Quantcast
Channel: Celebrity - The Huffington Post
Viewing all 15269 articles
Browse latest View live

A Short and Sweet Tribute to Joan Rivers

0
0
So... let me tell you a little something about Joan Rivers.

In 1983, Joan was at the height of her popularity guest-hosting for Johnny Carson and had released her fantastically funny and iconic album, "What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most." My grandmother, Ethel, spotted her shopping at Marshall Field's at Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie, Illinois.

My grandmother approached and told Joan about how much her grandson (me) loved her. Once the conversation had been struck, Joan continued to spend the afternoon walking around Marshall Field's with my grandmother, shopping and talking.

It spoke volumes that Joan behaved this way when her level of fame was so enormous it could have kept her away from people.

If anyone ever said anything disparaging about Joan, I would defend her to the teeth. Her comedy may have been coarse at times, but based on what I know of her time with my beloved grandmother, she was a CLASS ACT.

I know she will keep 'em laughing wherever her bright, hilarious and sweet spirit travels.

6 Of Our Favorite Queer Joan Rivers Moments

0
0
Our hearts collectively broke earlier today when we learned that Joan Rivers passed away at the age of 81.

The gay icon reportedly stopped breathing during a procedure on her vocal cords at a clinic last week and had been in and out of intensive care since the incident.

While remembering Rivers' groundbreaking career, it must be noted that her contributions to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and queer visibility were massive. In honor of the legendary comedian, we present to you six of our favorite queer moments from Joan Rivers' life. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.


The 10 Most Memorable Joan Rivers Talk Show Appearances Ever

0
0
She was sharp-witted, quick and never afraid to speak her mind. Forget just being a funny female, Joan Rivers was one of the most hilarious comedians of all time.

It's with great sadness that we now have to say goodbye to Rivers at the age of 81. Over her legendary career, Joan did everything from standup to hosting numerous shows, and no matter what she was doing she always kept us laughing.

In a statement, Rivers' daughter Melissa said, "My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon," reports the Wrap.

In honor of Rivers, here are her 10 greatest talk show appearances.


1. Joan shines in an early "Tonight Show" appearance.




2. After two decades, she still made Johnny laugh.




3. Joan performs incredible monologues.




4. Joan and Lucille Ball got together, and it was magic.





5. Joan and Oprah make a pact.




6. Joan brings down the house on "The Ed Sullivan Show."



7. Joan always had great fashion sense.




8. That time David Letterman hilariously walked out on her.



9. Rivers' cameo 49 years after her first "Tonight Show" appearance.



It was the first time she had been on "The Tonight Show" since Carson banned her in the 80s for hosting a rival program.


10. Shortly after her cameo, Joan came back as a guest.



BONUS: Rivers on "Saturday Night Live."



Thanks for the memories, Joan.

Joan Rivers, An Icon's Life In Photos

0
0
"I succeed by saying what everyone else is thinking," Joan Rivers once said, and succeed she did.

The comedy legend was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933 and got her start in show business in the late 1950s performing in theater gigs and comedy shows in downtown Manhattan. She made her first appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson in 1965 and her career in television took off from there. She was a red carpet staple by the 1990s and became famous for her shrewd and unapologetic coverage of celebrity news on the E! Network.

From Hollywood red carpets to center stage, from no-holds-barred stand-up gigs to her own reality series, Rivers did it all. She was a pioneer in the industry, pushing down boundaries ahead of her one dirty joke at a time. Still, the label didn't necessarily work for her.

"I don't like when the ladies come up and say, 'Oh you broke barriers for women,'" she said during a 2012 PBS interview. "I'm still breaking barriers, that's starting with it, and I could still take you, sweetheart, with both hands tied behind my back ... Am I proud to be a pioneer? I'm not a pioneer. I'm still in the trenches. I'm still breaking ground. I have never spent two minutes saying, 'Well, I just did that.' I'm still looking for the new frontier. I'm still in my astronaut suit."

Stephen Colbert Gets Back At Gwen Stefani, Mispronounces Her Name In 'Late Night' Intro

0
0
It all started at this year's Emmys. When announcing "The Colbert Report" the winner during the Outstanding Variety Series category, presenter Gwen Stefani pronounced the show's title something to the effect of "The Colbore Report."

Shots had been fired. But this Colbore would not go down without a fight.

With Stefani appearing on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Colbert recorded a special intro just for her, one that would turn the tide of this pronunciation battle.



Best of luck to singer Gwar Stompani in the future.

Chloë Grace Moretz And Michelle Obama Give 'The Hunger Games' New Meaning

0
0
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, unless you're Chloë Grace Moretz.

In Funny Or Die's new parody of dystopian films, the actress finds herself on the receiving end of some strange advice from a medical professional while the rest her classmates gorge themselves on junk food. She's accidentally stumbled into the "snackpocalypse," where carrots are seen as threats, and the words "healthy eating habits" are verboten.

Although the fake trailer closely mirrors the plot of "Divergent," it also tips its hat to "The Hunger Games." First Lady and healthy eating advocate Michelle Obama even makes an appearance.

Give the star-studded parody a watch, above.

The Funniest Someecards Of The Week

0
0
This week we lost one of the greats.

We're still reeling over the death of comedian and trailblazer, Joan Rivers. But if we learned anything about Rivers during her prolific career, it was that she was the Queen of Snark. So what better way to pay tribute to her comedic genius than by sending some sarcastic, witty Someecards.

We rounded up the best cards of the week so send away, because we know Joan wanted us all to keep laughing.

Chris Brown Talks Rihanna And Jail Time: 'Maybe I Was Out Of Control'

0
0
Chris Brown is trying to move past all his problems with the law. Desperately.

Why Panic! At The Disco's Brendon Urie Wants Sexual Fluidity To 'Be Celebrated'

0
0
Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie says he isn't bothered by fans or media outlets that have mislabeled him bisexual after he admitted to having "experimented" with homosexuality and bisexuality last year.

"It’s interesting because it’s what people do when they don’t have a way to label something," Urie tells The Advocate's Jase Peeples. "They freak out and have this need to separate everything into predetermined boxes. But life isn’t always that simple.”

He also sounded off on his band's sexually-tinged track, “Girls/Girls/Boys,” which appears on the 2013 album, "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!"

"The perfect summarization of that song is in the lyric, ‘Love is not a choice.’ I really believe that," Urie, who is married to Sarah Orzechowski, said. "These people who try to say otherwise -- I just think, Really? You really think people choose this? You really think some little kid is going to choose something [that puts them at risk of being] ridiculed and bullied."

He went on to note, "I feel like [sexual fluidity] should be celebrated. There’s no shame in it. And if I can help shed some light on that fact, then great."

Watch the "Girls/Girls/Boys" video below:



Earlier this year, the glam-rockers vowed fight back against a planned Westboro Baptist Church protest of their Kansas City concert, promising to donate $20 to the Human Rights Campaign for every protester that picketed.

Urie now describes the protest as "disappointing," noting, "They were so weak."

To read the full Advocate interview, head here.







Zosia Mamet Goes Platinum Blond, Just Like Lena Dunham

0
0
Are all of the "Girls" stars going platinum blond? That's sure what it's starting to look like.

Just after Lena Dunham revealed her freshly dyed cut via Instagram on Aug. 15, fellow "Girls" co-star Zosia Mamet debuted a new, similar 'do. Mamet revealed her lightened locks at a fashion show in New York on Sept. 4. The former brunette completed the look by rocking a bright yellow dress:

zosia mamet

Perhaps Mamet wanted to get in touch with her inner Shoshanna and go a little crazy with the hairstyles.

shoshanna




Let's Not Pretend Joan Rivers Was A Feminist Icon

0
0

In the wake of Joan Rivers' death, she's been rightly celebrated for her sharp sense of humor and trailblazing work in the entertainment industry. But now Time has gone so far as to call her a "groundbreaking feminist icon."



With all due respect to Rivers' illustrious achievements: She wasn't.



Time is correct in praising Rivers' relentless ambition and rebuking of conventional female docility. It was, the magazine said, her "undisguised and 'unladylike' desire for success that made [her] a feminist icon." She also forged new territory by broaching taboo topics like abortion and gay rights, opening the door for other female comedians to use humor as a conduit for social commentary about pressing women's issues.



Yet Time all-too-blithely glosses over the fact that her humor was frequently predicated on tearing women down -- and viciously so. Let's not forget that her comedy shtick was rooted in deeply misogynistic ideas about women.



It's no secret, for instance, that she criticized female bodies with the snarkiest of glee. To take but a couple of her barbs:

Elizabeth Taylor's so fat she puts mayonnaise on aspirin.

And:

If Kate Winslet had dropped a few pounds, the Titanic would never have sunk.



She also perpetuated the enduring stereotype of successful females sleeping their way to the top:



[Chelsea Handler] made it on her back f---ing the president, we all know that, of the network. No. 2, she's fine, she's ordinary. She's not a genius. She's an ordinary girl that was f---ing somebody high up in the industry and they gave her a break and she's doing OK.

Also:

Kristen Stewart got a whole career by being able to juggle a director's balls.

Nor was she above victim-blaming, saying of Rihanna:



She confessed to Oprah Winfrey that she still loves Chris Brown. Idiot! Now it's my turn to slap her.



Yes, Rivers often zinged herself too, but isn't that also a form of woman-bashing? Indeed, it seems Rivers' shrewdness was in recognizing a patriarchal appetite for misogynistic humor -- and exploiting it.



One could argue that this itself represents a certain kind of progress; that in being crueler to women than most men were, she was subverting the sexist paradigm itself. Seeing as how she also wasn't above attacking men, it's also possible to view her humor as progressively, even refreshingly gender-egalitarian.

Still, it's hard to view any woman who was so consistently judgmental toward other women as a "groundbreaking feminist icon." What she did do was challenge our ideas about female success, and misogyny, and even feminism itself. That in itself is groundbreaking -- but it doesn't make her a feminist hero.

This story first appeared at Ravishly.com, an alternative news+culture women's website.

Dick Cavett Looks Back On The Complicated Relationship Between Joan Rivers And Johnny Carson

0
0
The late Joan Rivers' first step to becoming a comedy icon was her hilarious relationship with the great Johnny Carson, who appointed Rivers as his permanent "Tonight Show" guest host in 1983. Carson then caused one of the biggest disappointments of Rivers' life when he blacklisted her from NBC after she left "Tonight" for her own talk show on Fox.

Their relationship was a complicated one, and it plagued Rivers for the rest of her life. She addressed the ordeal in her moving, enlightening, honest 2010 documentary "A Piece Of Work," and she wrote about it for The Hollywood Reporter in 2012.

HuffPost Live discussed the conflicted relationship between Rivers and Carson with Dick Cavett and Larry King on Friday, when the television legends joined host Marc Lamont Hill to remember their friend and colleague.

King summarized the beef between Rivers and Carson this way: "Here was a girl that [Carson] gave a big break to. She hosted the show for him. Then she took the job with Fox. It only lasted a year, and he never spoke to her again, wouldn't return her phone call. Joan felt he that should have been very happy for her. Johnny felt that she should have called him before she took that gig, and of course he wouldn't have stopped her from taking it, but that she owed him the courtesy of [telling him]."

The timing of that call has always been disputed. Rivers claimed she called Carson first, and he hung up and never spoke to her again. Carson claimed Joan never told him anything. Cavett, a late-night icon himself, told HuffPost Live his take is that "it was too much on his side, and I think inept on her side -- or whoever handled it for her." Cavett said he never felt Carson was opposed to competitors, including Cavett himself.

"Look, I went ... up against Carson for years, and we remained great friends," he said. "I would call him about problems I had with the show, and he would laugh about things that bombed."

It seems it all comes down to the timing of Rivers' phone call, which King speculated did not come as early as Carson would have hoped.

"I think Joan may have been calling after it was announced that she took the show. I don't think she was calling to say, 'What do you think of me taking the show?' That must have been it -- why would he not take the call if she hadn't signed a contract?" King said.

Cavett ended the conversation with a sense of moving on from the famous feud: "It hardly matters now."

King and Cavett's conversation about Rivers was wide-ranging and, as she would have appreciated, hilarious. Below, enjoy a few of their favorite memories of the woman comedy fans will never forget.

Rivers and Cavett ended up as legends, but they started as nobodies. Cavett reflects on the pair's very humble beginnings.


It may not seem like the most obvious comparison, but Cavett finds an important connection between Rivers and a controversial former president.


For more on the hysterical Joan Rivers from two men who knew her for decades, click here for the full HuffPost Live conversation.

Larry King Blasts 'Tabloid Fodder' Surrounding Joan Rivers' Death

0
0
Larry King and Dick Cavett are not happy about the coverage surrounding the investigation into the New York City clinic where Joan Rivers had the operation that ultimately led to her death.

King and Cavett joined HuffPost Live's Marc Lamont Hill on Friday to remember Rivers, who passed away Sept. 4.

"What's bothering me about this whole thing, aside from the disbelief that I'll never talk to her again, is what are they likely to find in the examination of the clinic? Malpractice? What can that mean?" Cavett said.

King agreed and expressed his displeasure with the way cable news shows are covering the health issues that contributed to Rivers' death.

"It's tabloid fodder," King said. "What I don't like ... is all this conjecture on the cable networks. Everybody is a doctor, and everybody's made assumptions already. Let her rest."

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Dick Cavett and Larry King here.

Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!

'Glee' Star Kevin McHale Speaks Out For Gay Marriage For Human Rights Campaign Effort

0
0
Kevin McHale joined fellow celebrities Kristin Chenoweth, Tony Hawk and Anthony Bourdain in speaking out for gay marriage as part of a new Human Rights Campaign (HRC) effort.

"Family, to me, is about surrounding yourself with loved ones and having them by your side, no matter what happens," the 26-year-old "Glee" star said in the clip for HRC’s Americans for Marriage Equality campaign.

He then added, "Committed and loving gay and lesbian couples deserve to have their love, their relationships and their families recognized like everyone else."

In addition to "Glee," McHale will next be seen in "Boychoir," alongside Kathy Bates and Dustin Hoffman.

Check out the clip above.

My Goodbye to Joan Rivers

0
0
"I enjoy life when things are happening. I don't care if it's good things or bad things. That means you're alive. Things are happening."

Joan Rivers was a notorious comedian who made a mark on the world. I remember the time I met Rivers. My grandma wanted her booked signed by Rivers when she came to town. (I had to be at least 9 or 10 at the time, but I remember her.)

When Rivers walked into the room, everyone lit up. She had a gift of making everyone laugh even inspiring some to pursue a career in comedy.

Her extensive jewelry collection is worn by thousands if not millions of people today. Her outfits were not always the most appropriate, but she became an icon.

Rivers has been criticized for having too much plastic surgery, but that did not stop her from making jokes. She even poked fun at herself.

Rivers said, "I've had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware" and "I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I'd look like without plastic surgery."

In 2010, E! announced Fashion Police. The show consisted of calling out celebrities on their outfits whether they were amazing or awful. Watching Fashion Police became a thing in my house when Rivers was announced to host the show along with others. Everyone in my house loved her and her blunt commentary.

Soon after Rivers created her own show with daughter, Melissa, Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best. The show followed Melissa and Joan as they would try to balance their lives. The two would butt heads often, but their mother-daughter bond remained stronger than ever. Melissa's son, Cooper, was also featured on the show. He was always smiling when he was around Joan and you could sense the love in their relationship.

Rivers also gave advice to aspiring comedians saying, "Comedy is learning to be funny, and you learn to be funny in small rooms with young audiences."

She helped pave the way for women in the comedy field. Her young spirit and jokes will always be remembered by fans.

Thank you Joan for making us laugh and forever telling us how it is.

I leave you now with one more Joan Rivers quote and I ask that you please keep the Rivers family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

"Don't follow any advice, no matter how good, until you feel as deeply in your spirit as you think in your mind that the counsel is wise."

You can follow Kaitlyn Kaminski on Twitter @kaitk96 and visit her website at www.notyourtypicaljerseygirl.com

5 Key Things To Know About Robert Pattinson's Rumored New Girlfriend, FKA Twigs

0
0
Robert Pattinson has been spending quite a lot of time with British singer FKA Twigs. But just how much do you know about the budding music star? As rumors of a relationship between the singer and our favorite "Twilight" actor swirl, we dug up some information to help you get more familiar with what could be one half of the next "it" couple.

1. She grew up as Tahliah Debrett Barnett

fka twigs

FKA Twigs grew up as Tahliah Barnett in rural Gloucestershire, England, where she attended a Catholic high school. Because of the way her joints crack, she developed the nickname Twigs, which she went by at the start of her musical career in 2012. After American artists The Twigs complained about the conflict, she added the FKA to her name to signify "Formerly Known As."

She recently took to Twitter to make clear that though FKA Twigs is a stage name, it does not come along with a fictional persona:





2. She is a woman of many talents

fka twigs

Yes, FKA Twigs is a recording artist, but she is also a mega-talented dancer. She has served as a background dancer for household names like Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran, and was even featured in videos for Jessie J singles "Do It Like a Dude" and "Price Tag."

She is still hard at work at the craft, often posting videos of choreography sessions to her Instagram.

3. Her music is getting some major buzz

fka twigs

Twigs' debut album, LP1, was released this past August, and critics are very impressed: "FKA Twigs emerges the high priestess of R&B's latest corruption, and the world will kneel at the altar," wrote Christopher Hooton at the Independent. Kyle Fowle at the AV Club noted: "Few debuts possess such control and ambition all in one; LP1 is the rare album that manages to sound both lived in and completely futuristic." It sure seems like the singer is about to be the next big thing.

4. She fancies herself a free spirit

fka twigs

After posting a funny text exchange with an apparent housemate to Instagram, the singer admitted that in terms of "Friends" characters, she's much more Phoebe than Monica.

"you can be monica cause obvs i'm phoebe. #reallife" she captioned the photo.




5. She does not want to be part of the Beauty Myth

saint barbie

FKA Twigs wants you to know that she gets photoshopped, too. The singer posted the above snap of Mark Ryden piece "Saint Barbie" to her Instagram with a note about her philosophy:

"I get airbrushed too, keep shit in perspective," she wrote. "I just like making music and visuals, everything else is either a flattering filter or a man made illusion. I don't want to be a part of the beauty myth, it's not helpful to any of us. Go to school, learn an instrument and give up selfies or at least keep the ratio equal to creativity and intelligence lol."

Lenny Kravitz On His New Album 'Strut' And His Dream Of Working With Prince

0
0
This year has proven to be a monumental one for Lenny Kravitz. Not only did the funk-rock multi-instrumentalist celebrate his 50th birthday in May, he's also marking the release of his 10th studio album, "Strut," which comes out Sept. 23. It will be Kravitz's first album on his own label, Roxie Records.

The upbeat, 12-track "Strut," Kravitz's first release since 2011's "Black and White America," finds the Grammy-winning songwriter striking a unique balance between classic stripped-down rock and a modern sound more reminiscent of today's hits. Sensual tracks like "Sex," "Dirty White Boots" and lead single "The Chamber" find Kravitz masterfully exploring the idea of, as he described it to The Huffington Post, "embracing one's self."

In a conversation with HuffPost this week, Kravitz shared his thoughts on recording the album, life as an independent artist and the idea of collaborating someday with Prince.

How would you describe the album's title, "Strut"?

For me, using that word was about being proud and confident about who you are. Whatever you are. Because we're all different. We're all freaks of some sort. That whole thing about being "normal," I don't even know what that is. We're all different. That's the beauty of life. It's about embracing who you are, and walking tall and proud. I think it's a healthy thing. And it's a process, because we go through life changing. We all go through phases. We change, we learn, we grow. Sometimes we're comfortable with ourselves. So it's about that.

What inspired you to cover Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' timeless classic "Ooo Baby Baby"?

Well, that was the last song to be cut, and it's also the last song on the album. As I was writing this album, I was filming "Catching Fire," and one day I happened to be in the makeup trailer early in the morning, getting the makeup put on for the Cinna character. And the makeup artist had on the Motown station, and all these great songs were playing, and that song came on. And I hadn't heard it in a long time. And I thought, 'How beautiful is this song?' Everything about it -- the words, the vocal arrangements, the rhythm arrangement and of course Smokey's amazing singing. So I enjoyed the song and I thought nothing else of it.

Cut to a week or so later, when I was in the studio and I was finishing up the record. I knew that I wanted one more song for the album, and so I thought, 'I never do covers. Let me do this song.' It had just inspired me so much. So at five in the morning I listened to the song twice in the studio and just cut it. And that's how it came out.

How has life been as an independent artist? What are some of the significant changes that you've experienced thus far?

I'm investing in [Roxie Records], and I'm running it and I've joined my team with the team of Kobalt [Label Services]. So it's a lot more day-to-day and responsibility on the business end, and I like that. I just thought it was time to be independent. Things are moving away from the mainstream way of doing it, and it was a perfect opportunity for me at this time, having my contract [with Virgin Records] being over.

As this marks your 10th album, what type of music project would you like to do that you've never done before?

I think it would be really interesting one day to put together a band. Like [find] other people who may be solo artists, and put together a band and make an album. To collaborate with people like that would be really interesting.

Which artists would you choose to be in the band?

Oh, I dunno ... Prince would be one of them.

The album's artwork has definitely caught people's attention. To what do you attribute looking youthful at the age of 50?

Honestly, I'm blessed to have really great Bahamian island genes. I try to eat the best organic food, and eat the right things. And also, I work out, ride bikes, and hike and run and do all kinds of things that keep me in shape and also keep you from running yourself down and injuring yourself. [It helps to] put all your parts in the best condition for the long haul ... The vanity part is the byproduct. You really do it to keep everything in optimum condition.

In terms of acting, you and your daughter Zoe have been very selective with the type of projects you choose. Is that intentional? Do you ever discuss your acting career decisions, or weigh options with each other?

Not really. We just kind of tell each other what we're doing. We've just been very blessed to select the right projects. She's gone for all of these amazing films like "Divergent" down to "Mad Max," and the indie films that she's done. She's doing so well. And I was very blessed to have my four films all be very successful and artistically gratifying.

Do you have any interest in sharing the screen with her and maybe even Lisa Bonet [Zoe's mother and Kravitz's ex-wife]?

We don't think about it like that. If something calls for it, that would be great. But we never talked about doing it just to do it. Yes, it would be a fun, amazing experience, but it would have to be the right artistic opportunity.

What are your thoughts on the violence we've seen in recent headlines, including the ongoing investigation surrounding the Michael Brown shooting?

You can isolate it to St. Louis for the moment, or you can isolate it to Miami at another moment, New York City, or just anywhere. This type of thing can happen anywhere. It's just tragic and really sad. And I think that police, security people, whoever they may be in any given situation, should take a different approach. But it's sad ... This kind of thing, whether it's a local one-on-one thing, or countries -- whether it's Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Israel -- any of this stuff blows my mind. We're supposed to be so advanced and evolved, but we still haven't learned how to remove the violence.

lenny kravitz strut

WATCH:

Brandon Marshall Tackles Stigma Of Mental Illness In The NFL

0
0
In our culture, being masculine often means not being vulnerable; this is especially true in the NFL, where it seems players must act like stone-faced warriors to survive unscathed. But Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall has weaknesses, and he isn't afraid to talk about them.

In this video from GQ, Marshall opens up about his struggle with mental illness in hopes of galvanizing the conversation around mental health in the NFL so that players don't have to live in fear of being tormented by teammates.

"We have to break the stigma," Marshall says in the video. "And it starts with creating the conversation."

Although he proved himself a powerful player during his first seasons in the NFL, Marshall's life, off the field, was filled with arrests, violence and more. In 2011, Marshall was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), a mental illness "characterized by a persistent instability of emotions, behaviors, and relationships," the video notes.

Since then, Marshall has opened up about his challenges and come out as an advocate for ending the culture of silence around mental health in the NFL.

Earlier this year, Marshall also gave $1 million to mental health care initiatives.

"I worked hard to conquer [BPD], and I made it," he says in the video. "But how many other people are out there...suffering in silence?"

Miley Cyrus' Advocacy Moves More Fans To Share Their Personal Stories Of Homelessness

0
0
It wasn't enough that Miley Cyrus' acceptance speech (or lack thereof) at last month's VMAs had nothing to do with music and everything to do with youth homelessness. Now, she's taken the critical issue to Facebook, engaging her more than 49 million fans regarding the crisis.

Cyrus had opted out of giving a speech at the Aug. 24 awards show, letting homeless 22-year-old and VMA date Jesse Helt take the mic instead. Helt accepted Cyrus' prize "on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States," and Cyrus seized the moment to help raise more than $200,000 for LA-based youth homeless shelter My Friend's Place within 24 hours, the New York Times reported.

But the star's commitment to young people like Helt didn't end with the event.

Last week, Cyrus used Facebook to fight back against the media's attention to Helt's troubles with the law, focusing instead on her Prizeo fundraising page collecting funds for My Friend's Place. Cyrus used the post to interact with fans who were touched by the singer's admirable mission.







Facebook user Tokilupe Havea shared her story on the post's thread, saying she "had nothing in the world but the clothes on [her] back" but is alive and well today because of homeless youth services. Cyrus responded to Havea, praising the now mother of two:

Thank you so much for your story ... It is so important for people to see the change that they can make in the world. So beautiful that you can share this story with your daughters and it will keep them inspired to always help others ... (which the best thing we can do is Inspire children because THEY are the future!). My friends place is a special safe place for young homeless youth and I thank you personally for the support.


Cyrus interacted with other users sharing personal stories as well, discussing the importance of combating the root causes for youth homelessness and the fact many people "take for granted" stable roofs over their heads.

A 2002 study by the Department of Justice estimated there were 1,682,900 homeless and runaway youths in the U.S., the National Coalition for the Homeless reported. The majority of homeless youths are in such circumstances because of three inter-related categories, the coalition states: family problems, economic problems and residential instability.

"Just a few miles from where I live in Los Angeles, there are young people living on the street who come to this city with big dreams just like all of us," Cyrus wrote on the Prizeo page. "This campaign is about helping homeless youth have opportunity to find their inner power and potential -- no matter what their circumstances."

To donate to My Friend's Place and be entered to win a VIP concert experience in Brazil with Cyrus, visit the fundraiser page.

h/t Mashable

Like Us On Facebook
Follow Us On Twitter

Nev Schulman Explains How To Avoid Getting Catfished

0
0
As a victim of fraudulent online dating himself, Nev Schulman knows what happens when using modern technology to find love goes wrong.

At 23, Schulman connected with a woman online. The two exchanged flirty texts for months, then he traveled cross-country to meet her. What he came to find was that he'd actually been communicating with a middle-aged woman who had been masquerading behind pictures she'd lifted from a model. His experiences were chronicled in the documentary "Catfish," which turned into an MTV series that connects two individuals communicating online. It also spawned the term "catfish," which denotes the premise of being deceived via online dating.

"I think any of the dating apps are fine, or dating websites," he told HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps in an interview on Friday. "It's just making sure you set a really strict and realistic guideline or parameter for how long you'll communicate with someone before you meet them."

He recommends keeping the amount of texting time short so as to avoid projecting onto the individual you're corresponding with.

"If you're serious about dating, the intention is to meet in person and feel the chemistry, hopefully, of being with someone, but if you go past ... two weeks or a month of talking and chit-chat, or even three days depending on how aggressive you want to be, then you can start to feel things for someone," he explained.

Find out more about Nev Schulman and the "catfishing" phenomenon in his newly released memoir "In Real Life: Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age."

Watch the rest of Nev Schulman's conversation with HuffPost Live here.

Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!
Viewing all 15269 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images