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n '• . • 5 ' THEY SAID IT C0?\ TACT US W.H. AUDEN: “What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is Story ideas? Questions? Comments? intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com and replaced by a new dish.” . * Dressing Celebrity fashion proves ES£V^ multifunctional when it comes to generating a buzz and setting style standards Celebrity trendsetters such as Halle Berry and Renee Zellweger not only turn heads with their red-carpet dresses but generate sales. BY MEG MOORE I I THE fiAMEGOCK In the red-car pet world, blend ing in is not an op tion. When careers are built on public exposure and popu larity often relies on shock appeal, com mercially savvy celebrities strive to make not only an ap pearance but also an impression when they step into the spotlight. On-camera awards show antics, such as L the now famous H Brittany-Madonna I kiss, thrust stars’ * names onto news paper pages and make them the top ic of water cooler |k conversation. After all, they ob b viously live more Hg flamboyant, in triguing and, ■ well, controver sial lives — B what’s not to talk B about? Tabloid-wor thy lip locks aside, what HK celebrities wear down the red carpet can transform them from names into icons. For those who prefer to be seen rather than heard — impossible as that may seem in the Hollywood world—a head-turning dress or an off kilter suit can be the key to notoriety. Every year, a buzz brews over who will wear what to hyped events such as the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Seemingly, what designer a celebrity dons should be secondary to what they win, but often the outfit can make up for having an otherwise un profitable night. Take Jennifer Lopez’s Versace dress from the 2000 Grammy Awards for instance — yes, you know the one. The gown had the world speculating what sort of adhesive she had used to keep the outfit in place. Not only did the dress’ down-to-there neckline make headlines but, more effectively, it had us all wondering what J-Lo would wear next. Now that’s success ful self-promotion. The coverage — or lack thereof — of the dress also ex ploded sales for Versace and induced a wave of similar, though less shocking, department store copies. The frenzy resulted in a win-win situation for Lopez and the fashion house. But a stunning gown can also add to the excitement surrounding an hon oree. While no one remembers if Lopez actually won any awards in 2000, everyone is familiar with the pic tures of Halle Berry — in an intricate Elie Saab gown — accepting her Best Actress Oscar at the 2002 Academy Awards. The image of her emotional reaction indeed captured not only the significance of her win but also r>ei ry s piaut; as tins utjne ui uit; uan. Indeed, many trademark relation ships between icons and ateliers have been developed over the years and similarly benefited both the muse and the maker. Givenchy dresses defined the now classic image of Audrey Hepburn in films such as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and Elizabeth Taylor helped heighten the enduring allure of Valentino. In recent seasons, celebrities have anchored advertising campaigns for some of the biggest names in high fashion. Penelope Cruz served as inspiration for Ralph Lauren and is the spokesperson for his scent, Glamorous. Likewise, Christina Aguilera and J-Lo have jumped on the brandwagon — Aguilera is currently starring in print ads for Versace, while Lopez promotes Louis Vuitton Deauville from the pages of such pub lications as Vogue. Even America’s most notorious Saks shopper, Winona Ryder, graced magazine pages in ads for Marc Jacobs earlierthis year. For those of us not yet ready to spend $850 for a bag such as the Vuitton Deauville Beauty Case, which Lopez has promoted, more accessible Hollywood trends remain. Enter Jennifer Aniston and her style-seen ’round-the-world cargo pants. Routinely stepping out in tank tops and multi-pocketed cargos, Aniston transposed her all-American image onto a suddenly feminine way of utili tarian dressing. Similarly, Gwyneth Paltrow, one of the fashion world’s sleekest dressers, turned Blue Cult jeans into a mainstream phenomenon. Her preferred style, which features two flap pockets on the front, was re named the Gwyneth and sought after by high-end jean connoisseurs the fashion world over. However, just as Hollywood influ ences society, social concerns are also reflected in the stars’ adaptations on style. Black was the color of choice at the 2003 Academy Awards ceremony, normally known for its glitz and gen erally elegant glam. Uncertain times, however, called for a more definitive definition of chic. Simpler silhouettes still evoked all the grandeur of tinsel town, but most gowns were done in more traditional tones such as black and red As the music awards season gets into full swing, pop culture fans can be can assured that someone, some where, will wear something that sets the headline writers afire. From the ostentatious to the outlandish, the music world has been known to go beyond and, in the case of some neck lines, far below what is expected style wise. Tune into VHl’s “Big in ‘03” awards as well as the American Music Awards, both airing later this fall. Even if your favorite artist doesn’t win any recognition, you can always watch somebody else’s choice go down in history as a fashion hit or miss. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockm ixeditor@hotma il. com MOVIE REVIEW Gooding Jr. throws ‘Radio ’ out of bounds “RADIO” ★★ out of ’ BY GABRIELLE SINCLAIR THE GAMECOCK “Keep your priorities straight.” That’s one of the morals Coach Jones, played by Ed Harris, lec tures on in one of his plethora of inspirational speeches in the story of a town, its perpetual llth-grade mascot and a man struggling to find his priorities. The priorities of the pic turesque Anderson, S.C. are crys tal clear. Football is life — no, big ger than life, transcending human wants, needs and emotions. It's' true. “Radio” doesn’t follow along the old standard sports movie cliches. There is no big game. Everything’s the big game. Universal harmony seems to ride on every play, every week. In 1976 Anderson, home of the Yellow Jackets, one’s priorities are set for life before he or she is born, as in practically every small southern town. The head coach holds a position of power and awe. He is little less than a god. Ed Harris, who has played a godlike character before in “The Truman Show,” carries himself with the necessary weight of a shaman or an idol. No one speaks unless he tells them to. The most sincere element of this film is the weekly interaction of the booster club with the foot ball coach. The meeting is held in the local barber shop, where the members interrogate and second guess his every move. And when it comes down to it, the greatest parts of the film are those that don’t feature the title character, played by the star of “Snow Dogs,” and “Boat Trip,” Cuba Gooding Jr. “Radio” barely succeeds in avoiding the pratfalls of the men tally disabled movie cliche, though ♦ RADIO, SEE PAGE 6 PHOTO SPECIAL 10 THC GAMFCOCK Cuba Gooding Jr. (left) and Ed Harris star in “Radio,” a movie that succeeds more In small performances than big ambition. CD REVIEW Vocals give ‘Permission’bad landing “PERMISSION TO LAND” The Darkness ★★outof#**** BY MORGAN FORD THK tlAMECOCK A For Invars nf rnrk musir and The songs on the group’s new CD give the impression of a band still stuck in the past. Hading from the United Kingdom, The Darkness is getting ready to release its debut album, “Permission to Land,” in the United States on Nov. 25. The Darkness’ first single “I Believe in a Thing CaUed Love,” has already generated a buzz, debuting at No. 2 on the UK Top 40. “Permission to Land” contains some rock-icon-worthy guitar riffs. The first song shoots listen ers into a musical time warp, fuU of blasting guitars and volume. The soloing is technically sound and adds a lot of overall punch to the songs. The Album's tracks concern the usual nnestinns about love. mention of something love relat ed, including the group's first sin gle, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” — a catchy track. It is so catchy, in fact, that it makes you want to listen to it a couple of times in a row. And it is followed by another rock ballad that isn’t incredibly unbearable to listen to either, “Love is Only a Feeling.” The songs complement each oth er soundwise and make the al bum a listenable effort — if only for a short while. The lead singer has a very hair metal-esque voice that ranges from screaming to almost melod ic. He frequently slips into a high falsetto that gives the music a very '80s feel. 1 The high pitched “sinsins” basins to set old novelty into a nuisance. If you are a huge hair metal fan, this album might be worth buy ing, but even a hair metal fan could get incredibly irked with the lead singer after a while. If in stead a smaller assortment of tracks had been released on an EP, perhaps the glam sound would have proved bearable without be coming overbearing. The album’s second song, “Growing on Me,” al most sounds prophetic, and in deed the record has its appeal — until you hit the second half of the album, where everything spirals downhill. Spare yourself the hair band overload and skip this CD, unless a Shrieking falsettp sounds like music to your ears. Real-life ‘Radio’ escapes unhurt from small fire THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ANDERSON, S.C. - A week after the movie “Radio” made its premier around the nation, the man whose life inspired the film awoke to find his room engulfed in flames. The early Saturday morning fire destroyed the room James' Robert “Radio” Kennedy lived in but caused smoke damage to the rest of the house he shares with his family, said Anderson Citv Fire Department Battalion tained minor damage. The fire began in Kennedy’s room. Horne said it was most likely caused by an electrical failure. Anderson City Fire Chief Jack Abraham told The Anderson Independent-Mail that investigators would look into work art electrician did on a breaker box in Kennedy’s bed room last week. Shortly after the fire began, Kennedy awoke, saw the flames