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Rumer Willis' Cover Of 'Out Of The Woods' Gives Taylor Swift A Run For Her Money

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We’ve known for a while that Rumer Willis has some serious singing chops, but we were still totally blown away by her recent cover of Taylor Swift’s “Out Of The Woods.”

Starring both Willis and actor/singer Payson Lewis, the cover was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday, and Just Jared rightly declared it to be “awesome.”

Willis, the 26-year-old daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, may be better known for her acting, but she’s been making a name for herself with her impressive singing ability. Last year, for instance, she wowed with a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” during a performance at The Sayer’s Club in Hollywood -- a venue at which she’s a regular performer.

'Breaking Bad' Director Michelle MacLaren Reportedly Set For 'Wonder Woman'

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Michelle MacLaren is responsible for acclaimed episodes of "Breaking Bad," "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead" and "The X-Files," and now she's likely to break into film with one of the buzziest superhero projects on the horizon. TheWrap reports that MacLaren is the frontrunner to take the reins on "Wonder Woman," which is slated to open June 23, 2017. Variety also reported the news, saying she is "in talks" for the job.

According to sources, Warner Bros. has an official shortlist of directors for the film, and not all of them are women. The studio, of course, declined to comment.

Since "Wonder Woman" was announced along with Warner Bros.' latest slate of comic-book adaptations, there has been strong speculation that a female filmmaker would steer the project. Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker," "Zero Dark Thirty"), Catherine Hardwicke ("Thirteen," "Twilight,") and Julie Taymor ("Frida," "Across the Universe") were among the names mentioned for the movie, as were MacLaren and fellow television auteur Tricia Brock ("The Walking Dead," "Girls"). Lexi Alexander, who directed "Punisher: War Zone," was also mentioned as a possibility for "Wonder Woman," but Alexander explained why the position wasn't something she was interested in pursuing in an interview with Fast Company.

"Imagine the weight on my shoulders," Alexander said. "How many male superhero movies fail? So now, we finally get Wonder Woman with a female director; imagine if it fails. And you have no control over marketing, over budget. So without any control, you carry the fucking weight of gender equality for both characters and women directors. No way."

MacLaren was nominated for two Emmys for directing "Breaking Bad" (for "Gliding Over All" and "One Minute") before helming some of the buzziest episodes from the show's final season (including "Madrigal" and "To'hajiilee"). She followed that up with "Oathkeeper" and "First of His Name," from the fourth season of "Game of Thrones," as well as an episode of "The Leftovers."

"Wonder Woman" stars Gal Gadot. The plot has yet to be officially announced, but there's plenty of speculation as to what it might entail.

What Alex Trebek Tells 'Jeopardy!' Contestants Behind The Scenes

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Ever wondered what famed "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek tells contestants when the audience goes home? Well, wonder no more. In a new YouTube clip, the icon's secret post-game chat has been revealed. Topics covered include lucky jewelry, getting your head in the game after a break and the importance of categories. All in all, it seems like the talk would have been more helpful pre-game, so if you have future "Jeopardy!" aspirations, file this away for later use.

Check out the clip above to hear the expert wax poetic on the topic he likely knows more about than any of his contestants: "Jeopardy!"

Marilyn Monroe's Long Lost Love Letters Head To Auction

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Long before a certain notorious bombshell attempted to break the internet, Marilyn Monroe was the ultimate American sex symbol.

Though many lusted after her from afar, a few choice individuals -- including second husband Joe DiMaggio and third husband Arthur Miller -- got the chance to actually love her. If you're aching to know what kind of relationships transpired between these individuals and Ms. Monroe, you're in luck. A selection of Monroe's personal love letters is heading to Julien’s Auctions, along with an assortment of memorabilia from Monroe's life and work.

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"I love you and want to be with you," DiMaggio wrote in a 1954 letter, just after Monroe informed him she was filing for divorce. "There is nothing I would like better than to restore your confidence in me."

The objects up for auction from "Marilyn Monroe's Lost Archives" also include letters from friends including Cary Grant and Clark Gable. A particularly adorable note from Miller ends: "Please, if I've ever made you cry or made you even more sadder, ever for a second, please forgive me, my perfect girl. I love you."

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"I knew I belonged to the public and to the world," Monroe wrote in her unfinished biography, "not because I was talented or even beautiful but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else." While the reigning view of Monroe is of a woman hungry for love and belonging, the notes on sale show that in fact Monroe's life was rich with passion and romance.

Before her untimely death at 36 years old, Monroe willed her archival materials to her acting coach Lee Strasberg, who then gave the bounty to a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. Whoever has been keeping track of the some 300 items from Monroe's stash has done a fine job; most appear to be in nearly perfect condition after all these years.

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According to the Associated Press, auction owner Darren Julien estimates the pieces could sell for $1 million or more when they hit the auction block on Saturday, December 6. This also includes the actress' "favorite coat," velvet cocktail dress, makeup and sheer lingerie.

Take a look at some of the loot below and visit the Julien's Auctions website to learn more. The auction takes place December 6, 2014 in Beverly Hills, CA.

'Foxcatcher' Is A Distant Horror Story For The 1 Percent

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The Oscar buzz for Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" has been going strong since the film premiered at Cannes back in May. The drama, based on a true story, stars Steve Carell in an acclaimed dramatic turn as John du Pont, a millionaire who uses his wealth to help train Olympic wrestlers. Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo portray brothers Mark and Dave Schultz, respectively, in equally impressive dramatic roles. HuffPost Entertainment editors Matthew Jacobs and Erin Whitney saw the film when it premiered at the New York Film Festival last month, and this is what they thought, spoiler-free:

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Jacobs: Even if you've followed "Foxcatcher" buzz since back when it was slated to open last December, Bennett Miller's ("Capote," "Moneyball") latest movie is still a shocking affair. You won't believe it's Steve Carell behind that honker of a prosthetic nose, with his head cocked back in misguided confidence and his chest puffed up in phony machismo. You'll blink a few times to register the surprise of seeing Channing Tatum's vulnerable waddle, which is as much an expression of a beefy wrestler as it is an insecure loner. And Mark Ruffalo commands such layers behind his performance -- it's softer than the others. Some may call it "normal" by comparison, but that doesn't make it any less dynamic. "Foxcatcher" is an actor's movie, and it contains each of the trio's career-best performances.

While watching "Foxcatcher," we are kept at a constant distance. It's an icy movie, one that might alienate some for its unsentimental, almost removed approach. I loved that about the film. It's a story of madness, wealth and loneliness wrapped into a portrait of a man whose inherited power made him feel infallible. John du Pont's (Carell) riches should have provided stability, but he lived in a dreamworld wherein he thought himself more indomitable than any amount of money can guarantee. With that, we are given a quiet study in derangement. Mark Schultz (Tatum) was missing a father figure; he thought he'd found one when du Pont invites him to train at Foxcatcher Farm. But when Mark is unable to recruit his brother Dave (Ruffalo) to join Foxcatcher also, du Pont lashes out (in his own muffled way) and that father-figure offer is laid to rest. The steady breakdown that ensues among the three men raises ominous questions about self-worth: How much of it does each of them have, and can they survive after it's ostensibly taken away? The distance of the film, with its cautionary score and restrained dialogue, is what makes the answers so powerful. Did you feel the same, Erin, or did that take away from your experience with the film?

Whitney: I can agree with almost everything you said, Matt. Except those very reasons are why I did not enjoy the film. That isn't to say that it points to a failure -- it just wasn't a pleasurable viewing experience or one I'd revisit. There are many ways of tackling such a story, and Miller opted for a very distanced approach that turns the audience into an objective onlooker. I do think this suited the storyline well, though, with the cold and removed perspective forcing us to question who the evil was throughout.

While watching, I tried to forget the ending of the film, which is known if you're familiar with John du Pont's life story. There's no clear-cut hero or villain, or even anti-hero, in this story, as each of these characters is searching for success and recognition in his own way. Tatum's Mark has forever lived in the shadow of his older brother, despite the fact that he has his own Olympic gold medal. He wants a sense of masculine recognition. Ruffalo's Dave seems the most content in his goals, but still has a passion for teaching and coaching others to victory. Meanwhile, John suffers from the constant disapproval of his respected mother (Vanessa Regrave) and is looking for a way to not only gain her support but to prove his manhood. It's interesting that John is, in a way, like a distant, more realistic cousin of Carrell's "40-Year-Old Virgin" character. John was a loner growing up, and has become emasculated by his mother's award-winning race horses. His family's wealth masks his very childlike desire for acknowledgement. Thus, John's eventual villainy (we won't spoil it entirely) is buffered by a slight empathy for the character. Still, Miller doesn't let us get close enough to really feel for these characters, and maybe that's where the film's strength lies. It is truly an accomplishment in an objective telling of a real-life crime, as objective as any art can be.

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Jacobs: Wow, you definitely just likened "Foxcatcher" to "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." Props for that. I think we can end this conversation right here.

In truth, this distance we speak of also accentuates how singular each of these characters is: Mark is vulnerable and John is inured to all potential influences, including his mother's. That makes for a particularly strained dynamic between the two men. We feel a slight menace bubbling when John first arrives to recruit Mark, and the way Mark then works overtime to defend and honor John has the undertones of a distinct threat that looms. It's in that threat that "Foxcatcher" becomes a portrait of wealth and loneliness gone wrong. It's a tale of terror for the "1 percent." One man is so embittered by what he doesn't have -- no wrestler's physique, no marked talent beyond his riches, no one who appreciates him outside of sycophancy -- and the other is so unwittingly anxious to find a life that stretches past the Ramen noodles he eats alone for dinner. Seeing Tatum and Carell enact that, with a lot of questions raised in between and only subtle answers provided, is more powerful than any sentimental, exacting approach to this story could have provided. No lectures needed.

After we saw "Whiplash" at the New York Film Festival, a journalist asked J.K. Simmons whether the vicious music instructor he portrays is a repressed homosexual. We both agreed the question was silly because the movie doesn't seem to hint at that whatsoever. But it might be a more guided query when talking about du Pont, which, come to find out, was indeed a discussion point in the aftermath of the events seen in the movie. (Don't click this link if you don't want spoilers, but here's what I'm talking about.) He purchases a machine gun for no reason other, perhaps, than to vouch for his machismo. Instead of mentoring Mark to excellence, he feeds him cocaine and stands back as Mark self-destructs when John doesn't get what he wants. Repressed sexuality or not, this is certainly a haunting look at what endless riches can do to a person. That theme can feel clichéd ("The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Blue Jasmine" were two of last year's Oscar contenders, after all), so depicting it all from a certain objective distance was vital for me.

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Whitney: John's sexuality is not something I found myself directly wondering about while watching the film, but the homoeroticism of wrestling was definitely present onscreen. There are a few powerful scenes in particular that point to the sensuality and intimacy of the sport, which I think Miller captures really well with his steady, patient shots. One is when John shows up at Mark's window in the middle of the night, ready to practice. As Mark answers the door half-asleep in nothing but his sweatpants, there is a sexual tension that begins brewing, even if latently. The very next scene is of Mark, faced-down on the practice room floor with John on top of him, attempting to hold the wrestler in a locked position. This moment, as I remember, was nearly silent, while the camera stayed on the two men, hardly moving in an aggressive restraint. Part of the uncomfortableness of this came from John's clear lack of wrestling skill -- the man tries to show off the most basic of moves to his bored mother later on, obviously having little to no athletic ability. Yet another element of the awkward atmosphere seems to come from this odd tension between the two men, as John pins Mark down, desperate for fraternal intimacy, and Mark, whether fully willing or not, obliges.

I'm not sure if that necessarily means anything, or if those scenes are meant to allude to any sense of dormant homosexuality. I do like Miller's ability to bring out the sensitive and rather delicate undertones of a sport that appears so vigorous and purely masculine. He also highlights the deeper emotional physicality between Mark and Dave in one practice fight between the brothers in the beginning. While they may appear to be wrestling, there's something much more powerful going on, a competitive dance between brothers that is so ripe with emotions it bring one of them to tears, though restrained ones. But the wrestler with the wet eyes soon shuts himself down to such an extreme that we only see his anger burst out later in a terrifying fit of rage -- one that shed the actor's real blood. That's something "Foxcatcher" undoubtedly achieves quite well, stifling the emotions only for them to erupt suddenly in the last few chilling moments. And when it happens, even if you know the ending, it comes as a startling shock.

"Foxcatcher" opens Nov. 14.

'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro Arrested For DWI

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NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police say "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro has been arrested on a drunken-driving charge.

Police say Bartolo Valastro, of Montville, New Jersey, was driving erratically when he was pulled over on 10th Avenue in Lower Manhattan around 1 a.m. Thursday. Police say officers observed Valastro's yellow 2014 Corvette swerving through traffic while traveling north between 20th and 32nd streets. Police say he was unsteady on his feet when he stepped out of the vehicle. They say his face was flushed and his eyes were bloodshot. Police say he failed a Breathalyzer test and was taken into custody.

Valastro stars in the reality show, "Cake Boss," which airs on TLC. He operates several bakeries. Calls for comment left at TLC and his Hoboken, New Jersey, location weren't immediately returned.

Channing Tatum Struggles To Keep It Together As The First Male Contestant On 'Box Of Lies'

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"Box of Lies" just claimed another victim.

On Wednesday, Channing Tatum joined Jimmy Fallon as the first male challenger in the popular "Tonight Show" game. In the past, contestants such as Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone all cracked while trying to keep a straight face, and it wasn't any different for Tatum.

The actor struggled to suppress a smile pretty much the entire time, but after being presented with items like a Chewbacca trapped in Jell-O or E.T. in a sleeping bag, can you really blame him?

"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.

This Is 8-Year-Old Beyoncé Singing 'Home' From 'The Wiz'

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Even at 8 years old, Beyoncé could sing. So proves a YouTube video that captures the star in her youth. In the clip, a pint-sized Beyoncé performs "Home" from "The Wiz" in a Peoples' Workshop talent competition -- and totally kills it. Mini-Beyoncé also brought her A-game in the outfit department, a sequined -- let us repeat, sequined -- Dorothy costume, complete with adorable hair bows. Nothing could get better than this video, except maybe this amazing child going on to become the biggest musical superstar in the world -- which, oh yeah.

Check out the full performance:


Has Eminem's Misogyny Finally Become Unacceptable?

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Middlebrow is a recap of the week in entertainment, celebrity and television news that provides a comprehensive look at the state of pop culture. From the rock bottom to highfalutin, Middlebrow is your accessible guidebook to the world of entertainment. Sign up to receive it in your inbox here.

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Will the real Slim Shady please sit down? In a new cypher, Eminem raps that he would like to “punch Lana Del Ray right in the face twice like Ray Rice." The line has been met with a surprising level of outrage. Not in the sense that it’s unjustified -- this is inarguably woman-hating terribleness -- but it's nothing new for the rapper. Women-hating terribleness has been Eminem’s modus operandi since middle schoolers were dyeing their hair bleach blond after watching “8 Mile.” Yes, calling out Lana Del Rey in connection to Ray Rice specifically makes this particular bout of offensiveness easier to condemn, but why have we idly accepted this brand of hatred from Eminem since the early ‘00s?

A misogynistic narrative was even more common to rap and hip-hop culture a decade and a half ago. See: Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me," Outkast's "Roses" or R. Kelly's "Ignition" remix, for a few examples. (Not that surprisingly / because everything is terrible, misogyny is still super visible in the music industry today.) Arguably, participating in this didn’t just fuel Eminem's rise to fame, it was a reciprocal relationship. His empire was built on a foundation of normalizing hatred toward women. (Oh, and bigotry, of course.) A list of misogynistic Eminem song examples exceeds the assigned word count for this article.

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The hateful crap has always been tied up in what he’s explained as a “persona," an alter ego he identifies as Slim Shady. The angry delinquent attitude that made him a mega star is part of a character, he says, and so somehow that should justify him saying the “f” word or discussing the murder of various females before or after slut-shaming them. But what someone idolizes when they look up to Eminem is inseparable from the “character.” When you're threatening to "fuck [a woman] with an umbrella then open it up while the shit's inside," that's a violent idea that exists and, worse, is being put out into the world. Whether Slim Shady or Eminem or an anthropomorphic M&M is reciting it doesn't really matter. Marshall Mathers has always perpetuated this disregard in and outside of his alter ego. And that reality never altered our acceptance of him either way.

It’s too easy to say we can’t justify that “persona” with the fact that Eminem is a 42-year-old man (and father of baby Hallie, who just graduated from high school -- yes, really). He can still sell tickets and albums. He was 41 when he released “Marshall Mathers LP 2” and rapped about wanting to literally kill a woman with a machine gun -- a line that did not incite any outrage via Twitter: “I got 99 problems and the bitch ain't one / She's all 99 of them I need a machine gun / I take ‘em all out I hope you hear this song." The only thing that’s itching people about this line is the pop culture reference. Hitting unspecified women though? Apparently, totally fine! Or at least commonplace enough that no one finds it offensive enough to condemn.

That we accept these kind of lyrics from Eminem in any form is a reflection of the way we accept misogyny in general. It’s not refreshing to finally hear some uproar over his use of violence against women as a refrain. This has less to do with being sick of that and more to do with our raging obsession with celebrity culture. (It’s different, but there was just as much hash-tagged vocalization over Taylor Swift possibly allegedly using her song to throw shade at Katy Perry.) If he Eminem had rapped that he wanted to punch Britney Spears back in 2000 (instead of slut-shaming her), would we have noticed that this guy is really hateful and nasty before buying 43 million copies of his work? Maybe? But it was just unspecified women he rapped about wanting to beat up / murder back then, though. No big deal.

Follow Lauren Duca on Twitter: @laurenduca

Jamie-Lynn Sigler's Brother Adam Dies After Brain Hemorrhage

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Jamie-Lynn Sigler and her family are in mourning. The star's older brother, Adam Sigler, died on Wednesday, Nov. 12, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Sources close to the actress tells Us Weekly that Adam was in a coma and with his family before he passed away.

Lorde Covers Jeremih's 'Don't Tell 'Em'

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Lorde visited BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge to perform "Yellow Flicker Beat," her single from the "Mockingjay" soundtrack, and a cover of Jeremih's recent hit, "Don't Tell 'Em."

"I have basically been a really big fan of this song since I first started hearing it around," Lorde said. "I love the vocal melodies. I think they’re really smart and just consider them cool. It’s quite a saucy song or something and I think it would be interesting to flip the dynamic and make that power mine."

She delivers a soulful rendition of the track, which samples lyrics from 1992's famous song, "Rhythm Is A Dancer," and uses her signature dance moves to really make the track her own.

Lorde Totally Owns Diplo After He Disses Taylor Swift On Twitter

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Word to the wise: Don't mess with T. Swift, unless you want Lorde to totally burn you on Twitter.

Diplo found that out the hard way after he dissed Taylor Swift on Twitter Wednesday, writing that "someone should make a kickstarter to get Taylor Swift a booty."




One of the DJ's 1.3 million followers quickly jumped at the opportunity and actually made one, which, at press time has raised $45:




But Lorde, Swift's BFF and apparent burn-master 3000, quickly came to her friend's defense and fired back at the DJ:




Lorde to the rescue!

Us Weekly points out that the reason behind Diplo's insults might stem from Swift's beef with the DJ's current girlfriend, Katy Perry. The rift allegedly between Swift and Perry began after the "Shake It Off" singer told Rolling Stone that she'd written "Bad Blood" about a fellow pop star.

As for Lorde and Diplo, the two actually had a friendship at one point, when the DJ remixed Lorde's "Tennis Court." Only time will tell how this one works itself out.

Whitney Houston's Sister-In-Law, Pat Houston, Still Has 'A Very Hard Time' Accepting Bobbi Kristina's Marriage (VIDEO)

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Years ago, the late Whitney Houston opened her home to 12-year-old Nick Gordon, a boy whose birth mother could no longer care for him. The legendary singer never legally adopted Gordon, but raised him as her son for more than a decade alongside her younger daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. When Whitney suddenly passed away in 2012, Bobbi Kristina was consumed with grief and seemed to find comfort in perhaps the only other person who could understand her pain. Soon, rumors began to swirl that she and Gordon had begun a romantic relationship. Then, the two dropped a bombshell a year after Whitney's death: They were engaged.

The relationship raised a lot of eyebrows and drew criticism from fans and family alike. Still, Bobbi Kristina and Gordon wed, announcing their marriage on Twitter earlier this year.

In the press, Bobbi Kristina has insisted time and again that her mother would have approved of the relationship, but not all members of the Houston family seem to support the controversial union. Pat Houston -- Whitney's sister-in-law, manager and confidante -- is one of them. This weekend, she tells "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" how she really felt about her niece being married to the man who is often seen as Bobbi Kristina's adopted brother.

"It just didn't sit right with me," Pat says. "I always looked at them as being the brother-and-sister type. I just did not see the relationship moving in that direction."

Even now, Pat admits that Bobbi Kristina and Gordon's marriage is a difficult thing to accept.

"I still have a very hard time with it," she says.

However, the two are adults and Pat understands that they're free to make their own choices, regardless of anyone else's opinions.

"She's 21 and it's her life," Pat says of Bobbi Kristina. "You try to teach them the way to go and hope that they hear you. If they don't hear you now, maybe later on they'll get it. But, no, we weren't happy about it. Not at all."

More: See what Pat has to say about working on Whitney's just-released first ever live CD/DVD.

"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on OWN. Find OWN on your TV.



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Kel Mitchell Wants You To Know He's Alive, And He Still Loves Orange Soda

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Image: Giphy


If you're a '90s kid, you know all about Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. The pair came into our lives in 1994 with the kids' sketch comedy show "All That," creating memorable characters like Pierre Escargot, Coach Kreeton and Ed from Good Burger. Soon they were both starring in their own show, "Kenan & Kel," and even in a major movie based on one of their Nickelodeon sketches. Kenan and Kel were a household name.

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A few years after their hit Nick show ended, both of the comedians auditioned for "Saturday Night Live." Thompson would go on to win a role on the show. He parlayed that success into a movie career, appearing in "Snakes on a Plane," "The Smurfs," "Fat Albert" and "Barbershop 2." The comedian has now been on "SNL" since 2003 and is the show's longest serving current cast member.

Mitchell has another story. After parting ways with Thompson, the actor has largely flown under the radar. His name made national news again in 2006, but that was because everyone thought he was dead after an Internet hoax about the actor's alleged demise went viral. Since that turned out to be untrue, one question still remains ...

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Image: YouTube


Recently, HuffPost Entertainment spoke with Mitchell, and now we finally have an answer:

So what have you been up to since "Kenan & Kel" ended?
What have I been up to? Aw man, producing , directing, and often still acting. I was in "Like Mike 2," "Mystery Men," and also was on a great show, "Clifford the Big Red Dog." I have a show called "Wild Grinders" on Nicktoons with Rob Dyrdek. "Who Can I Run To," a really fun movie. Also, I’ve been starring in a lot of different shows like "Sam & Cat" on Nickelodeon. I’ve been fortunate to still be in this business and still be able to work in really great jobs.

What was it like dealing with that death hoax?
That was crazy. I remember that day. It was all over the Internet. I think it started on MySpace because that’s when MySpace was popular. I had family members calling me and calling my parents saying, "Is Kel okay?" And all this stuff.

It was pretty crazy, but I didn’t get upset by the whole thing. It was just like, "What kind of sick mind would do that?" But afterward, it was kind of cool with people going, I mean not the action of it was cool, but it was like when people discovered that I was alive, it was just like, “Oh, okay. Well, what else is he doing?"

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How was it being reunited with "All That" creator Dan Schneider on "Sam & Cat"? And how was working with Ariana Grande and Jennette McCurdy?
That was awesome. Dan’s cool. I mean I’ve known him since I was a kid, so to work with him again was a lot of fun. At first I was doing the character kind of laid back, and he was like, "Naw, man. Let’s do it how we used to back in the day. Let’s do it crazy like Coach Kreeton and those guys," so I was like, “Aw yeah! Let’s do it."

I remember I was on set, and Ariana and Jenette told me that they were fans of mine when they were kids, and so they saw me and they were like, “Man, this is so surreal." And I’m also a fan of theirs. Ariana’s music and also Jenette's comedy is so hilarious to me, so we all actually kept in touch.

Is there anything from your "All That" days that might surprise fans?
One thing was at Universal Studios in Florida, where we did the first couple seasons, we used to go and ride all the cool rides, and they would let us skip all the lines. King Kong and all that stuff -- we would literally go and do it on our lunch break or any time we felt like it, and it was kind of fun because if you can imagine growing up as a kid and having an amusement park in your backyard basically.

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You gave us some of the most memorable '90s catchphrases: "Who loves orange soda?" "Welcome to Good Burger," and "I dropped the screw in the tuna." How did those actually come about?
Dan actually wrote out, "Who loves orange soda? Kel loves orange soda," but then the whole, "I do. I dooOoo," and all that stuff, I just put swag on it. [Laughs] It just came alive. We didn’t know that it was gonna blow up like that.

For "I dropped the screw in the tuna," I was just supposed to say, "I dropped the screw in the tuna." That was like it, and I was supposed to be hurt about it, but I took it up a notch, and the director was just like, "Just go." Even now, people come up to me and say, "Who dropped the screw in the tuna?" That was one of my favorite episodes. I actually won a CableACE award because of that episode.



Would you be interested in doing a reunion for "All That" or "Kenan & Kel"?
Yeah. Being that I’m still doing stuff with Nickelodeon and they’re always coming up with cool ideas, so, if that was to happen, it would be fun. A lot of us all stay in contact with each other, and we see each other around and stuff like that. It’s just about if it could happen or not because everybody’s schedules are all over the place, but I’m open to it. That would be fun. Like a one time special or something like that.

Do you really love orange soda?
Yes! I do love orange soda. [Laughs] It’s funny because I was actually a soda drinker, and actually I used to drink it as a kid. And when they had me do it, I was like, "Cool! I get to drink orange soda all the time now!" So even now, I’ll drink orange soda every now and then.

What's your favorite drink now?
Orange soda is still the No. 1, but other than that it’d have to be water.


Image: Giphy


What do you think about Kenan possibly leaving "SNL"?
I’ve always been happy for him on "SNL," and I watch it when I can. And if he’s making a decision to leave, he knows what he’s doing. So I’m sure he has something else brewing because he’s been on the show for so many years. I’m happy for him either way -- whatever he does.

There's been a lot of speculation about a beef with Kenan. Is there any truth to that?
No, no, no, there’s no beef. Everything’s all good.

Could there be a Kenan and Kel collaboration in the future?
I haven’t talked to Kenan in a while, so I don’t know if that would be any type of collaboration. I know the fans want it, but I don’t know. You know, I think that I’m working on different things; he’s working on different things. And I know everyone likes the "Kenan & Kel" brand, but I don’t know. We’ll have to see. It’s kind of like the movies with "Dumb and Dumber." Everybody wanted to see that again when it came back, so I don’t know. We’ll have to see what the future may hold.

Mitchell may not know what the future holds, but at least we finally know what happened to Kel. We do. We do. We doOoo.



Image: Giphy



This interview has been edited and condensed.

For more news on Kel Mitchell, you can find him on Twitter and visit KelMitchell.net.

Kim Kardashian Posed Nude. Her Motherhood Has Nothing To Do With It.

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Yesterday, Kim Kardashian's oiled-up behind graced the cover of Paper Magazine -- were you aware? The internet quickly freaked out, and subsequently freaked out about freaking out. She hardly broke the internet, but she certainly got its disciples talking.

#BreakTheInternet

A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on





While opinions are divided on whether or not Kim's nude cover was bold or boring, one particular online reaction rubbed us the wrong way. Some dissenters claimed that Kardashian's decision to pose nude was offensive and morally lacking -- largely because she's a mother.

Glee's Naya Rivera (allegedly) commented on it:






Soon many an indignant tweeter hopped on the but she's a mom! train.

There are many reasons to roll your eyes at Mrs. West. But her decision to pose nude, while having at one point in her life birthed a child, is not one of them. It is, of course, every woman's prerogative to show or not show her body, regardless of whether she's spawned children.

In the art world -- a world in which Kardashian likely feels she belongs -- the tradition of posing nude post-motherhood is hardly rare. Take, for example, Lucy Hilmer, a photographer who made the internet collectively smile earlier this year thanks to her series "Birthday Suit." Every year since 1974, Hilmer has photographed herself on her birthday wearing only her underwear. In one image, Hilmer even poses nude with her child grabbing at her breast.

lucy
All images © Lucy Hilmer


"What I’ve learned is that I’m really no different from anyone else," Hilmer explained in an earlier interview with The Huffington Post, "and the truths we share are so often hidden. What I think I’ve done in these self-portraits is to strip off a layer or two to reveal some of those truths that are universal." In Hilmer's works, nudity serves a purpose other than sex -- in this case, it functions to reveal universal truths.

And then there's Aleah Chapin, who, in her "Aunties Project," painted the nude women she grew up with off the coast of Washington, many of whom are mothers. The painted series communicates the beauty of the human body, stripping nudity of any sense of shame or taboo. The subjects stand firmly in defense of their bodies, and their right to exhibit them as they please.

aleah

We can't forget Laurie Simmons -- artist, photographer, and mother of Lena Dunham. "My mother invented the selfie," Dunham writes in Not That Kind of Girl. "In the images she took of herself in the loft, she was only sometimes dressed, in a baggy sweater or belted safari shorts. But most of the time she was naked... The eye is drawn to her nakedness. Legs spread defiantly."

At the end of the day, Kardashian is far from the first mother to pose nude and probably far from the last. We understand artists like Hilmer and Chapin aim to broaden the scope of nude bodies that are endowed visibility in the public sphere, while Kardashian only affirms a more idealized and unrealistic body image. However a body is a body, and every woman should decide for herself he right time to oil up the buns and make a quick million (or 43). Telling a woman what she can or cannot do with her body is problematic, to say the least.

So just as we wouldn't slut-shame or body-shame, let's not mom-shame if we can help it. Speculate on pop culture's fascination with reality stars all you want, or the ever-evolving nature of the Kimye brand. Or photographer Jean-Paul Goude's questionable fetishization of women. But leave motherhood out of it.

We're pretty certain the only way to stop Kardashian's reign is to not talk about her endlessly anyway. Let's direct this conversation to Laurie Simmons, shall we?

That Fake Yoko Ono/Katy Perry 'Cover' Is Still Worth 1,000,000 Listens

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It's obvious why the video below, of Yoko Ono singing a cover of Katy Perry's "Firework," keeps coming back. It is, in a word, amazing.



It's also too good to be true. If only Ono were actually scream-hiccuping over a schmaltzy instrumental pop track in an official looking gallery somewhere, as witnesses look on, both game and alarmed.

But as internet sleuths pointed out two years ago when the "cover" first went viral, 'tis but a beautiful dream. What we have here is actually just altered footage of Ono at the Museum of Modern Art in 2010, reviving her 1961 installation "Voice Piece for Soprano." Katy Perry got involved via a nifty bit of editing by YouTube user Kroiker McGuire, who has built something of a cottage industry out of the concept. (Our favorite: "'I'm Sexy And I Know It' Yoko Ono Covers LMFAO.")


The original footage of Ono at the MoMA in 2010, pre-'Firework'-ification.


There's so much to unpack in this weird, comical mashup. Online opinion is of course split. Among those who believe the cover to be genuine, some are tweeting out links alongside ironic promises of a "beautiful rendition," and others are hailing Ono for her don't-give-a-damn attitude. Still others are insulting the artist for completely unrelated reasons, because, Internet.







Now let us, Ono style, unrelentingly sing some praises. Wherever you stand on the woman, there's no denying the genius of the video she made possible. Somehow, the genre of cover song isn't often parodied, though it should be. It's one of the least imaginative ways to make money as a musician, and here is the ultimate subversion of it: a cover that sounds absolutely nothing like the original, or really like anything at all.

But the bigger subversion lies in toppling the exclusivity of anything avant-garde. Any time a random meeting of worlds can turn a new audience onto an offering that tends to get hoarded by those with access to museums and fashion shows (see: Jay Z meeting Ellen Grossman, or Beyoncé's appropriation of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's work), we should celebrate. These are the moments when art feels relevant. A work might pass the Chelsea gallerist's litmus test, but isn't it more interesting to watch how it fares in the big bad world?


Our favorite of YouTube user Kroiker McGuire's faux covers, set to a genteel, instrumental version of LMFAO's "Party Rock."


As it happens, "Voice Piece For Soprano" was itself divisive when MoMA unveiled it in 2010, as part of a retrospective exhibit titled "Contemporary Art From The Collection." An interactive installation, it featured a microphone, speakers, and these instructions to visitors: “Scream against the wind/ against the wall/ against the sky."

Not everyone has the lung capacity or artistic commitment of Ono, whose screams are getting their due. Reports soon surfaced of disgruntled staff and patrons, unnerved by the random shouts of participants. The museum eventually took action, turning down the volume on the speakers despite Ono's instructions. An Observer article detailing the decision ended with one of the paper's more memorable kickers, a quote from a MoMA book specialist working near to the installation who quipped when asked if the quieter version was still popular: "Unfortunately, yes."

Praise came after the fact, presumably once reviewers' ears stopped ringing. A piece in The New York Times, published three summers after the MoMA retrospective, praised "Voice Piece" for the very reasons the installation had turned so many potential supporters off. Here, after all, was an installation designed to alienate even the most diehard fans. Such gaucheness rarely attends modern art, which exists in a world built on sycophancy (indeed, an unidentified MoMA staffer told the Observer the museum would likely turn the volume temporarily up when Ono dropped by, simply to appease her.)


One of a few Ono 'cover' videos not attributed to the master of the genre, Kroiker McGuire. "This heartfelt rendition of our national anthem confirms Yoko Ono as one of the greatest vocalists alive today," reads the video's clearly facetious description on YouTube.


The installation, The Times concluded, was "very un-MoMA." Which, the article clarified, was a good thing. It was "unpredictable, uncontrolled, anarchic, all that the institution is not." More importantly, it accomplished "what sound art was historically meant to do: to give sound -- variously referred to as noise, or music or silence -- the assertive presence of any other art medium, make it fill space, claim attention and time."

An earlier version of the installation proved much the same point. In 2001, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis presented "Voice Piece," and broadened the invitation to participate to anyone with a phone. Interested parties could call into a voicemail system and yell to their hearts' content. The sounds were then compiled into an online timeline. One man wrote to the museum to describe what sounded like a joyful cross-species contribution, involving himself, his 80-year-old friend Helen, and his parakeet. He rigged up a few portable and stationary phones to accommodate all three beings in his L-shaped home, and the trio started "jamming," the bird rapping "his head along the side of the cage, & improving [sic] w/us," the man wrote. Another woman took the opportunity to record human noise in the English wild.

14:40, 14:48 and 15:55 are all the screams of crazy drunk people
roaming towards the bigg market down high bridge st in newcastle, as
heard from the third floor window of the office of locus+ (there's a six
hour time difference between minneapolis and england, so if it's 4pm at
the Walker's answering machine, it's 10pm, an hour til last orders, here
in the northeast UK).


The charm of the idea, to document every shade of human noise, is undeniable, even if the experience of it isn't. And even in its viral form, "Voice Piece" is challenging our standards for what we consider appropriate to hear. Ok, Ono didn't have "Firework" in her head when she took to the mic at MoMA. But she still managed to inspire the most popular -- and unexpected -- cover of the song there is.

Niki Taylor Opens Up About The Biggest Tragedy Of Her Life (VIDEO)

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Niki Taylor is a bonafide supermodel. She signed her first modeling contract at 13 and began walking runways in Paris soon after. At 15, she landed her first Vogue cover -- the youngest cover girl in the magazine's history. By age 16, she had earned her first million.

But Taylor's life is far from picture perfect. In 1995, she suffered the first of two life-altering tragedies when her sister Krissy died unexpectedly from a rare, undiagnosed heart condition at age 17.

"The biggest tragedy and loss in my life was losing my little sister," says 39-year-old Taylor, who opens up about her past on an upcoming episode of "Oprah: Where Are They Now?"

"We were very close. We worked together. We did everything together. I miss her very much," she says, choking up.

At that time, Taylor admits to self-medicating. "I was 21 and I didn't deal with it very good at all because I wanted to be numb," she says. "And I chose prescription drugs. That was my choice and not wanting to deal with losing my best friend."

Also in the above video, Taylor talks about the 2001 car crash that nearly took her life. She lost nearly 80 percent of her blood and was in a coma for weeks, requiring 40 surgeries.

"We turned onto an ordinary street," Taylor describes. "We hit a utility pole and the seat belt tore my liver in half. If I had been sitting this way or this way or just in a different position, maybe the outcome would have been different. But for some reason I was supposed to go through that and be in the hospital for three months -- be in a coma, die on the operating table twice."

"It was definitely a miracle that I survived," Taylor says.

In the video below, Taylor appears on HuffPost Live and discusses how blood donors gave her a "second change" at life after her accident.

Taylor's full update on "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sunday, Nov. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on OWN.



TV Host Marc Summers Says He Got Fired After Revealing He Had OCD (VIDEO)

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Back in the late '80s and early '90s, Marc Summers was the original host of the messy children's game show "Double Dare" on Nickelodeon. For more than 500 episodes, he was surrounded by sloppy physical challenges, green slime and an infamously chaotic, often slippery obstacle course. But several years after the show ended, Summers made a stunning admission on a 1997 "Oprah Show": He has OCD.

"I never knew what OCD was. I just thought, 'There's got to be something wrong with me. Am I crazy?'" Summer said back then. "And If you watch the first 65 episodes [of 'Double Dare'], I never got a drop on me."

Find out how Summers' OCD manifested both on and off set.

It was the first time he'd really opened up about having Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and while Summers says it was "fantastic" to help educate the public and let people know more about OCD, not everyone reacted positively to his appearance. As Summers tells "Oprah: Where Are They Now?", the admission had a damaging impact on his career.

"For some reason, people in the industry weren't ready for it," he says today in the above video. "Rumors got spread that I was a freak and that I was difficult to work with."

There was one job in particular, Summers says, that he was fired from specifically because of the rumors related to his disorder.

"I was signed up to do the 'Hollywood Squares' version that Tom Bergeron actually did. The next thing I knew, I was fired before we even got started, supposedly because my reputation was that I was difficult to work with because of the OCD," he says.

There's no shortage of difficult personalities in the entertainment industry, but the now-Food Network host says this isn't an accurate characterization of his own persona and points to a clear double standard that he's experienced as a celebrity with OCD.

"There's stigmas," Summers says. "It's funny -- you could be a drug addict or an alcoholic and get a pass in Hollywood, but guy's got OCD? Holy mackerel, that's crazy."

"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on OWN. Find OWN on your TV.

On the Response to My OUT 100 Interview

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I am thrilled that the comments I made in my cover interview for OUT 100 have generated a spirited dialogue about HIV/AIDS -- and the advent of a whole new class of preventative life saving medication. I am less thrilled that they were almost entirely misconstrued. Perhaps I could have been more articulate -- but my comments were never meant to be incendiary or judgmental.

I am a staunch advocate for the rights and well-being of the LGBT community. I have deep compassion and empathy for people living with HIV/AIDS. I am assuredly not internally homophobic or poz-phobic or willfully ignorant regarding this issue. I am a well-adjusted and well-educated gay man. I have read and understand the way PrEP works, and at least the most basic science behind its practical applications -- although I am always open to learning more. I support and encourage the amazing work done by HIV/AIDS awareness organizations -- as well as the many research and treatment organizations that exist across the country and the world. I did not intend to make generalizations about the LGBT community at large -- or people living with HIV/AIDS or people in love with someone living with HIV/AIDS.

What troubles me -- and what I was trying to speak to in my interview -- is an attitude among (some of) the younger generation of gay men -- that we can let our guard down against this still very real threat to our collective well-being. I have had numerous conversations in my travels with young gay people who see the threat of HIV as diminished to the point of near irrelevance. I have heard too many stories of young people taking PrEP as an insurance policy against their tendency toward unprotected non-monogamous sex. THAT is my only outrage.

How gay men have sex with each other was unilaterally redefined for nearly two generations as a result of AIDS. I was simply trying to assert my belief that we need to be especially vigilant and accountable to ourselves and one another at this moment in our evolution. It is a tremendous advancement in the fight against the disease that scientists have developed this particular medication. But it's still early -- that's all. So if what I said -- however misconstrued -- plays some small part in generating more meaningful informative and passionate conversations -- particularly among the younger generation -- then I am grateful. And I can almost see it as a way of further serving the community that I deeply admire and respect -- and from which I am so proud to hail.

The Definitive Guide To Making Your Pet Famous On The Internet

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Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub, two felines with no concept of wealth or celebrity, have already reached a level of success more lofty than the rest of us will probably ever see. Because the world has never been -- nor ever will be -- fair, each cat nets its owner six-to-seven figures of real American dollars, all in exchange for living, breathing and doing cat stuff.

But they didn't make it on their own! They had a lot of help (duh, because they're cats) from their owners -- the real heroes of this story. They're the ones devoting an unfathomable number of hours to bravely documenting the inspirational lives of their pets, armed only with smartphones and a deep sense of purpose. They're the ones who keep their pets' schedules. They're the ones who sacrifice real jobs for their furry friends who don't actually give a damn. This life could be yours!

Admittedly, it is much easier to achieve supreme secondhand Internet fame when your animal friend was born with some unique quirk, like Grumpy's perma-scowl or Bub's goofy tongue. But there are plenty of average-looking pets enjoying the thrill of Internet fame, as well. So, after making profiles for your pet on Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, Ello, Emojli and Yo, ready your smartphone. Here's all you need to do to make him or her a star.

For those with average Internet connections like us, these happy corgis will keep you entertained as the photos load below.





Photograph your pet under the covers.


A photo posted by tomiinya (@tomiinya) on




A photo posted by jiff (@jiffpom) on






A photo posted by Pudge (@pudgethecat) on








Photograph only part of your pet.


A photo posted by Trotter (@trotterpup) on




A photo posted by Jeremy Veach (@jermzlee) on











Photograph your pet enjoying the outdoors.


A photo posted by Grumpy Cat (@realgrumpycat) on







A photo posted by Biddy (@biddythehedgehog) on








Photograph your pet getting a bath


A photo posted by Lil BUB (@iamlilbub) on




A photo posted by Ginny's World. (@ginny_jrt) on







A photo posted by Marnie The Dog (@marniethedog) on








Photograph your pet super close up.


A photo posted by tomiinya (@tomiinya) on






A photo posted by Biddy (@biddythehedgehog) on




A photo posted by Shinjiro Ono (@marutaro) on








Photograph your pet in a costume.


A photo posted by Biddy (@biddythehedgehog) on




A photo posted by Menswear Dog (@mensweardog) on





A photo posted by Trotter (@trotterpup) on









Photograph your pet from the side.


A photo posted by Mr. Bagel (@chinnybuddy) on




A photo posted by Steph McCombie (@ifitwags) on





A photo posted by Jeremy Veach (@jermzlee) on




A photo posted by Biddy (@biddythehedgehog) on








Photograph your pet trying to sleep.


A photo posted by Shinjiro Ono (@marutaro) on




A photo posted by Grumpy Cat (@realgrumpycat) on











Photograph your pet in a ray of sunshine.



A photo posted by Menswear Dog (@mensweardog) on



A photo posted by Lil BUB (@iamlilbub) on




A photo posted by jiff (@jiffpom) on








Photograph your pet in a hat.


A photo posted by Sam (@samhaseyebrows) on






A photo posted by Jeremy Veach (@jermzlee) on









Photograph your pet doing something human. Silly pet!





A photo posted by jiff (@jiffpom) on




A photo posted by Lil BUB (@iamlilbub) on




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