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Brandy Set To Make Her Broadway Debut In 'Chicago'

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NEW YORK (AP) — Grammy Award winner Brandy will make her Broadway debut next month as a woman behind bars in "Chicago."

Producers said Tuesday the singer and actress will play Roxie Hart starting April 28 at the Ambassador Theatre. Brandy Norwood earned a Grammy in 1999 and had hits with "I Wanna Be Down" and "The Boy Is Mine." She began her recording career at 14 and starred on the sitcom "Moesha" from 1996 to 2001. She made history in Disney's TV film "Cinderella" as its first black princess, starring alongside Whitney Houston.

Set in the 1920s, "Chicago" is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. It has Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, skimpy outfits and killer songs such as "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango."

Photographer Shoots Street Style Series To Raise Money For Skid Row Artists

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chapsSkid Row artist Osiris, dancing on 6th Street and Spring Street.






"I wanted to show something uplifting and joyful,” French photographer Geraldine Freyeisen told The Huffington Post from her windowless studio, just steps from Los Angeles' Skid Row, on a sweltering afternoon in March.

Freyeisen has spent the last year in the most densely populated homeless community in the U.S. The 35-year-old’s images of incredible fashion in Skid Row are bright, fierce, full of light and full of life. To understand Skid Row, "you need to have a reason to be here," she said. "If I were to just pass by, I would have missed the whole thing."

Motivated by a free fashion school developed in the favelas of Brazil, Freyeisen is launching a fashion line in collaboration with Skid Row artists -- 50 percent of the proceeds will go directly back to them.

“What people don’t really know about the neighborhood is the creativity," she said. "And it’s not just the style -- I have met so many artists here.”

Freyeisen bought a sewing machine and keeps it in her studio. There are already racks of clothes hanging in the corners of the space and fabric, paint and yarn on the shelves. “When you take photos, you’re a spectator. I wanted to be active,” she said.

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Andre, posing by the King Eddy Saloon.


Launching a brand -- it’s already trademarked, called The Swagabonds -- is not easy in this kind of an environment. Finding artists to work with who are sober and capable of representing themselves were the biggest two concerns, she said.

“I took photos of the Flower Man. He’s been homeless for 30 years and he has that name because he makes these little flowers out of ribbon," she said of a man named Donald. "He is very stylish and creative."

Freyeisen arranged for the two of them to take a sewing class together and now the Flower Man makes his designs out of higher quality material and -- “voilà,” she said -- they sew the flowers onto jackets.

Her plan is to sell online -- and not cheaply. The price point will be around $300, and while artists will take home 50 percent of the proceeds, the other half will cover the costs of the project.

She buys clothes, mostly jackets and sweaters so far, from second hand stores and the Skid Row artists are experimenting with adding embroidery and painting. Freyeisen has also screen printed one artist’s painting onto the backs of jackets.

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Screenprint of a painting by Skid Row artist Gary Brown.


She has already invested over $10,000 of her own money for studio rent, the trademark lawyer, clothes, fabric, a camera and the sewing machine.

“It goes fast,” she said of the money. “But I know it’s going to work. The story is so powerful.”

She hopes to raise money with a crowd-sourced funding campaign, either on Indiegogo or Kickstarter, and is putting together a video to help explain the project.

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Dice, the fashion icon of Skid Row, posing on San Pedro.


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Andre, making his own fashion show on Wall Street.


Freyeisen is typically Parisian, with a chic nickname -- Gigi -- a soft French accent and daring style. Wearing a denim jumpsuit that she made, high tops and a red chain link belt, she practically floats up the stairs of the old building where she recently began renting a studio for $400 a month.

Even though she lives about nine miles away in West Hollywood, Freyeisen spends most of her time here -- taking photographs and working with Skid Row artists on The Swagabonds fashion.

Just a block away, over 17,000 homeless people have set up a world within a world in downtown Los Angeles. Skid Row’s four-mile district includes tent camps, homeless shelters, churches, low-income housing and many non-profits that are there to assist the community. While many have been homeless for 20 or 30 years, the neighborhood is also made up of artists, social workers and activists.

If Freyeisen seems like an outsider, it’s because she is. Her background is in luxury branding, after all. She worked for a niche company in Paris and was responsible for telling the story behind cosmetic brands, and in some cases, choosing the names of many perfumes. After seeing the documentary “Lost Angels,” Freyeisen says she immediately became interested in learning more about Skid Row and wanted to meet the people who lived there.

About a year ago (she had already been living in Los Angeles for three), she found a job assisting on a that was filming in Skid Row -- about women recovering through drama therapy -- and slowly began to meet her subjects.

“For weeks, I would never take photos,” she said. “I would walk around and stay in the park. Because the documentary was very involved in the community, I would go to events and get to know people.”

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JC, sewing on San Pedro Street.


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Andrew, always so elegant, posing on Stanford Avenue.


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Roosevelt and his dog by the fire station on 7th Street.


She never advertised herself as a photographer. Keeping her camera always in her bag, Freyeisen says bonding with the residents of Skid Row was a long process and something she didn't want to rush. It's all about your attitude, she said. What are you about? Do you have genuine intentions?

Freyeisen grew up with a mother who was deeply drawn to helping others. As a little girl, she would see her mom routinely provide food for homeless individuals and sex workers and even open their home up to Parisians recently out of jail.

"[My mother] passed away and I realized I am a lot like her," she said.

Being foreign in Skid Row played its part in helping her form relationships, too: “People were curious, in a good way."

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JR, capturing light on Main Street.


Positive news is rarely reported out of Skid Row. But Freyeisen’s vibrant photos illuminate something inspiring and important: regardless of one’s circumstances, the human spirit persists.

The issue of whether or not her photographs are exploitative comes up in our conversation. She, a white woman, points out the difference between exploiting the poverty that is on many corners and showcasing the talent in the neighborhood. By photographing personal style, she says she is highlighting something the subjects are proud of -- what they decided to wear that morning.

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Robert and his smile on their way to Church on 7th Street.


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Kane, the king of Wall Street, on his bike.


So far she is collaborating with six artists on the fashion project -- two young street artists, a young Skid Row community activist, Donald the Flower Man, a street musician and another woman who both live in the low income housing program in Skid Row. None of them have any formal design experience.

Freyeisen meets with the different artists in her studio (where many come to paint or work) and they sit down one-on-one to look at the art and decide together how it will work best on clothing, she said.

“I try as much as possible to involve everyone in the production. To me, the goal of this project is really to showcase and empower Skid Row artists so that -- when they want to -- then can start their fashion business on their own.”

She says that the artists already involved in the project are very excited.

“They also feel empowered to do more,” she said. “They’re excited to the point that sometimes it wakes me up in the middle of the night; I planted so much hope and dreams that I can’t disappoint them. It’s not an option.”

The two young street artists that she’s worked with (they do paint splattering on jackets) have already started making their own clothes separate from Freyeisen’s project.

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Jacket painted by Skid Row artist Ron King.


“We try things, we explore together, we see what works," she said. "And if they want to, we can keep on collaborating. If they want to do things on their own, I encourage them to. It’s supposed to be really open, with people coming in and out -- and new people coming in.”

In one of her photos, a man confidently wears paint-splattered jeans, Nike sneakers, hologram sunglasses and a hard hat.

In another, a man with a large afro dons a disco shirt, black and white tuxedo shoes and sits atop an old suitcase while holding a cane.

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Malcom, covered with paint, on 5th Street.


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Donald, also called the Flower Man, with his luggage at Gladys Park.


“I walk so much here that I know someone on every corner. Everyone has their spot,” Freyeisen said. “It’s like a village. Everyone waves at each other. Even though from the outside it looks like chaos, there is such a form of family here. With hate and love and everything.”

Drug use and violence are simply realities of the neighborhood. The Los Angeles Police Department is currently under fire for the recent shooting of a black homeless man. A bystander caught it on video and Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has begged the community to wait to pass judgment until an investigation is completed.

When Freyeisen’s camera is out, she works fast. “You feel the vibe and trust your intuition a lot. I’m totally aware of my environment," she said.

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Tammy, dancing on Main Street.


It's obvious when looking at Freyeisen’s photos that far more men are featured than women are. "Women are tougher here," she said. "It’s a male environment. I have girlfriends who work in finance and they have to be tougher because it’s a man’s world. It’s the same here. With all of the drugs and the violence ... They have to be."

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Mariah and Chrystal hanging out by San Julian Park.


The new sewing machine sits in her studio next to a framed quote by Martin Luther King Jr. that reads: “The time is always right to do what is right.” Above the sofa rests a vision board with clipped images for inspiration for the clothing line.

Freyeisen says she is planning to go back to work in branding so that she can pay the bills and still work on her new project. Noting the name of the Skid Row fashion brand -- The Swagabonds, a combination of "swag" and "vagabond" -- Freyeisen said, “The link between all these people here is the swag. That’s for sure.”

Freyeisen stitches the words Skid Row across the backs of many jackets. “It’s really a way to start the conversation. What I like so much about Skid Row is the pride people have. That’s why I want to use this name."

'The X-Files' Is Returning To Fox After 13 Years

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Nostalgia is out there: Fox announced on Tuesday that "The X-Files" will return to the network more than 13 years after the series ended its cult run. Original series creator Chris Carter will shepherd the special six-episode "event series" to air with stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising their respective roles as Agent Fox Mulder and Agent Dana Scully.

"I think of it as a 13-year commercial break," Carter said in a statement. "The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories."

"The X-Files" premiered in 1993 and ran for nine seasons. It also spawned two feature films, including 2008's "The X-Files: I Want To Believe."

“We had the privilege of working with Chris on all nine seasons of 'The X-Files' -- one of the most rewarding creative experiences of our careers -- and we couldn't be more excited to explore that incredible world with him again," Dana Walden and Gary Newman, chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group, said in a statement. "'The X-Files' was not only a seminal show for both the studio and the network, it was a worldwide phenomenon that shaped pop culture -- yet remained a true gem for the legions of fans who embraced it from the beginning. Few shows on television have drawn such dedicated fans as 'The X-Files' and we're ecstatic to give them the next thrilling chapter of Mulder and Scully they've been waiting for."

Production on the return of "The X-Files" is set to begin this summer. No air date has been set.

'It's Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise' Sheds Light On The Illustrator Behind A Beloved Children's Icon

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Filmmaker Matt Wolf says it was a bathroom texting session with pal Lena Dunham that sparked the idea for his new documentary short.

Dunham famously has a tattoo of Eloise, Kay Thompson's famed character and fictional resident of New York's Plaza Hotel, on her lower back. This caught the attention of Eloise series illustrator Hilary Knight, now 88, who promptly invited the "Girls" star to dinner at his home.

"When she was having dinner with him, she took a picture in his bathroom, which is underwater-themed," Wolf recalled in an interview with The Huffington Post. "She texted me the photo, saying, 'I'm peeing in Hilary Knight's bathroom, it's amazing!" Thus began a series of discussions on how Dunham and Wolf would tell Knight's story: "She really made the potential of Hilary as a subject for a film clear to me."

The result is "It's Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise," which debuted on HBO March 23 and is executive produced by Dunham and Jenni Konner. The film pairs new interviews with Dunham and Knight with the artist's own archival video footage; also featured are candid chats with Knight's family members, friends and writers who have been inspired by his work as seen in 1957's Eloise in Paris, 1958's Eloise at Christmastime and other projects.

Check out the poster for "It's Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise" below, then scroll down to keep reading:
its me hilary poster

Dunham, who said she has always been drawn to Eloise for her "impish charm, her charmed yet tragic life, her disdain for authority and also for hairbrushes," told The Huffington Post in a statement that "the complex, whimsical yet distinctly adult illustrations" by Knight were a "deciding factor in my passion for her, before I could even read."

The movie delves into Knight's fractured relationship with Thompson, who is said to have based Eloise on either herself or goddaughter Liza Minnelli. Although Knight is openly gay, he was less interested in exploring his sexuality in the film, which came as a bit of a surprise to Wolf.

"Hilary doesn't define himself in those terms and was resistant to categorize himself as a gay artist," Wolf, who is gay, said. "It's been interesting to talk to him about gay culture and his experiences as a gay man, but he definitely was resistant to defining himself artistically by that."

Still, Wolf thinks gay audiences will find plenty to admire about Knight: "They'll recognize certain gay sensibilities in Knight's work and its aesthetic -- his affection for larger-than-life women, as well as unruly or sassy female archetypes, for example."

The timing of the film's release ahead of the 60th anniversary of 1955's Eloise (the first book in the series) this year couldn't be better. Meanwhile, Wolk says he hopes to team up with Dunham for another project again soon, although he says the pair have yet to firm up another concept.

"We'll have to have a few strange bathroom texting sessions first," he quipped.

For more details on "It's Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise," head here.

Outside Lands Lineup Includes D'Angelo, Kendrick Lamar And Mumford & Sons

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outside lands

San Francisco music festival Outside Lands announced its 2015 lineup on Tuesday through a video collaboration with Funny or Die. The fest, which runs from August 7-9, features artists who've produced some of the year's most talked-about albums (Kendrick Lamar and Mumford & Sons), legendary performer Elton John and buzzy newcomers like Natalie Prass, Speedy Ortiz and Ryn Weaver. D'Angelo is also slated to perform, and his set will mark a pseudo-return to the lineup. The "Black Messiah" artist was scheduled to perform in 2013, but canceled due to a medical emergency. Here's the full lineup:



Elton John, Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Wilco, Axwell & Ingrosso, Tame Impala, D’Angelo and The Vanguard, St. Vincent, Porter Robinson, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Billy Idol, G-Eazy, Hot Chip, Slightly Stoopid, Caribou, Milky Chance, Chet Faker, The Devil Makes Three, Nate Ruess, ODESZA, First Aid Kit, Toro Y Moi, RL Grime, Lake Street Dive, Mac DeMarco, George Ezra, Lindsey Stirling, Iration, Angus & Julia Stone, DJ Mustard, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Glass Animals, Laura Marling, James Bay, Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke: Get Real, Django Django, Classixx, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Sky Ferreria, Leon Bridges, Robert DeLong, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, SZA, Allah-Las, Shakey Graves, Dan Deacon, Benjamin Booker, Misterwives, Langhorne Slim & The Law, Ryn Weaver, Broods, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Giraffage, GIVERS, Alvvays, Twin Peaks, The Family Crest, The Revivalists, METZ, Strand of Oaks, Speedy Ortiz, Fantastic Negrito, DMA’s, Natalie Prass, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, The Sam Chase, Devon Baldwin, The Tropics

VIP and regular tickets for Outside Lands go on sale Thursday, March 26 at 1 p.m. ET via SFOutsideLands.com.

What Does Worship Look Like From A Priest's Point Of View? (PHOTOS)

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This article was originally published on HuffPost Italy and was translated into English.

Have you ever wondered what the priest standing at the altar sees during mass? It’s an unusual point of view, not one just anyone gets a chance to appreciate. But now, thanks to a remote-controlled camera set up behind church altars in Italy, everyone has a chance to see it with their own eyes. Italian photographers Giorgio Barrera and Niccolò Rastrelli documented this observation point without anyone ever the wiser, capturing solemn moments of sacred ritual in churches in Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence, Naples, Potenza, Avezzano, Taranto and Pescara.

“Andate in pace” (Go in Peace) is a multifaceted portrait of the Catholic community and the numerous believers who “inhabit” Italian churches. Sometimes the churches are crowded, other times deserted, but they are always rife with symbols and rituals that remain unchanged over time. It is at once a socio-anthropological inquiry and narrative of modern-day Italy, exploring the complex relationship between Catholic church, religious community and even contemporary architecture. The exhibition makes an effort to focus on architectural works created by famous architects like Massimiliano Fuksas, Paolo Portoghesi, Giovanni Michelucci, Mario Botta and Gio Ponti, who have revolutionized the concept of sacred space.

“The images in this photographic inquiry attempt to achieve a synthesis, to show viewers the church as an architectural, corporeal space. The human element is essential to our work: the word chiesa [church] derives from the Greek ekklesìa, and means community. Therefore the ecclesiastical edifice should be understood as a space built of people in flesh and blood, of 'living stone' as Saint Paul affirms,” explain the photographers.

Barrera and Rastrelli have elected to immortalize the looks, gestures and postures without elaboration, leaving the camera free to act undisturbed. “The moment in which a priest turns to the faithful is the foundation of our act of taking a photograph. The camera is positioned and remains for a long time in front of the altar, central and symmetrical. It is aimed toward the church entrance, framing the faithful present for the religious ritual, and tends to personify the priest’s gaze. The people who come into the church don’t see the photographers, because the camera is operated by remote control,” say Barrera and Rastrelli.

The final result of this work is the exhibition “Go in Peace,” made up of 23 photographs of different sizes and a video installation, curated by Daniele De Luigi and produced by the Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione (Central Institute for Cataloguing and Documentation) of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities. The exhibition will be on display through April 30th at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence.


How One Artist Creates Haunting Drawings Using Only His Eyes

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Seeing is believing.

Artist Graham Fink draws haunting portraits using only his eyes.

The British artist, who recently held a live-drawing exhibition in London, worked with eye tracking company Tobii Technology to develop the software that makes these creations possible. According to the event's website:
The technology works by shining infra-red light straight into the eyes. The reflections are recorded using multi-algorithms and filters which allow eye movement to immediately be translated onto a screen.


"I basically draw the lines in my mind and see what develops on screen," he told The Creators Project. "Sooner or later a face will appear. You have to really trust your unconscious that the image will materialize."

"It's kind of like digital charcoal in a way," he added.

(Story continues below)
eye tracking drawings

Fink said he got his inspiration from art teachers who once exhorted him to look harder as he worked.

"Trouble is, there is a lot of process going on between your eyes looking at something and then transferring that information to your brain, down your arms, through your pencil and onto the paper," he said in a statement. "I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to draw directly using just my eyes."

Mission accomplished, Graham.

See some of his creations, below:


H/T Laughing Squid

Vin Diesel Thinks 'Furious 7' Should Win Best Picture

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Back in 2011, Vin Diesel made the bold proclamation that "Fast Five" should be a major contender at the Oscars. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is some Oscar talk around this," Diesel told the Los Angeles Times. "I don't know, maybe I'm just biting off what some guy from Channel 7 thought. But sooner or later, people are gonna say, 'Wait a minute, just because they are for the working class doesn't mean they're not great.'"

"Fast Five" failed to garner a single nomination, but that hasn't stopped Diesel from further awards prognostication. Wit the release of "Furious 7" fast approaching, the 47-year-old star told Variety he expects the franchise's seventh film to win Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards.

"Universal is going to have the biggest movie in history with this movie,” Diesel said. "It will probably win best picture at the Oscars, unless the Oscars don’t want to be relevant ever."

Never stop being you, Vin.



For more from Diesel, head to Variety.

Syria Rebels Capture Ancient Town Of Bosra From Regime Forces

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BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels on Wednesday seized an ancient town near the Jordan border that is a key government stronghold, ousting Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen from the region after four days of intense battles, opposition activists and rebels said.

There was no immediate comment from the government on the fall of Busra Sham, a town in southern Syria classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic citadel, ruins and well-preserved Roman theater. It was once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia and a stopover on caravan routes to Mecca, according to UNESCO. Busra Sham had been in the hands of President Bashar Assad's troops throughout the four-year-old conflict and was considered to be a stronghold of pro-government forces in the southern province of Daraa.

The town's capture is a strategic gain because of its geographical location as well. Busra Sham is perched on highlands 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Jordan border, overlooking the plains that spread out from the southern outskirts of Damascus.

"Today is a happy day, Busra Sham has been completely liberated," said Ahmad Masalma, an opposition activist in Daraa. He said some 10,000 rebels from various groups took part in the attack on the town, which began Saturday from three sides and ended at dawn Wednesday. They included members of al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front.

An amateur video posted online showed rebels wandering through the ancient citadel and standing in the sunlight on the theater's stone stage. Other fighters fired their guns in celebration near the columned top of the theater's imposing, semi-circular seating section.

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other Associated Press reporting.

Masalma said it was in the citadel that Syrian government forces made their last stand before finally withdrawing. He said no major damage was done to the citadel or theater.

However, the Busra Sham Hotel — the biggest and best-known hotel in the region — and nearby historic souks were destroyed in the fighting, Masalma said. Other archaeological sites had been looted by various armed groups and criminals over the past two years.

The town's capture was also reported by the Local Coordination Committees and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The capture of Busra Sham is a tiny conquest for the rebels in the context of the civil war in Syria, where more than 220,000 people have been killed and millions displaced. The Syrian government — deeply associated with Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam — has lost large swaths of territory to the Sunni-dominated rebels and Islamic militants, but continues to hang on to major cities across the country.

Busra Sham is a predominantly Sunni town with a population of about 30,000 but also has a sizable Shiite community. The push on the town coincided with rebel gains in northern Syria on Wednesday near the city of Idlib, where a consortium of rebels launched an offensive a day earlier.

The target of the operation is Idlib, a city of 165,000 people and capital of a province with the same name. Opposition fighters have controlled the countryside and towns across the province since 2012, but Assad's forces have maintained their grip on Idlib city.

Activists said rebel fighters made advances from the city's eastern side, seizing three government checkpoints. The Observatory said at least 20 rebels had been killed in the fighting. Among the dead was a senior leader in the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham rebel group known as Abu Jamil Qatab, according to the Observatory and photos posted online.

There was no word on government casualties.

Separately, the Syrian government and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said authorities have released some 350 detainees from several provinces. It was not clear whether those freed Tuesday included any activists or political opponents of the government.

___

Associated Press writer Ryan Lucas contributed to this report.

Shonda Rhimes (And Everyone Else) Slams Deadline Piece On TV Diversity

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Late Tuesday night, Deadline.com published a story that ignited the Internet. Titled "Pilots 2015: The Year Of Ethnic Castings –- About Time Or Too Much Of Good Thing?" Nellie Andreeva's take on the year's uptick in diversity on television claimed that more parts for "ethnic actors" lessened the available roles for white actors. She cited shows like "How To Get Away With Murder," "Black-ish," "Empire," "Jane The Virgin" and "Fresh Off The Boat" as examples, and quoted anonymous industry insiders as being frustrated with studio execs' decisions to "fulfill the ethnic quota" during pilot season.

Needless to say, critics, writers and fans were quick to criticize the article and Andreeva's claim that "the pendulum might have swung a bit too far in the opposite direction." Shonda Rhimes called it "ignorant."




Maureen Ryan, TV critic for The Huffington Post, was similarly exasperated.




Salon's TV critic Sonia Saraiya challenged Deadline.com in her own response:

Most alarming is Andreeva’s reductive implication that more roles for “ethnic” actors isn’t “fair” to white actors. Agents and casting directors that have long benefited from the incredible, overwhelming whiteness of Hollywood casting insert sly comments in her piece lamenting unfairness—if roles can’t be designated white (which they usually are, still, despite the existence of “Empire” and “Black-ish” and “Scandal,” because there is a lot of television in Hollywood) then shouldn’t we be “fair” and make them colorblind? I mean, if we’re going to be fair, and promote diversity, then shouldn’t we not ask about race at all?


Other prominent media members also weighed in:



















But let's leave the last word to "Selma" director Ava DuVernay, who will direct and executive produce a forthcoming pilot for CBS called "For Justice":


Your Brief And Wondrous Guide To Contemporary Queer Comics

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pop



Some like girls. Some like boys. Some are into sci-fi. Others prefer comedy. All are very into comics.

The following artists and creatives identify as queer, among other labels, like, for example, comic, illustrator, storyteller and writer. They defy rigid categorization in both life and work, weaving wonderfully unique and sex-positive tales about everything from college parties and intergalactic adventures to a criminal potato. If the following artists show us anything, it's that there's no one way to be queer. And why would you want to, when each individual perspective looks oh-so beautiful?

Behold, 18 queer comic artists you should know right here, right now.

1. Britt Sabo

"My work often centers around the supernatural and the world of myth, two interests of mine I've had since a young age. As a queer artist, who tells stories about queer characters, there is a tendency to want to take back control of how queerness is portrayed and what it is associated with. Queerness is often related in the mainstream of comics as being the other, or even at times, something monstrous or shameful. As you grow up, it's easy to internalize this negative and shallow image of yourself given to you by media.

"I think its important to explore those themes and subvert them. Portraying queer characters in a positive light, in many different shapes and forms, is incredibly important to me. It's also important to push those same characters into the types of stories they haven't had a chance to be a part of before, without being a punchline."

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2. Ted Closson

"During the time I’ve spent working with comics as a medium I have come to feel that narratives are capable of bridging gaps in societal narratives in a way that is subtle, significant and effective as a means for subverting established norms and creating cultural paradigm shifts. Stories show us the possible in a way that is neither divisive nor argumentative. When they are read they have the potential to transmit these possibilities. In them are the seeds of the future.

"I believe that transforming the way in which a story is told about a given group or thing -- done correctly -- changes the way in which a culture views that group or thing over time. If stories do not change, the world does not change."

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3. Sfé M.

"My work stems from my identity as a trans/queer individual, and my drive to create the kind of queer-focused work I so desperately desired to see when I was a kid: stories about queer people with diverse genders and orientations leading vibrant lives full of magic and adventure and above all, overwhelming acceptance, love, and support.

"I have a keen interest in fables and folklore, and love to incorporate elements from my life growing up on the edge of the ocean on the West Coast of Canada into the stories I tell and the comics I make. More than anything, I always want to show how important I believe queer stories are. I genuinely feel that our voices are strongest when we speak together, and that is what inspires me to continue to coordinate and collaborate with like-minded queer creators to make bigger and better projects full of incredible, unquestionably queer content."

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4. Rachel Dukes

"Comics are my way of interacting with and understanding the world around me. I use them as catharsis to process my own struggles and as a reminder to laugh at the small moments in day-to-day life. I started writing comics as a teenager to create the type of stories and romances that I felt were more in-line with my personal experiences (or the experiences I wanted to have). As I've grown older the types of stories I tell have expanded and I find myself doing more collaborative work. But, regardless of the project, if people can read my work and find it relatable, moving, and helpful to them then that means I've done my job."

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5. Niki Smith

"As a child, I sought out representation of what I felt in books and the media around me, and rarely found it. As an adult, I focus on creating it. The majority of my comic work includes queer characters, and I love to write them. All of these samples are from comics I have drawn for Filthy Figments, a subscription site for woman-made erotic comics.

"My webcomic can be found here. It follows a generation of children in a country with a strict one-child policy, born as authorized 'replacements' after a disaster killed their siblings. The comic launched last month, and will feature a number of queer characters as well."

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6. Christianne Goudreau

"For me, creating comics that highlight the people who have been left on the sidelines of mainstream media is imperative. When someone picks up one of my books, I want them to be able to see themselves as the heroes and adventurers in the worlds I create, instead of being relegated to the role of 'sidekick', 'comic relief', or 'love interest'."

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7. Kristina Stipetic

"I couldn't find the stories I wanted to read, so I took up writing."

i aspire
regen
watern



8. Jon Cairns

"My favorite characters in fiction are the ones who are strangers, unconcerned with how society tells them they should, or should not belong. They've always resonated strongly with my personal experience as a gay, binational kid, and ultimately man.

"My own stories tend to follow insecure, or introspective outsiders, placed in a world where dangers and limitations are imposed on them by location or circumstance. It's ultimately who they are, and what they can do that saves them (or not!) in the end."

nun
uuu
hhh



9. Taneka Stotts

"Growing up with media that didn't always include me left me hungry to make sure that the worlds I create are inclusive to all. This also drives me to continue working with diverse artists who I have found feel the exact same way."

pose
Yvonne, drawn by Genue Revuelta created by Taneka Stotts for their comic Love and Sprockets

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Lucos and Soju, drawn by Genue Revuleta created by Taneka Stotts for their comic Love and Sprockets

popo
Rhadi in Full Circle - drawn by Christianne Goudreau colored by Genue Revuelta and written by Taneka Stotts for the webcomic Full Circle.



10. Blue Delliquanti

"I love working in science fiction because readers and writers are encouraged to think about how new ideas and technology might affect society over time, not to mention the individuals in it. That can be anything from challenging conventions about gender and love to imagining a world where death is starting to become optional.

" I wanted to hop back and forth across 20 years of these characters' lives and study how their actions changed who their are and what their world is like. Telling that story through the medium of comics gives me a lot of freedom to depict something as complex as a future cityscape and something as subdued as the meaningful glances these characters share with each other."

ohs
ogs



11. Anissa Espinosa

"I gravitated towards comics and storyboarding because of my desire to create strong, compelling narratives. My work is unabashedly influenced and inspired by the things I adored as a child, and still do, in fact, not the least of which being anime and Saturday morning cartoons."

bee
bey
stk



12. Megan Gedris

"I create for myself first and foremost. I make what I always wanted to read, but never found. It turns out, a lot of other people were looking for the same thing. There's a lot more to being queer than just liking the same gender. We're unique. We're interesting. I like girls, but I also like monsters and surreal adventures and goofy comedy and conspiracy theories."

ww
meg
ged



13. Sylvan Migdal

"I started drawing porn comics because I wanted to avoid taking myself too seriously. The trouble is, most porn is very serious and intense and kind of horrifying, and it adheres with fanatical rigidity to a set of stereotypes, gender roles, and proven money-making cliches.

"So with Curvy, I tried to make the kind of porn you wouldn’t be embarrassed about if your mom found it. A smut comic where the characters appear to be having fun, and readers can identify with them, not just ogle them. Although ogling is encouraged!"

curv
curv
hhh



14. Robert Kirby

"I’ve been seriously drawing and publishing comics the past 25 years. I don’t think I could ever run out of things to say through the medium. My identity as a cartoonist is just as important (or maybe even more so) than my identity as a queer person. My comics are generally not about being gay –- I prefer to integrate queer issues into larger narratives."

cyrb
oy
kirb



15. Randall Kirby

"My main motivation for drawing is to get my interior life on to the page. I've built worlds and lifetimes for many characters in my head, but if no one else sees them, they'll die with me. I have two major audiences. I do all ages humor comics, and I do LGBT comics of various kinds. It's very hard to sell to both groups at one table at a convention. I may try to do an all ages LGBT book to bridge that gap a little."

1
2
po



16. Jamaica Dyer

"Creating comics has been my tool for making sense of the world around me, to explore thoughts and feelings that aren't really tangible. I like to paint in watercolors to capture a raw personal touch, and let the character's dreams and fantasies take shape with colors and symbols. Fox Head Stew explores the awestruck fumbling that occurs when you discover yourself in college, whether you're exploring music, alcohol or sexuality, it's all a big personal mess. It's all pretty funny, but also earnest as hell."

fox
oy
pop



17. Allan Neuwirth

"In creating the syndicated strip, Glen Hanson and I sought to depict urban gay life in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC circa the late 1990s to mid-2000s. As the stories evolved over the years and our narratives grew more complex, we set out to display and then shatter stereotypes, showing that all people -- gay and straight -- are often not whom they first appear to be. Our goal, ultimately, was to make readers laugh and also think, and hopefully to see their own lives reflected in the adventures of our three Chelsea roommates."

makin
lust
dud



18. Kate Leth

"The comics I wrote when I started, especially about sexuality and mental health, were my way of working through issues I had a hard time talking about. Now, my focus has shifted slightly -- it's more about including representation in everything I do that I would've wanted when I was younger.

"I introduced a queer relationship into Bravest Warriors, a book primarily aimed at kids and teens based off a cartoon. I'm currently writing a romance comic between two women in high school for Fresh Romance, an anthology currently being kickstarted. I'm terribly biased towards writing bisexual and queer women and men who find them empowering. It's my niche, I suppose. I'm happy in it."

ex
infinite
lifint

Australian Museum Is Giving Naked Fans What They Want -- Nude Art Tours

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Nude. Art. Tours. At first, the trend of ogling masterpieces in the buff seems like a cleverly planned gimmick -- a promotional ploy aimed at upping the ante of arts coverage across the internet.

But when you speak to artist Stuart Ringholt, someone who's currently hosting nude art tours at Australia's National Gallery of Art in Canberra, the concept of skyclad art viewing makes a bit more sense.

The National Gallery recently joined the surprisingly long list of museums who've begun catering to the nudist and naturist communities. The Leopold Museum in Austria has hosted nude art tours. So has the El Segundo Museum of Art in California.

So it shouldn't be all too shocking that, in conjunction with its exhibition, "James Turrell: a retrospective," the NGA recruited Melbourne-based Ringholt to host three 50-person nude tours of the show next month -- all of which sold out in one day.

Ringholt is no stranger to the naked art viewing practice. As he explained in an email interview with HuffPost, he's led several nude art tours around Australia. Turrell is an American artist, known for works that manipulate light and space as his preferred media, and, according to Ringholt, creates work that's better viewed without clothing.

"Naked, our whole body experiences colour," he proclaimed.

james turrell
James Turrell. Virtuality squared 2014. Ganzfeld: built space, LED lights. 800 x 1400 x 1940.5 cm (overall). Collection James Turrell. Image: National Gallery of Australia.


In a brief chat with Ringholt we asked about the intricacies of nude art tours. Below is a primer on what's it like to drink in fine art, sans any clothing that might get in the way.

What prompted the nude tours of Turrell in particular?

The NGA approached and asked if I was interested in giving the talk and tour. A nude audience experienced his "Perceptual Cell" in Japan previously and Turrell suggested to the NGA he was interested again in having a nude audience for his retrospective in Canberra. [Editor's Note: We reached out to Mr. Turrell's American gallery, Gagosian, which clairifed: Turrell suggested to the NGA he may be interested again in having a nude audience experience the work "Bindu Shards" (2010) from the same series. This was then extended to the whole retrospective in Canberra by the NGA curatorial team.]

The NGA approached me as I have been running nude tours of exhibitions in Australia.

In your opinion, what does nudity add to a viewing of Turrell?

The term "skyclad" is used within naturist and nudist communities as a term for being without clothes. Turrell is interested in light, perception, spatial experience, the sun and moon and all things celestial. He is well known for his sky spaces which bring the sky closer to and upon the viewer. He has commented we are “light eaters” and “the skin drinks in light in the form of vitamin D”. His work is minimal and reductive. The nude audience is reductive. It seems an appropriate pairing but it is an experiment.

To my knowledge a nude audience hasn’t been fully tested on Turrell. I am looking forward to the experience of his Ganzfeld room "Virtuality Squared" and viewing the audience under the affects of the changing light conditions. I anticipate the audience will morph from resembling a marble sculpture to a character from a science fiction film and so on.

james turrell
James Turrell. Virtuality squared 2014. Ganzfeld: built space, LED lights. 800 x 1400 x 1940.5 cm (overall). Collection James Turrell. Image: National Gallery of Australia.


You’ve led nude tours elsewhere before. What is it about nakedness in the presence of art that changes the way we experience it?

There exists a long history of the nude in art and this expands that history. A reversal has occurred. No longer do we look at depictions of the nude in say painting, but [we] look at ourselves. What’s more, art museum architecture is reductive. Superfluous decoration has been removed (think: white cube) to give artwork the necessary freedom to be viewed without distraction. Why have we not reduced the viewer also? Why do we not consider the clothed audience as noise? We need to consider the reductive approach again and reduce the audience. Nudity is a solution.

Geometric Abstraction and minimal art view well naked. We have a very different experience to colour. Naked, our whole body experiences colour. We no longer just look at it but now have the capacity to feel it also. We can let it wash over us, feel its vibration. Clothing carries colour and influences this relationship with minimal art in a negative way. Leaving clothes at the door reduces the quantity of synthetic material in the gallery. The art is the only entity that carries the reds, blues and greens.

The nude audience unlocks dormant narratives and meaning within art. Without the nude audience it remains hidden. Viewing a recent wall painting by Robert Owen in Sydney your complete body had an experience of changing colour as it walked the long painting. Your foot experienced moving from red to blue and what does this mean for ones foot? If it was wearing a shoe the question would not arise. As your chest aligned with the cross formation formed by four blocks of colour what is ones response?

james turrell
James Turrell. Virtuality squared 2014. Ganzfeld: built space, LED lights. 800 x 1400 x 1940.5 cm (overall). Collection James Turrell. Image: National Gallery of Australia.


The museum tells me that the three tours have sold out. Why do you think the events are so popular?

I talk as much about us as spectators looking at art as I do the art. Nudity frees the spirit. It promotes positive body image and is an opportunity to accept one's body, not despise it. It is educational. Education through feeling. We consider the notion we are less sexualized with our clothes off than on. Clothing engages the imagination and sparks the lust drive. Without the material registers of clothing the nude body desexualizes. Being nude is fun and promotes happiness. Whenever we are nude, whether it is taking a bath, skinny dipping in the ocean or making love we are generally at our happiest.

It is against the law in Australia to be naked in public and there are few opportunities to partake in cultural experiences naked. These events say to marginalized naturist groups, we accept you and we want you at our gallery. A major motivation for doing the first nude tours of an art gallery was to allow this artist to celebrate the success of another. Artists are very competitive and researching other artists with the goal of talking on them is welcome respite.

If you could lead a nude tour of any famous collection of artwork (be it a real collection or a series of artworks by one artist) what would it be?

The Natural History Museum in New York. I’d also love to do a talk on jewellery at the Met with the opportunity for participants to wear it. A "take it off, put it on" experience. In regards to art per se, a show of Geometric Abstractionist painting with Rothko, Newman, Reinhardt, etc. Rothko had strong views surrounding the reception of his work including it shouldn’t be shown in public and is best viewed in the dark.

james turrell
James Turrell. Virtuality squared 2014. Ganzfeld: built space, LED lights. 800 x 1400 x 1940.5 cm (overall). Collection James Turrell. Image: National Gallery of Australia.

16 Burning Art Questions Answered Finally Answered During #MuseumWeek

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For those unfamiliar with the world of Twitter and its trending topics, we bear big news. This week is Museum Week (#MuseumWeek), meaning that from March 23 to 29, your most beloved art institutions are rolling out fun facts, glorious images, art historical knowledge and, our very favorite, secrets.

The weeklong online affair, organized by Twitter and the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, will address daily themes like architecture, family, inspiration, and, yes, as we mentioned, secrets.

If spending hours scouring Twitter isn't your thing, fear not. We've compiled the juiciest #SecretsMW of the bunch for your perusal. Below arethe darkest, dirtiest, most NSFW secrets of the bunch -- or rather, the ones that reveal interesting and often unexplored aspects of the museum experience. Check them out below, along with our BURNING (and somewhat leading) questions. Enjoy, and happy Museum Week!

1. From whence these spooky eyes?





2. Did Vincent van Gogh really paint his landscapes en plein air?





3. What is the proper temperature for smoothing out crinkles in audiotapes?





4. Are there mummies in your museum? If so, how many?





5. Are there beehives on your roof, museum?





6. Why does the Barbican Theatre look like that?





7. How do historians go HAM?





8. I suspect hidden men lurking somewhere in this painting. True or false?





9. Can viewers really tackle the entire Met in a day alone?





10. Did anything awkward ever happen with LACMA being right next door to the tar pits and all?





11. Hey Gugg, you got any hidden paintings in there?





12. Was it just us or did this museum shape-shift since the last time we visited?





13. What's with all these museums and the beehives?





14. I expected more cows in this rock art. What's the deal?





15. What does a masterpiece look like when it's being unwrapped?





16. Maybe not so art related, but how did they remove brains from mummy's skulls back in the day?!



Jon Ronson Shames Shamers In 'So You Think You've Been Publicly Shamed'

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Common Internet wisdom would have it that for every mass trend or movement, there must be an equal and opposite backlash. For Twitter shaming, the backlash has arrived, guns blazing. And as is often the case with backlashes, there’s little nuance; what was once good has been determined to be wholly bad, and the baby is dumped out heedlessly with the bathwater.

In his new book, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, Jon Ronson (The Psychopath Test) points out that public shaming was a popular punishment in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it usually had a highly personal and physical component -- confinement to the stocks or pillory, or even something more creative, like Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter. The punishment had died out with the rise of anonymous urban environments and easy travel, which made it less effective. But this wasn’t the reason for its disappearance, he argues: “They stopped because they were far too brutal.” Ronson makes clear, throughout the book, that he wholeheartedly supports this assessment.

Still, it was the recent rise of the Internet and, specifically, social media that allowed for public shaming, of a sort, to become widespread. Sure, we’ve always loved to see our idols fall, but without the virality of social media, how would we all realize that suddenly everyone kind of hated Anne Hathaway’s stupid smiley face? Or Jennifer Lawrence’s regular gal routine? Or Justin Bieber? (Okay, that one we might have figured out.)

More importantly, public figures weren’t the only ones living their lives in public anymore; more and more of us normals had blogs, MySpaces, Facebooks, and then (worst of all) Twitters. Any ill-advised post could be reposted, broadcast to unsympathetic strangers, and used to ruin our reputations. At first, this ability to enforce social norms via public shame felt empowering, then disconcerting. Predictably, backlash began rumbling among prominent figures who’d been publicly shamed, and found it rather unpleasant to experience from the business end.

It’s clear that Ronson himself wishes public shaming had been permanently abandoned along with the disappearance of stocks, pillories, and public hangings. But his disillusionment with public shaming sprang from a less personal revelation. He had been reporting on disgraced journalist Jonah Lehrer’s plagiarism scandal when he watched Lehrer’s apology speech at the Knight Foundation. A giant screen behind Lehrer’s head, as well as a screen within his sightline, streamed live tweets reacting to his speech.

Few were complimentary.

Ronson was appalled: “Jonah was being told in the most visceral, instantaneous way that there was no forgiveness for him, no possibility of reentry.”




From this point on, as Ronson investigates several other high-profile Internet shamings, he requires no further convincing. He starts from the standpoint of “appalled.” Everything in the book -- horrifying descriptions of the psychological toll of shaming, sympathetic portrayals of notorious social media offenders, assurance that Lehrer is not a psychopath -- has been carefully chosen to ensure that we, too, are appalled.

Ronson does have a point: The Twitter stream in Lehrer’s face was cruel and unusual. And, obviously, an outlier. As he slogs through other notable examples, we’re confronted with several low-profile people who lost their jobs and endured public humiliation over distasteful jokes. There’s a sense that even those of us who disapprove of their behavior should, and often do, feel uncomfortable with the disproportionate consequences. Yet no alternative is offered for those of us who might wish to protest offensive or inappropriate behavior without putting those individuals through the ringer.

Nor does he question the roles of more powerful entities in these episodes, aside from noting, to not much effect, that Google makes money from shamed individuals becoming trending search terms. Several of those whom Ronson profiles -- Justine Sacco, Lindsey Stone -- immediately lost their jobs in response to their (unrelated) public humiliations, yet the criticism for this outcome falls only on the shamers, not on the timid employer leaping to distance itself from the slightest whiff of controversy.

It’s disappointing to see such a smart and curious writer dropping his inquiry short of questioning the practices of the companies and organizations that have the power to take a shaming and magnify it into a life-destroying event. Employers, for example, have held a bulletproof position; immediately dumping an employee who’s been called out for a silly tweet or Facebook post draws cheers or, at least, the concession that companies simply have no choice but to protect their brand.

But why must we concede this? Why can’t we expect more from our employers? And why can’t we publicly call out people who say offensive or thoughtless things without imperiling every aspect of their lives?

The advent of Gamergate suggests that an end to shaming may not be the only solution. When angry gamers shamed companies for investing advertising dollars in media firms, such as Gawker, that criticized Gamergate, they were initially successful; these corporations hastily pulled their ads and left Gawker scrambling for funding. The site even, uncharacteristically, offered an apology for a sarcastic tweet about gamers posted by one of its editors, Sam Biddle. But when it became clear that no due diligence had been done by advertisers, that they’d simply complied with the demands of Gamergaters, public opinion shifted against them. Their brands were damaged more by their seeming cowardice and lack of principles.




Corporations will never cease to worry about their brands. But when we excuse overeager firings as necessary to protect brand value, we remove vital balance. Our employers should have to consider whether cavalier dismissals over stupid social media posts will damage their brands as much as retaining an imperfect employee. As social media firestorms become a more familiar part of our day-to-day, everyone, including employers, will have to become more circumspect and less blindly reactive in the face of Internet outrage.

Ronson’s failure to critique the corporate role in destroying people who’ve been shamed online is a central weakness in his investigation of shame. It’s accepted in his book, as a matter of course, that people will naturally lose their livelihoods and ability to find future work as a result of having their social media publicly blasted. This aspect of the process merits no discussion or investigation. It’s the shaming that must end, even if that means silencing those who’ve finally found a way to lobby for respect, recognition, and social progress.

Perhaps this is because while Ronson admits to feeling satisfaction at piling on un-P.C. comments -- "The days between shamings felt like days picking at fingernails, treading water," he remembers -- he doesn’t directly experience the need filled by social media’s megaphone. When speaking to people who’ve engaged in public shaming, he seems a bit baffled by the implication that they need the public and impersonal mode of communication to effectively combat the insidious prejudice they face.

His investigation of the Adria Richards incident is a case in point. In 2013, Adria Richards tweeted a photo of two developers making lewd jokes during a PyCon panel on bringing women into the industry. The fallout was shocking: Richards and one of the men involved (Ronson refers to him as “Hank” to protect his identity) were fired, and Richards was subjected to vicious harassment on 4chan.




Ronson interviews both Hank and Richards about the episode, but he doesn’t hide that he’s taken sides. He accepts Hank’s words at face value, even defending him to Richards. She, meanwhile, is treated as an untrustworthy source. He details his dismissive, even contemptuous, reaction when she states that she felt viscerally unsafe prior to taking the photo, but he is perfectly comfortable describing the two men as “shaken” over a mild reprimand from conference organizers.

In Ronson’s telling of this episode, the men are the victims, though, as it happens, Richards suffered the most severe consequences. While Hank had found new employment, at a company with no female developers, Richards did not have a new job when Ronson spoke to her. She was still enduring torrents of online abuse. (For some reason, he neatly categorizes threats of rape and gory violence as “shaming,” the moral equivalent of calling for men to lose their jobs. In fact, he’s more sympathetic to a 4channer who defends rape threats than he is to Richards, who is unapologetic about contributing to Hank’s firing.)

Seeing the racist, sexist abuse endured by Richards since Hank’s firing, and her inability to find another job in a male-dominated industry, might have prompted Ronson to further explore the dynamics that left her feeling afraid and excluded at PyCon -- dynamics that led her to Twitter to gather support for a higher standard of behavior toward women. He even quotes a female 4channer on the social justice power of shaming: “[Justine Sacco] thought her black AIDS joke was funny because she doesn’t know what it’s like [...] So for a few hours, Justine Sacco got to find out what it feels like to be the little guy everyone makes fun of.”

For some people, Ronson’s suggestion that we simply enjoy piling on hapless tweeters rings true, but for others these platforms aren’t idle amusement. They’re lifelines. Where people of color, women, the disabled, or other less privileged groups may lack the social status to individually demand better treatment, a public forum allows them to build strength in numbers, to powerfully demonstrate that cruelty or insensitivity toward them will no longer be suffered as the norm.




These insights into why publicly calling out bad behavior on social media might have value for the marginalized don’t seem to resonate for Ronson; they’re dropped quickly, glossed over. The consequences have been deemed too great to take those concerns into account. The ultimate imperative: No more shaming.

“The only thing anyone can think to do with an inappropriate shamer like Adria is to punish her with a shaming,” he muses at the end of the chapter. It’s clear he thinks something should have been done -- that this woman should somehow have been punished for her behavior. He’s less clear on how.

Instead, Ronson pads out the book with other, admittedly amusing, scraps of shame-related inquiry. He participates in a shame-eradication workshop, unsuccessfully. He partakes in a Public Disgrace porn shoot, obliquely. He documents the attempts of one of his subjects to cleanse her Google search results. He sits in on a training session for court expert witnesses.

Over the course of the book, Ronson goes from one extreme to another. He initially planned to write about “how efficient [shaming] was at writing wrongs”; by the final page, he’s darkly warning that we are “creating a more conformist, conservative age.” These bold claims make for delicious reading, but they depend upon the erasure of nuance and the comfortable retreat to smug self-righteousness.

Notably, his opus on shame was preceded by a far more thoughtful and measured one: Jennifer Jacquet’s Is Shame Necessary? Jacquet’s book also documents, carefully, the problems inherent in Internet shaming: disproportionality, the disinhibition effect of anonymity, and the threats to privacy rights. But she goes well beyond this to examine the totality of shame: how it works, how it can be used effectively, and in what circumstances it is an appropriate measure. “In some cases,” she writes, “shaming might be all we need or want as a deterrent [...] Sometimes, shaming is successful in establishing a norm.” She also points to instances in which shaming is a first step to more institutionalized penalties for behaviors we no longer find acceptable. In Jacquet’s view, shaming is a tool that can effectively regulate harmful acts for which there’s no official punishment.

The global reach and potentially life-long consequences of a severe online shaming should be humbling for us to consider. And as Jacquet points out, “Shaming [...] works best when there is a big gap between attitudes and behavior.” International notoriety should not be the result of a mere offensive tweet from a previously obscure person. We’d do well to think about whether we’re directing our ire at the most worthy targets, and whether we’re continuing to pile on well past the point when the offender has gotten the message.

Still, what of shaming’s ability to enforce new norms -- norms of, for example, respect for women, minorities, and other marginalized groups -- in a highly public venue? This may feel conservative to those slapped by the hivemind’s anger, but for those who’ve long been forced to tolerate insensitive jokes and outright discrimination, that’s clearly not the full reality.







But Ronson feels most at ease shaming us for shaming; we should all, he suggests, sit down and not tweet, if what we’re going to tweet is a tweet about someone else’s tweet. He stops short of examining the other side of these painful situations closely or fairly. If he did, he’d risk finding that there’s some value to shame, no matter how uncomfortable it may make him.

This Picasso Painting Is Expected To Fetch $140 Million At Auction

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NEW YORK (AP) — A radiant masterpiece by Pablo Picasso from the 1950s will lead an auction in May where it could top $140 million.

"Women of Algiers (Version O)" will be offered at Christie's on May 11. The vibrantly colorful 1955 painting features a scantily attired female in the foreground amid a jumble of smaller female nudes. The central figure is Picasso's muse Jacqueline Roque, who became his second wife in 1961.

The oil on canvas was part of a 15-work series Picasso created between 1954 and 1955 that was inspired by "Women of Algiers in their Apartment" by Eugene Delacroix, an 1834 work Picasso greatly admired that hangs in the Louvre in Paris.

The hefty pre-sale estimate hovers near the current record for any artwork sold at auction, held by Francis Bacon's triptych "Three Studies of Lucian Freud." It sold at Christie's for $142.4 million in 2013.

Christie's did not reveal the seller, but said the collector acquired the painting in 1997 for $31.9 million when Christie's sold the collection of noted New York collectors Victor and Sally Ganz, who at one time owned all 15 works in the series.

"One can arguably say that this is the single most important painting by Picasso to remain in private hands," said Olivier Camu, Christie's deputy chairman of impressionist and modern art.

The work has been in several major museum retrospectives in the 1950s and 1960s. More recently it appeared in exhibitions at the National Gallery in London, the Louvre in Paris and the Tate Britain.

"Women of Algiers (Version O)" will be offered with a group of two dozen other blue chip works created between 1902 and the end of the 20th century in a stand-alone sale called "Looking Forward to the Past."

In May 2010, Christie's set an auction record for any work by Picasso when it sold his 1932 painting "Nude, Green Leave and Bust" of his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter for $106.5 million.

First Look At Jesse Eisenberg As Lex Luthor

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We don't know a whole lot about Zack Snyder's "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice," but here's one fact: Jesse Eisenberg will be bald in the forthcoming blockbuster. Entertainment Weekly debuted the first photo of Eisenberg as the film's villain, the iconic Lex Luthor:




Our Lex is disarming and he's not fake,” Snyder told EW. “He says what he believes and he says what’s on his mind. If you can unravel the string and decipher what he means, it’s all there.”

Due out March 25, 2016, the film will also feature appearances from Jason Mamoa as Aquaman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Ben Affleck stars as Batman, with Henry Cavill returning to play Superman.

For more, head to EW.com.

Ad-Rock Confirms Beastie Boys Are Done

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In interviews with The Daily Beast and GQ, Adam Horovitz, aka Ad-Rock, has confirmed the Beastie Boys are indeed done making music following the 2012 death of Adam "MCA" Yauch.

"Adam started the band, so it’s done," Horovitz told The Daily Beast. "I'm in transition right now. I'm transitioning. It's an interesting time, I guess. I certainly knew that the Beastie Boys weren't going to be the same thing forever, but I certainly hoped that we would just stop doing it for a while, Adam would make movies, and we'd just be friends for a while. So I don't know what I’m supposed to do."

Horovitz, who has a co-starring role in Noah Baumbach's new film, "While We're Young," made similar comments to GQ.

"We're done. Oh yeah," he said. "Adam Yauch started the band. It's not like a thing where we could continue without him."

That the Beastie Boys are now finished as a group isn't a total surprise. Last year, member Mike "Mike D" Diamond said as much while testifying during a copyright lawsuit the Beastie Boys brought against Monster Energy Drink. "We have not been able to tour since MCA, Adam Yauch, died," Diamond said. "We can't make new music."

As for the idea that Horovitz and Diamond could make other music together, away from the Beastie Boys' moniker, Horovitz was not optimistic.

"Oh god, I hope not!" he told The Daily Beast. "We've been together for so long. He does that thing where he talks while he chews! Nom-nom-nom."

For the full interviews with Horovitz, head to The Daily Beast and GQ.

29 Easy Easter Crafts That Won't Leave You With A Mess

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Though dying Easter eggs is a time-honored springtime crafting tradition, parents know that the process can often devolve into a big sloppy mess. But that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the pastels and bunny-filled creativity. We combed through Pinterest to bring you some easy, yolk-less crafts you can do with your kids this Easter season.





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This Is What Happens When A Punk Ballerina And A Biologist Team Up To Tackle Climate Change

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splash



"I know scientists are frustrated," Karole Armitage, the famed dancer and choreographer, explained over the phone. "They’ve been giving the facts for more than 25 years and it hasn’t changed behavior."

Armitage is talking about climate change, and for good reason. She's currently staging a site-specific dance performance at New York's sprawling American Museum of Natural History, a work that is not-so-subtly aimed at raising awareness of our planet's shifting reality. Titled "On the Nature of Things," the work was created in collaboration with Stanford University biologist and MacArthur Genius Paul Ehrlich, perhaps better known to mainstream audiences as the man who wrote The Population Bomb.

Together, the two icons -- one popularly referred to as a "punk ballerina," the other a stringent cultural activist who happens to spend most of his time in laboratories -- hope to demonstrate that the simple act of presenting scientific facts has done little to change the way humans interact with their environment. We need a new method of presenting climate change as an issue we can't ignore, they attest. And that method should include art.

arm
Ruka Hatua-Saar


In "On the Nature of Things," running in the museum's Milstein Hall of Ocean Life for three days this week, Armitage provides the choreography and Ehrlich the poetic narration, subsumed into a musical experience courtesy of composers like John Luther Adams, Philip Glass, Michael Gordon, Henryk Górecki, and Arvo Pärt. As Armitage explained to HuffPost, the 60-minute performance takes place across the Hall of Ocean Life, involving over 30 dancers moving in line with Ehrlich's words. Said text is adapted from Ehrlich's well known essay, "On Closing the Culture Gap."

"Scientists today believe that such critical information must be disseminated and quickly acted upon to avoid catastrophe," Ehrlich writes. "But that is not happening, as indicated by the 'much talk, little action' status of climate change. The central need is clearly not for more natural science research (although in many areas it would be very helpful). Rather, the social sciences and humanities need to be reorganized and refocused -- 'rebooted' -- to provide better understanding of human behaviors and how they can be altered."

"The movements [in 'On the Nature of Things'] are never literal in relation to the text," Armitage outlines. The dancers come from the Armitage Gone! Dance Company, the Manhattan Youth Ballet and other dance communities in NYC. "They are meant to evoke the perils and harmony and chaos of our world, which comes through in the music and body language... Our job was about balancing a very non-judgmental, objective text with the dance and the music."



Armitage and Ehrlich have been family friends for decades; her father worked on Ehrlich's doctoral committee years ago. Armitage, a self-professed lover of nature who's long pondered the human emotions wrapped up in climate change discussions, was therefore familiar with the biologist's writing. After reading his 2010 essay, she came to the realization that his work would be the perfect springboard for a dance project that melded science and art.

The process of moving from idea to action was arduous. Although Ehrlich considers the Museum of Natural History his home turf, Armitage was tasked with convincing the institution's experts that her concept -- a performance that explores climate change and other urgent scientific topics of our time -- was a good fit. "I met with scientist [and museum curator] Rob DeSalle because he had to vouch for the way the science was presented, to make sure it was meaningful, from a scientific standpoint. The project was vetted by all kinds of people. It’s a big institution and they make sure things are done right."

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Megumi Eda


In a separate phone interview, Ehrlich expounded on these other urgent scientific topics. As the co-founder of the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB), he's hyperaware of the constellation of problems global scientists -- be they natural or social -- face everyday.

"Slowly but surely climate change is becoming an issue we take more seriously. But there are equally serious issues, like toxicity of chemicals, lack of biodiversity, the potential for nuclear wars over resources, and so on. They are important, but they’re not connected for us. Two hugely important drivers of climate change are overpopulation and overconsumption, which is helped by inequities of all kinds... the treatment of women and minorities. These issues are not tied together, but they need to be."

Ehrlich and Armitage both agree that these issues can be presented together in art. "Arts understates its potential in keeping society going," he explained. He cited Uncle Tom's Cabin and the first photograph of the Earth from space as perfect examples of the power of visualizing issues in new ways. "All of us have problems visualizing huge problems, so if you can make it emotional..." he mused. "For example, during WWII, listening to that era’s music gives you a sense of the patriotism then. We need a 'Marines' Hymn' for the environment.

"Art is often a portrait of being alive in your time," Armitage added. "Climate change is part of our time."

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Izabela Szylinska


A recent article in the Washington Post reiterates the importance of Armitage and Ehrlich's work. According to recent Gallup data cited there, the number of people who remain worried about global warming has not changed since 1989. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency warns that Earth's average temperature has risen by 1.4°F over the past century, and is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5°F over the next hundred years. With these increases, the EPA states, more extreme climate events can be expected.

Even more timely, a number of scientists banded together earlier this week to demand that the museums of science and natural history cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and "funders of climate science obfuscation," directly referencing David Koch and his support for both the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).

"We now have a presidential candidate who stated that there is no evidence for climate change," Ehrlich commented, with a noted tone of disapproval.

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Megumi Eda


Of course, both Armitage and Ehrlich are aware that the audiences coming to see "On the Nature of Things" this week are likely already versed in the world of climate change. "Yes, sometimes I feel like we’re preaching to the converted," Armitage confessed. "It’s true. But I’m hopeful, because through dance and science, we’re drawing people who would never come to together otherwise. As with any grassroots movement, there can be swells of momentum, but there are also small steps. This is a small step."

Ehrlich too believes in the power of bottom-up change. He says he was perhaps more critical in the past, but has since realized that in talking to a group of 1,000 interested individuals, he's able to to turn three or four of them into activists, and that small conversion is meaningful. "In 1989, if you had asked me or any number of people what the chances were of the Soviet Union disappearing, we’d have all said close to zero. But look what happened, it disappeared," he proclaimed. "There’s always the hope that when the time is right society can change dramatically... Our performance is going to do a little bit for that."

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Megumi Eda, Cristian Laverde König


"On the Nature of Things: A New Work by Karole Armitage" takes place at the American Museum of Natural History's Milstein Hall of Ocean Life from March 25-27, 2015. See more information here. All photos by Julieta Cervantes.

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Emily Wagner


'Her | Self' Photos Reveal What Women Really See When They Look At Themselves

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Women should be seen and heard -- and a new portrait series uses women's words and faces to make sure they are.

Created by Jennifer Bermon, the "Her | Self" series is a gallery of 28 black-and-white portraits of women from all walks of life, taken over the past 20 years. Bermon, a professional photographer and network TV producer, asked each of her subjects to write down what she saw in the image of herself and included each woman's response underneath her picture. The results are undeniably powerful.

"What better way to explore the source of women's body image issues than to see, and hear, from women themselves?" Bermon told The Huffington Post. "The photos give people insight into who the women really are and what story they want to tell about themselves."

The women featured in the photo series include an Academy Award-winning screenwriter, an NYC firefighter, a 74-year-old rabbi, a NASA scientist and a high school varsity rower. "I wanted to reveal their inner thoughts -- those words that they shared with other women in private conversation," Bermon wrote in her artist statement.

(Story continues below.)
herself 1
"The one word that comes to mind is satisfaction. This is the face and posture of someone who is comfortable and satisfied with her position in life. I am a NYC firefighter in Engine 58 -- the best firehouse in the world. I am the result of many hands molding me into the firefighter I am -- especially Lt. Robert Nagel –- my hero, my role model. A man who looked life and death straight in the face, walked the walk and talked the talk. To have the best job in the best house in the best city in the world -- this explains the smile captured here. It may not always be on my face, but it is always in my heart."


Bermon started the project 20 years ago when she was a student at Mills College. She described an epiphany she had one day while listening to her friends talk about what they didn't like about themselves. "They looked perfect to me. I realized, this was a part of normal, day-to-day conversation," she said. "Did they really hear what they were saying about themselves? Do we, as women, hear what we say to ourselves? There’s something about a photograph that freezes things and gives us time to really see something. Having the women write their words, gave them a voice of their own."

Instead of simply seeing the women in these portraits, the series allows viewers to learn what these women see in themselves. "The woman's photo and her words become one piece that stands on its own, with no editing and filtering," Bermon wrote. "The viewer, first attracted to the photo, is then further drawn in by the emotions revealed by the words."

Bermon said that many of the women she photographed told her the process was therapeutic. Talking about what we see in ourselves feels good, she said. "When I take photos of the women, I hope to capture them in a simple, straightforward way -- what I see. So it’s almost objective," Bermon told HuffPost. "The photos are a jumping off point for them to write about what they are thinking, it’s all about hearing from the women."

"The project has been a labor of love," Bermon said. "The best part is that the other women get it and want to do something to open up the discussion about it."

"Her | Self" is currently on display at the dnj Gallery in Santa Monica, California until April 4.

Check out more of the images and transcripts from "Her | Self" below.
herself 3
"I see a woman with questions. Is it okay to be as strong as I am? As smart as I am? It is okay to know what I know? To become a woman? It is okay to be short, ethnic and over 40 in Hollywood? My belly in this photo grounds me, I appear centered. And yet I wonder. Will my baby be healthy? Will I ruin him/her with all the mistakes I will make? I see a woman who is about to laugh or cry, could go either way. I see a girl ever hopeful, who misses her father."


screenwriters
"It's difficult for me to identify with my image in photos. I attribute that to a life-long habit of observation, rather than participation. This photo was taken in 2007. I was happy then, the happiest I'd been since the births of my children: I had managed after eight years of relentlessness to get our screenplay of Brokeback Mountain made into a fine film. Oliver and Amanda were my sole companions and had brought life into my home, my first dogs in nearly a decade, and a great comfort to me when in the following year, Heath tragically passed away, then my beloved older brother/best friend ended his long battle with cancer. Since this photo, Ollie and Mandy have been joined by five more orphan dogs; my foster child and young niece Ashley; and Larry and Faye McMurtry. My home today is very, very 'alive.' And I realize, looking at this photo, that this all began in 2007. And I wouldn't have it any other way..."


tattoos
"At 35 I feel my place is becoming clearer, and easier. I try to be practical and realistic. I feel stronger than the 21 year old I was, who thoughts she knew everything. My body is decorated to celebrate my life. The life of my daughter who grew inside of me, the lives of my favorite people who have shaped me into who I am. I will dye my hair blue or wear glitter lipstick because why not? If I can be an example, to anyone, to do what makes you happy then that makes me happy. I am a 5’3” multi-racial, daughter, wife, mother, photographer, crochet enthusiast, dancer, coffee-lover."


sailor
“You know, what resides within is what’s important. I’ve relied on myself and the resources of my women shipmates to sail around the world twice. We have only ourselves to love in the face of storms and offshore emergencies -- and so far we’ve looked pretty good. I’ve been essentially living on the ocean for the past 12 years and my 38 fort sailboat Tertulis has been home to many (67) women on our passages. I hold my head up and have a steady gaze -- which shows in this photo. I’m self-referenced. I’m happy. I’m thinking you’re looking right back at me ready to voyage into your future as captain of your life.”


nasa scientist
“This photo shows that I’m a happy person. I have been incredibly lucky to be able to work at something I’m passionate about, combining nature and space missions, studying volcanoes on far-off moons, how the geology of distant worlds was shaped, seeing alien landscapes for the first time… is there anything more exciting? Perhaps being at the edge of a lava lake here on Earth, feeling the almost unbearable heat… Getting where I am in my career was not easy, but it was so much fun. I feel very lucky and content. I think success is not define by where on the ‘success ladder’ you are, but by how far you have come. I grew up in Brazil, where little girls at that time were not supposed to grow up to become volcano explorers or NASA scientists. I persevered and never let go of my dream. I may not fit people’s stereotype of a female scientist. I love architecture, art, and fashion. I can say I feel as comfortable in hiking boots as I feel wearing a ballgown. We should be faithful to ourselves and respect our own individuality and that of others.”


dreads
“I can remember being 5 yrs. old at an audition overhearing the casting director say to my mom ‘Bring her back after she’s lost 5 pounds.’ And by no means was I a total chubster, I just wasn’t boney like some of the other little girls there. Regardless I was rejected because I didn’t meet up to their standards. I felt I wasn’t good enough. That’s pretty fucking heavy considering I was in kindergarden. I guess that’s when it started. So for the next 15 years I lived with the idea that since I was overweight, I was worthless, I was not good enough, boys could never like me because I didn’t look like that girl… etc. That’s such bullshit! This society is killing any inkling of a positive self image for children. Girls aren’t taught to love themselves for who they are, instead they are bombarded with images of 98 lb. girls with ridiculous D-cups instilling that is normal, and that’s how they should look if someone is ever going to love them. It’s sad. At this point in my life I can say that I’m the BOMB, not just because I am, but simply accepting my greatness without worrying what anyone else has to say about it is the shit. Love yourself for who you are. Work hard to live up to your own dreams, rather than an MTV video."


rabbi
“I like the photo of me very much. I think it shows someone with a good spirit and vitality. One of the advantages of growing older is that I have let go of vanity about my physical self. The external and superficial have become less compelling as life nears its end. My self image was 74 years in the making. I was a much loved child who was fortunate enough to be successful in school and with friends. The directions to which I have put that self-confidence and energy have changed, of course, through the years. Becoming a mother has given me greater insight into myself and others. It has taught me to how to love another more than myself. Becoming a teacher, a political activist and a rabbi have given me expression to the values I espouse. Having confidence to 'go forth and do' comes from a very basic sense of oneself. I would like to think that the experiences of my life have helped me to become a gentler, more generous person.”


teen
“I see a girl who is always striving to improve. Who is always striving for acceptance. When I look at this picture I immediately criticize my look, my thighs, my face. I always have the mindset of ‘This could be better.’ I am very hard on myself in every aspect of life. Looking at this picture I see many flaws. I also see a girl who has accomplished many things in her life, but will never be satisfied. Knowing this, I’ve learned how to cope with my feelings of self image."


woman with scarf
"I know this woman, but I almost never take time to just look at her, let alone just appreciate her. When I saw this picture, I initially felt good like I was seeing an old friend, but once I became conscious that I was looking at myself, I immediately felt disappointed with my hair, blemishes on my skin, my weight. Perhaps I rarely look at myself because I don’t like the way I look. It makes me sad that I’m so judgemental of myself, because I’m really not that bad. I’m special. There’s something special about me, and I can see it in my own eyes. I can see my confidence, my warmth, that comes from the fighting, loving spirit deep within me. I want that energy to shine first (perhaps it does?). I wonder what others see when they look at me -- what do they see first? But that’s not the right question, is it? The question is 'what can I do so that I see the good in myself first?'"


short hair white woman
“Umm… beauty is intertwined with the self and beyond that… this is me. My perspective is that my eyes look uneven, my nose looks wide, my hair is messy, my cheeks are chubby. I have cleavage! Yikes. I always think I look fat anyway. But why point out all my negative details and tell you what I would change about myself? There’s only so much I can hide from you."


lawyer mom
“So in love. Ecstatic. At peace. Ursula is unbelievably gorgeous. I wish my son and husband were in this photo as well. This also describes how I feel with them. This doesn’t sound very empowered, but I never truly felt beautiful, and have never been as kind to myself as I have since I met my husband, and when I became a mother. The unconditional love they show me -- the first time I’ve ever felt unconditional love -- teaches me to learn to love myself unconditionally too. Though of course I still struggle. Some days I feel fit and beautiful. Other days, I think I’m fat and unattractive. And then I remember Ursula, and how I was her to love herself as a woman, however she is, always, and I try to love myself again."


rower
“‘500 meters left and we are two seats down ladies, let’s empty the tanks.’ The thrill I receive when these commands are screamed at me is undescribable. It is the moments like these that define us as a person. Whether you give into that dark place, or forget about the pain and continue, the choice is yours. When I first started rowing, I called it a sport. However, it is so much more, it has become my life. I find myself constantly talking about it, thinking about it, craving it. Some may view this picture as a blonde girl smiling, but I see a girl who will stop at nothing until her goals are achieved. I will forever be thankful for the lessons that it has taught me, and the person that I call myself today."



H/T Bitch Media
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