The Best, Worst and Weirdest of the Week

July 17, 2015, 11:00 am

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Photo via Buzzfeed

Weirdest Sex Toy: There is a new uncomfortably realisitic "twerking butt" released by none other than the beloved Pornhub. Coined the "first 3D cybersex experience" this twerking butt is even body heated at 96.8 degrees blurring "the line between peak fantasy and passionate reality." There is the classic butt for $500 or the deluxe butt, which twerks on its own, for $800, but don't worry -- both come with virtual reality glasses. -- Juliette Kang



Restaurant News That's Better than Some Damn Good Coffee: There's a Twin Peaks-themed pop-up restaurant opening in London called "The Owls are Not What They Seem." It will offer themed menu items and cocktails as well as "interactive elements," whatever that means. Fingers crosses everyone gets to take home a slice of cherry pie in a take-out bag as a parting gift. --Elizabeth Thompson

Amazing 'Minions' themed wedding in Cumbria! #OneInAMinionhttp://t.co/OtuPR1z7EHpic.twitter.com/0pKd2tDFKl

-- BBC Cumbria (@BBC_Cumbria) July 5, 2015

Most Horrifying Wedding Theme: For both of their second weddings, Sam Finan and Bob Thomas apparently wanted to make their guests never want to attend a themed wedding again, let alone leave their houses, so they made their wedding minion themed with a minion cake, cufflinks, place cards and more. When will the minioncalypse END?-- Paper


Best Emmy Snub Reaction: Abbi Jacobson took to Twitter this week to voice all of our concerns over Broad City not getting an Emmy nom. Somehow this is all Bevers' fault.- Taylor Silver

Best Advertising Strategy That Would Likely Disgrace Sterling Cooper: Nicki Minaj popped up on Grindr this week to promote her upcoming Pinkprint Tour. Truly genius. -- T.S.   




Most Unexpected Receptionist: What would you expect Daniel Radcliffe to be like an a receptionist? Slightly anxious but overly polite? That's exactly what happened when he spent in hour filling in for a NYLON receptionist. He freaks out at not knowing what to do, then plays it real cool as Joe Jonas strolls in at the end. -- J.K

T in the Park reveller's brilliant 'Bruno Mars-style' dance in front of cheering crowd at festival from you tube.

Posted by Jonathan Bowman on Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Best Viral Festival Video of the Week: There are some crazy festival dance videos, but this guy's impromptu dance to "Uptown Funk" at T in the Park is pretty insane and has already been watched 2.2m times on Facebook. He even does one of those spunky jazz splits during the chorus!! -- J.K



Best Viral Dad Dancing Video of the Week: Dad-dancing-at-a-Vamps-show will see "Uptown Funk" man's Bruno Mars dance and raise him a tucked in polo shirt and the enthusiastic clapping of a man who dropped his fucks off at the door. --E.T.

Dance Song of the Week: Iconapop released another single off their upcoming EP "Emergency" that will be coming out July 17. It's exactly what you need to get your groove on this weekend. -- J.K

Hotel of Our Nightmares of the Week: Japan's new robot hotel. -- A.S.

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The Sunday Funnies

July 19, 2015, 2:35 am

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The investifartion continues. [LaughterKey]
 

Here is a magical video of an older gentleman dancing at a Vamps concert. This is the most powerful dad dancing we've ever seen. This is Maximum Dad Dancing 2: Threat Level Dad. [Uproxx]
 
Everyone at work tomorrow morning. [Mlkshk]

:/ [BurtReynoldsMustache]

"Trump your cat," in which you brush your cat, take the fur you collect and fashion it a tiny Donald Trump wig, is the greatest thing that happened to the internet this week. [DangerousMinds]


Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler play an intense round of True Confessions on the Tonight Show. Let this fill the Tina Fey-era-of-Weekend-Update-sized hole in your heart.
 
Fun for the whole family! [LiarTownUSA]

At 8 pawcent. [LaughterKey]

Modern romance. [AfternoonSnoozeButton]


Someone mashed up Drake's "Started from the Bottom" with Peggy's career trajectory on Mad Men and it's perfect. [Time]
 A beautiful gesture. [Mlkshk]

Cheese stank. [FYouNoFMe]

Have a glorious Sunday. [Mlkshk]

Kanye West's Steve McQueen-Directed Video For "All Day" Will Debut at LACMA This Weekend

July 20, 2015, 1:41 am

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Kanye West photographed by Jackie Nickerson for Paper.

During Paris Fashion Week in March, Kanye West screened a nine-minute, single-take video directed by Twelve Years a Slave director Steve McQueen for the upcoming SWISH songs "All Day" and "I Feel Like That." (The latter is yet to be released by West, but appeared on the leaked SWISH track list that surfaced on Reddit recently). The video will now officially debut this Saturday, 7/25, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it will screen in a gallery for four days. (It's currently  unlisted on the museum's website, however.)

Per the New York Times, the video features West running through an East London warehouse. "[He] runs, crouches, dodges, raps, rants, sweats and pants, as if being pursued by the camera or the police or in pursuit himself, until he slumps against the wall to catch his breath. At several points Mr. McQueen's focus is so tight that Mr. West's face cuts in and out of the frame. At one point, the camera keeps its distance as Mr. West raises hands above head in a gesture of surrender.

There's currently a bootlegged snippet of the video from its spring debut, filmed at the Foundation Louis Vuitton, online. That version is only 6 minutes and a person comes in stands right in front of the camera for the last half of the video. So, yeah. Fingers crossed the clip will be released online following the LACMA exhibit.

Meet Serpent With Feet, the NYC Musician Leading the "Pagan Gospel" Movement

July 20, 2015, 4:45 am

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Say hello to the inimitable @serpentwithfeet 🐍🙌

A photo posted by Paper Magazine (@papermagazine) on Jul 13, 2015 at 12:56pm PDT

Armed with a rich voice and a presence that leaves you agog -- namely a large-gauged septum ring and forehead tattoo that reads "Heaven" --  Josiah Wise, aka serpentwithfeet, is revolutionizing New York's experimental music scene with his compositions that give classical music an avant-garde facelift. Known for creating the "PaganGospel" concept currently gaining steam, Wise melds his choir boy upbringing with a hefty dose of the taboo, candidly speaking about subjects like death and sex in his songs, all while infusing them with classical instrumentation and musical theory. Last week, the Harlem-based artist swung by our offices to chat about his polarizing presence and bent toward the morbid, detailing all of his future plans and past experiences for a conversation almost as unique as him. Read the Q&A below.

   

Can you tell me a little bit about the PaganGospel movement? 

It became this sort of this token term that I was using a lot. I wasn't taking it seriously until a lot of people started repeating it back to me, so I knew it was time to start aggressively using it. So PaganGospel is me trying to wrap my head around the esotericapocryphaand all of these lofty ideas, but over the years I've become a lot more base and a lot more visceral. So then [my own concept of] PaganGospel started moving that way. It's interesting to watch the trajectory of something I "created," but it's really just me responding to a lot of things that I've [consumed].

You had an earlier project called GodBodi, right? Did GodBodi lead to PaganGospel? Was it a prototype?

GodBodi was a band that I had for five years. It sort of disbanded because I wanted to move differently, honestly. I wanted to explore a different softness in my voice and it becomes difficult to do that when you have so many people. Because music like that had so much bravado and what I wanted to do is a lot more like what it is now: softer, nuanced, feminine... something more slithery. So one day it just clicked; I had to go solo. I had done it for five years and I loved them and it ended well, but I knew it was time to shift. 

You tackle a lot of "darker" themes like death and necrophilia in your music. What fascinates you about these topics and how does it relate to your spirituality? 

I grew up in a sort-of curious home. My parents were Christians but they had a rather expansive idea of what Christianity could look like, which I think is pretty healthy. My mom wanted to be an undertaker; she didn't end up being one but she loved death. And I remember a few years ago, waiting for the F train, I saw a guy commit suicide. His head was on the platform and his body was under the train, his jacket was ripped off of him. I remember being so moved...some people were crying, some people were laughing because that's how they deal with death, especially traumatic death. I remember having such a depth of emotion that wasn't sadness. And [afterward] I talked to my mom and before I even said how I felt she said, "Didn't you love it?" And it wasn't that I was happy that this man felt the need to die; to me, he just made a choice. Whether we choose to live, whether we choose to die is our choice, but I think I like the darker aspects, because often we're encouraged to be happy, and encouraged to be bright and I don't think one is better than the other. I think it's just important to explore all avenues.

Photo by Elliott Brown Jr.

Right, and not pretend that it doesn't exist. Your experience seeing the suicide -- I'm just reeling thinking about that. 

There was blood everywhere. I remember thinking, "This is really incredible. I'm glad I got to see it." I could get really graphic but I remember being really excited. I feel that same way as I do with my music, I'm always excited when I hear others do really dirty work, when they get dirt under their nails. I'm into that. 

Your compositions hint at a background in classical music or gospel as well, are you classically-trained?

I have a background in classical and gospel. I grew up singing in church, but my mom played a lot of classical music at home. I started singing in a boys choir...but there wasn't really an interest in black music or classical music with people of color. But in high school there was a strong classical program and the focus was on composers of color -- I started to understand that black people were making more than just jazz and blues. I think we like to create that narrative [about black musicians' histories], but it's such a flat narrative. And when I got to college, my teachers were all of color, so they pushed a lot of classical by black composers. So over the years, that has stuck with me. By my senior year of college, I got what I needed musically to go and start my own thing. So I think I'm responding to all of that information. 

So would you say classical music is one of the primary influences of serpentwithfeet's sound?

serpentwithfeet's sound is confrontational. Not necessarily like industrial, but I'm always trying to confront things which maybe deals more with the message. I don't want to say there's only one sound, even now I'm working with all sorts of producers but...I like the drama. Drama gets conveyed best in classical music but also, you know, all the stuff that's happening now with the kids. What they do now in the underground [with instrumentation and composition makes me] realize that I'm not the only one who has a classical or gospel background.

Photo by Elliott Brown Jr.

Is there something to be said about the fact that you're using styles of music that are not considered to be particularly fresh or young?

I'm an old person. I'm a nana, you know? I'm learning how to be young, so that's also why I think it's so important that I get in touch with my community here. It's very easy for me to be lofty and not really interested in my peers. My parents were older when they had me and I didn't really have any friends growing up, so I got very used to being around older people...in a very traditional family dynamic. So it's been important for me to be around people my own age, to keep me youthful -- so I think I can reference these old things because I have my peers to keep me spry. Otherwise I would just be old. 

Speaking of which, I don't think you have a full orchestra based, so it's safe to assume that it's all sample-based, right? 

Yes. Definitely sample based. People are like, "You should get a quartet," and that's too expected. Lets stick to a track, it's a lot simpler. Plus, it's not gonna work, no one in New York has a budget for that.

True. So do you do your own production entirely or do you collaborate? 

I don't. On some of the tracks, I do it mostly myself. Like "Four Ethers" and "Curiosity of Other Men" I did mostly myself, and I had people help me make it less DIY...but I always know what I want to loop. [What I'm not so good at is] when it comes to crossfading and adding shimmers here and there. But for the most part, I produce or play keys.

Tell me a little about the forehead tattoo. Is there a meaning behind "heaven"? 

Well, it seemed better than "basement." And "hell" would've just been trolling. I had also been exploring some dark [places], traditionally dark, and "heaven," in my mind, was something light to balance out my work. I'm going to get more [forehead] tattoos too. 

Oh really? What are you planning? 

We've been talking about a dead rat with the tail coming down my face and a dead black bird with a flower coming towards my face. 

Takashi Murakami Talks His Creepy-Kawaii Film "Jellyfish Eyes"

July 20, 2015, 5:40 am

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Known to most as the father of post-modern art movement Superflat, it took Japanese artist Takashi Murakami almost 10 years to make the leap from illustration-based art to making full-length motion pictures, but he did it in 2013 with his debut film Jellyfish Eyes.

Finally screening in select American theaters, it's a fantastical, creepy-kawaii children's flick that is equal parts delightful and unsettling -- a uniquely Murakami film that takes a strangely colorful view of a post-Fukushima world where anything is possible. The movie centers on a young boy named Masashi who befriends a flying jellyfish-esque creature named Kurage-bo, and who discovers that the town he just moved to isn't quite what it seems. Below, we chat with the legendary artist about everything from horror movies to government conspiracies.

You're one of the biggest creative names in art.  Why did you want to transition to film and why right now?

I always wanted to make films, but I didn't have a chance to meet with the right people. Making films also cost a lot, but now I'm getting to the point where I can actually manage that budget. I'm finally getting to work on what I wanted to do. 

There are so many fantastical, dreamlike elements to the story that make it feel like a cartoon. Is there a particular reason why you chose to do a live-action film with computer effects rather than just a normal animation? 

I actually wanted to make this an animation initially, but I met the director [Yoshihiro] Nishimura and he's the one who said, "I can make the live-action film on a low budget." And the Jellyfish Eyes project is something I had been working on for more than ten years in animation, so I didn't intend for it to be live action. But we had to start filming right away and we couldn't come up with any new stories from scratch, because I had been thinking about Jellyfish Eyes for so many years. So that's why I ended up using this idea for live action and not animation. 

Why did you choose to have Nishimura, who predominantly works in horror, produce this children's film for you? 

Mr. Nishimura is actually a very, very kind, big-hearted person. He helps out people like [actor] Shion Sono who want to want to try directing. But of course, he is quintessentially known for filming things like Tokyo Gore Police. However, for a children's film like this, he casts people appropriate for children's films. And plus when it started becoming more like a horror film, we worked in editing on making things cuter, adding scenes of nature, shooting more natural scenes and adding more and more things that are not of his taste. 

This is the beginning of a trilogy, right? Why did you choose to tell this story in three parts? 

The original idea I had for Jellyfish Eyes was actually a TV series with maybe 20 episodes or so -- so it was a much longer story. In order to condense it into a film format I had to have more space and time to tell the story. 

I read that you want this film to be a way of showing the younger generation that they have the power to change the system. Can you elaborate on that further? 

So for example, Masashi's uncle in the movie is a researcher employed by the government and he is sort of watching over the villains -- they are trying to come up with a new energy using new science and magic and all that for Japan. However, if you really look at him, he doesn't do anything throughout the movie, he just tells children to do stuff and then leaves it to them. [At one point in the movie] when a monster comes out, he picks the kid hacker and tells him he is the the only one who can fight him. He then leaves the child there and runs away himself. That's an example, but all the adults in the film are like that. The school teacher can't stop the bullying, the parents are actually hitting their own children, and so I was trying to emphasize that the adults are useless and that they don't have any power. Even so, the message is that the children need to find their own way and they need to go forward. It's not a clear message, it's more of a mood. It could seem that it's fine and they are just playing games and such, but it shows that even if you are really young you have to think for yourself. 

There seem to be a lot of different influences at play here as well -- from cult films to anime, what directors would you say inspired you the most during the making of Jellyfish Eyes? 

I am mostly inspired by '70s Japanese TV series like Ultra by Eiji Tsuburaya and also the 80s Spielberg.

You're most known for elevating lowbrow culture, playing with ideas of commodification and mass production. How does that play into the making of a 7 million dollar film?

The two things may not actually reconcile or fit with each other, because I feel like my work as an artist is one thing and that this film is something else. I'm here interviewing with you as the film director, but I feel really timid and shrunken, because I'm like, "This is my first film, I'm sorry!" But if i'm being interviewed as an artist, I would say this "this new theme is this, and the context is this, and it's historically important because of this and that's why this work has a meaning." But I can't do that with a film.

Jellyfish Eyes is in select theaters now.

Charli XCX Premiered a New Song Over the Weekend, "Mow That Lawn"

July 20, 2015, 6:00 am

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Over the weekend, Charli XCX treated concertgoers at two European festivals -- Positivus in Latvia and Ilosaarirock in Finland -- to, in her words, "a brand new song...about chilling the fuck out." With a scuzzier rock edge and New Wave-y shout-sing vocals, "Mow That Lawn" sounds a lot different than the pop we're used to hearing from Charli. Stereogum is reporting that the song was originally supposed to appear on an "aggressive, new wave-y punk album"she recorded in Sweden but eventually abandoned in favor of Sucker. No word on whether the album will be resurrected or if "Mow That Lawn" will appear on a different release but either way, hear a new side of Charli in these two videos above and below. The first is audio-only from her set in Latvia while the second is a fan video of her performing the track in Finland though the sound quality is iffy. 

Witness the Birth of Purrcore with Run the Jewels' Absurdist Cat Noise Remix of "Early"

July 20, 2015, 6:45 am

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Run the Jewels dropped the first full track from Meow the Jewels -- the Kickstarter-funded parody remix of their critically acclaimed second studio album -- this weekend, and spoiler alert: it's everything you thought it'd be, but better. "Meowrly" takes RTJ2's police brutality commentary "Early" and spices it up with, well, cats: cat synth, cat beats, and one very drawn-out cat yowl. True to feline-loving form, the Internet is lapping it up -- comments on the track include: "jesus christ this is incredible,""Truly amazing,""Beautiful," and a seemingly unironic "Sick remix!" -- and one prescient SoundCloud user has already termed the genre "purrcore." Stream this masterpiece of musical absurdism below.

Justine Time: Meet Rising R Star Justine Skye

July 20, 2015, 7:00 am

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"I like to say I make A1 music, which is good music that feels good," says 19-year-old R&B singer Justine Skye. Like a lot of young talent these days, the Brooklyn native got her big break on the Internet -- in her case, via her mega-popular Tumblr and videos of her singing on YouTube. Now signed to Atlantic Records, Skye just released her new EP, Emotionally Unavailable, and is riding high after the passionate reception of her recent single and accompanying video, "Bandit." But amid all the excitement, the singer still makes sure to communicate with the social media followers who paved the way for her success.

Timing is key. "I have to really make sure to post things at the right time," the young singer says. "I know to post things when kids are getting out of school, between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., and checking their phones again."

For someone so poised, it's hard to believe there was ever a time when Skye lacked the kind of confidence you see in her "Bandit" video. But the singer insists she went through a shy phase. "When I was younger, I was really nervous," she says. "But as I got older, I just decided I didn't want to be scared anymore, because life is short." And now, if she ever gets a case of nerves, she says her fashion choices help her project confidence. "I like big watches like the G-Shock that make me look like, Oh, she's the man!" she says. "I like to look really confident and like I can control the room."

Styling by Kollin Carter / Makeup by Joanna Simkin

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Watch Daniel Radcliffe Karaoke Rap "The Real Slim Shady"

July 20, 2015, 7:55 am

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DanielRadcliffe is a man of many talents. In addition to pulling off the neat trick of going from embodying a beloved children's book character to being a legitimate, exciting actor, he can also rap and be a chill feminist. Those rapping skills came in handy last night, when he performed a karaoke rendition of "The Real Slim Shady," a song he boasted to having memorized with Jimmy Fallon last year. (Also, his girlfriend Erin Darke joins in, and while it's always kind of weird to watch rap karaoke, this is pretty adorable.) So. This is a thing that happened. Watch it while you wait for DanielRadcliffe to reveal he's also a highly skilled translator of Sanskrit, or something. [via Vulture]

Models-Turned-Jocks Galore at the Annual Adidas Fanatic Soccer Tournament

July 20, 2015, 8:00 am

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It was hot in every sense of the word at the annual Adidas Fanatic soccer tournament, held at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge park, this past sweltering Saturday. The invite-only event offers all kinds of complimentary delights: beer, copious BBQ, an ice cream truck, limited-edition 'Fanatic' tank tops and blankets. Add to this a spectacular skyline view, and eye candy for miles, in the form of models, athletes, and the almost painfully chic friends and family comprising teams from style-forward institutions such as Acne, V Mag, Ace Hotel, Vice, Opening Ceremony, Momofuku, and Kinfolk, and we have ourselves a winner.

Gwendoline Christie -- AKA GoT's Brienne of Tarth -- Stars In Vivienne Westwood's New Campaign

July 20, 2015, 9:45 am

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Gwendoline Christie with model Leebo Freeman in Vivienne Westwood's Fall/Winter '15 campaign

Back in March, fashion fans and Game of Thrones fans (and fans of fashion AND Game of Thrones) collectively went apeshit for a second after Gwendoline Christie (AKA Brienne of Tarth) walked in Vivienne Westwood's show, which was themed 'Unisex' but also incorporated some fanciful GoT nods. Now, a few months later, we've got another reason to get excited all over again: Christie stars in the brand's Juergen Teller-shot fall/winter campaign.

In a press release, Westwood says:

In this collection the same suit can be worn by a man and a woman, then I realized Gwendoline would be perfect and would fit the clothes so I asked her to do it. She is such an attractive woman -- when I asked her to be in the show, as well as the campaign, we got to know each other, she is a really interesting woman.

And judging by the resulting images, we couldn't agree more.

[Photo via Instagram]

Everything We Know So Far About Frank Ocean's Album

July 20, 2015, 10:00 am

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Back in April, Frank Ocean went on Tumblr to hint that his follow-up to Channel Orange would be coming out in July. With only 11 days left in the month, pitchfork-carrying Frank fans/Frank fans who read Pitchfork have set Twitter ablaze demanding his sophomore LP's release. 



At the same time as he teased the album release date news, Frank also announced the first issue of his magazine Boys Don't Cry and captioned the corresponding photo with #ISSUE1 and #ALBUM3; most people are assuming that The Cure reference is also the name of the album. What's more, we know that the magazine features an interview with Lil B and that there's a chance a Based God x Frank Ocean track may appear on the record since Lil B posted a photo of the twosome in the studio with the caption "New music coming soon!" Whether Based God is one of the Boys who Don't Cry or not, it's been previously reported that Frank recruited producers Hit-Boy (Nicki Minaj, Drake, "Niggas in Paris") and Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Rihanna, Destiny's Child) to work on the album.

As for what the album will actually sound like, we can only speculate. But, based on his first-ever Snapchat (follow him on @arealglitterboy), which shows the singer wearing a Television jacket and the fact that he's cited The Beatles as his latest inspiration and briefly collaborated with Brian Wilson, it's clear that he's been dabbling with retro sounds that are all over the place. And fittingly, he's said to have recorded the entire album at London's Abbey Road Studios.

But despite the frenzy, the only date you're guaranteed to get new Frank music is July 24th, which marks the release of Jake Gyllenhaal's new film Southpaw. According to movie reviewer James Healey, Frank is set to debut as-yet-untitled song at the end of the film. We'll have to wait and see whether the rest of the album comes out with it. We're thinkin 'bout you, Frank.

Hear Disclosure's New Track "Moving Mountains"

July 20, 2015, 11:00 am

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Disclosure premiered their newest single "Moving Mountains" today on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 program. Featuring London-based crooner Brendan Reilly, the airy R&B-infused track takes its time before descending into a multi-layered synth fever dream.

"Moving Mountains" will be included on Disclosure's sophomore LP Caracal, which drops September 25.

Click here and skip to the 1:29:30 mark to listen to the track.

Remembering Elio Fiorucci with Former Shop Boy Joey Arias

July 20, 2015, 11:31 am

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A video of Arias and Klaus Nomi dancing in the window for the news show Real People. "This was totally staged for the show and a joke," Arias tells us. "That didn't really happen." 

He wears the finest clothes, the best designers, heaven knows
Ooo, from his head down to his toes
Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci, he looks like a still
That man is dressed to kill

Those lines from Sister Sledge's 1979 disco anthem, "The Greatest Dancer," made '70s and '80s nightlife-influenced label Fiorucci part of the holy trinity of high fashion back in the days when the greatest fashion show in NYC took place on the dance floor.

The man behind the magic was Italian designer Elio Fiorucci, who passed away today at the age of 80. He launched the Fiorucci ready to wear label in 1970, which was famous for being fabulous at accessible prices and introducing skintight stretch denim to the masses. Its Park Avenue store off 59th street was a magnet for New York City's fashion fringe culture and well-heeled shoppers, and launched the careers of designers like Betsey Johnson and Anna Sui.
 
Cabaret performer and New York City nightlife legend Joey Arias worked in Fiorucci's midtown store during its heyday, when it was a magnet for celebrities like Jackie O and Warhol and young club kids alike. "So many huge stars came into the store -- one day it'd be Federico Fellini, the next day it'd be the King of Spain," said Arias.  "But I was the most impressed by seeing people like Divine or Sylvester. Those were the people who were a big deal to me. "   

Though Fiorucci is perhaps most associated with its gold lame pants, cowboy boots and super-snug denim -- the brand was the first to blend in a small amount of Lycra for stretch -- Arias says Fiorucci customers weren't particularly dazzled by the stretch designs at the time. "The jeans that had a tiny stretch to them? That was just one collection. I remember people saying they looked cheap," laughs Arias. "It wasn't that big of deal."

In fact, Arias, says, the brand's looks in the '70s were "very Milan and very elegant. It wasn't until the early '80s  -- '80 or '81 -- that you started to see some of the designs becoming more wink-wink 'crazy' and geared obviously toward nightlife kids."

Still, Fiorucci's denim was obviously influential to other labels and perhaps ushered in the early '80s era of designer jeans. "Everyone copied his looks," says Arias. "Gloria Vanderbilt, Calvin Klein. They all did." 

Operating as a sort of fashion clubhouse for up-and-coming artists and musicians, the store hosted such diverse hijinks as Kenny Scharf's first NYC solo show with a performance by Klaus Nomi. An anniversary shindig featured a set by a then-unknown singer Madonna, whose brother Christopher worked in the denim department.

The store closed in the mid '80s -- with Elio Fiorucci later selling the brand in the '90s while preserving creative control -- but returned to New York in 2001 with a store downtown. Nearly two decades later, its allegiance to the young and creative was still apparent, with Paper contributors and performance artists AndrewAndrew holding a fashion show at its new location with items they made in the store with a portable sewing machine.    

Arias says he saw Fiorruci in Italy last year. Though he was aware of some recent health problems, his death comes as a shock.

"He was telling me about a Fiorucci book they were working on," says Arias. "He told me how proud he was of me and told me I was like his son. He was calling me 'Joey Fiorucci.'"

Though Fiorucci's downtown location would eventually shutter once again, the brand's legacy lives on in the annals of YouTube and for the young and fashion-hungry on Tumblr, where its iconic '70s ads still rack up re-blogs in the thousands. 

Arias says he's just glad he got to be a part of it all.

"There will never be a store like Fiorucci ever again," he says. "It can only happen once."


 Below, some of Fiorucci's most iconic ads.

Miley Cyrus Will Host This Year's VMAs

July 21, 2015, 1:45 am

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Fuck yeah VMAs!!!!! #VMAs on @MTV Aug 30 at 9pm

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jul 20, 2015 at 3:52pm PDT

Miley Cyrus announced she's hosting the MTV Music Video Awards last night in a delightfully Miley-esque Instagram post, that features our current cover girl in a latex alien costume wearing a sandwich board that says, "MTV won't let me perform, so I'm hosting this year's VMAS."

It's a smart choice for the network -- Cyrus has stolen the show the past two years. In 2013 she gave foam fingers a whole new meaning in our national subconscious during her brain-searing performance with Robin Thicke. Last year she sent a young, gay homeless man named Jesse Helt to give her acceptance speech for Video of the Year and cast a light on the alarming number of LGBT youth living on the street in America. 

Here's hoping MTV lets her be free to be Miley when the VMAs air August 30th and that Bubbe Sue the pig is her co-host.

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BoJack Horseman's Bill Cosby Episode is Equally Hilarious and Devastating

July 21, 2015, 3:06 am

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The second season of BoJack Horseman, which premiered on Netflix last Friday, is maybe the best string of episodes the streaming service has ever hosted. The show, which stars Will Arnett is an alcoholic, deeply depressed anthropomorphic horse who used to star in a successful (if hacky) sitcom, is, in sharp contrast to its bizarre premise and surreal, colorful background, one of the most richly emotional and deeply human things on the air (or online) at the moment. Its cast is dynamite -- in addition to Arnett, the regulars include Alison Brie, Aaron Paul, Paul F. Tompkins, and Amy Sedaris, all of whom refuse to coast just because they're voicing weirdo characters on an animated show. And the show's world allows for ridiculously obvious, still-effective satire (a runner connecting improv groups to Scientology is fantastic). This is most apparent in seventh episode "Hank After Dark," which roughly tracks over the country's response to the allegations against Bill Cosby. 

BuzzFeed has a summary of the way "Hank After Dark" looks at generalized allegations, including against David Letterman, but to explain the plot: BoJack's friend/former love interest/ghostwriter Diane (Brie) calls out the long, rich history of men in Hollywood taking advantage of women and engaging in reprehensible behavior, throwing out a list of names that only glancingly includes late-night host Hank Hippopopolis. After the incident leads people to discover long-standing allegations against the hippo by his assistants (in a manner reminiscent of Hannibal Buress simply calling attention to the accusations against Cosby), Diane becomes the center of attention on BoJack's book tour.

The jokes throughout this episode are excellent, including a ticket on news network MSNBSea (with a whale of a host voiced by Keith Olbermann). But the sadder, more heartfelt part of "Hank After Dark" is the way it captures the attention economy that allows people like Letterman, Cosby, Hank Hippopopolis, Mike Tyson, Woody Allen, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and many, many more to continue taking advantage of women and, correctly, assuming few people, if anyone, will care -- at least until public pressure reaches a fever pitch and the culprit (maybe) confesses.

During the course of her (admittedly somewhat myopic) crusade, Diane first attempts to present her case to people, without actually doing much other than pointing out information that had been publicly available for years -- it was just that no one cared. (Also, networks probably did a good job of hiding it.) Then, she goes to a magazine (named Manatee Fair, naturally), which kills a story on Hippopolis because it's owned by the same corporation that runs the network airing the star's dancing reality show. "People don't want to hear these kinds of stories," Diane is told, and it's sadly true.

The case of Cosby might provide some legitimate grounds for optimism -- he was one of the most powerful, successful men in Hollywood, and now it draws applause when Lena Dunham publicly admits to not having seen his show and considers the man as "just a rapist." But the circus surrounding the Cosby allegations, and the fact that even after dozens of women came forward, there were still some defenders, makes the episode's ending -- in which the media moves on to cover Kanye's West distaste for Thin Mints -- all too believable. By the time you get to that moment, you might have forgotten that Diane is never given an opportunity to actually reveal to the audience what Hippopopolis has actually been accused of. It doesn't matter. Nothing bad is going to happen to him anyway. He's "Uncle Hank."

If anything, BoJack Horseman itself is the best case for optimism in dealing with structural incentives for harassment to go unreported. If something so horrible can be approached in such a scathing, funny, and poignant manner, maybe more people will start paying attention.

Major Lazer and MØ Dub-ified Frank Ocean's "Lost" and It's Amazing

July 21, 2015, 3:09 am

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Just in time for the heatwave, Major Lazer have created a dub-ified (duh) remix of Frank Ocean's gorgeous "Lost" with a little help from "Lean On" collaborator/Danish electro-poptress MØ.

Reggae-inflected and complete with a dash of mystical, Cashmere Cat-esque vibes, Major Lazer turn the introspective original into a slick track ready to soundtrack the adventures of a Caribbean wanderer. Still imbued with the same amount of soul as the original, it's one of the rare Channel Orange reworks worthy of putting on repeat for the rest of the day. Woof. 

Listen below.

 

[h/tFader]

Judd Apatow Does a Perfect -- and Blistering -- Impression of Bill Cosby On the Tonight Show

July 21, 2015, 4:00 am

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While promoting his new movie with Amy Schumer, Trainwreck, Judd Apatow stopped by the Tonight Show and performed his first stand-up routine in 23 years. He uses the first half of his act to joke about his family life, how he's a "troll" living amongst three beautiful women (his wife, Leslie Mann, and two daughters Maude and Iris) and later segues into a bit about the state of Judaism in 2015. But it's at the 2:35 mark that he pulls out the comedic punches and does an extended riff on, and amazing impression of, Bill Cosby. He rakes The Cos over the coals for the rape allegations against him while nailing the comedian's signature doddering cadences and mannerisms. And, like all good comedians who use humor to comment on social/cultural/political affairs, Apatow gets a pointed dig in at Cosby's wife and her adamant defense of her husband. Watch the clip above.

Run For Your Life: The Backlash From Mins' Rights Activists Is Here

July 21, 2015, 6:00 am

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The Minions have been here since the dawn of time. The Minions shall outlast us all. The Minions control the fluctuation of reality. And they are complete idiots.

As part of the collective hallucination gripping the world in relation to Minions, the film has received criticism for being sexist, in part because none of the Minions are (or present as) female. But co-director (and creator of the Minions) Pierre Coffin offered an explanation, telling The Wrap, "Seeing how dumb and stupid they often are, I just couldn't imagine Minions being girls."

This did not sit well with People on the Internet, many of whom are often inclined to hate anything that demeans men even the slightest bit. Here are some angry responses from what we can only presume are newly radicalized mins' rights activists:

We have become so conditioned by #Feminism that now even men are being #Misandrist: http://t.co/D6mgCL8iqB#BoycottMinions

-- Steve Karmazenuk (@SteveKarmazenuk) July 21, 2015

Okay this is extremely sexist. This man is calling his own gender dumb and I'm so confused http://t.co/Jdb3koBCtf via @BuzzFeedOz

-- maddy jeez (@maddyjeez) July 20, 2015

@VCR_Bloghttp://t.co/xOM0cvQW0c Nah it's cool. Just some casual misandry. Oh, what's that? No outrage? It's fine? Yeah, no big.

-- MatthewClark (@Rigel0320) July 13, 2015

Wow. It looks like Coffin has really tapped into something powerful. Good luck, newly minted Mins' Rights Activists!

The 10 Most Underrated Music Videos Of the Past Year

July 21, 2015, 6:45 am

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No shade to Taylor Swift and "Bad Blood," but this year's VMAs could've used a little more varied pool of nominees. From technology-enhanced interactive videos to politically-charged cinematic plotlines, here are our picks for the ten most underrated videos of the past year.

1) Kali Uchis -- "Rush"
Shot with 8mm film, this video directed by film and photography duo, Wiissa, creates a dreamy vintage vibe that perfectly complements Kali Uchis's jazzy and sultry voice. Watch Kali and her cool girl gang of '70s-style babes go on a road trip and roller skate around.



2) Flume -- "Some Minds (Feat. Andrew Wyatt)"
In this eerie music video, a guy floats through a futuristic-looking stadium, comes onto a stage and busts a move that makes his body ripple through air as if he were a reflection in a fun hous mirror. The video starts at slowly, but as soon as that beat drops, it takes off into another dimension.

3) Björk -- "Stonemilker"
Come on, it's 360 degrees of Björk. Only two million views -- really?

4) Earl Sweatshirt -- "Grief"
Who knew that all it took was infrared vision to give us nightmares for the rest of our lives? "Grief" puts Earl in front of a thermal imaging camera for a ghostly, back-from-the dead effect that matches the song's murky feel.

5) Holly Herndon -- "Interference"
Experimental composer Holly Herndon is a whiz at turning the digital realm on its head and her vibrant, transfixing video for "Interference" is no exception. Filled with mysterious text, gradient layers and 3D computer-rendered imagery, it's easy to spend half the video trying to click out of the fake ad box at the bottom.

6) Azealia Banks -- "Wallace"
While we're talking about interactivity, Azealia Banks's "Wallace" video uses your computer's camera to track your facial movements, so that you can become Banks and a part of the video itself. Talk about virtual reality.



7) Shamir -- "Call It Off"
Desert road trips and dance routines from Shamir's anthropomorphic puppet alter ego -- it's like the Muppets-meets-On The Road. Or something. Whatever it is, it's a damn delight.

8) Heems -- "Sometimes"
A mash-up of references and cultures just like Heems' own music (and fashion), "Sometimes" features top-notch cameos (Hannibal Burress, Eric Andre), VHS-style infomercials and epilepsy-inducing cinematography for a wild good time.



9) Vince Staples -- "Señorita"
In this striking black-and-white video, Vince Staples wanders through an all-too-plausible dystopic wasteland, watching as people are gunned down. Eventually, it turns out, the mass murder is all for the enjoyment of a laughing white family -- putting a fine point on Staples' politics.

10) Miguel -- "Coffee"
It's the distillation of Miguel as a tender sex god, capturing his approach to love, characterized by quick, beautiful moments. He's not playing outside the box so much as perfecting what you can do inside of it. (And if the video is any indication, what you can do inside the box is VERY NSFW.)