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Trump Rips 'Celebrity Apprentice' Report That Cites His Own Aide As 'Rediculous' Fake News

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Donald Trump is calling “fake news” on CNN’s report that he is staying on as the executive producer of “The New Celebrity Apprentice” — even though the creator of the series confirmed the information and Trump’s own spokeswoman suggested he would stay. 


Kellyanne Conway said in an on-air CNN interview Friday that if lawyers give Trump the go-ahead, “then he’s probably going to say, why not’ remain as a producer of the popular reality TV franchise.


As the for expected extra work involved, Conway denied it would detract from Trump’s job as president, comparing the time to the amount President Barack Obama spends golfing. “Presidents have a right to do things in their spare time,” Conway said.


A representative for MGM, the studio that produces the program for NBC, told Variety on Thursday that Trump will continue to be credited as an executive producer. MGM refused to discuss Trump’s fees, but they could be in the “six figures,” Variety reported. Trump hosted the popular “Apprentice” series for more than a decade before his presidential campaign.





But following surprised reactions and renewed concerns about potential conflicts of interest ― with even Newt Gingrich calling such a dual role “weird” ― Trump is now insisting that he won’t spend any time on the job. He lashed out against CNN in a tweet Saturday, calling its report “fake news” and “ridiculous,” which he initially misspelled as “rediculous.” 


He conceded in another tweet that he has a “big stake” in the program but insisted that he will devote “zero time” to it.  










A continued “big stake” alone worries critics concerned about a conflict of interest. It would pose challenges to a president expected to make impartial decisions about media and entertainment legislation or choices that could affect companies that are buying ads on a program he’s profiting from. Trident gum, Welch’s and Carnival Cruise Line have signed on as sponsors of the show, according to NBC.


The relationship poses problems for NBC as well. Its news division covers the president-elect and the network is home to “Saturday Night Live,” which has heavily criticized Trump.


The New York Times reported Friday that Trump Productions, the Trump company that “associates with ‘The Apprentice,’” earned about $5.9 million from January 2015 to May 2016, according to the president-elect’s financial disclosure documents.


The program starts up again Jan. 2 following a two-year hiatus. It will be hosted by actor and former Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.


Schwarzenegger, who compared Trump’s situation to his own status as an actor and a governor, defended the president-elect, saying at a press conference that it’s up to Trump how much he wants to participate.


“It’s no different than when I ... became governor. My credit starring in ‘Terminator’ still stayed the same and I continued getting royalties and all that stuff,” he said, according to Us Weekly.


Gingrich said Friday that it was “weird” Trump wanted to do both jobs. “He is going to be the executive producer of the American government and a huge TV show called ‘Leading the World,’” Gingrich added, suggesting that Trump turn over his producer role to his children.


“The Apprentice” series hasn’t always been kind to Trump.


Earlier this year, former staffers and participants on the show came forward with accusations of inappropriate, crude and sexist behavior by Trump during filming.


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Lin-Manuel Miranda Won't Just EGOT, He's Going To MacPEGOT

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It might sound like something you’d order at a drive-thru window, but a MacPEGOT is actually one of the most coveted accolades in entertainment.


The acronym stands for six different awards: the MacArthur Fellowship, the Pulitzer (or Peabody), the Emmy, the Grammy, the Oscar and the Tony. And it turns out Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton” ― who just nabbed himself a Golden Globe nomination for the song he wrote for the Disney animated film “Moana” ― is one little “O” away from completing the sextet.


Forget EGOTing. We’re talking about MacPEGOTing. 






Here’s Miranda’s MacPEGOT breakdown:



  • He won the “Mac” in 2015. The MacArthur foundation cited his work on the musical “In The Heights.”

  • He won the “P” in 2016 for “Hamilton.”

  • He won the “E” in 2014, when he was awarded a Primetime Emmy ― Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics ― for his work on the song “Bigger” (with Tom Kitt) for the 67th Tony Awards.

  • He won the first “G” in 2008, taking home the gramophone for Best Musical Theater Album for “In The Heights.” And then he won it again for, yes, “Hamilton” in 2016.

  • Pending: the “O” ― which, if the Golden Globes are any indicator, he could win for his work writing “How Far I’ll Go,” the theme song for “Moana.”

  • And he won his first slew of “Ts” back in 2008 for “In The Heights.” Then he won another batch in 2016, for ... what was it? Oh yes. A small production called “Hamilton.” Have you heard of it?





Now, for those MacPEGOT deniers who think a little ol’ song from “La La Land” might upend Miranda’s chances of making history at the Academy Awards in 2017, think about this: Miranda is starring in the “Mary Poppins” reboot with Emily Blunt set for 2018. He’s also composing music for the live-action “Little Mermaid” (date: TBD). And he’s the creative producer behind a series of screen adaptations of Patrick Rothfuss’ “Kingkiller Chronicle” novels (dates: also TBD).


Miranda taking home an Oscar isn’t just a possibility for this awards season, it’s probably an inevitability for all conceivable near-future awards seasons. If he doesn’t MacPEGOT this February, he will MacPEGOT some February. (Note: Miranda was a part of the music department for “Star Wars: A Force Awakens.” How was he not nominated for “Jabba Flow,” guys?)


In a statement sent to The Huffington Post following the Golden Globes announcement, Miranda said:



Gracias. Merci. Grazie. Danke sehr. Mahalo. Thank you Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this tremendous honor. Congratulations to my fellow nominees. Over two years ago, I was lucky enough to have been given my dream job, writing songs for a Disney animated film, alongside the amazing Opetaia Foa’i & Mark Mancina. Today, for “Moana” to be recognized for what we created is truly beyond comprehension. “How Far I’ll Go” not only embodies the spirit of our heroine but the central lesson from the film  ― dream big, listen to your gut, don’t give up, never forget where you came from, and one day you might just save the world.



That’s all beautiful and great, Lin. But the world wants to know: Have you already purchased a diamond-encrusted necklace that reads “MacPEGOT”?







Another bit of trivia: The late composer Richard Rodgers, the namesake of the Broadway theater “Hamilton” calls home, achieved the enviable status of PEGOT winner. But he never did get that “Mac.”


Best of luck to you, Mr. Miranda. May we skip the joke about you anxiously waiting for that win.

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An Ode To 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,' The Best Holiday Movie

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Everyone hates rom-coms these days ― they’re devastatingly out of fashion. At least, until Christmas.


Apparently the rom-com is the official movie genre of the holidays, a time of year which, I’ve always thought, was about spending less time with your new boyfriend because you don’t want him to meet your parents, or your childhood bedroom in Missouri, just yet. It’s also the perfect time of year to gather ‘round the old family flatscreen and watch a holiday film together, and though I love watching people fall in love in my free time, I prefer to avoid watching avid makeout sessions while I’m sitting next to my two brothers.


Yet every year, we read lists of perfect Christmas movies that begin with “Love Actually” and end with “The Holiday,” read odes to these films and takedowns that in their very (deserved) viciousness imply that the movies hold an important place in the holiday canon. (For the true rom-com haters, “Die Hard” has been called the best Christmas movie, an argument I won’t even dignify with a response.)


None of these movies are the best Christmas movie. Neither is “Elf,” or “A Christmas Story,” or “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s definitely not “White Christmas” or “The Santa Clause.” The best Christmas movie is “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”







How can I say this? Well, I do have more than just a gut feeling (though I have that too). The perfect Christmas movie, in my view, has to fulfill a few pretty basic criteria: It has to be about Christmas. It has to be well-suited to watch with the family. It has to be fun to watch again and again ― enough to become a staple of your holiday. And, perhaps most importantly, it has to capture the values and realities of the holiday.                 


Quite a few so-called Christmas movies really have very little to do with the holidays at all. “Love Actually,” in a famously vague fashion, happens around Christmas, but it’s about an assortment of writers, prime ministers, primary schoolers, and porn stand-ins falling in love. “The Holiday,” similarly, involves some Christmas-related loneliness and angst, but it’s about two sad single women who switch homes for a vacation and find fulfilling love.


“Christmas Vacation,” on the other hand, could not be more pointedly about the highs and lows of the holiday season. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) spends the movie in a crazed quest to recreate the idyllic family Christmases he remembers from his childhood, hosting extended family in a too-small house and cramming enormous trees into a too-small living room. All the conflict of the plot arises from the ideal Christmas he holds in his imagination, and how many obstacles reality ― and his family ― present to making it happen.







Reasonable people can disagree about whether the movie, which at one point features Griswold fantasizing about a fully naked lingerie saleswoman diving into an as-yet uninstalled backyard pool, is appropriate to watch with the whole family. Aside from a few gratuitously adult scenes, though, “Christmas Vacation” works for most ages and most company. My parents got around this, unwittingly, by taping the movie from TV when we were little and showing us the tape each year. When my dad later recommended it to my aunt as “great to watch with the kids,” she wasn’t exactly thrilled at the obscene monologues and nudity she ended up inadvertently showing my young cousins.


But hey, the overall themes are universally appealing, most of the humor was equally funny to me at 28 as it was at 8, and if you know when to hit fast-forward or manage to DVR a family-safe airing, you’re golden. It’s not as child-safe as, say, “Home Alone,” but as an adult who would be fine with never watching “Home Alone” again, that doesn’t seem like an unmitigated good.


Rewatchability, of course, has to be a factor in deeming one movie the best Christmas movie. The best holiday flick brings the whole clan together around the flickering screen to laugh, cry, or nod grimly at explosions ― whatever it is that the whole family likes to do together during movies. When I was young, my family had a whole roster of movies we worked through in December: “A Christmas Story,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” once even “White Christmas.” Over the years, they began to fall away. “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with its maudlin optimism, went first. “A Christmas Story,” told from a young boy’s perspective, went next. But I never get tired of “Christmas Vacation” ― the endlessly quotable little jokes that are just as funny when you’re mouthing along, the relatably snide teenagers and earnest parents, Julia-Louis Dreyfuss as a well-groomed and snobbish neighbor shrieking, “Why is the carpet all wet, Todd?”       







(The answer, of course, is “I don’t KNOW, Margo!”)


“Christmas Vacation” isn’t a man holding up a sign for his best friend’s new wife that says “To me, you are perfect” while her husband sits unaware in the other room, á la “Love Actually”; it’s Rusty (Johnny Galecki) telling his dad that the tree he’s picked for the family won’t fit in their yard, and Clark responding, with a wild gleam in his eye, “It’s not going in our yard, Russ. It’s going in our living room.”


This screwball tone doesn’t just allow me to stomach repeated viewings of “Christmas Vacation” without developing a schmaltz-induced ulcer. In a very real way, it’s a more honest and meaningful portrayal of what the holidays are and should be. It’s a time to be with family, to celebrate those deeper bonds ― excluding toxic and abusive family situations ― and to make that time special for each other. In “Love Actually,” most characters barely seem to be paying attention to their actual families, and if they are, they’re treated like chumps (poor Emma Thompson, too maternal and caring to be loved by her husband). Colin Firth’s character flies all the way home from a French retreat to see his family, who seem excited by his arrival, only to turn around in their faces to spend the holiday chasing down a woman he thinks looks hot in underwear. But hey, he really worked for it: He spent upwards of a couple weeks learning Portuguese. “Love Actually” love feels and looks good at the moment, but not much love is shown that represents what it takes to sustain a family.


“Christmas Vacation” ― that’s what being a family is about: trying like hell to make memories for your kids even when they’re being snots, having your in-laws stay over even though they constantly make passive-aggressive comments, and missing calls from your boyfriend Alexander because your grandpa picked up and told him you were going to the bathroom. You might continue to be irritated by people in your family ― you might even dislike them ― but you spend time with them because, well, they’re family. There’s a deeper love that comes with that, one that can’t be tossed aside just because your cousin-by-marriage emptied his RV’s chemical toilet into your rain sewer.







Sure, casualties happen. Margo and Todd, the loathsome yuppies next door, suffer truly unforgivable amounts of property damage and even bodily injury thanks to Clark’s reckless devotion to Christmas cheer. A twinkle light per square inch of roof, a 10-foot-tall tree ― these merry decorations aren’t safe to live next to, it turns out.


Clark demonstrates truly unforgivable idiocy by using an expected holiday bonus to put a down payment on an in-ground pool, inspiring his cousin-in-law to kidnap his boss after the bonus doesn’t arrive. His insistence on having a big, traditional family Christmas smacks a bit of selfishness, as he plows ahead despite his family’s foot-dragging and a host of disasters that render the holiday miserable.


But this movie still tops the list. The holidays never measure up to our expectations. Our sister is rude, our brother is annoying, our dad is embarrassing, and the Christmas tree catches on fire and torches the whole living room... or something. That’s OK, though. We stick with each other, and we find a way to laugh and love each other through it. That’s what the holidays are really about.








Hit Backspace for a regular dose of pop culture nostalgia.

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Photographer Captures The Beauty Of The Burkini, Without A Political Agenda

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When Melina Papageorgiou began photographing women wearing burkinis in 2015, the resounding response from her peers was: “Burkini? What’s that?”


One year later, the women’s bathing garment ― a lightweight two-piece that provides full body coverage for Muslim women seeking modest dress conducive to swimming or playing sports ― became a polarizing subject of political debate


The burkini dominated news headlines in August of 2016. Following an ISIS-affiliated attack that took 84 French lives on Bastille Day, 15 French cities instituted a “burkini ban,” claiming the suit “overtly manifests adherence to a religion at a time when France and places of worship are the target of terrorist attacks.


In her series, “Burkini,” Berlin-based photographer Papageorgiou strips the swimsuit of its controversy, framing the article of clothing instead as a visually appealing object categorized by sun-soaked colors and abstract, billowing patterns. Papageorgiou leaves most charged political associations related to the burkini behind, focusing instead on its normalcy ― they’re just bathing suits, after all.



Many critics across the world regard the burkini ban itself as a strategy of oppression, one founded in fear and ignorance, denying women of faith the right to make their own decisions regarding their clothing, their bodies, and their religion. In an interview with The Guardian, Aheda Zanetti, who created the burkini, expressed her sadness at the controversy surrounding it. 


I think they have misunderstood a garment that is so positive,” Zanetti said. “It symbolizes leisure and happiness and fun and fitness and health and now they are demanding women get off the beach and back into their kitchens? This has given women freedom, and they want to take that freedom away? I don’t think any man should worry about how women are dressing — no one is forcing us, it’s a woman’s choice. What you see is our choice.”


Countering the allegations from people like Thierry Migoule, head of municipal services in Cannes, France, who described the burkini as “ostentatious clothing which refers to an allegiance to terrorist movements,” Papageorgiou presents the summery garments as simply what they are ― stylish and convenient items of clothing. 



“To me, it is important to leave some of these questions open,” Papageorgiou explained to The Huffington Post, “to leave a space for perceiving things, to not automatically judge and point at things and take a defined stance.”


The series “Burkini” focuses not just on the swimsuits themselves, but the environment in which Papageorgiou encountered them ― the sun-bleached beaches of Abu Dhabi. The artist, whose parents currently live in the United Arab Emirates capital, was fascinated by the city’s mix of natural and manufactured offerings, as well as the strong grip bathing culture had over its inhabitants.


“I was intrigued by the atmosphere there,” Papageorgiou expressed. “There is a constant buzz, a peculiar soundscape, made up of traffic noises and construction sites, that persists all the time, not even stopping at night. This creates a sense of artificiality, at least to me, that clashes with the strong presence of nature, given by the heat and the glaring sunshine.”



Papageorgiou, well aware of the political implications of her subject matter, shifts from this familiar perspective. Instead, the artist uses her status as an outsider to capture the burkini as an optically enchanting configuration of fabric, just one particularly appealing aspect of Abu Dhabi culture.


The hypnotic images, whether depicting a woman in her burkini or a string of palm trees, feel like summer. In the intensity of the heat, bias drips away like so many beads of sweat, the resulting images simply focusing on the strange and banal beauty of various spaces and things.


It was very important for me to take the images really close,” she explained in an interview with Broadly, “because one thing I wanted understood was that so ... well, the burkini is, in a way, just a fabric. A car is just a car. It was important to photograph them really close ― visually really close ― just to observe it as it is.”


Through her photos, Papageorgiou refuses to give in to the binary thinking that often takes hold, finally allowing the swimsuits to have their own day off at the beach. 


Papageorgiou’s photographs are slated to appear in a photo book and exhibition in 2017. 


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A Democrat And A Republican Come Together To Get SantaCon Canceled

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Now, more than ever, Americans need issues that unite us. Loathing the annual gathering of puking and fornicating drunk Santas, aka SantaCon, is one such issue.


Every year, young folks, still alien to shame, come together to bar crawl in cities across America. Comedians Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler tried to get SantaCon canceled this year, even confronting a swarm of Kris Kringles in the process. 





Video by The Good Liars.

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McDonald's Holiday Cup Gets An NSFW Makeover Thanks To The Internet

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A little ink on the side of a McCafé cup makes for a viral story. 


Author Sam Sykes took to Twitter Saturday to share a very NSFW version of McDonald’s holiday cup, which depicts two mittens along with the slogan “Warmest Greetings.”


Some penwork changed the meaning altogether. 






Twitter was loving it. 










Of course, McDonald’s original version, released earlier this month, had absolutely nothing to do with human anatomy.


“Our festive McCafé cups are of mittens not hands,” a rep for McDonald’s told The Huffington Post. “The altered image circulating on social media is the result of someone getting a little cheeky and adding some hand-drawing to a cup.”






Real cheeky for sure. 


 


This post has been updated with comment from McDonald’s. 

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Stop Trying To Make Movies Great Again

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Once, not so long ago, movies were Great. Leading men could sing, dance and caddishly charm. Leading women were knockouts. Moviemakers borrowed from the tried and true conventions of theater. Earnest, affecting emotion shone through in each dazzling scene.


And today?


Today, leading men can sing, dance and caddishly charm. Leading women are knockouts. Moviemakers borrow from the tried and true conventions of theater. Sometimes, in the case of the rarest gems, earnest, affecting emotion shines through in each dazzling scene.


Why, then, do we uphold movies about nostalgia for simpler, better times as among the best and most important films of the year? Surely, in 2016 especially, there are more urgent and powerful stories being told. And yet, “La La Land,” an ode to the Hollywood of yore, racked up seven Golden Globe nominations ― more than any other film, some of them more deserving based on cinematic and storytelling merits alone, relevancy aside.


“Jackie” is a postmodern sendup of historical narratives, a patchwork portrait of a woman that’s as brainy as it is enveloping. “Moonlight” is a quiet drama that never treads into saccharine territory, in spite of its heartbreaking subject matter. “Arrival” is a visually stunning, much-needed meditation on empathy. “La La Land” is a movie about how great movies used to be, back in the day.


Its fellow might-be Oscar contenders disprove its very premise. And still, “La La Land,” which opened in limited release last weekend after months on festival slates, is the front-runner for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Of its prospects, Vulture writes, “a warm, embraceable contender [...] feels exactly like what the Academy will respond to right now.”


Indeed, the warmth of “La La Land” is its strength, and its charm. Leads Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling dance around true connection, before they finally come together for a cheery summer of art-making and bar-going. Stone plays Mia, a downtrodden, aspiring actress who keeps narrowly missing parts while moonlighting at a coffee shop. Gosling plays Sebastian, a man whose consuming passion for old school jazz gets in the way of his social skills. They pull each other up by their bootstraps, encouraging one another to pursue their dreams ― to follow in the footsteps of Charlie Parker and Ingrid Bergman, respectively.  







Yes, it’s highly stylized; that’s very much the point. A scene in the Griffith Observatory recalls “Funny Face”-like fantasies, complete with dress-swirling and literal dancing among the stars. Even if you find such romance cloying, it’s hard to take issue with the aesthetic choices made in “La La Land,” because they’re all so deliberate and the film is staunchly self-aware. (Stone laments that a one-woman play she’s written and stars in might be “too nostalgic,” for example.) It embraces its genre (musical, love story), and successfully subverts it (there’s more at stake here than boy-gets-girl). For the story it aims to tell, it makes use of the perfect cinematic tools, tricks and throwbacks.


The question, then, is: why are we still telling this story, and cherishing it as the zenith of filmmaking? Film, in particular, is fixated on its past, viewing its own history through a rose-tinted lens. In 2011, a silent film set in Hollywood took home Best Picture; that same year, “Hugo,” which racked up four wins in its own right, centered on a similar, nostalgic theme.


In literature, riffs on classics are treated as fun fan fodder, not hallmarks of contemporary success. Stories that fit modern romances into the template laid out by Jane Austen, for example, aren’t dashed off as unserious, but they aren’t racking up National Book Award nominations, either. That’s because the gatekeepers of other art forms seem to acknowledge the fallacy of traditional appeal. Brave new modes of storytelling are considered valid and important, not somehow inferior to the established greats.


But in the world of “La La Land,” newness alone is the butt of industry jokes. On her way to starlettdom, Mia tries out for a barrage of parts, never succeeding in landing one. But the roles, Sebastian suggests and she believes, are unworthy of her.


Of a part she’s going out for, Mia quips, “it’s Goldilocks from the perspective of the bears,” a joke about ― what? That retelling the same, reliably popular stories has become a hackneyed money grab? That’d be an odd criticism when “La La Land” itself brims with pastiche. That films today are too focused on recasting stories from the perspective of the disenfranchised? That’d be a callous line to put in, but it wouldn’t be an outlier.


Early in the film, Sebastian laments that the beloved jazz bar where he worked has been converted into a “samba-tapas” spot, a recurring joke throughout the film. Samba is a Brazilian dance; tapas are a Spanish cuisine. To combine the two is a misguided mashup, an attempt to tick off multiple diversity boxes, or else the result of ignorance.


For Sebastian, it’s evidence that Los Angelenos “worship everything and value nothing,” a complaint that would be interesting if it were unpacked a little before the characters broke into song.


Other socioeconomic issues are raised and then glibly danced over. John Legend plays the frontman of a jazz group that threads synthy loops into its classical foundation, and blows up on YouTube and on tour as a result. He’s cast as an artless foil to Sebastian’s wistful ― and, frankly, privileged ― outlook.


Questions of class, race and privilege are superficially present, but largely absent from a film that wrestles with the idea of the American dream. This might’ve flown in 2006, but in 2016, it’s clear that at last these factors press on a story that wants to pretend they don’t exist. 


Maybe instead of celebrating the gaiety of “La La Land,” and of classic Hollywood, it’s a good time to recognize the other things movies do well, and have done well for decades: find hope amid tragedy, quiet triumph amid oppression, and beauty amid the fracturing feeling of loss

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Retired Doctor Unearths Lost Leonardo Da Vinci Drawing Worth $16 Million

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A French auction house announced the discovery of what is believed to be a long-lost sketch by Italian Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci.


The drawing of Saint Sebastian was presented to Paris’ Tajan auction house in March by a private family, but it was only recently authenticated by several experts, including a curator from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Times reported.


In a statement, the Met called the work an “exciting new discovery” after its review by their Italian and Spanish drawings curator, Dr. Carmen C. Bambach, who is also a world-renowned Leonardo expert.


“This is an exciting new discovery of an authentic double-sided sheet by the master (1452-1519), representing on the recto the full figure of the martyred Saint Sebastian tied to a tree in a landscape, and on the verso, notes and diagrams about light and shadow, which relate to Leonardo’s study of optics,” the statement read.



Thaddée Prate, director of Old Master pictures at Tajan, told the Times that the mysterious drawing, which the auction house valued at around $15.8 million, was presented to him by a retired doctor among 14 unframed drawings that had been collected by the man’s father.


“I had a sense that it was an interesting 16th-century drawing that required more work,” Prate told the paper of the sketch that measures 7.5 inches by 5 inches. He went on to get a second opinion from Patrick de Bayser, who is an independent dealer and adviser in old master drawings.


It was through de Bayser’s added expertise that they reportedly noticed the drawing had been done by a left-handed artist ― like Leonardo. On the back, they also found two smaller scientific sketches, as well as notes written from right to left, as Leonardo was known to do.



Leonardo’s Codex Atlantic, which contains over 1,000 pages of his work, mentions him creating eight Saint Sebastian drawings, Tajan reports. Back in 2003, Dr. Bambach presented an exhibition that reconstructed these drawings to show how they’d be part of a lost or unexecuted votive painting by the legendary artist. Upon seeing this recently discovered sketch, she told the Times: “My eyes jumped out of their sockets.”


She described the drawing as complementing one of the other Saint Sebastian sketches. In addition to depicting the saint tied to a tree, there are sketches on the other side and matching handwriting. “The attribution is quite incontestable,” she said.


Exactly how the sketch ended up in the hands of the retired doctor remains unknown. Its last owner, who has not been identified by name, said that it had remained in his family since the first part of the 20th century.


The last time a Leonardo sketch was discovered was in 2000. That drawing depicts Hercules holding a club. It is owned by the Met.


A Tajan spokesman told FoxNews.com that the Saint Sebastian drawing will be auctioned off in June.


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Lin-Manuel Miranda Curated A Pandora Station For Fans Who Love Hip Hop AND Musical Theater

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According to Billboard, “The Hamilton Mixtape” is currently the most popular album in America, hitting No. 1 on the charts last week. That makes the reveal of Pandora’s Lin-Manuel Miranda–curated station all the more appropriate.


The station, available to listen to Monday, consists of songs from the mixtape, as well as other music hand-picked by the “Hamilton” creator.


The station’s playlist includes songs like Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up,” Boogie Down Productions’ “Remix for P Is Free” and “The Sound of Music” from the very same musical. The diverse array of music represents the multifaceted sounds that influenced Miranda ― a lover of both hip-hop and musical theater ― growing up in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights.


YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE STATION HERE.


As many “Ham” fans know, “The Hamilton Mixtape” ended up coming after “Hamilton: An American Musical,” that wildly popular theater production created by Miranda and based on the life of statesman Alexander Hamilton. But it was actually supposed to be the other way around.


“The Hamilton Mixtape was actually the first idea I had when I picked up Ron Chernow’s biography,” Miranda told Pandora in an interview shared with The Huffington Post. “I thought that Alexander Hamilton’s life lent itself incredibly well to the music of hip-hop and R&B, and I thought, This is my chance to get my Andrew Lloyd Weber on, write a concept album and have different rappers and R&B artists play the founding fathers while telling this incredible story.”







The mixtape station also includes little soundbites from the Pandora interview. Here are a few other excerpts from the chat ...


On Busta:



Busta Rhymes is one of the first hip-hop artists to see “Hamilton” early at The Public. He sat in the front row, and I think he was the one I was most nervous about. I’ve been a fan of Busta’s since “Scenario.” I remember getting into a fistfight at Nobody Beats The Wiz for the last cassette single of “Scenario” on sale for $2.99. I’ve been a fan of Busta’s ever since. The fact that he’s on “The Mixtape” is a real dream come true for me.



On his childhood music memories:



It’s weird, I have very few memories of my childhood that didn’t have music involved in one way or another, whether it was my parents playing Celia Cruz and El Gran Combo at our birthday parties and Christmas parties, to my sister taking me to see “Beat Street” and “Breakin’” in the theater when I was a little kid, sort of at the dawn of hip-hop in popular culture in the early mid-80s. All that stuff has sort of informed my life, especially the cast albums my parents used to play. It was “Man of La Mancha,” “Camelot” and “Sound of Music” on a loop growing up. All that stuff, I think, informs my work.



On listening to music in Washington Heights:



I think the music I grew up listening to uptown in Washington Heights and inward where I grew up has really informed my work. I mean, it’s different layers of the Latino experience in the United States, from the Cubans and Puerto Ricans who came here in the ‘40s and ‘50s, to the Bachata and Merenge of the Dominican experience who came in waves in the ‘70s, to the sort of the Pan Latin experience that is now sort of the latest group in our neighborhood. This all forms together I think. I think these rhythms were something I grew up with and grew up listening to. I think that sense of syncopation, that sense of rhythm is in everything I do.



Other songs that played while we were listening to the station: “Memory” from the musical “Cats,” “Opening: I Hope I Get It” from “A Chorus Line,” and “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” by Geto Boys. A representative from Pandora told HuffPost that the playlist also includes songs from “Wicked,” “Next To Normal” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” as well as hits by Eric B & Rakim, The Beastie Boys and The Fat Boys.


This is a niche playlist, people. But for those who appreciate the mix of rap, R&B and showtunes, it will be melodic heaven.

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Why Are We So Surprised That Young Women Care About Politics?

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Women have been reminded yet again that they are still expected to stay in their lane.


This weekend, freelance journalist and Teen Vogue Weekend Editor Lauren Duca published an op-ed with the outlet called “Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America.” The response to Duca’s piece was frustratingly condescending. 


Her piece, which defines “gas lighting” and points out the many ways in which Trump has used it as a technique in his politics, caused an uproar online. Duca herself and Teen Vogue in general were criticized on social media, and many wondered why a magazine that covers fashion and pop culture would dare to “get political.” 






One commenter on Teen Vogue’s Facebook page wrote, “Since when does a magazine that focuses on teenaged girl’s love life have the audacity to write about politics. Trying to sway teens on politics is not your place.” Another wrote, “When did teen vogue become so biased and political. Shouldn’t it be like fashion, hair and pop culture?” 


Even those who had positive things to say about the piece were also seemingly shocked that Teen Vogue covered something political.






The pushback against Duca’s piece, and against Teen Vogue for daring to publish a political op-ed, is a standard response to the way that women, and women writers, are simply not taken seriously (as writer Roxane Gay pointed out on Twitter, below).






The truth, of course, is that women are ― and always have been ― producing some of the most relevant political journalism. And in 2016 in particular, women’s outlets continued the trend. Cosmopolitan created a video about female millennial Trump supporters and did an incredible interview with Ivanka Trump. The Cut, New York Magazine’s women’s section, hosts powerful political commentary from the likes of Rebecca Traister. The Huffington Post’s Melissa Jeltsen reported on Donald Trump’s triggering behavior (and specifically pointed out his penchant for gaslighting) for HuffPost Politics and HuffPost Women throughout the election cycle. In October, Vogue fully endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, the only time the magazine has endorsed a presidential candidate since its 1892 inception. These outlets recognize that women aren’t one-dimensional.


The pushback also seems particularly unwarranted for a publication like Teen Vogue, whose coverage this year has been steadily political. The magazine’s January 2016 issue featured actress and activist Amandla Stenberg on the cover with an interview between Stenberg and Solange Knowles inside, in which the two women celebrated the experience of black womanhood. The December 2016 issue featured “Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi and “Girl Meets World” star Rowan Blanchard on the cover ― the two discussed feminism, activism and representation in their interview. Sure, Teen Vogue’s audience is geared towards teenagers, but their choice in cover stars shows that young women are more than capable of participating in political conversations. 


There is obviously no shortage of quality writing done by women for publications targeted at women. And yet people still responded incredulously when Teen Vogue featured a woman’s political op-ed about a man whose temperament (and long list of sexual assault allegations) triggers women and emotionally abuses the entire nation. 


Because apparently, a woman interested in fashion couldn’t possibly also care about the state of reproductive rights, which directly affect her and her body. A woman who wants to read about sex couldn’t want to stay educated about the state of American politics. A young woman who wears makeup would never care about social justice issues like sexism, racism and representation. (Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie made a similar point in November: being interested in makeup and style does not make a woman “frivolous.”)






Duca responded to one woman’s critique by defending the publication for covering fashion, pop culture and politics, implying the importance of treating women as fully formed human beings with fully formed interests: 






If we’re going to tell young women that the future is female, we shouldn’t respond with shock and condescension when they engage in the very conversations that affect their own futures. 

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'Moonlight' Director Barry Jenkins Will Save Us From Another #OscarsSoWhite

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Shortly after Barry Jenkins awoke on Monday, he learned that “Moonlight” scored six Golden Globe nominations, more than any other movie except “La La Land,” which earned seven. After also nabbing a handful of critics’ prizes over the past few weeks, “Moonlight” has paved a clear path to the Oscars


“I’d be a pretty miserable person if I couldn’t celebrate this morning,” Jenkins told The Huffington Post by phone, a couple of hours after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s nominations were announced in Los Angeles. “I’m having a cup of coffee and taking it all in. I’m really happy for the whole cast and crew on the film.”


Jenkins received Best Director and Best Screenplay recognition, in addition to the movie’s Best Motion Picture — Drama nod and acknowledgement for Nicholas Britell’s score and Mahershala Ali’s and Naomie Harris’ supporting performances. Even though the voting bodies do not overlap, the Golden Globes are considered an Oscar bellwether, giving Jenkins added momentum toward an Academy Award bonanza come Jan. 24. Ali and Harris are also probable Oscar nominees.



Knock on wood, but if everything bears out as expected next month, it would prevent this becoming the third consecutive derby without any nominees of color in the acting categories, an unfortunate phenomenon that sparked the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. It’s especially notable because some pundits questioned whether “Moonlight” was too small, or too diverse, to spark Academy voters’ interest.


Jenkins chuckled when asked if he was proud to have made an antidote to #OscarsSoWhite. “You know, I was looking at all these films that are in the same categories sharing all these [awards],” he said. “I just love the sweep of storytelling styles, and also the stories that are being told. What I see is, whatever was happening four or five years ago, which is the average time it took most of these movies to get from idea to screen, it came out of this feeling that we didn’t want to arrive at this time of the year and not see a group of films that reflects the world we live in. I think it’s beautiful to be a part of the many films that are creating this very diverse picture of cinema this year.”


Jenkins is right. January’s Oscar roster should feature ample diversity, considering Viola Davis and Denzel Washington are likely to receive nominations for “Fences,” Ruth Negga may be included for “Loving,” the cast of “Hidden Figures” is in contention and Dev Patel could make a showing for “Lion.” Of course, as the 37-year-old director notes, these movies were greenlighted before #OscarsSoWhite blew up. It would be misleading to assume they are reactions to the awards controversy ― Hollywood doesn’t move fast enough for that. Still, it’s encouraging to see a sudden onslaught of stories that represent all tenants of the human experience, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, class or creed.



“I just love looking out at the many different faces that are seeing the film,” Jenkins said, referring to audiences attending Q&As after screenings of “Moonlight,” a triptych about a poor Miami boy grappling with his sexuality. “Some are faces that I can literally see on the screen, and others I never thought would walk into the theater. They’re all experiencing the film in the same way. They’re bringing their own perspective to it, but they’re all really empathizing with these characters. That’s always been the biggest thing for me. What I love about the awards recognition and these nominations is it just helps to carry the voice of the film.”


As for his favorite non-”Moonlight” movies from 2016? Jenkins named “Jackie,” “La La Land,” “The Witch,” “The Lobster” and “Manchester by the Sea.”


“I haven’t seen everything,” he said. “I’m just getting caught up now, but as of right now, those are ones that really stick for me. And the work that Pablo Larraín did across those two films, [’Jackie’ and ‘Neruda’] ― I love him as a director and an artist. Hey, it’s been a great year for cinema.”


“Moonlight” is now in theaters.

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Pope Francis' Nativity Scene Includes A Poignant Tribute To Refugees

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Christmastime is a season of joy within the Christian liturgical calendar ― but for many across the world, the last month of 2016 will also hold moments of great sorrow and suffering. 


The Vatican paid tribute to the plight of refugees in its Christmas nativity scene in Saint Peter’s square. Tucked into the 55-foot-wide Nativity is a luzzu, a traditional Maltese fishing boat donated by the government and Archdiocese of Malta. 



Although the number of migrants arriving in Malta by boat has decreased in recent years, for Pope Francis, the boat was a reminder of “the sad and tragic reality of migrants on boats making their way toward Italy."


While meeting with the Nativity’s donors on Friday, the pope said that he hoped those who visited St. Peter’s Square this Christmas would remember the message of “fraternity, sharing, welcoming and solidarity” at the heart of the nativity scene. He also recalled that Jesus himself was a refugee, a point he’s used in the past to express sympathy for the pain of refugees. 


“In the painful experience of these brothers and sisters, we revisit that (experience) of baby Jesus, who at the time of his birth did not find accommodation and was born in a grotto in Bethlehem and then was brought to Egypt to escape Herod’s threat,” the pope said on Friday, according to Crux



Along with the boat, the scene featured 17 figures dressed in traditional Maltese clothes. In addition, the nativity included a spire and rubble from St. Benedict Basilica, a church that was damaged in earthquakes that hit central Italy earlier this year. 


Pope Francis inaugurated and lit up the St. Peter’s Square Nativity scene and Christmas tree on Friday.

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The Most Notable Baby Names Of 2016

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The defining event of 2016 may have been the presidential election, but the political names that hit the headlines ― notably Donald, Hillary and Bernard ― are unlikely to find themselves on an overwhelming number of new baby birth certificates. And so for Nameberry’s “Names of the Year,” we’ve mostly looked beyond politics to other bold names that reflect current trends and are prime to inspire baby names of the future.


Bowie



Though the music world lost three beloved, iconic figures this year ― Prince, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen ― it was Bowie’s adopted surname (he was born David Jones) that almost immediately became a viable name for babies. Bowie wasn’t totally unheard of as a baby name before, but now has shot up to number 453 on Nameberry, and become an instant celebrity fave. Actor Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale in “Twilight”) even chose Bowie it for his daughter Presley’s middle name.


Maeve



In October, the new hit series, “Westworld,” premiered on HBO. The action takes place in a futuristic Wild West theme park, where the residents are not what they seem. Thandie Newton plays park host Maeve Millay. No spoilers here, but know that the sharp, simple Irish name was originally worn by a warrior queen. It’s the latest in a long line of Irish baby names to catch on in the U.S., currently ranked in the top 500 and rising.


Lin-Manuel



”Hamilton” dominated Broadway this year, becoming a perpetually sold-out, must-see show ― a mix of rap and musical theater unlike anything before it. It earned a record-setting 16 Tony Award nominations, winning 11, along with a Grammy and a Pulitzer Prize. At the center of it all is actor, rapper, composer, and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Lin-Manuel Miranda. A native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, Miranda’s first name comes from a poem about the Vietnam War, “Nana Roja Para Mi Hijo Lin Manuel.”


Wilder



Wilder appeals to parents for plenty of reasons. It’s preppy and outdoorsy, an unexpected name with an on-trend sound.  It may even be the William of the future. Wilder makes the Names of the Year list thanks to the late comic actor, Gene Wilder. The star of “Young Frankenstein” and “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” passed away in August. Born Jerome Silberman, Gene Wilder took his stage name from American writer Thornton Wilder, reminding us that the name is nicely literary, too.


Boomer



New dad Michael Phelps joked that his son would “definitely be the cool kid” thanks to the distinctive name he and wife Nicole Johnson chose for their May 2016 baby. Boomer’s not just another celebrity kid. The Olympian’s son commands over 750,000 Instagram followers of his own. While there may not be many babies named Boomer, going with your heart and making a name by appending –er to the end of any beginning are two of the lessons we predict this upbeat name to promote.


Simone



This French classic got a double shot of adrenaline when not one but two Simones became shooting-star record breakers in the 2016 Rio Olympics: Simone Biles was the vault and floor gold medalist, setting a U.S. record high of four medals in a single Olympics, while Simone Manuel became the first African-American female swimmer to win a gold medal. The name also was borne by two prominent French writers ― feminist Simone de Beauvoir and philosopher/writer Simone Weil who could provide further inspiration.


Wrigley



When the Chicago Cubs pulled off their astounding World Series win this year, ending a 108-year championship drought, their fans went ballistic, and some of them wanted to honor the team in their offsprings’ names. But rather than call their cubs Cub or Ben or Bryan or any other player name, they may discover a more subtle and circuitous reference: Wrigley ― for the name of the winners’ playing field. Miss America 2009 Katie Stam used it after losing a bet to her husband when the Cubs won the Series. And that baby Wrigley (better than Wiggly) likely won’t be the last!


Aziz



Aziz Ansari is the creator, writer and star of the innovative Netflix show “Master of None,” representing the impressive strides made this year in the diversification of the TV landscape. Ansari, who is the son of Muslim immigrants from India, tackles serious cultural issues in a smart, satirical, witty way. The lively and colorful name Aziz, which means powerful, respected and beloved, is common in the Muslim world. There’s even a girls’ name equivalent, Aziza. 


Bruno


 



The unstoppable Bruno Mars released his third studio album in 2016, won two Grammy Awards, and became one of the few performers to appear at a second Super Bowl halftime show. That’s quite the year, and it’s safe to say that parents might take note of his distinctive first name. Born Peter Gene Hernandez, Bruno is the singer’s childhood nickname. We may also see more babies named Mars.


Cuba



One of the big stories of the year was the restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S. after 50 years, followed by the death of leader Fidel Castro in November. Apart from its political reverberations, Cuba is a geographical place name (it was on the popularity lists back in the 1890s), associated with Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., whose roots are not in Cuba but Barbados. With place names for babies now hot and parents looking beyond the popular Savannah and London, Cuba may enjoy wider use.


Ivanka



In the sea of ordinary names most visible during this tumultuous political cycle, the name of the President-elect’s influential daughter stands out as one of the most distinctive. Ivanka is quite common in Slavic countries as a nickname for Ivana (her mother’s name). Despite its exotic appeal, it’s likely to remain a single-celebrity name in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. Ivanka’s larger impact on girls’ names may be inspiring parents to name their daughters after their moms.


Alden


 



Alden Ehrenreich is slated to play the young Han Solo, aka the new pilot of the Millennium Falcon, in a new “Star Wars” spin-off film. Steven Spielberg himself discovered Ehrenreich a dozen years ago at a bat mitzvah. The actor has worked steadily since, but Solo should prove to be his biggest role by far. We’ve yet to meet many children called Han, but Alden fits right in with current favorites like Landon and Aiden.

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Hate Crimes In Libraries See Post-Election Spike

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Last month, The Huffington Post covered the anti-Muslim vandalism found in copies of the Quran leant out by the Evanston library in Illinois.


The act wasn’t an isolated incident. According to the American Library Association, there’s been an uptick in hate crimes committed at libraries. In fact, The New York Times has reported multiple incidents of anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic graffiti.


The acts of vandalism ― and in one case, the attempted removal of a library-goer’s hijab ― have spiked to the point that the ALA decided to formally begin tracking them. On Facebook, the organization wrote:



Is the recent spate of hate crimes in libraries a blip or a trend? It’s difficult to know at this point, but the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom is now formally tracking them.



Hate crimes are notoriously difficult to track. The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that only one-third are reported, so a complete picture is difficult to capture. The ALA’s contribution to gathering information can only further elucidate the problem.


The ALA also formally tracks attempts to ban or challenge books, as reported state by state. The reasons for challenging a title’s place on a curriculum or in a public library include “sexually explicit,” “political viewpoint,” and “religious viewpoint.”


The ALA compiles this information “to raise awareness of censorship and promote the freedom to read.” Now, its formal tracking of hate crimes will hopefully preserve libraries as safe spaces to learn.

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Burnt-Out Art Student Tells Off Professor With Message Hiding In Plain Sight

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A college student has turned the act of telling someone off into an art form.


Lama Ali, who attends school in Virginia, had three final assignments due on the same day for her fashion drawing class. Exhausted after working on one painting for seven hours straight, the 20-year-old decided to include a message in American Sign Language to her professor:






“You got me fucked up,” a bunch of hands in the painting spell out in ASL, interwoven among the female figures.


“Honestly the idea just came to me while I was finishing up the piece,” Ali told The Huffington Post. “I was looking at it and thought, ‘This could really use something else.’ And then the idea struck me: Why not secretly express how I was feeling while struggling at the library at 4 a.m.?”



Ali, who does not know ASL, told HuffPost she taught herself a little bit just for this particular assignment.


“You know it’s bad when you have to learn a whole other language to express how done you are,” she said.


Once the fashion design major had finished her masterpiece, she posted it to Twitter on Dec. 7, where it has received over 113,000 likes and 48,000 retweets. And people really love her unbridled level of full-on pettiness.










“As petty as the idea was, I was actually really excited to make this piece,” Ali said. “Because I really felt like I was making something that showed my creativity and emotion rather than just completing the assignment.”


But, pettiness aside, most people straight up love it:














Ali said that she decided to use sign language because she wanted the message to be there, but not be immediately clear. She also wanted to practice drawing hands, so ASL seemed like a great way of marrying both those ideas.



“I remembered seeing a post on Tumblr long ago with a similar phrase in sign, and I thought the letters would look cool with the figures on the painting.”


Inspired by the post, she decided to look up the letters in ASL to spell out the message. Someone on Twitter even did the good work of circling them in the painting:




Ali told HuffPost that when she finally presented the piece to her professor in her class, he absolutely loved it.


“Most of my friends in class actually knew about the secret message, so I was really surprised when no one laughed or blew my cover during critique.”


She also admits that her professor still doesn’t know about the message, despite her post getting so much attention.


“The last time I checked, he still had no clue,” she said.

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Haunting Photos Feature Trump’s Sexist Comments Drawn On Women’s Bodies

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When Donald Trump won the presidential election in November, 18-year-old Aria Watson knew she needed to do something. So, she turned to art.


Watson, a first-year student at Clatsop Community College in Oregon, created a powerful photo series titled “#SignedByTrump” for a final project in a photography class. The images feature some of the sexist comments President-elect Donald Trump has made about women painted on naked women’s bodies. 


Trump’s misogynistic comments paired with these women’s naked bodies serves as a powerful commentary on the damaging effect his words have had ― and will continue to have ― on so many women. 


Watson told The Huffington Post she decided to mix her political opinions with her photography because she felt so strongly about Trump and Hillary Clinton. “I never really cared for or understood politics, but this year was different,” she said. “As a feminist, when I saw that Donald Trump actually won, my heart shattered.” 



I’m scared that the way he speaks about women -- this sexism and misogyny -- will end up becoming a social norm.



The 18-year-old, who’s also an avid YouTube vlogger, said she had a very difficult time finding women who wanted to model for the series. Watson ended up including only five women for the series, one being herself and the other four are close friends.


While one of the women is Latina, Watson noted that she wished she could’ve included more diversity in the images given how many groups of people he has insulted. “I’ve gotten tons of messages and comments asking me where all the women of color are... I understand where those people were coming from,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong I would have LOVED to have some more women of color, but I live in such a small town and attend such a small college where the majority of people are white.” 


Watson explained why it’s important we continue to call out Trump’s sexism. “Kids are going to grow up and look up to this man for the next four years,” Watson said. “We can’t have a leader who says such horrible things about women. I’m scared that the way he speaks about women ― this sexism and misogyny ― will end up becoming a social norm.”


So, how do we stand up to Trump? Continue to speak out, Watson said.


“We can’t be afraid to speak up about what we are passionate about,” she said. “I don’t know why Donald Trump is in office, or how this even happened, but he is. What we need now more than ever is to come together. We are stronger together.”


Scroll below to see the rest of Watson’s gripping photos from #SignedByTrump. 


Images below may be considered NSFW to some readers. 



To see more of Watson’s work head over to her Tumblr, Instagram or YouTube page. 


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How 'Jackie' Re-Created The First Lady's Famous White House Tour

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In 1962, Jacqueline Kennedy provided the American public’s first televised peek inside the White House. Facing criticism for spending her time as first lady renovating the interior with historical relics, Kennedy wanted to prove she hadn’t devoted taxpayer dollars to the project. Her hour-long tour ― broadcast on CBS, NBC and ABC ― was a smashing success, drawing 80 million viewers and helping to cement Kennedy’s image.


The new movie “Jackie” re-creates the tour, showing its title subject as the consummate performer, both self-conscious and in control. The footage, shot on a White House set constructed with incredible detail, is woven throughout Pablo Larraín’s film. The Huffington Post has an exclusive look at how Larraín refashioned this famous documentary for his unconventional biopic about the aftermath of President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination, starring Natalie Portman as the first lady.


Watch below. “Jackie” is now playing in select theaters. 




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Netflix’s Dark New Adaptation Series Will Be ‘Super Faithful To The Books’

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With the new adaptation of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” slated to hit Netflix at last next month, anticipatory viewers should be bracing themselves to watch the Baudelaire orphans face a heartbreaking number of tragedies, which will likely include a devastating fire, a very poorly written play, and an exceedingly dangerous and greedy uncle named Count Olaf.


Count Olaf will be portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, who sat down with several media outlets, including The Huffington Post, to discuss how he dove into his villainous role in advance of the series’ release.


The answer, apparently, was wholeheartedly. “I really wanted Olaf to be ... bad. To be a bad person,” he said. “Otherwise I just don’t think it justifies [the Baudelaire children’s] constant fear of him.” 


The darkly comic ― or comically dark ― children’s books, written by Lemony Snicket (a pen name for author Daniel Handler), had previously been adapted for a Nickelodeon film starring Jim Carrey as Olaf, which crammed the first three books in the series into an hour and forty minutes. (The hoped-for sequels, adapted from the remaining books in the series, were never made.) 


Though the Carrey franchise foundered, the actor’s slapstick, bullying take on Olaf has certainly left an impression.







Harris explained that he’d sought to differentiate his characterization by drawing directly from the source material:



I tried to just focus as much as I could on being as literary as possible and to try to really honor the way Olaf was described by Lemony [Snicket] and by Daniel Handler. So a lot of piercing darkness and sort of delusional dementia ― he thinks he’s so handsome and he thinks he’s incredibly charming and incredibly gifted as an actor, and yet he’s not, and so I didn’t want to be overly charming.


I was really just trying to be awful. Distinctly mean. And let the levity of the situation inform the takeaway for the viewer. I didn’t want to make him like myself. I didn’t want to add ― I think Jim added a lot of himself into the role, when I watched the movie version my takeaway was, I was watching Jim Carrey’s take on Olaf, and I really wanted to sort of lose myself within Olaf. So we’ll see how that goes.



Harris may be known for his personal charm and his family’s adorable joint Halloween costumes, but he’s played quite a few less cuddly characters onscreen. In antiheroes like Dr. Horrible, from “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” and Barney Stinson from “How I Met Your Mother,” he’s embodied the conflicted villain ― a real bad dude with vulnerabilities, or who essentially means well. When asked how it felt to play a less complex, more cartoonishly evil guy, Harris didn’t hesitate: “It was wonderful,” he jumped in. “I didn’t have to think about it at all. Because that’s the hard part, is to try to add humanity to nastiness.”


“And Olaf, by design, is not that, so it was refreshing,” he said.


Harris also emphasized that the adaptation, which he says will devote two hours to each volume in the series, is “super faithful to the books.” So mark your calendars, Lemony Snicket fans. The bad beginning is coming on Friday, Jan. 13.


Yep, that’s Friday the 13th. If that disturbs you, this is an excellent time to go find a more cheerful show to stream.

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Stressed-Out Teenage Hero Follows Along With Bob Ross On Microsoft Paint

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Happy curly-haired man Bob Ross, with his soothing voice and teddy bear demeanor, has successfully hypnotized many an artless fool into painting flawless, fluffy clouds. Turns out, you don’t even need an easel to make Ross’ cheery, pastoral visions come to life so long as you have good ol’ Microsoft Paint. 


Digital artist Hailey-Jai Damboise blew our damn minds when she uploaded her artwork to Tumblr, made by following along with Ross’ divine guidance on the old school computer program. When we found out Damboise was only 14 years old, we really lost it. 


“I honestly expected the picture to turn out really, really horrible since I tried to stay with the normal palette in MS Paint,” the young genius told Buzzfeed.


But she continued to follow the velvety sound of Ross’ voice, and, of course, he did not lead her astray. 


“It felt oddly calming and actually really, really soothing,” she continued. “I had a lot of stress from school at the time.” Damboise said she got so far into the zen zone that she lost track of what she was doing. And yet her final product is the stuff dental office art is made of. (We mean that in the best way possible.)


Well done, Hailey-Jai. We’re sure Bobby would be proud. 




Pretty cool, huh? 






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Ghostly Photos Explore What — And Who — American History Forgets

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Warning: This article contains nudity and may not be appropriate for work.



Photographer Nona Faustine was riding the Staten Island Ferry in April of 2016 when she decided to take a picture of the Statue of Liberty.


When she peered through her camera’s lens, Faustine was taken aback by a thick, black streak bifurcating the frame. A bar on the ferry’s window cut through her view, obstructing the scenery and overlaying the iconic American symbol with a dark stain. The artist was convinced its imposition wasn’t wholly accidental. 


“It was haunting,” Faustine explained in an interview with The Huffington Post. “To me, it felt like a premonition.” She snapped the image ― ghostly slash included. 



This photograph would become the first of Faustine’s newest series “My Country,” a muddled tour through America’s most iconic monuments. In it, she opts out of the visual language commonly used to document America’s historical shrines ― one that is awe-struck and reverent, the stuff of postcards and posters. Instead, Faustine captures the monuments as they feel in this current political climate ― uncertain, hazy, fragile, drifting away.


The photos simultaneously celebrate and question our stupendous, American monuments, probing viewers to imagine the sacrifices made for their existence. Faustine photographed Lady Liberty during the messy 2016 presidential campaign, when the election of Donald Trump seemed, for many, like an unlikely and ghastly nightmare. Now that he’s been elected, the black bar seems even more menacing.


“We’re losing something,” Faustine expressed. “The ideals of that statue, what she represents, are disappearing. The blackness of the window cutting across the pedestal was like an erasure. It reminded me, also, of African-American history.”



Faustine has long been interested in America’s selective manner of history-making, using her camera to explore the spaces where a residue of stories unseen and untold nonetheless bubble up to the surface. Often, such stories revolve around African-American lives. 


In her 2015 series “White Shoes,” Faustine revisited places around New York where slavery once boomed ― spaces like City Hall, Wall Street, and the Supreme Court, that seem to have acquired an architectural amnesia, the facades never hinting at their former roles in oppression. Wearing only a pair of white, high-heeled shoes, Faustine revisited the inconspicuous New York sites and posed proudly as a black woman, allowing the present to confront the past.


There is a visceral punch to Faustine’s images, which radiates from the pure gall it takes to pose naked in the middle of one of the biggest cities on Earth. And yet their impact probes deeper. Amid New York destinations that serve as economic nuclei or government hubs ― often associated with schools of white men in suits ― Faustine’s naked black female body stands out like a phantom presence. In a way, that’s exactly what she is. 



Ours is a haunted, incomplete history, one that contradicts what we are taught about this country and its people,” Faustine said in a 2015 interview. “We must acknowledge and pay tribute to those that founded and built this country. Not just some of them, but all of them. Like the thousands of Africans buried under lower Manhattan, there are others in long forgotten places.”


Faustine is still adding to the “White Shoes” series, changing her photographic formula slightly as the project continues to evolve. In her newer images, the artist is partially clothed in a flowing, white skirt, emphasizing the projects’ bygone feel.


With her newer photos, Faustine visits sites with violent histories outside the narrative of slavery. For example. she visits Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, once serving as home to the indigenous Lenape population. Faustine manifests at the modern-day shopping mall like a spectral conscience, speaking not just for her own ancestors but for all people denied the rights and freedoms of white Americans. 



With “My Country,” Faustine continues her role as documentary historian with an eye for apparitions and premonitions. After encountering the organic obstruction jutting into her view of the Statue of Liberty, the artist then recreated a similar dark streak in her photographs of the Washington Memorial and Jefferson Memorial by placing tape over the lens. 


With these works, Faustine was interested in George Washington and Thomas Jefferson as American heroes, whose legacies are enshrined in the utmost reverence, despite the fact that both men owned slaves. “Whose history is preserved and whose is not?” Faustine asked.


The black line, then, pierces the mythology, while gesturing toward the countless enslaved people who lived and died in this country without recognition, who built its cities without compensation, who served in the Revolutionary War, whose burial sites were covered up by bus depots and highways. Histories that were so cruelly and haphazardly erased. 



A particularly gripping piece in the “My Country” series depicts the White House as it appears to tourists and passersby, blocked off by rows of gates and armed guards. Originally, Faustine explained, she felt compelled just to see the White House in person before President Obama left office. The real-life barriers she found there mirrored, the artist explained, “all the stagnations and obstructions to democratic ideals we experience in real life.”


Faustine doesn’t believe in accidents. For the artist, every gate, every cloud, every window bar is a sign, communicating some conceptual message. Her photos, then, begin to feel almost supernatural, in their ability to capture a space’s unseen history, present energies, and futuristic intuitions all at once.


Faustine cannot say she predicted Trump’s election, yet she admits in no uncertain terms the signs were there. While visiting the Washington Monument, for example, she recalled seeing huge clouds that felt somewhat apocalyptic. “I look for signs in the land, and that, seeing those clouds, to me was a premonition,” she said.  



Now that the election has come to a close, the photographer is more steadfast than ever about her role as an artist. “I feel strongly that artists are the conscience of our country and our society,” she said. “Artists are here to fight for freedoms. I initially was a little fearful, but I knew I would take that fear and I would use it.”


This too, is the sentiment behind the series title, “My Country.” Imbued with a hint of somber irony, the statement nonetheless proclaims that, despite historic and systematic attempts to oppress marginalized peoples and push said injustices out of history books and memories, this country is Faustine’s home, in all its beauty, glory and darkness. 


As the artist explained in an essay published on The Fader: “I feel like when I say ‘my country’ — which is the title of the show — it’s an affirmation. It’s this kind of in-your-face statement to people who would deny us the right of citizenship or often told us to go back to Africa, but it’s also a mantra to carry inside yourself. I belong. This is mine. I earned it.”


Nona Faustine’s “My Country” is on view until Jan. 14, 2017, at Baxter St at CCNY in New York. 

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