Franco was robbed!

By the logic of Hollywood tech spokespersoning, the proper way to hawk a new device is either through (1) an exaggeration of your public persona or (2) playing against type. Hence domestic anime character Zooey Deschanel reaching new heights of adorkability using Siri ordering tomato soup in her pajamas or motherfucking movie star Samuel L. Jackson yuppie-ing out on the iPhone over the temperature of his gazpacho.

Samsung's new Galaxy Note 10.1 commercial, hawking its flagship Android tablet, however, fails to employ either of those approaches with writer/poet/Ivy League student/film teacher/director/musician/actor/producer/artist, James Franco. Rather, the low-energy new spot supposedly directed by Mr. Franco and running approximately one billion light years long, pretty much just goes through what we imagine is actually a typical day for self-serious Renaissance Manspirant. 

A funnier take might have been Mr. Franco as a slacker using his Galaxy Note tablet to try to trick people into thinking he accomplishes everything on his rapidly metastasizing resume. As is, the only thing the commercial makes us want is that house.

Sorry, did you think Internet awards season was over? Hate to break it to you, but not even close: Vimeo, the upscale video sharing platform, just announced its shortlist of nominees for the 2012 Vimeo Festival and Awards. The event features some pretty sweet judges, including swag comedy favorite Aziz Ansari judging the "Series" category and Important Actor Person/sleepy NYU student James Franco judging "Narrative."

Aside from regular categories like Animation and Documentary, the festival added some interesting new categories this year, including Fashion, Action Sports and Advertising. You can check out the rest of the categories and vote for your favorite videos in each here.

The Vimeo Festival will be held at Vimeo HQ and other venues around NYC from June 7-9, with the actual awards ceremony taking place on June 7th at 8pm at NYU's Skirball Center. According to the site, "it’s one part film festival, one part tech meetup, one part educational conference, and one part flying trapeze act." We're skeptical about that trapeze part, but still sounds pretty interesting. Tickets for the festival are available here.

James Franco has been making a name for himself by participating a series of strange, conceptual art projects that seem to poke fun of his status as a Hollywood star. Now he's asking donors for money to create and tour a series of non-existent pieces of art.

The project,  The Museum of Non-Visible Art, is being created by Praxis, the collaborative art team of Brainard and Delia Carey, along with with James Franco, and will be  curated by Vallejo Gantner, artistic director of PS122 in Manhattan.

"Composed entirely of ideas, the Non-Visible Museum redefines the concept of what is real," reads the project's Kickstarter page. "This world is not visible, but it is real, perhaps more real, in many ways, than the world of matter, and it is also for sale."

In exchange for a donation of $25, for example, six backers have received a title card about Red Leaves, a film James Franco dreamt up after reading a Faulkner story. So far 28 backers have contributed more than $1,000.

"You will receive a title card with a description of a piece of art, as well as a letter of authentication. You may mount this card on a blank wall in your home or gallery. What comes next is up to you!" If, eventually, you begin to feel your non-visible art is lacking some of the zest of say, a physical painting or sculpture, never fear. "You may also choose to sell the non-visible artwork to another collector, to exhibit it elsewhere, or to lend it back to Praxis when we take the Non-Visible Museum on tour."

An art prank or a genuine project? Kickstarter founder Yancey Strickler tweeted out, "Kickstarter has been Franco'd in a very strange, James Franco way."