Letter from the Editor: January 2012

(Left to right): TJ Thyne, Lyndzi Trang, Tiffany David, Lucia Tran, Alex Levine, and Derek Wood

We are constantly fronting tragedy (whether important or not) each and every day, and we have become experts at complaining and many of us have even evolved into pessimists. I, myself, have subdued to this misfortune but had the opportunity to meet numerous people these past months who have helped to change my outlook on life in general.

Zooey Magazine and UCLA’s group SEBN (Sports, Entertainment, and Business Network) hosted a Q and A Panel on November 15 and we met with a great group of students who were more than eager to learn about how to break into the entertainment industry. We were also joined by our good friend TJ Thyne (Bones) who exceeded all my expectations. An incredible man of wisdom and optimism, Thyne couldn’t help but spread his smiles. Every single person he met came up to me after our panel and said they were just marveled at how responsive and how kind Thyne was.

The struggles he had faced, the rejections he received, yet the positivity he still contained was more than inspiring. After hearing all of his past tales, nothing went through my mind but pure happiness. Here at Zooey Magazine, we stand for collaboration - the staff and our contributors work together to reach one goal: inspire our readers to simply embrace who they are and understand their own abilities to succeed in anything they attempt to do. With Thyne, it is like a fresh breath of air in a stifling town. People will want to eat you up and spit you out, and that is the raw truth. To meet someone with such unquestionable sincerity and unadulterated authenticity, is a great thing to behold.

Because Hollywood is an arduous industry, and not to mention, completely exclusive, Zooey seeks to break these boundaries and showcase talents who are remarkable artists in their field. There are so many lives in this world that are hidden behind others with power - by ‘power,’ I mean people with money, status, and available opportunities that are already within reach. It is surely difficult to make it into any caliber without the right resources. But to triumph, you have to ignore the oppositions and push against the barriers. There are no comments strong enough to bring a person down but one’s very own.

Now with a brand new year arriving, I hope for nothing more than to provide a basis for creative, intelligent women to express their individuality and help to turn their passions into reality through the magazine. Zooey serves as an open diary in conjunction with its many readers and contributors. 2012 is Zooey’s ‘Take Two.’ I have been very blessed to have this chance to pursue an aspiration that was dubbed ‘unattainable’ and I could not have achieved a second year in this industry without my arms and legs: the Zooey team.

The 9th issue, in your hands at the moment, is filled with wonderful content with fashion stories to just pawn over. Chic is our destination and chic is what we are aspiring to fulfill.

Happy holidays and we’ll see you all next year (2012)!

- Lucia Tran

Photo by Sam Cashdan

The Ryan Gosling Effect

This year was undoubtedly the year of Ryan Gosling -- you couldn't turn on the TV, peruse the newsstand, surf the Web, go to the movies or probably even sneeze without seeing his chiseled mug somewhere. Gosling made the rounds on the festival, press and late night circuits and had three movies come out within months of each other: "Crazy, Stupid, Love," "Drive," and "The Ides of March."

While channel surfing recently, I came across one of his older films, "Murder by Numbers," which I haven't seen in years. That is what really inspired this article because it was just further confirmation to me that this guy is practically omnipresent. The film was also a reminder that Gosling is really quite fantastic at playing disturbed people.

I remember my introduction to the actor. As a kid, I happened to tune into a short-lived Canadian series that he starred on called "Breaker High," which was basically "Saved by the Bell" on a cruise ship. Even then he was likable, even if nothing else about that show was.

So what exactly is it about him that is so intriguing? Here are five possible causes (though it can be argued that there are more):

1. His seemingly endless array of bizarre stories -- e.g., as a child, packing his Fisher Price kit with steak knives and throwing them at his classmates as inspired by "Rambo;" a particularly disturbing trip to a Turkish bath; being a witness to a motorcycle accident that sparked his love of motorcycles, etc.

2. The realism and genuine quality he brings to less-than-likable characters (Blue Valentine, The Believer, Half Nelson).

3. His nasally, Brooklyn-esque accent -- which is rather curious in both its inexplicable appeal and its mystery (he is from Canada). Observe: the Ryan Gosling Accent-O-Meter.

4. His physique, which Emma Stone so aptly described in "Crazy, Stupid, Love": "It's like you're Photoshopped!"

5. Two words: The Notebook. Yeah, don't kid yourself. "I wrote you 365 letters. I wrote you every day for a year!" Snail mail has never seemed so appealing.

And for those who are not quite as enamored with Gosling (e.g., my boyfriend, my brothers, most of the male population, etc.), he currently has three movies in the works for next year. May the Ryan Gosling effect prevail in 2012.

- By: Stephanie Snyder Photo by Warner Brothers Pictures

Givaway: Rain Tees

Here at Zooey, we have nothing but adoration for companies that give back - what better way to live than to make others happy? We discovered this t-shirt company called Rain Tees and it immediately sparked our attention. Their mission, although simple, leaves a great impact on the earth for the better. "Rain Tees' mission is to plant trees with tees and create art programs for children around the world. So far, Rain Tees has funded art and education programs in more than 15 countries while donating thousands of school supplies. For every tee sold, a tree is planted in a critically endangered area of the world through our charity partner, Trees for the Future."

Rain Tees have built a following in the eco-community with names like Alicia Silvertone and even Miranda Kerr.

Many of the brand's tees are designed by future generations from overseas including Ecuador. The shirt featured above is the Joison Tee and we absolutely adore it. While we'd like to be hogs and sport it ourselves, we're giving one of our readers the opportunity to win the shirt!

How do you win? Simply like us on Facebook and post a comment on our page! You'll immediately be entered for a tee! A random winner will be selected at the end of this month. Good luck!