Most Beautiful Man for September: Not Surprised

Yes, it’s the one and only Michael Phelps. It’s no surprise to anyone that Mostbeautifulman.com has chosen this 14 career Olympic gold medals winning Olympian.(Now let’s not forget he also holds seven world records in swimming. Him being the man of the month is predictable, but I’m not complaining.

Ralph Lauren’s Olympics Uniforms

Preppy Olympics uniforms? Yes it’s here and it’s by Ralph Lauren! The velvet leotards, the flips and the landings are all oh so lovable! Standard red, white and navy blue are used (and they compliment each other perfectly). No doubt the American team of this year’s Olympics will look preppier than ever. The opening-ceremony look consists of classy navy blazers with white driving hats and canvas walking shoes; for the closing ceremonies, it’s classic polos and sleeveless sweaters.

Go to Guest of a Guest for more photos.

Metamorphoses of an American

Grant Theft Auto star and fashion designer/photographer Karl Lagerfeld is launching his new book Metamorphoses of an American at a New York gallery opening tonight. It features five years worth of photos of model. Lagerfeld’s attachment to Brad Kroenig is apparently as strong as his attachment to Diet Coke— he’s always on hand.

Maureen Orth yesterday posted a piece on the Lagerfeld/Kroenig relationship for Vanity Fair:

“‘Have you met Brad?’ Lagerfeld asked. Brad Kroenig, a top male mode who, at 6 foot 1, looks vaguely like Matthew McConaughey, was sparkling in the same silver sequined jacket he’d worn to the Met Costume gala the night before. He and Lagerfeld attended New York’s ‘party of the year’ together, and they had just arrived in Paris the afternoon I saw them, none the worse for wear. Kroenig, an easy-going 29-year-old with the uncanny ability to transform himself to look like everyone from James Dean to Errol Flynn, is the American whose ‘metamorphoses’ Lagerfeld has been documenting for the past five years. ‘I thought it would be interesting to follow the physical evolution of someone,’ the designer told me in his rapid-fire German accent. ‘Without him knowing it, he has an unbelievable range. It’s a kind of gift. He knows nothing about these things. It’s fun for somebody to skate on these images and interpretations without being an actor—the characters, the situations, the attitudes, while at the same time to stay a completely modern all-American.'”

The Next Jet Li Rising: Morgan Benoit

Morgan Benoit, an American actor from Vermont is getting lots of attention after playing Lupo in a Jet Li and Jackie Chan martial arts film, “The Forbidden Kingdom”.

Benoit has moved to China to study Long Fist Kung Fu which he loved when he was 18. After a couple of years, he was admitted to Shi Cha Hai Sports Academy (former training grounds of Jet Li and many China’s top Olympic Athletes.)

Before his film career, Benoit also worked for Cirque du Soleil. After nearly 10 years away from his friends and family for studying and working in China, he’s recently returned to the US to continue his acting and film career in LA.

May’s Most Beautiful Man

The chosen one of this month by Most Beautiful Man is Jeremy Santucci. The American model from Maryland is best known for his campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch and Armani. Now, having been modelling for two years he has already “bagged multiple campaigns for Loehmann’s, Emporio Armani, 2ixst and much more.”

Click on the images to view them in full size

Lucifer Effect: Fallen From Grace

We sometimes see colleagues who were promoted suddenly becomes bossy and mean and a righteous law student becomes a greedy lawyer. Why do Angels fall from grace?

In 1971, American psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a Standford prison experiment with the help of 24 volunteering undergraduates. They played the role of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison.

The volunteers adapted to their roles a little bit “too well.” Some of those who played guards became sadistic and violent towards the prisoners. The “prisoners” were emotional traumatized and some even had a nervous breakdown. This lead to the two week experiment to end on its sixth day.

30 years later, Zimbardo describes the experiment as “Lucifer Effect” to explain how good people turn evil. Different situations — such as different status, different uniforms and peer pressure affect human behaviours.

Zimbardo emphasizes on external factors and systems, including personal interpretation and imitation also have an effect on how a person behave as supposed to internal factors such as genes and personalities.

Thus the soldiers who commit rape and the guards who abuse prisoner all turned in to God’s once beloved Lucifer from the bible. He who became arrogant and hoped to challenge God has fallen from grace— turning into Satan.