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

Paul Rudd Had Long '80s Hair Back When He Was A Frat Bro

0
0
Everybody had big hair in the '80s -- even Paul Rudd, apparently.

Reddit user SmoothBread shared a photo of what looks like Paul Rudd's fraternity composite from his time as a Sigma Nu brother University of Kansas back in the '80s. Aside from those luscious locks, you'll see that Rudd really hasn't changed much over the years. That smile is just as adorable now as it was back when he was (probably) jamming out to Poison and Milli Vanilli in the frat house more than 20 years ago:


I Went to a Taylor Swift-Themed SoulCycle Class and We Need to Talk About It

0
0
Anyone who has been within a five-foot radius of me (or follows me on social media) knows that I love Taylor Swift. And it's not just because we share the same name, birth year and penchant for red lipstick. We are kindred spirits. (But that is an entirely different post for another time, friends.)

What you might not know about me is that I am finicky when it comes to exercise. Historically, I've always been a Watch-Teen-Mom-While-on-the-Elliptical kind of girl and if I'm feeling particularly adventurous, I might partake in a Yoga to the People power vinyasa class in my neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The shirtless yogis with man-buns might be part of this motivation, but this is beside the point.

If you live in New York City as I have for over three years, you also probably know that SoulCycle has become A Thing here. But as a twentysomething who would rather spend $34ish on a night out with friends drinking whiskey gingers than sweating in a dark room while being yelled at, I've never found it all that enticing. Still, blame it on curiosity (or the knowledge that T-Swift herself is a frequent SoulCycler with BFF Karlie Kloss), I've always secretly wanted to try a class for myself. When I heard that SoulCycle was offering Taylor Swift-themed classes, I knew the time had come to pop my cherry.

So last Saturday, I called up the SoulCycle location in my neighborhood and reserved a bike for the following Monday. I was asked what seat I would like. When I told the receptionist that it was my first time, she recommended that I take a spot in the third row, so that I could see the instructor but it wouldn't be too intimidating. Bike #47 would be mine.

By Sunday evening, I was feeling excited, but nervous. I was glad to have the support of SoulCycle, though.




On Monday, the big day, I arrive 15 minutes early, as advised by a co-worker and SoulCycle enthusiast.



"Hi, this is my first time and I have no idea what to do," I tell the front desk.

The front desk ladies don't even bat an eyelash. Instead, they smile and introduce me to a bubbly redhead named Brooke. Brooke gives me a special pair of cycling shoes in my size and shows me to my locker, which happens to be #89. I am convinced that this is fate. Brooke then tells me that I can choose any four digits as my lock code, so naturally, I choose "1989" because duh. Once I have my snappy shoes on, I clickety-clack back to the front desk, where Brooke leads me into the dark studio and takes me to my bike.

"You're petite like me!" comments Brooke, as she adjusts my bike. Brooke is officially my new favorite person. I hop on it and she patiently waits while I attempt to click my special shoes into the pedals. Once I'm set, Brooke leaves me and I immediately want to call after her, "Wait, don't gooooooo." But she does. I am ridin' solo à la Jason Derulo in the third row. I am alone, but not lonely (because T-Swift is there in spirit, obviously).

Then our instructor enters the studio. Eve has washboard abs and is wearing tight, hot pink spandex leggings and a tie-dye sports bra. Her left arm is covered in tattoos. She looks like a badass DJ goddess who is ready to rave. I am wearing mismatched socks because they are the only clean ones I could find. Before we start, Eve prefaces our ride by joking that this Taylor Swift-themed class is "very out of character" for her, but that she's doing it for us. Everyone cheers.

"I Knew You Were Trouble": Our ride kicks off with a dub-step heavy remix from my beloved Red album. I am in a club and even though I do not like clubs (eff no I won't pay a $20 cover to freeze my ass off and wait in a line outside), this is my kind of party.

At first, I'm having a good time doing my thing. But soon, I notice that the cyclists in front of me are bending their elbows and chest in a weird way. I am confused. I have flashbacks to algebra class freshman year, where I would look desperately around the room with a does-anybody-get-what's-on? look. It is then I realize that we are supposed to be doing push-ups using the handlebars. OK. Right. I had heard about this push-ups business. I got this. However, I quickly learn that just as I cannot rub my stomach and pat my head at the same time, nor can I pedal 900 mph and do push-ups simultaneously with my arms. Not only does it seem like everyone else can do this movement seamlessly, but they are also pedaling on a beat. I look ahead at the mirror and I see myself grossly out of sync with everyone. In fact, it looks like I'm having a full-on body spasm. I should also mention that I am sweating profusely.

"Blank Space": "OK, even I love this song," Eve admits. Because we are in the dark and because I am obsessed with this music video, I take this opportunity to channel T-Swift and make as many ugly/insane/dramatic faces as possible. I hope there aren't hidden cameras in here. I try and sing the words, but it is very challenging so I mouth them instead. "You can tell me when it's over, if the high was worth the pain," sings Taylor. I don't know if this is worth the pain, but one of the Front Row Girls with long, blonde curly hair circa Fearless-era tosses her mane back and is straight-up smiling. [Side note: Who can SoulCycle with their hair down??] I am immediately suspicious of her.

"22": Taylor sings, "It feels like the perfect night to dress up like hipsters." One of the Front Row Girls lets out an enthusiastic "woo-hoo!" #williamsburg

"You're Not Sorry": I think. I can't actually remember, because this may have been the point where I blacked out. Eve encourages us to take a sip of water. I look down and see my bottle of SmartWater has fallen out of the holder and has rolled away on the floor along with my sanity. I feel panicked. Should I stop and attempt to disconnect my feet from the pedals so I can retrieve it? That sounds dangerous. But before I can make a decision, Eve yells out, "Give it another full turn!" LOL.

"Clean": Oh, good, a "slow" song. Plot twist! Eve tells us to increase our resistance. My legs feel like I'm moving through a swamp. I think about what I'm going to eat for dinner. I think about things that make me happy, like strawberry-frosted Pop-Tarts and laundry fresh out of the dryer and Harry Styles' hair. I wonder if I'm hallucinating.

"Shake It Off": It is time for the weights. "I see the dirty looks on your faces," says Eve. I see my life flashing before my eyes, but I do not say this out loud. The way Eve is bouncing on her bike is akin to me having drunk two Four Lokos. A single bead of sweat rolls down my forehead and onto my nose but I can't wipe it away because my arms are becoming numb from lifting two-pound dumbbells above my head, which feel like bricks. Does the "But my elbows are double-jointed!" excuse from elementary school still work in this scenario? This song must be some weird extended version, because it literally goes on forever. I hate these weights. I hate this class. I hate everything. But not Taylor. I could never hate her.

"This Love": The room goes completely dark and Eve tells us to close our eyes. I obey. I think about Lena Dunham because this is the song Taylor supposedly wrote for Lena and her boyfriend, Jack Antonoff. I wonder if they will walk down the aisle to this song. I wonder if Lena will still have neon-green hair by then. Maybe Taylor will be a bridesmaid. I bet she'll get teary-eyed a little. Eve continues to give what I assume to be positive affirmations, but for all I know, they could be Wiccan incantations because I am in such a daze.

"Welcome to New York": "This is the end of our ride," says Eve and my ears perk up. I guess that wasn't so bad, I think to myself, the way I assume a pregnant woman who goes into labor and pops out a kid a million hours probably does. At this point, I give it my all, pedaling as hard as I can. My legs burn. I am Karlie Kloss. I am a supermodel. I am a Victoria's Secret Angel and I HAVE WINGS DAMMIT.

It's over. I whip my feet out of those pedals as if they've been set on fire. We stretch while listening to "Bad Blood." I locate my runaway water bottle and chug it like a frat bro shotgunning a beer.

Eve then says that we should make this T-Swift-inspired class "a thing," but alas she will be in the Hamptons next week. I will be in suburbia for the holiday weekend eating Chinese takeout and wearing flannel pajama pants, but that is neither here nor there.

Back in the locker room, my fellow cyclists (who are clearly regulars) talk about coming back on Thursday for the "Turkey Burn" class. They are brave women, but I am not one of them. Instead, I hobble outside into the abnormally warm November air feeling accomplished, slightly disoriented and extremely sweaty. At the same time.

We're Adding Beyoncé's '7/11' Video Crown By WXYZ Jewelry To Our Holiday Wish List

0
0
If you're anything like us, you've probably watched Beyoncé's new video for "7/11" about a million times. Which also means you've been trying to learn every new dance move and coveting all the fly wares she was rocking.

From that "Kale" sweatshirt to those adorable boy-inspired underwear, we've added a ton of stuff to our holiday wish lists. But we were particularly blown away by the futuristic crown Bey was wearing toward the end of the video when she was so sweetly singing "I'm fresher than you." Yes, that is 100 percent true, Queen Bey -- you are fresher than us.

wxyz jewelry

However, we can thankfully try to be as fresh as Bey since we discovered that the leather-and-metal visor/crown and baseball cap/crown designs she donned are by WXYZ Jewelry. The Brooklyn-based company is helmed by Laura Wass, who designs each eye-catching piece.

We caught up with the crown's creator, Laura Wass to get the scoop on bestowing her designs upon Beyoncé, how she comes up with her cool creations and more. Check it out...

HuffPost Style: Did you have any idea that Beyoncé would be rocking one of your pieces in her new video or was it a complete surprise?

Laura Wass: I knew we had a big pull for Beyonce - but details were murky because Beyonce's team keeps things on the downlow. Because there are so many factors that go into if a piece makes it into the final feature, my hopes were not too high. After hearing that the pieces were shot, I started to get excited - and told everyone in the studio that we would be having an all-Beyonce karaoke sesh if they made the cut of the final video. When the video came out, seeing Beyonce herself wearing the pieces so prominently was truly exciting - I think I'm still in shock! We are going to be singing a lot of Beyonce at karaoke! One of our mantras at the studio is the question: "what would Beyonce do?" Now it's cool to know that Beyonce would, and does, wear WXYZ Jewelry.

HPS: How long does it take to create a headpiece like that?

LW: For the baseball cap and visor, once the idea was born, product development for the metal form took over 150 hours of prototyping. Now that we have optimized the assembly sequence and made them in repetition, the metal weaving takes about 1.5 hours and 45 minutes respectively. But of course, there is a lot that goes into making the pieces pre-assembly as well. It's a true labor of love.

HPS: When, where and what were you doing when you found out Beyoncé was wearing your designs?

LW: I was actually chilling at home with a cold when the video came out on Friday night. The video definitely made me feel a lot better. :)

HPS: We know it's only been a few days since the video was released but have you seen an increase in business?

LW: We see an increase in traffic and sales and our Instagram following has tripled. I think that brand awareness will continue to grow as a result of the video, as people continue to find out that it's WXYZ who makes those pieces.

HPS: Are there any other celebs you'd like to see in your designs?

LW: Beyonce is truly a dream celebrity to deck out -- and I'm happy for the designs to be part of such a fun video. I would love to continue to design for musicians and performances. It would be super fun to make some custom performance pieces for Queen Bey. For every musician I have a different vision - for Bjork I see building molecular structures, for Rihanna I see our bucket hat and bustier, for Katy Perry rainbow animal headpieces. I would love to accessorize Lana del Rey as a contemporary Virgin Mary, and Ellie Goulding as an intergallactic warrior princess. Don't get me started on Yolandi from Die Antwoord...!

HPS: While your collections are anchored in your love for architecture, geometry, science and nature, you've created some really whimsical pieces like bunny ears and bows. How come?

LW: While the inspiration is serious and the design process is rigorous, it's important to me that there be a playful and lighthearted element to the brand for comic relief. Kind of like the "7/11" video for Beyoncé. She has created some of the most visually rich and epic music videos out there, and had the confidence to show her funny side with an ease that is irresistibly cute and sexy. I hope those pieces are like that for the collection as well.

HPS: What's the best thing about your job?

LW: My main goal as a designer is to create pieces that empower the wearer to express themselves in an interesting way, and be cause for interaction. When you walk into a room wearing a piece like the Gio Baseball Cap or Visor that Beyonce wore in the video, all of the most interesting people are drawn to you like magnets, and you hold a certain power over the space. The best thing about my job is hearing from people who own WXYZ designs how much they love the jewelry, and that they are constantly approached by people wanting to touch the jewelry -- with inquiries about what they are wearing. It's amazing to hear how many conversations and connections have been sparked because of the jewelry.

HPS: Any advice for aspiring jewelry designers?

LW: Articulate your vision, and then it becomes achievable.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Daniel Franzese Of 'Mean Girls' Offers Up Thanksgiving-Themed Taylor Swift Spoof, 'Shake And Bake'

0
0
In honor of Thanksgiving, "Mean Girls" star Daniel Franzese is offering up a hilarious (and seasonally appropriate) parody of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off."

"Shake And Bake" follows Franzese's take on Sam Smith, which was released earlier this fall.

Adrian Anchondo, who wrote and directed "Shake And Bake," also appears in the video, as does "Looking" hunk Russell Tovey, who pops up as a pilgrim.

Earlier this year, the 36-year-old actor came out as gay in an open letter addressed to his "Mean Girls" character, Damian.

He'll also be seen opposite Tovey and Jonathan Groff in the second season of "Looking," which is slated to debut on HBO on Jan. 11.

H/T Towleroad

Bill Cosby Allegedly Leaked Story About Daughter's Drug Problem In 1989

0
0
Now that more than a dozen women have publicly accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault, Hollywood insiders are also coming forward with claims that continue to chip away at the notion that the actor was anything like the character America fell in love with on "The Cosby Show."

As Page Six's Richard Johnson relayed on Monday, a former National Enquirer reporter told Johnson that in exchange for the tabloid killing a story about Cosby "swinging with Sammy Davis Jr. and some showgirls in Las Vegas," the actor allegedly leaked information about his daughter Erinn, then 23, and her battle with drugs and alcohol.

“My editor told me that daddy Cosby was the source. He ratted out his flesh and blood,” said the reporter, who Johnson did not name on the record.

It's true that in October 1989 the National Enquirer ran a story on Cosby's daughter's drug problem, in which the actor told the tabloid, "Tough love is the only way of dealing with this. We love her and want her to get better, but we have to take a very firm, very tough stand that forces her to realize that no one can fix things for her. She has to beat this on her own."

The same week that story ran, the actor's representative, David Brokaw, confirmed to The Associated Press that Erinn was seeking treatment for her issues, and stated that the actor would not comment again on the topic.

The National Enquirer piece is "the only interview that he's been willing to give on the matter,'' Brokaw told the AP. ''He has a relationship with them. He has found them to treat him fairly.''

Cosby did comment again, two months later in an interview with The Los Angeles Times. "We have four other children. This particular daughter appears to be the only one who is really selfish," he said. "She's never held down a job, never kept an apartment for more than six months. She uses her boyfriends. She wants the finer things, but she can't stand anybody else's dirt." It was an interview that prompted Washington Post columnist William Raspberry to write, "Bill Cosby, actor and entertainer, is not Cliff Huxtable."

Meanwhile, Cosby's biographer, Mark Whitaker, tells a very different story in "Cosby: His Life and Times."

According to Whitaker, it was National Enquirer who tracked Erinn down in Boston, where she was living with a cousin after a five-week stay at Edgehill Newport hospital in Rhode Island. "As usual, [Cosby's] representatives did everything they could to keep the scandal out of the press," Whitaker wrote.

The Huffington Post reached out to Brokaw and Cosby's lawyer, Martin Singer, for comment on the claims; this post will be updated if they respond.

In the wake of the sexual assault allegations, additional unflattering claims about Cosby's interactions with the press have come to light.

Journalist Dana Kennedy wrote on Raw Story about her "uncomfortable" experience interviewing Cosby for the AP in February 1992. "If it doesn’t go well, I’ll give you a piece of fruit," Cosby told Kennedy. "I’ll give you an apple or pear and you can be on your way.” Kennedy claims that less than a week after the story ran the actor sent her a "dried and withered" apple, along with a sheet of paper and the words, "Here’s your apple.”

Current TV Guide Los Angeles bureau chief Michael Schneider relayed a similar story. An interview journalist Kathleen Fury did with Cosby for the magazine in 1984 was described as "unpleasant."

"He made no attempt to be amiable," Fury wrote in the piece, which Schneider scanned and put online, "and was by turns combative, defensive, challenging, threatening and hostile."

For more, head to Page Six.

Anna Kendrick Says People Have To 'Fight Back And Own' The Word 'Feminist'

0
0
As we've said over and over again, "feminist" isn't a bad word -- and Anna Kendrick agrees.

In an interview with The Daily Beast published on Nov. 25, Kendrick talked about her upcoming role in the film "Into The Woods." She told The Daily Beast's Marlow Stern about how her character, a reimagined Cinderella, puts a feminist twist on the traditional damsel in distress princess narrative.

When the Stern brought up Time Magazine's recent list of words to ban in 2015, which included the word "feminist," Kendrick replied:
That’s a fucking bummer. It’s hard because words confuse me sometimes. There isn’t a word for a member of an ethnic minority who is pro-equal rights for all races, but there is a word for gender equality -- and that’s feminism. It’s a very female-centric word. I understand that the implication is that “I’m a woman who supports women” and not “I’m a person who supports gender equality.” I feel like the word can be appropriated by the wrong people for that reason and misinterpreted by those people, but you just have to fight back and own that word. It’s practically become a curse word. Somebody says, “Oh, you’re being such a feminist,” and you’re supposed to be like, “No I’m not.” Why are we afraid of that word? It exists and we can’t get rid of it, so let’s fight for it and embrace it. That is truly a bummer.


Kendrick also discussed some of the misogyny she encounters on Twitter, telling The Daily Beast that she gets "crazy shit" tweeted at her. "But I look at some of those girls who are involved in Gamergate and I think, 'I don’t know how they do it. I don’t know how they handle it,'" she said. "When I’m feeling bad, I look up some of the girls involved in Gamergate and I think, 'You know, I feel very, very lucky and supported.'”

Anna Kendrick, FT(Feminist)W.

H/T Jezebel

Jennifer Aniston Gives Awkward Interviewer A Taste Of His Own Awkward Medicine

0
0
Celebrities are contractually obligated to promote their movies, which means doing press junket after press junket with a seemingly endless amount of interviews.

We're sure it can get pretty boring having to answer the same question 30 times in a row, so it's no wonder Jennifer Aniston was game to mess with BBC Radio host Chris Stark, who is known for his somewhat charmingly awkward interview skills.

Stark provoked some strange looks and genuine laughter from Aniston when he interviewed her in August 2013 while she was promoting "We're the Millers," but this time around he didn't know that his boss, Scott Mills, conspired with Aniston to give him a taste of his own awkward medicine.

Watch as the "Horrible Bosses 2" star intentionally becomes the "worst interviewee ever."

H/T Gawker

Thanks For The TMI, Kendra Wilkinson

0
0
Kendra Wilkinson on -- gasp! -- her sexual relationship with the now-88-year-old Hugh Hefner, and goodness gracious ... this is entirely more than we ever needed to know.

Let Lauren Conrad And Blake Lively Be Your Guides For Hosting A Pinterest-Perfect Thanksgiving

0
0
Still not settled on what to bring to the table for Thanksgiving dinner? DIY queens Lauren Conrad and Blake Lively may just inspire you to whip up something fabulous, if you're up for the challenge. Or you can stare in awe at their creations, add them to your Pinterest boards and let your family do the cooking. Hey, we're not here to judge.


Lauren Conrad's apple tarts

Get the recipe here, and if yours come out anything like this, Instagram that ASAP:




Lauren Conrad's pretty place settings

Not a cook? LC still has your back, of course.





Pumpkin saffron rolls with chai cream cheese

Okay, we can't give Conrad all the credit here. Get the recipe from food photographer and guest blogger Claire Thomas on Conrad's website here.





And if you can't make pumpkin pie...

You could at least make your house smell like it.




Blake Lively's stuffed sweet potatoes

Ugh, it's like she thinks of everything. Recipe here.





Blake Lively's pumpkin soup

This actually seems doable! But BYO-hollowed-out-gourd.

A photo posted by Preserve (@preserve_us) on





Festive party spread

Because Blake Lively can manage to make even veggies and garlic dip look fancy.

A photo posted by Preserve (@preserve_us) on




And if your creations don't come out as Pinterest-perfect as LC's or the Preserve queen's, you can always regram.

9 Turkeys Who Literally Can't Even Right Now

0
0
Thanksgiving is obviously a stressful time for turkeys. And turkeys don't even know how to deal. Like, they can't even:


Can't even.




Seriously, can't even.




Literally can't even right now.




WTF... can't even.




Umm, can't even?




OMG, can't even.




Ugh, just can't even.




Yaaaassss, can't even.




This weather can't even.


Ellen Remakes The 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Trailer And Now We Really Can't Take It Seriously

Liza Minnelli Releases 'Until The End' With Wynton Marsalis For 'Garnet's Gold'

0
0
Stage and screen icon Liza Minnelli teams up with jazz legend Wynton Marsalis for "Until The End," a new song which will be featured in the documentary film "Garnet's Gold."

The tune, which will be released on iTunes Dec. 2, was penned by composer J. Ralph, who has collaborated with the likes of Norah Jones, Ben Harper and Carly Simon, in addition to scoring films including "Finding Vivian Maier," "The Cove" and "Man on Wire."

"I was delighted when J. Ralph first told me he had written a song with me in mind and when I heard it I new he meant it," Minnelli told The Huffington Post in an email statement. "It reminded me of some of the best songs I've recorded over the years."

Calling Minnelli's talents as a performer "unrivaled," Ralph added, "When the director first showed me his film, I instantly heard Liza singing this song over the final scene. She delivered a masterful, effortless performance and is one of the sweetest, most sincere people I have ever met."

Have a listen to "Until The End" above.

How To Get The Biggest Stars In The World To Insult Themselves

0
0
Molly McNearney, Jimmy Kimmel’s co-head writer (and, yes, wife), explains how their team produces "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets."

Taylor Swift Called Out Justin Long For Humming 'Shake It Off'

0
0
Some serious star power descended on the court when Taylor Swift, Kate Upton, Amanda Seyfried and Justin Long gathered for a recent Knicks game. But for Long, this daydream became a bit of a nightmare.

"At one point they were playing that song 'Shake It Off' -- that song, you all know it," the "Comet" star recounted. "It's one of those songs that really gets in your head, really crawls in there."

Long then began humming the tune, forgetting that Swift, who sings the song, was seated right next to him.

"And of course she heard it," he continued. "And she was like, 'Oh,' and sort of started laughing, and I was so embarrassed."

But Long insists that it wasn't just a ploy to impress New York's newest Global Welcome Ambassador.

"I didn't do it so she would hear me. I wouldn't have done it had I been all that conscious of all that," he said. "But she was really sweet about it. She was, like, 'That's the whole point of the album!'"

Well, that would explain this picture of Swift covering her ears:

taylor swift justin long

Long additionally described Swift as knowing "all about the Knicks" and being "really, like, shockingly down to earth."

Watch more from Justin Long'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!

'Troop Beverly Hills' Is Coming To Netflix, What A Thrill


Pharrell Williams' Remarks About Michael Brown's 'Bully-ish' Behavior Surface

0
0
Pharrell Williams' comments about Michael Brown's "bully-ish" behavior have surfaced following a grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the fatal shooting of the 18-year-old.

In a cover story interview for the November issue of Ebony magazine -- conducted weeks before the decision -- Williams broached the topic of Ferguson, telling the publication's Kenya Hunt: “I don’t talk about race since it takes a very open mind to hear my view, because my view is the sky view. But I’m very troubled by what happened in Ferguson, Mo.”

In the interview, published on Ebony's website Nov. 13, Hunt asked if the singer had seen the surveillance video allegedly showing Brown stealing cigarillos from a local convenience story and pushing a store employee.

"It looked very bully-ish; that in itself I had a problem with," he said. "Not with the kid, but with whatever happened in his life for him to arrive at a place where that behavior is OK. Why aren’t we talking about that?"

Hunt aligned Williams' remarks with Bill Cosby's sentiments about black society, publicized in a 2004 speech at an NAACP event. Williams agreed:
And I agree with him. When Cosby said it back then, I understood; I got it. Listen, we have to look at ourselves and take action for ourselves. Cosby can talk that talk because he created Fat Albert, he tried to buy NBC, he portrayed a doctor on The Cosby Show and had all of us wearing Coogi sweaters. You’ve got to respect him. I believe that Ferguson officer should be punished and serve time. He used excessive force on a human being who was merely a child. He was a baby, man. The boy was walking in the middle of the street when the police supposedly told him to “get the f--k on the sidewalk.” If you don’t listen to that, after just having pushed a storeowner, you’re asking for trouble. But you’re not asking to be killed. Some of these youth feel hunted and preyed upon, and that’s why that officer needs to be punished.


The "Happy" singer went on to acknowledge the harm of police militarization and omnipresent racism in America, saying: "The hangover from Ferguson is going to be a long one, worse than Trayvon Martin," he said.

After the grand jury reached its decision Monday, Williams' quotes were highlighted in articles published by blogs like The Root and Madame Noire. Some, including Jezebel's Madeleine Davies, criticized the celebrity:
Pharrell has every right to his opinion and it would be fucking insane and wrong for me to try to inform or correct his version of the black experience. That said, after seeing Darren Wilson go unpunished for what he did to Brown (which is something that, in all fairness, Pharrell didn't know was going to happen at the time of his interview), we should probably be spending more time critiquing the American white supremacist culture where it's okay to shoot an unarmed teenager for allegedly stealing cigarillos than we spend critiquing why Michael Brown stole those cigarillos in the first place.


This is not the first time Williams' comments about race have landed in the headlines. In April, Williams made waves discussing his "New Black" theory during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

"The New Black doesn't blame other races for our issues," he said at the time. "The New Black dreams and [realizes] that it's not pigmentation: it's a mentality and it's either going to work for you or it's going to work against you. And you've got to pick the side you're going to be on."

For his part, Williams expressed sadness over the grand jury's decision in a tweet Monday night.


Why You Should Care That Tim Cook and Michael Sam Are Gay

0
0
Have you heard the news that Apple CEO Tim Cook is gay? Are you thinking, "OK, was anybody asking?" or perhaps more pointedly, "Who gives a flying fuck?"? Then this blog post is for you!

First, I have two guesses about who you are:

  1. You are not gay.


  2. You have not dealt with scores of people assuming that you, a straight person, are gay.


How could I be so presumptuous? Actually, it's easy:

  1. If you were gay, you would understand the importance of coming out.


  2. If you were straight but people were constantly assuming that you were gay, you would understand the importance of coming out.


I'm being snarky, I know. It's just that I get frustrated when I hear people criticize public figures for making announcements about their sexuality with sentiments akin to "I didn't ask, and I don't care." There was a whole lot of this when Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted by the NFL, came out prior to draft day.

To be fair, the media made a ridiculous spectacle out of this story. Even I got tired of hearing about whether he would get chosen by a team and what that might or might not reveal about the NFL, but that was the media's doing, not Sam's.

Which brings me to the reason I get so frustrated with people who feel that Sam and Cook didn't need to make announcements about their sexuality. You see, there's this thing that happens to gay folks who don't fit the general stereotypes (i.e., the shaved-headed butch for women, and the dramatic, gesture-prone hairstylist or interior designer with a propensity for lilting Ss for men.) The thing that happens is that people assume we're straight. I know because it happens to me, and I am neither particularly butch nor girly.

Which leads to my next question : If it happens to me, how often do you think it would've happened to a guy like Michael Sam? I can tell you how often: all the time. And each time it happened, Sam would've had to make a split-second decision to either correct the inaccuracy or keep quiet. My friend's wife, who is a very feminine, Hilary Swank-looking lesbian, has to make this decision when her real-estate clients see the rock on her ring finger and assume that she has a husband at home. If she chooses to correct them, she might lose their business or face hostility, but if she chooses to keep quiet, things can get tricky.

Tricky how, you might ask? Well, imagine that you are conversing with someone and the person assumes that you live in a box. You do not, in fact, live in a box. You live in a house, but you don't correct the person because, well, there are lots of people who don't look kindly on houses, and besides, you had this same conversation yesterday with someone else, and you just don't feel like doing it today. The next thing you know, the person begins asking you questions about the box you supposedly live in: Where did you get it? How do you like it? How long have you lived there? Do you and the box want to have kids? (OK, that last one only makes sense if the box is a husband, which it is in this analogy.)

So, while it may be true that you personally never asked whether Michael Sam was gay, the odds are that most people who looked at him would've assumed he was straight, which means that his options were to either come out or to live with droves of people presuming his heterosexuality. Can you imagine how many questions he'd have to answer about his box?

2014-11-22-photo.JPG


When I came out to my mother many years ago, she struggled with the news for a time. She was afraid for me, afraid of what I might face if I lived openly. At one point she told me that I ought to keep the details of my "personal life" to myself. My sexuality was my business, nobody else's, she said.

In response, I asked her when was the last time she'd casually mentioned my father in a conversation. She did it all the time. "Nick and I went to the movies this weekend," she might tell a co-worker on a Monday morning. Did she realize that she was talking about "her sexuality" every time she mentioned her husband? Of course not, because she was merely talking about her life, which is, like, a thing that people do, in case you hadn't noticed.

In a perfect world, we wouldn't need labels -- straight, gay, bi, queer, trans -- at all. Instead, people would just be people, but that's not reality. We live in a world where individuals size each other up and make assumptions. As long as this continues, coming out is going to remain a necessity, especially for public figures.

If you yearn for the time where people announce that they are gay and no media outlet is interested in running the story because, yawn, who cares, guess what: You're not alone. Plenty of gay people yearn for that time too. Michael Sam and Tim Cook probably yearn for that time. I know I do, but we aren't there yet.

'Serial' Is Renewed For Season 2

0
0
There won't be a new episode of "Serial" released on Thanksgiving, but fans of the show have something else to be thankful for: a second season. Producers of the podcast announced on Wednesday that the future of the long-form series had secured by listener donations and sponsorship deals.

Last week, we asked people who’ve been listening to Serial to chip in if they wanted a second season. "This American Life" funded the bulk of Season One, but for Serial to continue, it needs to pay for itself. Today, we have good news: between the money you donated and sponsorship, we’ll be able to make a second season. We don’t know yet what the story will be or exactly when we’ll be airing Season Two, but we’ll be working on it as soon as this season ends.

Thanks so much to everyone who gave.

- the Staff of Serial


Executive produced by Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, and hosted by Koenig, the first season of "Serial" has focused on the death of Hae Min Lee, a Baltimore teenager who was killed in 1999. Lee's ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was convicted of her murder and is currently serving out a life sentence. Syed maintains his innocence. Since "Serial" debuted in October, it has become the biggest podcast in the world, with more than 5 million streams and downloads on iTunes during the last two months.

Head to the podcast website for more on the show. New episodes of "Serial" are available on Thursdays.

Creed's Scott Stapp Denies Drug Rumors, Says He's Broke And Living At A Holiday Inn

0
0
Creed frontman Scott Stapp posted a 15-minute video to his Facebook page Wednesday, addressing rumors about his drug use, claiming he's broke and living at a Holiday Inn.

The 41-year-old said he's under "some kind of pretty vicious attack," and revealed that rumors that he's using drugs again prompted him to get blood and urine tests as proof of his sobriety.

Stapp said "all hell began to break loose" eight weeks ago when he began an audit of his record company and personal finances.

"During the course of that audit a lot of things were uncovered. A lot of money was stolen from me or royalties not paid," he said. "There’s people who have taken advantage and stolen money from me, and they’re trying to discredit me, slander me, and I’ve even been threatened that if I went public like I’m doing right now, that any impropriety I’ve done in the past, that these individuals can get their hands to humiliate and embarrass me and try to ruin my credibility.”

Last week, the singer's wife of eight years, Jaclyn Stapp, filed for divorce and asked for full custody of their two children. In divorce papers, she claimed that the singer's drug use made him a "paranoid shell who has threatened to kill himself and harm his family," according to the Miami Herald.

Also included in the documents were texts allegedly from Stapp that read, "Florida is not safe. Biological weapons on the way. U have to leave with kids and meet me in Atlanta," and "I’m coming to get you Satan and children. No mercy. You know how this ends. God created you and now God is ending you.”

In the video, Stapp also discussed the state of his personal finances, revealing he's broke.

"All of a sudden the IRS has frozen my bank accounts two or three times to leave me completely penniless. I don’t even understand that and why this is all happening at the same time. When I called to find out why they said, ‘Oh, we had an address mix up. It was a clerical error. So we’ll return your funds in nine to 10 months,'" he said. "I don’t understand how that’s fair in America.”


Keira Knightley Knows 'The Imitation Game' Has 'A Lot Of Inaccuracies'

0
0
Few fact-based dramas escape criticism of historical inaccuracy, and "The Imitation Game" is no exception. Based on the life of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), the mathematician who broke the Nazi's Enigma Code during World War II, effectively changing the course of the war, "The Imitation Game" has been under fire since June for its depiction of Turing's homosexuality and his relationship with Joan Clarke. But Keira Knightley, who plays Clarke -- Turing's fiancée and fellow code-breaker -- in the film, has had no shame in admitting to the various discrepancies between real life and the finished feature.

"As far as her relationship with Alan, they were engaged. They were great, great friends. She was at the center of the breaking of the Enigma Code," Knightley told HuffPost Entertainment during an interview in October. Yet the actress admitted flat out that things had to be changed for various reasons. "There are a lot of inaccuracies in the film as to life. What was actually said, and the reasons that they actually got engaged, I think are slightly different than the film,"

Knightley, 29, said that the focus of "The Imitation Game" was the story behind cracking the code, not just the history of Clarke and Turing's relationship. "If you’re making a film just about that period and just about the reasons he asked her to marry him," Knightley said, "then I think you can really go into the truth of it. But unfortunately you’ve got two and a half hours and what you're doing is trying to tell a bigger story, so you have to pick and choose. I think what we’re trying to get to is the essence of what it was. And at that time with Alan, to my knowledge, he didn’t have another affair, or an affair actually, with a man. His big friendship was with a woman and he did ask her to marry him."

imitation knightley

The dramatic license extended to Clarke's backstory as well. The film shows her arriving at Bletchley Park, the location of the British government's code-breaking operation, after solving a crossword puzzle to pass Turing's test. Instead, Clarke's Oxford professor helped push her into the program (though the government did recruit people at the time using crossword puzzles).

Another liberty is taken with Clarke's parents, who are shown objecting to her work at Bletchley Park since the government school mostly employed men. "The whole thing with the family isn’t, to my knowledge, true," Knightley said. "It was sort of put there to show what she was up against as far as society goes."

But that struggle was inherent in Clarke's story already: "They ended up putting her in as a linguist even though she didn’t speak any other language in order to try and get her a bit more money," Knightley said. "I think that's fascinating because that's still the center of the feminist movement today: a place at the table and equal pay. And we're talking about the 1940s, and now it's 2014 and obviously women's rights are better, but not best."

And yet while many of the facts about Turing and Clarke were massaged for "The Imitation Game," Knightley -- who has made her fair share of historical dramas in the past, including "The Duchess" and "A Dangerous Method" -- doesn't really mind the variations. "In all of these stories, often truth in filmmaking, it’s not a documentary," she said. "It is a drama, so ultimately you have to go for the drama."

Which is what "The Imitation Game" tries to accomplish, enlightening audiences on the story of the so-called father of theoretical computer science above all else. As Knightley said, the film emphasizes aspects of Turing's life related to the breaking of the Enigma cipher as "the most extraordinary thing that he did."

"The Imitation Games" opens Nov. 28.
Viewing all 15269 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images