Quantcast
Channel: Paper RSS Feed
Viewing all 7783 articles
Browse latest View live

Paula Deen Pays Woeful Homage To Madonna's 1990 VMA Performance of "Vogue"

$
0
0
Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 3.43.24 PM.pngControversial Food Network host Paula Deen got the buttery boot from ABC's Dancing with the Stars last night, after offering up a corpse-like jig to Madonna's "Vogue."

Deen, along with her rhythm partner Louis van Amsteel, and a few backup dancers, ripped off Madge's Marie Antoinette-themed performance of "Vogue" at the 1990 VMAs.

Dancing-With-The-Stars.jpgThe result was a cruel bludgeoning of the senses, physically and spiritually.

Deen's limbs were all but completely guided by her dedicated dancers, and her attempt to actually vogue came off more like an insecure tween doing a cross between "The Electric Slide" and "Macarena" at a summer swim club's Labor Day BBQ than dancing. 

Before her performance, DWTS showed Deen's rehearsal footage, where she obtusely stated that "Madonna is a sexual icon, y'all. (We) don't have anything in common!"

Except for the fact that -- as Gawker's Rich Juzwiak points out -- Deen, whose history of using racial epithets and generally doing racially and culturally insensitive -- if not outright racist -- things has been well-documented, chose a style invented by gay men and trans women of color, and then chose to cover an appropriated cover of that same style (aka Madonna's "Vogue").

Meta in the worst way.

Paula and her poor partner, Louis, received a score of 6 from every judge -- even Olivia Newton-John, who tried to be nice and tell Ms. Deen that she looked "beautiful." No stranger to playing the victim game, Deen claims she was "not surprised" by her elimination, and that the judges were "extra hard on her."

Not sure what Paula's next attempt at a comeback will be, but for now, I hope she sinks back into the boiling bayou whence she came.

0621-paula-deen-tmz-sorry-1.jpgTake a deep breath, and watch the train wreck below.





Amazon's Under Fire For Their "Lady Boy" Halloween Costume

$
0
0
Screen Shot 2015-10-20 at 4.12.03 PM.png
screenshot from October 20, 4:15 p.m. EST

Amazon's in some (rightfully) hot water for selling a shitty "Lady Boy" Halloween costume this year -- a costume that is still available on the retailer's website. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, there's also some dodgy stuff surrounding the tone-deaf snafu as well.

Manufactured by one Orion Costumes, the sequin dress + fake penis combo is being billed as being "tastefully brilliant" -- though according to the Daily Mail, not everyone reviewing the product thought so. 

What's super weird though is that the costume actually had a one-star rating yesterday -- something that's now been completely erased from the page. And as if that wasn't fucked up enough, apparently The Gay Star Newsreached out to Amazon earlier who allegedly responded that "'all [Amazon] Marketplace sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who don't will be subject to action including potential removal of their account....The product in question is no longer available'" -- which is, uh, not true.

Lady_Boy_Amazon.jpg
screenshot via The Gay Star News/ dated October 19

Either way, we're hoping to get an explanation (and prompt take-down of the offensive costume) sometime soon. Till then, keep contacting Amazon customer support.


Relax, Here Are Some Reasons the Gilmore Girls Revival Will Actually Be Good

$
0
0
News of the Gilmore Girls revival spread like wildfire. That is, when my friend texted me about the news, I literally thought there had been a major fire or earthquake in the state of California. "Are you okay," was all it said. It took me a minute to register that he'd been talking about the reboot of my favorite television series and not a natural disaster.



Yes, Gilmore Girls is coming back, in the form of four 90-minute "mini-movies" on Netflix, according to reports from longtime Gilmore-insider Michael Ausiello. Initial fan reactions ranged from emotional to cautiously optimistic, but the consensus was overwhelmingly positive.



Still, as with all things in life, the temptation to poke holes in the fun is strong with some. It won't be the same! Netflix can't give us the real Gilmore Girls! We should know by now that revivals are terrible!

Sure. Arrested Development season four was largely panned as terrible. Sure, the Veronica Mars movie lit a fire in our hearts and then stomped it out like a fire-stomping troll. But Gilmore Girls is going to be different, guys. No, really. Here's why:

1. Amy Sherman-Palladino is back. According to TVLine.com and an exclusive scoop on the Gilmore Guys podcast, series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Dan will be writing AND directing all four episodes. This limited series will give fans the closure they want in the voice that they love. I know it's strange asking a bunch of strangers on the internet to place their trust in anything these days, but you can trust Amy. Come trust her with me.



2. Season six wasn't that bad.
Many die-hard fans of the show are quick to point out that, while season seven was glaringly absent Amy as showrunner, season six wasn't great, either -- and she was still in charge. The thing is, as much of a downer as it was to see Lorelai and Rory completely out of communication with each other for the first third of the season, that was really excellent drama. Depressing, but excellent. Rory, one of television's most consistently impulsive characters of all time, needed to stumble a little to reaffirm her self-worth and her commitment to becoming Christiane Amanpour. We're not going to talk about April because most people want to throw flaming darts at her face, and I hear you, but let it go. Season six still produced some of the coolest, weirdest, and most showstopping moments of the series.



3. Stars Hollow is a warm blanket. I've probably clocked more hours watching Gilmore Girls than I have interacting with my own mother, and I like her a lot. It's more of a sit-dram-com than a drama, impossible to categorize given its absurd townies and marathon dialogue. Everyone that I know who loves the show loves it because of its infinite rewatchability. Returning to Stars Hollow nearly a decade after we left it could seem tired for some, but the drama that fans really love -- the festivals, the townies, the diner, the inn -- that doesn't have an expiration date.

4. Different doesn't always mean bad.Gilmore Girls aired on The WB and The CW from 2000-2006. Episodes ran between 39-45 minutes during the original run, with constraints from both commercial breaks and Standards & Practices. When the show comes back on Netflix, the format will necessarily change. Like, what does 90 minutes of commercial-free Gilmore even look like? We're not going to get the answer to that question for a while, but it seems like a waste of time to hem and haw about all the ways it could suck. Especially considering that Orange is the New Black, the rightful heir to the Gilmore throne*, thrived in that exact environment. Gilmore Girls was never known for its dramatic act breaks, so deleting an unnecessary component of the initial structure and giving our girls some more time to gab about their lives doesn't seem like much of a stretch to me.

gg reunion.jpg(photo via ATX Television Festival/Lauren Reynolds)

5. Everyone is doing so great! At the ATX Festival's Gilmore Girls reunion earlier this year, pretty much the entire original cast (sans Melissa McCarthy and the late-Ed Herrmann) were present, including all three of Rory's major suitors and a rocking, reunited Hep Alien. If this show could assemble fifteen cast members in Texas, eight years after the end of its initial run, without any bad blood or weirdness, and with still more people like Sean Gunn offering to call in from a film shoot on another continent, I'm sure we can avoid some of the weirdness that plagued shows like Arrested Development in their second lives. The real joy of this show is watching wonderful actors spit Amy's wonderful dialogue at each other in various quaint New England settings, and, damn it, that's what we're going to get.

*Oh, so Orange is the New Black and Gilmore Girls are sisters: OITNB showrunner Jenji Kohan wrote on season one of Gilmore. Women argue about bras. No one is sure whether to categorize it as drama or comedy. Pop culture references coming from every direction. A level of absurdism in an otherwise grounded environment. Same show!

A Collection of Tweets About Canadian Prime Minister Justin Truedeau Using the Word "Daddy"

$
0
0
Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.52.56 PM.pngLast night, Canada defeated its increasingly facist, conservative prime minster of almost a decade, Stephen Harper, by electing Justin Trudeau, a liberal member of the House of Commons. Of the landslide win, Trudeau, 43, said, "Tonight, we defeated fear with hope."

With his popular left-leaning views, and famous family lineage (his father was Prime Minister from 1968-1974 -- and he's married to and has three children with Sophie Gregoire, a Canadian television personality), there are rumblings of a new political dynasty.

Justin-Trudeau.jpgThe liberal win has many believing a parallel effect could occur in next year's U.S. presidential election.

Sry, Donny.

Trump-Kissing.jpgTrudeau has pretty much become a worldwide beacon of light overnight.

He's also handsome.

JustinTrudeau1.jpgLike, absurdly so.


0818-dentandt-trudeau_23454923.jpgI mean...

o-JUSTIN-TRUDEAU-facebook.jpgOh, and he's 6 foot 2, according to Google.

Justin_Trudeau3_400_260_55.jpgAnd he boxes.

6375778.jpg
trudeau_brazeau.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpgAnd has an arm tattoo.

image.jpgWhile Canadians are expressing dismay at the current international fixation on Trudeau's crisp blue eyes, eyebrows, and razor jawline (as they should be, since he defeated a racist tyrant and is ushering in a new progressive era for Drake and our other neighbors to the north), the "daddy" phenomenon on Twitter, has of course, slipped its way into the mix.

Teens, trolls, ambiguous "Twitter egg" phantoms have all launched their thirst assault on Canada's answer to JFK, and it's, of course, unsettling. Here is a smattering of results when you type "Justin Trudeau daddy" into the search box on Twitter:

1. Easy, Thalia


Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.34.26 PM.png
2. Ugh.

Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.35.36 PM.png3. +100
Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.36.27 PM.png
4. Of course, #papi

Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.37.15 PM.png5. Don't bring Carly into this, Joshua.

Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.38.33 PM.png6. Well, yeah.

Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.39.49 PM.png
7. OK. Actual Daddy.

Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.41.08 PM.png8."Prime Daddy Minister."New Grindr tribe?

Screen shot 2015-10-20 at 4.44.12 PM.png

Jokes aside, congrats to Canada, and best wishes for the future.

trudeau-family.jpgMmmmmmmm.

Charli XCX premieres SOPHIE Produced Track "Vroom Vroom"

$
0
0
charlixcx.jpgCharli XCX took over Julie Adenuga's Beats 1 show today and played everything from Justin Bieber and Ellie Goulding to Skepta and the Sex Pistols. She also interviewed Nadya Tolokonnikova from Pussy Riot. Eclectic is an understatement. 

More importantly, she took the opportunity to premiere a long-awaited collaboration with producer SOPHIE. Titled "Vroom Vroom," the track is half sung, half rapped, takes off at a blistering pace, and doesn't slow down. Before playing it, Charli expressed an interest in getting Paris Hilton for the music video, though there's no indication of whether or not this will happen yet. So buckle up and "Let's Ride!"

Berned In DC Proves That Bernie Sanders Is Punk As Fuck

$
0
0

With his call to break up the big banks, rejection of super PAC money and plans to end corporate tax loopholes, United States Senator Bernie Sanders (recently impersonated by Larry David on Saturday Night Live) is the kind of Presidential candidate that even Ian MacKaye could love. 

As pointed out by the website Dangerous Minds and Friend to PAPER Maggie SerotaBerned in D.C. is a Facebook page that re-imagines Sanders as the ultimate DIY punk crusader, one dedicated to cleaning up our scene politics. This Sanders is running a campaign to keep show costs low, heal our Jawbreaker divisions and curb the rampant pit abuses of the bros, and he's not afraid to call out the Sex Pistols. If you've ever gotten into a very serious, seemingly endless discussion of what it truly means to "be punk," you'll relate. And Bernie, if this President thing doesn't work out, Black Flag could probably use a new singer.

11147568_183052132030973_3505881704695229542_n.jpg

A Death Cafe May Be Setting Up Shop In Central London

$
0
0
death.gif
Ever wish there was a cozy, centrally-located space where you could philosophizing on the post-mortum with other morbidly-minded individuals? Well our British friends may soon be able to do just that with the opening of a crowd-funded Death Cafe in central London. 

A non-profit that already has locations in 32 countries, the group's mission is "to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the best of their (finite) lives," over tea, of course.

But why? According to founder Jon Underwood in an interview with Dazed, the way society currently talks about death is less than ideal, seeing as how, "It's almost eliminated from sight and the main way we consume death is through news, and it's shocking and horrifying and weird," he said. "The death cafe is about reflecting how people really feel about it."

Gather a few of your gothiest fiends and donate here to make it a reality.


[h/tDazed

Watch Broad City's Abbi and Ilana Clean Their Closets

$
0
0
In this week's episode of Hack Into Broad City, Abbi and Ilana go through items they never wear to decide if they should keep or donate, allowing Abbi to confront the past version of herself that was way too obsessed with Top Chef. It's a cleaning experience, much like watching Broad City webisodes while waiting for the third season of the show proper. Watch it below.


No Myth: Stream The New Joanna Newsom Album

$
0
0
Joanna_Newsom-2015-credAnnabelMehran.jpg
We'll skip the de rigueur condescending metaphors involving storybook creatures that still, unfortunately, pop up whenever the Joanna Newsom news cycle gets going, and simply note that you can listen to the new album from the fantastically talented songwriter (and former PAPER Beautiful Person) over at NPR. Divers, Newsom's fourth album, will be released this Friday. On first listen, it's great but a lot to take in, as per usual. So you may as well get started now so you can have an informed opinion by the weekend. 

Joanna Newsom 2015 Tour Dates


Sat. Oct. 31 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall 

Sun. Nov. 1 - Brighton, UK @ Dome 

Wed. Nov. 4 - Barcelona, ES @ Barts 

Thu. Nov. 5 - Berlin, DE @ Admiralspalast 

Sat. Nov. 7 - Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli 

Sun. Nov. 8 - Paris, FR @ Salle Gaveau

Mon. Nov. 9 - London, UK @ Eventim Apollo 

Sun. Dec. 6 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre

Mon. Dec. 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre

Wed. Dec. 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

Thu. Dec. 10 - Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre

Sat. Dec. 12 - Munhall, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

Sun. Dec. 13 - Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall @ Babeville

Mon. Dec. 14 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Tue. Dec. 15 - Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

Wed. Dec. 16 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre

Thu. Dec. 17 - St. Paul, MN @ The Fitzgerald Theater

Fri. Dec. 18 - Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre

Premiere: Strange Names Flirt With Sleaze In The Video For "Trespassing"

$
0
0
strangenames.jpg
photo via Dan McMahon

Strange Names, with their exuberant, funk-filled sound, may not really seem like it, but according to frontman Liam Benzvi, they're quite the "morbid pack" -- and we're finally getting a glimpse of the group's more macabre side with the visuals for their new video "Trespassing."

Filmed overnight in a Jersey City motel, directors Anthony & Alex ensured that the entire affair was a raucous hodge-podge of limbs, cling film and Life-Size libido-driven visuals. An aesthetic that's a jarring (yet not unwelcome) juxtaposition to the group's sunny, 80s-dance driven pop. 

As the directors put it, "We wanted the video to not only have a fun, sexy, filthy vibe, but get the idea across that perverted things are happening everywhere, all the time" -- and we're inclined to agree that this video, in all it's goopy, mannequin make-out goodness, does just that. 


Check out Strange Names on tour now.

So Bill Murray and Jenny Lewis May Be Dating?

$
0
0

So word on the street is that Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray are dating -- and TBH, 2005 me is dying a little inside.

Yep, Page Six is reporting that the most early-aughts alterna-cool union has finally happened, as Murray brought his "current younger love interest" aka Jenny Motherfucking Lewis to the party he threw himself yesterday in celebration of his new movie Rock The Kasbah. Quoting a source who calls Lewis Murray's quote-unquote special friend, she arrived late before jumping on stage to join him in a rousing dance to The Clash's "Rock the Casbah." 

Take it all with a grain of salt though, as nothing as been confirmed yet. Fingers crossed.

[h/tPage Six

The 10 Best Witch Movies of All Time

$
0
0
There's nothing more Halloweenie than a scary lady with a big brimmed black hat and a pocketful of curses. Here are the 10 movies in which witches were at their spookiest best.

intothewoods.gifINTO THE WOODS (2014)
The lavish adaptation of the Sondheim/Lapine show centers on a witch who orders the baker and his wife to go on a challenging journey in order to reverse a hideous curse that's befallen them. Meryl Streep is -- big surprise -- magnificent as the Witch, especially in her "Stay With Me" song, in which she begs her daughter Rapunzel to keep her ass in the tower, away from the world's horrors. Yes, this is a witch that cares -- and transforms!

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 12.29.02 PM.png
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
The original Wicked, this is the quintessential children's fantasy, but it also has nightmarish elements, particularly in Margaret Hamilton's brilliantly scary portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West. Thank God for Glinda, the Good Witch (the quivering-voiced Billie Burke) and for flying houses everywhere.

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 12.30.30 PM.pngTHE WITCHES (1990)
Based on a Roahl Dahl novel (from which it was admittedly a bit watered down), this is a wonderfully art directed vision of a boy's vacation changing tones when the hotel he and granny are staying at turns out to be filled to the rim with witches. The boy finds himself turned into a mouse, cementing his vow to battle the witches' plan to wreck the planet. Nicolas Roeg directs, Anjelica Huston stars, and Jim Henson's people created the creatures.

anigif_enhanced-8627-1413397833-15.gifTHE CRAFT (1996)
The same year Sabrina, The Teenage Witch hit the tube came this entertaining and smart story of witchy students bonding at a school full of evil oppressors. The way these outcasts use their craft to get back at some horrid folks around them could convert you to witchery on the spot.

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 12.33.14 PM.pngSUSPIRIA (1976)
Dario Argento's tale of a young American woman who gets sucked into a grisly dance academy slash coven is beautifully filmed, a real feast for the eyes and mind. Joan Bennett, Alida Valli, and Udo Kier add able support, but be sure to take a chill pill before watching.

tumblr_mcm7p1giAZ1qicr06o1_500.gifTHE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (1987)
Three creatively flourishing but repressed friends (Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer) encounter a crude seducer (Jack Nicholson) who unleashes all sorts of hot stuff in them, like a wickedly effective little devil should. And it turns out they conjured him with their own witchy powers! A comedy, a melodrama, a horror film -- this one has it all, with everyone having a rollicking good time in the process.

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 1.03.34 PM.pngI MARRIED A WITCH (1942)
Veronica Lake was so much more than an interesting hairdo, and in this Rene Clair-directed froth, she's a sheer delight as a witch who was burned centuries ago and has come back to wreak havoc on a descendant of the man who wronged her. Her victim is played by Frederic March, and Susan Hayward, Cecil Kellaway, and Robert Benchley also rode broomsticks into this extremely cute classic.

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 1.04.07 PM.pngBELL, BOOK AND CANDLE (1958)
Kim Novak has the right husky voice and ethereal charm for the part of a witch who casts a spell over publisher James Stewart, then falls in love with him for realz. The supporting cast members add wacky luster: Hermione Gingold, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, and Elsa Lanchester. And "Pyewacket"!

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 1.05.14 PM.pngTHE CRUCIBLE (1996)
Based on the Arthur Miller play about the Salem witch trials (with a heavy subtext of the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s), this film captures the hysteria of heightened accusation, with big help from performances by Daniel Day Lewis, Joan Allen, Winona Ryder (as the main hysteric), and Paul Scofield. In 1957, it was done in French with Yves Montand and Simone Signoret. Yes, witches come in all languages.

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 1.07.57 PM.pngTHE DEVILS (1971)
In his attempt to grab at more power, Cardinal Richelieu demonizes priest Oliver Reed (who ends up on fire) and the nunnery (featuring Mother Superior Vanessa Redgrave, who's all hot and bothered over Oliver Reed) as warlocks and witches. Sick and over the top (and that's a good review), this can be seen as Ken Russell's answer to The Crucible, though it really defies comparison to anything. Other critics called the film a "swirling, multi colored puddle" and took note of the "worm eaten skulls, masturbating nuns, and gibbering courtiers." Again, good reviews!

Also: Hocus Pocus; Practical Magic; Burn, Witch, Burn!; Maleficent (though she's more of a "malevolent fairy"); Sleeping Beauty

Duchess Kate Got the I Don't F*ck With You Tiara Out For the Royal Banquet

$
0
0
Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 11.48.22 AM.pngCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge, morphed into the regal equivalent of a power attorney pantsuit at a royal banquet for the leaders of China yesterday.

The dinner, hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, honored China's President, Xi Jingping, and the chic (contemporary folk singer) Chinese First Lady, Peng Liyuan.

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 11.57.10 AM.pngFor her first official state dinner, Cathy wore a red-sleeved Jenny Packham dress, and a tiara known as the "Lotus Flower," that every article is making SURE to point out is "on loan" from Queen Elizabeth.

Makes it sound like da Queen chucked it at her.

"Don't break it," Liz bellows at Kate.

The Lotus Flower had previously belonged to the scalp of the beloved Queen Mother.

In true Kate fashion, she's recycled this precious crown, wearing it now three times since her wedding to Big Willy in 2011.

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 11.59.22 AM.png Here are some pictures of the future Queen of England wavering between "I'd rather be watching Mad Men season 4 on Netflix with a giant box of Nilla cookies...."

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 12.05.03 PM.png...and "Oh, right, I'm fucking royal now."

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 12.07.53 PM.pngScreen shot 2015-10-21 at 12.10.57 PM.pngAs Huff Post UK reports, following the dinner, Kate and Will rolled out in a Bentley, as they should.

Earlier this morning, Kate was on princess duty again at a cultural event called "Creative Collaborations: UK and China," wearing a plum, lace Dolce & Gabbana dress.

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 12.14.08 PM.pngGod save the Mandarin collar.


Paula Abdul on the Inspirations For Her Most Iconic Music Videos

$
0
0
paulabdulpapermagazine1.jpgPaula Abdul's run at the top of the charts doubled as a crash course in dance for anyone watching at home. In the '80s, Abdul went from Laker Girl to choreographing for the likes of Janet Jackson (she won a Video Music Award for her work on the "Nasty" clip) and then took her turn in front of the camera when she became a pop star in her own right.

With each video, Abdul showed off a different facet of her dance knowledge, from the intricate tap routine she performed at the outset of the "Straight Up" video to the 
racy, Bob Fosse-inspired routine she led in "Cold Hearted.""I was giving history lessons! I introduced Gene Kelly and Bob Fosse to the MTV generation," she recalls.

Abdul, who judged the most recent season of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance, brought Broadway-sized spectacle to the small screen with her clips, which took advantage of her dance training and became MTV staples. "I just loved the whole process of making videos," says Abdul. "They were like mini-musicals for me."

For our Nowstalgia issue, on stands now, we asked Abdul to reflect on some of her most iconic clips.



"(It's Just) The Way that You Love Me" (1988/1989)

This song had two videos, both with David Fincher behind the camera. The first was a more straightforward dance routine, while the second focused on the material comforts that were outlined in the lyrics as not being up to love's snuff. "It's funny, because [when you] look back at clothing and hair from the late '80s and early '90s you just know -- that's the hair, that's the makeup, those are the clothing styles."



"Straight Up" (1989)

This stark black-and-white clip -- also directed by Fincher, and featuring a cameo from a grinning Arsenio Hall -- came out after the sinewy track had already started ascending the Hot 100. "I was inspired by the tap greats -- Gregory Hines, the Nicholas Brothers, even Savion Glover. I'd already done so many music videos as a choreographer, and this was the one time that I was going to have a video myself. I met David Fincher, and he wanted to [shoot] the video in black and white, and I was thinking, 'I have choreographed the industry's biggest stars. Are you kidding me? I'm going to have a black-and-white video?' I wasn't sure of it, but his confidence was unbelievable, and cinematically he knew what he wanted to do. And he was right."
 

"Cold Hearted" (1989)

In both "Straight Up" and "Cold Hearted," Abdul brought a stylized version of dancewear -- character shoes, bodysuits, flared rehearsal skirts -- to MTV's fashion parade. "I wanted to be authentic to who I was, but to have a different edge, but to keep it similar to what I would wear to dance class. When I look back at the people I was inspired by -- Gene Kelly, the MGM musicals -- that's what they danced in: a stylized version of what they really [wore while rehearsing]." The steamy "Cold Hearted" video was another history lesson from Abdul. "'Cold Hearted' was about one of my greatest mentors, Bob Fosse. I took a scene from All That Jazz -- "Take Off With Us" -- but I approached it from the perspective of what his influence was on me. It still was such an important nod to Bob Fosse. I was lucky enough that he was still alive when I made that video; it was toward the end of his life. But he knew that I credited him with all my inspiration."
 

"Opposites Attract" (1989)

Abdul lobbied hard for one more single from her debut Forever Your Girl, and this one had a twist -- MC Skat Kat, an animated cat who could play off Abdul the way Jerry (of the Tom & Jerry cartoons) danced alongside Gene Kelly in the 1945 MGM musical Anchors Aweigh. Label execs were hesitant at first about releasing a seventh single from the album, but relented once they saw the sketch of the funky feline. "I wanted to do an homage and show my gratitude [to Gene Kelly], because that's what got me into entertainment, watching Singin' in the Rain. My family always taught me to be grounded in gratitude, and that teachers were everything. And my biggest influence was Gene Kelly. And then I got to meet him! I dedicated the video to him and sent it to his agent, and two days later I got a phone call to meet him for tea. That started a friendship; he was my mentor for the last two and a half years of his life. He was an incredible teacher. We would just talk and talk -- he would ask me questions about my choices in my videos. He was such a pioneer and visionary who changed the way dance is shot."
 

"Rush Rush" (1991)

Abdul time-warped to the '50s and the era of Rebel Without a Cause for the first single from her second album, Spellbound, wearing a high ponytail and a cardigan at the clip's outset and a filmy white dress for its re-creation of the film's climactic drag-race scene. "I was a huge James Dean fan, and a huge Natalie Wood fan. As a kid, we'd watch Rebel Without a Cause, and cinematically, I loved the look and feel of it. 'Rush Rush' was a very important song for me; it was the lead single off my second album. And I wanted [the video] to have that beautiful, cinematic quality. I knew I wanted Keanu [Reeves]; he had just done Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and Dangerous Liaisons was about to come out. It was a fun time. I remember I was excited to meet him, and I knocked on the door to his trailer -- it was cracked open, but he didn't answer. I pushed the door a little bit, and he was air-guitaring. It was the funniest thing ever."

 
paulabdulpaper2.jpg

SOCK IT TO ME: Happy Socks Teamed Up With Director Robert Rodriguez On a Short Film and New Sock Collection

$
0
0

Horror filmmaker Robert Rodriguez collaborates with Happy Socks on a new line and a short film.

11493.jpg

Happy Socks x Robert Rodriguez


A sock company whose very name is 'Happy' might seem like an odd collaborator for one of the world's most respected horror film directors but the new partnership between Happy Socks and Robert Rodriguez, which includes three new sock designs and a short film, SOCK'EM DEAD, manages to capture the sock and underwear brand's playfulness with Rodriguez's grisly sensibility.

"The design is blood and fangs from the Culebras, a special brand of vampire that comes from Mexico and is rooted in ancient Mayan culture," Rodriguez says of the patterns on the socks, which nod back to his short film. "In SOCK'EM DEAD, our heroine, Madison, is attacked by a Culebra and she's able to take these special socks and use them as weapons to fight him off."

The filmmaker, whose previous work includes Grindhouse, Machete Kills, and Sin City, says he liked the creative challenge of "making a horror film around a pair of really cool socks." Having shot and edited SOCK'EM DEAD at Rodriguez's Austin-based production facility, Troublemaker Studios, the film's setting was a far cry from Happy Socks' homebase in Sweden but, if anything, it showed that whether worn in the desert (or used as a weapon to fight vampires), the socks can come in handy any time. And, with both the socks and the film launching this month, they arrive just in time for the holidays. "As soon as my daughter saw the short film she wanted the pair featured in it," Rodriguez says. "They make great gifts."


1RGP0287700.jpg

0I5A3460700.jpg

Scenes from SOCK'EM DEAD


Robert_0057B_flat RR700.jpg

Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez

10192.jpg

Happy Socks x Robert Rodriguez


0I5A3705700.jpg

Behind the scenes: Robert Rodriguez and Madison Davenport


Watch SOCK'EM DEAD below:




Today We Reflect On 35 Years of Kim Kardashian

$
0
0
Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 2.37.31 PM.pngHappy birthday, Kim Kardashian!

From attending the opening of an envelope...

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 12.59.12 PM.png...to this...

Kim+Kardashian+William+Rast+Unveils+Spring+NKZ25hz0nOUl.jpg...to being on the cover of Vogue (four times)...

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 1.05.12 PM.png
Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 1.07.18 PM.pngScreen shot 2015-10-21 at 1.06.35 PM.pngScreen shot 2015-10-21 at 1.08.09 PM.pngOh, and this little cover!

This year's Givenchy show during NYFW was halted until you and your family arrived.

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 1.01.46 PM.pngIn less than a decade, you've gone from making potential annual appearances at Millions of Milkshakes, to being considered America's princess.

I still don't know exactly what it is you do for a living, but you've made $53 million already in 2015, so you're doing something right.

kim-kardashian-hollywood-app.jpgYou are Recession America. You are 2010s America. You are social media. You are Conquest. War. Famine. Death.

Despite what many believe, you're completely in on the joke.

You invented the joke!

You're terrifying. Compassionate. Loyal sister, daughter, step-daughter, and aunt.

You're married to Kanye West.

And best of all, you're an awesome mom!

kim-kardashian-north-west.jpgHiiii.

You are simply the most famous human being on Earth.

Kim-Kardashian-June-2015-jpg.jpg
But before all of that, you were just a girl who punched her younger sister as she ate Chipotle.

Yes, remember, Kim?

Once, long ago (2008), before the Balmain, you bought yourself a present.

Yes! With your own money. Your mother, your manager -- a glorious turkey vulture -- spread her wings, rolled her spine, and cawed "Treat yourself!" and threw a human femur at you.

kris-jenner-gun.jpgYou put that femur in a satchel, and in the middle of the night crossed a desolate valley, and bartered it...for a Bentley!

You were so happy. You had earned it!

anigif_enhanced-16723-1412678009-11.gifYour sisters were jealous, though.

Literally so jealous.

They were all SO JEALOUS!!!!!

Jealous. Jealous. Jealous.

They laughed -- Kourtney and Khloe -- they laughed at you and your big fat Bentley.

"Who does she think she is?!" Khloe sneered.

You were mad, Kim. It's not your fault you're more famous than them.

You waited outside a door, listening to them cackle at your expense.

You decided it was time to teach them a lesson.

orig-3172281.jpgIn honor of Kim's birthday...here is the greatest moment in Keeping Up With the Kardashians  lore (aside from Kendall paying the family gardener to do her chores at age 7).

Kim walked into Rob Kardashian's apartment at the University of Southern California, where he sat eating Chipotle (before Chipotle was kool) with Khloe, and Kourtney.

What happened next was nothing short of iconic; a moment of authentic sibling-on-sibling rage...a prime reminder of why this family is where they are.

Thank you, Kim. Thank you, Khloe, and your terrible bangs.

Thank you Chipotle.


To 35,000 more years of Kim.



Rejoice! There are Finally Taco Emojis

$
0
0
taco.pngThe latest update for iOS comes with a ton of new emojis, including icons that people have wanted -- nay, needed -- for years, including tacos, burritos, and elusive middle finger. This comes almost a year after the taco was first announced as a candidate for emojification. Update your phone to celebrate and start flipping off your friends without even being in the same room (before inviting them to get tacos, because you're probably hungry). [via BuzzFeed]

Bold Molds: A Fall Fashion Salute to JELL-O

$
0
0
For our October Nowstalgia issue, on stands now, we pay tribute to America's weirdest, most iconic, dessert with some sweet fall fashion.


JELLO7398-v2a copy.jpg
Marni jacket, top, pants, and shoes,Falke socks Irene Neuwirth necklace and rings



JELLO7965-v2.jpg



JELLO8592-v2.jpg
Rochas coat, Christian Dior bodysuit, Miu Miu shoes, Bulgari ring




JELLO8381-v2.jpg
Prada jacket, sweater, shirt, skirt and brooch, Cartier ring




JELLO8793-v2.jpg
Miu Miu coat, dress, top, shoes and earrings, Falke socks, Irene Neuwirth ring




JELLO7606-v4.jpg
Gucci coat and dress, The Way We Wore ring



JELLO8055-v2.jpg
Versace sweater, Cartier ring, Formula X The New Classics in flashy bright rednail polish



JELLO8505.jpg
Chanel vest and skirt, Prada shirt, Gianvito RossiforMary Katrantzou shoes, Falke socks



JELLO8213-v5.jpg
Christian Dior bodysuit, Cartier ring and bracelet



JELLO7955-v2.jpg


JELLO7831-v2.jpg
Simone Rocha dress


Model: Chrystal Copland at Muse Management
Makeup by Jo Baker using Makeup Forever at Forward Artists
Hair by Rob Talty using Kérastase at Forward Artists
Nails by Kait Mosh for Chanel at Cloutier Remix
Set design by Canoe Los Angeles
Style assistance by Melissa Lima


A Latino Artist Is Reillustrating Popular TV Shows With People Of Color

$
0
0
11782461_10153219828815095_4788982164410810982_o.jpg"Grace is a Korean-American fashion designer living in San Francisco with her best friend Will, a black gay immigration lawyer."

In the wake of the #BoycottStarWarsVII backlash and the renewal of Gilmore Girls, artist Julio Salgado created a series of illustrations that reimagine what classic (all-white) television shows would look like with more, ahem, colorful casts. 

Giving them a much-needed makeover, the series is a refreshing chance to alter the whitecentric narrative of most media. Imbuing each of these with alternative narratives, he breathes new life into each of the shows, doing everything from setting Friends in Oakland to making the cast of Full House a Filipino family in Daly City to keeping Wilson Cruz as Rickie in My So Called Life

"Why were we obsessed with a bunch of white people hanging out at a coffee shop?" he wrote in the Facebook post introducing his work. "Well, they were very well developed characters whose (mostly white) creators were given a chance to create."

Adding to the end of his post, that the images are "not meant to forget about POC shows," he clarifies that it's a general critique of media culture in this day and era. "My intention here is to be confrontational," he said. "And turn popular white characters into POC characters." 

Check out the illustrations below and get acquainted with Salgado's new backstories.

12010698_10153219828060095_9125186742892299606_o.jpg
"My version of Gilmore Girls is based on my mom and sister. When we first moved to the U.S. and my sister became really ill, my mom gave her one of her kidneys. That's a bond that they will cherish for their rest of their lives."

12027176_10153221238050095_7932614807570072367_o.jpg"This Full House is a Filipino family and it's set in Daly City. The oldest daughter is undocumented and the youngest two were born in the U.S. Also, uncle Jesse is queer."

12027221_10153219828390095_3060074016915239496_o.jpg
"My version of Friends is set in Oakland. They are mostly college students of color that met at a multicultural center. You'll see them at protests and rolling deep at First Fridays rolling their eyes at white people taking up too much space."

12141017_10153219828795095_5538478299394230606_o.jpg"These are the Sex and the City girls I'd be friends with!"
12045437_10153221238180095_7948096618495466404_o.jpg
"Jordan and Angela are two young Muslim teenagers who must deal with love and Islamophobia in the U.S. Wilson Cruz comes back as Rickie."

887388_10153221238360095_5287223230363843607_o.jpg
"Xena and Gabrielle are two Native women who must face off white colonizers." 

1487977_10153219828460095_6767463755329372559_o.jpg
"This Roseanne is made up of a Mexican family living in Huntington Park."

10256598_10153221238100095_8353851437505046931_o.jpg
"This version of Golden Girls is all about social justice and it stars Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Angela Davis, Dolores Huerta and Grace Lee Boggs...may she rest in power."

James Franco Gets Gay (Again) For New Movie About Gay Porn

$
0
0
james-franco-1.jpgActor/filmmaker/writer/poet/college professor/recent Bar Mitzvah'd Jew James Franco is doing that "straight man questionably fetishizing gay culture" thing again with the upcoming gay porn-centric movie, King Cobra.

Franco is producing the flick about porn producer Bryan Kocis, who owned Cobra Films, and was murdered by two Virginia Beach escorts/aspiring porn producers, Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerkes, in 2007.

The cast is a mix bag, with Molly Ringwald (!!!!!!), Christian Slater, and Disney Channel star Garrett Clayton, who will be playing gay porn twink-legend Brent Corrigan.

Screen shot 2015-10-21 at 2.30.17 PM.png

Brent5.jpgCorrigan was involved in a legal suit with Kocis when he was killed; Cobra alleged they owned the rights to his name, and also sued Corrigan (real name Sean Lockhart) for lying about his age when he began work for them (he was under 18).  

kocis.jpgCuadra and Kerkes hoped that by killing Kocis (and essentially kidnapping Corrigan), they would eliminate the competition and establish a new super era of gay porn.

Good lord.

Of course Franco would be involved with this.

franco-file-2.jpgHe posted a photo to his Instagram sporting gay underwear brand Nasty Pig with King Cobra actor and (Franco's Palo Alto co-star) Keegan Allen.

Screen Shot 2015-10-21 at 5.59.21 PM.pngFranco has a long history of playing (and baiting) gay, from Milk to the indie I Am Michael (which is also directed by King Cobra's Justin Kelly).

In 2013, he co-directed the short Interior: Leather Bar, a fictionalized depiction of the last 40 minutes ofWilliam Friedkin's 1980 thriller Cruising with Al Pacino, about a serial killer who murders gay men tied to the leather scene.

Earlier this year, Franco gave a particularly ghoulish interview for Dot429, where the "straight" version of himself chatted with the "gay" version of himself.

If anyone can figure out a way to power-fuck themselves without any external assistance, it will be James Franco.

james-franco-kissing-himself.gif



Viewing all 7783 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images