Donald Trump Didn't Like Being Photo-Bombed

February 27, 2013, 1:40 pm

≫ Next: Lena Dunham's Zero Dark Thirty Audition Tape

≪ Previous: Celebrities Who Still Wear Tracksuits

$

0

0

1.  Donald Trump didn't appreciate Tyler, the Creator photo-bombing him on the set of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night -- but holy shit, we did. [via Daily Intel]


2.  MoMA's new installation on the art of Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg is getting flack for not acknowledging the artists' 6-year long homosexual relationship. Just a reminder of MoMA's track record: they're still mum on Andy Warhol's sexuality. [via Slate]


3.  Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Moss's new book Salt Sugar Fat reveals a ton of unsavory details about how little America's biggest food companies seem to care about the safety or health of their costumers. Examples include Coca Cola referring to its biggest drinkers as "heavy users" and Frosted Mini Wheats using extremely faulty science to convince parents that the cereal is beneficial. The book sounds like a must-read and also so, so depressing. [via NPR Books]

 

4.  Eddie Huang is writing another book! The next one will be called Undercover Brother and will focus on a trip Huang took with his brother to mainland China. We'll definitely be reading that. [via Eater]


5.  Man, it's the day of people landing memoirs. Questlove, drummer of The Roots, will publish his memoir Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove on June 18th. It's described as "a punch-drunk memoir in which everyone's favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes and the true originals of the music world." We would read that for the crazy stories about celebs whose identities are thinly veiled. [via Pitchfork]


6.  A dog accidentally shot its owner in Florida. Are we really that surprised? [via Death and Taxes]


7.  Meanwhile, in Japan, a company called FabCafé will make a 3D scan of your body and make a life-size gummy replica of you for around $65. Delicious, creepy, and surprisingly cheap (we think). [via BetaBeat]

---

Lena Dunham's Zero Dark Thirty Audition Tape

February 28, 2013, 6:30 am

≫ Next: Jennifer Lawrence Looooves Photoshop

≪ Previous: Donald Trump Didn't Like Being Photo-Bombed

$

0

0

Lena Dunham (or is it Hannah Horvath?) made a Zero Dark Thirty audition tape. [via Vulture]

Watch "A Bad Lip Reading" of 2013 Independent Spirit Awards Best Screenplay Nominees. Imagine if Jennifer Lawrence had actually said, "I have Taylor Swift in a big coffin. She wanted to fight me. She was a fire walker. She has five legs and she drooled on my couch" in Silver Linings Playbook? Actually...that's not a bad idea. [via YouTube]

Alec Baldwin approves of Buzzfeed crowning him the "King of Duck Face." We approve, too. [via Tall Whitney]

WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THIS? [via Dont Do Womens Just Raf Simons]

Love Sparrow's casual Monday morning look. [via Coin Farts]

$10 says that could actually happen. [via Afternoon Snooze Button]

Golden retriever glamor shots. [via The Clearly Dope]

That's one cool ape. [via Rrrick]



Did you know Rashida Jones and her sister, Kidada, were in Sassy back in 1992? A 15-year-old Rashida says of her style, "I'm quite conservative. I like fake Chanel suits, stuff like that." [via Buzzfeed]

Perez Hilton is a dad. Happy Thursday, people. [via Perez Hilton]

Jennifer Lawrence Looooves Photoshop

February 28, 2013, 9:04 am

≫ Next: We're Training Our Lenses on Photographer Natasha Rose Mann

≪ Previous: Lena Dunham's Zero Dark Thirty Audition Tape

$

0

0

God we love Jennifer Lawrence. Access Hollywood showed her her Miss Dior campaign for the first time and her response was "Oh my god, I haven't seen this. That doesn't look like me at all. I love Photoshop more than anything in the world. Of course it's Photoshop, people don't look like that." [via Fashionista]



Behold, the French version of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. It's a little less glitzy but much cooler, with performances by Lykke Li, M.I.A., Lily Allen, Rita Ora and Selah Sue. You will be entranced. 


So Cher was at the Gareth Pugh show in Paris yesterday, although she told WWD she'd "never seen" his clothes before. Everyone freaked out. Even Eric Wilson from the Times tweeted "Shut up! Cher is at Gareth Pugh. She's perfect for the clothes."



Yuck. Skechers has a new line of hidden wedge sneakers for girls and they've named it "Daddy'$ Money." The whole thing also suggests that girls should feel bad for being to short. Double yuck. [via Fashionista]


The reviews of Alexander Wang's first show for Balenciaga have come in and across the board it seems like he did very well, but not amazingly. Cathy Horyn approved of his use of texture and tightening of couture shapes, Vanessa Friedman wrote that it was good but "didn't rock the boat," and Anna Wintour said she was "proud" and that it was smart of Wang not to give "too many fireworks" to soon. So there you have it: the kid did a-okay.


Sounds like A.P.C. designer Jean Touitou gave one hell of a talk-through at the brand's presentation yesterday. Our two favorite things he told reporters:
1) "We used the couture fabric mill that YSL uses. The real YSL. Not the thing that is going on right now."
2) If women wear dresses with no tights in certain areas of Paris, "They will hear, 'suck my dick' if they go out like this in some neighborhoods. Yes, I can say dick. Dick, dick, dick, pussy, dick.'"

We're Training Our Lenses on Photographer Natasha Rose Mann

February 28, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Unraveling enigmatic music project Rhye

≪ Previous: Jennifer Lawrence Looooves Photoshop

$

0

0

From "Gradient" series

We've recently become captivated by London-based photographer Natasha Rose Mann, who creates colorful, angst-tinged portraits of young women. Always playing with the texture of her work (from costumes, to sets, to manipulating the photos themselves), Mann's photographs remind us of super-cool school photos. And, when put together, her body of work forms a stylishly moody yearbook spread. Below, check out some more of our favorites:

From "Palm Spring" series

From "Next Girl" series

From "The Witching Hour" series

From "Selma" series

From "Plain People" series

From "Saturdays Kids" series

Unraveling enigmatic music project Rhye

February 28, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Trollistic Healing, Thurston Moore and More

≪ Previous: We're Training Our Lenses on Photographer Natasha Rose Mann

$

0

0

Rhye's single "Open" was released online last February with little information beyond a gray scale image of a nude torso that, like the ensuing music video's shots of mid-coital couples, only matched the song's unabashed lurve: lyrics like "I'm a fool for your belly" gently sung to a six-chord organ riff and soft percussive snaps.

When two musicians emerged, Rhye's former anonymity seemed less like a marketing ploy and more like a necessary tactic to distinguish themselves from their previous projects: Robin Hannibal's Quadron and Mike Milosh's Milosh. (They still declined to reveal their faces for this story.) Both were signed to electro label Plug Research when what was supposed to be a one-off remix at Hannibal's Copenhagen studio led to a full-length album, Woman, recorded at his pad in Los Angeles. Milosh was already flying to California from Berlin to visit his now-wife, actress Alexa Nikolas, who inspired the album's final track, on which Milosh repeats the album's title for almost three minutes. "It's dangerous writing about personal things," he says, "because it opens you up to criticism."

You could say that Rhye combines Quadron's earthy R&B with Milosh's airy electronica, but the result is both simpler and more complex. As Milosh says, "There's something minimal about it. The beats are very 'boom, clink.' The song structures are very simple chord progressions. We just put a lot of layers on it."

In addition to drum machines, synths and Milosh's vaguely effeminate voice, Woman makes use of live strings, horns and bass guitar. Milosh calls it "'electronic' in the way I define 'electronic.'" When Rhye goes on tour, the computers -- and Hannibal -- will stay in the studio. The stripped-down band will consist of Milosh plus three hired musicians. Milosh says, "We're going to try to not play really loud bars where people are just drinking, like a pickup scene."

Woman will be available March 5th on Loma Vista.

Trollistic Healing, Thurston Moore and More

February 28, 2013, 11:55 am

≫ Next: Director to Watch: Emily Kai Bock

≪ Previous: Unraveling enigmatic music project Rhye

$

0

0

Thursday, February 28

MUSIC: Bushwick Book Club

Local songwriters adapt Justin Vivian Bond's memoir Tango in this monthly series's latest installment.

Strange Loop Gallery, 27 Orchard Street. 8 p.m.

MUSIC: Mannie Fresh

The Cash Money producer and New Orleans bounce evangelist deejays.

Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette Street. 10 p.m. $20. 21+

Friday, March 1

PERFORMANCE: Trendy Gems Day Spa

Artist Genevieve Belleveau hosts an immersive parody of new-age art. She tells us, "Services include Trollistic Healing, #garbagewave Aromatherapy, Ass Clap Therapy, Second Life Iso Immersion, and Tap Reintegration Manicures."

CultureFix Gallery, 9 Clinton Street. 2-6 p.m. Free.

ART: Walter Robinson: Indulgences

Former PAPER columnist and ArtNet editor Robinson shows his paintings of booze, burgers and pills.

Dorian Grey Gallery, 437 East 9th Street, (516) 244-4126. Opening reception 6-9 p.m.Through March 31. 

MUSIC: Potty Mouth + Aye Nako

The two punk bands on this bill could have appeared any time since the first punk explosion, but what connects them to the New Museum's NYC 1993 exhibition is their perceived similarity to '90s riot grrl bands like Bratmobile. All-female Potty Mouth is based in Northhampton, MA (several members studied at Smith College); two-thirds-female Aye Nako comes from Brooklyn.

New Museum, 235 Bowery. 7 p.m. $10. Tickets here.

Saturday, March 2

MUSIC: Cymbals Eat Guitars

International-focused music site the Bomber Jacket celebrates its first anniversary with intricate, noisy indie from Cymbals Eat Guitars and Grooms.

Shea Stadium, 20 Meadow Street, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. $10. Free Brooklyn beer for first hour.

PARTY: Gentle Jousting

Artist Hazel Hill Mccarthy III organized this happening with Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle musician Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, who will be one of many artists showing videos about masculinity. Shannon Funchess of Light Asylum deejays; Drew Denny performs; Kyle Lasky offers trademark "Butch Cuts Five Dollars."

Secret Project Robot, 389 Melrose Street, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. $10

Sunday, March 3

FILM: First Time Fest

This new weekend-long festival pits twelve novice directors against each other, with the winner getting distribution for his film. There are also panel discussions for aspiring filmmakers and screenings of the first flicks by now-famous directors, several of whom (including Philip Seymour Hoffman and Hal Hartley) will be making appearances.

Screenings at Loews Village VII, 66 3rd Avenue, and the Players' Club, 16 Gramercy Park South. Full schedule here. Screening tickets are $15.

MUSIC: Chelsea Light Moving

Thurston Moore's new project is, in the words of our music editor Alex Scordelis, "tighter, catchier and punkier than [Sonic Youth]'s meandering later work."

Other Music, 15 East Fourth Street. 7:30 p.m. Free.

Director to Watch: Emily Kai Bock

February 28, 2013, 12:30 pm

≫ Next: DIY Tats and Fireworks in Bleached's Latest Video

≪ Previous: Trollistic Healing, Thurston Moore and More

$

0

0

Whether she's road-tripping with an Elvis impersonator or capturing a teenaged ice-skater in a breakdown, Emily Kai Bock's music videos are, simply, beautiful. The Montreal-based director turned industry heads with her Grimes video "Oblivion," and has already shot a commercial for Coke and directed a documentary short on NYC's underground rap scene. With a documentary feature on experimental band Tonstartssbandht and a venture into scripted dialogue on the way, Emily Kai Bock is one to watch. We talked to her about her process, her love for the documentary, and how film is the greatest discovery of our time.

Has directing and film in general something you always knew you wanted to do?

No, not at all. I wanted to be a gallery artist for a long time, and only made painting and sculpture and installation. But with film, I wasn't attracted to what I was seeing on TV and in most commercial films, so I never knew that was a route that would be fulfilling for me. It just didn't seem like there was room for the films I wanted to make, until I discovered video art and conceptual photography and that led to me learning about film history and being exposed to more independent filmmakers. A huge curtain was lifted; basically everything that I was interested in, painting, music, making 3D installations, performance art, all those things I was attracted to came together in this world of film.

 

What is your process like when deciding the direction you want to take a video? How much for you is it a collaboration between the artist's vision and your own?

I've never made a video that was the artist's idea. I will speak to the band about the idea and they'll add stuff to it. For instance, I'm doing this video and the band wanted a cameo in it so I have to write these characters that fit into it. Grizzly Bear was also super open to whatever I suggested.

I get these ideas specifically for a song and I want to reuse them for another song or video but it never works that way because the idea is really custom to the band or to the song itself. That's good though, because it keeps you working and challenging yourself to have to go through the process of laying the groundwork for an idea and not knowing if it works until the edit. The hard work is sitting down and planning it and praying it's going to be something that other people like looking at.

Your Grimes "Oblivion" video is obviously one of your most well-known works and one of my personal favorites. How did the concept for that video come to you?

I was thinking a lot about masculine culture and macho settings like frat boy culture. I just started thinking about that a lot when I shared a loft space with these five guys that was also an art collective. I was thinking about being the only girl in a lot of situations -- the film world is very male-dominated and the music world can be that way as well. I know Claire was the first girl to be onstage [at the loft space] when it was all male bands playing shows. So I was thinking about being surrounded by masculine energy. I also watched this documentary in art school about boys being taught to suppress their emotions and to be tough, and that's not ever put on girls because girls are allowed to be emotional and in touch with their feelings. It was also a mix of aesthetics, because shooting in a stadium at night is just a beautiful and epic experience. And, of course, Claire is so captivating.

A lot of your music videos, from "Oblivion" to Kool Music's "Running Back to Everyone" to Sebastien Schuller's "Nightlife" are portraits of a specific person or group of people you've seem to have just encountered. It's very documentary. Do you find yourself being typically drawn to that sort of focus when it comes to music videos?

That's a running thing for sure. I like getting to know the camera's ability to enter into the world or even the headspace of a person. Often, for me, I'm thinking about people I see on the subway and I would love to follow them home. Everyone has an insane life story and it's hard to break through to that. That's something film has definitely given me -- this insight into someone else's perspective and worldview. For centuries we've been perfecting all these separate art forms like writing, painting, music, but with film, we get to tie all of these together. I think it's the greatest discovery of our time -- other than space technology and airplanes. [Laughs]

Your documentary segment from New American Noise for the Sundance Channel profiles a host of NYC based rappers like Angel Haze, Mykki Blanco, etc. How did you get involved in that project?

Sundance had already chosen the cities and my video commissioner asked me to cover New York. So I started to email some of my musician fans and Claire [Boucher] had played a bunch of shows with Mykki Blanco and told me about the alternative rap scene there and how people are experimenting with it. It seemed so interesting to think about this rich legacy that people connect to, all these New York rappers and how they're walking the same streets as Grand Master Flash and Biggie, who birthed hip hop. The city itself is a central character.

I also read that you're working on a documentary about the band Tonstartssbandht? Can you tell me more about that?

I'm really good friends with Tonstartssbandht. They make very experimental music; it's like this form of electronic boogie rock with beautiful vocal over-dubbing and drum and guitar jam sessions. A few years ago, they played a show at the loft space, and I think that was one of the first moments of me thinking, "I have to grab the camera now and film this," so I started filming their shows and interviewing them. Then I learned about their father who is also an experimental musician. So, I flew down to Florida and started interviewing him a bit and I was very moved by how families support each other in the arts. I really believe in what [Tonstartssbandht] do and what they're making but how do you live when you want to make something that's not mainstream? There's a lot of beauty in what they're doing and I wanted to learn about the artists' struggle and how families operate under that. I'm just tying it together now and hopefully edit it by the end of the summer.

Last year you directed an ad for Coke. Were you at all reluctant to do something that commercial as an artist?

I was reluctant until I started learning about the world of directing and basically understood that you don't make any money at all -- if anything you lose money because you want to make your films better and you invest more money out of your pocket. For me, I can't have a part-time job right now, because I'm either editing or planning the next shoot. I see that it's a bit of a trade-off. That video for Coke allowed me to live for five or six months where I made four or five music videos for free.

Besides the Tonstartssbandht documentary, are there any future projects that you're doing that we can look out for?

I'm actually writing my first fiction short that we're shooting in the spring.

Can you tell me a little bit about the plot?

I haven't even told anyone about it at all. [Laughs] I don't want to say too much about it. I can tell you it will probably be 20 minutes and it will be ready by the winter or fall, if I can edit by the summer. It will be a venture into dialogue, which will be really exciting for me.

DIY Tats and Fireworks in Bleached's Latest Video

February 28, 2013, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Behold: The Oreo Separator Machine

≪ Previous: Director to Watch: Emily Kai Bock

$

0

0

Jennifer and Jessica Clavin of LA band Bleached know how to have a damn good time. In their video for their latest single "Next Stop," the sisters party, ride motorcycles, give their friends stick n' pokes and even shoot off fireworks. If only we could jump into this video and join in on the fun! The band's first full-length LP Ride Your Heart Out is out April 2nd.

---

Behold: The Oreo Separator Machine

February 28, 2013, 1:18 pm

≫ Next: The Golden Girls Theme Is Way Funnier in Dutch

≪ Previous: DIY Tats and Fireworks in Bleached's Latest Video

$

0

0

1.  This video of dry-witted physicist David Neevel's Rube Goldberg-esque "Oreo Separator Machine" (OSM) -- which removes every trace of cream from Oreos without destroying the cookie -- is amazing.


2.  At last night's Paley Center panel on 30 Rock, Tina Fey revealed that Dr. Zizmor (he of horrifying subway ad fame), turned down a cameo on on 30 Rock. WHAT? [via Vulture]


3.  Watch out, St. Petersburg: Manifesta, the cuckoo biennial contemporary art fair, is coming to the State Hermitage Museum for its 20th anniversary. [via Gallerist NY]

4.  E.L. James, author of Fifty Shades of Grey, told the Post that her next book "won't be nearly so raunchy -- and I will probably write it under another name." Fair, fair.


5.  Nneka Green-Ingram, a city bus driver from Harlem (pictured above) who also started a business selling clothes out of a converted truck, has Upper East Side residents worried about an onslaught of "mobile shops" in their neighborhood even though she has all of the appropriate licenses. Nneka, you're welcome in our neighborhood any time. [via DNA Info]

6.  For the rest of the year, soul & 45 DJ Jonathan Toubin is going to stage a series of Soul Clap & Dance-Off parties across the country that'll culminate in a national championship at Booklyn Bowl. The party/competition will begin March 8 at SXSW and will also come to Chicago, Austin, New Orleans, Nashville, and Boston. Soul Clap & Dance-Off is great party, so get excited.


7.  We love/hate this collection of junkmail that's made to look important documents. Stop trying to trick us! [via Evil Mad Scientist]

The Golden Girls Theme Is Way Funnier in Dutch

March 1, 2013, 6:30 am

≫ Next: Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Lanvin

≪ Previous: Behold: The Oreo Separator Machine

$

0

0

The Dutch version of the Golden Girls' opening theme = everything. [via Dlisted]

Our new favorite Tumblr of the moment is Jim'll Paint It, where some amazing dude named Jim will spend hours on Microsoft Paint to animate whatever people ask him to. Our favorite: An anthropomorphised New York skyline battling a giant religiously fanatical prawn. Meanwhile the diamond falcon contemplates.


Yesterday afternoon a tractor carrying over 42,000 pounds of ketchup crashed, causing a little bit of chaos and a whole lot of red highway. I'd make an "if only this had crashed next to it" joke but at my alma mater we had a tradition where freshman get sprayed with ketchup, mustard and honey so I know what that must smell like. [via Gawker] 



Oh no, this video combines two of our great weaknesses: a wombat getting cuddly (especially at the 1:10 mark where it rolls over for a tummy rub) and a cute, shirtless redhead. [via Laughing Squid]



Behold: Spocks.


And thus, Jennifer Lawrence took over the world. [via F Yeah Dementia] 


Sorry, we have no idea how to get back to the shore. Good luck! [via The Clearly Dope]

Been there. [via Afternoon Snooze Button]

Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Lanvin

March 1, 2013, 8:00 am

≫ Next: D'Angelo's Fiery "Devil's Pie" Performance

≪ Previous: The Golden Girls Theme Is Way Funnier in Dutch

$

0

0

PAPER's Market Director Luigi Tadini snaps, shares and filters some of his favorite looks from the Lanvin F/W '13 runway.

D'Angelo's Fiery "Devil's Pie" Performance

March 1, 2013, 8:17 am

≫ Next: Beyoncé Is In Trouble With PETA Again

≪ Previous: Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Lanvin

$

0

0

Tickets for ?uestlove and D'Angelo's "two-man show" at the Brooklyn Browl sold out this morning within an hour of the show's announcement. If you didn't snag one, you can at least see this (low-quality) clip of the two, plus the other Soultronics, performing "Devil's Pie" at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. It starts slow but gets (literally) fiery around halfway.

Beyoncé Is In Trouble With PETA Again

March 1, 2013, 9:05 am

≫ Next: From The Archives: Chris Cuomo On Kids and Violence

≪ Previous: D'Angelo's Fiery "Devil's Pie" Performance

$

0

0

Beyoncé is under fire from PETA for the second time. After collaborating on a shoe with Isabel Marant which uses stingray, ostrich, calf, crocodile, and anaconda, PETA released a statement about the cruelty of skinning (which we have to agree with). We also don't like the shoes all that much. [via The Cut]



In other Beyoncé news, Gucci, Bey and Selma Hayek have joined Chime for Change, an organization which gives aide to programs with an emphasis on women's health, education and justice. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Arianna Huffington also support the org. [via Fashionista]


This picture of Terry Richardson and Bono is...too much. [via Terry's Diary]


Rumor has it that Kanye West is looking to hire a design team and revive his fashion line, which he wants to look like "Sexy Margiela." We hope that turns out to be true, if nothing else for the sexy face masks. [via Fashionista]
 

WWD interviewed André Leon Talley and it turns out he took that gig at Numéro Russia for the money: "I'm proud to say I'm going to be 64, I felt I needed more financial security as I go in my twilight age, a little bit more cash for mortgages and as I go into retirement. I took the job because I love Russia and the salary was something fabulous."


Umit Benan is no longer the Creative Director of Trussardi, probably because the brand hasn't done as well in international markets as it would like to, and because Benan's shows got very mixed reviews throughout his time there. [via Fashionista]


We love the new SIXLEE collection, mostly because it sort of feels like if Raf Simons had made his Dior Haute Couture collection for men. Ah, if only. [via HypeBeast]

From The Archives: Chris Cuomo On Kids and Violence

March 1, 2013, 9:50 am

≫ Next: Train Your Lens on Photographer Natasha Rose Mann

≪ Previous: Beyoncé Is In Trouble With PETA Again

$

0

0

Watching CNN the other day, we noticed that Chris Cuomo had been added as the anchor to the morning show team. It took us back to the late '90s when Chris was a political writer for PAPER. A Twitter exchange followed and Chris suggested that we reprint one of his columns. While there were a bunch to choose from, we decided to reprint a piece examining why kids become violent since violence in schools is still such a huge problem. This article, titled "Killer Kids: Who Created These Little Monsters?", was originally published in the March issue of 1999.


"There are no bad kids, only bad parents." Perhaps the time has come to take another look at this aphorism. There are bad kids out there. Real bad. Today, the question is who to blame, because it's not just the parents anymore. Remember the massacre in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where two kids hid in the woods near their school and shot their classmates during a bogus fire drill? Jonesboro was an ugly highlight, but not an aberration. All over the country, kids have been committing heinous acts of violence against parents, other kids and anyone else in the way.

It is not easy to make this statement. In this country, much of the political rhetoric during election season trumpets the ideal of securing our children's future. Indeed, they are our future, but what kind of future will that be?

Children, typically symbolic of our innocence, are becoming symbolic of a violent society. In early January, the U.S. Department of Justice released statistics showing an overall decrease in gun violence in the country over the last 20 years. included in that survey was proof of a 25 percent increase in the amount of gun violence among youths since the mid-'70s. This increase was given little play in the media, except as a reason to enact general handgun control legislation. Kids were only mentioned as potential victims of handgun violence -- not as perpetrators. Then, when the Jonesboro massacre introduced America to the prospect of having predatory children in our midst, crime experts offered comfort by saying that although youth crime was on the rise, it was a single-digit factor in the overall picture.

I recall being shocked by both attempts to ignore the problem. It seemed obvious that we were avoiding asking how kids could be so violent. Nevertheless, I dismissed my reaction as the paranoia of a liberal idealist. That is, until I did a story on Fox Files (shameless plug: Thursday at 9 p.m. on channel 5) about the battle for respect among our youth. Dozens of kids, many between the ages of 12 and 15, were interviewed: some white, some black, some richer, some poorer -- no group prominent enough to characterize the whole. Each described his methods for combating foes -- in some cases referred to as "getting their respect." Tales of sucker punches thrown at rival kids and other "dissers." Proud accounts of attacking a parent that told on them. Little faces with little gritted teeth and little clenched fists reliving the stalking of a math teacher who was throwing pop quizzes and making students take off gang bandanas. Watching these adolescents spew out such vitriol made my mind numb. It was like being in the Tarantino version of those Pepsi commercials with the little girl speaking with a tough-guy voice.

No matter how minor the dis, these kids would respond with extreme force. A 14-year-old called Chill told me that if someone tried to hurt his mother, he would punch or hit him with a stick, or maybe shoot him. His response was the same when asked what he would do if someone called him a punk. "A dis is a dis, and you gotta squash it" was his rationale for the extreme response to a relatively harmless offense.

Kid Slick, a wafer-thin 13-year-old with one of the best tough-guy faces I've ever seen is a prototype for today's violent youth. While waiting to be interviewed with a couple of other kids, he was engaged in a staring, or "mad-dogging," contest that erupted into a fist-fighting fiasco. When asked if hitting the other guy was the right thing to do, K.S. said no. When asked if we were supposed to turn the other cheek when someone bothered us, he said, "Yeah." When asked why he did it, he said "I dunno." This Cosby-esque I dunno was a stock response. It was not, however, an expression of their stupidity, as Mr. Cosby would lament. It was much worse than that; it was them expressing their inability to understand what they were doing.   

The resulting story became one of the rare instances in television journalism where showing a social condition is not enough. Such violence demanded an explanation. Once again, it was Kevin McEneaney from New York's Pheonix House -- whom we met in last month's column -- to the rescue. In his work as a youth and drug counselor, Mr. McEneaney has witnessed the increase in adolescent violence firsthand. These kids, he said, "lack the primary education and emotional development that people engaged in those activities need to modulate their behavior. Ordinarily, an addict of 20 or so has had a degree of education, and more importantly, they are older and have more experience controlling their emotions." Thus younger kids are getting into adult situations, but because of their immaturity they are unable to control their actions. "This immaturity breeds an unpredictability and often overreactions," McEneaney concluded.

Why are kids engaging in such violence? Is it really a matter of bad parenting? McEneaney pointed to the fact that we live in not only a highly permissive society, but also a very adult society. "Everything from TV to the news is not just violent, but designed to be viewed by adults." Basically, children are exposed to things they aren't ready for. This is not a new concept by any means. What is new is the deluge of cable channels and violent programming, hardcore gangsta rap videos and violent video games. Taken separately, each of these attractive nuisances can be controlled by a parent. But, as McEneaney confirmed, "If kids do not see it on their own, they get it on the street or at school, either as a victim or a participant." Surely this is too much for any parent to combat. 
  
I am not a fan of blaming society for our problems. That said, if you create a culture that not only condones but emphasizes violence -- making stars of violent people, championing music about violence -- the result will be violent people. Therefore, I suggest a new aphorism: There are bad kids because there is a bad society.

Train Your Lens on Photographer Natasha Rose Mann

March 1, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Issey Miyake

≪ Previous: From The Archives: Chris Cuomo On Kids and Violence

$

0

0

From "Gradient" series

We've recently become captivated by London-based photographer Natasha Rose Mann, who creates colorful, angst-tinged portraits of young women. Always playing with the texture of her work (from costumes, to sets, to manipulating the photos themselves), Mann's photographs remind us of super-cool school photos. And, when put together, her body of work forms a stylishly moody yearbook spread. Below, check out some more of our favorites:

From "Palm Spring" series

From "Next Girl" series

From "The Witching Hour" series

From "Selma" series

From "Plain People" series

From "Saturdays Kids" series

---

Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Issey Miyake

March 1, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Dior

≪ Previous: Train Your Lens on Photographer Natasha Rose Mann

$

0

0

Shots from Issey Miyake's Fall/Winter '13 show at Paris Fashion Week

More Paris Fashion Week Insta-Moments:
Dior
Lanvin

Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Dior

March 1, 2013, 12:40 pm

≫ Next: The Sonoran Old-Fashioned at Salvation Taco

≪ Previous: Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Issey Miyake

$

0

0

Shots from Christian Dior's F/W 2013 show during Paris Fashion Week

More Paris Fashion Week Insta-Moments:
Lanvin
Issey MIyake

The Sonoran Old-Fashioned at Salvation Taco

March 1, 2013, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Pedro Almodovar's New Movie Will Be Very Gay

≪ Previous: Luigi Tadini's Fashion Week Insta-Moments: Dior

$

0

0

Bland Murray Hill received a jolt of intrigue when Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield unveiled Salvation Taco inside the Pod 39 Hotel. Alongside corn tortillas teeming with roasted cauliflower and curried crema, beverage director Sam Anderson ensures the hungry have access to choice quaffs at this taqueria.

Consider the Sonoran Old-Fashioned, a revamped twist on the classic with equal parts Tequila and once-illegal bacanora. This obscure agave spirit, indigenous to the Mexican state of cowboy-loving Sonora, imbues the drink with a streak of smokiness. "When I tasted it, I immediately imagined it in a stirred cocktail," Anderson points out. His vibrant chili-honey, made with chipotle peppers, adds a complementary surge of heat, tempered by grapefruit bitters.

"There are many Old-Fashioned recipes, but I love this one for its simplicity," says Anderson -- and his customers gravitate towards tequila's mysterious sibling. "They are always asking," he adds, "'What is bacanora?'"

Sonoran Old-Fashioned

1 oz. Cielo Rojo bacanora

1 oz. silver tequila

2 dashes Bitter Truth grapefruit bitters

1/2 oz chili-honey* (see instructions below)

Stir all ingredients. Strain on fresh ice. Garnish with grapefruit and orange twists.

Chili-Honey

1 cup dried chipotle chilies, de-stemmed

3 cups honey

Heat chilies in 2 cups boiling water until they soften. Purée chilies and the water they were boiled in. Strain chilies off with chinois and discard the chili pulp. Add honey to the chili-water to make a syrup. Mix well and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Pedro Almodovar's New Movie Will Be Very Gay

March 1, 2013, 1:12 pm

≫ Next: The Week In Jennifer Lawrence

≪ Previous: The Sonoran Old-Fashioned at Salvation Taco

$

0

0

1.  In the last preview clip of Pedro Almodóvar's movie I'm So Excited, the only thing we really new was that the movie would include lip-synching flight attendants. The full trailer reveals a tiny bit more: as it turns out, the film centers around the reactions of a flight crew when a psychic predicts mid-flight that their plane will crash. It also features heavy drinking, sex, in-fighting between gay flight attendants, and just about everything else we've ever wanted to do an a plane. Color us excited to see Almodóvar return to his campy roots.

2.  And here's Amy Poehler pranking Seth Myers on Watch What Happens: "Every once in a while when I would squint, it felt like I was sitting next to Eddie Redmayne."


3.  This summer, the Brooklyn Museum will host a retrospective of the Bruce High Quality Foundation, the anonymous Brooklyn-based art collective. They only thing BHQF will tell anyone so far is that the show will feature "less than 17,000 works." [via GalleristNY]

4.  Two different New York dudes took to Craigslist to ask for a casual encounter to take their minds off the sequester. Huh. [via Daily Intel]


5.  Soho House might be coming to Brooklyn -- an anonymous source told OUT to "Keep an eye out for a new Brooklyn club."


6.  David Bowie's new album The Next Day is now available to stream in full on iTunes. The album will be available for download on the 12th. [via Pitchfork]


7.  You should read NPR's profile Bright Star Mobile Library, an organization of which sends vans around Pakistan to give weekly readings to young children in need. Then donate here.

8.  We applaud whoever made this mashup of Star Wars and Schoolhouse Rock's "Interjections." [via Towleroad]

The Week In Jennifer Lawrence

March 1, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Only One More Oscars GIF

≪ Previous: Pedro Almodovar's New Movie Will Be Very Gay

$

0

0

Actress with the Prettiest Trip-Inducing Gown at the Oscars: Jennifer Lawrence

Speaking of which, Prettiest Trip at the Oscars: Jennifer Lawrence

Cutest chivalrous race to help Jennifer Lawrence up: Bradley Cooper v. Hugh Jackman. SWOON CITY.

Best Oscars Press Conference: Jennifer Lawrence

Rudest Oscars 'Tude: Jennifer Lawrence.


Best Lindsay Lohan Hidden Identity: Jennifer Lawrence 
 
Actress with the Best Description of Mario Lopez Using a Bad Word (Which He Probably Deserved): Jennifer Lawrence

Best Reaction to Meeting Jack Nicholson For the First Time: Jennifer Lawrence

Best Reaction to Being Photoshopped: Jennifer Lawrence. She said of her campaign photo, "That doesn't look like me at all. I love Photoshop more than anything in the world. Of course it's Photoshop, people don't look like that."

Best Good-Vibes Joint Smoker: Jennifer Lawrence. J-Law parties serious, y'all.