Stocking stuffers are awesome. So much so that they are the only things we give around the holidays anymore. We’re either too cash-strapped or too lazy to drag huge items home to gift wrap and then later haul gingerly to our holiday gatherings.
No thanks. We love gifts that require minimal amounts of wrapping paper. We love being able to stuff a dozen gifts into a reasonably sized backpack or satchel and being able to, if necessary, easily and lovingly toss said gifts across a crowded room to the recipients like grenades of yuletide happiness.
So, here is a parade of amazing stocking stuffers most people would be glad to catch.
If you like three-time Grammy nominee and two-time Emmy Award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin, you are in luck. All of Griffin’s Bravo special performances are presented together, uncensored and complete with unaired bonus footage, on new two-disc set “The Kathy Griffin Collection: Red, White & Raw.”
Music lovers can revel in the new DVD celebrating iconic actor, singer, director, writer, composer, producer, designer, author, photographer (Damn! How many titles does she have?) and activist Barbra Streisand. “A MusiCares Tribute to Barbra Streisand” was filmed Feb. 11, 2011, at a gala event in Los Angeles, where Babs and an all-star cast of guests including Tony Bennett, Faith Hill, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, Seal, Stevie Wonder and more performed many of the songs she made famous throughout her illustrious career.
Tina Turner fans can get a glimpse into her early days with new DVD, “Ike & Tina: On The Road: 1971-72,” featuring vintage footage of the rock and soul music duo’s explosive stage show, complete with the high-energy dance choreography of Turner and the Ikettes. In the early ’70s, legendary rock photographer Bob Gruen and his wife Nadya toured with the Turners, filming them onstage performing, on the road and behind the scenes. Now for the first time ever, this footage is available to the public. In addition to simply awesome renditions of several Ike and Tina classics, fans get to see the group at work in the recording studio, Tina and the Ikettes practicing their dance routines (and primping their wigs) and the entourage goofing around on airplanes and in airports.
We missed a lot of great television this season but, luckily for us, series DVDs are hitting the shelves in time for the inevitable couch-potato funk we fall into during the cold days to come.
There’s “The Simpsons 15th Season” newly released on DVD. Sure, these episodes are eight years old but, like always, they throw the community a bone. In this case, it’s the episode “Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples, Teens and Gays,” where Marge takes up those who are protesting having to accommodate families (including paying property taxes used to teach children they do not have) after a riot at a children’s concert.
The funnier and edgier cousin of The Simpsons, “Futurama Vol. 7,” is also out, featuring the wacky exploits of the bizarre future dreamed up by “Simpsons” creator Matt Groenig.
Another family we like to keep up with is “Modern Family,” which just released its third season on DVD. We’d probably never hang out with the family of the first season on “American Horror Story,” but that series is highly acclaimed and we can’t resist the crazy S&M-themed DVD cover. Another highly acclaimed series whose first season is making it to DVD for the holidays is “Homeland,” a psychological thriller of political intrigue as a CIA agent tries to root out a former prisoner of war she thinks is a traitor.
We also need to catch up on movies both old and new. Our inner geek rejoiced to see “The Princess Bride: 25th Anniversary Edition” had recently come out, as well as the intellectually unsatisfying but visually gorgeous “Alien” prequel “Prometheus.” A recent film that won tons of praise is out on DVD as well, “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” which whisks viewers into a surreal realm where little girls and mythical animals coexist in a bayou.
Meanwhile, the pop starlets are lining up with new music products for the holidays, so warm up your media players.
Thank goodness Christina Aguilera got over her I-have-to-compete-with-Gaga phase that was her last album (2010’s very transparent “Bionic”). With a voice like hers, she really shouldn’t be chasing anyone’s pop coattails.
Her new album “Lotus,” is a welcome return to form for Aguilera, who seems to be having fun and singing her ass off on playful tracks like retro-ish “Make the World Move” and the dance-floor crushers “Your Body” and “Around the World.” The ballads (“Best of Me” and “Blank Page”) are great too.
For an “American Idol” alum, Kelly Clarkson has had a solid showing of hits. Her fans probably have all of her albums already, but the three new tracks recorded for the compilation “Greatest Hits: Chapter One,” are worthy enough for newbies and longtime fans alike to come a-running.
We’re still not convinced of Ke$ha’s staying power, but we are finding the singer a lot less grating than before. On her second full-length album, “Warrior,” she is settling into a respectably trashy, pop-party groove and roping in rock icons like Iggy Pop. Sure, she comes off as a clone of bigger stars—but she’s the Lady Gaga you can see a lot cheaper and more often. She’s the Rihanna who would give Chris Brown a broken jaw. She’s also the Katy Perry you might end up getting drunk with on a Saturday — no, make that a Monday—night.
Wine lovers have a lot to be happy about this holiday. Gift items from Cork Pop made us realize how much we like wine, as we tend to just rip out the cork (who are we kidding—unscrew the cap) and imbibe. Wine lovers, on the other hand, take their sips seriously, which is why they should love the vinOice, a rod containing a food-safe gel that freezes in 30 minutes and is encased in stainless steel with a sleek, drip-free pour spout. The vinOice is chilled in the freezer until required, then inserted into the neck of the wine bottle to ensure white wine maintains its just-chilled freshness for up to an hour outside of the fridge. For more information on the vinOice, visit www.CorkPops.com.
Another company catering to the wine-obsessed is soiréehome, whose newest product, tilt, is a chilling sphere that is both flavorless and iceless, so it won’t dilute drinks or interfere with the flavor. Store in your freezer until needed, then insert into your favorite beverage, wine glass or even a party dip (really?) to keep chilled. The tilt is center-weighted so it will always sit upright and is easily removed by an included retrieval hook.
For something that comes across a bit less high-maintenance, soiréehome offers the stopair, a vacuum wine pump that also doubles as a bottle stopper. It fits into most bottles and can also be used for liquor and olive oil. This must-have wine accessory is also soiréehome namesake. The Soirée is an in-bottle wine decanter that allows you to aerate one glass at a time, and can be used on both red and white wine.
For more information on these products, visit www.soireehome.com.