The First Transgender White House Appointee Is Also A Woman Of Color

August 18, 2015, 7:25 am

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photo via National Center for Transgender Equality

The White House has just hired its first openly transgender staffer with President Obama's appointment of Raffi Freedman-Gurspan as the Outreach and Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel yesterday.

A former policy advisor for the Racial and Economic Justice Initiative Policy Advisor at the National Center for Transgender Equality Advocates, Freedman-Gurspan is an important step toward ensuring that trans voices are also heard -- especially as she is a transwoman of color who has worked in the past to advocate for the rights of transgender prisoners and addressing violence against trans women of color, an issue too oft brushed aside. After all, Tamara Dominguez, was killed last week after being run over three times in front of her church -- and if she and the 16 other TWOC murdered this year aren't fucking wake-up calls for change, then I dunno what is. 

A big part of Obama's effort to advance gender, racial and sexual-equality within his administration, White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett said in a statement that Freedman-Gurspan's "commitment to bettering the lives of transgender Americans, particularly transgender people of color and those in poverty, reflects the values of this Administration." Claps all around.

[h/t The Advocate]

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Wes Anderson's Citibike Cycling Wear Is Peak Wes Anderson

August 18, 2015, 8:36 am

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photo via Jodi McKee

You truly have to have a "quirky" sense of adventure and style if you're CitiBiking across Manhattan in head-to-toe taupe and saddle shoes, but you do you, Wes Anderson. Fuck Lycra.

[h/tGothamist]

Now You and Your BFF Can Share a Tampon

August 18, 2015, 9:00 am

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[Photo by Bobby Doherty]

 

You and your best friend share everything together -- and now you can even share a tampon! (Well, to be more accurate, a tampon string.) A new 'brand' called Friends Forever Tampons has created a product that's "two tampons connected by one string" so you and your special friend with a synced cycle can go from being "joined at the hip" to being "joined at the vagina."The Cut spoke to founder Kat Thek who said that they're working on a 'Friends Forever Maxi Pad' prototype (it'll "make it easy to get into the flow and ride horses/dance in white pants with your best friend") and that they've also made a "one-time-only Squad Goals Tampon" for you and seven girlfriends. While this obviously sounds like some sort of elaborate hoax or art project, the brand's website lists NYC retail locations that include The Strand Bookstore and Fishs Eddy. So start stocking up before you plan your next girls' weekend now.

[via The Cut]

The Raw Rebellion of David Paul Larson's "Lower East Side Skateboarders" Photo Series

August 18, 2015, 9:34 am

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Despite the Lower East Side's head-spinning changes over the past twenty years, one of its defining 'downtown' characteristics has managed to endure: It's still a magnet for skateboarders. Thanks in part to the Les Coleman skatepark on Pike Street under the Manhattan Bridge and the rebirth of art bar and skater mecca Max Fish last year, ollies and kickflips are as ubiquitous as the neighborhood's high-rise luxury condos. Fashion photographer David Paul Larson has devoted a new portfolio on his website documenting the boys and girls of the LES skate scene, and his black-and-white images have a timeless quality that wonderfully underlines the scrappy punk spirit of any skate scene, in any neighborhood. Per Larson, who grew up skating,"I've always loved the culture, diversity and the rebellious nature of the sport -- it's never been mainstream. These people skate because they love the sport. Its dirty, raw and dangerous. I wanted to portray this community as a raw, un-retouched, document of this culture." Scroll through for Larson's work below and see the rest here. (And, yes, that's Madonna's son Rocco Ritchie in the first photo.)

Israeli Shoegazers Vaadat Charigim Tackle Boredom In Tel Aviv In Their New Video

August 18, 2015, 11:00 am

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While news reports in America might give a lot of people the impression that life in Tel Aviv is full of excitement -- both of the good and the bad variety -- Israeli shoegaze band Vaadat Charigim say otherwise. Their newest video is for their song "Hashiamum Shokea" (or "The Boredom Sinks In"), the title track off their sophomore album (whose direct English translation is Sinking As A Stone). According to the band, the song aims to tackle the title's idea sonically "through plateau-like compositions that draw from the repetitiveness of ambient music" and lyrically with lines that relate what it's like to grow up in TLV amidst "repeated situations of war, demonstrations, injustice, prejudice...the endless drag of hopelessness in the region." To that end, the clip shows lead singer Juval Haring looking pensive and frustrated while local Tel Aviv artists and Haring's bandmates dance, swirl and eat in the background. "The protagonist is going nowhere, pondering boredom, god, and death," they tell us. We're excited to be premiering the video, above, and you can peep the group's tour dates HERE.

Dee Barnes And Michel'le Speak Up About Dr. Dre's Abuse

August 18, 2015, 12:31 pm

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Recently 90's R&B songstress and star of R&B Divas: Los Angeles Michel'le spoke with VladTV about her relationship with her abusive ex-fiancee Dr. Dre, who's back in the spotlight with his N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton. And today Dee Barnes, the journalist who Dre infamously "threw through a door" (read: repeatedly attacked) in 1991, wrote a Gawker piece about the chilling levels of abuse that are blatantly ignored by the Dre-produced biopic -- how the entire film skips by without a single mention of the way he physically harmed two women.

And she has a point -- because while Michel'le said in her VladTV interview that she was "really happy" to not be a part of Straight Outta Compton, as it is "[Ice] Cube's version of his life" and "my part probably has no value to what they want to talk about" -- the fact that these instances of abuse were completely ignored is irresponsible and immature, to say the least. 

All this also comes right on the heels of Ice Cube and Dre's controversial Rolling Stone interview where Dre acknowledges some grave transgressions in his past, but dances around anything meaningful by saying: "I made some fucking horrible mistakes in my life...I would say all the allegations aren't true -- some of them are. Those are some of the things that I would like to take back. It was really fucked up. But I paid for those mistakes, and there's no way in hell that I will ever make another mistake like that again." 

Which is disappointing and sobering reminder that history is often rewritten by the victors, especially when you watch Michel'le's interview in which she describes herself as "just a quiet girlfriend who got beat up and told to sit down and shut up." After all, this all comes after the Breakfast Club interview from earlier this year where she recounted some of the abuse, saying at one point that, "When he gave me my very first black eye, we laid in the bed and he cried, I was crying...but he said 'I'm really sorry'" -- though he never actually stopped hitting her, and apparently broke her nose and cracked ribs in the process.

I guess it was apt for Barnes to say in her Gawker piece that, "The truth is too ugly for a general audience."

[h/tLAist]

The Nastiest Reviews Ever Written About Anything

August 19, 2015, 4:00 am

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Whenever I read a witty pan of a movie or play, my feelings are wildly mixed. On the one hand, I'm absolutely thrilled by the vitriol, but on the other hand, I'm deeply jealous that someone other than myself came up with such delicious bile. But mostly, I'm plain thrilled. Putting all jealousies aside, let me serve you a bunch of my favorite horrible reviews of all time:

"A Sale of Two Titties" -- Review of Raquel Welch's 1980s stage show in Las Vegas

"I will one day be thin, but Vincent Gallo will always be the director of The Brown Bunny." -- Roger Ebert

"Deuce Bigalo: European Gigolo makes a living cleaning fish tanks and occasionally prostituting himself. How much he charges I'm not sure, but the price is worth it if it keeps him off the streets and out of another movie." -- Roger Ebert

"Johnny be worthless." -- TV Guide's Movie Guide review of Johnny Be Good

"This is the kind of movie that will make you want to go back in time -- to the moment before you made the decision to start watching it." -- The Independent review of Hot Tub Time Machine 2

"A few striking moments at the beginning remain; the rest should be silence." -- Halliwell's Film Guide re. Orson Welles' film of Macbeth

"The hype disaster of the '80s, a grisly rehash of the let's-start-a-group-of-our-own plot, peopled with butch gay stereotypes of both sexes pretending to be straight. The pervasive tackiness is unrelieved." -- Time Out London on the Village People movie Can't Stop the Music

"Camille with bullshit." -- Alexander Walker, describing Love Story

"Robert Wagner is a brilliant scientist, George Kennedy and Bibi Andersson make love by the fire, John Davidson's hair stays in place when the plane turns upside down, and Mercedes McCambridge is a Russian gymnastics coach. Thank God Charo is around for credibility." -- Leonard Maltin re. The Concorde...Airport '79

"You have to admire a movie which takes a gold-star cast (Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Alicia Vikander) and creates such an unpolishable turd." -- The Observer [UK] re. Seventh Son

"Shallow, dimwitted, and inept. Makes The Hangover look like Glengarry Glen Ross." -- Newsday on the Vince Vaughn comedy Unfinished Business

"You'll just be rooting for the credits to roll." -- TV Guide's Movie Guide re. Unfinished Business

"If hell, as the movie says, is the worst memory of your life on an infinite loop, I'd better clean up my act or I'll be watching The Lazarus Effect for all eternity." -- Houston Press
 
"A sinking ship that makes it to port because everyone on board is too giddy to panic." -- New Yorker review of The Loved One

"The tragedy is that Ms. Barrymore, who has brought out the best in Mr. Sandler in their previous collaborations, is here sacrificed on the altar of his showboating narcissism." -- New York Times review of Blended

"Much as one loves watching unpleasant American teenagers ripped to death, the slasher formula has worn thin of late." -- Time Out on Nightmare on Elm Street Part Two: Freddy's Revenge

"The producers should take the advice of one of the characters in the film, 'Enough of this Michael Myers bullshit!'" -- critic about Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

"The only thing fantastic about it is the miscalculation." -- Playboy Online re. Fantastic Four

"The best that can be said is that director Anne Fletcher keeps the tempo very brisk, leaving as little time as possible for us to work out why we are not laughing." -- Independent on Hot Pursuit

"Let's all just carry on with our lives now." -- Little White Lies on Hot Pursuit

"As a movie experience, Pixels is a little like fishing the marshmallows out of your Lucky Charms. Take out a couple of good jokes and some computer-generated imagery action and you're stuck with a lot of bland, soggy filler." -- Deseret News

"Stupefyingly unwatchable; Dan Aykroyd's directorial debut. And yes, his nose is supposed to look like a penis." -- Leonard Maltin on Nothing But Trouble

"As one of the film's many forgettable characters eloquently puts it, 'This stinks worse than an oyster's fart'." -- David Erlich, Time Out on The Lovers, with Josh Hartnett

"In my nearly 50 years of theatergoing, Ari, which featured Holocaust survivors dancing over barbed wire, was the absolute worst....And special mention should be made of Joan of Arc in Julian Barry's musical Jean Seberg...singing as she burns at the stake. You had to be there!" -- The New Yorker's John Lahr

"In My Life concerned a man with Tourette's syndrome and a brain tumor, who is watched over by the scooter-riding ghost of his little sister and a foppish, cross-dressing angel...The angel sang the first-act finale -- about how we all have skeletons in our closets -- with a chorus line of dancing skeletons. Sample lyrics: 'Here's a little rumor/Someone's got a tumor.' The finale featured a giant lemon. In his pan, Ben Brantley lamented the show's 'jaw-dropping moments of whimsy run amok,' which [author] Joe Brooks used as a pull quote!" -- Michael Schulman, New Yorker

Lady Gaga Isn't So Gaga About This Breast Milk Ice Cream

August 19, 2015, 4:09 am

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Daddy's jacket is my fav

A photo posted by The Countess (@ladygaga) on Jul 17, 2015 at 4:06pm PDT

So there's a company selling "Royal Baby Gaga" breast milk ice cream -- and apparently Lady Gaga ain't goo-goo about it.

Yep, Gaga & Co. have issued a cease-and-desist letter to the punk pun-masters at London-based The Licktators, purportedly requesting them to remove the flavor within 14 days -- even if it's apparently a Royal Baby-inspired dessert. And while it has yet to been seen if the company will comply, you can take comfort in the fact that if Gaga goes bye-bye, you can still enjoy other innovative licks à la Iggy Popcorn, John Lemon and the Licktators' infamous Vice Cream flavor that's supposedly "female Viagra," or "a wicked triple-ripple of aphrodisiacs." 

May God Save the Cream.

[h/tDazed and Confused]

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A New Orlean's-Style Coffee Revolution Is Starting in Ptown

August 18, 2015, 6:38 am

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Kohi Coffee Company on Commercial Street

In 2014 James Derosier and Ryan Campbell decided to combine their mutual love for coffee and Provincetown by opening Kohi Coffee Company on Commercial Street. While the year-round shop is fairly new to the scene, it has been a long-time coming -- and multi-city journey -- for the co-owning couple.

Derosier and Campbell are originally from the West Coast and fell in love with Provincetown not long after they moved to Boston. They found themselves spending most of their summers in Ptown and, in fact, even got married here. Last year, they made their dedication to the town official by opening Kohi, which features Blue Bottle coffee and an assortment of specialty teas of both hot and cold varieties. But it's their homemade New Orlean's-style cold brew that will make Kohi a vacation game-changer. They steep their cold brew for a mind-boggling 16 to 18 hours and add chicory to the end product, making for an outrageously smooth, complex and perfectly caffeinated drink. You won't be able to stay away from this place during your stay -- we guarantee it.

Kohi Coffee Company, 199 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657, (774) 538-6467

For more on Provincetown, check out PAPERMAG.com/ptown

How to Spend the Perfect 48 Hours in Provincetown

August 19, 2015, 4:53 am

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Joe's Coffee and Cafe on 170 Commercial St.

Two full days is the perfect amount of time for a sampling of all the diverse activities Provincetown has to offer.

Day 1

Start the day by getting your caffeine fix at Joe's Coffee and Cafe, a no-frills shop with reliably great drinks and breakfast pastries to satisfy both sweet and savory tastebuds

Joe's Coffee and Café, 170 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657 (508) 487-6656

Coffee and breakfast consumed, head to a place where you can admire the town's roots by looking up: the Pilgrim Monument, the tallest structure (at 252ft) in town that commemorates the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetown in 1620. Climbing the tower's 116 steps is an invigorating way to start your day and feel connected to the village's history.

Pilgrim Monument, 1 High Pole Hill Rd, Provincetown, MA 02657, (508) 487-1310

After leaving the monument, keep the energy up by renting a bike and getting off the main streets. The entire town is only 17 square miles so almost everything is accessible by bike. Give yourself a DIY architectural tour by cycling the smaller residential streets that lay beyond Commercial. The main roads that run parallel to the beaches and Dunes are bike-friendly and offer a new perspective of the seaside.

Bike Rentals
Gale Force Bikes. 144 Bradford St. 
The Bike Shack. 32 Shank Painter Rd.
Ptown Bikes. 42 Bradford St. 
Arnold's Bike Shop. 329 Commercial St.
  By now, you'll be ready for some serious food and there's no place better for a casual, satisfying meal than Canteen. The sandwich-heavy menu is tailor-made for city-dwellers looking for laid-back, beachy food, ie. cod bahn mi, pulled pork tacos, and local craft beers. A side of the crispy brussels sprouts covered in tangy fish sauce is a must. Non-negotiable.

The Canteen, 225 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657, Phone:(508) 487-3800

With your feet properly rested, take a stroll down Commercial Street, where small galleries line block. Far beyond standard-issue watercolor seascapes you find in other small-town East Coast galleries, these fixtures reflect the diversity of the town and include contemporary styles, mixed mediums and more avant-garde works. 

Keep the eye candy going by taking in the impressive views on the deck at Aqua Bar, a cocktail bar slightly hidden from the main road. The beach views are made even better with a drink in hand, of which there are many. Bring a snack, too -- outside food is allowed on the deck and there are a number of small vendors just outside for grabbing a quick and easy dinner.

Aqua Bar, 207 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA; 02657
 Day 2

Sleep in the next morning and make your first stop at Relish, a grab-and-go place with a great mix of provisions. Grab a coffee and a baked good to get you going, but order and stash one of their awesome sandwiches -- like the chicken salad with sweet onion, gorgonzola and pear or quinoa and chickpea wrap with Asian pickled veggies -- to eat later on the beach.

Relish, 93 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657, (508) 487-8077

Get zen with a trip to the serene Long Point Beach.  Since the area is much less trafficked by tourists and is away from most of the civilization there's a very welcome edge-of-the-earth quality to the environment. A lone lighthouse provides the perfect scenic touch to the most relaxing beach around. To get there, call the local Long Point Shuttle service (508-487-0898) for availability and tickets, or if you're particularly advanced and adventurous, try kayaking out. 

Once back on dry land, do some souvenir and gift shopping. While most of the boutiques on the Commercial Street stretch will offer you something unique, Botanica is a particularly great blend of P-Town retail -- think: nautical, natural and vintage-inspired art, gifts and small "objects of interest."
 
Botanica, 374 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657, (508) 413-9580
 A nice meal and some wine is the only way to spend your final night, which means making reservations at Joon Bar and Kitchen.  The restaurant takes a no-frills farm-to-table, or sea-to-table, approach and strips it down to its most delicious and simple. Seasonal flatbreads, salads and plates both big and small mean you can eat heartily without feeling over stuffed. The more dishes you order the more justified you'll feel in pairing each with a wine from their extensive list.

Joon Bar and Kitchen, 133 Commerical Street, Provincetown, MA 2657 (508)-413-9336
 
End with one of the many drag cabaret shows that take place in Provincetown. The city attracts big-name Broadway and drag talent for various one-weekend performances, but the real appeal here should be a show that feels a little naughty, a bit ludicrous, and a lot of fun. Taking in a deliciously campy offering at the wild Post Office Cabaret is a must.

Post Office Cabaret 303 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657 (508) 487-0006

For more on Provincetown, check out PAPERMAG.com/ptown

Chelsea Wolfe Talks Aaliyah and Sleep Paralysis

August 19, 2015, 6:17 am

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photo by Zohn Mandel

Chelsea Wolfe may be known for her unique brand of "doom-drenched folk," but her music taste spans generations and genres, as proven by her deep, abiding love of Aaliyah. Hot off the release of the critically-acclaimed, definitively metal-drenched Abyss, the singer also sat down with us for a brief chit-chat about exploring her sleep paralysis, her anxiety and a few of her favorite songs. Read our Q&A below.

I know you mentioned this album was inspired by your experiences with sleep paralysis, what was that like? How did it play into the writing of this album? 

Sleep paralysis for me comes in the form of shadow figures.. I wake up but the figures from my dreams are still in the room around me. It's given me a lot of anxiety/paranoia over the years - it's an intense way to wake up - but I never really addressed it before. For this album I was interested in exploring the subconscious and experimenting with dreams. 

How did you start songwriting? Was there a particular experience you had that compelled you to start? Like listening to one of these artists you've included, for example. 

I grew up listening to my dad play guitar and sing harmonies in his country band. He had a home studio where they'd practice and record. As a kid I wanted to record my own songs so he set me up with an 8-track. My sisters would sing backup. The vibe of those earliest songs was like, Aaliyah meets Fleetwood Mac - what I was listening to mixed with what my parents were listening to. "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" was my favorite song then. Anyway, I was always writing and recording from a young age, and I never stopped.. It just took me a long time to get to the point of sharing my music and playing shows. 

Each of your albums seem to tackle a distinct sort of subgenre of sound, what direction do you think is next? 

I have some ideas in mind, but I usually let the songs guide me, so we'll see.

You also made us a playlist of some of your favorite songs, and I think can hear a lot of Abyss in here. If you could pick one stand-out song that best represents the vision you had while making this album what would it be and why. 

That Vladimir Vysotsky song, and specifically that performance of it, is something to aspire to. I relate to the seriousness of it all. I wanted Abyss to have moments of vulnerability and rawness in it. I had to let myself become a little broken. 

Can you walk us through each track you picked. What special significance do they hold for you? 

"Poppies" by Buffy Sainte-Marie:  A friend in high school bought the "Illuminations" record because she was intrigued by the cover photo. I don't remember listening to it back then, but the album cover stuck in my head. I re-discovered her a few years back and felt a kinship, especially with "Poppies." 

 

"Capricious Horses" by Vladimir Vysotsky: Thankful to whoever turned me on to him. I'm obsessed with this video.

 

Age Ain't Nothing But A Number by Aaliyah: My earliest songs as a kid were influenced by Aaliyah. 

 

My Middle Name is the Blues by Abner Jay: His songs and melodies are so beautiful, descriptive and heavy. 

 

S:H:S by True Widow: One of the best bands around. Best friends too. Their music can put you in a trance.

A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh by Celtic Frost: I used to watch this video so much with my friend (drummer) Jess Gowrie. She turned me onto a lot of cool music. 

Chelsea Wolfe is touring the US & Europe this fall.

Hot New Trend Alert: Bonnets Are Big For Fall

August 19, 2015, 7:30 am

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When avant indie label Vaquera presented its Fall 2015 collection in a MTA subway station last February, designer Patric DiCaprio styled several of his models in the hottest headwear of 2015: bonnets.

Lauren Alice Avery (Photo via Instagram)

Sure, fashion presentations are often intentionally over-the-top, but in Vaquera's case, the choice of featuring that pioneer accessory is indicative of a larger pro-bonnet trendlet that's gaining popularity among a certain subset of kids who get fashion inspirations off Tumblr, read DIS Magazine or party at Thotlandia. It has roots with LA actress/Instagram It Girl, Lauren Alice Avery, who posted a photo of herself drinking almond milk and wearing a bonnet nearly a year ago. She later posted an image of a stuffed pilgrim doll with the caption "Bitch stole my look," referring to the toy's fabulously fresh-off-the-Mayflower vibe. And now thanks to social media (of course), the style has snowballed.

Jake Levy (Photo via Instagram)

The new face of Chanel, Johnny Depp's daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, wore a modified wide-brimmed bonnet in Oyster Magazine(and later posed alongside Moses Gauntlett Cheng designer David Moses, each sporting the look); stylist and recent subject of a Paper photo feature, Jake Levy, has been shot in a pink frilly bonnet for Nicola Formichetti's Harajuku-inspired label Nicopanda; Paper's "Coolest Person in the Room" Sussi Suss recently coined the look "Amish Bondage" before a recent night out; artist Arielle Chiara has opted for a face-shielding black bonnet; and DiCaprio himself has paired the old-school headgear with both yellow-tinted shades and a corset-style top. 

#bonnetcore in full swing

A photo posted by Molly Soda (@bloatedandalone4evr1993) on Aug 12, 2015 at 7:52pm PDT

Giving this unusual movement an unofficial name, digital artist Molly Soda spearheaded the hashtag #bonnetcore, posting to Instagram a nude selfie with the centuries-old hat in a polka-dot pattern. Zoe Ligon also shared a bonnet selfie to Instagram before her DJ set at Happyfun Hideaway last week, writing the dramatic tagline, "The future is now -- the future is #bonnetcore" (she even encouraged attendees to "BYOBonnet").

While it probably won't be long before this trend heads to the headgear graveyard to join bucket hats, pork pies and fedoras, you still have some time to work on your Little House on the Prairie looks and Crucible mood boards. Nellie Oleson 4-lyfe.

"You Do You" Is the New Agender Fashion Site You Need To Know

August 19, 2015, 7:35 am

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A platform that creates a space for people who identify all over the identification spectrum, You Do You is a brand new fashion and lifestyle website that focuses on agender style.

Launched last week, it's the brainchild of NYC creatives Logan Jackson, Casey Geren and Kristiina Wilson, who felt that "it is important to be represented, and to know that you have a place, no matter how you look/dress/act" -- especially since the acceptance of "doing whatever you do" is still a long ways away from being completely accepted within the mainstream. 

"'Gender' is a word a lot of people are tired of hearing," YDY's Jackson told i-D. "But it's still so far from becoming an obsolete term -- and right now is such a fascinating time because of the discussions taking place around it." 

And we're sure the trio is will spark a ton of conversation with editorials from designers like Paper 2015 beautiful people Eckhaus Latta, Vejas and Timo Weiland, as well as interviews with transgender model Kira Conley and artist/musician Casey Spooner. Poke around the domain's new digs here.

[h/ti-D]

Cara Delevingne Quits Modeling Over Body Image Issues

August 19, 2015, 7:40 am

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photo by David X Prutting/BFAnyc.com

In a recent interview with The London Times,supermodel Cara Delevingne revealed that she plans on ending her modeling career. Citing the negative effects the fashion industry has had on her mental health and body image, Delevingne says she developed anxiety and psoriasis over all of the stress she endured.

"I am not doing fashion work any more, after having, like, psoriasis and all that stuff," she told the paper. "Modeling just made me feel a bit hollow after a while. It didn't make me grow at all as a human being. And I kind of forgot how young I was ... I felt so old."

Delevingne is 23.

"I was, like, fight and flight for months. Just constantly on edge, It is a mental thing as well because if you hate yourself and your body and the way you look, it just gets worse and worse."

Because as one of the most in-demand It models, Delevingne obviously had a lot on her plate, with the stress of her demanding schedule apparently leading to the development of chronic psorasis -- a disease that she was ironically punished for, as "People would put on gloves and not want to touch me because they thought it was, like, leprosy or something." All of which took a huge toll on her self-esteem.

It probably also didn't help that the fashion industry is rife with sexual harassment, which is also something Delevingne touched on when citing the hypersexualized poses she was made to do as a teen -- a time when she was new to the industry and felt like she couldn't say "no" to provocative and just plain old exploitative shoots.

However, she's making up for it now as she's gotten much better at standing up for herself and other, calling herself "a bit of a feminist" and wrapping her thought up with the reassurance that, "If there is injustice I will flip out. If someone is crossing a line, they will know about it and so will everyone else." 

Fuck yeah, Cara.

[h/t CBS News]

Watch Karen O's Dreamy New Video for "Singalong"

August 19, 2015, 9:30 am

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Karen O's back with another grainy, sweet little video for a track off her "Crush Songs." Directed by Asil Baykal, the video for "Singalong" features sweet little scenes of New Yorkers walking around Manhattan and this chill af dog:

Check it out above.

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Here's Your Daily Dose of Schadenfreude: Burning Man Is Infested With Horrible Bugs

August 19, 2015, 10:30 am

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[Photo via Instagram; these people are not necessarily infested with bugs]

Burning Man is infested with bugs. And, no, not the imaginary kind that happens when you take a bad dose of something and start tweaking out. These are real, horrifyingly abundant green critters that seem to have crawled their way into every steampunk-decorated nook and psychedelic, Summer of Love rip-off cranny at the fest. While at first it might not seem like a big deal -- the festival is outside and the wild outdoors DOES have bugs after all -- just a few photos of these swarming little insects straight out of Moses and the 10 Plagues is enough to make you want to lock yourself in a dark room with a bottle of whiskey.

And did we mention they bite?

The Burning Man organizers have even confirmed their existence with an all-too-real, 'peak Burn'blog post that reads better than if SNL writers had come up with all the names.

You may have seen the bug rumors on the internet. We are here to tell you that they are all true. Well maybe not all of the rumors, but the bugs are real. They're everywhere. They bite. They crawl all over you. They get up and in you.

Twin Peaks, who's leading the construction of the Center Café, was talking about how bad they are when she jumped a little and pulled her t-shirt away from her body. A good-sized green bug fell to the ground. It had crawled into her bra.

Metal Shop Heather wears a welding mask most of the day. Bugs have crawled up inside her visor and nestled around her eyes. Cammy and Stinger needed some help from the medical team to deal with the infestation; Stinger's back was covered with nasty red welts from the bites.

No clue if Burners have a sense of humor or what but maybe if nothing else, green creepy-crawlies can provide some costume-inspo for Burning Man 2016?

[via Gawker]

Transgender Model Amiyah Scott Is Joining The Real Housewives of Atlanta

August 19, 2015, 11:45 am

≫ Next: Premiere: Ezra Furman Has An Egg-cellent Video For "Lousy Connection"

≪ Previous: Here's Your Daily Dose of Schadenfreude: Burning Man Is Infested With Horrible Bugs

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#tbt #MakeUpByAmiyah 💋

A photo posted by Amiyah Scott (@kingamiyahscott) on Aug 13, 2015 at 8:05pm PDT

The Real Housewives of Atlanta better watch out, because there's a new Housewife on the block poised to steal and spotlight this season and she's reportedly transgender model Amiyah Scott.

Scott will take NeNe Leakes' place on Season 8, as the first LGBT cast member of the entire series -- however, the extent of her casting and whether she'll be a full-time housewife has yet to be determined as "discussions have just begun." 

A self-dubbed "unicorn with an invisible horn" Amiyah is also a make-up artist and beauty consultant, who while linked in the past to the likes of Soulja Boy and Wiz Khalifa, has a well-deserved fanbase all her own -- as proven by the outpouring of Twitter and Instagram love.

Amiyah Scott is gon' shake things up on RHOA. Glad to see a trans woman of color get this platform. Good casting call!

-- Makho Ndlovu (@makhondlovu) August 18, 2015

We couldn't agree more.

[h/t Variety]

Premiere: Ezra Furman Has An Egg-cellent Video For "Lousy Connection"

August 20, 2015, 2:00 am

≫ Next: Seth Meyers and Key & Peele's Keegan-Michael Key Share Terrible Pick-Up Lines

≪ Previous: Transgender Model Amiyah Scott Is Joining The Real Housewives of Atlanta

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Ezra Furman, our favorite lipstick-rocking, neurotic troubadour, is back with the second single from his critically-acclaimed album Perpetual Motion People and it's proof that his message really may be "scrambled" --  complete with (chicken) drumsticks and one serious saxophone solo.

And while we're still left wondering if this is a chicken-or-the-egg situation or if the "lousy connection" refers to telecommunications or human relations, we're pretty content with just egging Furman on as he smashes all these yolks.

Sorry, too (over) easy. 

 

Read more about Ezra Furman, his genderfluid identity and his devout Judaism in our recent profile.

Seth Meyers and Key & Peele's Keegan-Michael Key Share Terrible Pick-Up Lines

August 20, 2015, 3:00 am

≫ Next: The Coolest Person In The Room: Zha Zha Vi

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Last night Key & Peele's Keegan-Michael Key came on Late Night With Seth Meyers and he and Seth did a fun (if cringe-inducing) segment on 1am flirting tips ("from two married guys who have been out of the game for a while"). Start your day by watching their cascade of awful pick-up lines like "Hello beautiful. Do you come here often and, if so, do you know where the toilets are?" and "If you were a vegetable, you'd be a cute-cumber. I'd be an eggplant -- no, zucchini! No, eggplant! Eggplant! Final answer, eggplant!"

The Coolest Person In The Room: Zha Zha Vi

August 20, 2015, 4:03 am

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In our new column, "The Coolest Person In the Room," we're asking our favorite nightlife pros (hosts, DJs, door people, promoters, bar/club owners, club kids, bartenders, socialites) to tell us about who they think is the one party person whose look is always on point, whose energy is contagious, and whose scene is worth checking out -- basically, that person at the club who they've got their eye on and think we all should know. 

In each installment, the previous "coolest person in the room" will pass the baton and nominate someone else. Previously we featured Miss Laina Baby and she's been kind enough to nominate our next 'Coolest Person in the Room,'Zha Zha Vi.

Who is this person? 

Zha Zha Vi 

Why do you love this person? 

Zha Zha is one of the most chic people I know. She can make a pair of leggings look like they're $5,000 and from Bergdorf's. She's also very sweet and takes care of all her friends, but isn't to be messed with. Definition of a bad bitch. 

What makes them unique to nightlife? 

Zha is important to nightlife not only in NY but literally anywhere she goes. 

When was the first time you met them? 

I met her at some art party in Red Hook after she had just gotten back from divorcing her Italian husband and we instantly became friends. 

We wanted to find out a little more about Zha Zha though, so we FaceTimed her from her vacation spot on a beach in Mykonos, Greece to find out about her craziest party experiences. And in addition to a few "Grecian nudes," we learned that Miss Laina was right re: "People spend years just trying to get a selfie with whom Zha can make friends in a night."

Where do you like to go out? 

Usually I don't like going anywhere, because I hate people, but if I have to go somewhere I like to go to more low-key places like Acme, Happy Ending. I also like to go places where people don't know me like Rose Bar or [places where I can] be by myself. I love Never Never, right next to Up & Down. It's nice because all the random people from Up & Down [aren't there]. I don't know. I just like going out in Mykonos.

Oh right you're in Greece right now. How's that? Do anything crazy?

Not so much crazy. I just picked up rosé, I've never drunk rosé in my life.

Pre-game rituals?

Not so much. Just chug a bottle of vodka.

You're in LA now, right? Why'd you move?

Yeah, I was in New York before. I'm just checking out LA right now -- though to be honest, I'm over NYC actually.

What's your wildest party story?

Honestly every single night is so fucking crazy, I can't even remember because I black out all of them out. I don't know how I end up in half the situations I do. Maybe like my first Fashion Week in New York -- that was just batshit because I didn't know anyone and late nights with the ATL Twins are always crazy -- they're like my little children. I actually was in [Paper's] Fashion Week feature with them, but I think I was just "some girl giving them sensual back massages."[laughs] Or that one time I had a fake marriage to A-Trak. Or maybe the Hamptons last summer. I went for the first time last summer and I went from literally like taking over the Hamptons to getting kicked out of the Hamptons -- I'm not allowed anymore. And I just went from being the new girl there who no one knew and then it became just like too much, like I got too much "princess treatment" that a lot of people were like hating on me and it got to where I was kicked out and banned from places. 

Uh, can you tell me more about your fake A-Trak marriage though?

I think he found me on Twitter or Instagram or something and then started messaging me and then he was playing a show out in the Hamptons and then we had this cute little crush thing and we were going to have this fake marriage so I bought him a cake and he asked me to come out. We had our little fake wedding and then we drove back to the city.

Wow.

Yeah. Maybe my favorite though is like falling in love with the Prince of Monaco my first Fashion Week. We locked ourselves in his hotel room for like four days, totally skipped Fashion Week, literally ordering thousands and thousands of dollars of room service -- like bottles of Grey Goose and insane everything. Jesus, I don't know.

Wait, the Prince of Monaco? So all that Grey Goose came courtesy of the people of Monaco?

No, no [laughs]. That's my nickname for him. His family is like best friends with the Prince of Monaco. It's just a cute, little nickname. But that was cute. We fell in love. We're still in love...I'm waiting for him to come rescue me.

[Ed Note: Zha Zha emailed this after our chat]

OMG, I may just remembered my craziest night -- causing the Barron Hilton/ Lindsay Lohan Star Island Basel fight 2 years ago.