Dear PsychoDoc: I’m a guy and one of my closest friends in the whole world happens to be a female. And before you say it, no, I am not gay! We’re just really tight buds because we have lots of stuff in common. We first met when two mutual friends hooked us up to go on a blind date. It was weird because we got on like a house on fire, but it didn’t take long for us to realize that our relationship would never be anything other than Platonic. Now that we’ve been friends for two years, I’ve started to catch feelings for her! When we’re together, she really turns me on. I want to tell her how I feel, but I think she just sees me as a friend now. I don’t want to scare her off, but I’m not sure if I can hold my feelings in any longer. What should I do?
-Tarik, 26, New York-

Dear Overly Friendly and Frustrated: I never thought that guys like you actually existed; I thought you were all an urban myth? Who meets hot chicks with stellar personalities and then makes them a friend? Lame! Nah, but seriously, I have to commend you on nurturing the long-forgotten art of the ‘befriend-then-bang.’ You meet a girl, make it seem like your intentions are 110% friendly, then all of sudden, you sneak up behind her and before she knows it, she’s making you eggs after a night of hot, passionate sex. Are you at all familiar with the art of flirting? You gotta do that to test the waters before you make a move and look like a total asshole.

Make a few sexually suggestive comments and see how she acts. If she flirts back, or does that cute girly thing where she giggles and looks all coy, then she’s a goer. Don’t worry about messing up your friendship. What all women (and men, to be honest) want, is a best friend that they can fuck. I’m 88% certain that the thought has crossed her mind more than a few times over the course of your friendship. Unless you’re a total douche-bag or something. Which you’re not, right?

This plan is totally failsafe, unless you’ve displayed many negative qualities with other women, and let your friend know about it. Because, then she’ll just be like ‘’I’m really attracted to him, but he treats other women like shit. I could never get with him.’’ If that is the case, then perhaps you should keep your feelings to yourself. Although, if you’ve just been a little bit of a douche, then you’re cool. She expects that. And that would actually work in your favor, because then she’ll be like ‘I love him, but he can be a bit of an ass at times. Maybe I can change him if we started dating.’’

You see where I’m going with this? Good Luck!

PsychoDoc is written by Donald Crunk, the founder of the Styleslut creative collective. He is not a medically-trained doctor or shrink, but is a highly-trained professional in life. He can be reached at psychodoc@psychopedia.com.

One of PsychoPEDIA’s favorite lighthearted dating books? Flirting 101: How to Charm Your Way to Love, Friendship and Success, by Michelle Lia Lewis and Andrew Bryant ($13).

And our quick-reference guide to seven women you can never date:
1. Your best friend's sister
2. Your secretary
3. The ex-girlfriend
4. The hot trailer girl
5. Your friend's ex
6. The high-maintenance piranha
7. The stripper

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:30 PM | Permalink

Make no mistake: Manchester, England's hottest music export of 2009 is the The Whip. The band channels T. Rex, New Order and Primal Scream into an electro-glam rock and pop frenzy resulting in a uniquely modern sound. With the release of their full-length debut X Marks Destination (Razor and Tie), the Whip is finally making the big trans-Atlantic jump.

We caught up with the Whip on their North American tour, and asked them to shed light on the United Kingdom's 'Second City.' Needless to say, with a population of 2.5 million that includes well-known institutes of higher learning, countless museums and the BBC Philharmonic, there was more to the city than our pub knowledge of football and Oasis:

What's the best way to get around Manchester?
There are loads of buses, we still get old-school double-decker buses in some parts. The tough dudes sit at the back upstairs. The center itself is pretty tight and the places I would want to be are pretty close together. There is a tram in the city that’s easy to hop on or off. I say use your trotters and get fit.

Good neighborhood to hang out in?
Chorlton is a pretty cool suburb about a five-minute bus ride from the center of town. There are loads of bohemian arty types in this area. Lots of bars and all-night house parties. Fee and Nath live here and rarely sleep. There is a really nice tapas place just in the city center off Deansgate called El Rincon. It’s really genuine Spanish tucker and the fish is great (surely not from the Manchester ship canal). The lady in there is a tough cookie but I like the abuse when I’m eating good Spanish food. And there are a lot of cool bars around the northern quarter. For years there were just a couple of cool bars that would play cool music around that area. All of a sudden there are 10 or so bars. Trof is my favorite in the area -- it’s got a really relaxed feel. It’s dimly lit and chilled out with some big fat couches and they usually have some nice music playing. Good olives too.

Seems like there are loads of museums and parks in the city. Any particular recommendations?
Yeah, the latest museum that was built is Urbis. It’s a modern building close to the site of the IRA bomb which graced our city in ‘96. They changed the whole area and it looks pretty nice. Skater kids hang out there and get drunk but it’s a nice little garden. They put a stage up there and we played a show last summer. It was a fun night.

Fave music stores?
In the Northern quarter area, again, the best two shops are opposite each other. Vinyl Exchange sells secondhand and promo CDs and vinyl. I used to have scabs on my fingers from flicking through music in the racks there. They really cram the stock in. Picadilly Records is the other shop. It’s over the road and sells more new stuff but they put little write-ups on each record. There is a lot of love and attention that goes in to some of their finds. They got right behind the Whip early on and gave us ‘single of the month’ in their hallowed window. Cheers.

Best places to catch a gig for an up-and-coming band?
On Oldham Street is the Night and Day Cafe. If a band had to graft from the start it’s likely that they came through the doors here. I saw the Rapture there years ago, which was pretty memorable. Actually I think I’ve played the drums, the bass guitar and synth in there with various bands. The other place a couple of streets over is the Roadhouse. It’s a cellar venue, I put my guitar through the low roof once. It was an accident, they had rubbish polystyrene tiles up there.

Favorite place to play a show?
There are four academy venues up by the university buildings on Oxford Road. We just played a sold-out gig there. It was a great night for us at the end of a crazy Euro disco party of a tour. Last summer we played at the Castlefield Arena as part of a big free festival in town. That was a great gig and a lot of Manchester saw us there (10,000 – 15,000) -- it’s a natural-bowl type setting and everyone was right behind us. It’s cheating on home turf though.

Good place for brunch?
Trof does a mean brunch, or the Cornerhouse Cinema-- they do a post beans on toast.

Cool restaurant options for vegetarians?
There is a nice place in Didsbury called Greens. The guy who owns it is one of those TV chefs in the UK. Nice tucker though. They do fake black pudding and fake duck but in a meaty kind of way.

Best restaurant when someone else is picking up the tab?
The Malmaison does Russian with a certain economic sting to the taste. It’s good for drinks before we play the warehouse project. The warehouse project is amazing. It’s a club set under the railway station and it a car park during the week. It used to be a railway shed and has great brick structures inside. There have been many messy Whip nights in there. Love it so much.

Is football a huge part of life (or is that just because the Manchester United fans we meet have convinced us of this)?
Football is huge for me. I actually follow a second division team called Wolverhampton Wanderers, if you cut me a bleed ‘old gold’ (my team’s strip color). We used to have a relative who played for them so my dad always took me there. I love following both City and United though. United are such a good team at the moment. I saw the wolves there a few years ago which was amazing. You get some fierce rivalry that can get pretty ugly. You guys seem to have a more polite and sensible rivalry with sports, but football can get crazy over here.

What is the one thing a person absolutely has to experience when they visit?
Meat pie, chips and gravy from a proper chippy, or some decent old-fashioned food from Sam's Chop House. A nice steak and kidney pie.

Can you tell us a secret/little-known fact about the city?
I think I just gave them all away.

Could you give a few pointers regarding slang?
We constantly make fun of these in a ‘mank’ accent:
No way mate. = I can’t believe it. (people say mate all the time, all the time, you’d think you had a thousand friends)
Proper sound = really nice person
Do one = get out of here
Minger = ugly girl
A made ya = you are my son/daughter

~Abbey Braden

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 07:48 PM | Permalink

Emily Thomas knows how to color hair. After all, she has been one of Cutler Salon’s most sought-after colorists for over 10 years. But although her clientele, like celebrity chef Rachael Ray and socialite Nicky Hilton, pay top dollar for her services in either of Cutler’s Miami or New York City locations, Thomas still knows how to save a few dollars with hair care during these challenging economic times.

Thomas lent some frugal expertise to psychoPEDIA on some basic upkeep tips. She shared a vast amount of suggestions, from simply asking one’s stylist questions, to inexpensive drugstore-product buys, and how to maintain luscious locks on a tight budget.

Who are some of Cutler’s top clients that you think have great hair?
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber come often to our Soho location and Bjork came in recently. Rodney did Fergie’s hair for the Grammys – her look was all over the Internet.

When did you move down to Miami to open Cutler’s new location?
I moved in April 2008. So, it’s almost been a whole year I’ve been living down there and traveling back and forth to accommodate my clients who are based in New York City.

For the ladies out there who aren’t fashion models or celebrities and don’t have a big budget, what would be the first thing you’d suggest to lower their hair-care costs?
There’s a multitude of salons right now that are offering hair-care classes. You’d be surprised how many of them help their clients learn quick tips of the trade. For example, many ladies spend hundreds of dollars each month on blowouts – twice a week is the usual maintenance routine. To save money, salons are offering classes on how to do the blowout yourself. So rather than go to the salon twice a week, you could go only once a week or every other week, once you figure out how to do it yourself.

As far as color goes, what would you suggest to keep costs down?
For starters, a hot trend right now is that grown-out root, beachy look. Take a look at Cameron Diaz’s current hair style or even Gisele’s look – both of them have their roots grown out. It’s more of a natural vibe that’s really trending in all the fashion magazines and editorial spreads. So, in a nutshell, keeping up with a fashion trend could save you money!

How about for the girls who are hiding grey hair and can’t face a seeing an inch or let alone a half-inch grow out?
Clairol makes an incredible product called Root Touch-Up. It’s really easy to use at home and most importantly really inexpensive to purchase. I think it’s around $8 or $9 tops? If you have tons of grey hair or just a little bit of grey hair, this is a great product to use in-between salon trips. So, if you normally see your colorist every two months, you could stretch it to three or four months with this product.

What are some other inexpensive drugstore finds you’d suggest?
I always recommend L’Oreal Color Vive shampoo to clients who don’t want to spend salon prices. Redken shampoos and conditioners are great too. It’s usually around $11 to $13 per item. Another great drugstore find is Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. It’s really mild – that’s the main thing to watch out for with shampoos for those with color-treated hair. Shampoo is essentially a detergent, which is really harsh against the scalp and of course the hair itself. Johnson’s is really soft and of course really cheap too! And color conditioners from a variety of lines at the drugstore are a great way to keep color looking shiny as well.

What are some other quick tips?
I know it sounds really simple, but just ask your colorist or stylist what to do. You’d be surprised at how helpful they’ll be when you say, “I need to save money on my hair. Can you help me?” Bottom line: colorist and stylists want to keep their clients. I want to keep my clients I’ve had for two, three, five and ten years, even if I don’t see them as often as in the past. I always pay close attention to my clients’ needs. It’s my relationship with them that’s most important, and making them happy.

On a fun ending note, who would be a dream client who you’d switch from a blond to a brunette?
Without a doubt….Kate Hudson.

~Jessica McMenamin

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 10:09 PM | Permalink

Not since the days of Ron Popeil selling sprayed-on hair have consumers been as transfixed by an infomercial product as they seem to be with All Star Products’ Snuggie. The Hawthorne, NY-based company—which has also developed and marketed hot-sellers like Strap Perfect, the “Ultimate Bra Strap Solution” (didn’t we solve that problem in the ’60s?)—hit pay dirt with a glorified monk’s robe-meets-straight-jacket that purports to ban couch-potato chills and remote-fumbling spills. And they have been outrageously successful–- to date, over 4 million Snuggies have been sold.

The Snuggie’s incessant, 60-second spots are rooted in classic direct-advertising technique (corny dramatizations, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, “act-now!” package discounts), while taking on a post-modern catchiness in an era when everyone’s an expert in virtually simulating ironically authentic fervor around cultural shrapnel.

So who better to evaluate the Snuggie’s practical value and larger stronghold on late-night-purchasing consciousness than Sam Reich, Director of Original Content at CollegeHumor and Executive Producer/Director of MTV’s The CollegeHumor Show?

We had Sam hunker down for a few days with the literal security blanket. In his words:

Is it secretly comfortable and amazing to wear the Snuggie privately in your own home? And what ultimately distinguishes it from a standard blanket or sheet?
I hate to be the bearer of bad robes, but the Snuggie isn’t exactly comfortable. It feels like a limp hug, the kind you get from a pretty-but-frigid girl. Frigid is a good word, too. I’d say it raised my temperature a total of one degree. And it’s clingy. Clingy like a holiday sweater. A holiday sweater that trips up your feet.

What activities would you recommend and not suggest while wearing the Snuggie?
Recommended activity: staying completely still. Without any fastener in the back, the Snuggie is like a hospital gown without back-ties. And if there’s one thing more embarrassing than wearing a Snuggie, it’s losing your Snuggie. Not recommended activity: ping-pong. It wasn’t long before the Snuggie was hanging off me like a barber’s apron. It did, however, make a soft padding for the many balls I missed that hit my chest.

Can you picture couples having Snuggie sex in some weird new fetish movement?
When I put on the Snuggie, no one wanted anything to do with me. First, there’s what it does to you physically. It’s the opposite of a bodice. It makes you look like a melting wicked witch. Second, there’s the static electricity. Whenever I touched anyone, I would give them a shock. And not just a little shock, but a visible blue shock, a miniature Street Fighter Hadouken. If people wanted to have sex in this, they would probably also be into nipple clamps.

Does it make you feel at all monk-like when you’re wearing it?
I did look pretty wise. Except I wasn’t wise, since I theoretically just spent $20 on a mail-order bathrobe.

Imagine how heads would have exploded had Vince Offer of ShamWow fame been the promotional face of Snuggie.
There’s probably a combo product to be made. A Snuggie/ShamWow hybrid that soaks up your feces. The ShamWow is absolutely comparable to the Snuggie. These commercials seem to say, “Sure, it’s a sponge, but it’s the best sponge.” The Snuggie is the best blanket. These products aren’t innovative, but they’re the latest and greatest version of something you already have. We need the best of everything. That’s why there’s Godiva chocolate and $50,000 wine and Windows 7.

At the end of the day, Snuggie seems to be the apotheosis of viral culture, impulse-buy habits and pure American laziness. Would you agree?
The Snuggie is a great example of viral marketing. Come up with a product that’s silly and cheap enough to buy on a lark. The Magic Bullet Blender and Hula Chair are just as silly—as if anyone actually makes that much guacamole or expects to wiggle their way to fitness—but they’re big investments by comparison. The Snuggie is marketed in such a way that it’s almost a joke. You can’t tell me the makers actually expect people to wear them to sports games. Imagine how embarrassed that kid would be. “We’re rooting for you, son!” “Jesus, Dad, take off the sleeved duvet.” But in the process of the video being passed around, they’ve found a group of suckers. Waifs who probably weigh less than 100 pounds and wear blankets around the house already. And who knows? These people just might have found their Messiah. At closer to 200 pounds, I’m sticking with holiday sweaters.

- Kenny Herzog


For more Snuggie style, check out SnuggieSightings.com.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 08:44 PM | Permalink

I’ve Googled Juvéderm once or twice after contemplating¬ my reflection for an amount of time better left for teenage girls. But the thought of a dermatologist jamming my cheeks until they’re plump with hyaluronic acid dermal filler produces an anxiety that far outweighs the desire to erase smile lines. Of course there’s Botox, which promises to vaporize my frown lines, but unfortunately I have a healthy fear of clostridium botulinum. And anyway, isn’t it at all disturbing that I’d want to erase all evidence of emotion on my face?

In the spirit of holistic medicine (and vanity), I contact Mark Moshchinsky at Tree of Life Acupuncture, and schedule a facial acupuncture appointment, clinging to the hope that this problem can be tackled from the inside out. If Gwyneth and Madonna are fans, there’s a good chance I’ll walk out of the acupuncturist looking younger and prettier.

I arrive at Tree of Life and complete the standard intake forms. Then I meet Mark for our consultation, but first ask him a few questions before volunteering my face as a pincushion.

On the inevitable Botox comparison: Well, I’m not a Botox expert… let’s start with the advantages. It’s quick and the results could be more dramatic than acupuncture. That’s probably it. The disadvantage is that when it wears off, you look a lot older. And there are no health benefits.

Disadvantages of acupuncture: I’ll start with the disadvantages. It’s not as dramatic– that’s basically it. The advantage is, it works on your health. Even if I focus on your face, a lot of organs map out on the face. The liver has to do with eyes, mouth has to do with digestion, and the nose has to do with the lungs.

On visible results: Unless you do some surgical procedure, if you don’t feel well, it always shows on your face. Even if you get Botox, there’s an energy around you. A woman may not be that beautiful, but she’s happy and people cling to her. A lot of the time it has to do with internal energy. You might not always see it, but people feel it. Another advantage is that it’s natural, it’s not as dramatic, but over time you can see that it will help you with stress and all your health issues. A lot of people carry stress on the their face.

How to achieve optimal results: Lines aren’t going to disappear after one visit. A good rule of thumb is 10 to 12 weeks for any course of treatment. Acupuncture can give you a glow–it can happen with even one treatment. It gives you more blood supply and more energy.

Cost comparison: Average acupuncture sessions range from $80 - $120 (generally 10-12 treatments, one every week or two, are necessary). A standard Botox treatment costs anywhere from $350 - $800, and lasts up to 4 months. Restylane lasts a little longer than Botox and there are claims that after a second course of treatment, results can last up to 18 months. (But Botox is still the most popular, with over 5 million injections last year, up from 4.6 million in 2007). (Also of note: Reloxin, a possible Botox rival expected to be approved by the FDA later this year, is currently used in two dozen countries. It will have a lower price tag than Botox, and boasts reportedly similar results to Botox.)

So after noting that I’d like to focus on the area around my mouth (and he doesn’t disagree), we head over to the table. He checks my pulse and looks at my tongue–- standard acupuncture intake. He says I look a little off-balance.

He feels around my abdomen. At the point right below the diaphragm there is some discomfort. A-ha! The stomach affects the area around the mouth. Mark puts a needle two inches below and to the right of the knee and a pulsing sensation begins. He puts his hand back on my stomach and the discomfort is completely gone. He adds a few more needles–- one to the left hand, right foot and the crown of the head.

Now for the face: He gently places a needle on either side of my mouth and then two more a little further from the center of the face. All is good. But when two more go in closer to the ears, I get that woozy beads-of-sweat-all-over-the-body sensation. Did I mention my fear of needles? He removes the last two. A little deep breathing and I’m back to normal. He leaves me alone for the best part of acupuncture– a trip to that special place somewhere between sleep and consciousness.

Twenty or so minutes later I float back to Planet Earth feeling remarkably calm. On my way out I stop at the mirror to check out the reflection. No longing for Restylane. No signs of stress. I had a certain glow. It’s simple to see that a full course of treatment would produce significant effects.

That evening I sleep better than in weeks. And there’s no better way to get a luminescent complexion than a good night’s rest. Sign me up for round two.

~Lisa Germinsky

Tree of Life Acupuncture
32 Union Square East #804
212.533.1192

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 12:19 PM | Permalink

Kevin Devine is pondering the choices his fans will make in the coming months. He’ll be on the road supporting his latest record, Brother's Blood (Favorite Gentlemen). And with the economy the way it is, he can’t help but wonder if they’ll opt for a ticket to his shows or simply a T-shirt with his name on it.

It’s a conundrum he understands well, as the New York-bred, Brooklyn-dwelling songwriter occupies the role of divided consumer in his relationship with the Mets, his beloved hometown baseball team. To wit: he used to play in an indie band called Miracle of 86, referring to the oft-referenced Mets victory of that year. “In some ways, outside of family, the longest relationship of my life is with the Mets,” he says. “It kind of superseded girlfriends or music.” And this week, the organization unveiled a curiously timed celebration of themselves (and in some people’s view, including Devine’s, reckless commerce) known as Citi Field, an exorbitantly-outfitted new ballpark replacing the old Shea Stadium, and kicking off this week with the season opener.

The 29-year-old neo-folkie was propelled to national attention after becoming a high-profile victim of Capitol Records’ recent merger with Virgin— but since then he has re-established a huge fan base by touring with Brand New, and posting demos on his MySpace profile (with over 1.6 million views at last count), all leading up to the aforementioned Brother’s Blood.

On a recent windswept Saturday afternoon, Devine absorbed the sights, smells and $17 lobster rolls at Citi Field, and was left with the distinct feeling that “these stadiums are not being built for the casual fan. They’re being built to streamline a profit margin.” And while he ultimately takes the perspective of “more power to you” at this capitalist drive, he’ll likely opt for the T-shirt with a select player’s name on it over luxury-box seats.

Here, he gives Psychopedia his eloquently jaded insight on the rest of Citi Field’s fancy accoutrements, which includes a Blue Smoke BBQ, Shake Shack (an annex of a popular Manhattan burger stand), Caesars Club, sushi and Mexican outposts, and even feminine baseball attire endorsed by a certain former sitcom starlet. In his own words, topic by topic:

GREETINGS FROM NEW JERSEYS
“[J.J.] Putz is something special and opens you up to a whole world of ridicule… But I guess [my jersey] would have to be K-Rod [Francisco Rodriguez]. I could say it’s some weird, sick nickname, if I had to reclaim the K-Rod nickname for myself. That’s the easy answer, but he’s pretty impressive, so if I had to I would probably get a K-Rod jersey.”

MILANO ROOKIES
“I guess Alyssa Milano is a big Mets fan -- she has opened on the premises a clothing boutique for the female fan. I thought that was strange. I didn’t really fish around too much, just because it looked like workout clothes for girls with the Alyssa Milano stamp of approval, which is arbitrary and weird.”

BLOWIN’ SMOKE
“It’s like every stadium in L.A. Having a smokehouse and a Shake Shack… [the Mets are] always trying to compete with the specter of the Yankees. Everyone I know always mocked Shea. I always thought, ‘It’s concrete garbage, but it was our concrete garbage’… I’m not going to a game to sit in a smokehouse. If I want to go and have a nice meal, I’ll go have a meal and catch game on TV. If I’m going to a game I’m going to a game… Philosophically, it harkens back to the idea of why the fuck do they even have to build these stadiums.”

CEASAR’S BUTLERS
“The thing that struck me was… certain tickets grant you access to the Caesars Lounge, which is kind of like a mall food court with weird overhead lighting and clusters of couches and private bathrooms. And this is during a game. There’s no television in the goddamn room with the game on. People were watching a boxing match. And I’m like, ‘What does this say about people that we need a distraction from the distraction?’” You’re not at your third cousin’s bar mitzvah and you don’t want to be there so you sneak up to the bar. You’re at a fucking baseball game.”

FEELING CORNERED
“I didn’t go [to Citi Field] and break out in hives. It’s a nice-looking stadium. It’s got these funky corners in rightfield that make it interesting. I think it’s going to cause [Gary] Sheffield and [Ryan] Church a lot of hell figuring out how to play out there, but it definitely felt weird. Not that Shea’s history was storied… But it doesn’t feel like anything now. It felt like Any Stadium, U.S.A.”

~Kenny Herzog

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 10:29 AM | Permalink

A successful fashion brand takes skill, smarts and luck. Designer Janet Kim's line Graey has both in spades. This brainiac is Harvard-educated, and pals around with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. She speaks fluent French, plays the violin, designs websites, tutors students for the SAT’s, paints in oils, and has performed in a band. But lately, her passion for designing clothes is what is getting her the buzz.

While in college, summer internships at Marc Jacobs and Christian Dior paid off with a job at Proenza Schouler. And in 2007, she launched Graey with backing from her brother’s $2.5 million poker winnings.

This overachiever’s line has scored top marks with celebs like Jada Pinkett Smith and critics alike. But she’s completely down-to-earth despite all those achievements. Here, she discusses her college town of Cambridge, where her favorite place to go wasn’t some swanky literary pub, but rather, a Chinese joint called “The Kong.” Here, in her own words, she describes Harvard-land, Graey, and herself, in more detail:

Describe the fall 2009 collection…
It’s feminine without being too girly. I was playing with transparency versus opaque, which is why I did a lot of sheer insets. Dresses can be for day with jeans and then for night with tights and heels.

What was your major at Harvard?
It was a concentration called Visual and Environmental Studies. I did fine arts with a focus on painting. My thesis was on the intersection of art and fashion.

How was your SAT score?
I got a 1560, so I got a 800 in math and 760 in Verbal. I was actually pissed off about that, because I got a perfect score on the PSATs so I was like "what the hell? I didn’t get a 1600!"

Parents’ wish for your career?
My parents wanted me to be a doctor. They viewed art as a hobby and something I could do only if I had free time.

Were they understanding of the change?
When I was little I told them I wanted to be an artist. And they were like “Artists are poor and starving!” We had tons of fights about it during college and eventually I decided to study art and ask their forgiveness later. Now, they’re pretty supportive. Although, sometimes they’re still like, “You can still go to law or business school.”

Was your brother’s $2.5 million poker prize the catalyst to launch the line?
When my 22-year-old brother won all that money, I was like "That was a sign from God!" I’m obsessed with Vincent Van Gogh-- throughout his whole life, his younger brother Theo supported him. So, I always used to joke to my little brother that he's like my Theo. And all of a sudden he got this windfall of money, so I was like, this is definitely a sign.

What’s the best advice you’ve received so far?
I wrote a letter randomly to the designers Vena Cava, when I was frustrated trying to get buyers to invest in my line, and one of them wrote back. She said you really have to persevere, and have faith, that eventually people will really take notice. Now that’s the thing I’ve been trying to remember.

Best late night study-break spot in Cambridge?
There are a couple places I liked to go. My roommate and I were obsessed with "the Kong"-- it’s actually called the Hong Kong Restaurant, but everyone calls it the Kong.

Coolest shopping?
There was this store called The Garment District, and you can buy old clothes for $1 a pound. I had a good time rummaging through the piles of clothing and found quirky random things I would fix up.

Describe the Harvard style sense?
I feel like on average people didn’t really pay that much attention to what they wore. People were so busy studying that they would be wearing study clothes like sweatpants.

What are your best and worst scenarios for 2009?
Best-case scenario: be picked up by Henri Bendel and American Rag this year. Once key stores like that pick it up, other retailers will follow. But the economy sucks, so worst-case scenario is just continuing the path I’ve been on. Keep promoting the line, do a trunk show, and start coming up with ideas for the Spring 2010 line.

~Meredith Craig de Pietro

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 01:51 PM | Permalink

Dear PsychoDoc: I’ve always been a fan of badly-acted porn, but lately I’ve been getting the urge to get a little more ‘hands-on’, so to speak. While having sex with my girlfriend, I suggested that we should make some of our own home-made porn. I also told her that my ultimate fantasy would be to see her getting it on with another girl while I film it. Her reaction wasn’t exactly ‘positive’. She threw away all my DVDs (even the ones that weren’t porn!) and I’ve been sleeping on the couch for the past week. How can I make her come around to my way of thinking?
-James, 21, London-

Dear Freaky and Frustrated: Dude, first of all, I’ve got to hand it to you; way to go for having the guts to say that to your girlfriend! You sound like you’ve got balls and I admit that! But, that said, I have to ask: is this your first relationship? The only reason I ask that is because it sounds like you haven’t had much experience with women.

Porn is a very touchy and volatile subject. You get some women who love nothing more than watching full-on porn, but for every one of those, there are inevitably many who are repulsed to the point of barfing. Your girl sounds like she probably threw up all over the bed sheets when you suggested making amateur porn.

Have you guys ever watched porn together? If she was disgusted at the thought of watching it, what would make you think that she’d suddenly turn into a porn star and get it on with another girl for you and your handy-cam? You gotta break her in slowly. Put on some of that super-soft-core porn where they don’t show any private parts and there’s more talking than actual sex. The one with pleasant music playing in the background, rather than a lone ‘80s synthesizer. Women generally connect sex with emotion, so this is a great start. If she gets into that, then you can suggest that maybe you and she could make your own ‘special love story’ (don’t ever call it ‘porn’).

It’s all about selling the fantasy – who knows, if she gets comfortable with it, she might give the go-ahead for that ‘special love story’ to get truly X-rated…

PsychoDoc is written by Donald Crunk, also known as Styleslut. He is not a medically-trained doctor or shrink, but is a highly-trained professional in life. He can be reached at psychodoc@psychopedia.com.

The Goods:
www.xtube.com to easily click on a variety of porn flavours, from gay to straight, front to back! Well-organized and free. Some soft-core there, though this is mostly the wham-bang stuff.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 02:48 PM | Permalink

It was sometime in mid-2008 that we came across an e-flyer for a party called ‘Trading Places’. Not only did it share the same name as one of the greatest comedies ever, but it also hinted at a night that might have something more to offer than your typical Shoreditch-based bash which specializes in ‘ironic party-music’.

Trading Places has been going for nearly a year now and it regularly attracts many of the key faces in London’s creative community. From designers and stylists, to bloggers and musicians, this monthly roadblock brings everyone together under one big exclusive roof. Parties aside, the ambitious minds behind ‘TP’ have much more to offer than music and mayhem. They also have their own blog, A Tribe Called Next. The popular site is regularly updated with music, fashion and lifestyle and has a growing army of supporters. The collective also recently collaborated with the renowned street-artist Insa to create a super-limited-edition T-shirt and some stylish artwork for the last ‘TP’ flyer. We spoke to the collective about what goes on behind the scenes:

How many people promote Trading Places and how many have you done so far?
There are 4 of us in total. A Cyde, Kish, Reggie Yates and Suz P. We have done 8 parties so far.

What was the initial idea behind the parties?
Essentially, we just wanted to have a place where we could party. There was no club-night that ticked all the boxes for us, so we wanted to start something for friends and family.

Why did you choose the name Trading Places?
Watch the movie.

What’s the music policy?
The music policy is just good music. And good records played badly.

Have you clubbed in any other countries?
Due to immigration policies, we haven’t been able to, as yet. Although, we are currently in talks with Embassies. When we get our real passports, we’ll holla.

Describe a TP party to someone who’s never been…
Bring a towel.

What type of clientele would you say TP attracts?
Friends, family and foes.

What made you decide to make TP ‘guest list only’? Do you think some folks might see that type of party as being snobbish and elitist?
Yes. Because we are snobbish and elitist, innit.

Do you think people dance more or less than they used to?
More or less. It doesn’t matter though; Trading Places parties have dance routines that everybody follows.

What’s your favorite/worst ever movie with lots of dancing in it or ‘dancing’ in the title, and why?
I’d have to say Jean-Claude Van Damme in the movie Breakin.
What’s your favorite dance move ever and why?
It’s called the ‘take em home’, which is pretty self explanatory.

What’s next for TP?
Guest DJs Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd.

~Donald Crunk

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 10:36 AM | Permalink

Emily Thomas knows good hair. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have been one of Cutler's most sought-after colorists for over 10 years. And now, Cutler, with two established locations in New York City, has a chic boutique-salon in the Gansevoort Hotel in Miami Beach. Last year, the NYC salon’s owner, Rodney Cutler, asked Thomas to move to Miami to open and manage the company’s newest address. So she made the trek to the land of bleach-blond hair.

The salon prides itself on top level service and an eye for cutting-edge styling, including plenty of runway and editorial – and their own line, Cutler Hair Care, is exploding. Thomas’ task was correspondingly lofty: to bring the energy and panache of Cutler in New York to Miami. During one of her trips back north, Thomas sat down with psychoPEDIA to chat about all things Miami versus New York over a quick coffee around the corner from Cutler Soho on West Broadway. In her own words, here’s her take on the land of South Beach and the hair challenges that await:

When did you move down to Miami to open Cutler’s new location?
I moved in April 2008. So, it’s almost been a whole year I’ve been living down there and traveling back and forth to accommodate my clients who are based in New York City.

How did the collaboration occur with Cutler and the Gansevoort?
What I believe happened is that Rodney Cutler, my boss and owner of Cutler, had a connection to an executive at the Gansevoort. At first, the hotel was only going to carry Cutler hair products in its hotel rooms and through that they decided to have a boutique salon in the Gansevoort. Rodney approached me to open it and what was so enticing for me was that he said, ‘Let’s see how it goes and if it goes well, you could become a partner.’

Cutler does a lot of fashion shows and editorial work in NYC. What’s Miami like?
It’s a mini-New York. It’s funny, because you can be a big fish in a little town. Miami is a big event-driven town. We do a lot of fashion shows with local designers – on rooftops or anywhere in the city. We just did a fashion show for La Perla at the Mondrian.

What would you say is the biggest difference between the clientele in Miami versus New York?
The biggest difference is that the women in New York know ‘pretty hair’ – they know fashion, they know what they like and pride themselves on looking good and polished. Anywhere from that downtown punk-rock chick who knows exactly where to put that one strand of hair to the girls who love blow outs. The one thing about Miami, the people just don’t know pretty hair! I try to encourage them in a kind and fun way. Orange hair with white stripes is just not ‘pretty hair!’ The Jennifer Aniston type with caramel and warm colors that go with your skin, to me, is pretty hair!

Give me a profile of some of your clientele in Miami…
We have a lot of young model girls – celebrities who visit the city. The average woman who comes in is not so much a career woman – the focus is different. Perhaps a woman who is married to a famous athlete and has two or three kids, but knows she wants a great color and haircut.

I’m sure you have a few crazy stories…
There was a celebrity who was staying at the hotel and she wanted a blowout. Towards the end of her blowout, she suddenly demanded, “Can we finish this in the bathroom? The paparazzi is outside!” The assistants went outside to see if it was true and lo and behold there wasn’t! So regardless, I ended up taking her to the dressing room to finish. She then demanded to be escorted through the back of the salon.

Anything else?
We’ve just had a bunch of crazy ladies that are so wealthy, where you’re just fascinated by how crazy they are, as in crazy-interesting. Their lives are just so ‘out there’ in a way. Like this one woman came to stay at the Gansevoort for three weeks, just to stay there – but I think she also owns a house in Miami, Paris and London.

Aside from the paparazzi and the ‘crazy ladies’, what’s been your biggest challenge?
Convincing women that they shouldn’t go blond, when they should stick with their natural hair color. You try telling a fiery Latina woman not to change her hair color!

Who are some of Cutler’s clients that do indeed have ‘pretty hair?’
Rachael Ray is one of our clients. Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber come often to our Soho location and Bjork came in recently. Rodney just did Fergie’s hair for the Grammys – her look was all over the Internet.

~Jessica McMenamin

Go There:
Cutler South Beach, 305.672.4499, 2377 Collins Ave, Miami Beach

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 05:12 PM | Permalink