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The War On Christmas Is Over, And We Won.

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Jason and Katla love Christmas -- their stockings are always hung by the chimney with care, even though neither technically owns a chimney. But this year, they've noticed the entire world having an insane debate about Santa Claus? White Santa Claus? Black Santa Claus? Try Wack Santa Claus. How about that, Megyn Kelly?

Really, the big guy with the sleigh was the last person that Jason and Katla had to defeat in the War On Christmas. But they beat Santa, and the war is over and America has won.

In the last of a HuffPost Comedy four-part series, Jason and Katla wonder how it came to be that a guy who was supposed to ensure the good behavior of children because someone who let's terrible adults make terrible choices.

You will never look at Santa in the same way again, because he does not actually exist, you idiots.

Watch Episode Four above and, if you missed our previous episodes, you are in luck, because you can watch the first here, the second here, and the third here.





Written by and starring Jason Linkins and Katla McGlynn

Directed by Ross Luippold

Shot and edited by Ben Craw

Produced by Katla, Ross and Jason

Special thanks to Nick Graham, Carol Hartsell, HuffPost Live and AOL Studios


'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' Review: Ben Stiller's Daydreaming Ode Marks A Strong Dramatic Turn

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marketed as Ben Stiller's bend toward drama, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" finds the actor, who also directed the feature, seemingly exuding super-human strength while jumping between buildings and battling his nemesis as they surf asphalt.

The lampoon-like scenarios seem far too fanciful when attempting to take Stiller seriously. But these are just the narratives the title character weaves in his mind. In reality, Walter Mitty, played by a poised and sincere Stiller, is an insecure photo editor with an affinity for daydreaming. Adapted from a short story of the same name, which was written by James Thurber and was published in 1939 in The New Yorker, the outlandish scenes in "Mitty" bring the most memorable element of the original tale — reality bending — to the forefront. Thurber's sarcastic narrative found Walter Mitty at odds with his bickering wife and escaping his humdrum life by daydreaming he was a war hero, surgeon and sharp shooter. The first rendering of "Mitty," which maintained Thurber's comedic tone, was realized on film in 1947. It starred Danny Kaye, who this time, battled with an overbearing mother.

Written by Steven Conrad, the contemporary rendition, in which Jim Carey was originally supposed to star, sees the real world altered with such wild inflection that it's hard to digest. Visual techniques like interspersing the text of the opening credits into Walter's surroundings, prove to be the most innovative and clever effect of the picture. Luckily, the CGI-marred moments flood only the first 30 minutes of the film, allowing for a loaded, inspiring experience familiar to other serious Conrad works like "The Pursuit of Happyness."

In the new "Mitty," Stiller's Walter works at Life magazine, which is transitioning from print to digital. A brilliantly vexing Adam Scott plays Ted Hendricks, the ringleader of a band of executives who've come to supervise the completion of the last issue and fire a large chunk of the magazine's staff.

In this take, the women aren't nags. Shirley MacLaine, who plays Stiller's mother, Edna, and Kathryn Hahn, who plays his sister, Odessa, are quite pleasant and supportive. It's Ted who acts as the villain. He takes to bullying Walter, who must pin down the negative image for the final issue's cover. Walter consistently spaces out, especially when he's fantasizing about his co-worker, Cheryl (played sweetly by Kristen Wiig).

Unable to locate the image, which was shot by a long-standing Life magazine photographer, Sean O'Connell (an explorer superbly pronounced by Sean Penn), Walter heads to Greenland where he hopes to find Sean and his coveted shot. Once there, Walter jumps out of a helicopter only to be nearly eaten by a shark when landing in the ocean. It's such a heart-pounding experience that even Walter wonders if what he just endured was real. But, alas, Walter's finally having actual adventures, as his capacity for taking risks increases.

In the midst of more action — Walter skateboards down a hill in Iceland and escapes an erupting volcano — he receives recurring calls from an eHarmony customer service rep (a facetious Patton Oswalt), who is determined to help Walter make his dull online dating profile more appealing.

As we watch Walter's world open up, we follow his journey across alluring locations like the Himalayas. When we finally meet Sean, who is perched on a mountain waiting for the perfect shot, he speaks to Walter's evolution as he tells him he sometimes prefers to savor his personal moments instead of being distracted by his camera.

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"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," a Fox release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for "some crude comments, language and action violence." Running time: 114 minutes. Three stars out of four.

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MPAA definition of PG: Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

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Follow Jessica Herndon on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SomeKind

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sexy New Musical Features An Orgy Scene

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LONDON (AP) — Reviewers were largely seduced, rather than scandalized, on Friday by the latest musical from Andrew Lloyd Webber — surely the first in the impresario's highly successful career to include an orgy scene.

"Stephen Ward" tells the story of the Profumo Affair, a 1963 scandal that almost toppled the British government of the day. Its title character is the well-connected London osteopath who introduced Britain's war secretary, John Profumo, to a young model named Christine Keeler. When it emerged that Keeler had slept with both Profumo and a Soviet naval attache, the collision of sex, espionage and Cold War politics caused a sensation. Profumo resigned, while Ward was arrested, accused of pimping, tried and convicted of living off "immoral earnings." He died from an overdose of sleeping pills before her could be jailed.

The musical, which opened Thursday at London's Aldwych Theatre, is Lloyd Webber's first new show since the "Phantom of the Opera" sequel "Love Never Dies" in 2010. Book and lyrics are by Christopher Hampton and Don Black - the team that wrote Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard."

Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph found the show "a delightful surprise," fueled by "a bracing mixture of humor and indignation," while the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts said Lloyd Webber had produced "a powerful musical not about revolution but about defeat and decay."

The Independent's Paul Taylor has qualms about the "uneven" show and it's "sometimes clodhopping lyrics," though he said "Lloyd Webber's eclectic score has its witty touches and the odd surge of poignancy."

Dominic Maxwell in the Times of London found this guide to the seamy side of early-60s Britain "so thick with events ... that it plays more like a lavishly scored Wikipedia entry than a fully-fledged drama" - though he said that made it "far too pacey to be dull."

Some of Lloyd Webber's biggest hits, such as "The Phantom of the Opera," are full of lush romance. "Stephen Ward" is far spikier, almost a polemical musical. The show sets out to spear hypocrisy, arguing that Ward was made the fall-guy for the scandal by an embarrassed and complicit Establishment. Offstage, Lloyd Webber has called Ward's conviction a perversion of justice and backed a court challenge that is seeking to overturn it.

Onstage, the play's opening number, sung by Alexander Hanson as Ward, is "Human Sacrifice" - and that's how the character sees himself.

The anger is interspersed with a good deal of humor, creating an erratic but somehow endearing show that depicts a time when the strait-laced 1950s were about to give way to the swinging 60s, at least for the wealthy and well-connected.

An aristocratic orgy scene plays out to the jaunty song "You've Never Had it So Good" - the second line is: "You've never had it so often." It is performed by an underwear-clad, whip-toting ensemble with such good-natured British wink-and-nudge that it almost seems wholesome.

Another scene, involving grandees chasing a scantily-clad woman, is like something out of Benny Hill's slapstick TV series.

Charlotte Spencer's Keeler gives flashes of the vulnerable teenager - Keeler was 19 when she had her affair with Profumo - beneath the femme fatale image she was given by the press, and Charlotte Blackledge gives a sparky performance as her friend Mandy Rice-Davies.

Hanson is a charismatic lead, but Ward's true character and motives remain a mystery. Was he the genial hedonist he claimed to be, or something murkier?

And the show only fitfully touches the emotions. Most critics agreed that the most moving song was "I'm Hopeless When it Comes to You" — sung wonderfully by Joanna Riding as the minor character of Profumo's wronged wife.

Standing on stage at Thursday's curtain call, Lloyd Webber spoke emotionally of his pride in the show. It's clearly a project close to his heart.

It's not an obvious hit. But neither, on first appearances, were shows based on supernatural melodrama, feline verses or the life of an Argentine politician - and those turned out to be "The Phantom of the Opera," ''Cats" and "Evita."

Vienna Philharmonic Strips Ex-Nazis Of Honors

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VIENNA (AP) — The famed Vienna Philharmonic orchestra has quietly stripped six former senior Nazi officials of honors awarded them — a late act of contrition for its embrace of the Hitler era that included purging Jewish members from its ranks.

The decision was divulged to The Associated Press by an orchestra member on Friday and confirmed by historian Oliver Rathkolb. Rathkolb led research earlier this year documenting the orchestra's close cooperation with Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and other top Hitler associates after Germany's 1938 annexation of Austria.

The formal vote to revoke the awards was held at the orchestra's annual meeting on Oct. 23 but the move was not announced. Rathkolb said all ensemble members agreed then to strip the officials from golden rings of honor and medals.

Those losing the honors included Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a top Hitler associate sentenced to death for war crimes and crimes against humanity and Vienna governor Baldur von Schirach, who drew a 20-year prison sentence at the Nuremberg trials for his leading role in the deportation of tens of thousands of Jews.

The others stripped of the honors were senior SS official Albert Reitter; Friedrich Rainer, governor of Salzburg and Carinthia provinces; Rudolf Toepfer, a ranking Hitler-era railway official; and Vienna Mayor Hanns Blaschke.

Under the Nazis, 13 musicians with Jewish roots or kin were fired by the orchestra and five died in concentration camps. By the end of World War II, about half of the Philharmonic's members had joined the Nazi party.

Darlene Love's David Letterman Performance Kicks Off Christmas

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Darlene Love has performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for David Letterman since 1986.

"Darlene is a good friend and a fantastic singer who is a deserved member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," Letterman said recently through a representative. "She's one of my favorite things about the holiday season. It isn't Christmas without Darlene Love."

It's not, but now it is: Love hit the "Late Show With David Letterman" stage this week to sing her Christmas classic, complete with a chorus of singers, Paul Shaffer and some fake snow.



This past summer, Love told HuffPost Entertainment how she wound up becoming a fixture of Letterman's world:

We ended up doing the show "Leader of the Pack" at the Bottom Line. Paul Shaffer played Phil Spector in that play. So, David Letterman came down to see the show, and one night on his show, Dave said to Paul, "That Christmas song the girl does in the play you're in is the greatest Christmas song I've ever heard. We need to get her on our show." It was just one coincidence after another! I started doing the first Christmas show in 1986; this year will be the 27th year I've done that show. I was just on his show a couple of months ago doing "Lean On Me." Every now and then they let me sneak in another song. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," however, is the song. And that's how all of that came about.


Watch Love perform for Letterman through the years in the mashup below.

Amazon Will Not Stock Beyonce's New Album

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Amazon may have Beyonce's new self-titled album available for MP3 purchase, but don't expect to see any physical copies there anytime soon. Like Target's decision to opt out of stocking "Beyonce," the online retailer is following suit in the wake of the album's iTunes exclusive week-long sale. However, physical copies can be found on Amazon via third-party sellers.

Billboard also noted how Amazon has not provided "Beyonce" with any prime real estate, meaning that the album is only visible when searched. Considering the album's record-shattering numbers, it would be expected that retailers would promote heavily.

The question that immediately comes to mind is, "Do people still buy CDs?" Despite an MP3 driven world, physical copies do have their appeal. In 2012, physical sales may have continued to decline, but they still trumped the rising digital sales.

With Beyonce's success, can we expect to see more exclusive deals with Apple? If so, how deeply will this injure physical retailers? Or is this just an anomaly resulting from Beyonce's supreme clout? Let us know what you think in the comments.

'Transcendence' Trailer Gives First Look Into Star-Studded Techno-Thriller

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Wally Pfister, long-time cinematographer for Christopher Nolan, has released the first full trailer for "Transcendence."

Along with leading man Johnny Depp, the techno-thriller features supporting roles from the likes of Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara and Rebecca Hall. Detailing Depp as a scientist turned A.I. with a potentially malicious agenda, Pfister's directorial debut promises an exciting ride in 2014.

Watch the trailer above.

'I Am Britney Jean' Documentary Footage Surfaces


Britney Spears Releases 'Piece Of Me' Setlist For Vegas Show

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It's a Britney kind of day. After showing behind-the-scenes footage of Spears selecting her setlist for her imminent Las Vegas show, "Piece Of Me," she has revealed the show's 24 tracks in order.

"Piece Of Me" setlist:

1. Work Bitch
2. Womanizer
3. 3
4. Oops… I Did It Again
5. ...Baby One More Time
6. Me Against The Music
7. Slave 4 U
8. Toxic
9. Circus
10. Scream and Shout
11. Till The World Ends
12. Piece Of Me
13. Hot As Ice
14. Boys
15. Perfume
16. I Wanna Go
17. Lucky
18. Stronger
19. If U Seek Amy
20. Get Naked (I Got A Plan)
21. (You Drive Me) Crazy
22. Do Somethin'
23. Freakshow
24. Gimme More

Did she nail it? What songs would you change? Let us know in the comments.

'August: Osage County' Review: Meryl Streep Is Compelling, Cast Is Wonderful, Pitch-Perfect

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Planning some extended family dinners over the holidays? Worried that folks might not get along, that festering tensions might surface, that people might get tipsy and say too much?

Well, here's an idea: First, go see "August: Osage County," the blistering film adaptation of the Pulitzer-winning Tracy Letts play starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. Because once you've witnessed the rollicking, vicious family dinner that's the dramatic centerpiece of this movie, you'll know you're safe. No family meal of your own will ever seem truly unpleasant after you've witnessed this scene. Festering tensions? Try brutal wounds, caused by the bitterest of insults lobbed across the table with those mashed potatoes. The kind of insults that only those closest to you — we're talking family — could ever dream up.

It is, of course, delicious that the most biting of these insults come from the mouth of the one and only Streep, who holds absolutely nothing back in a performance that could be called showy — except that's it's so compelling, and also deeply faithful to the script. Violet Weston, the 65-year-old matriarch of an Oklahoma clan, is simply one of the most spectacularly damaged characters in memory. And as written by the hugely talented Letts, who has both playwriting and acting Tonys to go with his Pulitzer, she's someone you'll want to meet — if only once.

Not that "August: Osage County," directed by John Wells, works best as a movie, even with a screenplay by Letts himself. Those who saw the 2007 Broadway production will likely recall a nearly perfect theatrical experience, one that left you drained but grateful after three hours.

It feels less naturally suited to film, though if you haven't seen the play, you might not notice. And a brief final scene feels tacked on for cinematic purposes. But these are not fatal flaws.

Virtually all the action takes place in one home, in the heart of the Oklahoma plains, stifling in the August heat. It belongs to Violet and her husband, Beverly, a 69-year-old poet and raging alcoholic. "My wife takes pills and I drink," he says. "That's the bargain we've struck."

And, boy, does Violet take pills. It's a shock to see the regal Streep looking this way: wrinkled and pale, with a craggy fuzz of gray hair peeking out of a dark wig, a result of chemotherapy for mouth cancer. She has stains on her baggy sweater and can't keep her balance. She still smokes, and tufts of that smoke linger in the stifling air, because she doesn't believe in air conditioning. Plastic shades are taped shut, blocking out natural light.

Extended family is summoned home when emergency strikes: Beverly's disappearance. All are forced to sit together, talk together, eat together, and of course face some serious family truths. The nature of those truths won't be revealed here, except for the truth that it would be hard to assemble a more accomplished cast.

Margo Martindale, especially, is absolutely pitch-perfect as Violet's sister Mattie Fae, at once boisterous, flighty, warm, and witheringly insensitive to her awkward adult son, Charlie (Benedict Cumberbatch.) Or, as Mom calls him, Little Charlie, which should tell you a lot.

Also wonderful is Chris Cooper as Mattie Fae's long-suffering husband, and Julianne Nicholson as the lonely and misunderstood Ivy, one of Violet's daughters. The top-flight cast also includes Sam Shepard, Juliette Lewis, Ewan McGregor, Abigail Breslin and Dermot Mulroney. (And it's co-produced by George Clooney, no less.)

Much depends, though, on the dynamic between Violet and daughter Barbara (Roberts), who's in the throes of a disintegrating marriage. This is one of the meatiest roles Roberts has had in a good long time, and she handles it with an admirable lack of vanity. Gone is that high-wattage Roberts smile. Barbara is weary, bitter, and, at times, shrewish.

Watch her in that dinner scene, trying to dodge her mother's verbal missiles, until she no longer can. Come to think of it, though, watch absolutely everyone in that scene.

And then plan your own family dinner, secure in the knowledge that it could never, ever be as bad.

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"August: Osage County," a Weinstein Company release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for "language including sexual references, and for drug material." Running time: 121 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

Beyoncé Explains The Birth Of 'Yoncé' And Breaking 'The Fourth Wall'

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By now, fans of Beyoncé have spent hours with the singer's recently released fifth studio album. The self-titled "visual album" sold over 1 million copies in the first five full days after its release. On Saturday afternoon, Beyoncé screened the corresponding videos at New York's School of Visual Arts and appeared in person to answer some previously submitted fan questions about the project.

Among the topics addressed as fans ate popcorn from "Beyoncé" bags and drank sodas and huckleberry juice: motherhood, why Beyoncé shared more personal details of her life on this record than ever before and how she kept the entire effort under wraps until it hit iTunes. She also explained the birth of "Yoncé," a nickname that's a motif throughout the album (a Justin Timberlake and The-Dream-penned track on the LP is entitled "Yoncé," and the singer wears a necklace with the word on it in multiple videos):

"We were in the studio, and Justin Timberlake started beating on buckets. So, when you hear the beat, it's literally a bucket. It was really organic, and it reminded me of being in middle school during the lunch breaks, when you just start freestyling. So we kept the buckets, and we went back and forth. I was very adamant about keeping it organic, because that whole element is what is so beautiful about it. And Dream just started, 'Yoncé on his mouth like liquor,' and I'm like, 'What does that mean?' But I love it, I think Beyoncé is Beyoncé, Mrs. Carter is Beyoncé, Sasha Fierce is Beyoncé. And I'm finally at a place where I don't have to separate the two. It's all pieces of me, and just different elements of a personality of a woman, because we are complicated."


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Beyoncé also took fans into what it was like to finally let the project hit iTunes (the album landed in the digital retailer at midnight on Dec. 13). "I just got off the stage, I had a glass of wine and my cousin Angie was like, 'Are you alright?' because I was talking to myself and I was terrified," Beyoncé shared. "I was so scared. I had already gone through all the horrible ways it could go in my mind... I saw it live on iTunes and I waited for the first comment. Then I woke up the next morning and... [breaks into dance]."

"We went through everything to keep it sacred and a surprise," the singer said. "Because there's joy in that and it's missing, and that's something I was able to experience as a kid."

Beyoncé also spoke freely about being a mother, telling the crowd that "it's amazing how motherhood changes you." Framing the project as an exercise in opening up, the singer revealed that she "took all the things about myself that I wanted to change and put it in my music."

"More than the music, I'm proud of myself as a woman," she added. "It's about loving your imperfections and the things that make you interesting, because I refuse to let anyone put me in a box."

When discussing why "Beyoncé" is more personal than previous albums (Beyoncé's husband Jay Z and daughter Blue Ivy appear in videos), the singer appeared to choke back tears. "I have always been very generous, I have been generous on stage and take my pain and joy into my performance," she said. "But I'm private... I think it just took me not being anyone's child. Once I had a child, I broke down that fourth wall. I feel liberated, and I feel like I can give my heart to people."

beyonce

"My father taught me so, so much," she said of Matthew Knowles, who managed Beyoncé until 2011. "When I decided to manage myself, it was important to me not to sign to some big company. I wanted to follow in Madonna's footsteps and be a powerhouse. When you get to this level, you don't have to share your money or your success... And we did it. And it's my company."

"This is my first album that -- of course I wanted people to love it and critics to love it and for it to be successful -- but my goal was not picking a No. 1 single," Beyoncé continued. "My goal was putting together a body of work, and I just wanted to know that people cared about music. Honestly, I was at a point where everything feels the same. What I said in 'Ghost,' 'All the shit I do is boring,' is true. And if I could not challenge that, then maybe it was time for me to do something else or develop more artists, which is something that I could do, but just growth. I just hope that I continue to move forward and challenge myself. I think that now that I've become a mother, I just want my legacy to inspire people. That's the biggest goal, just having happiness and knowing that when people come to my shows, they can leave all the madness and leave there knowing that there is hope."

A Definitive Guide To Celebrity Feminism In 2013

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2013 has included some defining moments for feminism, most recently (and perhaps most momentously) in the form of Beyonce's "Beyonce." As we close out 2013 with Queen BEY essentially making women's advocacy go viral, let's take a look at the way pop culture has defined equality of the sexes over the past 12 months.

Stigmatization of the 'F' Word
Featuring Kelly Clarkson, Susan Sarandan, Beyonce and Ellen Page

Feminism refers to "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men." Seems simple enough, right? That definition, however, is often obscured by the false perception that feminists are bra-burning man-haters.

Unfortunately, a lot of women (especially powerful and famous women) that might otherwise be feminist role models are crippled by a fear of the word and its associations. Perhaps they think it refers to "being a load of strident bitches," as Susan Sarandon said to The Guardian earlier this year. Or as Kelly Clarkson put it October: "When people hear feminist it's like, 'Get out of my way, I don't need anyone.' I love that I'm being taken care of and I have a man that's a leader. I'm not a feminist in that sense."

kellysusan

In the April issue of British Vogue, Beyonce, too, seemed to think that feminism required a caveat. "That word can be very extreme ... But I guess I am a modern-day feminist," she said (italics mine). That hesitation makes Beyonce's surprise album all the more impressive when it comes to her choice to include the precise definition of feminism within the song "Flawless."

Beyonce has always been a feminist role model (if you need proof, look to "Life Is But A Dream" in which she clearly expressed that "Women have to work much harder to make it in this world."), but providing a clear definition -- in the form of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk -- obliterated any ambivalence on her stance with more force than it "slayed your faves."

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Although it might seem obvious, providing a definition is necessary. As Ellen Page said in her July interview with the Guardian: "I don't know why people are so reluctant to say they're feminists. Maybe some women just don't care. But how could it be any more obvious that we still live in a patriarchal world when feminism is a bad word?"

The Male Gaze
Featuring Miley Cyrus, Courtney Stodden and Rihanna

The "male gaze" refers to the way much media is presented as through the eyes of its "default" audience -- the heterosexual, likely white, man. It often portrays women as objects intended solely for male pleasure. Yet, it is a more complex concept than "don't be too sexy, the heterosexual males are watching!" The male gaze can also be used to restrict or condemn female sexuality (more on slut-shaming below).

Earlier this year both Miley Cyrus and Courtney Stodden said they were "big" and "true" feminists, respectively. Their very public allegiance to the movement, was met with a collective sigh rather than celebration. The feeling seemed to be that, as PolyMic put it, Cyrus and Stodden were hurting feminism by "[misunderstanding it] as sexual exploitation of the self or willful adherence to a traditional beauty standard."

miley

Those who objected to Stodden and Cyrus' use of the term weren't upset that these celebrities were claiming feminism while being overtly sexual. The issue was that, as Prachi Gupta wrote in an essay for Salon," in calling herself a feminist, Cyrus seemed to be "mistaking feminism, a movement that aims to break down structural barriers to achieve justice and equality for women, for basically YOLO!"

Whether or not you find Cyrus or Stodden's version of feminism legitimate, there is an important comparison to be made here with Rihanna. The Barbadian is by all (Instagram) accounts hyper-sexual. Her "Pour It Up" video included a denim thong and so much tangible ass-jiggling it rivaled Jello. But, as Rawiya Kameir at The Daily Beast argued in November, she has consistently "challenged the heterosexual male gaze by cultivating art and a persona."

rihannatwerk

There is nothing inherently anti-feminist about being sexual. In fact, sex positivity is a landmark of feminism for many women and in the sense that she has employed her sexuality as a form of empowerment, Miley "Twerk" Cyrus is a feminist, too. Ultimately we don't get to decide otherwise. Just because a woman shakes her a**, doesn't mean she can't participate in advocacy for herself and others.

... And Slut-Shaming
Featuring Sinead O'Connor and Rashida Jones

The idea of condemning women for their sexuality or perceived sexuality is a concept known as "slut-shaming" (a phrase so prolific, that in November it even appeared in the New York Times).

In 2013 specifically, Sinead O'Connor and Rashida Jones were both accused of "slut-shaming." O'Connor wrote an open letter to Miley Cyrus expressing her "concern" for the young pop star's promiscuity and Jones' tweets begged celebrities to "stop acting like whores." Both women came under fire for taking aim at the female performers who are confined by a male-dominated institution, rather than the institutions themselves.

rashidajones2

As a powerful article on Groupthink put it, Jones was pitting "feminism v. whores":

"The issue isn't that Miley and Rihanna perform in very little clothing, or that regardless of their intentions, they can be construed as performing for the male gaze. The issue is that when Tegan & Sara and Janelle Monae perform fully clothed and in a way that is clearly and undeniably queer, they are not given the same kind of success that Miley and Rihanna are."


Defending herself in an essay on the "pornification of everything" for Glamour, Jones claimed that her tweets were OK, because she is a feminist -- a truly straw man defense, which falsely claims that feminism is a club that only some ladies are allowed to get into.

Women vs. Women
Featuring Taylor Swift, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey

Caring about, empowering and lifting up other women doesn't necessarily mean that everyone needs to agree all the time. Pro Tip: Just because two women disagree with each other, doesn't mean we have a "cat fight" on our hands.

For example, during the 2013 Golden Globes, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey Joked that Taylor Swift should "stay away from Michael J. Fox's son." It was, as Fey later noted, "a benign joke," yet, Swift instantly went into revenge mode, telling Vanity Fair (that Katie Couric had told her) "there is a special place in hell for women who don't support other women."

Avid feminist Poehler responded in a typically endearing manner, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "Aw, I feel bad if she was upset. I am a feminist and she is a young and talented girl. That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff." Instantly, she was able to defuse the female in-fighting that Swift was trying to create.

amy

The point here is not that Amy Poehler is perhaps the most likable person on earth and we should all try and be her best friend (though that's true). Rather, the point is that it should be okay for women be critical of other women and critique is fundamentally different from shame.

Body-Shaming
Featuring basically everyone

The most familiar version of body-shaming is fat-shaming, but body-shaming simply refers to the systemized criticism of marginalized bodies, and can occur for women (and men) all shapes and sizes. 2013's most blaring example would be The New York Observer's Rex Reed's review of "Identity Thief" which referred to Melissa McCarthy as "tractor-sized" and "a hippo." McCarthy took the high road in her response, after asking: "Why would someone OK that?"

melmcgif

Unfortunately, the answer is that body-shaming culture has found its way to mainstream acceptance. It comes in mundane forms, like back-handed compliments and unsolicited eating advice, but ultimately it is panhandled by media to the extent that Reed's insults are just an extreme example of something that occurs on a daily basis. Consider the New York Times write-up of Lena Dunham and Claire Danes' interactionS on the Emmys red carpet, chiding Dunham's "pulchritude" and calling Danes "skeletal" in comparison." As Charlottle Cowles wrote at The Cut: "'skeletal' = ethereal, and 'abundant pulchritude' = sloppily displayed curves. These women really can't win, can they?"

lena

Some might argue that we've become overly-sensitive, "living in the era of body-positive wolf-crying" in which fashion writers cannot even talk about the bodies that wear the clothes, as Jezebel's Erin Gloria Ryan put it. But McCarthy being called a "hippo" hardly feels indicative of a culture categorized by increased sensitivity. Even if we removed fashion writers from the equation, women receive a constant -- and often subtle -- bombardment of physical criticism, in which no body is ever truly "right." Some celebrities, like Jennifer Lawrence, have started speaking out against this constant physical critique. As she told the Guardian while promoting "Catching Fire" earlier in December: "It should be illegal to call somebody fat."

Brooklyn's Bushwig Festival Is Rethinking Drag Culture

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This is the eighth installment in an ongoing series that explores drag culture and the nightlife scene in Brooklyn, N.Y. Over the past two months, this project has highlighted different members of the community that are not only thriving in the Brooklyn scene, but rethinking what "drag queen" or "drag artist" means as an identifier. As we pass the mid-way point of this series, it's time to take a look at the large-scale festival that put Brooklyn on the map in terms of drag culture. Photographers Stephanie Keith and Cameron Cole contributed their work to this project.

On Sept. 20, 2012, a drag festival broke new ground at Secret Project Robot in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y.: Bushwig. Over the course of the past 15 months since this first festival, drag culture in this outer borough has exploded, with the festival itself growing from 30 performers to almost 75 for its second inception this past September.

Founded by Horrorchata and Babes Trust, Bushwig is a massive community effort that brings together a multitude of drag artists, performers and community members to celebrate gender expression and fluidity, queer performance art, drag culture and love and respect for what, at its root, is a family.

drag queen

"Bushwig is an event that not only acknowledges and honors its predecessor, Wigstock, but also forges new ground with the electric energy of a community living in Brooklyn and beyond," prominent community member Untitled Queen told The Huffington Post. "The festival becomes an equal opportunity stage for performers to come together amongst their peers and a huge audience and blow everyone away."

As discussed in the previous installments in this series, members of the drag community and nightlife scene in northern Brooklyn are rethinking the traditional notions associated with "drag queens" and what it means to be a drag performer -- and the Bushwig festival has become a massive creative outlet and platform for these community members.

"Bushwig represents a full spectrum of drag. Because of the festival’s inclusive nature, many alternative kweens find that it represents them and their community more efficiently than any other event in the area," Trey LaTrash stated. "Bushwig represents what is wild about drag, what is interesting about north Brooklyn, and hopefully new practices in community culture, in and out of a drag context."



The concept of Bushwig draws heavily from the famous Wigstock festival (referencing Woodstock), which was held annually in New York's East Village throughout the late '80s, '90s and 2000s. Hosted and co-founded by Lady Bunny, Wigstock grew from a group of drunken friends spontaneously holding performances in Tompkins Square Park in 1984 to a massive event with over 50,000 attendees in 1995. Artists and performers at the event were on caliber with RuPaul himself, who was launched into superstardom in 1993 with the release of "Supermodel (Of The World)." As a celebration of drag culture, artistic expression and transgressive queer culture, Wigstock continued to blossom into the 21st century.

With only two festivals under its belt, the legacy of Bushwig is still being written within the future trajectory of the New York drag scene. Through the festival has already become a source of cultural production for the Bushwick community, Bushwig, like most of the performers engaged in the festival, is extremely malleable -- developing, shifting and growing as a creative outlet alongside the larger changing landscape of northern Brooklyn.

(The story continues after the slideshow of images from Bushwig 2013 below)


"Bushwig is a baby crawling and it is still learning to walk," co-founder Horrorchata told The Huffington Post. "It takes time, but together we will get there. I think it's too early to tell what the values will be in the future... [but] I want to make it huge! I want it in a park with more stages, live music, more drag queens, DJs and to bring in local Brooklyn shop venders. That's just a dream -- but dreams can come true and we are the future."

"Bushwig is a gift for me," co-founder Babes Trust told The Huffington Post. "I enjoy creating things for people, I'm not really one to crave the limelight, I prefer to be in the background oiling the cogs... my hope is that we can sustain a huge festival that feeds back into the community via a full time space that doesn't become over-institutionalized."

Prominent community member and drag mother Merrie Cherry echoed Babes Trust's apprehensions about losing the spirit of Bushwig if the festival were to be taken over by corporate interests.

"It is my hope that one day we do become more community-based and focus more on giving back and adding to the place we freaks call home... It is important for us to grow Bushwig as a family and keep things progressive yet simple. For me, the worst thing that could even happen is if we get huge corporate sponsors that take the soul out of what everyone has created. 'Keep It Local,' -- that is what I say."

The next Bushwig festival is slated to take place in September 2014 at Secret Project Robot. If you've missed the previous installments in this series, check out the slideshow below to explore and get to know different Brooklyn nightlife community members. Visit HuffPost Gay Voices every weekend as we continue to embark on this 15-part series surrounding the concept of Rethinking Drag Culture in Brooklyn, N.Y.

'Antiques Roadshow' Appraises Original Claymation Models Of Rudolph And Santa Found In Attic (VIDEO)

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You thought those ratty old stockings your mom has been hanging since 1985 were the ultimate throwback to Christmas past, imagine looking through your attic and finding the claymation versions of Rudolph and Santa from the classic 1964 film "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." One homeowner did. But it's the value of the props that might have been the even bigger surprise.

Check out how much they're worth in the video below.

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Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

The 12 Most Talented And Tiny Child Prodigies Of 2013

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As this tumultuous year comes to a close, we'd like to take a moment to look back on 2013's most precocious child prodigies. From breakdancers to pianists to pint-sized photographers, these are the young spirits who awed us with their talent, slayed us with their cuteness and made us feel painfully inadequate with their accomplishments.

May we humbly present the 12 tiniest, and most talented, child prodigies who made a splash in the art world this year. Prepare yourself for lots of squeals, "awww"s and spurts of low self-esteem.

1. Avery Molek, 6 years old



Meet Avery Molek, a six-year-old drummer who experienced his 15 minutes of YouTube fame in 2013. In a video that made the rounds last March, the tiny drummer can be seen shredding his way through Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher," barely missing a beat as he plays the classic song like a pro. Read more about Molek here.


2. Malik Kofi, 11 years old



At a height of just over five feet, an instrument like the cello nearly eclipses the body of 11-year-old child prodigy Malik Kofi. But that didn't stop the young musician from impressing the best of his adult contemporaries with his unbelievable classical music skills. “He’s an extremely talented cellist," said Udi Bar-David, player for the Philadelphia Orchestra, "very creative, mature, has stage presence, is open to learning and has strong ideas of his own." Read more about Kofi here.


3. Hwang Min-woo, 7 years old



Although the seven-year-old boy's given name is Hwang Min-woo, you may know him as "Little PSY." The young dancing machine went viral this year after performing an impressive rendition of PSY's iconic pony dance alongside him in "Gangnam Style." He also released an electro, K-pop song on iTunes this year and is painfully adorable, especially when donning a suit and sunglasses. Read more about "Little PSY" here.


4. B-girl Terra, 6 years old



A six-year-old breakdancing prodigy named "B-girl Terra" put all adult dancers to shame in a YouTube video that circulated earlier this year. The miniature competitor took part in the Chelles Battle Pro competition in Paris, blowing away the rest of the contestants with her unbelievable windmills and headspins. Read more about the B-girl here.


5. Tyler Clemons, 4 years old



Like most four-year-olds, little Tyler Clemons enjoys banging on objects around the home. So what separates him from the rest of his destruction-prone peers? The answer: a pair of drum sticks and the label "child prodigy." In a video posted by Louisiana news outlet KPLC, Clemons grinned widely as his mother described him as a prodigious drummer. "He just wouldn't stop banging on things. All day, everyday," she says. Prodigy? We're not so sure, but we can't help but want to pinch his cheeks. Read more about Tyler here.


5. Autumn de Forest, 11 years old

autumn de forest
Autumn de Forest, "Jasper Map"


Child prodigy extraordinaire Autumn de Forest rose to fame a few years ago when, at the tender age of seven, the Discovery Channel labeled her a "child genius." Media outlets at the time were enamored with her painting abilities, praising the child for her tendency to create canvases that, well, looked like the work of established artists -- and the praise continued in 2013. An adult artist might get slapped with the ugly term "derivative," but how can one do that to a child? It's not fair. We're reminded of Joan Acocella's 1994 New Yorker piece, "Discussing the Undiscussable,” where she writes of an artist being "beyond the reach of criticism." And yet, how can we approach the work if not critically? Read more about Autumn here.


6. Umi Garrett, 13 years old



If you know the name Umi Garrett, it's probably due to a certain performance of hers on the Ellen Degeneres show, which undoubtedly will go down in history as one of the cutest musical performances to ever be televised. Umi, who was only eight years old at the time, won our hearts with her gifted piano skills and enviable cotton candy frock. She also has a pretty adorable Twitter account. In 2013, five years after her big break, we checked in with Umi, who was preparing herself for teenage life. Update: she continues to tour and play piano and, in her spare time, rocks out to One Direction. Read an interview with Umi here.


7. Fuji, 3 years old

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Nigerian photographer Onafujiri "Fuji" Remet made a name for himself earlier this summer when his work was showcased in a Lagos exhibition. Aside from his curious eye and ability to capture the color and motion of Nigerian street life, Remet received attention for his miniature stature -- he is three years old after all. Yes, you read that right. Little Fuji learned to man a Sony SLR before most of us could spell our names. His photos capture everything from street vendors to family portraits, from an unusually pint-sized vantage point. Fuji's early initiation to the art world can be attributed to his creative family. His father and two older sisters are artists as well. At present, the ambitious young photographer has 3,000 images to his name, according to Visual News. Not bad for a toddler. Read more about Fuji here.


8. Caesar Sant, 4 years old



Caesar Sant is a four-year-old child prodigy with a gift for playing the violin. He started learning the instrument just over a year ago and, as you can see in the video that circulated this past year, is already impressing instructors with his adorable renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner." However, beyond his talent for the violin and knack for reading complicated sheet music, the young genius suffers from a rare form of sickle cell anemia that's caused Caesar to have two strokes in a period of six months, one of which resulted in the temporary loss of mobility in his bowing arm. According to the Winston Salem Journal, his family, including neuroscientist father Lucas Santos, have turned to a stem cell bone marrow transplant -- a $500,000 procedure offered through Johns Hopkins University -- as the "only cure" for the young boy. Read more about Cesar here.


9. Rhema Marvanne, 11 years old



Rhema Marvanne's solo rendition of "O Holy Night" is heartbreakingly moving, and she was just seven years old when she recorded it. The tiny songstress has a heavenly voice, and she takes inspiration from someone that she believes is up above as well-- her mother Wendi, who died from ovarian cancer in 2008, just one year before this song was recorded. Marvanne told the Fort Hood Sentinel, “When I sing, it makes me think of my mother, which makes me happy. I want to take my gift that makes me happy and share with those who are still sad and try to make them happy again.” Read more about Rhema, who we covered in 2013, here.


10. Ryan Wang, 5 years old



Ryan Wang, the adorable five-year-old piano prodigy who captured Ellen Degeneres' heart earlier this year, has another unexpected admirer. Her name is Dorothy Landry, and she's 101 years old. Thanks to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Landry was recently able to enjoy her very own private recital captured in the video above. Although she'd seen Wang perform before, she's hard of hearing, so this up-close experience was invaluable. Read more about Ryan here.


11. Amira Willighagen, 9 years old



When nine-year-old Amira Willighagen from Nijmegen in the Netherlands stepped onto the "Holland's Got Talent" stage, no one was expecting such a big voice to come out of such a very little girl. Her incredible rendition of Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro" from the opera "Gianni Schicchi" earned her a Golden Ticket from the judges that would take her straight to the live show. It's hard to believe how young Amira is, but even more surprising to learn that she is completely self-taught, and used only YouTube tutorials to learn how to sing. Read more about Amira here.


12. Malachi Samedy, 9 years old



Nine-year-old Malachi Samedy has been drumming since before he could walk. He got his first drum set at 24 months, was admitted to music school at age four, and by the time he was seven, was close to realizing his dream of performing for President Obama. "When he was younger, he would just bang on everything," Malachi's father, Nasser Samedy, says in this HooplaHa video, "My wife was saying, 'You know, he's a drummer.'" Malachi has been wowing older professional musicians with his talent ever since. What's more, he's using his talent to bring attention to causes that matter, commonly visiting children's locations to share his music and positive message. Read more about Malachi here.

The 11 Most Stunning Christmas Trees From Around The World

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Christmas trees are like snowflakes -- no two are alike. From Brazil to Norway to the Czech Republic, the holiday staples can be seen gracing town squares and towering over monuments. Yet they have the capacity to look radically different, as countries twist and twirl the tradition of showcasing trees by adding their own lights, ornaments, bells and whistles.

Now that we're all in the seasonal spirit, take a look at these 11 gorgeous Christmas trees spotted in locales across the globe.

1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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2. National Christmas Tree, Washington, DC

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3. Madrid, Spain

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4. Oslo, Norway

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5. IJsselstein, Netherlands

xmas tree 5


6. Prague, Czech Republic

xmas tree 6


7. Dortmund, Germany

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8. Strasbourg, France

xmas tree 8


9. New York City

xmas tree 9


10. Gouda, Netherlands

xmas tree 10


11. Lansing, Michigan

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Vin Diesel Confirmed As Groot In Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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Following strong speculations that Vin Diesel would voice the character Groot in the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy" film, Marvel has finally confirmed the action star's extraterrestrial tree-creature role.

Diesel joins the superhero cast featuring Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, Zoe Saldana as Gamora and Dave Bautista as Drax. The live-action adventure is set to hit theaters on Aug. 1, 2014.

'The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug' Holds Off 'Anchorman 2' At The Box Office With $31.5 Million

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NEW YORK (AP) — On busy pre-Christmas weekend at the box office, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" held off a very different sequel, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues."

Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" sequel took in $31.5 million in its second weekend of release for Warner Bros., according to studio estimates Sunday. That topped Will Ferrell's "Anchorman" sequel, which nevertheless opened strongly in second place. The Paramount Pictures comedy made $26.8 million over the three-day weekend and $40 million since opening Tuesday night. The much-marketed "Anchorman 2" actually outperformed "The Hobbit" (which has now passed $300 million worldwide) on Friday, but failed to best it over Saturday and Sunday. But the $50 million comedy, which Paramount initially turned down, also suggested it will be more popular abroad than most comedies. It made $13.4 million in six international markets.

The 2004 original opened with $28.4 million, but only grossed $5.3 million internationally.

"'Anchorman' will have a much larger footprint internationally than the last 'Anchorman' did," said Don Harris, head of domestic distribution for Paramount. "Will Ferrell has done a really good job of turning this character into something that travels around the world."

David O. Russell's fictionalization of the 1970s Abscam investigation "American Hustle" earned a robust $19.1 million in its first week of nationwide expansion. The Sony Pictures film, starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, got a boost from its co-leading seven Golden Globes nominations.

"It's such a crowd-pleaser as well as a critical hit," said Sony's distribution head Rory Bruer. "We have so much more to look forward to, including Christmas Day."

The pre-Christmas weekend is a sought-after release date, one that usually offers films especially good legs at the box office as moviegoers flood theaters over the coming weeks. The weekend box office was up nearly 30 percent over the same weekend last year.

But this year's holiday frame will be particularly competitive. The crowded field of movie openings Wednesday includes Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street," Ben Stiller's "The Life of Walter Mitty," the Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone comedy "Grudge Match," the Justin Bieber documentary "Justin Bieber's Believe" and Keanu Reeves' "47 Ronin."

"It is going to be one heck of a crowded Christmas Day at the movie theater," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. "This is setting up to be perhaps one of the biggest Christmas Days ever."

One obvious casualty from the many options at the multiplexes was 20th Century Fox's "Walking With Dinosaurs," a 3-D attraction that hoped to draw moviegoers with digital dinosaurs. Made for $85 million, it fell flat with just $7.3 million over the weekend.

The family market has instead been cornered by Disney's animated "Frozen," which added $19.2 million over the weekend. In five weeks of release, it's made $344 million worldwide.

The other Oscar-hopeful that went wide over the weekend, Disney's making-of "Mary Poppins" tale "Saving Mr. Banks." The film, starring Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, made $9.3 million.

Spike Jonze's acclaimed futuristic romance "Her," starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlet Johansson, opened in limited release. It took in $361,000 over five days in three cities, good for a $60,000 screen average.

Despite some high-profile summer bombs, the 2013 box office is on track to narrowly surpass last year's record box office of $10.8 billion, with one weekend to go in the year.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday:

1. "Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," $31.5 million.

2. "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," $26.8 million.

3. "Frozen," $19.2 million.

4. "American Hustle," $19.1 million.

5. "Saving Mr. Banks," $9.3 million.

6. "Hunger Games: Catching Fire," $8.8 million.

7. "Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas," $8.5 million.

8. "Walking With Dinosaurs," $7.3 million.

9. "Dhoom 3," $3.3 million.

10. "Thor: The Dark World," $1.3 million.

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Miley Cyrus Instagrams Racy 'Adore You' Video Clip

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Miley Cyrus is preparing to release the music video for her new song "Adore You," and last night (Dec. 21) she posted a few seconds of the footage to her Instagram account. Writhing about beneath the sheets, the stripped-down star guarantees that we are in for another racy ride.

Watch the clip below, and check out the video when it premieres on Dec. 26.

Hugh Bonneville As Mr. Stink: 'Downton Abbey' Star Debuts Drastically Different Look

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Earl of Grantham ... is that you?!

Last night (Dec. 22), U.S. "Downton Abbey" fans got quite the shock when Hugh Bonneville appeared in PBS' TV movie "Mr. Stink."

Check out Bonneville's drastically different look in the photos below:

mr stink

mr stink 2

hugh bonneville

mr stink 3

"Mr. Stink" centers on the touching story of Mr. Stink (Bonneville), a homeless man who uses his foul odor as weapon of sorts, and Chloe (Nell Tiger Free), a teenage girl who befriends him. Although Chloe attempts to conceal Mr. Stink in her backyard, her smelly friend becomes a bit of a phenomenon.

"Mr. Stink" originally aired on Sun. Dec. 22. Watch it now at PBS.org.
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