Oh. My. Word. Where do I begin? 

First of all, happy Friday! It's been an amazing week over on our end since SaverinaScozzari.com changed over to The Saverina Scozzari Collective. Second of all, you have to watch Rob Lowe as the new Colonel Sanders in the KFC ad below:

I'm not big on KFC, but I love this ad and Rob Lowe (whoever doesn't love Rob Lowe is crazy). Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Perhaps you'll grab some KFC? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

I don't see how this is a big deal, but if I'm being honest - it's given me something to write about.

This year, the MTV Video Music Awards are returning to LaLa land after they switched things up last year by having them in New York City. The VMAs are, in my opinion, one of the most controversial award shows considering that's where Britney and Madonna kissed, Miley Cyrus twerked on Robin Thicke, Kanye West and Taylor Swift's thing (there's really  no other way to describe it) started and so much more pop culture goodness took place.

The show isn't until August 27th, which usually marks the beginning of a new blogging season once this one wraps up. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what shenanigans we're in for. Perhaps Queen Bey will debut her twins? Any predictions?

As the name suggests, Thai Massage originated in Thailand.  While there is no historical evidence (yet) as to how and why this ancient body work morphed into a sensual massage in that region, there is no denying its reputation. 
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Even in the news, you only hear about people going for Thai Massage for naughty reasons.  Poor Calvin Harris was demonized in 2015 for spending two hours in a Thai Massage Parlour.  I sometimes massage people for 2 or 3 hours.  Does it have to be sexual to be that long of a massage? 

When I took my first training in 2012, I remember the teasing that followed. “Oh, you offer Thai Massage now... how was the ‘Happy Ending’ Training..?”  While I had heard of the “happy ending” before – yes I watched Russell Peters speak of his Thai Massage in Bangkok “that came with something extra” – I was still not prepared.  See, my first introduction to Thai Massage was with a warm, caring and elegant man named Dr. Blake Martin from York University, and he instructed with such a high level of professionalism and grace that these jokes felt demeaning to my experience and intentions .  Yes, he talked about the sexualization of Thai Massage, but warned against it.  He went so far as to say that you shouldn’t sexualize massages even with your husband or wife.  He cautioned that it would sexualize every massage you gave going forward and change the energy of the room and your mat...  His advice was to just stay away from it.  Oh, and it’s illegal. 

The first time I was propositioned for the illusive “happy ending” was over the phone.  I was booking a massage client for one of my staff-let’s call her Patrice, because it is not her name.  The call was from a business man visiting the city.  We talked about a price and made a reservation and then the conversation turned:

“So tell me Joanne...  Is there any way of getting you to do this massage instead of Patrice?  You just sound so nice,” he flirted.

“Sorry Sir, I am out of town, but Patrice is a great practitioner,” I said, at first thinking he sounded innocently playful... Oh I am so naive.

“That’s too bad... But do your girls offer anything for the travelling man who needs a little extra relaxation?” His voice lost what I had misinterpreted as innocent and he now seemed confidently creepy.  I knew exactly where he was going with this and I needed to shut it down.  I would also like to add that I was dealing with an increasingly sick feeling in my stomach... even over the phone, I felt violated. 

“Sir, all Thai Massage is great for relaxation and here they are all completely professional.”  My tone changed to meet his, but mine became stern.

“Yes, I’ve had Thai Massage before... I mean, do you have anyone who would offer a lonely man a happy ending?”  His voice didn’t waver, he was not embarrassed.  He was asking me if one of my staff would be willing to offer him some sort of sexual release and he thought that this was perfectly acceptable..? 

“Sir, I have already stated that we are a professional establishment, so no, I don’t think that this is the right place for –“ I got cut off.

“Oh, come on... You must have someone.”

“And we’re done here.” I hung up the phone.

The sad part is that although I know I handled it properly-in fact, I handled it with a tact and strength that any woman would feel proud of-I still felt violated.  I still felt cheap and dirty.  One might say that it doesn’t hurt to ask... Um, yes.  Yes, it does.  Assuming that anyone is somehow for sale or willing to offer sexual favours for money is degrading, offensive and abusive. 

My advice for those of you looking for the “Happy Ending” is to only go where it is advertised.  What?  It’s not advertised?  Oh, that’s shocking, I wonder why... Oh, right—it’s illegal.  By asking, you run the risk of offending your practitioner, perpetuating gross stereotypes, and potentially being reported to the authorities for solicitation.  Doesn’t sound like a happy ending to me!

This is unexpected news, but extremely important. 

The Royal Family went live on Facebook and showed Lady Gaga and Prince William discussing the mental illness stigma. Watch it below:

As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression and looks up to celebrities, this was surreal. Prince William asked Lady Gaga about her struggle with mental illness and it was all so real and relatable. She spoke about waking up tired and sad every morning, the confusion as to why you would feel that way. They also talked about how far we've come with raising awareness and potentially planned for for them to meet when she's in the UK to further make a difference. Of course, they had to mention the Royal Foundation London Marathon 2017 campaign called Heads Together. You can learn more here.

My hopes are that more celebrities will come out with their mental health struggles (I feel everyone goes through something at some point in there life), and that there will be more outlets for those struggling to turn to for help. What did you think of this video?

Toronto Blues musician Chris Antonik, who's been considered a mix of BB King and Chris Stapleton, is releasing his third album titled Monarch and celebrating in Hamilton tomorrow night. I was lucky enough to have the chance to chat with him. Check out our interview below:

What did you learn about yourself and your craft while putting this together?
In terms of myself, I learned how important it is to write at least some of your songs for others.  It's cool when songs have themes that are universal enough that people can relate to.  As a guitarist, I learned how important drum patterns are to me, and how they can enhance my blues guitar style.
 
How do you hope people will feel when they listen to Monarch?
Connected. We set out to align heavy, real-life themes with immersive, powerful and beautiful sonic landscapes.  
 
How did you feel when you heard the finished product?
Very pleased!  But tired.  It was a lot of work, but so worth it.

Here are the details for the release party:

​Chris Antonik Monarch CD release party
Tuesday, April 18 
The Casbah - 306 King Street W., Hamilton
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Show at 8:00 p.m.
Advance tickets are $25/$30 at the door
Available at casbahlounge.ca/tickets, Picks & Sticks, and Dr Disc