short time.

A bit says: [Elegance] is about finding the `aha' solution to a problem with the greatest parsimony of effort and expense. Creativity plays a part. Simplicity plays a part. Intelligence plays a part. Add in subtlety, economy, and quality, and you get elegance...Elegant solutions relieve creative tension by solving the problem in finito as it's been defined, in a way that avoids creating other problems that then need to be solved. Elegant solutions render only new possibilities to chase and exploit. Finally, elegant solutions aren't obvious, except, of course, in retrospect."


Grown up Digital has proven to be one of the most enlightening books of the year for me. Don Tapscott zeros in on how the new generation processes information and how conventional ideas regarding intelligence and skill sets have shifted. Tapscott explores different ways businesses can learn to apply young talent to the work place and how young people relate to new information and knowledge.

If you're a neophile, you will feel like you have found a functional home in Tapscott's book. Do read this.


Appetite for Self-Destruction by Steve Knopper will especially speak to neophiles with a strong flare for music and the music industry. The chapters about Steve Jobs' road to the 'invention' of the iPod are most exciting. Jobs, the man and the Jobs, the innovator are layered quite interestingly here.

This book explores the major shift that occurred in the music industry once music became digital. One of the albums Knopper mentions with loyal regularity is Michael Jackson's Thriller and why its success is unlikely to get replicated. When in the 80's, do as the 80's folks did.... In the digital age, users shop for tracks not albums, necessarily.

The digitization of music first and foremost means that a behavioral change has happened in the consumer. S/he can choose what to add to the library and what eventually makes it into the check-out basket. Granted, a lot of behavioral changes have had to happen in the merchandizers as well. Well, if they want to stay in the business, at least. Don't try to replicate Thriller, says Knopper, see if you can come up with a business model that can adapt to the new culture of music consumption.

Very good read, as well.

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Doppelganger

My friend Liam just made me aware of this business out West that sports the same initial logo as my name and blog onomastics.
Hm.
It does look awfully close to me.
(However, I do realize that there is a basic difference, i.e., inversion applies to their R and my B.)

As I noted to Liam, I wonder which one came first, the BR or the BR. Is this a case of two mutually exclusive parties being hit simultaneously by a wave of graphic inspiration, while being thoroughly independent of each other?

Not to be petty or anything, (oh, who am I kidding? For the sake of argument, let’s, let's be a tad petty), the logo with my initials was first conceptualized by designer par excellence and close friend, Camille well over seven years ago. The logo first made it on my business card back in ’03. I suppose I could be even more petty (or is it pettier?) and I could ask to compare design notes with said company and determine which came first. If I end up lower on the hierarchy, I’ll be a man and retire my laurels as holder of BR.
Hm.
Onomastics is, after all, never inconsequential. Or is it?

Tip of the hat, Liam, for keeping an aesthetics-informed eye out.

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Hangover, the movie

Well, it's about time they made a movie about it, eh?
Yes, I did see The Hangover.
What sold the movie to me was this here attached poster of Bradley Cooper.

I first saw this poster on a foreign subway station and I remember thinking, 'add this to the list of things to see.'
So, we went to the movies. Even got popcorn. And I don't do popcorn. I don't do Blockbuster movies either, but there you have it. Every rule has them. Exceptions, that is.

Now, B.R., the movie goer, will say that she liked the film. She actually laughed a lot. I found myself laughing the most when the characters were satirizing the comic text that is Vegas. In this regard my laughter was influenced by B.R.'s travel bug and academic eye for close reading. But why bring that up here. We're talking about an entire movie the premise of which is, 'what the heck happened last night after exorbitant amounts of alcohol were consumed?'
Right.
I can't really use literary theory to decode this.
Well, I could try but I reckon I've had enough comedy for a week.

The main reason, however, why I suggested that we go to the theater and watch this film is because of Bradley Cooper. I first noticed Cooper when he appeared in another mind-teaser (my coinage, folks). Don't judge. It was summer. My best pal was visiting from Germany and our house was hot due to air conditioning being on sabbatical for weeks. We lived in the dessert after all. Yada, yada, yada, we were in the mood for Wilson/Vaugh jokes.

Anyway, Cooper's performance in the Wedding Crashers did make me think. I remember noting that he would go places. His blood-shot eyes seemed to have a kind of torture quality to them that made them interesting.

Plus, Bradley Cooper is a beautiful person. He sports a kind of masculinity that's moderately bathed in feminine sensitivity. Ah, and his upper body suggests that he lifts and does yoga. Yes, I do watch films at times mostly because of who stars in them. Blame it on my weakness for aesthetics.

So, yes, I watched the Hangover. No, I won't officially review it here. I've got my rap to worry about, after all.

I will note two things about it: it captured Vegas realistically. If you're like me and have spent time in the dessert city you will feel like you're right on the set.

And Bradley Cooper. Objectification aside, I look forward to seeing him properly cast so that he can show his acting chops better. But for now, let him take advantage of his aesthetic superiority. And why shouldn't he?

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New Videocast: Beauty and Aesthetics

In this videocast I discuss the philosophical concept of beauty/aesthetics.

You can view the videocast here.

Feedback welcome.

P.S. The photograph you see here is a favorite of mine. It reads: "beauty geek."

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graph per http://www.nextnature.net/research/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/beauty_geek.jpg

Beauty

Apparently one of my high-frequency cluster of lexemes is something that goes like this: 'beauty/aesthetics is never inconsequential.'
As it is the case more often than not, we tend to repeat that which we consider the most and spend much time masticating. Philosophically, the study of aesthetics is as fecund as it could be. But philosophy is not the only discipline where aesthetics enters with a splash. It is also a permanent inhabitant of literature, religion and so forth.

I just recorded two new episodes for both of my podcast series, Gendering the Media and De Amore and in both episodes I mention the concept of beauty from a philosophical as well as literary perspective. Obviously, our understanding of and attitudes towards beauty and aesthetics have shifted dramatically from the times of the Greeks, Romans, St. Augustine, Early Christianity and so on.

In earlier times, aesthetic beauty was code for inner goodness. The more beautiful a person, the better the soul/nature of that person. In this regard, the form was, in many ways, that which clarified the weight/importance of content.

Might I recommend this article from the Times which appears on today's issue?

A paragraph says:

"Are models perhaps the last silent film stars? A preview of “The Model as Muse” suggests they are. A model’s face on a magazine cover may sell fewer issues than that of the latest hot actress, but they are ultimately a lot more compelling to look at and this is because we hardly ever have to hear about their private lives or be burdened with their thoughts.

It cannot be accidental that Kate Moss, the most persuasive contemporary example of a model as an artistic catalyst, has assiduously guarded what she says throughout her career. Ms. Moss is no dummy. She knows that the basic requirement of her particular job is silence. A model is a muse to the precise extent that a model is mute."

Yes, a shift has definitely occurred but one thing is certain: aesthetics is so consequential.

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Michelle Obama's Sleevelessness

I find that Michelle Obama performs her gender quite interestingly. I might even suggest an adverb I've rarely verbalized to my folk and that is: exquisitely.
Some people are having a hard time dealing with her sleeveless tops. Experientially, I do not get this. Cognitively, (and sadly) I do.

There is even a new term that explains her fashion choices: Sleevegate.

I wish I were joking.

Let's, for a moment, consider her clothing choices. Well-sculpted arms are code for something: disciplined self-respect. Good genes only take one so far, I find.

I admire her corporeal presentation because, as a bit of a gym rat myself, I experientially get how much of a time and effort investment it is to present one's self a certain way aesthetically.

So those who are bothered by her sleevelessness, might I respectfully suggest that they transform their intolerance of well-sculpted arms into, well, an intolerance of unhealthy habits that eventually lead to a lack of 'well-sculptedness'?

Now, I was not around when Jackie O sported a lack of sleeves. I was a teenager in the 90's, so what do I know, (experientially that is!) about Jackie O. But I suppose I could comment about sleevegate.

I have long maintained that form and aesthetics at large are code for rich content. I find nothing inconsequential or trivial about the kind of fitness that is rooted in healthy moderation. It's after all a beautiful thing to observe and, more importantly, experience.

Tip of the hat to well-sculpted arms, I say.

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graphs per huffpo

Marriage Makes One Fat? Study Says: 'Yes, It Does.'

Uri Gneezy and Jason Shafrin's study is entitled: "Why Does Getting Married Make You Fat? Incentives and Appearance Maintenance."

The abstract says:

"Married individuals weight more on average than non-married individuals. We suggest that exiting the dating market decreases one’s incentive to maintain their appearance and thus leads to an increase in body weight. The paper uses a 13 year panel data set and exploits variation in the type of domestic relationship in order to pinpoint how exiting the dating market affects body weight. We find a positive correlation between the strength of the domestic relationships in terms of probability of termination and weight gain."

A couple of paragraphs from the study say:

"In this paper we test the appearance maintenance hypothesis empirically using a 13 year panel data set from the Netherlands. We exploit variation in the type of domestic relationships to see whether individuals in domestic relationships with a higher
probability of termination will gain less weight than those who enter into domestic relationships where the probability the relationship will terminate is lower. We find that individuals who enter into cohabitation relationships gain less weight than those who enter into traditional marriage relationships.

Further, we observe that having a child reduces the probability that a relationship terminates. The marginal impact of having a child decreases the probability a couple separates more for cohabitators and marriages with a prenuptial agreement than for couples in traditional marriages; traditional marriages already had a lower separation probability so the marginal effect of having a child is less than is the case for cohabitators or marriages with prenuptial agreements. As our theory predicts, married individuals with a prenuptial agreement gain more weight after having a child than would be the case when an individual in a traditional marriage has a child. For cohabitators the results are imprecise because fewer cohabitators have children than married couples. Overall, our results show a correlation between the probability a domestic relationship will terminate and subsequent weight gain.:

Read it all via Tyler Cowen blog, MR.

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graph per google images

Botox Makes One Happy?

Per a report on the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology via discovermagazine.com:

"People with Botox may be less vulnerable to the angry emotions of other people because they themselves can’t make angry or unhappy faces as easily. And because people with Botox can’t spread bad feelings to others via their expressions, people without Botox may be happier too."


Tip of the hat to mr for the pointer
graph per discovermagazne.com

Text Behind Clothing: Substantial

Every news program I have marginally or solely seen/listened to from yesterday to today has not only mentioned but also analyzed the GOP's decision to give Sarah Palin a substantial makeover.
And people are having strong reactions to the $150.000 makeover. Some are even pointing out that the attention the Palin camp is getting on the matter is a sign of sexism and that male candidates spend thousands on designer suits all the time.

Personally, I don't know any hockey moms so I can't rely on personal experience to comment on this. Cognitively, there are a number of ways to interpret this, of course.

The thing I'm thinking about is the fact that the hockey/soccer mom image, at least the one that stereotypes inform, does not, for the most part, reside in a 'Prada-informed niche'. Prada does not come cheap.
When John Edwards' $400.00 haircut bill was made public many people commented on it and presented it as a sign of elitism. I don't tend to think that there is a direct correlation between wardrobe choices and elitism but I can see why certain clothing items could make some equate the wearer of such things with elitism. And this brings me to the whole 'hockey mom' notion as one that's [apparently?] antithetical to elitism.

Hockey moms and Prada items are not mutually exclusive.

Bottom line: The text behind clothing is a strong one. And aesthetics will not be irrelevant anytime soon. It never was in the first place.
The NY Times article points out:

"Such an image is unhelpful at this late stage of the general election, Republicans said, especially when many families are experiencing economic pain, and when the image applies to a candidate, like Ms. Palin, who has run for office in part on her appeal as an outdoors enthusiast and former small-town mayor who scorns pretensions.

“It looks like nobody with a political antenna was working on this,” said Ed Rollins, a Republican political consultant who ran President Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign in 1984. “It just undercuts Palin’s whole image as a hockey mom, a ‘one-of-us’ kind of candidate.”

Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, have been described as elitist by both Republicans and Democrats at times, and so much was made when she appeared on “The View” in June in a black-and-white patterned dress. Turns out it sold for $148 at an off-the-rack store.

Few Republican operatives or politicians, even those critical of the McCain-Palin campaign, were publicly criticizing the ticket on Wednesday over the clothing purchases. Some said privately that doing so would be akin to kicking a campaign while it was down.

Others said the issue was tainted with sexism, given that male politicians often spend thousands of dollars on suits.

“She had a legitimate need to purchase clothing to get her through three months of grueling campaigning in the constant spotlight of television cameras,” said William F. B. O’Reilly, a Republican consultant in New York. “No one would blink if this was a male candidate buying Brooks Brothers suits.”
Read more here.

The Power of Mascara

This, well, it begged for attention.

"The anthropologist behind “Love Signals” says mascara on women attracts men because men have darker, more uniform complexions. So, “a pronounced contrast between the eye area and the skin is a symbol of femininity.”
via ny times

Shear Genius: Well-Edited and Aesthetically Spot-on

When people ask me to explain, in pop culture language and image, what heteronormativity and performativity is, I like to resort to ubiquitous signs and 'texts' with the premise of which I happen to concur for the most part.
I have a show I could use as an example when attempting an 'illustration' of the names of my blog. The show is called Shear Genius and it airs on Bravo TV every Wednesday at 22.00, 21.00 C.
It is tough to know which shows to watch and DVR at a time when there is a cornucopia of options but a handful of qualitative programming.
I fully enjoy and make it a point to catch Bravo TV's Shear Genius. Shows like Shear Genius make me think that perhaps turning on the TV occasionally and actually keeping cable is not that trivial a pursuit.
Just why do I enjoy Shear genius?
1) The choice of stylists is pure genius. These reality stars are not only fully cognizant of the craft and what it entails, they seem to inherently get sociality.
2) Aesthetics, need I say more? Any show that pays attention to good form will have my attention. Since I don't usually do TV, in order for me to have the incentive to watch I need to know I'll be, at least, aesthetically informed. Well, Shear Genius does just that.
3) Stylistic relevance. Most people like to look good and hair will always be relevant.
4) I like to see how the stylists relate and how they wear their gendered expressions which they change up as often as their hypermodern hairstyles. Judith Butler, anybody? A person can wear a number of ['hair'] identities contemporaneously. At least, that's my Shear Genius' interpretation of Butlerian gender notions.
Thumbs up on my end.

Starsailor Band Members Know About Music and Haircuts!

Some of the music I'm currently listening to as per some of your questions comes mostly from Rilo Kiley, Nada Surf, Tegan&Sarah, Keane, and Starsailor.
Starsailor has been a favorite for a while but I'm especially enjoying them these days for some reason.
Check out these vids: a poetic blend of indie rock and not-to-be-ignored aesthetics.
I want to know who cuts their hair.
Well, that, and who helps with the fusing of the classical bits in Four to the Floor.
I fully recommend their stuff. If you enjoy British Invasion sounds a la Keane, Coldplay, Stereophonics or even The Killers and The Bravery from the States, you're bound to like these guys. Starsailor hail from Manchester and here is their Myspace page.
Yes, I do like them better than Oasis. But then again, I like most music better than Oasis these days. Sorry, Liam!