Oh, friends, do you remember the glory days of Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, when those two girls used to travel the country and get into such wacky shenanigans?!
Nicole Richie Just Got Real About Paris Hilton
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Will Miley Cyrus' Naked Antics Win Liam Hemsworth Back?
Miley Cyrus has been acting out since her split from Liam Hemsworth. Will her schtick get him back?
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Meet The NEW 'Human Barbie' Alina Kovalevskaya (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Old Human Barbie is soooo several months ago.
Move over Valeria Lukyanova, it's Alina Kovalevskaya's time to shine.
Although, she doesn't like sunlight so maybe she'd rather not shine.
Anyway, 21-year-old Kovalevskaya, who hails from Odessa, Ukraine where Lukyanova also lives, told Barcroft that taking on the doll's appearance was easy.
“I look like a doll. I like big eyes, little nose, small plump lips. I love long hair. My hair is a meter long.”
Unlike the surgically enhanced Lukyanova, new human Barbie says she's never had plastic surgery. Kovalevskaya is mostly concerned with mimicking a doll's facial features, rather than aiming for Barbie's physical proportions, which are impossible to achieve.
Story continues after photos of the latest and greatest human Barbie ..
Kovalevskaya told Barcroft that, over the last 18 months that she's had a few conversations with her rival. They evidently did not go well.
"I have had certain misunderstandings with her after which we ceased to communicate," Kovalevskaya said. "I realized she is not a person with whom I would like to talk to or even be friends."
That's all fine, but Barcroft sadly doesn't ask any of the most important questions:
Is Kovalevskaya racist like the old Human Barbie?
Is she a breatharian like the old Human Barbie?
Is she an alien like the old Human Barbie?
As far as we know, she is just a regular doll who is studying psychology in college, which is snoresville.
But, she is single fellas, so there's never been a better time to visit Ukraine and try your hand at becoming her real-life Ken.
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Move over Valeria Lukyanova, it's Alina Kovalevskaya's time to shine.
Although, she doesn't like sunlight so maybe she'd rather not shine.
Anyway, 21-year-old Kovalevskaya, who hails from Odessa, Ukraine where Lukyanova also lives, told Barcroft that taking on the doll's appearance was easy.
“I look like a doll. I like big eyes, little nose, small plump lips. I love long hair. My hair is a meter long.”
Unlike the surgically enhanced Lukyanova, new human Barbie says she's never had plastic surgery. Kovalevskaya is mostly concerned with mimicking a doll's facial features, rather than aiming for Barbie's physical proportions, which are impossible to achieve.
Story continues after photos of the latest and greatest human Barbie ..
Kovalevskaya told Barcroft that, over the last 18 months that she's had a few conversations with her rival. They evidently did not go well.
"I have had certain misunderstandings with her after which we ceased to communicate," Kovalevskaya said. "I realized she is not a person with whom I would like to talk to or even be friends."
That's all fine, but Barcroft sadly doesn't ask any of the most important questions:
Is Kovalevskaya racist like the old Human Barbie?
Is she a breatharian like the old Human Barbie?
Is she an alien like the old Human Barbie?
As far as we know, she is just a regular doll who is studying psychology in college, which is snoresville.
But, she is single fellas, so there's never been a better time to visit Ukraine and try your hand at becoming her real-life Ken.
Like Us On Facebook | 
Follow Us On Twitter | 
Contact The Author↧
Rob Reiner Says He'll Do Whatever He Can To Help Hillary Clinton Win In 2016
Rob Reiner has voiced support for Hillary Clinton in the past, but the "Princess Bride" director is ready to up the ante.
In an appearance to promote his new film "And So It Goes," the Hollywood icon explained to HuffPost Live's Roy Sekoff that he would do everything in his power to make Clinton president in 2016.
"There's nobody that has ever been more qualified to be president of the United States than Hillary Clinton," he said. "Now will she run? I hope she does. And if she wants me to help her, I'll do whatever I can."
Reiner, who described Clinton as being "one of the smartest women" he's ever met and "incredibly capable," endorsed the then-New York senator in 2008, notably throwing her a joint fundraiser-60th birthday party at his Brentwood home in which he sang "Happy Birthday Mrs. President."
"I'm interested in someone who can really manage those political waters," he remarked at the time, referring to Clinton.
His admiration for her has yet to waver.
"I love Hillary," Reiner told HuffPost Live. "I've always loved her. I loved her since she was in the White House at the beginning."
Watch the rest of Rob Reiner's hilarious conversation with HuffPost Live below:
In an appearance to promote his new film "And So It Goes," the Hollywood icon explained to HuffPost Live's Roy Sekoff that he would do everything in his power to make Clinton president in 2016.
"There's nobody that has ever been more qualified to be president of the United States than Hillary Clinton," he said. "Now will she run? I hope she does. And if she wants me to help her, I'll do whatever I can."
Reiner, who described Clinton as being "one of the smartest women" he's ever met and "incredibly capable," endorsed the then-New York senator in 2008, notably throwing her a joint fundraiser-60th birthday party at his Brentwood home in which he sang "Happy Birthday Mrs. President."
"I'm interested in someone who can really manage those political waters," he remarked at the time, referring to Clinton.
His admiration for her has yet to waver.
"I love Hillary," Reiner told HuffPost Live. "I've always loved her. I loved her since she was in the White House at the beginning."
Watch the rest of Rob Reiner's hilarious conversation with HuffPost Live below:
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Mel Gibson Sympathizes With Shia LaBeouf: 'My Heart Goes Out To The Poor Guy'
After making headlines for his now-infamous anti-Semitic rant during his arrest in 2006 and again in 2012 when his horrific fight with then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva leaked, Mel Gibson's name was forever tainted in Hollywood. But he's hoping that it doesn't end up that way for Shia LaBeouf.
In an interview with Indiewire published July 8, Mel Gibson expressed sympathy for LaBeouf in light of the 28-year-old's recent struggles.
"When I see someone like Shia LaBeouf with the bag on his head and stuff, my heart goes out to the poor guy. I think he's suffering in some way," Gibson said.
Gibson was referring to an incident in February when LaBeouf showed up to the "Nymphomaniac" premiere with a bag over his head that read "I am not famous anymore." LaBeouf's more recent troubles include getting kicked out of a Broadway play and subsequently being arrested by New York police.
"People are in line to sort of point the finger at him and say that he's this, that, or the other. It's easy to judge. But I'm sure he's going through some kind of personal, very painful, cathartic thing that he has to exorcise and get out there," Gibson continued.
But Gibson is hopeful that LaBeouf will turn his life around.
"He'll probably play it out and come back ... He'll be all right. I actually like the kid. I think he's good."
In an interview with Indiewire published July 8, Mel Gibson expressed sympathy for LaBeouf in light of the 28-year-old's recent struggles.
"When I see someone like Shia LaBeouf with the bag on his head and stuff, my heart goes out to the poor guy. I think he's suffering in some way," Gibson said.
Gibson was referring to an incident in February when LaBeouf showed up to the "Nymphomaniac" premiere with a bag over his head that read "I am not famous anymore." LaBeouf's more recent troubles include getting kicked out of a Broadway play and subsequently being arrested by New York police.
"People are in line to sort of point the finger at him and say that he's this, that, or the other. It's easy to judge. But I'm sure he's going through some kind of personal, very painful, cathartic thing that he has to exorcise and get out there," Gibson continued.
But Gibson is hopeful that LaBeouf will turn his life around.
"He'll probably play it out and come back ... He'll be all right. I actually like the kid. I think he's good."
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Halle Berry Gets Schooled In Charades By Jimmy Fallon And Chris Colfer
Class is now in session.
On Tuesday, July 8, Halle Berry stopped by "The Tonight Show" and totally got schooled in Charades by Jimmy Fallon. The teams were Berry and "Tonight Show" announcer Steve Higgins against Fallon and "Glee" star Chris Colfer, and right from the beginning the Fallon/Colfer combo delivered complete and utter domination.
We don't want to overhype it, but even the German World Cup team was probably thinking, "Hey, ease up a little, guys."
Check out Part 2 below:
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.
On Tuesday, July 8, Halle Berry stopped by "The Tonight Show" and totally got schooled in Charades by Jimmy Fallon. The teams were Berry and "Tonight Show" announcer Steve Higgins against Fallon and "Glee" star Chris Colfer, and right from the beginning the Fallon/Colfer combo delivered complete and utter domination.
We don't want to overhype it, but even the German World Cup team was probably thinking, "Hey, ease up a little, guys."
Check out Part 2 below:
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.
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Dear Media: Please Stop Reporting on Mila Kunis' 'Baby Bump'
Let me start by saying that I am a huge Mila Kunis fan.
I think that she's a very talented actress and one of the few beauties out there surrounded in a sea of mediocrity of today's actresses. As I've even discussed in my book series, The Peter Pandrew Trilogy, I went to bat for her before she really caught on and have even got into vehement fights over her appearance, testifying that she would grow into the show-stopper she would become (and I was right, as now she has fully reached it-girl status).
I'll go one step further: I loved That 70's Show.
I thought it was amazing and featured an extremely talented young cast who all had great chemistry. I still watch it every chance I get and it never gets old. When I found out that Ashton Kutcher (Kelso) and Mila Kunis (Jackie) had become an item in real life? My way-too-invested heart skipped a beat (even though I really thought she belonged with Hyde, but hey, anything was better than Fez). When I found out they were having a baby? I couldn't be happier for them! And even though I'm not one for marriage, relationships and children? I wished them nothing but good things when I heard they were engaged.
But, as much as I love these two, and I could seriously watch eight episodes in a row every night of the very show I've already seen every episode of that they starred in? I truly could not care less about hearing about Mila Kunis' growing "baby bump" on a daily basis, and how many ways the media can find cute nicknames on how to say it.
I don't care that she's "preggers."
I don't care that they're having "That 70's Baby" -- which really doesn't even make sense, so that writer should be fired.
I don't care what she's craving, how he's taking care of her, how fat she's getting, how she likes being pregnant, how she hates being pregnant, how he likes her pregnant, how she handles her mood swings, how her hair smells while pregnant, what maternity clothes she's been buying, or if she calls up a Kardashian for some pregnancy tips (because let's face it -- she's not doing that).
I don't care about any of this.
This is seriously one of those times where all those pretentious people who ask, "Isn't there anything more important to report on, like Syria? Read a book!" need to come out of the woodwork already. There needs to be some kind of sworn oath that there cannot be one more piece of news on this nonsensical garbage.
You would think they were having the royal baby. And I understand that people consider this "Hollywood Royalty" to a very large extreme -- but it's not. It will never be crowned king or queen. It's a baby. And right now, it's a pregnancy. So until the baby's born and we have to hear the incessant stories about "That 70's Baby" and its name, gender and weight?
Please, for the love of God, I beg of you, press -- Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis actually are two talented and beautiful people. They are not Kardashians... You can find definitely something more interesting to report on them.
I think that she's a very talented actress and one of the few beauties out there surrounded in a sea of mediocrity of today's actresses. As I've even discussed in my book series, The Peter Pandrew Trilogy, I went to bat for her before she really caught on and have even got into vehement fights over her appearance, testifying that she would grow into the show-stopper she would become (and I was right, as now she has fully reached it-girl status).
I'll go one step further: I loved That 70's Show.
I thought it was amazing and featured an extremely talented young cast who all had great chemistry. I still watch it every chance I get and it never gets old. When I found out that Ashton Kutcher (Kelso) and Mila Kunis (Jackie) had become an item in real life? My way-too-invested heart skipped a beat (even though I really thought she belonged with Hyde, but hey, anything was better than Fez). When I found out they were having a baby? I couldn't be happier for them! And even though I'm not one for marriage, relationships and children? I wished them nothing but good things when I heard they were engaged.
But, as much as I love these two, and I could seriously watch eight episodes in a row every night of the very show I've already seen every episode of that they starred in? I truly could not care less about hearing about Mila Kunis' growing "baby bump" on a daily basis, and how many ways the media can find cute nicknames on how to say it.
I don't care that she's "preggers."
I don't care that they're having "That 70's Baby" -- which really doesn't even make sense, so that writer should be fired.
I don't care what she's craving, how he's taking care of her, how fat she's getting, how she likes being pregnant, how she hates being pregnant, how he likes her pregnant, how she handles her mood swings, how her hair smells while pregnant, what maternity clothes she's been buying, or if she calls up a Kardashian for some pregnancy tips (because let's face it -- she's not doing that).
I don't care about any of this.
This is seriously one of those times where all those pretentious people who ask, "Isn't there anything more important to report on, like Syria? Read a book!" need to come out of the woodwork already. There needs to be some kind of sworn oath that there cannot be one more piece of news on this nonsensical garbage.
You would think they were having the royal baby. And I understand that people consider this "Hollywood Royalty" to a very large extreme -- but it's not. It will never be crowned king or queen. It's a baby. And right now, it's a pregnancy. So until the baby's born and we have to hear the incessant stories about "That 70's Baby" and its name, gender and weight?
Please, for the love of God, I beg of you, press -- Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis actually are two talented and beautiful people. They are not Kardashians... You can find definitely something more interesting to report on them.
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'Rising Star' Music Director, Ray Chew Talks Career & Robin Thicke, Marvin Gaye Comparisons
Keyboardist and orchestral arranger Ray Chew has been a key figure on some of television's most watched shows, serving as music director and/or composer on "Showtime at the Apollo," "American Idol," "Dancing With The Stars" and ABC's newest singing competition series, "Rising Star."
Growing up in Harlem's Grant Houses project, Chew managed to balance a rigorous schedule of attending school and learning the various intricacies of musical education. It later paid off when Chew got the opportunity to perform alongside the likes of Aretha Franklin, Prince, Diana Ross and Ashford & Simpson, among others.
During a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Chew, 46, opened up about his journey from Harlem to Hollywood and shared his thoughts on how new artists should be more diligent in paying homage to veteran musicians.
For those who aren't familiar with your career trajectory, take me back to your humble beginnings growing up in Harlem.
It came about from my parents. We were in the Grant projects on 125th St., and my mother and father insisted that I be a product of the environment. And they did everything they could to make sure I had access to musical education and cultural education, and so I had the support of a lot of family and I started my training very early at age 6. And from 6 throughout all my school years I was in musical training every day and on weekends. So every day I was in school, and then music school and every musical program they could find. My first professional job was at age 16 with [singer] Melba Moore, and at 18 I started working with Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson and they introduced me to the New York session scene as well as being their musical director for a very long time ... I started working on a lot of records towards the end of that whole disco era. In the '80s I played on hundreds of albums and classic records with Diana Ross, and Chaka [Khan], and Teddy [Pendergrass], Gladys Knight & the Pips...
My first TV show was with "Saturday Night Live," and that was during the Eddie Murphy years ... After that, my next TV show, years later, was with the Apollo [Theater]. And that started my Apollo tenure. So a lot of people know me from the Apollo ... And after the Apollo I progressed and did a lot more TV musical direction. A lot of the BET TV shows of course ["BET Awards," "BET Celebration of Gospel," "BET Honors"]. That's been a great relationship for many years, and I cherish that. Then I started moving into a lot of the mainstream shows like "American Idol," the Emmys, "Dancing with the Stars" and of course now "Rising Star." So I guess that's the quick of it.
This year marks the Apollo Theater's 80th anniversary. As a respected affiliate of the institution, what are your thoughts on the theater's role in being an epicenter for black entertainment?
It's a great experience to not only visit this great institution, but it memorializes and archives the great musical spirit, and the history of our culture is embedded in the walls. It's embedded in the stage. It's embedded in the seats. It's just embedded in the whole place. When you walk around there, you can feel the spirit of James Brown and all the Motown acts, and even Ella [Fitzgerald] and the young Gladys Knight. So the spirit inhabiting that place is amazing, and you can feel it, and it's always such an honor to join with that. And I'm very proud of my 15-plus years of being the musical director at the Apollo and doing "Showtime At The Apollo," and that I have a page in their history ... I'm very proud of that.
Do you have any interest in recording new material with emerging artists?
Yes. I have two new artists that I'm focusing on right now. One is Stanaj and he is, I guess if you think of Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys, if they had a love child, that would be him. [Laughs] So I'm very excited about him. [He's] already got a lot of stuff online. We're going to be presenting him really strong this year. My next artist's name is Bianca Raquel. I would describe her as having I guess an R&B, pop, indie feel, somewhere in there. And she doesn't like to be typecast, or pigeonholed in one spot. And so I think if you look at some of her stuff, you'll get a feel, just by hearing her voice and some of the things she does. She also happens to be my daughter.
With your experience working alongside artists such as Ashford & Simpson and Diana Ross, what are your thoughts on newer artists not paying homage to veterans? For example, the controversy and comparisons surrounding Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" and Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up."
I think as long as they pay respectful homage, and do it in a way where they tip their hat and give a credit where credit is due ... I think with that whole record that [Thicke] released, I think from the beginning if they had said, "Obviously this was influenced by the Marvin record and we respect Marvin and his legacy" ... I think a lot of the controversy with that could have been put behind them earlier. I would recommend that to a lot of new artists, that they should be more vocal about whose shoulders they stand upon. A lot of young kids, they don't really know enough about their history and speaking up about it. So I'm not going to say all of them, but I would say a lot of young artists are not vocal enough about that. And they should be.
Aside from music directing and composing, you've also managed to produce major concerts at Carnegie Hall in the past. Do you have plans to produce any future shows at the venue?
Yes, we're going to be doing some more of those. We had two great events at Carnegie. We did an event called "The Night Of Inspiration" where we married secular and gospel music together on the great stage of Carnegie with a 60-piece orchestra and 130 in the mass choir. We had great names like Michael McDonald, Shirley Caesar, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Sheila E., Fred Hammond, Richard Smallwood ... It was such a great night. One of the best nights in my life...
A year or two after that, we did a tribute to the music of Motown and we had the Temptations, Boyz II Men, Anita Baker. And again, every time I do something at Carnegie Hall, my stipulation is that it has to be with a full orchestra. [laughs] So they asked me to do more stuff. And we have some plans, hopefully in 2015, for another great event there.
Since you've achieved so many amazing accomplishments thus far, is there anything else that you would want to pursue, or anyone that you would want to work with?
I'm always interested in new artists or somebody that's really going to capture the wonderful artistry that I hold so near and dear to me. Because for me it's about the legacy of what I'm going to be ... I feel like now it's very important for me to set the table for a lot of those who may follow me. The next young musical director. So I go and do seminars. I'm involved with NARAS [the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences], the Grammy organization ... I always like to connect and pass a lot of the wonderful knowledge that I gained over the years to others who [are] ready to receive it.
Growing up in Harlem's Grant Houses project, Chew managed to balance a rigorous schedule of attending school and learning the various intricacies of musical education. It later paid off when Chew got the opportunity to perform alongside the likes of Aretha Franklin, Prince, Diana Ross and Ashford & Simpson, among others.
During a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Chew, 46, opened up about his journey from Harlem to Hollywood and shared his thoughts on how new artists should be more diligent in paying homage to veteran musicians.
For those who aren't familiar with your career trajectory, take me back to your humble beginnings growing up in Harlem.
It came about from my parents. We were in the Grant projects on 125th St., and my mother and father insisted that I be a product of the environment. And they did everything they could to make sure I had access to musical education and cultural education, and so I had the support of a lot of family and I started my training very early at age 6. And from 6 throughout all my school years I was in musical training every day and on weekends. So every day I was in school, and then music school and every musical program they could find. My first professional job was at age 16 with [singer] Melba Moore, and at 18 I started working with Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson and they introduced me to the New York session scene as well as being their musical director for a very long time ... I started working on a lot of records towards the end of that whole disco era. In the '80s I played on hundreds of albums and classic records with Diana Ross, and Chaka [Khan], and Teddy [Pendergrass], Gladys Knight & the Pips...
My first TV show was with "Saturday Night Live," and that was during the Eddie Murphy years ... After that, my next TV show, years later, was with the Apollo [Theater]. And that started my Apollo tenure. So a lot of people know me from the Apollo ... And after the Apollo I progressed and did a lot more TV musical direction. A lot of the BET TV shows of course ["BET Awards," "BET Celebration of Gospel," "BET Honors"]. That's been a great relationship for many years, and I cherish that. Then I started moving into a lot of the mainstream shows like "American Idol," the Emmys, "Dancing with the Stars" and of course now "Rising Star." So I guess that's the quick of it.
This year marks the Apollo Theater's 80th anniversary. As a respected affiliate of the institution, what are your thoughts on the theater's role in being an epicenter for black entertainment?
It's a great experience to not only visit this great institution, but it memorializes and archives the great musical spirit, and the history of our culture is embedded in the walls. It's embedded in the stage. It's embedded in the seats. It's just embedded in the whole place. When you walk around there, you can feel the spirit of James Brown and all the Motown acts, and even Ella [Fitzgerald] and the young Gladys Knight. So the spirit inhabiting that place is amazing, and you can feel it, and it's always such an honor to join with that. And I'm very proud of my 15-plus years of being the musical director at the Apollo and doing "Showtime At The Apollo," and that I have a page in their history ... I'm very proud of that.
Do you have any interest in recording new material with emerging artists?
Yes. I have two new artists that I'm focusing on right now. One is Stanaj and he is, I guess if you think of Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys, if they had a love child, that would be him. [Laughs] So I'm very excited about him. [He's] already got a lot of stuff online. We're going to be presenting him really strong this year. My next artist's name is Bianca Raquel. I would describe her as having I guess an R&B, pop, indie feel, somewhere in there. And she doesn't like to be typecast, or pigeonholed in one spot. And so I think if you look at some of her stuff, you'll get a feel, just by hearing her voice and some of the things she does. She also happens to be my daughter.
With your experience working alongside artists such as Ashford & Simpson and Diana Ross, what are your thoughts on newer artists not paying homage to veterans? For example, the controversy and comparisons surrounding Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" and Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up."
I think as long as they pay respectful homage, and do it in a way where they tip their hat and give a credit where credit is due ... I think with that whole record that [Thicke] released, I think from the beginning if they had said, "Obviously this was influenced by the Marvin record and we respect Marvin and his legacy" ... I think a lot of the controversy with that could have been put behind them earlier. I would recommend that to a lot of new artists, that they should be more vocal about whose shoulders they stand upon. A lot of young kids, they don't really know enough about their history and speaking up about it. So I'm not going to say all of them, but I would say a lot of young artists are not vocal enough about that. And they should be.
Aside from music directing and composing, you've also managed to produce major concerts at Carnegie Hall in the past. Do you have plans to produce any future shows at the venue?
Yes, we're going to be doing some more of those. We had two great events at Carnegie. We did an event called "The Night Of Inspiration" where we married secular and gospel music together on the great stage of Carnegie with a 60-piece orchestra and 130 in the mass choir. We had great names like Michael McDonald, Shirley Caesar, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Sheila E., Fred Hammond, Richard Smallwood ... It was such a great night. One of the best nights in my life...
A year or two after that, we did a tribute to the music of Motown and we had the Temptations, Boyz II Men, Anita Baker. And again, every time I do something at Carnegie Hall, my stipulation is that it has to be with a full orchestra. [laughs] So they asked me to do more stuff. And we have some plans, hopefully in 2015, for another great event there.
Since you've achieved so many amazing accomplishments thus far, is there anything else that you would want to pursue, or anyone that you would want to work with?
I'm always interested in new artists or somebody that's really going to capture the wonderful artistry that I hold so near and dear to me. Because for me it's about the legacy of what I'm going to be ... I feel like now it's very important for me to set the table for a lot of those who may follow me. The next young musical director. So I go and do seminars. I'm involved with NARAS [the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences], the Grammy organization ... I always like to connect and pass a lot of the wonderful knowledge that I gained over the years to others who [are] ready to receive it.
↧
Robert Downey Jr. Expecting Second Baby With Wife Susan
Congrats!
Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan are expecting their second child together -- a baby girl -- the 49-year-old actor announced on Facebook July 9.
He also confirmed the news on Twitter, writing:
The couple, who have been married for almost nine years, welcomed their first child, son Exton Elias, in February 2012. Downey also has a 20-year-old son, Indio, from his first marriage to Deborah Falconer.
Great news!
Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan are expecting their second child together -- a baby girl -- the 49-year-old actor announced on Facebook July 9.
Post by Robert Downey Jr.
He also confirmed the news on Twitter, writing:
Yo. Susan. Me. Baby. Girl. November. Scorpio?
— Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) July 9, 2014The couple, who have been married for almost nine years, welcomed their first child, son Exton Elias, in February 2012. Downey also has a 20-year-old son, Indio, from his first marriage to Deborah Falconer.
Great news!
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Justin Bieber Gets 2 Years Probation For Egging
(Recasts; adds sentence, Bieber comment)
LOS ANGELES, July 9 (Reuters) - Pop star Justin Bieber pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vandalism on Wednesday for pelting a neighbor's home with eggs and was sentenced to two years probation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney said.
The 20-year-old Bieber, who was not present in Los Angeles Superior Court for his arraignment, was also ordered to pay $80,900 in restitution, serve five days community service and complete an anger management program in what the district attorney called a negotiated settlement.
"Justin is glad to get this matter resolved and behind him," Bieber's representatives said in a statement. "He will continue to move forward focusing on his career and his music."
The singer, whose hit songs include "Boyfriend," was accused of throwing eggs at a neighbor's home in an upscale Calabasas, California, neighborhood during a dispute in January.
Investigators searched Bieber's home following the incident and arrested a friend, aspiring rapper Lil Za, for drug possession at the house.
The incident was the first in a string of arrests and legal problems for the former teen idol, who was later arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Miami Beach as well as being charged with assaulting a limo driver in Toronto.
It is not known how the sentence could influence the Miami Beach and Toronto cases.
The singer could have faced a felony charge if damage to the home was greater than $20,000.
Bieber has since moved from the gated community. (Reporting by Eric Kelsey and Mary Milliken)
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John Wayne's Family Sue Duke University Over The Name 'Duke'
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — John Wayne's heirs are taking Duke University to court to assert the family's right to market bottles of bourbon branded with the late movie star's nickname, Duke.
A federal lawsuit filed last week is the latest salvo in a long-running legal duel between the North Carolina university and California-based John Wayne Enterprises over commercial products featuring the name. The late actor used the moniker since childhood, when he adopted the name of the family dog. Lawyers for the university say allowing the Wayne estate to use the name could cause confusion and "diminish, dilute and tarnish" the value of the name, for which both parties hold trademarks.
Messages seeking comment Wednesday from John Wayne Enterprises were not returned.
The bourbon is labeled with an image of Wayne holding a rifle with "Duke" emblazoned over it in bold letters. The phrase "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" is included on the back side of the bottle.
"Duke University does not own the word 'Duke' in all contests and purposes," the family's lawyers said in the lawsuit. "Duke is a common word that has been used for centuries in a wide array of commercial and other applications wholly independent of Duke University. Yet by the actions alleged herein, Duke University seems to think it owns the word 'Duke' for all purposes and applications."
Duke University is named for a wealthy family of Durham tobacco barons who in the early 1900s endowed what had been a small rural college affiliated with the Methodist church. It made the first legal move against the Wayne heirs when it opposed their 2005 trademark application to use the name Duke for a restaurant. When the actor's family filed last year to use the name to market alcoholic beverages, the university objected once again.
The private university declined to disclose how much it brings in each year through licensing merchandise featuring the Duke name and its Blue Devils mascot.
"While we admire and respect John Wayne's contributions to American culture, we are also committed to protecting the integrity of Duke University's trademarks," said Michael Schoenfeld, a spokesman for the university. "As Mr. Wayne himself said, 'Words are what men live by . words they say and mean.'"
The United States Patent and Trademark Office lists more than 250 active trademarks that include the word "Duke," including jazz legend Duke Ellington and a brand of mayonnaise.
Originally named Marion Robert Morrison, Wayne died in 1979 and remains one of Hollywood's most recognizable stars, with an official Facebook page that has 2 million likes. He appeared in more than 175 films over a 50-year career, including iconic roles in such Western classics as "Stagecoach," ''The Searchers" and "True Grit."
The Duke also enjoyed a stiff belt of whiskey.
"I never trust a man who doesn't drink," Wayne is quoted as saying, according to his official website.
___
Follow Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker at Twitter.com/mbieseck
A federal lawsuit filed last week is the latest salvo in a long-running legal duel between the North Carolina university and California-based John Wayne Enterprises over commercial products featuring the name. The late actor used the moniker since childhood, when he adopted the name of the family dog. Lawyers for the university say allowing the Wayne estate to use the name could cause confusion and "diminish, dilute and tarnish" the value of the name, for which both parties hold trademarks.
Messages seeking comment Wednesday from John Wayne Enterprises were not returned.
The bourbon is labeled with an image of Wayne holding a rifle with "Duke" emblazoned over it in bold letters. The phrase "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" is included on the back side of the bottle.
"Duke University does not own the word 'Duke' in all contests and purposes," the family's lawyers said in the lawsuit. "Duke is a common word that has been used for centuries in a wide array of commercial and other applications wholly independent of Duke University. Yet by the actions alleged herein, Duke University seems to think it owns the word 'Duke' for all purposes and applications."
Duke University is named for a wealthy family of Durham tobacco barons who in the early 1900s endowed what had been a small rural college affiliated with the Methodist church. It made the first legal move against the Wayne heirs when it opposed their 2005 trademark application to use the name Duke for a restaurant. When the actor's family filed last year to use the name to market alcoholic beverages, the university objected once again.
The private university declined to disclose how much it brings in each year through licensing merchandise featuring the Duke name and its Blue Devils mascot.
"While we admire and respect John Wayne's contributions to American culture, we are also committed to protecting the integrity of Duke University's trademarks," said Michael Schoenfeld, a spokesman for the university. "As Mr. Wayne himself said, 'Words are what men live by . words they say and mean.'"
The United States Patent and Trademark Office lists more than 250 active trademarks that include the word "Duke," including jazz legend Duke Ellington and a brand of mayonnaise.
Originally named Marion Robert Morrison, Wayne died in 1979 and remains one of Hollywood's most recognizable stars, with an official Facebook page that has 2 million likes. He appeared in more than 175 films over a 50-year career, including iconic roles in such Western classics as "Stagecoach," ''The Searchers" and "True Grit."
The Duke also enjoyed a stiff belt of whiskey.
"I never trust a man who doesn't drink," Wayne is quoted as saying, according to his official website.
___
Follow Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker at Twitter.com/mbieseck
↧
'Wild' Trailer Shows Reese Witherspoon As A Troubled Cheryl Strayed
The first look at Jean-Marc Vallée's "Wild," based on the Cheryl Strayed's New York Times No. 1 best seller by the same name, has arrived. Watch a tortured and occasionally dirty Reese Witherspoon endeavor on Strayed's hike across the thousand-plus miles of the Pacific Crest Trail (and quietly enter the Oscar race). "Wild" hits theaters Dec. 5.
↧
Russell Brand Demolishes Dr. Ben Carson's Gay Marriage Hogwash
Russell Brand is having none of Dr. Ben Carson's anti-gay rhetoric against marriage equality.
In his July 1 episode of "The Trews" -- a YouTube series in which he disassembles dubious arguments about social issues like gay rights and abortion -- Brand takes on Carson as his main subject. The latest segment features clips of the columnist and retired neurosurgeon discussing same-sex unions.
At one point in Brand's eight-minute video, Carson claims that changing the definition of marriage is like changing math.
"He's demonstrated here how far away from the correct frequency of thought he is by comparing a social and civil idea, like sexuality, to an objective system of signs, like arithmetic, like math," he said. "The only point of [math] is that it's about definitive systems and symbols. ... If you apply that to social structures, which are cultural and constructed, by saying that your opinion is as objectively righteous as mathematics, something that is beyond morality and is absolute."
After cutting to a clip of Carson and Fox News host Sean Hannity aligning homosexuality with polygamy and incest, Brand summarized their entire argument thus: "I suppose what they're doing is they equate something that they personally dislike with other things that they assume a larger category of people will find objectionable." Then he asked what would happen if people like Carson and Hannity just dropped their anti-gay crusade altogether. "Do they think it would go out of control and someone would go, 'Well, you shouldn't have done that because now you've got to get gay married?'"
Carson is known for his incendiary comments. Last year, he backed out of speaking at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine commencement ceremony because students demanded he be replaced after he compared homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality.
Carson is reportedly a "fan favorite" within the GOP as the Republican nominee for the 2016 presidential election, according to Salon. "At the recent Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans he came in second only to Ted Cruz as their top choice to run for president and only by 1 point," the website noted.
In his July 1 episode of "The Trews" -- a YouTube series in which he disassembles dubious arguments about social issues like gay rights and abortion -- Brand takes on Carson as his main subject. The latest segment features clips of the columnist and retired neurosurgeon discussing same-sex unions.
At one point in Brand's eight-minute video, Carson claims that changing the definition of marriage is like changing math.
"He's demonstrated here how far away from the correct frequency of thought he is by comparing a social and civil idea, like sexuality, to an objective system of signs, like arithmetic, like math," he said. "The only point of [math] is that it's about definitive systems and symbols. ... If you apply that to social structures, which are cultural and constructed, by saying that your opinion is as objectively righteous as mathematics, something that is beyond morality and is absolute."
After cutting to a clip of Carson and Fox News host Sean Hannity aligning homosexuality with polygamy and incest, Brand summarized their entire argument thus: "I suppose what they're doing is they equate something that they personally dislike with other things that they assume a larger category of people will find objectionable." Then he asked what would happen if people like Carson and Hannity just dropped their anti-gay crusade altogether. "Do they think it would go out of control and someone would go, 'Well, you shouldn't have done that because now you've got to get gay married?'"
Carson is known for his incendiary comments. Last year, he backed out of speaking at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine commencement ceremony because students demanded he be replaced after he compared homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality.
Carson is reportedly a "fan favorite" within the GOP as the Republican nominee for the 2016 presidential election, according to Salon. "At the recent Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans he came in second only to Ted Cruz as their top choice to run for president and only by 1 point," the website noted.
↧
↧
Whitewashing Was One Of Hollywood's Worst Habits. So Why Is It Still Happening?
It probably won't surprise you to learn that early Hollywood's mainstream films were far from racially, ethnically or culturally sensitive. When minority characters were represented at all, they were typically characterized as immoral, criminal simpletons, used as comedic contrasts to their white protagonists, as outlined in the book Racism, Sexism, And the Media. Meanwhile, Hollywood's mainstream starring roles have long been monopolized by white actors; even though it's meant whitewashing history. What may surprise you is how frequently this still happens today.
In early Hollywood, whitewashing was overt and caricatured.
Warner Oland depicted comic book detective Charlie Chan in several films, the first of which was "Charlie Chan Carries On" (1931).
![chan]()
White actors who played people of color would change their appearances, often wearing blackface or yellowface or assuming exaggerated accents and movements. According to NPR, when Oland played Chan, he would have a "few drinks to make his speech more halting and to put a grin on his face -- like the perpetually congenial Chinese sleuth." And still, in 1933, when Oland visited Shanghai, he was greeted by fans who lauded him for playing Hollywood's first Chinese protagonist.
In the '30s, some of these movies were actually praised by critics and audience members, who were grateful to see characters of color represented in major Hollywood movies at all. Harlem's Amsterdam News wrote glowingly about Al Jolson, a white actor who wore blackface for the 1927 film "The Jazz Singer," with the paper declaring, "Every colored performer is proud of him."
By the 1960s, offensive casting decisions were increasingly met with criticism.
Beloved British actor Laurence Olivier played Othello in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play about the Moor of Venice, "Othello" (1965).
![TK gifs]()
Around the mid-20th century, films started to become slightly more integrated. Black cinema grew as a genre, and the use of blackface became less common. It did not, however, disappear altogether.
To play the Moor of Venice, Olivier wore blackface and gave a performance that made the New York Times exclaim, "He plays Othello in blackface! That's right, blackface—not the dark-brown stain that even the most daring white actors do not nowadays wish to go beyond." The Times compared his look to that of the "end man in an American minstrel show."
America's favorite cowboy of cinema, John Wayne, played the role of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, in the infamous mid-century view into Hollywood's racism, "The Conqueror" (1956).
![genghis]()
Wayne's role is so miscast that one biographer even wrote a book called Starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan: Hollywood's All-Time Worst Casting Blunders. Offensive depictions by white actors in yellowface continued into the 1960s, including Mickey Rooney's depiction of I.Y. Yunioshi in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" in 1965.
Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, was depicted by American actress Elizabeth Taylor in "Cleopatra" (1963).
![TK gifs]()
Above is a comparison between Taylor and today's models of what Cleopatra probably looked like, created by egyptologist Sally Ann Ashton using ancient artifacts to approximate Cleopatra's features.
Yet somehow, the bad Hollywood habit still crops up today, albeit in more subtle ways.
Currently, Angelina Jolie is in talks to star as Cleopatra in a remake of the Hollywood classic.
![TK gifs]()
Though some have spoken out against the casting decision, there doesn't appear to be much backlash. That might surprise some to hear, but it's actually in line with recent film choices. While most historically black roles today go to black actors, for example, whitewashing still happens all the time.
Swedish-Jewish-American Jake Gyllenhaal starred as the title character of "The Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time" (2010). It was based on a video game series of the same name.
![prince of persia jake]()
Often, an actor's appearances are only slightly modified. The "Prince of Persia" game that the movie was based upon was lauded by The Wire for its inoffensive depictions of Muslim characters, who are so frequently villainized in American video games. That's perhaps why many greeted the casting of Gyllenhaal with some disappointment. The rest of the film's cast failed to offer much more in the way of diversity: None of the main actors were of Iranian, Middle Eastern or Muslim descent.
Angelina Jolie also altered her appearance when depicting Marianne Pearl in "A Mighty Heart" (2008).
![74209215]()
Though Pearl is a friend of Jolie's and spoke out in support of her playing the role, the casting decision fueled plenty of negative feedback. To play the role, Jolie darkened her skin and wore a curly wig.
And sometimes the less-than-positive feedback comes from the real-life inspirations themselves. After seeing the film "The Social Network," Facebook co-founder Divya Narendra, who is of Indian heritage, confessed that he was "initially surprised to see a white actor play him on screen," referring to British actor Max Minghella.
Some roles still look like caricatures.
American actor Johnny Depp was cast as Tonto, the Native American sidekick in a remake of "The Lone Ranger" (2013).
![TK gifs]()
Originally, the role was played by Mohawk actor Jay Silverheels in a long-running television series in the 50s. At the time Depp was cast, he said he wanted to "restore some dignity to the role," which represented some of the worst and most pervasive stereotypes about Native Americans, as recounted by Smithsonian Magazine. Though Depp claims some native heritage, he does not identify as Native American.
Some critics were dismayed that a Native American had not been cast in the role. Allison Samuels wrote in the Daily Beast that casting a Native American actor "would have gone a long way to prove to all minorities that Hollywood is finally becoming a fair and objective business dedicated to providing thought-provoking entertainment without intentionally offending anyone." Others focused on the problematic nature of the character and performance.
Characters are still sometimes whitewashed entirely.
Actress Jennifer Connelly won an Oscar for her depiction of Alicia Nash in "A Beautiful Mind" (2001).
![jennifer connelly]()
Some films take the approach of ignoring a character's real-life backstory, essentially uncomplicating the movie's plot by making the character white. "A Beautiful Mind" won Academy accolades, but the movie's erasure of Salvadoran-born Nash's Hispanic ethnicity and her immigration to America angered many. Nash's immigration to America was extensively discussed in the book that inspired the film, and yet her immigration story became invisible when she was played by a white actress. That's particularly troubling when Latinos comprise just 4 percent of leads in films.
And Hollywood continues to operate under the assumption that white characters have the widest appeal.
Assistant professor Andrew Weaver of Indiana University has studied representation of minority characters in Hollywood films. He told Indiana University Bloomington NewsRoom: "Hollywood's sort of given up on the idea that you can have crossover success with a minority cast. You get this discrimination in the casting of roles, where they're going to cast whites if at all possible to maximize the audience."
Jim Sturgess played real-life MIT Blackjack Team-member Jeffrey Ma in "21" (2008).
![jeffrey ma]()
Most members of the team were Asian males, but you wouldn't know that from watching the movie. The author of the nonfiction story that inspired the film, Ben Mezrich, told an audience of MIT students that early on in the moviemaking process, studio executives told him "most of the film's actors would be white, with perhaps an Asian female." This is consistent with Hollywood's larger trend. Only 5 percent of characters with speaking roles in 2012 were Asian, for example, according to a USC Annenberg study.
Especially if they're supposed to be the hero...
As David White, national executive director of the Screen Actors Guild told B.Couleur Magazine, studio executives mistakenly assume that all-white casts have the most international appeal. White points out the flaw in this assumption.
"When I think about the '40s and '50s, when black artists went to Europe to escape racism and achieved fame, the idea that in 2011 England, France and Germany are not going to appreciate stories about African Americans and Latinos is absurd," White explained. "Unfortunately, the industry is driven by a group of risk-averse decision-makers who continually make inaccurate assumptions about the abilities of people of color and storylines about their communities, and this persists generationally."
In some cases, lead characters are whitewashed while villains or peripheral characters remain the intended race, like in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (2010).
![TK gifs]()
The live-action version of "The Last Airbender" encountered a significant amount of backlash over casting decisions, and the animation above illustrates why. While all four anime characters were depicted in the original Nickelodeon cartoon as being of Asian or Native American descent, the three protagonists were played by white characters in the film version.
As Guy Aoki, head and co-founder of MANNA, a group that advocates for better Asian-American representation in film, told the Los Angeles Times, "Hollywood can make anybody into a hero. ... And yet these people continue to use a conservative attitude. When are they ever going to put an Asian-American as a star to disprove that thinking?" Racebending.com, an advocacy group for equality in media, notes that the problem with "The Last Airbender" began with "casting calls indicating a preference for white actors for leads; people of color for villains, secondary characters and background extras."
Unfortunately, only a few individuals have enough star power to overcome this bias.
Racial biases on-screen permeate nearly every aspect of the filmmaking industry. Across the board, writers, directors and producers of color are woefully under-represented.
This shows on screen. As filmmaker Gavin Polone wrote in New York Magazine, "African-American actors don't sell overseas -- unless, of course, they are Will Smith or Denzel Washington, but only in a thriller or action movie. I have on more than one occasion been told that a studio wouldn’t approve a black lead in one of my films because it would bring down the international numbers."
For the most part, the roles that reliably go to minority actors tend to be roles that have to be played by minority actors.
A blog on The Huffington Post examined the Oscar-nominated roles played by men of color, and determined that all but one of those roles "literally could not have been given to white actors." (Think the leads in "12 Years A Slave" or "Malcolm X.")
This analysis suggests that historical or fictional characters who are not white remain some of the best available roles for actors of color. Hollywood's default race for unspecified, non-historic roles remains white. That's most starkly indicated by data from the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, which found that three-quarters of characters with speaking roles in the top films of 2012 were white. Meanwhile, 44 percent of movie tickets sold that year were purchased by people of color.
Roles that don't mandate a minority character are typically altered back to Hollywood's default race: white.
That's what happened when the film "Pay It Forward" was adapted in 2000 from a novel of the same name. Kevin Spacey’s character, teacher Eugene Simonet, was originally supposed to be a black man named Reuben St. Clair. Denzel Washington was offered the role, but he was not available. Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the novel that inspired the film, wrote in the Moments Count Journal that, "If I had made the movie 'Pay It Forward'... Reuben St. Clair, my African-American Viet Nam vet protagonist, would have appeared in said film (Eugene who?)"
But increased audience backlash against offensive casting choices offers hope.
Rooney Mara was recently cast to play the Native American character in an upcoming "Peter Pan" adaption.
![rooney mara]()
The image on the left is Oliver Herford's drawing of Tiger Lily from 1907, based on Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie's description. When Mara was cast for the role, thousands of Internet users petitioned Warner Brothers to instead cast a Native American actress.
But as the practice continues, it reveals that American cinema is not merely ignoring modern racial, ethnic and cultural realities -- it's in complete denial.
Indeed, Hollywood's white bias appears to be deeply embedded in every facet of the industry. One study from UCLA found that minorities are unrepresented in every stage of film and television production; from writing to directing to acting to producing. According to The Wrap, white men directed more than 90 percent of the major films released this summer. (So far, that hasn't worked out very well for them.)
CORRECTION: Laurence Olivier was previously described as an American actor. He is, in fact, a British actor -- and a Baron at that!
In early Hollywood, whitewashing was overt and caricatured.
Warner Oland depicted comic book detective Charlie Chan in several films, the first of which was "Charlie Chan Carries On" (1931).
White actors who played people of color would change their appearances, often wearing blackface or yellowface or assuming exaggerated accents and movements. According to NPR, when Oland played Chan, he would have a "few drinks to make his speech more halting and to put a grin on his face -- like the perpetually congenial Chinese sleuth." And still, in 1933, when Oland visited Shanghai, he was greeted by fans who lauded him for playing Hollywood's first Chinese protagonist.
In the '30s, some of these movies were actually praised by critics and audience members, who were grateful to see characters of color represented in major Hollywood movies at all. Harlem's Amsterdam News wrote glowingly about Al Jolson, a white actor who wore blackface for the 1927 film "The Jazz Singer," with the paper declaring, "Every colored performer is proud of him."
By the 1960s, offensive casting decisions were increasingly met with criticism.
Beloved British actor Laurence Olivier played Othello in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play about the Moor of Venice, "Othello" (1965).
Around the mid-20th century, films started to become slightly more integrated. Black cinema grew as a genre, and the use of blackface became less common. It did not, however, disappear altogether.
To play the Moor of Venice, Olivier wore blackface and gave a performance that made the New York Times exclaim, "He plays Othello in blackface! That's right, blackface—not the dark-brown stain that even the most daring white actors do not nowadays wish to go beyond." The Times compared his look to that of the "end man in an American minstrel show."
America's favorite cowboy of cinema, John Wayne, played the role of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, in the infamous mid-century view into Hollywood's racism, "The Conqueror" (1956).
Wayne's role is so miscast that one biographer even wrote a book called Starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan: Hollywood's All-Time Worst Casting Blunders. Offensive depictions by white actors in yellowface continued into the 1960s, including Mickey Rooney's depiction of I.Y. Yunioshi in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" in 1965.
Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, was depicted by American actress Elizabeth Taylor in "Cleopatra" (1963).
Above is a comparison between Taylor and today's models of what Cleopatra probably looked like, created by egyptologist Sally Ann Ashton using ancient artifacts to approximate Cleopatra's features.
Yet somehow, the bad Hollywood habit still crops up today, albeit in more subtle ways.
Currently, Angelina Jolie is in talks to star as Cleopatra in a remake of the Hollywood classic.
Though some have spoken out against the casting decision, there doesn't appear to be much backlash. That might surprise some to hear, but it's actually in line with recent film choices. While most historically black roles today go to black actors, for example, whitewashing still happens all the time.
Swedish-Jewish-American Jake Gyllenhaal starred as the title character of "The Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time" (2010). It was based on a video game series of the same name.
Often, an actor's appearances are only slightly modified. The "Prince of Persia" game that the movie was based upon was lauded by The Wire for its inoffensive depictions of Muslim characters, who are so frequently villainized in American video games. That's perhaps why many greeted the casting of Gyllenhaal with some disappointment. The rest of the film's cast failed to offer much more in the way of diversity: None of the main actors were of Iranian, Middle Eastern or Muslim descent.
Angelina Jolie also altered her appearance when depicting Marianne Pearl in "A Mighty Heart" (2008).
Though Pearl is a friend of Jolie's and spoke out in support of her playing the role, the casting decision fueled plenty of negative feedback. To play the role, Jolie darkened her skin and wore a curly wig.
And sometimes the less-than-positive feedback comes from the real-life inspirations themselves. After seeing the film "The Social Network," Facebook co-founder Divya Narendra, who is of Indian heritage, confessed that he was "initially surprised to see a white actor play him on screen," referring to British actor Max Minghella.
Some roles still look like caricatures.
American actor Johnny Depp was cast as Tonto, the Native American sidekick in a remake of "The Lone Ranger" (2013).
Originally, the role was played by Mohawk actor Jay Silverheels in a long-running television series in the 50s. At the time Depp was cast, he said he wanted to "restore some dignity to the role," which represented some of the worst and most pervasive stereotypes about Native Americans, as recounted by Smithsonian Magazine. Though Depp claims some native heritage, he does not identify as Native American.
Some critics were dismayed that a Native American had not been cast in the role. Allison Samuels wrote in the Daily Beast that casting a Native American actor "would have gone a long way to prove to all minorities that Hollywood is finally becoming a fair and objective business dedicated to providing thought-provoking entertainment without intentionally offending anyone." Others focused on the problematic nature of the character and performance.
Characters are still sometimes whitewashed entirely.
Actress Jennifer Connelly won an Oscar for her depiction of Alicia Nash in "A Beautiful Mind" (2001).
Some films take the approach of ignoring a character's real-life backstory, essentially uncomplicating the movie's plot by making the character white. "A Beautiful Mind" won Academy accolades, but the movie's erasure of Salvadoran-born Nash's Hispanic ethnicity and her immigration to America angered many. Nash's immigration to America was extensively discussed in the book that inspired the film, and yet her immigration story became invisible when she was played by a white actress. That's particularly troubling when Latinos comprise just 4 percent of leads in films.
And Hollywood continues to operate under the assumption that white characters have the widest appeal.
Assistant professor Andrew Weaver of Indiana University has studied representation of minority characters in Hollywood films. He told Indiana University Bloomington NewsRoom: "Hollywood's sort of given up on the idea that you can have crossover success with a minority cast. You get this discrimination in the casting of roles, where they're going to cast whites if at all possible to maximize the audience."
Jim Sturgess played real-life MIT Blackjack Team-member Jeffrey Ma in "21" (2008).
Most members of the team were Asian males, but you wouldn't know that from watching the movie. The author of the nonfiction story that inspired the film, Ben Mezrich, told an audience of MIT students that early on in the moviemaking process, studio executives told him "most of the film's actors would be white, with perhaps an Asian female." This is consistent with Hollywood's larger trend. Only 5 percent of characters with speaking roles in 2012 were Asian, for example, according to a USC Annenberg study.
Especially if they're supposed to be the hero...
As David White, national executive director of the Screen Actors Guild told B.Couleur Magazine, studio executives mistakenly assume that all-white casts have the most international appeal. White points out the flaw in this assumption.
"When I think about the '40s and '50s, when black artists went to Europe to escape racism and achieved fame, the idea that in 2011 England, France and Germany are not going to appreciate stories about African Americans and Latinos is absurd," White explained. "Unfortunately, the industry is driven by a group of risk-averse decision-makers who continually make inaccurate assumptions about the abilities of people of color and storylines about their communities, and this persists generationally."
In some cases, lead characters are whitewashed while villains or peripheral characters remain the intended race, like in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (2010).
The live-action version of "The Last Airbender" encountered a significant amount of backlash over casting decisions, and the animation above illustrates why. While all four anime characters were depicted in the original Nickelodeon cartoon as being of Asian or Native American descent, the three protagonists were played by white characters in the film version.
As Guy Aoki, head and co-founder of MANNA, a group that advocates for better Asian-American representation in film, told the Los Angeles Times, "Hollywood can make anybody into a hero. ... And yet these people continue to use a conservative attitude. When are they ever going to put an Asian-American as a star to disprove that thinking?" Racebending.com, an advocacy group for equality in media, notes that the problem with "The Last Airbender" began with "casting calls indicating a preference for white actors for leads; people of color for villains, secondary characters and background extras."
Unfortunately, only a few individuals have enough star power to overcome this bias.
Racial biases on-screen permeate nearly every aspect of the filmmaking industry. Across the board, writers, directors and producers of color are woefully under-represented.
This shows on screen. As filmmaker Gavin Polone wrote in New York Magazine, "African-American actors don't sell overseas -- unless, of course, they are Will Smith or Denzel Washington, but only in a thriller or action movie. I have on more than one occasion been told that a studio wouldn’t approve a black lead in one of my films because it would bring down the international numbers."
For the most part, the roles that reliably go to minority actors tend to be roles that have to be played by minority actors.
A blog on The Huffington Post examined the Oscar-nominated roles played by men of color, and determined that all but one of those roles "literally could not have been given to white actors." (Think the leads in "12 Years A Slave" or "Malcolm X.")
This analysis suggests that historical or fictional characters who are not white remain some of the best available roles for actors of color. Hollywood's default race for unspecified, non-historic roles remains white. That's most starkly indicated by data from the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, which found that three-quarters of characters with speaking roles in the top films of 2012 were white. Meanwhile, 44 percent of movie tickets sold that year were purchased by people of color.
Roles that don't mandate a minority character are typically altered back to Hollywood's default race: white.
That's what happened when the film "Pay It Forward" was adapted in 2000 from a novel of the same name. Kevin Spacey’s character, teacher Eugene Simonet, was originally supposed to be a black man named Reuben St. Clair. Denzel Washington was offered the role, but he was not available. Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the novel that inspired the film, wrote in the Moments Count Journal that, "If I had made the movie 'Pay It Forward'... Reuben St. Clair, my African-American Viet Nam vet protagonist, would have appeared in said film (Eugene who?)"
But increased audience backlash against offensive casting choices offers hope.
Rooney Mara was recently cast to play the Native American character in an upcoming "Peter Pan" adaption.
The image on the left is Oliver Herford's drawing of Tiger Lily from 1907, based on Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie's description. When Mara was cast for the role, thousands of Internet users petitioned Warner Brothers to instead cast a Native American actress.
But as the practice continues, it reveals that American cinema is not merely ignoring modern racial, ethnic and cultural realities -- it's in complete denial.
Indeed, Hollywood's white bias appears to be deeply embedded in every facet of the industry. One study from UCLA found that minorities are unrepresented in every stage of film and television production; from writing to directing to acting to producing. According to The Wrap, white men directed more than 90 percent of the major films released this summer. (So far, that hasn't worked out very well for them.)
CORRECTION: Laurence Olivier was previously described as an American actor. He is, in fact, a British actor -- and a Baron at that!
↧
Rihanna Gives Lap Dance To Awkward Fan, Awkward Fan Gets Even More Awkward
Rihanna doesn't look even slightly uncomfortable while straddling a random fan onstage. The fan, on the other hand? That's a different story.
In a YouTube video recently circulating on Reddit, Rihanna is seen serenading a chosen audience member onstage. The fan seems taken aback when Rihanna suddenly pushes him down and proceeds to grind all up on him. Things quickly escalate into cringeworthy territory when Rihanna seductively takes off his glasses and he throws up a rock sign, seemingly unsure of what else to do:
RiRi is not currently touring, so we can only assume this video is from her Loud tour in 2011, in which she routinely gave lap dances to lucky fans each time she performed the song "Skin." She kicks off The Monster Tour alongside Eminem in Pasadena, California, on Aug. 7.
In a YouTube video recently circulating on Reddit, Rihanna is seen serenading a chosen audience member onstage. The fan seems taken aback when Rihanna suddenly pushes him down and proceeds to grind all up on him. Things quickly escalate into cringeworthy territory when Rihanna seductively takes off his glasses and he throws up a rock sign, seemingly unsure of what else to do:
RiRi is not currently touring, so we can only assume this video is from her Loud tour in 2011, in which she routinely gave lap dances to lucky fans each time she performed the song "Skin." She kicks off The Monster Tour alongside Eminem in Pasadena, California, on Aug. 7.
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Greg Poehler Refuses To Call His Sister Amy A 'Genius'
Chalk it up to sibling rivalry, but Greg Poehler refuses to label his sister -- otherwise known as the esteemed actress Amy Poehler -- a genius.
In an appearance to promote his new NBC series "Welcome To Sweden," Poehler made a point of correcting HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps reference to his sister as a "comedic genius."
"I wouldn't go that far as to say genius," he said of the former SNL star, writer and actress of "Parks and Recreation," infamous "cool mom" to Regina George in "Mean Girls," and leading lady in David Wain's new film "They Came Together" -- just to name a few.
"She shows promise," Poehler continued. "She has a promising career ahead of her. I think she's gonna make it someday."
At best, the funnyman conceded, Amy can be dubbed as "genius-ish," or "a genial human."
We'll take it.
Watch the rest of Greg Poehler's hysterical conversation with HuffPost Live below:
In an appearance to promote his new NBC series "Welcome To Sweden," Poehler made a point of correcting HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps reference to his sister as a "comedic genius."
"I wouldn't go that far as to say genius," he said of the former SNL star, writer and actress of "Parks and Recreation," infamous "cool mom" to Regina George in "Mean Girls," and leading lady in David Wain's new film "They Came Together" -- just to name a few.
"She shows promise," Poehler continued. "She has a promising career ahead of her. I think she's gonna make it someday."
At best, the funnyman conceded, Amy can be dubbed as "genius-ish," or "a genial human."
We'll take it.
Watch the rest of Greg Poehler's hysterical conversation with HuffPost Live below:
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Vanessa Hudgens Rejects Photoshop In New Unretouched Bongo Campaign
Unretouched and totally gorgeous.
Vanessa Hudgens bucks the trend and goes Photoshop-free in the Fall 2014 national ad campaign for Bongo clothing. In the images, the 25-year-old appears exactly as she did on set without any digital alterations or filters, a move she hopes inspires others.
“This is my second season working with Bongo and it's been such a treat!" Hudgens says in a press release for the line. "The clothes really make me feel carefree and confident, which is why I love that the final ad images are unretouched. It’s so important for girls to remember that real beauty shines from within and I’m so proud that Bongo is choosing to send such a positive message with this campaign."
Dari Marder, chief marketing officer of Bongo's parent company, Iconix Brand Group, told Women's Wear Daily the company is proud of Hudgens' decision to go au naturel.
“We admire her confidence to go without retouching for this campaign and can’t wait for her fans to see how naturally beautiful she is," she said. "In the age of Instagram filters and Photoshop apps, it is more important than ever that Bongo remains committed to inspiring girls to feel comfortable in their own skin, and we are excited to be partnering with Vanessa to send that message with this campaign.”
The ads, shot by Marley Kate, will appear in the August issues of magazines like Teen Vogue, Seventeen and Cosmopolitan, as well as in Sears and Kmart stores, according to WWD.
Vanessa Hudgens bucks the trend and goes Photoshop-free in the Fall 2014 national ad campaign for Bongo clothing. In the images, the 25-year-old appears exactly as she did on set without any digital alterations or filters, a move she hopes inspires others.
“This is my second season working with Bongo and it's been such a treat!" Hudgens says in a press release for the line. "The clothes really make me feel carefree and confident, which is why I love that the final ad images are unretouched. It’s so important for girls to remember that real beauty shines from within and I’m so proud that Bongo is choosing to send such a positive message with this campaign."
Dari Marder, chief marketing officer of Bongo's parent company, Iconix Brand Group, told Women's Wear Daily the company is proud of Hudgens' decision to go au naturel.
“We admire her confidence to go without retouching for this campaign and can’t wait for her fans to see how naturally beautiful she is," she said. "In the age of Instagram filters and Photoshop apps, it is more important than ever that Bongo remains committed to inspiring girls to feel comfortable in their own skin, and we are excited to be partnering with Vanessa to send that message with this campaign.”
The ads, shot by Marley Kate, will appear in the August issues of magazines like Teen Vogue, Seventeen and Cosmopolitan, as well as in Sears and Kmart stores, according to WWD.
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Boyz II Men Croons For Return Of Wendy's Pretzel Buns In Hilarious New Clip
Boyz II Men is singing about its love for Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburgers, proving that the fast-food chain is trying to get you out of those clothes, and into their restaurants.
The song starts off with the group saying, "Boyz II Men -- Turnin tweets into songs for @Wendys" and it only gets better from there. The crooners waste no time in getting down to business, praising Wendy herself, and then going straight into some bun lovin.' As the Boyz told Mashable, this isn't the first time the group has sung about buns, but it is the first time they've sung about pretzel buns.
This isn't the first time Wendy's has introduced (or sung about their love for) their pretzel products. Last year, Nick Lachey sang fans' tweets in yet another pretzel ballad as part of Wendy's "Pretzel Love Stories" campaign. The campaign was so successful that they decided to make more songs, including the recently released song, "Desire: A Wendy's Pretzel Love Song Encore." The tune is dripping with all the fake drama and over-acting typically seen in such love ballads, but it also happens to be surprisingly catchy.
So far people are loving the ads, and even taking the time to show some pretzel love themselves. To become a part of the conversation (or the next pop ballad) keep submitting tweets, pics and posts to all Wendy's social media accounts. In the meantime, you can catch us singing "I'll make pretzel to you..." #platiNOM.
Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.
The song starts off with the group saying, "Boyz II Men -- Turnin tweets into songs for @Wendys" and it only gets better from there. The crooners waste no time in getting down to business, praising Wendy herself, and then going straight into some bun lovin.' As the Boyz told Mashable, this isn't the first time the group has sung about buns, but it is the first time they've sung about pretzel buns.
Watch @BoyzIIMen do their thing with the things you said. #PretzelLoveSongs
https://t.co/a2dkDsCDHf
— Wendy's (@Wendys) July 10, 2014This isn't the first time Wendy's has introduced (or sung about their love for) their pretzel products. Last year, Nick Lachey sang fans' tweets in yet another pretzel ballad as part of Wendy's "Pretzel Love Stories" campaign. The campaign was so successful that they decided to make more songs, including the recently released song, "Desire: A Wendy's Pretzel Love Song Encore." The tune is dripping with all the fake drama and over-acting typically seen in such love ballads, but it also happens to be surprisingly catchy.
So far people are loving the ads, and even taking the time to show some pretzel love themselves. To become a part of the conversation (or the next pop ballad) keep submitting tweets, pics and posts to all Wendy's social media accounts. In the meantime, you can catch us singing "I'll make pretzel to you..." #platiNOM.
Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.
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When 'True Blood' Actor Joe Manganiello Goes On A Spoiler-Filled Tirade, No Show Is Safe
Warning! Spoilers! Spoilers everywhere!
If you don't like spoilers, stop reading this now, do not watch the video and just throw your computer in a lake to be safe.
When Joe Manganiello stopped by "The Tonight Show" on Wednesday, July 9, no series was off-limits. While talking with Jimmy Fallon, the "True Blood" actor went off on a tirade, revealing major spoilers for his show, "Breaking Bad," "The Sopranos" and even "Lost."
Perhaps the outburst was the result of pent up aggression from what happened to his character on last week's "True Blood," but seriously just say, "Earmuffs!" next time, bro.
![tv show gifs]()
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.
If you don't like spoilers, stop reading this now, do not watch the video and just throw your computer in a lake to be safe.
When Joe Manganiello stopped by "The Tonight Show" on Wednesday, July 9, no series was off-limits. While talking with Jimmy Fallon, the "True Blood" actor went off on a tirade, revealing major spoilers for his show, "Breaking Bad," "The Sopranos" and even "Lost."
Perhaps the outburst was the result of pent up aggression from what happened to his character on last week's "True Blood," but seriously just say, "Earmuffs!" next time, bro.
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.
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Ellen DeGeneres Perfectly Captured Your Feelings About Ryan Gosling's Baby
After news broke that Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are having a baby, Ellen DeGeneres took to Twitter to congratulate the couple — and, true to form, she did it in the most hilarious way. While fans everywhere grieved over the news, Ellen pointed out that this will be one incredible Hollywood baby.
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