This is Not a Shameless Excuse to Post Pictures of Sebastian Stan

...Okay, that was a complete lie. If anything, this is post is a shameless excuse to post pictures of Sebastian Stan. But what in the hell else am I supposed to talk about in The Covenant, the 2006 precursor in many ways to Twilight and the film that put Stan, fellow Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford and Taylor Kitsch on the map? The Covenant is, without a doubt, a terrible movie, but you don't need me to tell you that. The only reason I watched the damned thing was because of its reputation as a homoerotic film and, aside from a couple of looks between Stan and lead Steven Strait, it even failed in that respect! As bad films go, however, you could do far worse than The Covenant. It's not good, but it is watchable and entertaining in its own way, which is perhaps the most important quality a film like this can have.

But the real story here is Sebastian Stan. He's actually quite fun in The Covenant, which surprised me because I never thought much of him as an actor until Kings. At first, it appears like Stan is the nice guy and you think, "Wow, this is a nice change of pace for Sebastian!" But then the plot twists and we realize that he's not as good as he once appeared and it's all "Oh, now this is the Sebastian Stan we know and love." And his completely mental monologues at the end of the film prove that he's a prime candidate to be the killer in the next Scream movie just so he can deliver said psychotic monologue. But you're not here for a critique of his performance. You want to see the goods. And boy does Sebastian have them! I couldn't remember seeing him shirtless before this movie--I think there may have been an episode of Gossip Girl that involved him taking it off--so I was very excited for these scenes.

He's so pretty it's almost criminal. Let's lock him up (in my basement).

Cappy's Sidekick

We here at Rants of a Diva (and by we, I do mean me and only me) love Sebastian Stan. We loved him when he was on Gossip Girl. We loved him in his bit part at the beginning of Rachel Getting Married. We loved him on Kings. Most of all, we loved him when he was dating Leighton Meester, forming the world's most perfect celebrity couple, Meestan. He's been on the verge of becoming a big star for a few years now, but with his gig as Chris Evans' sidekick in Captain America: The First Aveneger this weekend, it may be closer to happening than ever before. Which is a relief because if anyone deserves to be more famous, it's Sebastian. He's the deadly combination of talented and sexy in a non-pretty-boyish way. Let's show off that sexiness by posting some pictures of him, shall we?

Leighton's Ode to Sebastian

About a month ago, a new song from Leighton Meester's upcoming album, Love is a Drug, leaked online. The song, appropriately called 'Your Love's a Drug,' is utterly amazing, second only to 'Body Control' as Leighton's best. I seriously can't stop listening to it, only making me more anxious for her album (whenever the hell her record company decides to release it). While listening to it, however, a thought suddenly struck me: this song could really be Leighton's declaration of love for her partner in crime Sebastian Stan. On first listen, with its slick electropop production, you'd probably think I was crazy, but once you listen to the lyrics, 'Your Love's a Drug' is actually a very touching love song. So, turn up this jam, read the lyrics, glance at these new pictures of Leighton & Sebastian and revel in the amazingness that is Meestan, Hollywood's most adorable celebrity couple.

I like it
I want it
The way you make my body move
I think I'm addicted
I'm high off everything you do
I'm going to call you, baby
Don't you worry about a thing
'Cause you're all I need

I become a slave to my habit
Fiending for your love
Gotta have it now

You're all I need
Your love's a drug
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
And I can't sleep
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
Your love's a drug
Your love's a


I need it
That feeling
Rushing through my veins again
Whenever you're leaving
I feel withdraw all kicking in
I going to tell you how I feel
How I couldn't breath
When you're not with me

I become a slave to my habit
Fiending for your love
Gotta have it now

You're all I need
Your love's a drug
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
And I can't sleep
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
Your love's a drug
Your love's a drug


'Cause I miss you when you're gone
So right but feels so wrong
And I need to have you all the time

You're all I need
Your love's a drug
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
And I can't sleep
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
Your love's a drug

You're all I need
Your love's a drug
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
And I can't sleep
Can't get enough
Your love's a drug
Your love's a drug
Your love's a drug

Happy (Belated) 3rd Anniversary, Rants of a Diva!

I always remember my blog's anniversary because it (coincidentally) occurs on Our Lord and Savior Oprah Winfrey's birthday. For some reason, I got my dates mixed up and it wasn't until I was on my way out to work for the day that I realized yesterday was, in fact, my blog's birthday. Oops! How careless of me.

Wow, three whole years. I can't even believe it. When I started Rants of a Diva one random night as a freshman college student, I never would have thought it would last more than a couple months. I guess I underestimated how much I really enjoy getting online and bitching about any random thing thing that comes to mind. To be honest, though, I don't think Rants of a Diva would still be around if it wasn't for friends and commenters alike who express appreciation and encourage debate on many of my inane postings. So, as I say every year, THANK YOU. Thanks for sticking around and continuing to make Rants of a Diva an interesting place to come back to day after day.

As I do every year, I like to offer up a summary of my best and favorite posts of the past year as a way of celebrating of the year's accomplishments and introducing any new readers to what Rants of a Diva is all about. Let's dig in, shall we?

Film Rants
The Razor's Edge
If you ever want to find yourself attacked by random people on the interweb all you have to do is insult Tyrone Power and the vultures will come. Learned that one the hard way.

The History Boys
So much potential--namely from Stephen Campbell Moore and Dominic Cooper--squandered on morally ambivalent themes, lazy direction and a ham-handed lead performance.

So Many Women, So Little Time: Up in the Air and Nine
Was I the only one offended by the sexual politics of both of these movies?

The Hangover Will Not Be Nominated for Best Picture
The whole buzz behind this movie still baffles me. How this film won a Golden Globe will puzzle me until the day I die.

Salò
I'm still scarred.

My Inner Monologue During Twilight Saga: New Moon
Opening night: "OMG TAYLOR LAUTNER IS SO SEXY"
Two weeks later: "WHY IS THIS FILM SO BORING?"

Were the World Mine
What a lazy piece of homophobic trash.

Performance Highlights
8 Great Things About Susan Hayward in I'll Cry Tomorrow
Easily dismissible by today's acting standards as a ham, Susan Hayward turns her usual mannerisms into one of the most psychotic looks at alcoholism ever portrayed.

Taraji P. Henson Can Do Amazing All By Herself
Ignore all the haters; Tyler Perry delivers his smoothest film to date while Taraji P. Henson proves that she's an actress to reckon with.

The Tween Subculture
Jonas With a Chance
My initial impressions of JONAS and Sonny With a Chance. An obsession builds.

Send It On. On and On.
An interpretation of the behind the scenes drama on the music video for Disney's global warming anthem 'Send It On.'

"Soooo Chad. I Need a Favor"
Is Chad Dylan Cooper the greatest actor of his generation?

Le Music
Here Come the Girls
Six music videos from both old pros (Britney!) and newcomers (Demi!)

Albums of the 2000's: Britney Spears Blackout
I haven't gotten around to writing another installment of this series (damn me for not being a music writer) but I hope you enjoyed this ode to THE best album of the past decade.

The Boys!
Lady GaGa Knows Her Stuff
The chrorus to 'Boys Boys Boys' is represented visually by yours truly. Your welcome.

Zac Efron & Les Auteurs
He wants to work with some challenging directors. Here's what I imagine his projects with various auteurs would look like.

Imaginary Boyfriends of 2009
You loved my 2008 edition and, lo and behold, you also appreciated 2009's roster. Includes Sterling Knight, Kris Allen and Chad White.

My New Favorite Gays
Kings and The United States of Tara introduced us to two gay characters I would kill to see more of in the movies and on TV: the manipulative and scheming villain and the quiet, classic film-loving cutey.

Lists
25 Best Performances of the TV Season
Truth: I actually kind of don't like this post. I think my writing is atrocious. But, nonetheless, you all went crazy for it and commented on it more than any other post this year. Thank you!

My Top 10 Ideal Action Stars
What would happen if Miley Cyrus and Victoria Beckham were cast in stupid action blockbusters?

22 Reasons to Celebrate Zac Efron's 22nd Birthday
An ode to my future husband on his birthday.

Assorted Goodies
People Who Can Suck It: Gwyneth Paltrow and Megan Fox
These two are both twatbags for completely different reasons.

Casting The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
My new favorite book was, at one point, slated to be made into a movie. Here's who I want to be cast (In retrospect, however, I would completely trade out Kellan Lutz as Tracy for, as someone randomly suggested, Chris Pine).

The Ladies of 2009
The female counterpart to the Imaginary Boyfriends. These six women made 2009 a year to remember.

Faye Dunaway vs. Hilary Duff
The Duffster tries to throwdown with the one and only Faye motherfucking Dunaway. Guess whose side I'm on.

Things I Learned at the 2008 Oscars
RDJ is hot, Zac wants to have sex with Dev Patel and Beyoncé is a motherfucking DIVA.

I Am Terrified for the Future of Filmmaking
If all directors of the future are as retarded as the ones in my film class this past semester, I mourn the loss of the medium.

My New Favorite Celebrity Couple
You can keep your Brangelinas--Meestan is the celebrity couple I can truly get behind.

Imaginary Boyfriends of 2009

One of my favorite (and, judging by the amount of comments, most popular) posts I have ever done was this rundown of my Imaginary Boyfriends and Girlfriends of 2008. Since that went over so well, I decided to make it a new tradition to honor the hottest guys who made the biggest impact on my year. So, let's get this list started, shall we?

P.S. If you're wondering where the ladies are at, don't worry. I have a whole post dedicated to them coming soon.

Kris Allen
As soon as I saw his pretty face emerge on the Idol stage during Semi-Finals week, I knew I was hooked. When he opened his mouth and that beautiful voice came out, I was done for. The fact that Kris, with his soulful voice and puppy dog eyes, defied all odds and won the damn show over higher profile names was just compensation for the horrific season that preceded it.


Hugh Dancy
I know Mr. Dancy has been around for ages, but 2009 was the year I finally started to appreciate him. Say what you want about Confessions of a Shopaholic, I thought it was an above average Hollywood rom-com with a fiesty comedic performance from Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy there to match her every step of the way. He may not have gotten many funny bits, but he knew just how to react to Fisher to both make her seem funnier and himself look 100 times more engaging than most insipid rom-com romantic foils. Not an easy task, I'm afraid, but Dancy nailed it. I haven't even seen his lauded work in Adam yet, so hopefully that will add to my goodwill towards him this year.


Darin
No idea who he is? Don't feel bad; up until a couple of months ago I had never heard of him either. Kameron introduced me to the former Swedish Idol runner-up via his cover of Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida' (which mines more emotional depth in any individual line than Chris Martin could muster for an entire song) and then launched me full-force into his entire discography. I must say, I dig this guy. The sound of each album is definitely reflective of the time it was recorded, moving from early 2000's pop to the JT-inspired stuff of his most recent album, Flashback. He's attempting to break into the UK in 2010 with 'Breathing Your Love,' so I hope you Brits enjoy, support and make him a success over there.


Sterling Knight
I'll be the first to admit that Sterling isn't exactly a "looker," especially in comparison with 17 Again co-star Zac Efron (then again, should any human being really have to endure being compared with Zac?). However, he is adorable, has a charming personality and comedic skills actors twice his age should be jealous of. I first noticed Sterling as Efron's son in 17 Again, impressed at the way he was able to sneak some humorous moments in the film when the part, as written, was a complete throwaway. It wasn't until I first watched Sonny With a Chance that my affection for him blossomed into love. As I've mentioned before, Chad Dylan Cooper is one of the best characters on TV right now and it is all thanks to Sterling's fearless performance.


Taylor Lautner
You've seen him without a shirt on, right? Yeah, I thought so.


Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison is one of the sexiest men of 2009 because:
(a) He sings and dances
(b) He and Jayma Mays are positively adorable together
(c) Throwing down with Jane Lynch on Glee was one of the season's most hilarious moments
(d) He occasionally raps
(e) Any of the above except d

I think we know the answer to this, yes?


Garrett Neff
I became interested in male models and photography this year and Garrett was one of the best I discovered. His portfolio is extremely diverse, balancing light-hearted photos with ultra-serious, highly artistic ones. Plus he's hot as hell. That never hurts.


Chris Pine
I first saw Chris in this horrible, horrible movie called Blind Dating where he plays a stereotypical Italian-American who, coincidentally, is blind and dating. He was so awful in the movie I never thought he would be able to pull off Star Trek when I heard he was cast in it. Well, color me surprised. Not only was he sexy (oh that bedroom scene!) but he also nailed the humor in the film (I laughed every damn time Karl Urban gave him a shot once they boarded the Enterprise). Good looking and funny? Be still my heart.


Sebastian Stan
He's one-half of my favorite celebrity couple, plus his acting on Kings was beyond sensational. Someone give him more work please.


Chad White
Like Garrett Neff, Chad White has a widely varied portfolio. He has the ability to go from light commercial stuff to dark, edgy editorials and do them all well. Additionally, he seems like a sweet, approachable person. How many male models can you say that about?

Golden Globe FYC's: Television

In just under a month, the Golden Globe nominations are going to be announced. Say what you want about them, but I love the way they cater to mega stars and nominate some out-there movies and TV shows the more serious Oscars and Emmys wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. And in that spirit, I wanted to point any members of the Hollywood Foreign Press who may have wandered onto my site to some underappreciated and unknown TV shows and performances from the past year. So, without further ado,

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Best TV Show (Musical/Comedy)

Best Actor (Musical/Comedy): Joel McHale
Best Supporting Actress: Yvette Nicole Brown

Not everyone is in love with this show and I can accept that. The show's scattershot, smartass humor is a bit hit or miss, but when it hits, damn it is funny. Joel McHale, host of The Soup, is my boo so it should come as no surprise I love him on this show. The show's other highlight is Shirley, played by Yvette Nicole Brown. She's warm, generous and often hilarious with admittedly little to do sometimes. Hell, she can make silence funny.

Best Supporting Actress: Jane Lynch

The show is wildly inconsistent for me. Jane Lynch, however, is always spot on and often has me howling in laughter with her non-sensical metaphors and "Sue Says" TV spot. It's no wonder that Sue Sylvester is quickly replacing Chuck Norris as the ultimate tough guy.

Best Actress (Drama): Leighton Meester

This season so far has been a bit of a wash for Ms. Meester although things seem to be looking up for her (I loved the way she stood back and simply observed the aftermath of the "OM3"; she was far more interesting than any of the participants). My FYC is for, of course, her stellar work from the second half of last season. Do I really have to try and convince you again of her amazingness?

Best Supporting Actress: Chelsea Staub
Best Supporting Actress: Nicole Anderson

The Jonas Brothers may be the "stars" of JONAS, but the true discoveries are the main females of the show. Staub plays the band's stylist and shoulder to cry on about their various problems with an unusual combination of warmness and ferocious comedic timing unseen on any Disney show I've ever seen. Anderson is the band's obsessive fan who has slowly become my favorite reason to watch the show.

Best TV Show (Drama)
Best Supporting Actor: Sebastian Stan

This show never really had a chance on network TV, did it? Ambitious, layered and epic in scope, Kings was doomed from the start. But in its short 13 episode run, Kings had more impressive moments than some shows have had in three seasons. Ian McShane, with his booming voice and larger than life bravura, was great as the king, but I often found Sebastian Stan as doomed Prince Jack to be even more compelling throughout the show. In just a few episodes, the one-time Ed Westwick imitator became an actor to watch for in the future.

Best TV Show (Musical/Comedy)
Best Actress (Musical/Comedy): Demi Lovato
Best Supporting Actor: Sterling Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Tiffany Thornton

Who said that Disney was only for kids? One of the best shows on TV right now is on the Disney Channel and I'm not ashamed to admit that I watch it religiously. Sonny With a Chance is 30 Rock for the tweens and it's often just as groundbreaking and can't-catch-your-breath funny (when compared to its contemporaries, at least). Leading the cast is Demi Lovato as Sonny, the Liz Lemon of the show, and what's exciting about her performance is that over the course of the season, you can see her letting loose more and more, finally getting the hang of this comedy thing and truly becoming a star with each passing episode. Tiffany Thornton, plays self-obsessed diva Tawni Hart, the Jenna to Demi's Liz, and is a hoot everytime she appears on screen. Do you know anyone else who can elicit so many laughs just by repeating "Cocoa Mocho Cocoa" over and over again? And then there is trusty old Sterling Knight as tween heartthrob Chad Dylan Cooper (swoon!). His role as the romantic foil to Demi's Sonny is not particularly groundbreaking but the way he remains a complete douche even during the moments when he's supposed to be "wooing" Sonny is impressive. Less talented, "pretty boy" actors would have completely pussified CDC by episode four, but Knight is just as mean and darkly funny as he was on day one. Kudos to you!

Best TV Show (Musical/Comedy)
Best Supporting Actor: Keir Gilchrist
Best Supporting Actress: Brie Larson

Toni Collette is likely to get a nom, so it seems unnecessary to FYC her right now. Instead, I'll focus on the underappreciated children of Tara. Like I've talked about before, Gilchrist brings a clever twist to a stereotypical gay teen role. Larson is a complete bitch on the show, but she somehow brings enough humanity to her performance that I kinda wish she was my older sister.

Blake Lively is the Whore of Babylon

Just look at the evidence below!

Okay, so I realize that she's filming an episode of Gossip Girl and it's really Serena who is a big fat whore, but isn't it fun to call her that? Working or not, I'm completely jealous that she's making out with the two hottest guys on the show (off-screen boyfriend Penn Badgley and Leighton Meester's man Sebastian Stan). NOT FAIR.

Yeah, I said it, Sebastien.

(Pictures via Just Jared)

Sebastian Stan = Paul Newman?

In case you haven't noticed, I've been a bit obsessed with Sebastian Stan lately. I've been trying to spread the love out in case you're getting sick and tired of me talking about him (and his amazing girlfriend Leighton Meester), but I keep finding more and more pictures and info about him that I simply must share that it's hard not to get excited and post it all right in a row. Anyways, I found these pics of Sebastian from a GQ spread earlier this year that had me intrigued. Sebastian, of course, looks gorgeous in the photos, but if you click on the first one and read the intro for the photo spread, you'll see that Paul Newman was an inspiration for the look and such. That's all fine and dandy (you can't do much better than emulating Paul Newman as a style icon) but I found it odd that the writer refers to Sebastian as a "dead ringer" for Newman. Really? At first, I had no clue where they were coming from. How could this odd looking, Romanian-born fellow be a "dead ringer" for the classically handsome, all-American Paul Newman? I then thought about their acting styles and abilities and came to the conclusion that they are actually quite similar in that regard. Newman was never exactly what you call a "comedian." Even in films as light and "carefree" as The Sting or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, he was still much better with the drama than anything else. And the same thing goes for Stan: the more episodes of Kings I see, the less I believe that he could ever headline a light, fluffy romantic comedy successfully. It's not exactly an insult, just an observation about the types of roles that suit them. Hell, even Meryl Streep can't do it all. Then I looked at these photos repeatedly and I slowly realized they must be on to something because I'm starting to buy this Newman lookalike thing. Granted, I don't think they're long lost twins born in different times or anything, but I can see where they are coming from. How about you? Do you see any similarities between the two or do you think they are worlds apart?

Meestan's Big News

I know. I'm excited too!

If the rumors are to be believed and Facebook can be considered a reliable source, then Sebastian Stan has put a ring on girlfriend Leighton Meester (oh, oh, oh). Needless to say, if this turns out to be true, I'm happy for the both of them and wish them much success together.

Poor Prince Jack

I know it's a long shot with his show being canceled and whatnot, but can we please get Sebastian Stan an Emmy nomination? How does he wring so much emotion with only seconds of screentime? I was positively floored by his performance in this week's episode.

My New Favorite Celebrity Couple

Move over, Brangelina. Suck on it, Tomkat. Get over yourself, Zanessa. Deal with it, Gyllenspoon. There's a hot new celebrity couple in town and their name is Meestan. Or Leighstian. Or Sebton. Okay, so I haven't decided on a cutesy, tabloid-ready power couple name yet, but Leighton Meester and Sebastian Stan are officially my favorite celebrity couple in Hollywood. They haven't had any public fights or major controversies yet, but they are friggin' talented and two of the best looking members of Young Hollywood who someone how manage to look even better when they're together. Here are some of my favorite pics of them being completely cutesy and adorable (while somehow managing not to be gag-inducing).