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The Amazon Reviews Of Ivanka's New Book Pretty Adequately Sum Up America

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If you haven’t heard, Ivanka Trump, an assistant to President Donald Trump who just randomly doubles as his daughter, has a new book out. It’s titled Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success.


Say what you will about the book itself, and people have said a lot of very bad things, but it’s created quite the schism on Amazon ― one that works rather well as a metaphor for an incredibly polarized and hostile U.S. political climate.


As of this writing, almost literally everyone who has reviewed the book on Jeff Bezos’ money machine has has either trashed it or loved it. Seriously, 44 percent have given it five stars (the highest rating), and 53 percent have given it one star (the lowest rating). Only 3 percent of all reviews fell somewhere in the middle. 



The love-it-or-hate-it views of the book ― pointed out by economist David Rothschild on Twitter ― obviously fall along partisan lines, but they also say something larger about how we consume almost everything today. 


For many people, politics has become some akin to sport. A past study, published just a bit before Trump’s political rise, actually found that people care more about their political party winning than they do about what effect that victory might have on their country. 


This us-versus-them mentality has led to a growing inability to engage with people who don’t hold the exact same opinions. It feels as if there are very few conversations these days that end up somewhere in the middle ― in a four-star, three-star or two-star area.


We’re a nation that sees things in terms of black or white, love or hate, good or evil, five stars or one star. 


But c’mon, at least a few more people should have felt like Ivanka’s book was just “whatever,” right? 




Every Friday, HuffPost’s Culture Shift newsletter helps you figure out which books you should read, art you should check out, movies you should watch and music should listen to. Sign up here.

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New Julian Assange Documentary Explores The Complicated World Of WikiLeaks

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In a scene from Laura Poitras’ documentary “Risk,” Julian Assange ― already bereft of his signature white hairdo ― is attempting a disguise.


The camera follows the WikiLeaks founder as he inserts colored contact lenses, fits a hat over his newly dyed mane, and inspects an awkward pair of gauge earrings that somehow manage to distract from his otherwise distinguishable features. In that moment, Assange has recently learned that the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations. As he wordlessly bids farewell to his mother, it’s clear that the paranoid Australian expat has no plans of acquiescing.


Instead, he’s minutes away from hopping on a bike that will eventually lead him to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he’s lived from 2012 on, in a prison of his own making. Swedish and U.S. authorities have reportedly been after him since 2010 ― the year WikiLeaks rose to prominence atop a wave of disclosures provided by military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. Despite a UN panel’s decision to characterize Assange’s circumstances as “arbitrary detainment,” he’s continued to seek refuge (or obstruct justice, depending on how you view the situation) there to this day.


Poitras’ thrilling film, released two and a half years after her 2014 doc “CitizenFour” centered on Edward Snowden, spans the bulk of these years. It begins in a notably more idealistic time period, when outlets like Amnesty International were praising WikiLeaks as a catalyst for the Arab Spring’s string of protests against authoritarian regimes. It opens with Assange and his colleague Sarah Harrison kindly attempting to contact then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by phone in order to warn her of an unforeseen breach of WikiLeaks and, subsequently, State Department cables. It swings through the golden days of their push for radical transparency, brushing over the “Iraq War Logs” leaked by Manning, which included footage of an American airstrike that killed two Reuters journalists.


And then, the film takes a turn. “This is not the film I thought I was making,” Poitras declares in a voice-over from her production diary. “I thought I could ignore the contradictions,” but the contradictions “are becoming the story.”





”Risk” has undergone a series of last-minute edits that prolonged the film’s release. The doc originally screened at Cannes Film Festival in May of 2016, but substantial events in Assange’s timeline thereafter ― former WikiLeaks representative Jacob Appelbaum was accused of sexual assault, while Assange was accused of abetting Trump’s election victory by way of Russian-sponsored hackers who leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee ― prompted the filmmaker to shift gears.


The first iteration of the film already addressed the nuances of Assange’s own sexual assault allegations, showing a scene in which he wryly suggests to a female legal advisor that the women accusing him of misconduct could be part of a radical feminist conspiracy group attempting to upend WikiLeaks. (The advisor, Helena Kennedy, painstakingly points out the flaws in this logic. Assange dismisses her with a troubling smile.) But upon learning of the case against hacker and free speech advocate Appelbaum, with whom Poitras was briefly involved in a relationship, she realized she needed to go back to her footage to look deeper into what these allegations ― and the attitudes and behaviors behind them ― meant.


“The reason I felt like I needed to address [the allegations] in the film,” Poitras explained to HuffPost in an interview that took place at her Praxis office in New York City, “is because obviously it was relevant to the work that I was doing and filming. But I also think it’s relevant broadly ― that we need to understand it’s not just in the hacker scene, but in newsrooms, in political movements. That excusing behavior just because there’s a larger ideological mission or because there’s an external threat or because someone has power over you ― all of those things, we should push back [on].”



Poitras is rarely explicit about how exactly viewers should assess the contradictions she lays bare in her documentary, whether they have to do with the deeply engrained misogyny that exists in the same space as an obsession with free expression, or the many other inconsistencies she films. In one scene that Poitras describes as “revealing” and humorous, Assange sits down with Lady Gaga in the Ecuadorian embassy to discuss the many, many entities currently investigating him. He seems enthralled with the celebrity before him, and the opportunity to have Gaga propel his story on her specific platform. Unlike the Snowden of “CitizenFour,” he seems unafraid of becoming Poitras’ or anyone else’s story.


Of course, the film has also shifted to include information about the 2016 presidential election. WikiLeaks, once hailed as capable of holding state power accountable, has been accused of becoming a tool for that same state power after it accepted hacked DNC information from a third party purportedly directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.


“It seems so many things came full circle in this story,” Poitras explained. “At the beginning, it’s this whistleblower has released information. And now, a state actor has released the massive data sets. Julian has denied that his source is a state actor, but it seems like if an intermediary is used, what does that mean?”


Poitras’ film poses a lot of questions about the future of WikiLeaks, what it means to advocate for radical transparency, and how journalism at large will be affected by the persecution of Assange. If the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks can’t accept leaked information about the U.S. government without facing repercussions, what happens to members of the press and their sources?


While her documentary leaves the conclusions up to the viewers, the U.S. government has come down clear with its stance. The Justice Department is preparing charges against Assange, while CIA Director Mike Pompeo has characterized WikiLeaks as a “hostile intelligence service.”


“It’s completely chilling,” Poitras said of Pompeo’s declaration. “I think [Attorney General Jeff] Sessions was asked about WikiLeaks, but his response was about leakers more broadly, which is declaring war against journalism and leakers. And I think we’d be really foolish to think that includes just Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, but it’s targeting the press more broadly. And I say that within the context. I don’t want to let anyone forget how horrible the Obama administration was on the press. The Obama administration had more espionage investigations that were targeting leakers and journalists than any president before him, so it’s a continuation of that. Trump certainly campaigned on an attack-the-press platform, and he’s continued on his promised. I think it’s very chilling.”


“Risk” opened on Friday in a limited number of theaters. It will air on Showtime later this year.

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Chris Pine Tries To Settle 'Hollywood Chris' Debate Once And For All

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Unless you’re a really dedicated fan of the Chrises in Hollywood, you have to admit it’s hard to keep them all straight. 


There’s Captain America, Chris Evans; Thor, Chris Hemsworth; Star-Lord, Chris Pratt; and Captain Kirk/Steve Trevor, Chris Pine


Got that? No? OK. Well, let Chris Pine help you out. 


During his opening monologue on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, Pine performed a musical number set to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” in hopes of helping viewers finally figure out which superhero Chris he is.







Pine sang, “I’m not that Chris / I look just like him, but I’m not that Chris / Not Pratt or Hemsworth / I’m a different guy / Not Evans either / I’m my own cool vibe.” (Nope, he’s not Ryan Reynolds, either.) 


Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon made cameos in the bit to keep the joke going before Pine finally belted out, “I’mmmmmmm Chris Pine!” 







Watch the full segment above.

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'13 Reasons Why' Will Return To Netflix With Season 2

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After much speculation, Netflix has confirmed that its hit teen drama “13 Reasons Why” will have a second season. 


Executive producer Selena Gomez shared the news on social media Sunday, posting a teaser video with the caption, “Their story isn’t over. Season 2 of #13ReasonsWhy is coming.”



Their story isn't over. Season 2 of #13ReasonsWhy is coming.

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on




“13 Reasons Why,” based on the best-selling book by Jay Asher, follows the story of teenager Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), who takes her own life. She records 13 tapes to give to the people she says played some part in her decision, leaving her friend Clay (Dylan Minnette) to uncover the heartbreaking reality behind her death. 


The show has faced its fair share of controversy, as many were taken aback by the graphic scenes depicting suicide and sexual assault featured in Season 1. But despite the pushback, “13 Reasons Why” was a giant success for Netflix and quickly became the most tweeted-about show of 2017.


“I believed in the project for so long and I understood what the message was,” Gomez said of the show. “I just wanted it to come across in a way that kids would be frightened, but confused ― in a way that they would talk about it because it’s something that’s happening all the time. So, I’m overwhelmed that it’s doing as well as it’s doing.”


Reports about a second season have been swirling for weeks, with the show’s stars saying there was more story to tell. 


“I honestly did not realize how much was going to be left open at the end. I think that there’s potential to know more about these characters and I think that there are good stories to be told,” Minnette recently told Entertainment Weekly.


There’s no news yet on what the new season will cover, but some of the stars of the show are set to attend the MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday night, so perhaps we’ll find out more. 

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Banksy Unveils Brexit-Inspired Mural Showing Dismantling Of EU Flag

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Elusive British street artist Banksy has unveiled his latest artwork, one that depicts the dismantling of the European Union’s flag.


The massive blue and yellow mural appeared overnight in Dover, England on Sunday. The site is near a major ferry terminal that connects the U.K. with mainland Europe.



A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on




Representatives for the artist, whose identity is not publicly known, confirmed to Reuters that it is by Banksy, whose verified Instagram account shared photos of the work.


In the painting, a worker is seen chipping away at one of the flag’s 12 stars, which are said to “stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe,” according to the EU’s website.


“The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries, though the circle is a symbol of unity,” the website states.



Dover, England.

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on




The painting comes nearly a year after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, in a vote commonly known as “Brexit.” It also appeared the same day that France held its presidential elections.


Far-right contender Marine Le Pen, who lost to independent moderate Emmanuel Macron, had promised to seek a similar exit from the EU if elected.


British tabloid, The Sun, which campaigned to leave the EU, beamed a sign reading “Dover & Out” last month over Dover’s white cliffs that greet ferry passengers. It appeared the same day that British Prime Minister Theresa May began the process of formally withdrawing the U.K. from the EU.


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'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2' Soars Past 'Fate Of The Furious' At The Box Office

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LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) - And just like that, Star-Lord and his band of super buddies are back on top of the box office.


Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” blasted into domestic theaters this weekend to kick off the summer box office to the tune of $145 million at 4,347 locations. The latest from Disney and Marvel was expected to make $140 million, but possibly more by some analysts considering the studio’s track record and enthusiasm that the first go-around generated.


“We feel great. It is a spectacular number, period,” said Disney’s distribution chief Dave Hollis. “This is such a fresh and exciting film ... it’s the kind of event that gets people excited about going to theaters.”


Returning to deliver more bright colors, wise-cracks and another groovy soundtrack, James Gunn directed and scripted the movie starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper as the titular guardians. The film also features expanded roles for Karen Gillan and Michael Rooker, as well as prominent new characters played by Kurt Russell and Pom Klementieff. The movie functions as an escape thriller, and an origin story for Pratt’s Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord). Gunn is already attached to write and direct the third “Guardians” movie.


“Guardians 2” came into its opening domestic weekend with well over $100 million in the bank from international ticket sales. It made more than $106 million in its first weekend at 58 percent of overseas territories. This weekend the movie earned an estimated $124 million abroad after opening in several more major foreign markets including Korea, Russia and China. That raises the global weekend total to about $269 million and the movie’s total global take so far to $428 million.


The latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe entered theaters with high expectations. When the original was released in 2014, it was a relatively unknown property that managed to smash records for the month of August when it opened to more than $94 million domestically (still modest by Disney/Marvel standards). But word-of-mouth kept building, and by the end of its theatrical run, it had raked in $333 million domestically and $440 million overseas.


“The strength of the brand is a license to take risks,” Hollis said, noting that the “Guardians” films are the perfect counter to any notion of superhero movie fatigue. “These films have never just been superhero films, they are genre films. Each of these movies feels wholly and uniquely different.”


Now the rag-tag group of heroes has entered the public consciousness. “Guardians 2” was struck with the double-edged sword of familiarity ― the original spawned a fondness and a fandom for the characters and their world (that led to a much larger opening for the second installment), but a sequel is hard-pressed to recreate or recapture the same type of surprise and enthusiasm that struck audiences in 2014.


“It’s all about strategy when it comes to Marvel and with ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2,’ the notion of moving what was an August release for the first film to the key summer kick off spot in May clearly paid huge dividends for Disney,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore. “For this ‘Guardians’ to post the sixth best bow for the month is incredibly impressive given the Cinderella story of the title’s ascension from being a little known question mark of a movie, to a global phenomenon.”


“Guardians 2” enjoyed the widest Imax opening ever ― 1,088 screen in 69 markets. The film made $25 million on Imax screens including $13 million in North America. $174 million of the movie’s global earnings this weekend came from 3D ticket sales, according to RealD, which was responsible for about $72 million of the take.







There isn’t much of note at the box office this weekend apart from “Guardians.” Universal’s “Fate of the Furious” cruised into second with $8.5 million at 3,595 theaters. The film now has over $207 million at the domestic box office. “The Boss Baby,” from Fox, took third with $6.2 million from 3,284 locations. Pantelion’s “How to be a Latin Lover,” which seduced its way past “The Circle” last weekend to post strong numbers and a second place finish, slides into fourth with $5.3 million from only 1,203 spots. And Disney’s other box office animal “Beauty and the Beast,” rounds out the top five with $5 million at 2,680 locations ― the movie is now in its eighth weekend of release.


In limited launch, the Orchard’s “The Dinner” made $669,000 from 509 locations. The new release is a thriller toplined by Richard Gere and Laura Linney, adapted from the Dutch novel of same name by Herman Koch about two couples with family issues. “3 Generations” got a six-theater limited release from the Weinstein Company, and made $20,000. The drama about identity and acceptance stars Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon, and Elle Fanning as a transgender teen.


Get used to seeing “Guardians 2” on top. The big-budget superhero flick should coast past Warner Bros.’ “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” next weekend, and possibly the following frame as well when it will face the long-awaited reboot from Fox, “Alien: Covenant.”

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MTV Movie & TV Award Winners Include Emma Watson, Millie Bobby Brown And 'This Is Us'

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The 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards kicked off with a “Beauty and the Beast”-inspired opening number before handing out the coveted golden popcorn statues. 


The network switched things up this year, first adding television to the lineup and then announcing that it would be ditching its gendered acting awards, merging the “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” categories into one.


Best Actor winner Emma Watson was inspired by the switch-up, saying in her acceptance speech at the start of the show, “MTV’s move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone, but to me it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes ― and that doesn’t need to be separated into two different categories. Empathy, and the ability to use your imagination, should have no limits.” 







Hell yes.


Below, more of the MTV Award winners: 


Movie of the Year


“Beauty and the Beast”


“Get Out”


“Logan”


“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”


“The Edge of Seventeen”


Show of the Year


“Atlanta”


“Game of Thrones”


“Insecure”


“Pretty Little Liars”


“Stranger Things”


“This Is Us”


Best Kiss


Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome — “Moonlight”


Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling — “La La Land”


Emma Watson and Dan Stevens — “Beauty and the Beast”


Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard — “Empire”


Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick — “Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates”


Best Villain


Allison Williams — “Get Out”


Demogorgon — “Stranger Things”


Jared Leto — “Suicide Squad”


Jeffrey Dean Morgan — “The Walking Dead”


Wes Bentley — “American Horror Story: Roanoke”


Best Host


Ellen DeGeneres — “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”


John Oliver — “Last Week Tonight”


RuPaul — “RuPaul’s Drag Race”


Samantha Bee — “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”


Trevor Noah — “The Daily Show”


Best Documentary


“13th”


“I Am Not Your Negro”


“O.J.: Made in America”


“This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous”


“TIME: The Kalief Browder Story”


Best Reality Competition


“America’s Got Talent”


“MasterChef Junior”


“RuPaul’s Drag Race”


“The Bachelor”


“The Voice”


Best Actor in a Movie


Daniel Kaluuya — “Get Out”


Emma Watson — “Beauty and the Beast”


Hailee Steinfeld — “The Edge of Seventeen”


Hugh Jackman — “Logan”


James McAvoy — “Split”


Taraji P. Henson — “Hidden Figures”


Best Actor in a Show


Donald Glover — “Atlanta”


Emilia Clarke — “Game of Thrones”


Gina Rodriguez — “Jane the Virgin”


Jeffrey Dean Morgan — “The Walking Dead”


Mandy Moore — “This Is Us”


Millie Bobby Brown — “Stranger Things”



Best Comedic Performance


Adam Devine — “Workaholics”


Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson — “Broad City”


Lil Rel Howery — “Get Out”


Seth MacFarlane — “Family Guy”


Will Arnett — “The LEGO Batman Movie”


Best Hero


Felicity Jones — “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”


Grant Gustin — “The Flash”


Mike Colter — “Luke Cage”


Millie Bobby Brown — “Stranger Things”


Stephen Amell — “Arrow”


Taraji P. Henson — “Hidden Figures”


Tearjerker


“Game of Thrones” — Hodor’s death


“Grey’s Anatomy” — Meredith tells her children about Derek’s death


“Me Before You” — Will tells Louisa he can’t stay with her


“Moonlight” — Paula tells Chiron that she loves him


“This Is Us” — Jack and Randall at karate


Next Generation


Chrissy Metz


Daniel Kaluuya


Issa Rae


Riz Ahmed


Yara Shahidi


Best Duo


Adam Levine and Blake Shelton — “The Voice”


Daniel Kaluuya and Lil Rel Howery — “Get Out”


Brian Tyree Henry and Lakeith Stanfield — “Atlanta”


Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen — “Logan”


Josh Gad and Luke Evans — “Beauty and the Beast”


Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg — “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party”


Best American Story


“Black-ish”


“Fresh Off the Boat”


“Jane the Virgin”


“Moonlight”


“Transparent”


Best Fight Against the System


“Get Out”


“Hidden Figures”


“Loving”


“Luke Cage”


“Mr. Robot”


Trending


“Sean Spicer Press Conference” feat. Melissa McCarthy — “Saturday Night Live”


“Lady Gaga Carpool Karaoke” — “The Late Late Show with James Corden”


“Cash Me Outside How Bout Dat” — “Dr. Phil”


“Run the World (Girls)” feat. Channing Tatum as Beyoncé — “Lip Sync Battle”


“Wheel of Musical Impressions” with Demi Lovato — “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”


Winona Ryder’s Winning SAG Awards Reaction — “23rd Annual SAG Awards”


Best Musical Moment


“Beauty and the Beast” — Ariana Grande and John Legend, “Beauty and the Beast”


“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” — Justin Timberlake, “Trolls”


“How Far I’ll Go” — Auli’i Cravalho, “Moana”


“City of Stars” — Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, “La La Land”


“You Can’t Stop the Beat” — ensemble, “Hairspray Live!”


“Be That as It May” — Herizen Guardiola, “The Get Down”


“You’re the One That I Want” — ensemble, “Grease: Live”


Generation Award


“The Fast and the Furious” franchise

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Nobody Was More Delighted By The MTV Movie & TV Awards Opening Than Hugh Jackman

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Hugh Jackman let his inner musical theater freak-flag fly at Sunday night’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, and we are 100 percent here for it.


MTV Awards host Adam Devine kicked off the show with an impressive “Beauty and the Beast”-inspired opener. During the performance, Devine and nominee Josh Gad serenaded Jackman for his role in “Logan,” and to be honest, Jackman couldn’t have been more delighted.


Just look at that boyish chuckle. 





FYI: If your award show musical number gets the nod of approval from Hugh Jackman, you’re doing all right. When it comes to delivering a pitch-perfect performance, nobody does it better than Jackman.  


And let’s face it, you can take Hugh Jackman out of the Tonys, but you can’t take the Tonys out of Hugh Jackman.





Check out part of the MTV Movie & TV Awards opening number below.  





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Emma Watson's MTV Movie & TV Award Speech Left Us All Feeling Inspired

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Emma Watson won an MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Actor on Sunday for her portrayal of Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” and her acceptance speech left everyone feeling inspired.


This year, MTV made all their award categories genderless in an effort to be more inclusive, and Watson was quick to point out the importance of this modification in her speech.



MTV’s move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone, but to me it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes ― and that doesn’t need to be separated into two different categories. Empathy, and the ability to use your imagination, should have no limits.



Watson went on to explain that her win in this category goes beyond her acting skills and is more related to the inspirational persona that her character Belle represents.



More seriously, I think I’m being given this award because of who Belle is and what she represented. The village in our fairytale wanted to make Belle believe that our world was smaller than the way she saw it — that her curiosity and her passion for knowledge were grounds for alienation. I loved playing someone who didn’t listen to any of that. I’m so proud to be a part of a film that celebrates diversity, literacy, inclusion, joy, and love the way that this one does.



Needless to say, Watson’s words left the audience and her fans feeling enlightened. The world could use more people who embrace diversity and celebrate following your dreams. 




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Of Course The 'Stranger Things' Kids Took Over The MTV Movie & TV Awards

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#SquadGoals will never be the same, because no group can touch the “Stranger Things” kids. 


Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo and Millie Bobby Brown once again walked the red carpet, this time at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday night. The four guys posed for photos together while Brown strolled into the award show solo. 




Once they took their seats inside the Shrine Auditorium, Brown, who plays Eleven on the Netflix series, won the award for Best Actor in a Show. The 13-year-old was shocked and teared up as she made her sweet acceptance speech.


“I want to thank the Duffer brothers because they created a badass, female, iconic character that I’ve got the honor to play,” she said, after thanking the cast and crew of the show. 







Later on in the night, “Stranger Things” was named Show of the Year, defeating “Game of Thrones,” “This Is Us,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “Atlanta” and “Insecure.” 


The actors took the stage to thank Netflix and the show’s creators for supporting them and writing such a great story. 


“They treat us like true collaborators and not just little kids,” Wolfhard said.







But the big win wasn’t all this squad was amped about. Throughout the night, they got to hang with some of the biggest names in the biz, including Emma Watson, Zac Efron, Josh Gad and Hugh Jackman






Hey, stranger things have happened! 






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Girl Power Was Free-Flowing At The 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards

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”Beauty and the Beast” and “Stranger Things” may have taken home the big awards at Sunday’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, but feminism was the real winner of the night. 


Actress and activist Emma Watson set the tone for the evening as she accepted the Best Actor award for her role in “Beauty and the Beast.” Watson cheered MTV for dropping its gendered acting categories, agreeing that male and female actors don’t “need to be separated into two different categories.”





”MTV’s move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone, but to me it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes ― and that doesn’t need to be separated into two different categories,” Watson said. “Empathy, and the ability to use your imagination, should have no limits.”


Watson also expressed admiration for her “Beauty and the Beast” character, Belle, saying the Best Actor award was for “who Belle is and what she represent[s].”


“The village in our fairytale wanted to make Belle believe that our world was smaller than the way she saw it — that her curiosity and her passion for knowledge were grounds for alienation,” Watson added. “I loved playing someone who didn’t listen to any of that. I’m so proud to be a part of a film that celebrates diversity, literacy, inclusion, joy, and love the way that this one does.”





”Beauty and the Beast” director Bill Condon echoed his star’s sentiments later on in the evening as he accepted the award for Movie of the Year.


“Thank you to the audience that embraced this movie so much, but especially to the women,” Condon said. “Women have proven that they are a huge and powerful audience, and it’s going to change the movie business.”


“Stranger Things” actress Millie Bobby Brown continued the girl power party as she tearfully accepted the Best Actor in a Show award.




”Lastly, I want to thank the Duffer brothers,” Brown said. “They’ve created a badass, female, iconic character that I’ve got the honor to play.”


Amen to that.





Perhaps the most feminist moment of the night came when U.S. congresswoman Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and “Blackish” actor Tracee Ellis Ross presented “Hidden Figures” with the prize for Best Fight Against The System. Taraji P. Henson accepted the award with a truly moving speech, saying she felt the film was her “mission.”





“This movie was bigger than all of us,” Henson said. “We understood that this is a part of history that needed to be re-implemented into the blood and veins of American history. For me, it was very important because I grew up with an understanding — no one ever told me that girls couldn’t do math and science, but there was an understanding. There was an understanding that it was for boys.”


She continued, “I remember getting this script and being very upset, because it felt like a dream was stolen from me. And it became my mission, and everyone’s mission who was involved with this film, to dispel that myth, so that another young girl would not grow up thinking that her mind wasn’t capable of grasping math and science.”





We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling like we could pretty much take over the world right now. More speeches like this ― and fewer like this ― please.

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Martha Stewart Lets The World Know Exactly How She Feels About Trump

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Martha Stewart is letting her fingers do the talking. 


Posing between Andres Serrano’s portraits of President Donald Trump and rapper Snoop Dogg at the Frieze Art Fair in New York on Saturday, Stewart had a gesture for each of them: 




The photo was snapped by artist and embroiderer Newlin Tillotson, who said on Instagram that she was taking a pic of the two images when Stewart stepped into the shot. 


However, the image released on Stewart’s official Instagram was decidedly more neutral: 




Kevin Sharkey, an executive at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, called the second image “the politically correct version” on his own Instagram, and said it was “so much less interesting.”


Stewart, who supported former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in 2016, starred in a spinoff of Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice.” The show lasted just one season and its failure led to a very public feud between the two.


She’s had better luck on TV with the man in the other portrait; “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party” on VH1 was renewed for a second season. The odd pair also seemed to be kindred spirits. Earlier this year, Snoop Dogg released a music video showing him


The odd pair also seem to be kindred spirits. Earlier this year, Snoop Dogg released a music video showing him pointing a gun at a clown version of Trump

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Pepe The Frog Is Dead: Cartoonist Kills Off Stoner Amphibian Hijacked By Alt-Right

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Pepe the Frog is dead.


Cartoonist Matt Furie made it official by drawing Pepe in an open casket. The funeral parlor scene was part of a single-page strip he created for Fantagraphics’ “World’s Greatest Comics” to mark Free Comic Book Day on Saturday.


Furie turned on his creation after the alt-right fringe began using the frog as a kind of mascot.


“It dawned on me that Pepe was channeling some evil shit,” Furie said last year. “It just kind of melts my spirit a bit because a cartoon I had made becomes somebody’s symbol for hate. It’s pretty terrible.”


Furie said he was using the situation as an opportunity to speak out against hate. Pepe’s “not a hater, he’s a lover,” he said.


Pepe and his three 20-something slacker pals debuted in the deadpan “Boy’s Club” zine on Furie’s MySpace blog in 2005. Their exploits were later published in a collection by Fantagraphics.


But the little frog’s life took a creepy turn when he was repeatedly hijacked for hate messages, particularly during the 2016 presidential election. Pepe was redrawn leering with malice and featured alongside vile sentiments. Things got so bad that Pepe was officially classified as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League.


President Donald Trump even retweeted an image of himself as Pepe.



Later, Donald Trump Jr. reposted a meme titled “The Deplorables” on Instagram, which featured various Republicans as a crew of action heroes. The meme was created after former secretary of state Hillary Clinton used the phrase “basket of deplorables” to describe some of Trump’s supporters. The meme included Trump Jr., his dad and Pepe. (Junior said he was “proud” to be so honored.)




Frustrated, Furie launched a #SavePepe campaign to keep the slacker frog true to his once-chill self. Some followers of the hashtag were crushed by Pepe’s death while those on the alt-right celebrated what they saw as Furie’s surrender.


The thing to worry about now: alt-right zombie Pepe.






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10 Too-Real Comics About Mother's Day

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Mother’s Day is drawing near, which means it’s time for brunch, sweet but useless kid crafts, and, if you’re lucky, some much-needed alone time. 


In honor of the holiday, here are 10 comics that sum up the reality of Mother’s Day. 


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Bill Clinton Is Co-Writing A Thriller With James Patterson Called ‘The President Is Missing’

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The 42nd president of the United States is about to add another impressive accolade to his resume: thriller writer.


Next summer, Alfred A. Knopf and Little, Brown and Co. will co-publish a novel called The President is Missing, written by best-selling author James Patterson, and, yes, Bill Clinton.


According to the AP, “it will be informed by insider details that only a president can know [...] The publication will be the President’s first novel and the novelist’s first collaboration with a president.”


Clinton’s previous books include Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy and Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. Patterson’s popular series include the “Women’s Murder Club” and “Alex Cross,” as well as “NYPD Red” and “BookShots,” the latter of which is centered on super-short thrillers that are 150 pages or less.


Patterson has also written six nonfiction books, including last year’s Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy.


“Working with President Clinton has been the highlight of my career, and having access to his firsthand experience has uniquely informed the writing of this novel,” Patterson explained in a statement. “I’m a storyteller, and President Clinton’s insight has allowed us to tell a really interesting one. It’s a rare combination — readers will be drawn to the suspense, of course, but they’ll also be given an inside look into what it’s like to be president.”


Clinton added in the same press release, “Working on a book about a sitting president — drawing on what I know about the job, life in the White House and the way Washington works — has been a lot of fun. And working with Jim has been terrific. I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time.”


The duo will go on a national book tour together when The President is Missing is released next June. We can’t wait.


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These Beautiful Photos Highlight The Diversity Of The Lesbian Community

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An important and compelling project from Colorado-based photographer Rachael Zimmerman is bringing together lesbian-identifying women from different walks of life in order to demonstrate the vast diversity of the lesbian community.


“Inside The Black Triangle” draws its name from the symbol people demonstrating asocial or atypical behavior were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps ― including lesbians. Zimmerman felt that this project is necessary to contribute to a conversation surrounding “gender hierarchy” in the lesbian community and highlight the variety and diverse array of experiences among lesbian women.


“I hope that the audience can see that a lesbian can look any way, be any nationality, race and believe any religion she pleases,” Zimmerman told HuffPost. “It’s time to break away from stereotypes and start treating each other equally. We must set positive examples for society. It’s truly remarkable how far the community has come to be accepted. The fight is not over; it’s critical to be visible and proud.”


After photographing and interviewing 100 women, Zimmerman plans to turn “Inside The Black Triangle” into a coffee table book. Head here for more information on the project, and check out some of the women who’ve already been featured in the series below.


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Milo Yiannopoulos Claims He Will Sue Simon & Schuster And Self-Publish His Book

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Milo Yiannopoulos claims he will self-publish his book Dangerous after his comments about pedophilia forced publishing giant Simon & Schuster to drop its deal with the alt-right figure. He announced the news late last month over Facebook.


In a separate message posted Saturday, Yiannopoulos stated he plans to sue the publisher for $10 million to “send a message.”


“We are going to make publishers, professors and journalists who threaten free speech famous ― and ashamed,” he wrote.


The former Breitbart editor said Dangerous will be the first project under his new umbrella, Dangerous Books, an endeavor made for those whose work might otherwise be determined unpublishable. 


(Bear in mind: Even President Donald Trump’s last book, titled Great Again: How to Fix Crippled America, was deemed publishable by a major imprint.)


His original deal with Simon & Schuster was canceled in February. Although Yiannopoulos has a history of controversial comments ― he once equated feminism to “cancer” and led the charge on the racist, troll-fueled harassment of comedian Leslie Jones over Twitter ― it wasn’t until he made a comment seemingly condoning pedophilia that the publisher pulled the plug. 


He lost a major speaking gig, and his job at Breitbart, the same week. 


“This will not defeat me,” Yiannopoulos said at the time. Shortly after, HuffPost observed that, while his message had been invalidated by trusted outlets, the controversial character would likely self-publish his work anyway. Now, he’s announced just that.


Self-publishing is a popular route for writers who are unable to find a traditional home for their books. But the market is “challenging,” Mark Coker, founder of ebook distributor Smashwords, said in a January interview with Publisher’s Weekly, due to the “flood of titles that have entered the ebook space.”



“I’m going to be actively hunting around for the next Milo."
Milo Yiannopoulos


Yiannopoulos said he will release Dangerous after touring campuses under Milo, Inc., a new media venture centered on live events. The self-proclaimed supporter of free speech said in a statement that he will focus on “making the lives of journalists, professors, politicians, feminists, Black Lives Matter activists, and other professional victims a living hell.”


The First Amendment, of course, protects the freedom of speech, but also the freedom of the press.


According to Vanity Fair, Yiannopoulos claims to be supported by a $12 million investment from anonymous backers. And, he says he personally has access to “all the funniest, smartest, most interesting young YouTubers.”


“I’m going to be actively hunting around for the next Milo,” he said. “The generation that’s coming up [...] They love us. They love me.”


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Ryan Gosling And Harrison Ford Unite In 'Blade Runner 2049' Trailer

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“Blade Runner” went from box-office bust to sci-fi hallmark. Thirty-five years later, the trailer for the sequel, “Blade Runner 2049,” has descended upon Earth.


Ridley Scott, the director of the 1982 original, began working on a follow-up in 2009, but he eventually handed the reins to Denis Villeneuve, who made “Arrival” and “Prisoners.” Villeneuve cast Ryan Gosling as an LAPD officer who, 30 years after the events of “Blade Runner,” tracks down the long-missing Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford, reprising his role) to investigate a “secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos,” according to Fox’s plot synopsis. The new trailer doesn’t divulge many specifics, but it does introduce Jared Leto and Robin Wright into the fold. 


“Blade Runner 2049” opens Oct. 6.

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For Her New Act, A 'Drag Race' Queen Becomes A Broadway Chanteuse

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Growing up in New York, Alexis Michelle aspired to be a Broadway star. As is the case for many aspiring thespians, however, Michelle would make a few detours while pursuing a career on the stage.


What she couldn’t have predicted, however, was that one of those detours would turn out to be her lucky break. The 32-year-old performer landed a coveted spot on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” after eight grueling auditions – and, true to form, is bringing her love of Broadway to the show’s ninth (and current) season.


“A career in theater has always been the end game for me, and doing drag has always been a natural accompaniment,” Michelle, whose real name is Alex Michaels, told HuffPost. “I’ve always considered myself an actor first.”


Of course, Michelle hasn’t been shy about showcasing her theatrical chops on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” At the VH1 show’s March 7 premiere party in New York, she performed “All That Jazz” from “Chicago” with the full Bob Fosse choreography and a host of backup dancers. On May 16 and June 13, Manhattan theatergoers will get a chance to witness Michelle’s Broadway belt for themselves when she takes to the stage of Feinstein’s/54 Below. (Get a sneak peek at the show in the video above.) 



It Takes A Woman… An Evening with Alexis Michelle,” which opened in January, sees its titular star tackling a bevy of Broadway classics, including songs from “Cabaret,” “La Cage aux Folles” and “Company,” among other musicals. Other highlights of the show, which features musical direction by Brandon James Gwinn, include a Barbra Streisand medley and a sultry “Sooner or Later,” which was performed by Madonna in 1990’s “Dick Tracy.”


“To me, the real beauty of theater and Broadway has always been about storytelling – taking people out of their daily lives. I fell in love with theater when I was 5 years old,” Michelle said. When it came to choosing material for “It Takes A Woman,” she added, “Theater has the power and, perhaps more now than ever, a responsibility to tell a story that is relevant to the world right now. I tried to think about things that I’ve been through that are universal.”


Michelle said she enjoys her newfound “RuPaul’s Drag Race” visibility, but her stint almost didn’t happen. After seven unsuccessful auditions for the show, she said she was planning to apply to culinary school in 2016 before she decided to give “Drag Race” one final shot.



“The best I can do – as a gay man, a queer performer and a drag queen – is live my life honestly, openly and authentically, and let that authenticity be reflected in my performances.”



“I was at a real crossroads at this time last year… I came very close to not auditioning again. I just hadn’t seen the kind of returns financially that I needed in order to sustain [drag] as a career,” Michelle recalled. “I said to myself, ‘If this doesn’t really pick up and become your career for real, you need to go to culinary school.’”


Her eighth audition, however, turned out to be the charm. “I just took a stance that was more ‘This is me. Take it or leave it. I’ve got nothing to lose,’ rather than trying to say something I thought they wanted to hear,” she said. “I just had to present myself as honestly and as straightforward as I could, and to trust that there was value in that.”



As Michelle gears up for the final two shows of her four-night Feinstein’s/54 Below run, she said she feels “very lucky” to be establishing a career in drag at a time when many queer people are facing an uncertain future. President Donald Trump’s rise to power has left Michelle “very charged up” both personally and professionally. “I’m trying to figure out the best way to make my voice heard for the things I believe in,” she said.


“The best I can do – as a gay man, a queer performer and a drag queen – is live my life honestly, openly and authentically, and let that authenticity be reflected in my performances,” she said. “I really do believe that if we all live authentically, that behavior in and of itself has the power to change the world. It’s something that everybody can do. Right now that’s my plan of attack.”


Alexis Michelle stars in “It Takes A Woman… An Evening with Alexis Michelle” at Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York on May 16 and June 13. Head here for details. 

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Learning To Play The Didgeridoo Could Help Stop Your Snoring

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Snoring became a problem for Obediya Jones-Darrell, a 38-year-old artist and acupuncturist in Vancouver, Canada, in college.


“I would spend long hours on campus studying in the library. I would fall asleep, and then wake up from hearing a loud noise,” he says. “I think other students in the library were waking me up on purpose because I was snoring.”


Jones-Darrell soon noticed that the quality of his sleep was being affected — he didn’t feel rested in the morning and had stopped remembering his dreams — so he sought help from his family doctor and was diagnosed with sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder that can obstruct breathing during sleep and cause snoring.


A CPAP machine ― a mask worn at night to help ensure continued breathing ― stopped the snoring, but Jones-Darrell still wasn’t remembering dreams. So he decided to look for a complementary alternative anti-snoring treatment.


To his surprise, his research revealed that many people have reported improvements in snoring after learning to play the didgeridoo, a wooden wind instrument played by indigenous Australians.


“To play this instrument,” Jones-Darrell explains, “you need to learn how to do circular breathing,” which is a technique used by wind instrument-playing musicians to keep a continuous tone and requires the player to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth at the same time.


“I would go to a park close to my house and practice playing the instrument. After 45 minutes of circular breathing, my throat and mind felt very relaxed. I slept much better, and I had vivid dreams again,” he says. “I think the didgeridoo reconnected me with the person I lost when I started using the CPAP,” though he continues to use the two treatments in tandem.



As far-fetched as this may seem to some, experts agree that circular breathing can help ease or even eliminate snoring, and research has found that playing the didgeridoo helps to strengthen throat muscles and reduce snoring.


A 2006 study published by The British Medical Journal found that among a control group — of mostly men around age 50 — playing the didgeridoo for about 25 minutes per day six days per week correlated with a significant reduction in daytime sleepiness. And while the study participants didn’t note much difference in the quality of their sleep, the partners of the didgeridoo players reported far fewer nighttime disruptions (i.e., less snoring).


Dr. Emerson Wickwire, director of the insomnia program and assistant professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says he has seen positive results with snoring patients who learn to play the didgeridoo.


“Singing, tongue and throat exercises, and even the didgeridoo have been shown to reduce snoring,” he says. He cautions, however, that it’s critical to get properly diagnosed and treated by your family doctor or an ear, nose and throat specialist if you’re suffering from snoring.


“Snoring takes place when there is too much air forced through a small airway, causing vibration; this is the same reason that a kazoo or saxophone makes noise,” he explains, but over time, the vibration can lead to swelling and tissue damage in the throat that can, in turn, cause the potentially fatal condition of obstructive sleep apnea. 


In short, says Wickwire, even though the didgeridoo can help, seeking a professional opinion is a critical first step to easing snoring, a symptom of a potentially bigger problem. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but it’s important to get checked out.


Jones-Darrell agrees, noting that what worked for him won’t work for everyone. He says, however, that he’d recommend anyone who’s been prescribed a CPAP machine look into holistic remedies to complement the doctor’s orders.


“I think the medical solution addresses how your body works,” he says. “But a holistic approach is all about your whole body getting the treatment it needs to improve your quality of life.”

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