Kaiser has already covered some of the fashion at last night’s Hollywood Film Awards, including Michelle Williams, Carey Mulligan and George Clooney and Stacy Keibler. She’ll be mentioning Anne Hathaway and Emma Stone in a moment. Here we have a few of the other celebrities that lit up the red carpet. No one really impressed me except for Julianne Hough and Viola Davis.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley tried to work a intricately beaded Pucci gown and kind of failed, in my opinion. She’s so hot and she’s gotten it absolutely right so many times in the past. It’s kind of refreshing to see her with messy pulled back hair, minimal makeup and a dress that makes her look more like a rare exotic bird than one of the hottest models around. Even the chick who gets to sleep with Jason Statham looks like crap once in a while.

Elle Fanning, still just 13 years old(!), wore a very conservative off white Valentino dress that could pass as a tablecloth. She accented the look with a Heidi braid. It’s kind of sweet for a kid and while I’m not a fan of the dress, I like that she’s covered up.

Julianne Hough really shone in a tight beige dress with a sequin swirl pattern and a deep v-neck that went nearly to her belly button. In theory I don’t like this dress and find her matchy shoes too much. On her though it worked and she looked amazing. Love her hair and makeup.

Amber Heard vamped it up in a blue silk dress with a dramatic bodice slit. I thought we were about to see sideboob, but it didn’t materialize. As we’ve seen in the past from her, the color seems a little off, but I think it’s more her hair color this time than the colors in her dress. Her hair and makeup are phenomenal though.

Busy Phillips was goofy in an updo and a tight black dress with a sequin boob window. I still love her though. She always looks like she’s having so much fun and would be a blast to be around.

Bryce Dallas Howard does not get a pregnancy pass for this mess. She has no boob support, the dress looks like a nightie, and she may have gone for the soft wave look with her hair but the result is no better than an air dry. Her jewelry and shoes look cheap too. Get it together, Bryce!

Sara Rue showed off her body by Jenny Craig in a purple formfitting gown that was the same shade as Stacy Keibler’s dress. She lost a lot of weight and looks different due to that of course, but what did she do to her face? I get the impression that she had some work done.

Viola Davis was one of the best dressed of the night in this off-the shoulder jade flowing gown that she accessorized perfectly. She’s so well put together without going overboard.

Photo credit: WENN and Fame

Last Wednesday, The Help (an adaptation of Kathyrn Stockett’s novel that stars Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Bryce Dallas Howard) arrived in theaters and did fairly well by landing in second place with $26 million in box-office receipts. Of course, neither the book nor the movie are entirely accurate depictions of the subject matter (the lives of black domestic workers serving white households in 1950s Mississippi) at hand; to be fair, however, the story doesn’t even slightly pretend to be a cumulative historical presentation of the Civil Rights Era by any stretch. Still, it’s bound to ruffle feathers that the book features a young, privileged white girl in her efforts to gather up the stories of the black maids in her town. While the movie does take great pains to reframe the story as being more about the two main black characters, Abileen and Minny, instead of having the white girl “save” them, it’s still not exactly cinematic history in the works. Even if, essentially, The Help was only meant to be a summery beach read, I can definitely see why certain black stereotypes presented in both the book and the movie would upset the Association of Black Women Historians, and they have penned a letter as such:

On behalf of the Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH), this statement provides historical context to address widespread stereotyping presented in both the film and novel version of The Help. The book has sold over three million copies, and heavy promotion of the movie will ensure its success at the box office. Despite efforts to market the book and the film as a progressive story of triumph over racial injustice, The Help distorts, ignores, and trivializes the experiences of black domestic workers. We are specifically concerned about the representations of black life and the lack of attention given to sexual harassment and civil rights activism.

During the 1960s, the era covered in The Help, legal segregation and economic inequalities limited black women’s employment opportunities. Up to 90 per cent of working black women in the South labored as domestic servants in white homes. The Help’s representation of these women is a disappointing resurrection of Mammy–a mythical stereotype of black women who were compelled, either by slavery or segregation, to serve white families. Portrayed as asexual, loyal, and contented caretakers of whites, the caricature of Mammy allowed mainstream America to ignore the systemic racism that bound black women to back-breaking, low paying jobs where employers routinely exploited them. The popularity of this most recent iteration is troubling because it reveals a contemporary nostalgia for the days when a black woman could only hope to clean the White House rather than reside in it.

Both versions of The Help also misrepresent African American speech and culture. Set in the South, the appropriate regional accent gives way to a child-like, over-exaggerated “black” dialect. In the film, for example, the primary character, Aibileen, reassures a young white child that, “You is smat, you is kind, you is important.” In the book, black women refer to the Lord as the “Law,” an irreverent depiction of black vernacular. For centuries, black women and men have drawn strength from their community institutions. The black family, in particular provided support and the validation of personhood necessary to stand against adversity. We do not recognize the black community described in The Help where most of the black male characters are depicted as drunkards, abusive, or absent. Such distorted images are misleading and do not represent the historical realities of black masculinity and manhood.

Furthermore, African American domestic workers often suffered sexual harassment as well as physical and verbal abuse in the homes of white employers. For example, a recently discovered letter written by Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks indicates that she, like many black domestic workers, lived under the threat and sometimes reality of sexual assault. The film, on the other hand, makes light of black women’s fears and vulnerabilities turning them into moments of comic relief.

Similarly, the film is woefully silent on the rich and vibrant history of black Civil Rights activists in Mississippi. Granted, the assassination of Medgar Evers, the first Mississippi based field secretary of the NAACP, gets some attention. However, Evers’ assassination sends Jackson’s black community frantically scurrying into the streets in utter chaos and disorganized confusion–a far cry from the courage demonstrated by the black men and women who continued his fight. Portraying the most dangerous racists in 1960s Mississippi as a group of attractive, well dressed, society women, while ignoring the reign of terror perpetuated by the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens Council, limits racial injustice to individual acts of meanness.

We respect the stellar performances of the African American actresses in this film. Indeed, this statement is in no way a criticism of their talent. It is, however, an attempt to provide context for this popular rendition of black life in the Jim Crow South. In the end, The Help is not a story about the millions of hardworking and dignified black women who labored in white homes to support their families and communities. Rather, it is the coming-of-age story of a white protagonist, who uses myths about the lives of black women to make sense of her own. The Association of Black Women Historians finds it unacceptable for either this book or this film to strip black women’s lives of historical accuracy for the sake of entertainment.

[From 40 Acres.com via ONTD]

Does the association have a legitimate point? Probably so, but I still don’t feel that the book’s author meant for her work to have any serious implications other than possibly opening the eyes of a few readers. It’s a tough one to call, really. Overall, I don’t find either the book or the movie to be overly offensive towards blacks, but my opinion in this matter doesn’t hold much credence for the simple fact that I’m not black. While the dialect used both in the book and the film is an obvious problem, it’s also rather vindicating that the heroes in this story are the black domestic workers. Yes, the book is about racism, but I don’t know if we should go so far as to label it racist in and of itself. Thoughts?

Movie stills courtesy of AllMoviePhoto

Bryce Dallas Howard was my worst-dressed pick for the MTV Movie Awards. Yeah, I know she’s pregnant and that should ensure that she gets a pass. But Bryce simply has terrible style, all the time. Remember when she wore this to Cannes just a few weeks ago? It was an oversized smock made out of stiff-looking tapestry material. And as for this J. Crew dress…I’m sorry, there are lots and lots of cute maternity clothes that don’t look like Pepto-Bismol vomit. I just don’t get why anyone would want to look like this, why anyone would say “Hey, that fug pink thing with the little rope belt! I WANT THAT.”

That being said, I don’t really get Bryce Dallas Howard in general. I get that she’s Ron Howard’s daughter and that she’s trying to make a name for herself on her own, and hey, she actually won last night (Best Fight) and she got a shout-out from Sparkles (“It’s ok, I ripped your head off and now you’re pregnant!”). But it feels like… eh. She doesn’t need to exist in Hollywood. She brings nothing to the table. She can’t even dress in a cute outfit for a red carpet.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

We haven’t had a good Sparkles Pattinson post in a while, so it’s nice to end the year with a funny little story about sparkly hygiene. NY Magazine’s Vulture columnist ran into Bryce Dallas Howard and instead of asking her about her new film, they asked about Robert Pattinson’s hygiene, which she witnessed first-hand on the set of Eclipse. Bryce described an incident in which Sparkles admitted he needed to see a dentist because he chipped a tooth while flossing. She describes him as “hygienic” which runs contrary to mountains of evidence that he probably smells bad.

Sure, he looks foul-smelling, but would you believe Twilight star Robert Pattinson is really “incredibly hygienic”? So hygienic, in fact, that he’s a threat to himself and his teeth? It’s true, claims his Eclipse co-star Bryce Dallas Howard!

When we ran into her at the recent New York premiere of her new movie, the Tennessee Williams–scripted The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (out today), she told us about her first brush with Rob: “I actually came out to him that I was totally nervous about [meeting him],” said Howard, who will replace Rachelle Lafevre as evil vampire Victoria in next year’s Twilight 3.

“He’s such a sweet young man, and there’s such a distinctive difference between him and Edward Cullen. He does such a wonderful job embodying that character, and bringing that character to life. But when you meet him, he’s such a down-to-earth, humble person, you feel bad freaking out around him.”

“But what does he smell like?” we inquired. “Actually, he’s incredibly hygienic,” Howard insisted. “He told me this story that made me crack up. He was like, ‘Oh, I have to go to the dentist.’ And I was like, ‘Oh no, what happened? Just a check-up?’ And he was like, ‘No, I chipped a tooth.’ And I was like, ‘How?’ And he was like, ‘Flossing.’ Who does that? I don’t even floss. So he’s hygienic. Trust me.”

[From NY Magazine]

I floss. I’ve never chipped a tooth while flossing, and I can’t imagine flossing so hard that happens. Personally, I find Bryce’s comment about how she doesn’t floss grosser than her story about Pattinson. In any case, it’s not Pattinson’s teeth that I have a problem with. It’s his gross hair and his dirty clothes. That boy needs some mothering, and I’m not sure Kristen Stewart is up for it. But I am!

In other Pattinson news, he was spotted out and about in London with his sister, and now all the Twihards are all “Bella and Edward didn’t spend Christmas together, SOB!” Photos of the family outing are here, but be forewarned: Sparkles looks like a sketchy kidnapper, and his sister did not get the sparkly genes. And one more thing: in that Moviefone poll (the one that determined that Megan Fox was the worst actress of the year), Robert was voted “the sexiest actor of the year.” Which is sad, really. Because kids today think Sparkles is sexier than Clive Owen. Sob!

Oh, and in case no one has caught this yet, here’s Sparkles in the trailer for his new film Remember Me. It doesn’t look horrible, it just looks pretty cheesy:

Robert Pattinson in New York on November 19, November 18 and in Los Angeles on November 16. Credit for all: WENN.

We’ve already established that I’m a Twihard now. I just couldn’t help it. I defy any woman to watch that film and not think of her first love. (If you had one of those idealized first loves. I was really lucky in that regard, thanks to a hunky Australian exchange student.)

“Ghost Whisperer” star Jennifer Love Hewitt is also a rabid fan of the series. She gushed about star Robert Pattinson to MTV News at Comic-Con, saying she would faint if she met him, that she’s “Team Edward,” and claiming “there is not a girl in the world who’s not Team Edward.” (For the uninitiated, Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, is the vampire who’s won Bella’s heart. Jacob, played by Taylor Lautner, is a hot werewolf and a buddy of Bella’s who pines for her. I know it sounds goofy but if you can suspend disbelief it’s a lot of fun.) I don’t agree with her that all of us are team Edward. I mean, I definitely get the appeal of the character but he is kind of stalkerish and he does treat Bella like crap in the second book, New Moon. I won’t reveal much more or we’ll be in spoiler territory, but I think Jacob deserves a chance too.

Hewitt also begs for a role in the Twilight saga, asking for even some small extra-type role. The books’ writer, Stephenie Myer, appears briefly in the first film at a diner, so it’s possible that Hewitt could land a similar split-second appearance. I don’t see her stepping in as a character, though:

Jennifer Love Hewitt may be “The Ghost Whisperer,” but the actress also has a thing for vampires. And one bloodsucker, in particular, has caught her eye – Robert Pattinson.

“Who’s not Team Edward?” she asked MTV News at 2009’s Comic-Con in San Diego.“There is not a girl in the world who’s not Team Edward! Have you met girls who are not Team Edward? Well, they are not girls! They’re aliens from another planet who should not be allowed to exist.”

While Jennifer was there to promote the fifth season of her CBS show, she was disappointed that she missed the “Twilight” gang.

“I wanted to see them so badly, but they were here before I got here, so I was bummed that I missed them,” she added. “But I’m hoping that some of the ‘True Blood’ people are still here so that I can see them, ‘cause obviously I have a vampire thing.”

But she admits that perhaps it was a good thing that she missed out on meeting her favorite undead actor, Robert Pattinson.

“I’d pass out [if I met him]. I can’t talk about it, ‘cause I’d pass out,” she told MTV News. “It’s because he’s Edward. Listen, Edward can fly you through the forest. He’s like Aladdin with vampire teeth — there’s magic-carpet rides. He can sing. He can watch you sleep. He plays music. He sniffs your neck. I mean, please!”

Not only is Jennifer a Twi-hard, but she’s also lobbying for a role in one of the “Twilight Saga’s” films – for both her and her boyfriend, Jamie Kennedy.

“I want a part so bad. Any part’s fine. I will be the vampire who carries Robert Pattinson’s luggage in the airport, that is the part that I will play if they need it. Jamie wants to play a werewolf, so we’re both putting it out there,” she joked.

[From Access Hollywood, site has automatic video]

Who is Hewitt kidding, she doesn’t care if her boyfriend gets a part too, she just said that because he was probably standing right next to her. As much as Jamie Kennedy seems like a douche to me, it speaks well of him if he actually watched Twilight with Hewitt. That is such a chick flick. Kennedy also wore a silly button on his tie with Love’s face on it that said “Got Love?” He took it off for the red carpet, but was photographed with it on as they made their way through Comic-Con. I hope that a fan gave it to him and that – God forbid – Love didn’t have it made and then try to guilt him into wearing it. Jamie recently posted on his Twitter account that he didn’t propose to Hewitt at all as was rumored: “There’s a lil rumor going round that i got down on one knee in Long beach. If i was gonna get down on one knee do u think i wud do it in the [continued on next tweet] LBC???? I mean i’m down with Snoop but L Beach dosent scream Romance. I luv my girl and wen it happens you’ll be the first to know.” Hewitt has already put him on a timetable, and told a radio station in June that “by this time next year, if we’re not planning something, then there’s a situation.”

In other Twilight news, the lovely and pale Bryce Dallas Howard has been cast to replace villain vamp Victoria in the third installment, Eclipse, due out next Summer. The current actress, Rachelle Lefevre, supposedly had “scheduling conflicts,” but I would bet it was more like “too high salary requirements.”

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy are shown at Comic-Con on 7/25 and 7/26/09. Credit: WENN.com. Hewitt’s eyelashes look painful. Photos of Jamie with the button on are from 7/25 and are credit: David Tonnessen, PacificCoastNews.com. Bryce Dallas Howard is shown at the Paris premiere of Terminator: Salvation on 5/28/09