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Iggy Azalea Causes Controversy for Lifetime's Aaliyah Biopic

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From Disney stars joining and dropping out to production issues with Aaliyah's family, Lifetime's Aaliyah biopic, Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B is causing one controversy after another. The newest outrage is surrounding the release of the first trailer; the late R&B star's fans were horrified to see that Iggy Azalea's "Goddess" was the soundtrack to the clip. While Aaliyah's family has blocked the movie from using any official Aaliyah music, perhaps using songs by an artist often accused of cultural appropriation instead wasn't the most well thought out solution. Watch the contentious trailer above.

Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible" Video Is Still the Weirdest

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Gotta admit that we were going to start this off by wondering: Whatever happened to Robert Palmer?  Well, sadly, the guy had a heart attack and died in a Paris hotel room back in 2003. (So happy Friday, y'all!) "Simple Irresistible," came out while his career was peaking in the late 80s, and the video was directed by the acclaimed '60s fashion photographer Terence Donovan.  It was the second in a series of clips -- including "Addicted To Love" and "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" -- that featured a group of deadpan, high fashion models and launched a million Halloween costumes.


The Best, Worst and Weirdest of the Week

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Best Celebrity Pep Talk of the Week: Matthew McConaughey's. He gave an inspirational speech to the University of Texas Longhorns football team and beyond providing his usual words of wisdom, you can also see him teaching the team the chant from The Wolf of Wall Street. -- Emily McEnroe

Best Scientists of the Week: The five Swedish-based researchers who have a long-standing bet on who can insert the most Bob Dylan lyrics in their article titles. The Biological Role of Nitrate and Nitrite: The Times They Are a-Changin'. -- Gabby Bess

Weirdest Dog Centric Song Of The Week:
The Dachshund Song. -- Kyla Bills

Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 7.09.04 PM.pngBest "It's About Time" Fashion Collab of the Week: Andrew Andrew's new eyewear collection. Our favorite bespectacled DJ duo teamed up with Target Optical on a line of eyewear inspired by their signature natty look. They celebrated the launch with a little fête earlier this week at The Lamb's Club. -- Abby Schreiber


First-Ever Occasion to Google "Herman's Head": This one. In case you missed the early-nineties sitcom (or, judging by its credits, mid-eighties porno starring two Simpsons voice actors), the new Pixar movie, Inside Out, offers pretty much the same concept: emotions personified by cute mini-archetypes who live inside your skull. Again, it's Pixar, so your tiny inner-depressive will need his/her Lexapro. -- James Rickman

Best Bracket of the Week: America's Most Ugly Accent by Gawker. So far NYC is in the lead along Boston, Chicago, Scranton, Tallahassee, Philly and Pittsburgh. -- E.M.

Most Specific Ruling Pertaining To Pajamas From a Judge: Bethenny Frankel's ruling. The Real Housewife isn't allowed to wear her daughter's pajamas anymore. The question of why she was wearing her daughter's pajamas in the first place is still unanswered. -- K.B.


Best Excuse to "VIGOROUSLY TOUCH FLIPPERS": Speaking of The Simpsons, remember that episode where Krusty has to replace Itchy and Scratchy with "Eastern Europe's favorite cat and mouse team, Worker and Parasite"? This couch gag, created by Don Hertzfeldt, is like that but about ten times more distuuuuuurbing. -- J.R.

Best Smooch of the Week: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's in their most recent film, Serena. -- E.M.

Best Excuse to Get out to Queens Next Weekend:
The Astoria Art Festival, which will showcase work from Queens-based artists next weekend, starting Friday 10/10 and running through 10/19. The fest, which will be open to the public, will be held in a series of restaurants, bars and shop. For more info, go HERE. -- A.S.

Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 6.57.03 PM.pngMost David Lynch Way To Get Our Hopes Up:
This tweet. But what does it MEAN?! -- K.B.

Worst Song About Coachella and Ghosts that We Actually Kind of Like:
Jaden Smith's 7-minute stream of consciousness track, "Blue Ocean."  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. -- E.T.


Best One-Stop Shop for Bolshevism, Guns... and Laughter!: Big Dance Theater's Alan Smithee Directed This Play: Triple Feature. BDT is one of those local New York institutions that reminds you why you moved to this seething hellhole, and their new show  is crammed with surprising and unforgettable moments. It's on through Saturday. -- J.R.

Art Video That Makes Me Most Intrigued But Uncomfortable: Chit Chat Roulette. -- K.B.

Scope Vintage Psychedelic Looks From The Beatles' Apple Boutique

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As The New York Times mentioned on Friday, several pieces of fab 60s clothing are going to be auctioned here in New York City next month. Susan Brink bought the "psychedelic threads" in London at the Beatles' short-lived Apple Boutique in 1968 and -- when they were spotted at a taping of "Antiques Roadshow" -- they were consigned for auction to Augusta Auctions. Here's all six of the authentic, 60s looks that could be yours on November 12th. Groovy baby!

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SNL Tells White People To Enjoy It While They Can

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In this amazing digital short, Saturday Night Live tells white people to celebrate while they can, since they won't be calling the shots in 40 years.



Saturday Night Live shows us what a Fault in Our Stars Ebola sequel would look like. You'll maybe want a thing of hand sanitizer within reach while you watch this.


This poor kid just got his wisdom teeth out and tearfully asks his mother why Beyonce didn't show up to his surgery. Moms + cell phone cameras = evil. [Gawker]
 OBnZC10.pngAnd Amanda lives in Niagra Falls. That's why no one has ever met her. [Reddit]
 

A super-cute bouncy sifaka lemur hops over to some tourists at a reserve in Madagascar. This video is DESPERATE for some "boing" sound effects. Can someone add? [TastefullyOffensive]
 

Katy Perry was on on ESPN College GameDay this weekend in Oxford, Mississippi because her manager went to Ole Miss or something, and her appearance is cuckoo crazy/awesome. She has a fake southern accent the whole time for no reason and throws corn dogs.

 
Later, she chugged a beer with a bunch of drunk kids at a bar. Good times. [RollingStone]
 tumblr_mh7kzoURCA1qko0mwo1_400.gif What we see when we close our eyes at night. [LaughterKey]

Here's What Really Happens During Movie Sex Scenes

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As you may have suspected, filming a sex scene is an awkward and completely non-sexy endeavor. In the behind-the-scenes clip from Stretch, above, Brooklyn Decker and Patrick Wilson perfect their faux, hot and heavy moans while director Joe Carnahan (and the entire film crew) cheers them on like a proud dad/football coach.

The Stretch teaser only adds to the recent demystification of the on-screen orgasm. When Lars Von Trier's Nymphomaniac came out last year, the logistics of the sex scenes overshadowed the movie itself. "For me, it felt very mechanical, the sex," the star of the two-part film, Stacy Martin told us in an interview. "Especially filming it. It was very '1, 2, 3 --  OK, next position.' But that's what's great as well: Sometimes sex is quite mathematical. [Von Trier] takes all the romantic aspects of it out."

And based on the clip from Stretch, Carnahan takes the same approach. If there ever was an element of romance in the room, it died when the director yelled, "Great fucking!"


[h/t Gawker]

Watch Bill Murray Sing Bob Dylan's "Shelter From The Storm"

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In addition to sneaking his way into Swedish academic papers, Bob Dylan has also stolen a scene in Bill Murray's upcoming film St. Vincent.

For St. Vincent, which premiered on the actor's designated day at the Toronto Film Festival, Bill Murray plays a curmudgeon who strikes up an unlikely friendship with his neighbor's 12-year-old son. And as it turns out, Murray's character is also a Bob Dylan fan.

In full curmudgeon-y neighbor-style, Murray sits in a lawn chair on his porch, with a cigarette in hand, singing along to "Shelter From the Storm" on his Walkman. Watch the delightful clip, above.

St. Vincent is out in select theaters on October 10th.

Nearly 25 Years Later, Twin Peaks Is BACK

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Break out your damn good coffee and doughnuts folks because nearly 25 years after it premiered, beloved cult show Twin Peaks is baaack. After teasing us with a tweet last Friday, the show's original creators David Lynch and Mark Frost announced (via a YouTube video, above, and a tweet) that the soap will return as a limited series on Showtime. Deadline reports that the show, which will be set in the present day, will go into production in 2015 and air in 2015. Lynch will direct every episode in addition co-writing each with Frost. No word on which actors will appear in the re-boot but there's been speculation Kyle MacLachlan (aka Agent Dale Cooper) will be return and back in January, Ray Wise (aka Leland Palmer) revealed he'd shot some new Twin Peaks footage.

Fingers crossed Log Lady will be back in 2016.

Listen to Charli XCX's New Song "London Queen"

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With her last single, "Break the Rules," Charli XCX announced that her new album, Sucker, will have more of a punk edge than her previous releases. Although Sucker has since been pushed back to a December release date, her newest track is a continuation of the punk-influenced theme.

"London Queen" is another riotous ode to youth, or at least what life feels like for a 22-year-old girl from the UK who also happens to be an international pop star. And, apparently, that feeling of carefree rebellion is similar to the former President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. ("When I'm driving on the wrong side of the road/ I feel like JFK you know.")

Odd references aside, listen to Charli XCX's lastest track, "London Queen," above.

James Franco and Seth Rogen Get Naked Together in the Woods

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BzDVmWfCYAA4NnR.jpgIn a move that surprises no one, James Franco posted pictures of himself and Seth Rogen -- stripped down to their censored dicks -- on his Instagram page this weekend. Seth Rogen also tweeted the image, above, with the caption, "Soon... you will find out if me and Franco have what it takes to survive... NAKED & AFRAID!!"

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See if me and seth can make it, NAKED and AFRAID!!!! Wtf?! You'll see........

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Just survivin', Naked and Afraid. This is how we do. @sethrogen

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It appears that the two might be on the Discovery Channel's survival show Naked and Afraid, or they at least have a parody of the show in the works. Or, perhaps, they just enjoy being naked amongst nature together, without reason.

On its own, Naked and Afraid is a completely absurd iteration of the [reality show + nakedness] TV trend. The last time we watched Naked and Afraid (guilty), a douchey guy named Puma -- who looked like a literal Neanderthal -- poisoned himself by drinking unfiltered water. This all happened while he was butt naked, of course. So with James Franco's and Seth Rogen's pixilated penises added to the mix, who knows what could happen.

Go Inside an Illuminati Gathering In Singer-Songwriter Liam Finn's New Video

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New Zealand-bred singer-songwriter Liam Finn tapped Jay Z, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus for his new video, "Helena Bonham Carter." Or, rather, their impersonators. A bunch of celebrity look-alikes both living and dead -- Andy Warhol, Jackie O, Kurt Cobain and Marilyn Monroe all make appearances -- are seen turning up at an Illuminati-ish gathering that's also got Kubrickian shades of the secret sex society from Eyes Wide Shut. Not sure how Finn manages to get an invite but the hirsute musician does and, after getting slathered in sunblock by two masked figures, we see him enter the party. There's all sorts of cult-y shenanigans including champagne-swilling celebs sitting on stretchers and donating blood -- and organs -- for some kind of high priestess.

Of the video, Finn says, "we wanted to tackle the speculatory obsession we have with celebrity culture. We crave scandal and feast on tales of decadence. Who's doing who? Who's going off the rails? Do the Elite belong to the Illuminati and what are they doing behind closed doors?...Perhaps we don't even scrape the surface and the truth is even more dark and wild than we can imagine."

"Helena Bonham Carter" (who, sadly, does not make an appearance in the clip) comes from Finn's third album, Nihilist, out now.

Watch Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj Perform Their "Flawless" Remix Live in Paris

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It might be an overstatement to say that this is the moment we've been waiting for our entire lives, but we're going to say that anyway. For those who couldn't be at the concert in Paris, Beyoncé has #blessed the Internet with the high-quality video footage of her "Flawless" performance with Nicki Minaj.

Watch the two powerhouse women take the stage in Versace one-pieces, above.

Six Must-See Movies In October

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Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 3.14.13 PM.pngForce Majeure
Supernaturally good film about a Swedish family on a ski vacation in the French Alps who experience an avalanche while sitting having lunch. What happens during those frightening few moments erodes the parents' marriage and even begins to infect the friends around them. Director Ruben Ostlund's chilly "scenes of a marriage" perversely plays out amidst the almost gasp-inducing beauty of the mountains. And the periodic controlled blasts set off to prevent future natural disasters in the distance adds a weird tension and foreboding that is quite unsettling. Both Johannes Kuhnke and Lisa Loven Kongsli are incredible as the husband and wife and the distressing emotionally devastating toll on their children is expertly illustrated.

Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 3.14.45 PM.pngWhite Bird In A Blizzard

Gregg Araki's latest is a moody, melancholic, spellbinding movie based on the novel by Laura Kasischke. Set in 1988, teenage Kat (Shailene Woodley) is dealing with her mother's (Eva Green) mysterious disappearance one day. Time passes with no word from her and she gets by living with her sadsack dad (Chris Meloni), hanging with her friends (Gabourey Sidibe & Mark Indelicato), seeing a shrink (Angela Bassett), sometimes screwing her dim but criminally cute neighbor (Shiloh Fernandez) and hooking up with the hot investigating detective (Thomas Jane). But she is haunted by dreams of her mother. Eva Green (seen in flashbacks straining furiously to break the bonds of her oppressive married live) is frighteningly good. Araki's spot-on use of period music and dreamy cinematography give the film a haunting Mysterious Skin-like vibe, which serves it wonderfully.

Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 3.15.09 PM.pngKill The Messenger

Taut, paranoid political thriller, expertly directed by Michael Cuesta, based on the true story of reporter Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner). Webb was a dogged writer for the San Jose Mercury News who stumbled on a leaked government document that led him to post a series of shocking articles in 1996 called "Dark Alliance" about the CIA allowing mass quantities of cocaine to be smuggled into the States and using the drug money to fund the rebel Contras in Nicaragua. Webb realized that this was "the" scoop but during his research people warn him that "some stories are too true to tell." Afterwards, to obscure the bombshell revelations, he is systematically discredited, professionally and personally. Renner is just terrific in this deeply troubling tale, and Rosemarie DeWitt and Lucas Hedges shine as his wife and son.

Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 3.17.23 PM.pngHorns
Hellishly good horror fable directed with style and sly humor by Alexandre Aja (Haute Tension) based on the book by Joe Hill. Daniel Radcliffe is the tormented Ig Perrish, whom everyone in town thinks murdered his beloved girlfriend Merrin (Juno Temple). Vans of reporters and protesters lie hatefully in wait outside his home every waking minute. One morning a pair of horns grow out of his head, and they have the power to make people confess their inner rotten secrets. So he uses it (not to mention the hordes of snakes following him) to get at the truth of who killed Merrin. This is the part where the movie kicks wildly into gear. The great cinematographer Frederick Elmes creates this lush, verdant, haunted woodland feel in which to house this supernatural thriller, and Radcliffe's feverish intensity and soulful decency ground the fractured biblical craziness.

Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 3.17.30 PM.pngThe Two Faces Of January

Director Hossein Amini adapts a Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley) novel starring Oscar Isaac as Rydal, an expatiate living as a tourist guide in Greece in 1962 who becomes fascinated and friendly with two wealthy, good-looking, tourists -- Chester & Colette (Viggo Mortensen & Kirsten Dunst). But as usual in a Highsmith novel no one is as they seem, and before he knows it Rydal is an accomplice to a murder and on the run through Crete with the shady couple. The underlying tensions between the trio finally build to a murderous pitch in this crafty psychological thriller.

Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 3.27.44 PM.pngGoodbye To Language
A 3D movie by Jean-Luc Godard! I am so there. Godard has been moving even further from narrative for some time. His latest is a visual and aural collage blending politics, philosophy and film revolving around a couple as they love, argue, take shits and quote from Jean Cocteau, George Sand, Victor Hugo, Mary Shelley and others. Then there's the dog wandering through the woods. There's a playful use of the 3D format with dazzling images of water, leaves, sky, boats, people and the snout of a pooch. There are images that strike emotional chords and others that are hilariously baffling and it ultimately proves that in his 80s Godard is still as radical and visionary as ever.

Watch tUnE-yArDs' Wonderfully Trippy Music Video, "Real Thing"

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In the "Real Thing" music video, tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus expertly plays an expressive floating head. And the colorful, kaleidoscope video pits her against an army of robot mannequins and packing peanuts.

The video's director, Tom Jobbins said in a press release:

"Hearing the song made me think of bright patterns and dancing hands! With these initial thoughts in my mind and the song on repeat I envisaged a madcap story about three plastic sisters and an all-singing all-dancing Merrill. It's a brash and brilliant song and I wanted to match that with the visuals. Merging animation and live action allowed us to create different spaces and bring in lots of visual treats. Merrill was great from beginning to end. Her advice was always to go weirder and wilder, and I think her brilliant performance shows just that."

Watch the wild and weird video, above.


[via Pitchfork]

Why Galliano at Margiela Is a Good Thing

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Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 7.16.52 PM.png(L-R) John Galliano today; Margiela in 2005, when Martin Margiela was still designing.


The fashion world woke up this morning to the white-hot news confirming that Renzo Rosso had appointed bad-boy John Galliano to take over as the new Creative Director for the House of Margiela.

For many years, we watched in awe as the genius, over-the-top Galliano created mind-boggling work for both his own label and the House of Dior, even as he was struggling with substance abuse. (He was let go from Dior three years ago after an antisemitic rant by the designer was captured on video.) It will be fascinating to see what amazingness he's able to create at Maison Margiela with his newfound sobriety and humility. Bottom line, Renzo Rosso has lived up to the name of his holding company "Only the Brave," as he is indeed brave to have taken this leap of faith.

To those who might believe that Galliano's more-is-more aesthetic might not jive with the DNA of the plain-as-a-glass-of-water House of Margiela, I'd say, "why does it have to?"  I'm not sure that finding a new millennial version of the intellectual arty and bohemian founding designer, Martin Margiela, is imperative to move this story forward. Just look at the house of Dior, for example, which in the past decade has aesthetically swung from the excessively extreme decorative and theatrical Galliano to the more simple, geometric arty tastefulness of the brilliant Raf Simons without losing a beat. Their brand cred as Dior is as hot as ever today. The same can apply to a house like Margiela. I say Galliano should not look behind him, but rather stay sober and gracious to those giving him a second chance, put on blinders, step on the gas and just plain go for it. I bet he'll blow our minds and I can't wait.

Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 7.18.35 PM.png(L-R) Galliano for Dior in 2004; Raf Simons for Christian Dior haute couture, 2012.







People In LA Don't Know Who Joe Biden Is

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Vice President Biden is in LA so Jimmy Kimmel decided to poll a bunch of people -- all Americans -- on Hollywood Blvd. to see if they even know who he is. Turns out, they don't. [via Jimmy Kimmel]



Watch this dapper, older man named 'Mr. Forthright' give advice on how to conceal a fart. [via Tastefully Offensive]

tumblr_ncq299vIlx1rn7bzro1_1280.jpgOur beauty motto. [via Knusprig Titten Hitler]


Jimmy Fallon reprised his role as a teenage girl named Sara and made a music video with will.i.am, "Ew." They basically complain about all the basic bitches taking ratchet selfies and Sara's stepdad Gary trying to be cool.  [via Tonight Show]

tumblr_ncs6gksp9m1t32px0o1_500.gifIt's almost Halloween! [via Afternoon Snooze Button]

tumblr_n3hfluTa6M1qbtnz0o1_1280.pngWe're mangone, bitches! [via F Yeah Dementia]



Here's a clip of a two-week old baby bunny taking her first bath. [via Tastefully Offensive]



ICYMI: The Onion reviews Gone Girl. [via HuffPo Comedy]

Daft Punk and Pharrell's "Gust of Wind" Finally Gets a Video

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Daft Punk and Pharrell finally released a video for their 2013 track, "Gust of Wind."

The Random Access Memories collaboration was given the full-on Fall video treatment. Staged like a seasonal, Hanes underwear commercial, smiling women prance around in loungewear and defy gravity as autumnal leaves float around them. Pharrell -- of course -- is wearing an over-sized hat, and Daft Punk is represented by two giant spaceship helmets. All that's missing from the futuristic Fall Festivus is a pumpkin spice latte.

Watch the video for "Gust of Wind," above.

Lil Jon and Lena Dunham Star In a "Turn Down For What" Parody for Rock the Vote

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Midterm elections aren't exactly known for being the most turnt up event but, thanks to Lil Jon, you can watch a bunch of celebrities get crunk at the polls. A new -- and very fun -- Rock the Vote ad launched today parodying Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What" video. In it, Lil Jon can be seen on the phone with Whoopie Goldberg as he's heading to the polls where he runs into Lil Lena (that'd be Lena Dunham) in a voting booth with celebrity fitness trainer Tracey Anderson. After gushing about Girls -- and asking Lena if "Ray and Shoshonna will get back together" -- Lil Jon casts his ballot and, later, tells us he's turning out for marijuana legalization. The ad's also got great cameos by a slew of celebs who tell us what they're turning out for: Natasha Lyonne's turning out for prison reform, Devendra Banhart's turning for deforestation and Darren Criss is turning out for education, among others. Give it a watch, above.

For Only $1 You Could Stop Nickleback From Making Music Forever

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tumblr_n9qf91byeg1qlgrt3o1_500.gifNickleback's brainwashing technique, illustrated above.

Nickleback, widely known and accepted as the worst band ever, could finally be stopped. It's hard to imagine a force of nature strong enough to eradicate a band that's been successfully making music for fourteen years, despite having zero fans. (From the "Rockstar" Wikipedia page: "Aside from its popularity, the song is considered one of the worst song of all time.") But one brave man is up to the task.

For his Kickstarter campaign "Don't Let Nickle Back," upstanding British citizen Craig Mandell is "attempting to ensure that Canadian 'rockers' Nickelback do not come to London, England to play a gig." In a fierce act of national pride, Mandell just wants to protect his country from Nickleback's horrible music crimes and, for only $1, (or $5, $10, or $50) you can help.

For $50 (a bargain), "your donation will result in an email to Nickleback with an attached mp3 of Nickelback's music. This way, the band will hear their own music, and likely retire immediately, thereby ensuring the success of our campaign. You also get the added bonus of not seeing Nickelback. And perhaps helping to ensure no one ever does again."

Apparently, all the proceeds of the campaign, which isn't very much at this point, go to charity or, Mandell is considering, "therapy" for all of Nickleback's helpless victims.


[h/t Jezebel]




Marc Jacobs On Louis Vuitton, Porn Stars and Going On Grindr

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MarcJacobsONE.jpg
Marc Jacobs at Sant Ambroeus New York

In my kitchen I have a framed cutout from a 1989 issue of Vanity Fair. It's a Steven Meisel photo of designer Marc Jacobs, then a longhaired darling of the fashion world, nude in bed save for a pair of black motorcycle boots. Yes, I was a fan. Flash forward to 2014, and Jacobs has just celebrated three decades of his global fashion empire and is approaching the one-year anniversary of his departure from Louis Vuitton, where he served as creative director for 16 years. Although Jacobs went through a chubby and schlubby phase, he's looking more fantabulously fit than ever and filling out his Adidas track pants better than most men half his age. We meet at Sant Ambroeus in the West Village, and from the moment we sit down to nibble on our pasta (tagliatelle bolognese for Marc, penne pomodoro for me), Marc is sincere, sweet and ready to talk about anything. Being gays, we naturally discuss porn stars and Grindr; even on such salacious topics he's thoughtful, candid and totally real. After our lunch, I'm more of a fan than ever.

So it's your 30th anniversary, you have now left Vuitton, it's all about Marc Jacobs...

I didn't even know it was my 30th anniversary! I'm really bad with time. It's almost shocking, because I think I'm very aware of things, but there is something about time and dates that I just have a block about. Time doesn't... I don't register it really well.

Do you follow what's happening at Louis Vuitton? Or are you kind of like an ex-wife and you don't want to see what's going on since you've gone?

I had a hard time looking at it at first. I think I got pretty down and depressed, but I love what Nicolas [Ghesquière] does. I really admire him and I have really great respect for him. I think they wanted a change, and I think the change they made is really good. It would be worse if somebody was doing a similar thing to me. But Nicolas does his thing, and I think it looks good and I get it. So I don't have any problem with it.

My mother loves your fragrances, by the way. She puts them out at Christmas as Christmas decorations 'cause they have such fabulous bottles! Are there other worlds you want to conquer?

I don't really think that way. When we first started doing fragrance, to me it was such a big deal -- it still is a big deal -- but I sort of felt like, now I'm a real designer: I have a fragrance. I think that Robert Duffy, my partner, believed more that we could do cosmetics and that that was something that I would enjoy. I was a little bit reluctant. And of course he hooked it up with Sephora and we started doing it and I realized how much I love it. Once I become engaged, it's always the same process. The idea is you're with people who want to do something, and you start a dialogue and you start to define what is going to tell the story. It's like doing a show, it's like choosing fabrics, or colors, it's like deciding on a mood and the proportions and all that stuff. The process is kind of the same. You start out with nothing and then through a dialogue and through editing, and adding, and changing, you get into it, and then it becomes more interesting. So I've learned that even things that I didn't think I wanted to do can be a really enjoyable process if you treat them the same way as design.

Are you a control freak?

I wouldn't define myself that way. Maybe other people would. I think that it's difficult for me to arrive at a place where I think something is right, and when I get to that place, I feel like I'm very sure of what needs to be changed in order to really make it right... and to make me like it. And sometimes you have the time to do that, and sometimes you don't. It's hard for me to let go of things when I don't feel really good about them, and sometimes there's no choice. I guess after all these years I'm so used to doing things on a calendar or on a schedule that, although I'm constantly late and I work better under pressure, I always say I will do the best I can in the time I have. But it's still hard to let go when you sort of feel like, oh, if I had one more day...

I love how, after years of being known for starting your shows very late, you now start five minutes early no matter what. What brought on the change?

Well, I never set out to keep people waiting. I think it definitely reached an all-time high, and I feel like the lateness caused a lot of critics to look at the work differently. If they are tired, if it's the last show of the week, if it's late, if it's raining... you've got five strikes against you already. So I felt like, let's eliminate as many of the conditions as possible so that maybe the work can be just looked at as the work. That's when I got into this whole thing of, whatever we do in the time we have, [that's] the collection and the show. Then there is also this thing, I don't know if it's true or not, that Pierre Bergé and Saint Laurent were always on time, and Saint Laurent's always been my hero of all heroes. I love the idea of the precision. I love that fashion can be whatever it wants and change. Then again, it was funny because I got plenty of hell for starting on time too.

You've said Yves Saint Laurent is your idol. What is it about him that inspires you?

I love the world that Saint Laurent created and the people that surrounded him and worked with him. Since I was very young I have always been probably much more interested in European fashion than American fashion, for the most part, and Saint Laurent was one of those early names that I learned as a kid. Of course, since then I have learned a lot more names, and there are people I admire, but they all have that kind of thing in common. There is something very believable and wearable, but it doesn't change the fact that they were creative and they had a vision and a voice, or that they made a world that reflects their aesthetic, and that there are people around them that reflect that aesthetic. There is a kind of ambience, an aura. There's a mystique.

What do you think of what Hedi Slimane does for Saint Laurent?

I like him very much and I really like what he does. I think he's also really, really smart. In his own way, he's doing something for this generation. It feels very contemporary. It feels right.

What is your process like? Do you look at the fabrics and go from there?

Yeah. We have an office in Paris and what's been happening, what we've been doing for quite a few years, is Joseph and Emily and the team from New York come over to Paris, and we all sit in a room. The Paris team has been collecting things, various references or vintage fabrics, or new fabrics, whatever it is. Anything and everything. We have rooms filled with stuff and then we all sit down and start editing stuff out. Stuff that we like, stuff that we're not that interested in, stuff that we might eventually be interested in. Then we go through a process of looking at it, trying to define certain things, and it does go on for quite a while. The whole fabric process and the referencing, all that stuff, it's a couple of months.

You seem to sometimes have radical changes, like you'll have seasons and seasons where you're going on a groove and then all of a sudden it's Gloria von Thurn und Taxis from the eighties or something.

Yeah. It's funny. I feel that I am consistent, and I think there are certain things that I always go back to, but the spirit and the look can change so radically from season to season -- and I enjoy that. Again, that may be my attention span, but I like to do something different, and I like to say this is what it is this time and this is what it is that time. But in my mind if you reduce things to the lowest common denominator, there's just always some very basic kind of concepts. What the clothes are actually made up of. I always say, they're sweatshirts and they're T-shirts. They may be glorified T-shirts to the point that they look like evening dresses, but it's a zipper in the back and a crew neck and a short sleeve. So for me it's a T-shirt. It may be to the floor and have appliqués on the shoulder and it may be a cross between a Joan Crawford something... whatever the mixed references are, I do think there is some odd consistency. Although what I really want to do each time is say something else. Or say it about somebody else. But I'm not alone in all of this; we have constantly within our group had this conversation about consistency and change and all that. What do we hold on to, and what do we let go of, what are we interested in, and what are we not so interested in anymore? I think we all get more excited working on something we haven't just worked on.

On a less sophisticated note, you and I both love porn stars. What do you like about them?

I've never really thought about it. Sexy people are great. People who love sex are great. I guess I've met a few. I've dated one. Or two... I don't know. Porn is really exciting and sexy. It's funny -- I've never actively sought a porn star, but I must attract them in some way! When I was with [ex-boyfriend / porn star] Harry Louis, he wasn't the person in the movies. I had never seen his movies before I met him. I only saw his movies after I got to know him, and he definitely wasn't that person.

Have you ever been on Grindr or Tinder?

I went on Grindr a couple of times. Well actually, with Harry he was like, "Let's do a profile on Grindr." And I did, and I met a couple people.

Did you show your face?

I think so.

Really?!

Why not! I don't have any hang-ups about those kinds of things. I don't really care. Who's kidding who? I've talked about having hair transplants, I've talked about my drug problems, I've talked about my drinking problems, I've talked about sex. I just think it's so much better to sort of be honest about those things. I always find it very dubious and I don't really trust people who deny human instincts.

You had a phase where you loved to pose nude. Is that because you had just gotten into good shape?

Yeah. But it wasn't entirely my fault. I have a condition called ulcerative colitis and I was really suffering from it. I was not at all concerned with my appearance. I had long hair, I was wearing glasses, I don't think I changed my trousers twice within a week. Then I saw a nutritionist and she recommended a lifestyle change. She said, "I want you to go to the gym. You need to sweat every day, you need to nap, you need to laugh."

Sweat, nap, laugh, love it!

I was miserable for the first year -- but I started to see the results, and anything that makes me feel good I do more of! That's the nature of addiction, and I'm totally an addict in that respect. If I enjoy something, I want more of it. More sex, more food, more art, more sleep, more... whatever it is! So once I got into the habit of eating well and got over the initial pain and discomfort of going to the gym, I got really into it. Then I started to see a physical change. I stopped wearing my glasses, I cut my hair, I started to tan. Of course my ego sort of got into it. Mert and Marcus were doing this book that Vuitton sponsored, and it was nudes. So we got in the studio, and it was really right in the beginning when I went from 20 percent body fat to 8 percent body fat, and I was looking fit and tan and short hair, and they said, "Well, we want to shoot you nude," and I said OK. Then it sort of seemed like every time I was asked to do a picture for anyone they would be like, "Will you take your shirt off? Will you take your clothes off?" I finally felt like, for the first time in my life I'm comfortable. I'm just as comfortable naked as I am covering up.

It also gives you a chance to show off your tattoos.

I have "Shameless" tattooed on my chest, and I think that's what I aspire to be. I aspire to be able to say what I think and do what I want and not have that feeling of guilt or shame about it. Of course, nothing that I can think of that I've done do I need to feel ashamed of. It just feels like a freedom in some way.

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