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Dad Transforms 3-Year-Old Daughter Into The Fiercest Wonder Woman Ever

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This 3-year-old girl is taking fierceness to the next level with her Halloween costume. 


Photographer and father of two Josh Rossi transformed his daughter Nellee into Wonder Woman for an epic Halloween photo shoot.



Rossi told The Huffington Post he usually does a fun photo shoot for Nellee’s birthday in June, but this year, he was too swamped with work to put it together. Feeling guilty about skipping the tradition, the Utah dad decided to “go all out” for Halloween. 


“I was wracking my brain to figure out who would best represent my daughter, and I finally came up with Wonder Woman,” Rossi said, noting he drew inspiration specifically from the ‘Batman v Superman’ movie.


“The end part shows Wonder Woman kicking butt and almost outdoing Superman!” he said. “I got really excited and became obsessed with this character.”



Collaborating with a costume designer friend at McGrew Studios in Salt Lake City, Rossi spent about a month creating a toddler-sized replica of Wonder Woman’s costume. 


“We walked through all of the little details of the actual costume and used realistic materials to bring it to life,” Rossi said.



All in all, the costume and props cost about $1,500. When Nellee saw the finished product, she was an instant fan.


“She was so obsessed she wouldn’t take it off,” Rossi said. “Even just now I was trying to put her down for a nap and she screamed because she had to sleep instead of put the costume on and act.”



Nellee also loved bringing out her Wonder Woman fierceness for the big photo shoot. Though they worked under some time constraints (namely, nap time), her parents and photo shoot team gave the tiny superhero an exciting adventure.


With the help of some Photoshop magic, Wonder Woman came to life, powers and all. 






Rossi said he hopes his daughter’s photo shoot can be empowering for viewers.


“After seeing the movie ‘Batman v Superman,’ I was so impressed by Wonder Woman and how powerful she was!” he said. “Women are amazing and do so much that I wanted to just add fuel to the Wonder Woman fire and include my little daughter in this.”


Added Rossi, “I want people to not only feel inspired by these images but feel that anything is possible.”


Keep scrolling for more fun photos and behind-the-scenes glimpses into Nellee’s adventures as Wonder Woman.


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This Halloween, Don’t Be THAT Person With The Frighteningly Offensive Costume

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Here’s your annual reminder that it’s not festive to dress up like a privileged jerk this year for Halloween. 


I mean, we’re already off to a pretty great start in general, society.


Walmart.com had to take down a Tranny Granny costume. Disney removed a “Moana” costume that appeared to promote “brownface.” And one retailer pulled a costume making light of Kim Kardashian being a victim of armed robbery.


Here’s a handy guide on how not to reduce someone’s culture to shiny pleather; how not to hyper-sexualize an entire gender; and how not to make light of serious issues.


Dangerous Stereotypes About Terrorism Aren’t Really A Laughing Matter



Muslim communities in America have to deal with an unjust level of Islamophobia as it is. Parading around on Halloween as a “bomber” in traditional Middle Eastern clothes just further perpetuates harmful stereotypesAlso, terrorism is no laughing matter: Groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State take the lives of thousands of people each year.


 


Mocking Undocumented Immigrants Is Tasteless And Insensitive



The election rhetoric around immigration has gotten intense, to say the least. So particularly in this environment, wearing a costume that boasts a derogatory term for undocumented immigrants, “illegal alien” ― and that actually depicts someone with a green card as an extraterrestrial ― is not only dangerous but it’s also tasteless. 


Some immigrants are fleeing serious violence in their home countries, while others are simply seeking a better life for their families. All of them deserve our respect as fellow humans.


 


Try Not To Hypersexualize Women With Every. Single. Costume.



It’s hard to ruin anything related to “Hamilton,” but somehow Halloween did.


Costume retailers, please stop making women’s costumes the “sexy” version of everything. We’ve seen sexy sharks, sexy burritos and, of course, a sexy Ken Bone. It’s hard to believe, but a regular costume, like a man gets to wear, would be fine with women, too. 


 


Casually ‘Painting’ On A Race For A Night Upholds Systemic Racism And Is Beyond Privileged 



To the 52 percent of white Americans who think it’s okay to dress in blackface for Halloween, here’s some advice for you: Just don’t. 


Blackface has a long and racist history that, by painting your face black on Halloween, you are actively choosing to ignore, and in fact are perpetuating.


“For so many black Americans, blackface carries unavoidable associations of hate, violence and degradation, and if you choose to wear it, you’re basically broadcasting the message ‘I don’t give a shit about black people’s feelings,’” writes HuffPost reporter Julia Craven


Plus, the ability to casually wipe off a skin color at the end of the night ― without having to live through the accompanying real-life discrimination ― is classic privilege. 


“Once you’re done masquerading as a black person — employing the same techniques used not just to belittle the black experience, but to prop up the systemic subjugation of the entire race — you get to remove the color from your skin,” Craven adds. “Black people do not have this luxury. We cannot wash our blackness from ourselves, nor can we eliminate all the stereotypes and all the forms of oppression that come with it.”


 


Most Asians Don’t Like To Be Depicted As Exotic And Servantile 



The depiction of geishas comes loaded with a complicated and dehumanizing history. So the act of wearing the traditional Japanese garb as a costume can make light of ― and uphold ― stereotypes related to oppression rooted in racism and sexism.


Blogger Nina Jacinto wrote about the depiction of geishas, stating:


“It’s a troubling attempt to sidestep authentic representation and humanization of a culture and opt instead for racialized fetishizing against Asian women.”


 


Dressing Up As Another Culture Isn’t Appreciation, It’s Appropriation



From the Red Skins team mascot to Halloween’s surge of Pocahotties costumes, American pop culture regularly takes from Native culture without permission, and uses it (or misuses it, rather) for its own entertainment.


The fact that someone can don another person’s reality for an evening, whether their culture, race or religion, and then toss it aside at their convenience, is the epitome of privilege.  


As HuffPost blogger Nadia Dawisha put it: “This is why it is so dangerous to ‘dress up’ as another culture, because a white person who dresses up as a ‘Mexican’ in Arizona doesn’t have to worry that his citizenship will be questioned. He can go to a ‘ghetto’ party and wear his hoodie up in an effort to look more ‘hood’ without fearing that he will get killed like Trayvon Martin.”


 


But Everyone, DO Wear This





For those of you still wondering what to wear, take a note from the funny (pun-y?) cactus above. Or you can check out these badass looks for ladies, these family-friendly get-ups, or these creative costumes for two.

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This Baby Had A 'Harry Potter' Photo Shoot And It Was Magical

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An Illinois mom is passing her love of the Harry Potter series to her baby daughter in the most magical way.


Kayla Glover, who works as a photographer, took a series of adorable Harry Potter-themed pictures of her newborn daughter, Lorelai Grace.



“I’ve been a Harry Potter fan since I was 10 years old,” Glover told The Huffington Post. “It is fair to say I always planned to introduce my children to the series at a young age.”


When Lorelai was 3 months old, her mom set up a themed photo shoot to pay tribute to her favorite fictional world of wizards and witches. “I wanted to be sure to include my original set of books because they mean so much to me and represent such a fun part of my childhood,” Glover said.



For the shoot, the photographer gathered her Harry Potter books, a cauldron she uses for Halloween decoration, her niece’s wand and Gryffindor scarf and a pair of round glasses that she received at the midnight release party for the fifth book.


Glover said Lorelai had no issues posing for the photo shoot, as she’s always been a very happy, easygoing baby. 


“She enjoyed trying to chew on the wand any chance she got, and her little face looked so silly when the glasses would slip down her nose,” the mom said.



Glover hopes this is just the beginning of Lorelai’s Harry Potter fandom. “I absolutely plan to read them to her one day and have her enjoy reading them herself as well,” she told HuffPost.


The mom added that she thinks it would be nice to begin reading the books to Lorelai when she’s 10, the same age she was when she got started ― though they may share the movies with her sooner.


And in the meantime, there may be more Harry Potter photo shoots to come. “Now that her hair has changed to red, I’m thinking I’ll at some point need to make her a Weasley as well!” Glover said.



The photographer said she’s been pleased to see overwhelmingly positive reactions to the Harry Potter photos on Facebook and Instagram. 


“At a time where there’s so much negativity clouding our social media and in the news, it gives me hope to see other’s appreciate my beautiful little girl dressed as a character that represents strength, perseverance, and humility,” she said. “In the words of Albus Dumbledore, ‘Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.’”


For more adorable baby photos, visit Glover’s website, Facebook page and Instagram.


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These Underwater Wedding Pics Are What Mermaid Dreams Are Made Of

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Photographer Adam Opris of Adam Opris Photography has been making a splash with his underwater photography for the last four years. 



“I used to see photos of underwater worlds in the Amazon River from divers and was always drawn to them,” Opris, who is based in South Florida, told The Huffington Post. “I am mainly a wedding and maternity photographer so bringing my clients into this underwater world added a whole new dynamic of creativity and art into their memories.”



In a recent interview with Inside Edition (watch above), Opris and his clients Yayi and Peter Pezaris, dressed in full wedding attire, gave us a glimpse into how the magic happens. 


“I love seeing how the different dynamics come out underwater when people try and help each other float or mess with each other’s hair or make it fun and crazy,” Opris says in the video. 



As GoPros and other underwater cameras became more popular, so too did this style of photography― but many would-be photogs don’t have the expertise needed to capture a great shot. 


“Most people don’t realize that to create amazing photos the posing is much different than on land,” he told HuffPost. “The proper lighting is necessary to preserve skin color and make sure the clients are not blue like the water.”



And if you think these underwater adventures look like a great time ― you’re right, Opris said. 


“It may look like fun because it absolutely is.” 


Watch the behind-the-scenes video above. 

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A Take On The Irony Of Being A Gay Man Who Hates 'Masculinity'

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Justin Sayre may be attracted to men, but that doesn’t mean he’s a fan of “masculinity,” at least in the stereotypical sense. 


In his new video for HuffPost Queer Voices, the sassy writer-performer opens up about that irony ― and it’s a hoot. 


“My therapist and I discovered that I don’t like men. I just don’t like them,” he quips in the clip, which can be viewed above. “Masculinity, to me, not only is an affront, but it’s an abuse.” 


The issue reared its head, so to speak, when a friend presented Sayre with a fraternity-themed gay adult DVD on his birthday. As it turned out, however, the movie was not to Sayre’s liking. 


“I literally returned to her two days later,” he says. “Too much shouting and none of the bottoms smiled, which is important to me.” 


Sayre’s “International Order of Sodomites” (I.O.S.) gathers once a month for “The Meeting,” a variety show honoring an artist or a cultural work that is iconic to the gay community. The next installment of “The Meeting” is dedicated to Bette Midler and hits Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York on Oct. 23. He’ll head west shortly thereafter for a Nov. 5 performance at Oasis in San Francisco. 


You can check out Sayre’s comedy album, “The Gay Agenda,” here. Meanwhile, the latest episode of “Sparkle & Circulate with Justin Sayre,” the official I.O.S. podcast, was released in August featuring an interview with Golden Girls Forever author Jim Colucci.


You can also view some previous performances from “The Meeting” on Sayre’s official YouTube page. For more Sayre, head to Facebook and Twitter

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The 20 Funniest Tweets From Women This Week

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The ladies of Twitter never fail to brighten our days with their brilliant ― but succinct ― wisdom. Each week, HuffPost Women rounds up hilarious 140-character musings. For this week’s great tweets from women, scroll through the list below. Then visit our Funniest Tweets From Women page for our past collections.      

















































































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Watch 100 People Show Off Their Orgasm Faces

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Remember that scene in “When Harry Met Sally” when Sally does her best “fake orgasm” impression in Katz’s Deli? 


Well, the WatchCut Video above is just like that ― only with 100 people doing their best simulated “O” face. 


There’s this guy whose technique might best be described as “tremble and pretend you just found out your dog died”:





And this woman, who pretty much gives us a masterclass in feigning pleasure:





Watch the hilarious supercut in its entirety above.


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Jennifer Lawrence Will Play Zelda Fitzgerald In The Ultimate Cool Girl Mashup

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Is there a living starlet with as much cool cache as Jennifer Lawrence? She eats McDonald’s only semi-ironically! She falls down on the stage and gets back up with casual, self-deprecating grace! She seems, somehow, without neuroses.


So, will she pull off the complexities of Zelda Fitzgerald, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife and fellow writer, who lived large, but was haunted by mental illness? We’ll find out soon enough. The Hollywood Reporter recently reported that she’s been cast as Zelda in a forthcoming biopic, developed by Ron Howard.


The news makes sense. Lawrence would look pretty great with a finger wave bob, and she’s shown us that the emotional depth she brings to characters can be the saving grace of otherwise flawed movies. (*Ahem,* “Joy.”)


Writing in The Great Gatsby of Tom and Daisy, who ascribed to the same rough-and-tumble lifestyle as he and Zelda, Fitzgerald said, “They were careless people [...] they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”


Which sounds like an elevator pitch for the role Lawrence played in “American Hustle.” Soon, she’ll bring that dueling sweetness and melodrama to her portrayal of the American Dream. Sounds copacetic.

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Evan Rachel Wood's 'Westworld' Character Was Inspired By This Iconic Painting

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Warning: If you’ve yet to watch the currently available episodes of “Westworld,” there might be spoilers ahead.


One of the standout performances from HBO’s young sci-fi series “Westworld” thus far is that of Evan Rachel Wood, who plays Dolores. 


What fans of the show might not know is that when writing Wood’s character, the “Westworld” team was inspired by an iconic painting. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Jonathan Nolan reveals that Andrew Wyeth’s 1948 painting was used as a jumping-off point of sorts for Dolores, a cyborg who plays a rancher’s daughter in the Wild West–themed park on the show. Over the episodes, we see her gain some sort of perception beyond her programmed narrative.


“It was a tilt of the head toward all the different stories that inspired us; a classic protagonist who’s on a hero’s journey with a darker twist to it,” said Nolan, also referencing Alice in Wonderland as an inspiration. “She starts in what should be the happy homestead but it’s not and she goes out looking ultimately for herself.”



Christina's World, Andrew Wyeth. #moma, #christina'sworld, #andrewwyeth

A photo posted by Jane Morren (@jane.morren) on




”Christina’s World” depicts a young woman in a simple pink dress, her brunette hair tousled by the wind. She lies stretched out in an arid field with a house in the distance. She has one hand reaching out, suggesting an unclear yearning. 


There was indeed a real Christina. According to About, Anna Christina Olson lived on the Maine farm pictured in the painting, and had a degenerative muscular disorder thought to be polio. Certain body parts in the painting were modeled by Wyeth’s wife, who was 26 at the time.


“The challenge to me was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless,” Wyeth said of his painting, according to the Museum of Modern Art, where it now hangs.


Hmmm. Sounds pretty similar to the bleak loop Dolores must live out with every narrative arc in the theme park she calls home.

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Donald Glover Is Your New Lando Calrissian In Han Solo 'Star Wars' Spinoff

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Donald Glover is moving from “Atlanta” to a galaxy far far away. 


On Friday, the official “Star Wars” website released a statement announcing that the actor has been cast as smuggler Lando Calrissian in the currently untitled Han Solo spinoff. 






Glover will join Alden Ehrenreich, who beat out bigger-name actors like Miles Teller, Logan Lerman, Dave Franco and Ansel Elgort for the role of Han, in the project set to hit theaters in 2018. 


“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us,” said directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in a statement. “These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever.”


Earlier this year, Billy Dee Williams, who played Calrissian in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” commented on rumors of Glover’s casting, explaining that he’s far from thrilled to see a new iteration of the iconic character. 


“I don’t know who Donald Glover is. But as far as I’m concerned, I would say they [”Star Wars” producers] should leave that character alone. I don’t think you can do any more than what I did with that character. I think I made that character into something very special, and I can’t imagine anybody else doing it, to be very frank with you.”


Well, it’s about time you got familiar. 




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This Beautiful Drag Magazine Is Providing A Comprehensive Guide To 'Realness'

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What is the state of drag in 2016?


While the success of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has dramatically changed the public’s relationship with drag as an art form, this recent packaging for mainstream consumption doesn’t erase the rich and complex history of drag performance. This idea, among others, is what artist Sasha Velour explores in the second issue of her drag magazine, appropriately titled Velour, created alongside her boyfriend and creative partner Johnny Velour.





This second edition of the queer publication is called “Realness,” a seminal term from the world of queer performance that has taken on new cultural meaning in recent years. As Velour sees it, the word, in many ways, has become synonymous with “look” as a colloquialism. However, to not consider the word’s origins is an erasure of the queer people of color who largely popularized the word through different categories in underground ball scenes.


“’Realness’”categories in the black and latinx ballroom world were really more about ‘passing” than they were about costumes,” Velour Told The Huffington Post. “The ability to seem exactly like your straight (and sometimes white) counterpart. Not really for purposes of parody, but almost life or death survival. If someone, to quote Dorian Corey, can ‘walk out of that ballroom into the sunlight and onto the subway and get home and still have all their clothes and no blood running off their body... that’s realness.’ But the balls were also a safe and joyful space... a queer-run universe.”



This consideration of the historical heart of drag and the way its developed and changed, particularly recently, is really at the heart of this issue of Velour. The magazine is an intricate 116-page collection of art, images, photos, stories and contributions from queer artists from around the world with a heavy focus on the Brooklyn drag scene. The features include Brooklyn scene staples like Merrie Cherry, Chris of Hur, Goldie Peacock, Pearl Harbor, Lady Quesa’Dilla and Lady Simon, as well as non NYC-specific figures like Sophie McMahan, Chad Sell from Illinois, Cole Closser from Missouri, and Rumi Hara from Japan.


“In a sense, working within your direct community is also part of the tradition of indie publishing,” Velour continued. “My favorite part of this issue was getting to scan and reprint excerpts of Linda Simpson’s 1988 issue of My Comrade (the original drag queen-run NY magazine!). It was INCREDIBLE to recognize such similar levels of dedication and also publishing-induced insanity when I was looking through the originals, all painstakingly collaged and xeroxed by her and her friends. We really aren’t inventing something new...we’re just continuing a pretty amazing legacy of queer publishing!”



For Velour, this representation of different scenes and communities within the larger queer community is crucial, as drag is something that has historically bled into the very fabric of the queer fight for rights, representation and survival.


These queer and often drag-based concepts, such as “realness,” help us to better understand both the nuances and functionality of society but also allow us to examine ourselves and our relationship to it.


“And that’s how drag goes about being revolutionary,” Velour continued. “Not by trying to create something ‘outside of reality’ ― but by remixing, reorganizing, recasting the rules around you until new very real possibilities emerge.”



As for Velour magazine, the artist told The Huffington Post that she hopes it not only continues the tradition of queer publishing established by queer artists over the years, but also serves as a tool for queer people to better understand our relationship with drag ― and its history ― as it becomes increasingly mainstreamed.


“I really think that this magazine has a message of positivity... that drag is smart, diverse, and beautiful, that it truly can (and has) changed the world.” Velour said. “And this may seem silly but I think the beautiful aesthetics of the magazine are a reminder and a promise that we queer people can have nice things... not because of money or resources, but because we have determination and good ideas! And that’s what drag is all about.”


“Realness” and the first issues of Velour called “What is Drag”? Are both available here as of October 21.


Check out other selected images from the “Realness” issue of Velour below.


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Bob Dylan Nobel Silence Called 'Impolite And Arrogant' By Academy Member

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STOCKHOLM - The committee that awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to Bob Dylan said on Saturday it was up to the American singer-songwriter whether to attend the prize-giving ceremony later this year or not.


The notoriously media-shy Dylan has not yet made any comment on the $900,000 prize, despite repeated attempts by award-givers the Swedish Academy to contact him since it named him as the winner on Oct. 13.


On Saturday, Swedish media reported that Academy member Per Wastberg had said that if Dylan remained silent, it would be “rude and arrogant”.


The Academy, however said Wastberg’s comments did not reflect their view.


“The author awarded the Noble Prize makes up his or her own mind regarding the ceremonies involved in the presentation of the prize,” Sara Danius, Permanent Secretary of the Academy, said in a statement.


“The Swedish Academy has never held a view on a prize winners decision in this context, neither will it now, regardless of the decision reached.”


The Academy gave 75-year-old Dylan the prize for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. It was a controversial choice.


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Dylan revolutionized American popular song with numbers such as “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” Yet some have questioned whether his work qualifies as literature. Others have complained that the Swedish Academy missed an opportunity to bring attention to lesser-known artists.


The award ceremony takes place each year on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, when the King of Sweden hands each laureate a diploma and a medal, followed by a lavish banquet at Stockholm’s City Hall for about 1,300 people.


If Dylan maintains his silence, he would be the first to simply ignore the Academy’s decision.


Some Nobel laureates have been too ill to travel to the ceremony. French writer Jean-Paul Sartre refused the 1964 prize. The Academy said his refusal did not affect the validity of the award, but they would not be able to give it to him.


(Reporting by Simon Johnson)

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It's Time To Retire ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ Once And For All

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Dear Forever 21, 


In early October, decade-old footage emerged of Donald Trump saying that as a famous man, he can get away with grabbing women by the pussy. He has since defended it ― repeatedly ― as locker room talk. His son, Eric, said it’s just what happens when men hang out together. His wife, Melania, brushed it off as “boy talk.” Have you heard any of this? Because it’s the same message you’re peddling in your stores right now with a shirt that says, in all caps, that “Boys will be boys.”



As the mom of a little boy, I admit that there’s a part of me that likes the idea of a flip expression I can call on to laugh off my son’s more rambunctious moments as a natural expression of his gender. He threw his fire truck at my head? Boys will be boys! Screamed like a deranged animal on the F train? Aw shucks, he’s just a boy. 


But there’s such an obvious ugly side to that expression. It promotes the false narrative that boys and men are inherently aggressive and can’t fully control themselves. It lets them off the hook for bad behavior, while simultaneously selling them short. Boys will be wild, boys will be combative, boys will be impulsive. They will not be thoughtful, sensitive or shy or any of the other wonderful things that boys and men actually are.


Forever 21 is hardly the only manufacturer that has ever slapped the dated cliche on a T-shirt and sold it. “Boys will be boys” stuff is all over Etsy. Nordstrom had a shirt, and The Children’s Place did, too. There are, doubtless, many more examples. But this moment is different. These are a different version of the same words that have been invoked by a man running for this country’s highest office ― a man who has essentially admitted, on tape, that he believes he is entitled to women’s bodies. A man who bragged about grabbing women’s pussies, about trying to fuck them, and then tried to convince people it’s no big deal. A man who has been accused of rampant sexual assault.


Calling out a kids T-shirt is the kind of thing people like to pounce on as liberal hand-wringing over nothing, but it’s not. It’s one more small, concrete example of how steeped we are in the rhetoric that gives rise to men like Donald Trump and empowers them to dismiss anyone who questions their behavior. I’m not mad about a silly T-shirt. I’m exhausted by how deep this all goes.


You know what else we used to say about kids? That if you spare the rod, you spoil the child. We told girls not to worry their pretty little heads over things. We stopped using those phrases and idioms because they were antiquated and harmful, and this one is, too.  


So please, can this be the moment when we retire “Boys will be boys” once and for all?


Signed, 


Over it 

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Stunning Aerial Images Will Change How You See The Earth

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Gazing down at the Earth from hundreds of thousands of miles away is an experience astronauts say can cause a sudden shift in cognitive awareness.


Known as the “overview effect,” this transformative feeling of enlightenment inspired artist Benjamin Grant’s new book, Overview: A New Perspective of Earth.


Just as the title suggests, Grant hopes his published collection of more than 200 satellite images of nature, agriculture and industry will allow Earth dwellers to “see things differently,” much like astronauts have. The book is an extension of his photography project, Daily Overview.


Looking at our planet from a new perspective can help us “better understand the intricacy of the things we have constructed, the sheer complexity of the systems we have developed, and the impact that we have had on the planet,” Grant says.


“If we embrace and learn from this new perspective,” he says, “I am optimistic that we will create a smarter and safer future for our one and only home.”


Take a look at selection of some of the incredible work featured in Grant’s new book:



Reprinted with permission from Overview by Benjamin Grant, copyright (c) 2016. Published by Amphoto Books, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Images (c) 2016 by DigitalGlobe, Inc.


CORRECTION: Due to an editor’s error, a previous version of this article overstated the size of Central Park. 

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This Company Is Turning Your Trash Into High-End Fashion And Art

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Eco-fashion designer Nancy Judd found a way to turn your trash into high-end art and clothing. 


Judd explained to HuffPost Rise that she always thought about what happens to the tons of trash Americans produce. Some of it gets recycled, she said, some gets composted, “but the majority of it goes into a landfill.” She started Recycle Runway as a way to help educate people about the environment. 


“I often get asked, ‘Why do I make garments out of trash?’ What’s the point of doing this work?,’” she said. “And really it has to do with finding another way of engaging people and talking about what’s happening to our planet. I found fashion is a really effective way of doing that.”


The types of materials Judd uses for her pieces run the gamut from aluminum cans to old cassette tapes, rusty nails and car parts. 


“I have certainly done my fair share of dumpster diving,” Judd said. 


The video above was produced by Alex Kushneir and edited by Chai Dingari.

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Anna Camp Opens Up About Hollywood Sexual Harassment

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Anna Camp understands firsthand the sexual harassment her fictional character Jane Hollander has to endure in the new Amazon series “Good Girls Revolt.” 


On Monday, the 34-year-old actress sat down with People Magazine and her “Good Girls Revolt” co-stars to discuss the upcoming series, which is centered around a group of young female researchers fighting for workplace equality at fictional News of the Week Magazine in 1969. (The series is based on a true story about the young women that worked at Newsweek in 1970.) 


Camp told People that her “Good Girls Revolt” character Jane repeatedly gets hit on by a co-worker ― one that she maintains an important professional relationship with. And, unfortunately, Camp said she’s had similar experiences working in the entertainment industry:



I’m happily married now, but [I have had moments] on sets where I have been shooting a scene with someone, it’s going very well, but I can tell… “Oh God, I think he’s going to ask … Oh God, is he going to ask me out?” But I have to work with him tomorrow! And then I have to work with him for the next month. How do I maintain that balance of not offending him, but getting my point across that I don’t want to go out on a date?



The actress hopes that young women watching “Good Girls Revolt” will learn the importance of pushing back on sexism and inequality.  


“Young girls ― stand up. Stop competing with one another and come together and stand up for yourselves in the moment,” she said “I’ve had times where I was sexually harassed or sexually discriminated against, and I go home and I don’t say anything in the moment and I mull over it and I can’t go to sleep and I think: ‘Why didn’t I just stand up for myself?’ It’s OK to stand up for yourself.”


As Camp described her experiences, her co-stars Genevieve Angelson and Joy Bryant nodded along knowingly. “Hollywood is just as racist and sexist as any other industry,” said Bryant. “We’re in America. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”


Angelson added that she too has been confronted with sexual harassment, and acknowledged that often it’s difficult for women to figure out how best to respond.


(Watch the discussion below.) 





“When something happens to you, the response isn’t immediate ― it’s a process of recognizing that you’re uncomfortable,” Angelson said. “And I think for a lot of people, because of that organic pause that happens, I have felt like I no longer have a right to address it because too much time went by.”


Angelson added that it’s OK to speak up against harassment like this, whether it’s at the time or later once you’ve gathered your thoughts: “Whenever it is time for you to say something in your own defense for your own well-being, do it.” 


We could not agree more.  


Head over to People to read the full interview.

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This Roald Dahl Clothing Line Is A Childhood Dream Come True

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Author Roald Dahl once said, “a little magic can take you a long way.” Fittingly, these clothes inspired by the author’s stories are pure magic.


British clothing brand Boden has brought the beloved characters and stories from Roald Dahl’s iconic books to life. In partnership with Dahl’s literary estate, they’ve created a children’s clothing line that is delightful and whimsical.


Pieces inspired by James and the Giant PeachFantastic Mr. Fox, The TwitsMatilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The BFG all make appearances in the line.









This year is the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birthday and the 25th anniversary of the clothing company — so the collaboration is “a celebration of both parties.”


So, what does this quirky collection look like? Here are some of our favorite pieces:


These James and the Giant Peach tops.








This incredible Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Golden Ticket sweatshirt with color-changing sequins.




This Mr. Twit sweater that’s grumpy and great.




You can shop the entire limited-edition collection here. Now, who’s up for rereading The BFG?


H/T BuzzFeed


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Parents Get Hilariously Real With Pregnancy Announcement Photos

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Maternity photo shoots can range from emotional to artistic to downright cheeky. 


This couple’s creative pictures certainly fall in the latter category. 



To announce their first pregnancy, Jasmine “Jelly” and Brandon “Beastie” Nehilla posed for maternity photos with both of their bellies bared. The Georgia couple drew arrows on their bodies pointing to their stomachs with the word “baby” for Jasmine and “beer” for Brandon. 


The Nehillas, who work in the Atlanta music scene and are widely known by their nicknames, were inspired by a similar maternity photo that they saw online several years ago and vowed to recreate one day. 


“When it came time to plan out our pregnancy announcement shoot, Beastie was super adamant about including the beer/baby idea,” Jasmine told The Huffington Post. “He’s a bit of a craft beer enthusiast with tons of beer-loving friends back in North Carolina, so the beer belly was not only authentic but also very appropriate.”



With the help of photographer Heather LaShun, the Nehillas brought their vision to life. They posted the finished pregnancy announcement photo on their social media accounts and received much positive feedback. The Black Moms Blog reposted it on Instagram and Facebook as well. 


The Nehillas are expecting a baby boy, due in December. While this is the couple’s first pregnancy, Brandon also has a 13-year-old son, whom Jasmine has helped raise since he was 5, and they recently took temporary custody of their 3-year-old twin nephews. 


Jasmine told HuffPost she hopes their pregnancy announcement inspire other expectant parents to be creative with their maternity photos. “I would love for people to let their personalities shine,” she said. “These are the times that we’re going to look back on ― that are children are going to look back on ― and they should get more than a hand-holding cheesy smile ... they deserve a story, especially if we’re not around to tell it.”



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Mary Lambert Drops By Stonewall For A Heartfelt Performance

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Mary Lambert braved chilly temperatures and blustery winds to surprise fans with a pop-up performance outside New York’s Stonewall Inn Monday evening.


The singer-songwriter, 27, kicked off her three-song set with “She Keeps Me Warm,” the 2013 single that references the chorus of 2012’s “Same Love,” the Grammy-nominated same-sex marriage anthem on which she collaborated with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. She continued her performance with “Secrets,” urging audience members to sing along as she played piano on a makeshift stage that had been erected outside the historic gay nightspot.


Lambert’s performance was part of the #FindYourPark initiative in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. In June, President Barack Obama designated the inn, the park and its environs as the country’s first national monument to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. The dedication ceremony took place 47 years after Stonewall’s patrons fought back against a police raid in the wee hours of June 28, 1969. At the time, homosexuality was illegal in the U.S.


Proceeds from a subsequent celebrity auction held inside Stonewall benefited the National Park Foundation, which is raising funds to maintain the monument. 



Following the show, Lambert joined three rangers from the National Park Service on a walking tour through Christopher Park, which is situated directly across the street from the Stonewall Inn. The singer, who is a National Parks Service Centennial Ambassador, was visibly emotional when rangers recalled the events of the Stonewall riots, which are considered the symbolic start of the modern-day LGBT rights movement.


“This is sacred. Sh*t happened here, and it was real, and it meant a lot to our community,” she told The Huffington Post. “The fact that the government recognizes an uprising against its own police force and says, ‘Yes, this is your space, this is your time,’ speaks volumes to the [Obama] administration and where we are in our culture [and] what we value.”


Lambert, who is currently producing material for a new EP that she’s hoping to release in early 2017, recalled her initial concerns about recording “Same Love” because the chorus included lyrics addressed to a woman, sung through another woman’s perspective.



“I was prepared to be killed. I was like, ‘If we tour the Bible Belt, I’m done,’” she said. “Macklemore wasn’t the gay one, I was the one out there telling everyone how gay I am. I can’t disconnect from my identity.” The song’s massive success, however, quickly proved her wrong. “The response has been overwhelmingly supportive. If anything, it taught me that the world is comfortable with same-sex pronouns in a song,” she said.


Though Lambert is optimistic about the future of the fight for LGBT rights, she acknowledged, “We’ve got a way to go.”


“I think we’re way behind in trans rights,” she said. Noting that she disagreed with the way states like North Carolina were “literally policing bathrooms,” Lambert added, “The younger generation is more comfortable with the idea of not identifying within a gender binary. When we live in such a binary world, it can be really heard to find where you belong.”

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Here's The Spooky Poem 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Was Based On

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“It was the nightmare before Christmas / And all through the house / Not a creature was peaceful / Not even a mouse,” Tim Burton wrote in a riff on the popular holiday rhyme, “The Night Before Christmas.” His poetic parody would go on to inspire one of his most beloved films, not least because it can be enjoyed during two separate holidays.


In the above 10-minute video, the late Christopher Lee reads Burton’s original poem, on which the “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is based, detailing the frustrations of Jack Skellington, the spookiness of Halloween Town, and the terror bestowed upon young children after Santa Claus is kidnapped and replaced by a bonier doppelgänger.





Notably, Burton’s original 1982 story has no romantic component ― Sally, Jack’s rag doll admirer in the movie, doesn’t make an appearance. Otherwise, the movie is faithful to the original vision, a lyrically wrought first draft.


“Then out from the grave with a curl and a twist / came a whimpering, whining, spectral mist,” Lee reads when introducing Jack’s dog and best friend, Zero.


The poem, capable of eliciting fear and wonder, was written years before “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was released in 1993, when the good-intentioned Jack was finally introduced to a wider audience. At the time, Disney didn’t market the movie for kids, fearing that it would be too scary for young viewers.


Today, of course, Jack and his friends are celebrated by movie-lovers of all ages.




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