variety.com

I would say that this is a What We Heart, if these Mad Men Barbies weren’t super creepy. The special collection dolls based on everybody’s favorite morally lax ad men (and their ladies) retails for $74.95 and will be sold at high-end retail stores and amctv.com and barbiecollector.com.

Do you think the come with little Barbie cigarettes too? What about tumblers of whiskey for mini-Roger Sterling (inner left) and mini-Don Draper (inner right)? I love how they gave Joan (left) a set of hips just like her portrayer, most-beautiful-woman-in-the-world Christina Hendricks.

Hey, did you know that Box Brown, who is showing his work at Brave New World this month, did one of the most apt portraits of Hendricks I’ve ever seen? Click For More »

We just can’t help ourselves. You can’t, either; just admit it.

Gaga, whose debut album The Fame made our Top 21 Albums of 2009, was set to debut her new video at 11:30 p.m. on E! News tonight, but it looks like a few blogs beat E! to the punch. We pounced, natch.

But you know that already. So, here’s a slideshow of Pavement t-shirts. For some reason.

The show is Sept. 17. Go to manncenter.org for ticket info. And note: the Mann site says “Check back often for more shows” so… yeah.

And all of us chumps who panicked and bought tickets like six months ago for those NYC shows? Eh, we knew there’d be a tour. I will see a reunited Pavement more than once.

We like American Idol. Too much.

Tommy Button: For the first time since we got outta Hollywood I think the boys did better than the girls. After Seacrest’s infinite intro I thought this episode was doomed for failure. But the boys appeared to have become men. Stools and acoustic guitars aside, I offer you my commendation, gentlemen.

Molly Eichel: Are you deaf?! Last night was awful. Everyone rocked the same singer-songwriter bullshit with little-to-no innovation. I feel like Amber after Cher gives that speech in debate class in Clueless. “Hello! Was anyone listening? I thought it wreaked.” Tommy, I’m honestly rethinking our American Idol BFF status.

TB: Molly, you ignorant slut. It’s you saying things like that that make me wanna smack you around. You know I only do it because I love you. Now, let the men talk so we can get down to business.

ME: The only person who came close to Powersox yesterday was Michael “Big Mike” Lynche’s extraordinary version of Maxwell’s “This Women’s Work.” I’m glad he’s figured out that he’s more neo-soul than white boy folk rock.

TB: At least we agree on that. Finally, Big Mike put down that pussy acoustic guitars and brought out the big guns. He made Kara, Satan’s bride in the frozen ninth circle of hell, cry. She cried real human tears. I don’t believe it. Big Mike obviously gets a huge seal of approval from me. I was falling off the Mike train but this performance got me right back on board. And even though it feels wrong to say it, Lee Dewyze was probably the other alpha dog of the night. I don’t think I’m ever gonna be 100 percent about this guy but he had a better night than anybody besides Big Mike so fair play to you, Lee Dewyze. Live in this moment, because I will probably never give it to you again. Click For More »

I wrote a little thing in today’s paper on Scout Niblett’s new album, The Calcination of Scout Niblett, but I forgot to mention: She’s playing JB’s tonight. Her shows always rock in a weird, weird way.

Scout Niblett plays tonight, Thu., March 13, 9 p.m., $10, with Gildon Works and Walker Lundee, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.

babble.com

Every Thursday, we give you this week’s LGBTQ to-do list.

The gay community was handed more good news this week with the passage of gay marriage in Mexico City. Even though it’s in a completely different country, it’s still a huge stride for us LGBTers. Philadelphia, aren’t you ashamed Mexico City did it first? Way to go amigos.

— Bullies everywhere need to conjure more clever insults than “You fight like a girl,â€� to heave at the poor little gay boys on the playground because the William Way Community Center’s (1315 Spruce St., 215-732-2220) self defense class for women at 2 p.m. on Sat. Mar. 13 will prove that girls can kick some major bully ass. Philadelphia Judo Club instructors Ray Huxon and Alma Qualli will teach students how to maneuver a variety of standing and ground attacks. Then, students suit up in protective gear to demonstrate what they’ve learned. I’m sure this instruction will be much more in depth than the defense mechanisms I learned, even though, “Go for the balls,â€� has worked pretty well for so far. Heeeeya!

— Whether you do it for fun or you’re trying to make a legit transformation, artist Klawdya Rothschild is teaching two gender transformation classes at Sexploratorim (620 S. 5th St., 215-829-4986) on Sat., Mar. 13 that will boost your drag or passability experience tenfold. The first session begins at 2 p.m. with a lesson about hiding or enhancing gender-identifying attributes like high cheekbones or a 5 o’clock shadow and how to complete the process with hair and wigs. The second class, which begins at 6 p.m., takes the teaching downtown with pointers on how to tuck your hoo-hoo and flatten or push out those ta-tas. The $20-$30 admission price includes a discount coupon to Passional Boutique (704 S. 5th St., 215-829-4986) and the next Angela’s Lap Top Lounge event at Shangrila (120 Swedesford Rd., 610-687-8838) on Sat., Mar. 20.

— If you don’t feel like tucking the jewels or punching fight instructors on Saturday, maybe you’d prefer a leisurely afternoon of shopping and mingling on E. Passyunk Avenue. 2nd Saturdays on the Avenue kicks off at 6 p.m. with participation from dozens of neighborhood hot spots. You can browse art by Pam Haner and Justin Myer Staller at Sweet Jane Vintage and B2 Café, chow on discounted grub at FUEL and relax with the music of Alia Ady at Black N Brew. There’s a lot going on in this area of South Philly, I definitely suggest hopping on this trolley before you get left behind.

Photos | Emily Currier

In a chilly basement in West Philly, Mary Tasillo is crouched by a space heater, trying to warm up chilled ink. This is the other side of Philagrafika: Tucked away in a basement, artists Mary Tasillo and Michelle Wilson are the pioneers behind Book Bombs, one of Philagrafika’s independent projects, and they’ll be making prints on an old-fashioned letterpress for the next seven hours.

“You have to intensely love the process to bother with it,� comments Tasillo, who met Wilson during their graduate Book Arts program at University of the Arts. About two hours have elapsed by the time the two are done coating the ink rollers and tweaking the woodcut’s placement on the press. They are employing paper handmade from mugwort, a weed to some but also a medicinal herb used in China to evoke dreaming. Using recycled and natural materials adds to the overall exhibit’s aim to examine Philadelphia’s community through printmaking; receiving no funding from Philagrafika, Tasillo and Wilson pour grant money into their vision.

When they pitched Book Bombs to Philagrafika, the two artists were nervous that a street art project wouldn’t seem “officialâ€� enough. But displaying their prints around the city, open to the elements, is an integral source of commentary on issues of public space and, in particular, homelessness. “We asked ourselves, how can this project occupy the same territory as something public?â€� says Wilson. Neither artist has experienced homelessness, but both think the issue is too often, and too easily, overlooked by the public. Click For More »

sirmikeofmitchell.com

Conan O’Brien announces he will play the Tower Theater on June 7. Nice! Tickets run from $39.50-$79.50, but snap up them fast ’cause this a hot show.

Everyone’s fave Jolly Red Giant has a lot of time on his hands now that he was booted off the Tonight Show (sidekick-for-life Andy Richter recently spoke about their axing for the first time), but he better get to know Philly better if his proposed locally-shot show about the Supreme Court justices is picked up.

Welcome to Philly, CoCo. The weather’s fine.

RELATED: WHAT WE HEART: I’m With Coco t-shirts for Haitian relief

Three Musicians, by Pablo Ruiz y Picasso, oil on canvas, 1921.

Wanna tell the Internet everything you know about Cubism? Feel like writing quick-hit blurbs about the Blue Period? Here’s your chance: The Philadelphia Museum of Art has launched a new blog in conjunction with the opening of its spring exhibit, “Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris.”

Despite the fact that it’s called “Picasso Posse,” the idea has potential: The PMA’s asking you, artsy Philadelphians, to contribute. In what they’re calling a “new experiment in social media,” the PMA folks will pick a group of bloggers to write posts, upload photos, create behind-the-scenes videos and Tweet the hell out of all things PMA.

The perks? Free unlimited access to the museum’s collections (presumably at least till April 25, when the Picasso exhibit shuts down); cred on the blog; power. The downside? No money involved, and as one blogger points out, you’re basically feeding the PMA free information for not a whole lot of reward.

To apply, complete the following steps and send materials “as soon as possible” to kari.molvar@philamuseum.org:

• Submit a sample 250-word post on any topic related to Picasso
• Suggest 5 ideas for content you would create for the Museum’s blog
• List any relevant experience you have with blogging, including any blogs or sites that you currently host or write for.

In the meantime, pick up a fresh City Paper and flip to the A&E section, where visual art critic Robin Rice gives you her take on Picasso at the PMA.

dandougan.com

Perhaps best known as the powerhouse lead of Black Flag, Henry Rollins has done anything but lose steam since. In his signature gravely-voice, he’s hosted radio and TV shows (including a titular show on IFC), gotten all dramatic (like on last season’s Sons of Anarchy) and currently heads up a publishing company/ record label called 2.13.61, Inc.

Rollins’ interest and passion for human rights lead him to traveling to off-the-beaten track destinations such as Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Senegal.  Now, trading in his frequent flyer miles for a tour bus, Rollins will report on his travels through spoken word performances in his Frequent Flyer Tour, which stops at the First Unitarian Church tonight. Even though Rollins plays a new city each night, he took time out of his schedule to chat with City Paper.

City Paper: You’ve done extensive traveling around the world. What locations resonated the most with you on your travels?

Henry Rollins: I think the most thought provoking were Bangladesh and China. In Bangladesh I saw so much poverty but so many smiles. In China I always felt like I was being watched and handed a line. Everything felt like propaganda there.

CP: What themes or messages from your travels will you be sharing in your performances?

HR: I have a lot of anecdotes from recent travels: India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, China, all the other places as well, all gave me very interesting stories. As far as themes, I don’t think that hard about themes or overall messages. I think these things happen naturally.

CP: After so much traveling, how do you find America upon your return?

HR: What I see abroad makes me like America more. We have it very good here. I think if more Americans could see more of the world, it might make them value what they have and perhaps they would take better care of the place and better care of themselves.

CP: Is there more similarity or difference in songwriting versus writing poetry?

HR: I just write stuff and it turns into different things. It’s just writing to me. I am not all that aware of a style of a difference in the methods. I would perhaps be more aware of a difference if I were a better writer. I am trying to use words to understand life; it takes me to different places in my mind.

CP: What about in singing versus performing spoken word?

HR: Talking shows are a lot harder. There’s nothing onstage but me, and if I stop talking, then there’s no show. I don’t know how I get through them but I do. Band stuff is hard too but at least it’s a group effort and my many mistakes on the bandstand are somewhat obscured by all the surrounding noise.

CP: So you’ve been the lead singer of a band, a radio show host, a publisher, and a poet, what can we expect next from you?

HR: I have been doing a lot of photography. I have been working on it pretty hard, trying to tell the story through the lens. It’s not easy but I am getting a little better at is, learning about light and composition and all.