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'Muppets Most Wanted' Releases Music Trailer

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The Muppets can do no wrong. Their eponymous 2011 film was so successful at the box office that it's hardly any wonder a sequel is on the way. "Muppets Most Wanted" will be released on March 21, and Disney is hyping it up.

Given that the upcoming film will be a musical comedy, it's only fitting that its trailer is something of a music video. Featuring all the theatrics of a catchy tune, fabulous costumes and a Danny Trejo cameo, this promo lacks nothing.

The Muppets also drop a few snarky truths about the film industry amid the song and dance, including these amusing quips about the realities of Hollywood:

"We're doing a sequel / That's what we do in Hollywood / And everybody knows that the sequel's never quite as good."

"We're doing a sequel / There's no need to disguise / The studio considers us a viable franchise."

"We're doing a sequel / The studio wants more / while they wait for Tom Hanks to make 'Toy Story 4.'"

What's funnier than a self-deprecating Muppet? Check out the musical trailer, and then, if you're wondering about the film's plot, revisit the song-less trailer released in late 2013.

If These Gorgeous Photos Don't Get You Excited For Spring, Nothing Will

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Remember back earlier in the winter, when snow was charming? Yeah, no, neither do we.

We've got a bad case of missing spring. And the only cure, outside of actually going somewhere that's warm or something, is obsessing about our favorite springtime things, like:

Tulips!



Cherry blossoms!



Daffodils!



Wisteria!



Crocuses!



Or a literal bed of flowers.



What about birds? Holy moly we miss birds.



We'll watch them from our patio.



Perhaps while we dine al fresco.



Followed by a long outdoor nap.



Taking breaks only to play with cute dogs.



Or goats, if that's more your speed.



Someday, we'll put away all of our winter clothes.



We'll open all the windows.



Maybe pour a cocktail or two.



And then start complaining about the heat.

Kanye West Joins Drake To Perform 'Black Skinhead' In Berlin

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Is Drake becoming the new Taylor Swift? The latest leg of his Would You Like a Tour? tour has the rapper surprising audiences with guest appearances from his all-star music pals. Earlier this week, Rihanna joined him onstage to perform "Take Care." On Thursday, Kanye West was part of the show.

West joined Drake at Berlin's Oz Arena, where the two rappers performed "Black Skinhead." West was already in Europe for Paris Fashion Week, so it was just a quick jaunt over to his younger counterpart's neck of the woods. "I want you to understand … this is my dear friend," Drake said after West concluded his appearance. "This is the reason I'm standing in front of you today. This is the mentor, this is the god, this is the genius of all geniuses, this is the man that is Kanye motherf--kng West." Drake appeared to take a shot at West in a recent Rolling Stone interview, but West chalked the comment up to the media trying to "pit" artists "against each other." No hard feelings, obviously; watch the performance below.

Oscar Upsets That Could Actually Happen

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Many of the categories at Sunday's Academy Awards already seem decided. For instance, if actors Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong'o fail to take home Oscars, their losses will be viewed as significant upsets. Even Best Picture might be tied up in a bow: all but eight of 30 awards experts at GoldDerby.com have picked "12 Years A Slave" to triumph over "Gravity" and "American Hustle" for the night's biggest award. Which races, though, are primed for an underdog win? HuffPost Entertainment has found five below-the-line categories that could make or break Oscar pools on Sunday night.

Best Costume Design

amercian hustle

Expected to Win: Catherine Martin, "The Great Gatsby"
Upset That Could Happen: Michael Wilkinson, "American Hustle"
The Reason: "American Hustle" was snubbed in the Best Makeup & Hairstyling category, which means award recognition for the film's wild style rests on the shoulders of Wilkinson (and not all those explosions at the wig factory). Category favorite Catherine Martin is a two-time Oscar winner, and she dressed Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in their best 1920s evening wear for "The Great Gatsby," but do we really think the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences -- a group of voters comprised largely of old, white males -- will pass up the chance to reward "Hustle" and its cleavage-bearing dresses? No, we do not.

Best Film Editing

captain phillips

Expected to Win: Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger, "Gravity"
Upset That Could Happen: Christopher Rouse, "Captain Phillips"
The Reason: Well, look no further than the American Cinema Editors Awards, where Rouse topped Cuaron and Sanger for best edited dramatic feature honors. That doesn't necessarily mean "Captain Phillips" can take this award -- as EW.com's Anthony Breznican noted in his predictions, there are only 230 editors in the Academy, and all AMPAS members vote on the Oscar winners -- but with few other categories in play for Paul Greengrass' respected film to earn some recognition, Best Editing could be the choice. Never forget: the Oscars often like to spread the wealth.

Best Original Screenplay

american hustle

Expected to Win: Spike Jonze, "Her"
Upset That Could Happen: David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer, "American Hustle"
The Reason: David O. Russell's last three films have earned a total of 25 Oscar nominations, including five for Russell himself, but he's never won. The thought was that "American Hustle" would get Russell over that hump, but as enthusiasm for the film has waned, the chances of a Best Director win for the 55-year-old have dissipated. Which gives the Academy all the more reason to award Russell (and co-writer Eric Warren Singer) with Best Original Screenplay. Spike Jonze's "Her" won in this category at the Writers Guild Awards -- beating "Hustle" in the process -- but this feels like the spot where Russell will get due, if for no other reason than it's the only spot available.

Best Adapted Screenplay

steve coogan

Expected to Win: John Ridley, "12 Years A Slave"
Upset That Could Happen: Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, "Philomena"
The Reason: Most prognosticators have Ridley penciled in here for his efficient and poetic "12 Years A Slave" screenplay, but don't discount the broad Academy support for "Philomena." Oscar voters love this movie! That affection and the fact that co-writer Steve Coogan is an actor moonlighting in another category are the biggest reasons why this script could upset Ridley's work.

Best Original Score

steve coogan

Expected to Win: Steven Price, "Gravity"
Upset That Could Happen: Alexandre Desplat, "Philomena"
The Reason: Price's score is really wonderful, but Desplat is nearing "due" status with six Oscar nominations in eight years. Could the fondness for "Philomena" be the rising tide to lift his boat? Maybe, but be warned: Roger Deakins was "due" for an Oscar win last year in the Best Cinematography category -- and he's nominated again this year -- and he's still never won. That means Desplat might have to wait a little while longer before adding "Oscar winner" to his bio.

'Homeless Jesus' Statue Gets New North Carolina Home At St. Alban's Episcopal Church, But Controversy Follows

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This 'Homeless Jesus' statue has found a home after similar works were rejected from cathedrals in New York and Canada, but not all are welcoming it with open arms. The moving work by Timothy P. Schmalz has provoked diverse responses since being installed at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Davidson, N.C.

Rev. Doctor David E. Buck, the church rector, sees it as an evocative combination of beauty, art, and religion. "It's Jesus representing the most marginalized of society," he told NBC Charlotte. "We're reminded of what our ultimate calling is as Christians, as people of faith, to do what we can individually and systematically to eliminate homelessness. Part of a faith commitment is to care or the needy."

However, others think it is in poor taste. Cindy Castano Swannack called the police the first time she drove by the realistic bronze statue, explaining to NBC Charlotte, "I was concerned for the safety of the neighborhood." She protested, "Jesus is not a vagrant, Jesus is not a helpless person who needs our help."

A plaque next to the sculpture reveals that it is displayed in memory of Kate MacIntyre, who died from cancer in 2007. The sculpture was inspired by the verse Matthew 25:40, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Schmalz's website explains, "Inspired by Matthew: 25, this sculpture is a representation that suggests Christ is with the most marginalized in our society. The Christ figure is shrouded in a blanket the only indication that it is Jesus is the visible wounds on the feet. The life-size version of the work has enough room that someone is able to sit on the bench."

Pope Francis was moved by the work when Schmalz presented it to him at the Vatican, praying over it and blessing it. The pope has made addressing the plight of the poor and needy a hallmark of his papacy.

Church member Chuck Dillman said, "if you've been through what I've been through," telling NBC Charlotte that it brought him closer to God. Buck added, "I can't understand why anyone wouldn't want this."

Shmalz told The Catholic Register that the sculpture was inspired, in part, by a homeless man that he saw lying on the ground before Christmas in 2011. He recounted that poignant moment during a previous interview with The Huffington Post, commenting, "My instinctive thought was, that is Jesus Christ. I just saw Jesus."

This Is Your State's Least Favorite Artists

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Earlier this week, Paul Lamere of The Echo Nest released a map showing the most distinctive artist in each state, meaning the unique artist that each state listened to more than any other state. After many outlets declared this map to show each state's favorite artist, Lamere cleared the air by actually creating that map and explaining the difference between the two.

Now, using the app that Lamere built to examine the differences between states and regions, we have the least favorite bands in each state, courtesy of Randal Cooper.

Cooper put together three maps: the first limited to the top 50 artists on Spotify, the second limited to the top 100 and the third, top 200. Lamere also looked into the matter on his blog, Music Machinery, matching Cooper's top 50 map, and is the featured image of this post.

Check out Lamere and Cooper's maps below and share your thoughts in the comments. (Perhaps Maine should change their state motto to "%#!@ R. Kelly" in the near future.)

Top 50:
hated bands 50

Top 100:
hated artists 100

Top 200:
hated artists 200

Kendrick Lamar Expected To Release New Album This September, Black Hippy Debut Expected, Too

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Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and the rest of the Top Dawg Entertainment crew are the cover story in the latest issue of Billboard. In it, Lamar, Q and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith share stories of the label members' come-ups and the best business practice that made TDE the powerhouse it is today. At the very end of the story, it is revealed that Lamar is planning to drop his follow-up to "Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City" this coming September, as well as the long-awaited debut from Black Hippy (Lamar, Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul).

In 2014, TDE hopes to lock and load its most ambitious slate of releases: Rashad and the label's first nonrap signing, New Jersey-based female singer-songwriter SZA, will be coming with albums, as will original team members Jay Rock and Ab-Soul. Meanwhile, Free thinks the long-awaited debut from Black Hippy - the supergroup featuring Lamar, Q, Rock and Ab-Soul - is likely to appear in 2014; Tiffith indicates that TDE is planning to release a new Lamar album this coming September, too.


The whole piece is full of nuggets that help piece together the sudden rise of TDE. While we have received bits and pieces of the lives of Lamar, Q and the rest of the crew through their lyrics and numerous interviews, the examination of Tiffith's techniques add a fresh chapter to their story.

"I had a little trick to make sure we hit No. 1 on iTunes," says Tiffith. "All records come out on Tuesday then peak after the first few days. When they were on the way down on Friday, that's when I'd drop TDE's s--t -- and we'd zoom right to the top. Even if we got to the top of the charts by selling 200 copies, we still had the perception of being No. 1, and people paid attention."

Read the full interview here, and check out the Billboard cover below.

kendrick lamar billboard

The Many Accents Of Meryl Streep, In One Video

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Join us, ye disciples, as we bow at the feet of Queen Meryl Streep. She'll go to battle with her 18th Oscar nomination this weekend, and with it comes a movie that provided the 64-year-old actress yet another opportunity to perfect a regional dialect. In "August: Osage County," it's a Midwestern accent. Before that, it'd had been British ("The Iron Lady"), Polish ("Sophie's Choice"), Australian ("A Cry in the Dark"), android ("A.I. Artificial Intelligence") and a bevy of others.

Slate compiled a comprehensive look at Streep's multifarious accents throughout her career, and it's a must-watch prior to Sunday's Oscar ceremony. Because, although you didn't need any further proof that Streep is the first lady of contemporary cinema, it helps to remember that she's just as brilliant when asking, "Am I being flirted with by a psychotic rat?" as she is when yelling, "A dingo's got my baby!"


Oscar Winners Should Learn From Joe Pesci & Alfred Hitchcock

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Brevity is the soul of wit and also tolerable Oscar speeches. With a show that threatens to run for at least three-and-a-half hours, what viewers don't need is Julia Roberts chastising the "stick man" or Roberto Benigni thanking pretty much everyone. As such, HuffPost Entertainment directs Sunday's potential Oscar winners -- most likely Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong'o -- to glean pointers from two of the most memorable speeches in the history of the Academy Awards: Alfred Hitchcock and Joe Pesci. Thank you.



Red Carpet Protesters Ask For Yearly Wages That Add Up To At Least One Oscar Gown

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HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Days before celebrities strut their Armani and Gucci gowns at the Oscars, protesters rallied on the red carpet Friday to shine a spotlight on one of the awards show's biggest disparities.

The security officers and others who make the star-studded event happen often earn yearly wages that are topped by the price of a single designer dress. About 50 security officers and supporters demonstrated in the lobby of the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard to protest the low pay and part-time work schedules they said leave security officers in poverty.

"When a dress becomes more valuable than the security officer who is protecting the lives of the entertainers and the folks that come to the event, that's tragic," Robert Branch, a security officer who has a full-time, union-negotiated job in downtown Los Angeles, told The Huffington Post.

The protest was coordinated by the Service Employees International Union, which represents some security officers, janitors and other service workers, including Branch.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which coordinates the Oscars every year, contracts its security officers through Security Industry Specialists, a non-union security company. According to the SEIU, SIS pays security officers about $15 an hour, but keeps most workers on part-time schedules, preventing them from qualifying for health insurance and paid sick days.

Part-time hours also prevent a viable income, the union said. If a security worker is making $15 an hour and working 20 hours a week, for example, earnings before taxes would be about $15,000 a year. Oscar gowns, by comparison, reportedly can cost upwards of $15,000.

"It's hypocritical for Hollywood, with its Screen Actors Guild and other unions, to contract out non-union security officers," Branch continued. "Why can't security officers have protection too?"

The academy declined to comment.

Tom Seltz, co-president of SIS, said fewer than half of SIS employees are part time, although he said he did not know the exact number. In December, NPR reported that more than half of SIS employees were part time and without benefits, some relying on public assistance.

SIS provides security for large companies in Silicon Valley, including Google, Apple, Twitter and EBay. The security company is growing in Los Angeles, but still only has a few clients. For the Oscars, SIS subcontracted security officers to two companies, Staff Pro and McRoberts Protective. Seltz said he's not sure what hours and wages the two subcontractors provide, and neither company responded to HuffPost's request for comment.

Seltz maintained that when SIS has enough work to justify making an employee full time, it does so. He said SIS pays hourly wages ranging from $15 to $24. He accused SEIU of harassing SIS security officers about joining the union.

SEIU said in a statement that more than 40,000 security officers in the U.S., including more than 7,000 in California, have joined the union. Security officers in Los Angeles negotiated their first union contract in 2006. Branch said that, compared when he was a non-union security officer, he has more money, more employment security and more sick and vacation time as a union member.

Earlier this month, SEIU protested with about 40 security officers and community members at the Oscars nominee luncheon, attended by more than 100 nominees, including A-list actors and directors. The group plans to protest at the red carpet again during the Oscars on Sunday.

Maya Angelou Shares The Advice She'd Give Her Younger Self (VIDEO)

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Oprah sees Dr. Maya Angelou as a mother, a sister and a friend. It's a relationship that began nearly 40 years ago when Oprah, then a young reporter, asked the literary icon for an interview, promising to take no more than 5 minutes.

Dr. Angelou agreed to the interview only because of Oprah's persistence and was impressed by her questions and interviewing style. But the poet became particularly intrigued by the curious young woman in front of her when she realized that Oprah had kept the interview to five minutes on the dot.

"In my memory, you said, 'Who are you, girl?" Oprah says as the two recall the fateful meeting during a 2013 episode of "Super Soul Sunday."

Despite their long friendship, Oprah still discovers things that surprise her about Dr. Angelou. As an example, she shows a clip from the 1957 film "Calypso Heat Wave," in which Dr. Angelou starred as Miss Calypso.

Dr. Angelou still remembers the words. "It's amazing, I'm grateful that I had a chance to do that," she says, smiling.

Oprah asks Dr. Angelou what advice she'd give her younger self.

"I would encourage her to forgive," Dr. Angelou says. "It's one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself, is forgive. Forgive everybody. Just forgive it."

"You are relived of carrying that burden of resentment," she continues. "You really are lighter. You feel lighter. You just drop that."

She goes on by opening up about one of her most difficult trials in forgiveness. "I had to get to a place where I could forgive the man who had raped me when I was 7 years old," Dr. Angelou says. "I had to get there. And that was a matter of incredible mental gymnastics. And then I had to think of what I had done to other people and see how I'd been forgiven. Whatever I've done, I've been forgiven, and I have to get, at least, to a place where I can forgive."

"I don't forget, and I will not put myself in a situation where that can be done to me again, but I understand," she says.

"Super Soul Sundays" airs Sundays at 11 a.m. ET on OWN.

Jared Leto Is Stressed About His Potential Oscar Speech

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Despite a torrential downpour and flash flood warnings in L.A. on Friday evening, Jared Leto hit the ground running, in fancy black-and-white shiny shoes with a red sole. The Oscar-favorite spoke to The Huffington Post at LA Confidential’s annual Oscar event, which this year honored Leto, who graces the magazine’s Spring Issue with wide-open eyes and his signature silky long locks.

Dressed like the rock star that he is in all black, Leto laughed when he saw the giant blow-up of his magazine cover. “I’ve never seen my head so big. Only on the inside,” he joked.

Leto first heard the announcement of his “Dallas Buyers Club” Best Supporting Actor nomination at 5 in the morning but didn’t share the news right away. “Oh I didn’t call anybody. Didn’t want to wake anyone up,” he said.

He’s might be a man of few words, but his performance as Rayon in “Dallas Buyers Club” is nothing short of brilliant. And playing a transgender woman has certainly brought a spotlight to the community. “It’s been wonderful and supportive and generous -- from the very beginning when I started research and preparation for the role,” Leto told HuffPost.

jared leto dallas buyers club image

He described being nominated for the film as “truly mind-blowing” and “a thrill," but clarified that there’s some anxiety involved. “It’s a great time to stress out about what you’re going to say for 45 seconds,” Leto said, musing about his potential acceptance speech. Luckily, Leto will have more than enough support at the awards Sunday -- he's bringing his mother and brother as his dates. “It’s the whole family. And that’s just a dream. I couldn’t think of a better way to do it.” Leto said.

Staring directly into the actor’s electric blue eyes causes one to consider to a certain theory that Leto does not age (Google images of Leto in 1994 and 2014). Unfortunately, HuffPost could not confirm with the 42-year-old the validity of whether or not he is in fact the real life Dorian Gray. “I don’t know. I have no idea,” said Leto. “But I’m sure happy to be alive.”

There might not be an aging painting of Jared Leto locked away in his house, but based on reputable Oscar predictions, there likely will soon be a little gold man in its place.

“Dallas Buyers Club” is nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey and Best Original Screenplay. This is Leto’s first Academy Award nomination.

Queer New World: Meet Brooklyn's Charmin Ultra

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This is the eighteenth installment in an ongoing series that explores drag culture and the nightlife scene in Brooklyn, N.Y. Over the past several years, following the large-scale exodus of artists across the East River and into northern Brooklyn, those engaged in drag culture in this outer borough have created a new, queer world entirely their own. Accompanied by a larger movement to understand drag culture outside of the pageant circuit, many individuals engaged in the drag community in this borough approach drag culture through a nontraditional lens of "alternative" drag or performance art, enabled largely by the malleable and queer nature of this part of New York. Visit HuffPost Gay Voices regularly to learn not only about the individuals involved in Brooklyn's drag community, but more about the culture of the community itself.

The Huffington Post: How did you get your start in the drag world?
Charmin Ultra: Akron, Ohio, probably around 1995. I found my Mother's lipstick and it all went downhill from there. Then came [performance ensemble] Backspace. I met the most wonderful group of people while in the dance program at Ohio State. Back then, it was a much larger group and then we made the transplant to NYC and formed this wacky, performance-driven ensemble including myself, Mary Jo Cameltoe, Lil' Kimchi, The Duchess Tickles, Whisky Dixie, and Cherry Poppins. Krystal Something Something was at the helm with loads of collaborations from us all. We would get together in his living room and bust out a brand new show every Sunday at Sugarland for Sunday School with Backspace. The whole thing felt like a glitter-induced, blood rushing, music thumping dream.

Describe the drag scene and community in Brooklyn -- how is it different from drag culture elsewhere?
It's a playground. The fastest spinning tire swing of all. It is indeed a community, of ruthless, glamorous, beautiful artists celebrating the sheer fact that everyone survived last night. It's a wild roller coaster. I would not get back on for a regular ride, but man am I glad I got to go for a spin. It's like summer camp -- you form a bond with the people around you, all who have chosen to put themselves into the environment. No resume needed to be a part of this business, just a drive to create -- the rest is in the pudding.



What role do you see drag culture playing in the trajectory of the changing landscape of Brooklyn itself?
The two are changing simultaneously. The drag culture itself is driven by the changing landscape of people who move to or make work in Brooklyn. As more and more queer artists find their home in this beautiful borough the drag culture is becoming more dense and saturated. I spoke of the roller coaster in the last question, while I was emphasizing the party culture that goes hand in hand with drag it is also about amazing performers busting out original material on a regular basis. The Brooklyn Queer Art Scene Community of People Playing Around on Stage and in Bars and Stuff (that's an official term) is growing!

You're involved with "Sez Me," a web series that aims to break down the stigma of children being exposed to the LGBT community. What have your experiences been like surrounding this?
I was so excited when Mor Erlich asked me to hop on board with "Sez Me." For most of my drag life I have explored gender as a character in a nightclub setting. Nightlife is a great place to do this, raw and artistic, bubbling with people expressing themselves in so many ways. Although, as time went on, I was searching for another platform to explore identity and gender and this was the perfect way. Giving the younger generation the space to learn about and explore identity will hopefully allow for greater acceptance and understanding of themselves and the people around them.

Being human is fluid. When it comes down to it we are all the same pizza crust, each with our own combination of toppings (I identify as sausage, green peppers and onions).



Through "Sez Me" I hope to give the younger generation a reference I did not have growing up. I want to empower them to ask questions and not be afraid to express who they are. It is important because young people should be treated with respect and allowed knowledge of things that exist in this world. I want to help people understand that gender and sexual preference are not subversive decisions a person makes in a back alley. I want to emphasize the amount of love in the world and that everyone has the space to give and receive it.

In simpler terms: There's so many ways to be, There's so many you's and me's, there's so many ways to be. Sez Who? Sez Me.

How would you characterize the kind of drag that you do?
[Imagine] if Britney Spears were 70 years old, had a flare for absurdity and really thick eyebrows. I do the kind of drag that could go horribly wrong at any moment. I am a sucker for improvisation. It's like in the TGIF sitcoms when they would be on their way to Disney World, but couldn't make it because the house flooded or Mark wrecked the car or Michelle got Amnesia (f*cking horse), then the whole thing plays out and ends on a heartwarming note. That's the kind of drag I do.



What does it mean to you to be a drag queen or a drag performer? Do you consider what you do to be drag at all?
I do drag because it's gay and it's proud. Drag is the bridge. It lives in the absurd. Drag queens are the mascots of the queer community. We take something as complex as gender and show the world that the whole idea is grounded in perspective. We are not afraid to freak people out, we welcome scrutiny, we make fun of ourselves. We are like getting to know you games for people who have never seen a queer thing in their life. We are easy.

In terms of considering myself a drag queen, sometimes I enter the scene dressed like a lollipop, other times a killer clown, and sometimes I enter the stage Dressed As Girl.

Where can you be found throughout the week?
Tortilleria Tres Hermanos on Starr and Wyckoff. I do a weekly show there called Lunch. It is mostly just me and my friend Jeremy Bennett eating tacos, but feel free to come hang out and eat with us.

Any parting words?
Take the part you least like about yourself, dress it up and show it off, make it beautiful.

Missed the previously featured drag performers and installments in this series? Check out the slideshow below.

Man Who Stole From Pearl Jam Gets 14-month Sentence

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SEATTLE (AP) — A former financial officer of Pearl Jam's management company has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for embezzling more than $300,000 from the band.

The Seattle Times reports (http://is.gd/vpGb3n ) that Superior Court Judge Roger Rogoff agreed Friday to allow Rickey Goodrich of Novato, Calif., to remain free for two weeks to get his financial affairs in order. Goodrich will return in two weeks for formal sentencing. His lawyer had sought probation.

The 55-year-old man pleaded guilty in December to six counts of first-degree theft. Prosecutors say he used company accounts to pay personal debts and fund lavish family vacations.

Prosecutors say he has already paid back $125,000 and has agreed to pay more in restitution.

Court papers say Goodrich worked as chief financial officer for Curtis, Inc., the management company owned by the band's manager Kelly Curtis. The Times says Goodrich was fired in September 2010.

___

Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com

Kimberly Brooks' Hypnotic Paintings Depict Memories That Were Never Yours

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Aristocratic portraits that once hung in the halls of a half-remembered dream, elaborate banquets you read about in a historical fiction novel, overgrown castle grounds hazily recalled from a travel brochure -- these images of the enchanted in-between are exactly what you'll find in Kimberly Brooks' new painting exhibition "I Notice People Disappear."

pink assembly
Pink Assembly



Like the title of the series, Brooks' paintings appear straightforward until contradictions and mischievous details float to the surface like spirits. At first, the somewhat figurative works appear to be depicting opulent scenes of exotic lands. Yet upon further contemplation you realize that a French gilded ceiling would never appear next to an authentic Persian rug, and why do all the portraits refuse to actually show faces? Like the ghostly figures that inhabit them, Brooks' decadent spaces have little place in reality. Like a memory transforming from thin air into something with weight and dimension, Brooks turns impossible visions into objects that can physically be sensed.

Part faulty history lesson, part seance, Brooks' works explore paint's uncanny ability to bridge spaces, times, memories, dreams and minds -- with the intoxicating ease of a lucid dream. We reached out to Brooks, the artist who founded the Huffington Post Arts in 2010, to learn more.

the banquet
The Banquet




First I want to ask you about your palette. Your subject matter clearly depicts these fractured and indulgent memories but even the colors alone feel like they're being seen through the filter of memory. How did you go about creating your palette?

I work on a turquoise wooden table with a thick sheet of glass on top and the colors arrayed edges with the yellows on the lower right and then the rest of the shades moving along the outer rim counter clockwise. I’ve used the same system for so long I intuit what I need spatially like playing the piano. I mix normally vibrant colors to create muted tones, then the painting shimmers with cool and warm areas depending on how the combination gets imbalanced. Limiting the palette lent itself to the subject matter as a filter against literal interpretation.

Over the course of your artistic career you've gradually loosened your grip on figuration. Your last exhibition "Threads" explored how paint could drip and here we see paint in its feathery, almost ghostly form. Can you talk about your decision to handle paint in this way?

I once wrote an essay called “The Nudist and the Chemist” where I put art on a spectrum according to how it was rendered. I saw the chemist in a lab coat at one end, with the thinnest of pipette, a bunsen burner, and a notepad on one end, and a nudest on the other, swilling a glass of wine in one hand and slathering paint on a canvas with a palette knife. I always imagined stripping off that lab coat and reaching for that glass of wine. Letting go of that, and letting things -- walls, people, lamps, sky-- sort of merge together and become something else altogether, that’s what I sought this time.


maho
Mahogany Lament




Your images transport the viewer to Indian temples, French Revolution-era castles, Baroque portraits, and many more times and places at the same time. Aside from other artworks, what influences fueled your imagery for these paintings?

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I moved into an old apartment building built in the 1920s and it had so many layers of paint on the window sills that I could create a thumbprint if I pressed hard enough, and they barely shut. I loved the feeling that I was living in two eras at the same time -- then and the Los Angeles when it was just being born. In my travels, I get the same feeling when I enter a medieval castle or ancient temple or cross an old bridge. I imagine what it must have been like when they all seemed new. It allows us to flicker on a time continuum between the now and the then. I wanted to create paintings, these historical settings and forgotten people, through a modern filter of abstraction.

In his catalogue essay Bruce Helander explained how in your works, "memory has a liquidity to it." What does this mean to you in relation to this series?

I was thinking of Proust and his idea of involuntary memory. He bites into a madeleine and not only recalls a memory from his own past but that of a friend of his dad’s who lived before he was born. It’s like a record needle skipping a track and playing a different song. I like the idea of being able to fall into other people’s memories, people that lived long ago.

portrait of arjun
Portrait of Arjun



Helander also speaks of your time as an English Major at UC Berkeley before becoming an artist. Is there a literary quality to these works and if so how would you describe it?

Yes, as an English Major, and lover of literature, I immerse myself in narrative, essentially historical works of fiction. That practice of envisioning how things looked, not in a literal sense, but through the blurry filter of the narrator’s description and my own imagination is how I created so many of the images for this exhibition.

If you could compare your painting process to a non-artistic activity -- like giving a massage or eating spaghetti or tuning a piano -- what would you choose?

That’s easy: creating oil paintings for an exhibition is like cooking a ten course meal, each with different steps and processes, with at least two to three main course and many side dishes. I lose myself while doing it and the smells start to fill the house with anticipation. Then when I'm done, I light the candles, get fresh flowers, turn on the music and then try to get the entire city, including art writers like you, the postman, and the lady at the flower shop, my family, all relatives and every friend I’ve ever had to cram inside and eat it with me.

pink salon
Pink Salon


castle ground
Castle Ground


tree river
Tree River


parlour room
Parlour Room


memory of the banquet
Memory of the Banquet


blue drawing room
Blue Drawing Room


portrait of layla
Portrait of Layla


maiden landscape
Maiden Landscape


*Kimberly Brooks is a Los Angeles-based painter. Her solo exhibition, “I Notice People Disappear” is on view at Arthouse 429 in West Palm Beach, Florida until March 6, 2014. Brooks also started the “First Person Artist” interview series and then went on to found this arts section. You can see details of her works and works in progress on Instagram @artistkimberlyb.

Coming Out As Gay Via Long-Exposure Photography

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By David Rosenberg

In 2004, Matthew Pillsbury met Nathan Noland, fell in love, came out as a gay man, and subsequently left his wife. It was a profound time for the then-30-year-old photographer, who said the coming-out process was filled with anguish when dealing with his ex-wife and their friends and family but also liberating, a time “of finally being able to live my life openly.”

slate

During that period, Pillsbury had been working on a series of long-exposure photographs of people watching television programs. The series, inspired by Hiroshi Sugimoto’s movie theaters, is titled “Screen Lives.” Eleven of those black-and-white images will be part of a show, called “Nate and Me,” opening Wednesday at Sasha Wolf Gallery in New York. The show is a coming-out of sorts (as an artist) for Pillsbury, the first time one of his shows will be "so openly autobiographical."

For Pillsbury, coming out as a gay man while shooting “Screen Lives” directly influenced the work. He said he initially focused on television shows because he couldn’t imagine shooting long exposures of people on cellphones and other mobile devices, since their users were constantly moving. Meeting Nate changed that. “I think it took the freedom of my coming out to make a picture like the one of Nate in Vegas or Cell Phone on Venice Beach. I was breaking down the very rules I had set for my own artistic project,” Pillsbury said.

Although Pillsbury came out a decade ago, he wanted to make sure his current boyfriend, Ferratti Valerio, would also be comfortable seeing work that intimately exposed Pillsbury’s past. “I’m fortunate that [Ferratti] not only welcomes Nate’s ongoing role in my life as a friend and collaborator but was also comfortable with me showcasing this work that documents our romantic and sexual history,” Pillsbury said.

Pillsbury said he doesn’t see any of his projects as clearly defined series and prefers to group the images thematically rather than chronologically. He points to the image High Line as an example: It was part of his “City Stages” series, but because it also incorporates electronic devices, it could be part of “Screen Lives.” Pillsbury also pointed to his long-exposure aesthetic as a parallel to Eadweard Muybridge, a pioneer in stop-motion photography. “In using photography, I try to reveal surprising elements in the world around us. … I hope to find and reveal something equally surprising,” he said of his long exposures.

While “Nate and Me” includes intimate photographs, many of the other images are familiar scenes within any relationship: couples hanging out, watching television, sharing moments, going about daily routines. It is a significant series for Pillsbury both because it touches on a transitional period of his life a decade ago and because of how different things were for gay people at that time. “There’s an obvious societal respect and power that is given to your married spouse that was certainly unimaginable for gay couples even as recently as 2004 when I came out,” Pillsbury said. “I think besides assuaging my own desire to photograph [Nate], making these pictures was a way of establishing his role in my life. I wanted to make it permanent and assert to myself, if no one else, that this mattered and that I was no longer ashamed.”

“Nate and Me,” courtesy of Bonni Benrubi Gallery, will be on view at Sasha Wolf Gallery in New York City until April 20.

See more images on Slate.

Oscar Nominees As You've Never Seen Them Before: In Mike Breach's Coffee Foam Art!

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Even if you've seen all the Oscar-nominated films, you haven't seen them like this.

Mike Breach, 28, a New York barista, specializes in "baristart," a self-coined term for art made in the foam of lattes.

Using only a toothpick, Breach is able to mark detailed faces in the foam, only to have his coffee creations fade away quickly.

Breach started his work to avoid boredom. "I had massive amounts of time at a lonely hotel barista station with not too many orders," Breach told The Huffington Post in an email interview.

"I passed the time challenging myself with increasingly complex designs... People really reacted to it so I kept going and here I am today."

Each portrait takes about five minutes to make and lasts about as long.







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Watch The 'Veronica Mars' Movie's Opening Scene Two Weeks Before It Hits Theaters

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You might be motivated to watch the newly unveiled opening scene from the "Veronica Mars" movie for one of two reasons: You're a die-hard Marshmallow who pines for any fresh material the show can offer, or you've never seen the show and need a quick primer. Everyone wins here, because the first two minutes of "Mars" -- now online -- act as a refresher course for what happened during the CW mystery's three seasons.

The clip will probably leave most long-standing fans jonesing even harder for the movie's release, which arrives in just two weeks. To hold you over, try not to get too antsy while revisiting Neptune, Veronica's troubles with Logan Echolls and the "trail of destruction" she left upon exiting the "seedy beach town." The Kristen Bell-narrated clip even contains a shout-out to the high-profile Kickstarter campaign that funded the movie. Catch the first two minutes below.



Check out the movie's first teaser, which debuted last summer, here.

Pharrell, U2, Idina Menzel And Karen O Rock Oscar Rehearsals

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Having the nation's No. 1 song does not exempt an artist from Oscar rehearsals.

Pharrell Williams ran through his catchy hit "Happy" more than half a dozen times Friday in preparation for the Oscar telecast. He even shared the spotlight with a spate of stars: Jamie Foxx, Brad Pitt and Kate Hudson showed up to rehearse while he was on stage. All I care about is the fun," Williams said to Hudson, who boogied in the audience as he practiced his dance-heavy number. A choir of high-school students and 20 professional dancers accompany his colorful performance.

Also rehearsing Friday: Broadway star Idina Menzel, who's set to sing "Let It Go" from animated film nominee "Frozen"; U2, which is nominated for its song from the Mandela movie, "Ordinary Love"; and rocker Karen O, who is nominated for "The Moon Song" from best-picture nominee "Her."

Menzel was awed by the technology that allowed the Oscar orchestra, playing off-site at the Capitol Records building, to coordinate with her live at the Dolby Theatre.

"Hi, Bill, can you hear me?" she said into the microphone at conductor William Ross, whom she could see on a monitor from inside the theater. "I'm trying to get that telepathic vibe with you because I'm alone up here and this is my first time (on the Oscars).

"You look very handsome," she added.

Karen O, front woman of the rock band Yeah Yeah Yeah's, took notes from director Spike Jonze as she practiced her performance, "The Moon Song" from his best-picture nominee, "Her."

"Spike just asked me to hold the mic a little bit lower, so I need a little more level," she told a sound engineer. Jonze sat in a front-row seat in the audience.

Accompanied by Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig on acoustic guitar, O sang the song again and again, sitting on a corner of the stage in a long floral dress, leather motorcycle jacket and killer blue boots.

Williams arrived wearing a polka-dot jacket, patterned scarf and his trademark hat.

He ditched the chapeau for rehearsals, emerging onstage in just a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. He danced through the audience, pausing to shake hands with show producer Craig Zadan, saying, "Thanks for having me."

Foxx arrived in the middle of Williams' rehearsal. He quickly joined the dancers on stage, much to their amusement, pretending to stretch alongside them and offering unneeded dramatic direction.

"Walk, walk, curiosity! And retreat," he said to a chorus of laughter.

U2 also wasn't above rehearsals, running through their nominated song "Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" late into the night.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .

Tuba Players Make Alligators Randy With One Very Special Note (VIDEO)

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Would you be willing to serenade an alligator?

In 1944, the American Museum of Natural History in New York performed an experiment called "Response of Captive Alligators to Auditory Stimulation," where naturalists observed the ancient creatures roaring in response to the pitch of certain sounds.

"A couple of months ago, I heard this wonderful story on National Public Radio about B-flat -- the note that has this mysterious effect on nature," says the Tampa Bay Times reporter in the video above.

So In 2007, the Tampa Bay Times decided to replicate the 1944 experiment at Gatorland, near Kissimmee, Fla. Watch as William Mickelsen, Florida Orchestra's principal tuba player, and John Banthers, a student at the New England Conservatory, team up with alligator wrangler Tim Williams to test the responses of the gators.

When they play a sustained B-flat through the wood of the boardwalk, the gators go wild as predicted. The roaring and bellowing of the male gators are mating calls, and in the spring months, they are especially loud.
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