Bellbottoms

We all know those things, some hate them, some love them but everybody knows them. And that's thanks to Cher. Being the dutiful Cher fan I am I tried for the longest time to get a pair of real bellbottoms and finally yesterday I got them. They look great, and huge. I don't mean huge as in, wow they aren't skinny but holy crap they are like a skirt!

I love them! It's annoying to walk in them when there's wind outside but who cares? I have Cher-like bellbottoms. Later today I even got those sunglasses in an aweful brownish black color that were so hip during the 70s. They are kind of ike a traffic accident, horrific but one just can't look away. Having dark hair, bellbottoms and a lot of big earings and bling all over my clothes makes me feel a little bit like Cher!

It's just fun!
Cher (here with Sonny in the late 60s) made the former manwear unisex. If one looks into the history of bellbottoms they were THE thing to wear. If you were in the navy in the 19th century that is. And then a suddenly they became hip again in the 1960s with the arrival of Sonny and Cher!

Isn't it amazing how a trend a shy, sharp tongued girl from El Centro, CA could set a world wide trend like this one. That's just the miracle that is Cher. Back in the 60's she saw a girl wearing Bellbottoms on the street and just couldn't help but walk up to her and as where she got those unique pants. The answer: A friend of hers had sewn them for her. At this point Cher was hooked. She got the friend to sew her own creations for Sonny and her outlandish look.
By '62 they lived in a little loft above S&C's garage and sewed all of Cher's creations together. They would even be featured on the backside of the Sonny and Cher Album Look at us.

By the 1970s when many youngesters, even those who now labled the Bonos as square wore Bellbottoms it was Bob Mackie who took over. With the start of their own weekly variety show he started to really get into the business, he started dressing Sonny and Cher in the most outrageous yet classy clothes TV-land had seen till then. 3 years later even TVs most beautiful private detectives copied what Cher had already worn in the 60s, bellbottoms.

By the 1970s however Cher(here with daughter Chastity in '75) herself preferred to push the envelope to new heights and instead of hippyish unisex clothes she started wearing destinctavely female clothes, mid-riff baring tops, cropped tops, all sorts of low-cut and generally cut out tops and pants or skirts. Once general public caught on to the trend that she had set she simply choose to follow her own, new trend - at least on stage. Many 'private' or at least cassual pictures of that time still show Cher in bellbottoms.

During the 1980s however she abandoned the style completely. It was replaced with much wilder(did we even think that was possible after the Take me home cover?!) and much skimpy costumes. Like the seat belt she wore for her infamous Turn Back Time video or the racy sado-maso outfit in Save up all your tears.

By the late 1990s however she wore them again, her bellbottoms. The only recent interview I can think of however is the one with Jay Leno in 1998, but see for yourself:


'They are older than some of my boyfriends!' That's the kind of tongue in cheek humor Cher fans - including me - love so much.
Personally I'm absolutely in favor of a return of the Bellbottoms and that is not just for 1970s revival parties but forever. Heck if a trend can last 40 years - I'm talking about bellbottoms here not Cher though it does fit her too - then we are all ought to respect that! Now go get your old Gypsys Tramps and Thieves record, put on your bellbottoms and make love, not war.

Peace out!

Psychological Analysis of Cher

So for my 12 Grade Psychology class we were supposed to pick a friend or make a person up that we would analyse and then help them reach a goal. In my Cher obsession I naturally choose Cher, well that's what I wanted at least. Finding a goal she could have was not easy but finally I decided on writing it in a past time, kind of like a newspaper article released in 1975. The year she was married to Allman, pregnant with his child and had a public - professional - reunion with Sonny. Also the last year she was smoking.
A perfect example I thought.

So here it is now, I've handed it in but I didn't get a mark. Yet. We'll see how it turns out. Anyway the facts in the background are well researched so I thought some of you, my readers, may enjoy this. So here we go:


Psychology Unit 2 Project
Mr. --
Psychology
Grade 12
Barbara --

Cher quits smoking - 1975

Headlining a TV variety show is an unpredictable and precarious art that Cher has mastered amazingly well. Like everything else she’s done lately – whether it be her recent reunion with ex-husband Sonny Bono or her newly found happiness with her husband Gregg Allman, her unborn child’s father.
She’s just 29, but already has a number one hit in the last two decades, 2 marriages, a child and a 13 year long entertainment career under her belt. She’s a typical type A personality. She came from a broken home, meager belongings – merely two pants, 3 T-shirts, 2 pairs of shoes and a coat when she moved in with her future husband Sonny Bono in 1962 – a purely platonic arrangement at the time. After all he was 12 years her senior and she an underage runaway. She’s very optimistic about her future, after all how else can she deal with critics and reporters constantly telling her that she’s on her way out for over a decade?
Cherilyn Sarkasian Bono Allman is the American dream, she’s everything she ever wanted and now it finally looks like her husband has kicked heroine and his alcohol problems for good. But to ensure a healthy young baby for the Allman’s Cher needs to kick a habit she’s nurtured since her rebellious teens – especially with the recent surface of the health risks of smoking. She’s miscarried at least 4 times before and is at risk to do so again especially with the added stress of her weekly TV-show – this time again with Sonny, a purely professional reunion of course. Or is it?
There are rumors now that she’s pregnant she wants security again and not a unpredictable husband who she needs the babysit and might just go back to the habits of his shady past. Friends of Cher’s report that she has been seeking Bono’s advice - not just regarding the show, but also in personal matters.

Her goal is be to stop smoking Malboro Light cigarettes, a brand she loves.

The action plan:
1. Find out when and why she smokes: When she’s stressed, because it gives her a little break.
2. Figure out which Psychological needs are satisfied by smoking: It calms and at the same time stimulates the body. It calms and sooths her, but at the same time her pulse and breathing increase and hormones that stimulate happiness are pumped through the veins.
3. Find ways to condition her not to smoke: Like for example she does a brief power work out to release stress instead of smoking and have the long time reward of a killer body. And in other situations she could substitute the fag for a chocolate bar – her weak spot - or even a sugar-free mint that she can chew on.
4. Find extrinsic motivations: Definitely the health of her little daughter and the unborn child she's carrying.
5. Find intrinsic motivations: She doesn't want to miscarry again.
6. Slowly turn down frequency: She slowly cuts down from 3 packs a day that she's smoking right now 5 cigarettes a week till she finally is able to quit.
7. Support from family and friends: None of her friends, nor her (ex-)husbands should smoke around her for an optimal outcome. Also her friends should congratulate her and offer positive and supportive feedback(e.g. What you're doing is great, I couldn't do that etc.)
8. Finally throw the fags away: Get rid of all the smokes that are handily deposited in glove departments, around the house and in purses. They are not needed as comforter anymore.
9. Goal reached!!!

The single biggest and strongest motivation will be intrinsic to have a child with the man she loves at the moment. She doesn't want to miscarry, she wants for her family to be happy and healthy. But Cher knows that by smoking she subjects not only herself but also the ones she loves to an unpredictable health risk. With a seven year old and another one on the way she doesn't want to take that risk.
And of course there are her looks that are said to fade faster and more horrific when you smoke. Cher is one of the mega superstars of our time but even though she's at the top of her game there are always younger, newer, prettier girls coming up trying to take somebodies place. Somebody that has outgrown the fans, somebody that's old and forgotten, but Cher doesn't want to be that somebody. She's optimistic about her life in the lime light but she's not delusional. She knows that her time will come but by quitting smoking she ages slower, more natural and especially avoids those nasty wrinkles around her lips – in which lipstick/gloss can run into, creating a vampire-that-just-drank effect.

On the other hand there are always set backs and obstacles. For example in this case her husband is a heavy smoker and drinker ever since he kicked his heroine addiction. He won't approve of his wife's new idea of suddenly being a non-smoker. He will disapprove which collides with Maslows hierachy of needs – In this pyramid shaped drawing we see the 9 fundamental needs every single person has. In this pyramid the need for approval, acceptance and love is on the third level. As a smoker Cher has that approval of her social environment but once she stops she might lose it. Actually very likely she is to losing it and causing fights over it with her husband which can ultimately destroy her relationship and bring her back to the more basic need for security and safety.
Of course on the other hand Greg could also just put his own feelings aside and respect his wife's choice for a smoke-free environment for her and her unborn child. He just has to realize how painful and devastating it would be if Cher lost another baby. And eventually he has to make up his mind whether smoking is more important to him than Cher, he just can't have both anymore.

It plays a very large role because addictions are never purely psychological. There's always something else playing in there, in this case it's the nicotine. It stimulates and relaxes the body at the same time. Because it's inhaled, it takes only ten to fifteen seconds after a puff to reach the brain – much faster than intravenous drugs or alcohol. Once there, nicotine attaches to brain cells in a way that causes them to release a flood of neurotransmitters. This action, among other things, affects the reward center of the brain, which encourages people to repeat whatever behavior stimulated it. After a few more puffs, the level of nicotine in the blood soars , the heart bats faster, and blood pressure increases. As a result, smokers become more alert and may actually even think faster. Simultaneously, nicotine may calm the body by churning out natural opiates called endorphins. Thus, as a smoker, she can feel alert and relaxed at the same time.

During the whole ordeal she's put through the wringer of ever changing emotions. At first she goes into denial, she doesn't believe that her smoking is a problem. After a while – and doctors advice – she finally admits to herself and then to everybody else that her smoking is indeed a problem, a risk. Then she has a sudden urge to change, to quit, which makes her depressed because suddenly she gains weight and can't smoke anymore. At the end though, successfully going through the quitting process she only feels accomplishment.

The smell and taste senses will be very much involved in this as well as a slow adaptation of her senses. It is definitely an absolute treshold – meaning that a human can tell the difference of the change very easily and clearly. To top it off it belongs into the humanistic field – humanistic means that it concerns itself with the individual human being.


PS: Constructive critisim is always very helpful so go for it.

The River Wild

I've been fortunate enough to catch it on TV every now and then, tonight is such a semi-rare occasion. I like the movie a lot, Meryl Streep does an amazing job, as does Kevin Bacon, scaringly amazing. The movie is captivating, the effects - that as I later found out weren't even effects - are realistic.

I've seen it for the first time when I was maybe 5 or 7ish or so. My whole household is huge on Meryl Streep resulting in me seeing almost every Streep movie, most of them boring me to death. The River Wild was always an exception! It reminds me a lot of Marilyn Monroe's The River of No Return - without the songs and the tackyness. And OMG for the first time ever I noticed that even Catwoman hottie Benjamin Pratt is in it.


The movie shows the interesting journey of a family that is going on a vacation, just canoing through the US/Canadian border backcountry. The couple's marriage is crumbling under the fathers workaholic tendencies and the mother's high expectations. While at the beginning of the movie they act like most parents, fighting as soon as their son is out of sight and trying to push out the inevitable divorce that the viewer knows in the first scene is waiting for them in the near future. On the canoeing trip they met three men and their son Roarke easily makes friends with Wade, the leader of the three men much to his parents dismay. They know that something is up with the men but don't give another thought to it as they are heading out into the nature.

Even on this trip the father can't leave his work behind and Roarke starts to see Wade more and more as a father figure. They keep meeting up on the river and later on even on the shore. By that time the men met the family this time they are only two. The third one is gone and now Wade and his friend don't know how to get down the dangerous stream. Due to her son's insistence Gail, a former guide on the river, agrees to take them down the river to the first safe place where they can leave the river and return to civilization. While traveling together with the two men the Hartman's notice more and more that there's something off about their new 'friends', however the straw that breaks the camel's back is Wade watching Gail as she skinnydips. It's a creepy scene in the dark with lightning and gentle rain pouring down her naked body as she steps into the water. All the while the audience sees Wade leaning against a tree, the music contributes greatly to the atmosphere as well. Suddenly the dog starts barking, alarming Gail that there's something or rather someone that isn't supposed to be there... Then with a bolt of lightning we see Wade clearly standing against a tree watching with a sinister and undeniably horny grin plastered all over his face.

As they try to escape the following day they are caught. The father is beaten up, Gail is wrestled down and her son stroke hard across the face. Now the family's on a trip for survival, in the course of the movie the father is shot at, the dog is chased away and one of Gail's childhood friends that is a ranger now is shot in the chest and pushed into the river(A scene I personally can't even watch today, it just disgusted and freaked me out as a little girl and it still transforms me back to that little girl).

For everyone that hasn't seen the whole movie I won't spoil it, but the ending is utterly satisfying.

It's almost a little like Out of Africa, the epic lovestory with the fantastic countryside images. Living in Canada now I would have never believed that this country could be so beautiful.
Despite the scenes of frightening violence this movie should definitely be shown to children, of younger and older children alike. It conveys the ideas and morals of family, loyalty and bravery. It shows what a mother would do for her child, a role Meryl Streep has always excelled in, would it be her two Academy Award winning performances in Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice or in the critically aclaimed A cry in the Dark. The audience really feels how torn Gail is, help the men escape their legal punishment and save her family or risk her family to take revenge on the men that threated her life and killed others?

Heart of Stone

Originally this was gonna be a review for a German fansite but my German has gotten pretty bad since it's never used. I realize that many of you may not even care about this piece of art anymore... Or just think of Cher as the woman with the countless wigs, the boyfriends that could be her sons and the worst example of plastic surgery.

But in 1989 when Heart of Stone was released on vinyl it was a burner! This album opens with the unforgotten 'If I could turn back time'. A time-less anthem of love, regrets and pride or short, a signature Cher song. She puts more than just her heart into it, one can tell that She's had her fair share of regrets and she has been hurt. It's not an act. Not for her. Even more so than the song itself the video to accompany it has acclaimed fame due to it's controversy. A 43 year old woman clad in what could have been a car seat belt with a flimsy fishnet on top of it singing for hundreds of horny soldiers while humping their canons. In between all that was her 13 year old son, Elijah Blue Allman playing the guitar. Which man over the age of 30 could ever forget that video or the song? It does belong in every good rock collection, it's just an absolute classic. And if you've ever broken up with someone or been dumped there's nothing better than one of the sexiest women alive belt her pain out.

The next song is less of a rock anthem in fact it's a country song. 'Just like Jesse James' is a forgetable country song. It's not bad but it's not good either. Somehow it became a rather successful single which forces Cher - who hates the song herself - even nowadays to sing it at concerts and live appearances. And no this song is not about Sandra Bullock's ex-husband.

The third song almost sounds like Cher has looked for inspiration in Sandra's Jesse, but in truth this song was written by Michael Bolton. Again a typical rock ballad with strong female vocals by Cher. In an instant you know it's the 80's. In 1990 this was the last single release(Europe only) of one of Cher's most successful albums. 'You wouldn't know love' deals with a woman who has to face a man who's been cheating on her yet always comes back to her. Not as forgetable as it preceder but it doesn't stick long.

Next is the title track... Heart of Stone. A beautiful, melancholic song about the insanity we created for ourselves. The song has been relevant in '89 no question about it but in 2011 it has become even more so. The president of the US bombs countries which's names people usually can't even spell on a daily basis while Anarchism and Racism is the new Love and Peace. Especially the video shows how sad and tradgic some of those developments have been, but for Cher fans this video is very valuable due to the rare content of homevideos showing Cher with her Children and even her husbands, dating back to the early Sonny and Cher moments. The listener is encouraged to think about all that's going on in the world these days, not just about their own little blue-collar neighborhood.

'Still in love with you' deals again with a lost love. Naturally the man is the one breaking a woman's heart. She's never trusted her head even though she has had a hunch that her sweetheart wasn't quite as much in love with her as she was with him.
The drums are nicely accenturating Cher's matured voice and the E-guitar gives it a nice rockish sound. She's not Bonnie Tyler but it's a pleasant bawling-your-eyes-over-a-broken-relationship-song.

The next song was written by the man behind 'You give love a bad name', Desmond Child. It is one of those songs that are sung so sweet you almost miss the underlying sadness. Almost. In Cher's rendition it sounds more hopeful, like life's gonna change again and the protagonist couple is finally gonna live the life they want to live. The passages about the memories seem a tad bitter but that comes with Cher's own life experience, all in all 'Love on a Rooftop' is one of the finest love songs - for sure the most underrated one - of her career.

Passion and need rule the next track and likewise the song is rendered emotionally. The guitars are blearing, the drums are beating in a heavy, steady beat. Here's a woman singing about her inner most desires, it is to be with the man she loves and how he set's her on fire. 'Emotional Fire' is one of those rock-ballads that were so typical for the '80's, empowering... feminine... passionate. It is one of those songs you can listen to over and over and you always discover a new nouncé everytime you hear it.

A much gentler version of Emotional Fire is 'All Because of You'. It centers around the love that won't just subside even after a relationship ends. It's a beautiful love song but Cher's interpretation is so real, so emotional that it almost hurts to listen to it. A very underrated, beautiful song, a must for every Cher fan since Cher's voice is clearly at it's height and the center of the song. The instrumental background music is softer that in any of the other songs which really hightlights her voice.

Again 'Does anybody really fall in love anymore' is a nice little filler between the more memorable songs on this album. It's nice, but not overwhelmingly great or memorable. One listens to it, but as soon as the next song's on they have forgotten about this number.

The beginning with the mouth organ just inspires to dream and escape whatever worries might press the listener down at that moment in the next song. This song is uplifting, finally life goes on. There's a life after love. 'Starting over' is a beautiful song about moving on and finding new strength after the end of a relationship, but really this song can be applied to any situation.
Cher's voice is as soft and reassuring as can be, it's like the hot tea your mother used to make when you were sick. It's comforting, knowing and ultimately helping you get well again.

'Kiss to Kiss' is a nice popsong that could easily be a hit in the 2010s would it be re-released. The beginning is very much like the intro of 'I found someone' was during the Heart of Stone tour. It's a dreamy, desperate song.
This time it is not about breaking up, it's about living just for another kiss from one's lover. It's very soft and a perfect song for a romantic evening/night with a intimate.

'After all' closes the most successful pre-'Believe' Cher album. Personally it was never a song I could relate to nor like. It was too slow, too schmalzy, too... well it just wasn't right. Nothing worked for me, nonetheless this became a big hit with many fans - which is beyond me.
Once you watch the 'Farewell Tour' DVD though this song is beautifully arranged with scenes of Cher's life on screen, everything's there from Mask to Witches of Eastwick to Mermaids. Only Good Times and Chastity are missing.

All in all this album is a must have for every Cher fan. It touches hearts and is one of the most sincere albums of the grand diva. Despite the many songs circling around love and lost love, Cher herself was in a relationship with her true love - bagel boy Robert Camilletti. Maybe however the Cher-anthem 'If I could turn back time' was already a harbinger of things to come, Robert and Cher split just a year after due to the pressure of the constant press coverage.

Anyway, this album is a must-have for 80's and Cher fans. But even for those who don't fall into those characteristics it is one of those albums that can help you through rough times. May it be a break up or being separated from your family.
By now the original cover with Cher kneeling beside a Heart of Stone - which forms a skull if you look at it from afar - is a real rarity and a collectible among many Cher fans.